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Looking for clarification, searched "stacking bonuses" and got lots of info but still confused by one bit.

If I have an Amulet of +4 Natural armour, and am wearing +2 Leather armour what stacks? Natural armour stacks with armour, but the +4 and the +2 are enhancement bonuses so is it +4 only? Or is it '+4 enhancement to natural armour' different source to '+2 enhancement to armour'?

While I'm here I might as well ask this one too -
I assume as they are from different sources the Rogue ability Bleed, a weapon that causes bleed damage and the bleeding critical all stack?

Cheers,
Steve

Dastardly Finish sounds like a good Feat but how can a rogue get a cowering or stunned opponent? I don't want to stand around waiting for the Monk to get a succesful Stunning Fist!

My group have just converted to PF and I'm back-filling/re-working a tenth Lvl rogue from 3rd ed.
Good point about Bleeding attack, but is Crippling attack that much better? At 2pts Str per SA? Maybe if I get off multiple SA from TWF + Opportunist it's significant.
For minor/major magic I like Light and mage armour.
Light for those annoying times when the GM try to pull a fast one with dim light giving a concealment bonus - therefore no SA. I can now get rid of that dim light condition.
Mage armour lasts a lot longer than Shield, so why do people think shield is better?
Will it stack with my current (un)armoured AC? Dex 20, gloves of Dex +4, Amulet of natural armour +4 = 21? Will it stack if I wear magic armour?
Vanish does sound very appealing, but as a TWF/SA rogue I want a good/great AC 'cos I stand around. Too bad you can't take the same Talent more than once!
Cheers

My gaming group has just transferred over to Pathfinder, well almost all. We have one last player who's reluctant, maybe as it is an Eberron campaign and he is/was an Artificer.
The closest match and attractive class (for the bomb throwing) is the Alchemist.
Can anyone offer advice as to the builds for an Alchemist?
What works best for a bomb thrower?
Are bomb throwing and mutagen imbibing a good combination?

I agree, Keen is not the best example but the other example I thought of is so 'without question' it seems purile.
A +1 magic bonus on a weapon is specific to that weapon, changes a basic weilder function/calculation, and cannot be stacked with something like Magic weapon spell (IIRC), but when TWF with a +1 in one hand and a +2 in the other you get that specific bonus to those attacks.
Speed magic bonus is specific to that weapon, changes a basic weilder function/calculation, and cannot be stacked with something like Haste spell, instead of a 'to hit' bonus it adds to the number of attacks with that weapon.
The weapon bonus for one weapon does not affect that of the other weapon in either case above, so there is no 'stacking' of the speed bonus.

I would not expect to get an attack bonus from a haste potion or boots of speed, etc when holding a weapon (or two) of Speed. Just as I wouldn't expect to get a bonus from Improved Critical Feat whilst holding two Keen weapons, but I would expect that the two weapons both had better threat ranges.
IIRC Keen does not stack with itself either.
Would you expect that you don't get the keen bonus for both weapons?

The rule doesn't mention primary or secondary weapons.
"Speed: When making a full-attack action, the wielder of a
speed weapon may make one extra attack with it."
It's being wielded whether it's primary or secondary.
Other opinions?

I like it, but it looks too precarious to set up.
What about Catch off guard? Pick up that barstool and your opponent is flat footed! Even better - pick up two barstools for TWF!
There's no time limit and it only takes one feat. Add to it Major Magic for Magic Weapon and you can get your +1 Barstool.
Cheers

If said rogue had two short swords "of Speed" would they get +1 or +2 attacks?

Sure there are ways to deal with this but as the other characters are not optimised to deal huge damage, and probably will never be, this high damage rogue causes a problem. Either the DM must increase the threat level of the monsters, or find a way to negate sneak attack damage (slimes, pit traps) to maintain the status quo, I would rather nerf my character to maintain the balance.
So as a Noob to Pathfinder what's a good Rogue build that isn't looking for big sneak attack damage?
Orig 3.x character
8th Rogue/2nd fighter - dipping to get extra feats - now changing to Pathfinder those feats can be absorbed as rogue abilities.
So can either have 10th rogue - choose one new Feat and one tenth lvl rogue ability - was TWF and Opportunist
or
8th/2nd rogue fighter, gets three feats (as Pathfinder rogue abilities effective grant two feats already obtained under 3.x), was TWF, Impr TWF, TWdefense
Current feats
dodge, mobiliy, spring attack, exotic weapon prof (spiked chain), combat reflexes, weapon finesse.

We haven't got to using CMB stuff, at this level are trp/disarm feats really useful? The Giants described above don't sound like it's possible to disarm them or trip them. Are the minor/major magic abilities worthwhile, then the dispelling strike? Are the DC's too high to really acheive?
Cheers,
Steve

I understand there are ways to counter this, but the problem occurs when the other party members don't have the same damage output/capability, maybe they are not as "optimised". If the DM must counter this with harder opponents, higher CR/AC/hit points then what can they do? There's less fun for them and that's no fun for everyone.

Your example, Shuriken Nekogami, is a good one, if that monster is a challenge for an optimised TWF/sneak attacking rogue then what can non-damage-output-optimised characters do about it? And/or if I go the other way with feats like Impr. trip what can I do about it? What's the CMD for that? Can it even be tripped as it's more than one size catagory larger?
Maybe I should start a new thread in the Advice section on optimising defense/not damage on a 10th lvl rogue ;)
Cheers

Thanks for the replies!
I'm not actually looking to make it better, it seems too god now and certainly a far greater damage output than other party members of equivalent level, which is my main concern.

Next level with TWF, Improved TWF and Opportunist that's a potential two hits in the first round and five in the second, using short swords that's 1D6 +5D6 per hit, or 42D6 in two rounds!
Are the bad guys in Pathfinder so good that this is not excessive? Why would you add Crippling strike when I get to 12th? The 2 Str damage seems tiny compared to the +6D6 sneak attack damage.

So I'm looking to diversify, I don't want to be the glass cannon.
I don't yet know what a good CMB/CMD is, is Impr trip any good? I could get Agile Maneuvers/Combat expertise/Improved trip but it seems a lot of feats to get there.
Otherwise it'll be Impr Will and the 'half damage on failed save' special ability to reduce both the glass and the cannon. Could also go the minor/major magic route for rogue abilities - are these any good?
Ideas are welcome, using Pathfinder or 3.5 core preferably.
Cheers,
Steve

I'm converting a 10th lvl Rogue to Pathfinder and applying the extra feat. Looking at Two weapon fighting it seems that if I flank an opponent then on a full attack I get three attacks, all with bonus sneak damage. If I also take the rogue ability of Opportunist then I have the potential of four attacks per round all with sneak attack, that's a potential of +20D6 per round!
Have I got that right? It seems excessive when the rogue is averaging 70pts damage before applying any weapon or strength bonuses. I realise all the attacks have to hit for this to happen, but low AC are toast.
Cheers,
Steve

I'm looking at converting a Rogue over to Pathfinder and have some Q's about Bleeding effects.
The main rulebook states, "Bleed effects do not stack with each other unless they deal different kinds of damage."
But "Multiple hits from a wounding weapon increase the bleed damage."
For Bleeding Critical Feat, "The effects of this feat stack"
Yet
The Rogue ability - Bleeding attack - states, "Bleeding damage from this ability does not stack with itself."

The wounding weapon and the Bleeding critical seem contradictions of the main rule, the Rogue ability is not.

So am I correct in that a sneak attack, critical with a wounding weapon would get +Xpts for the rogue ability + 2D6 for the critical feat + 1 for the wounding weapon in bleed damage?
And a subsequent sneak/crit/wounding weap hit would deal an extra 2D6 +1 bleed damage? i.e. all but the bleeding attack rogue ability.
Cheers,
Steve

Hi Xum,
I think you're mixing two 3.5 feats together, there's Quicker than the eye and Flick of the wrist.
FotW - quick draw a hidden weapon and opponent is caught flat footed.
QttE - make feint in combat, bluff vs spot(?) sense motive (?), gives free partial action, opponent is flat footed for first attack.
That's the general idea, but I'd check for specifics as this is from memory.
Cheers,
Steve

Thanks Tanis, but that doesn't sound like the one I recall, was a simple modification of the finesse feat. Any other suggestions?
Steve

I'm sure whilst browsing on of the web resource Feat lists from all manufacturer's (for V3.5) there was a feat that added DEX bonus instead of STR bonus to damage, weapon finesse may have been a prerequisite. But do you think I can find it again! I think it was a swashbuckling thingy, maybe a Seven Seas supplement.
Anyone know of this feat, does it really exist?
Cheers and thanks in advance,
Steve

Thanks Guys!
Got another one for you in a new thread...
STeve

Hi, just downloaded the rules, so a complete newb to Pathfinder, but played V2 and V3 for ages, not V3.5 though. Considering converting so the question comes up of new feats for converting characters.
In some random discussion I heard that 3.5 limited the maximum threat range to 17-20, so as an example you could not get to 15-20 threat for improved crit with rapier. Has this been translated into Pathfinder? Or have I been bamboozled and this doesn't even exist in 3.5?
Cheers,
Steve