Hey everyone!
So I was looking around online and I haven't seen an answer to this, so I figured I'd make my own thread and ask here.
Basically, does the bonus from the Bloodthirsty armor enchantment stack with each natural attack you do during your turn, or does it happen only once per turn?
"Jagged designs of lightning, fangs, or weaponry adorn any bloodthirsty armor, which bolsters its wearer’s confidence and presence with each wound the wearer inflicts.
Bloodthirsty armor promotes wanton bloodshed, as its enhancement bonus to AC increases by 1 for 1 round after its wearer deals damage with a natural attack or melee weapon. If the wearer of a suit of bloodthirsty armor is raging, the armor’s enhancement bonus increases by 3 instead."
Short answer: No, it does not stack. You get a +1 to your Enhancement bonus, and if you hit with another attack on your turn, or later in the round with an Attack of Opportunity, it simply "overlaps" and restarts the 1 round duration.
Long Answer: Bonuses from enhancement, shield, armor, competence, insight, etc. do not stack with themselves, but they do stack with each other. I.E. A +2 shield, +4 armor, +1 Enhancement, +2 competence, and +3 insight bonus would stack with each other to provide a net +12 to your AC. But if you have a +1 enhancement bonus and a +3 enhancement bonus, the +3 enhancement bonus "overlaps" or "overwrites" the +1 enhancement bonus, and you simply have a +3 enhancement bonus. The only exception to this rule is Dodge or Untyped bonuses. Dodge bonuses stack with themselves and from all sources. Untyped bonuses usually come from class abilities or feats, such as feats like Shield Focus and Greater Shield Focus; these add a cumulative +1 untyped bonus to your Shield bonus.
So with your Bloodthirsty Armor, let's say you have a +2 enhancement bonus already on it. If you hit with an attack, your enhancement bonus increases to +3. If you hit again, you're still at a +1 bonus to your enhancement bonus, so it remains at +3. But then if you Rage as a free action and hit again, your +1 enhancement bonus would be overlapped by the +3 bonus, and your +2 enhancement bonus would become +5 for 1 round.
I'm not sure it's that cut-and-dry, unless there's an official ruling somewhere. I know that bonuses don't stack, but in this scenario it isn't a bonus of its own. It's increasing the existing bonus of the armor. I'm under the impression that abilities that increase the enhancement bonus of an item can stack, such as a magus's arcane pool and a paladin's divine bond.
The fluff text of the enchantment also seems to support the idea that it's on each attack, though I know that would only really matters to RAI.
As with a lot of things, more concise wording on the enchantment could solve the entire issue, but as it stands, the wording "after its wearer deals damage with a natural attack or melee weapon" doesn't have a limiter of once per round on it.
Yeah, you're merely increasing the bonus of your Enhancement bonus, but it would follow the same general rules as not being able to stack with itself. The only way this would be able to stack with itself is if there were a specific rule written into this enchant saying "this +1 bonus to enhancement bonus stacks with itself if you successfully hit with subsequent attacks" or something along the lines of that.
If it did stack with itself, this enchant would be much more popular, especially Hasted TWF Barbarians :P
If it is limited to a +1 AC for one round after a successful attack (or +3 if raging) the +2 enhancement equivalent cost is excessive.
If it is limited to a +1 AC for one round after a successful attack (or +3 if raging) the +2 enhancement equivalent cost is excessive.
I think the main draw of this enchant is to get +4 or +5 armor and then Rage and hit something, increasing the enhancement bonus to +7 or +8
I suppose so. As it is, if ruled that it doesn't stack, it probably goes into the pile of enchantments I'll never use. It just seems strange to even mention the +1 bonus if you're not someone who can rage. It's strictly worse than just spending gold on the +2 Enhancement. Even if you do rage, it's generally more worthwhile to have a constant +2 Enhancement than a situational +3.
A Hasted TWF Barbarian could pull off 7 attacks per round by lvl 11+ with Imp/Gr TWF, so if they stacked, that would be a +21 Enhancement bonus :P
A Hasted TWF Barbarian could pull off 7 attacks per round by lvl 11+ with Imp/Gr TWF, so if they stacked, that would be a +21 Enhancement bonus :P
Yeah, but can't a cRogue get that as a Dodge bonus with Offensive Defense?
A Hasted TWF Barbarian could pull off 7 attacks per round by lvl 11+ with Imp/Gr TWF, so if they stacked, that would be a +21 Enhancement bonus :PYeah, but can't a cRogue get that as a Dodge bonus with Offensive Defense?
Yes, but that's a dodge bonus. All dodge bonuses stack.
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I suppose so. As it is, if ruled that it doesn't stack, it probably goes into the pile of enchantments I'll never use. It just seems strange to even mention the +1 bonus if you're not someone who can rage. It's strictly worse than just spending gold on the +2 Enhancement. Even if you do rage, it's generally more worthwhile to have a constant +2 Enhancement than a situational +3.
This makes the enchantment beneficial even when the Barbarian isn't raging. I agree that it's not worth the money though. I'd put +13 spell resistance or save up for a +3 Fortification enchant before I'd ever get this enchant.
I'm considering this enchantment at high levels for my Bloodrager. I'm the only front-liner so I'm playing more as a protector than a damage dealer (though I do hit hard as well).
My AC is garbage, but the plan is to stack this with the Benevolent enchantment and use the Bodyguard feat, so if I've hit an enemy it'll add more to my allies' AC rather than my own.
If you're using it as a regular AC upgrade it's not great. It's probably good on an Urban Barb or something, but otherwise it's either more expensive than regular upgrades or you're playing a class with bad AC already and it's not enough to help.
Oh, buf for the rules question: No it doesn't stack with itself, it overlaps as the others said.
Keep it in mind for your next Urban Barb/Bloodrager.