Favored Enemy stacks

[VinnythePooh]

There is an elf ranger substitution level system that makes "Servants of Lolth" a favored enemy (@+3) . If I take evil outsiders as a second favored enemy what happens when I'm fighting a yochol?

[pabelfly]

From the SRD:

If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the ranger’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

https://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/ranger.htm

[Chronos]

Yeah, the situation can also come up purely in core, for instance, with "Evil outsiders" and "Chaotic outsiders", and fighting a demon.

[VinnythePooh]

Yeah. Sorry. First time doing a ranger. Elf ranger sub from RotW with servants not including demons but simply drow driver and monstrous spiders of all sizes. Oh well, with 5 levels of rogue I'm still doing 4d8+16 sneak attack damage to Drow.

[Cygnia]

Actually, I have a related question then: say you have Favored Enemy (animal) and you're attacking what you think is a regular dire wolf. But it's a werewolf in animal form (that the GM knows, but you/your PC doesn't know). Are you still allowed to apply the FE bonus? How do you rule it as a GM?

[Tzardok]

Actually, I have a related question then: say you have Favored Enemy (animal) and you're attacking what you think is a regular dire wolf. But it's a werewolf in animal form (that the GM knows, but you/your PC doesn't know). Are you still allowed to apply the FE bonus? How do you rule it as a GM?

Favoured Enemy works because you studied this kind of creature, their behaviour and special combat techniques against them. A transformed werewolf may look like a normal wolf, but it won't act like one, so the boni won't apply. They will make it easier though to recognize that something's off about the wolf.

[ShurikVch]

Note: although different kinds of Favored Enemies don't stack with each other - similar, but differently-named features would stack:
Ancestral Avenger (Dragon #278): Drow Bane - stacks with bonuses of Ranger's FE (drow)
Corrupt Avenger 1 (Heroes of Horror) - Sworn Foe (kinda like Favored Enemy + Rage)
Darkwood Stalker 1 (Complete Warrior) - Ancient Foe
Deneith Warden 3 (Dragonmarked) - Devoted Lawkeeper - against known criminals; +4 at 6th level, and +6 - at 9th
Fiend Slayer (Dragon #287): Fiend Hunting - stacks with bonuses of Ranger's FE
Imaskari Vengeance Taker 1 (Underdark) - Target of Vengeance
Knight of the Chalice (Complete Warrior): Fiendslaying - stacks with FE
Leviathan Hunter 1 (Stormwrack) - Hunter's Insight
Mortal Hunter (Book of Vile Darkness): Mortal Hunting - stacks with bonuses of Ranger's FE
Mythic Examplar 3 (Complete Champion) - Archetype Advancement: Orsos
Revenant Blade 4 (Player's Guide to Eberron) - Giant Slayer, +4 bonus
Sworn Slayer (Dragon #324): Sworn Foe and Animosity are both stacks with bonuses of Ranger's FE (and with each other)
Tribal Protector (Sword and Fist): Tribal Enemy - stacks with bonuses of Ranger's FE

[Darg]

Favoured Enemy works because you studied this kind of creature, their behaviour and special combat techniques against them. A transformed werewolf may look like a normal wolf, but it won't act like one, so the boni won't apply. They will make it easier though to recognize that something's off about the wolf.

Which is where the bonus to spot comes into play. A shape changed werewolf is effectively disguised as a wolf with a +10 bonus. It'll be pretty easy to realize it's not really a wolf as you get higher levels.