Do Morale Bonuses Stack?


Rules Questions

Grand Lodge

I'm thinking specifically the +1 morale bonus to hit from the cleric spell Bless and the +1 morale bonus to hit and damage from the Bard ability Inspire Courage. Do they stack?

Thanks!


Bonus

Bonuses are numerical values that are added to checks and statistical scores. Most bonuses have a type, and as a general rule, bonuses of the same type are not cumulative (do not “stack”)—only the greater bonus granted applies.

The important aspect of bonus types is that two bonuses of the same type don't generally stack. With the exception of dodge bonuses, most circumstance bonuses, and racial bonuses, only the better bonus of a given type works. Bonuses without a type always stack, unless they are from the same source.

Sorry but they wouldn't stack.

EDIT: Also...

Bonus (Morale)

A morale bonus represents the effects of greater hope, courage, and determination (or hopelessness, cowardice, and despair in the case of a morale penalty). Multiple morale bonuses on the same character do not stack. Only the highest morale bonus applies. Non-intelligent creatures (creatures with an Intelligence of 0 or no Intelligence at all) cannot benefit from morale bonuses.


Bard's inspire courage bonus to attack and damage is a competence bonus so those stack. The bonus from inspire courage to saves is a morale bonus, so that wouldn't stack. Hope that helps. Good luck!


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Lex Starwalker wrote:

I'm thinking specifically the +1 morale bonus to hit from the cleric spell Bless and the +1 morale bonus to hit and damage from the Bard ability Inspire Courage. Do they stack?

Thanks!

Named bonus do not stack with each other. So bless & inspire courage grant you a +1 morale bonus to hit & damage. If bless has a longer time then the spell would add after the bard ability ended.


Lex Starwalker wrote:
I'm thinking specifically the +1 morale bonus to hit from the cleric spell Bless and the +1 morale bonus to hit and damage from the Bard ability Inspire Courage. Do they stack?

Nope.

Bonus: Bonuses are numerical values that are added to checks and statistical scores. Most bonuses have a type, and as a general rule, bonuses of the same type are not cumulative (do not “stack”)—only the greater bonus granted applies.

Any bonus that does stack will specify that it stacks (like Dodge).

If you want to play a bard in a group with a cleric that always casts Bless (or Heroism), consider the fantastic Archivist archetype.


No, bonuses of like names do not stack unless otherwise noted.

Core Rulebook, page 206


In this case, the two bonuses are different so they stack. Bless grants a morale bonus to attack and inspire courage grants a competence bonus to attack and damage. I'm going by the PRD as my book is not handy. The bonus to fear saves do not stack since they are both morale bonuses.


Dosgamer wrote:
In this case, the two bonuses are different so they stack. Bless grants a morale bonus to attack and inspire courage grants a competence bonus to attack and damage. I'm going by the PRD as my book is not handy. The bonus to fear saves do not stack since they are both morale bonuses.

Good catch. I think that was changed via errata.

Inspire Courage (Su): "An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls."

-edit-
I don't see it in the errata, so it must have been there from the start!

Grand Lodge

Thanks for the responses! Good catch! I didn't realize the bard Inspire Courage bonus to hit and damage was competence.

I was just asking because I know in 3.5 there were quite a few exceptions to the "like bonuses don't stack" rule. I see that in Pathfinder Circumstance bonuses and Dodge bonuses still stack.

There were a couple other exceptions in 3.5 that DID stack:

Do Luck bonuses still stack in Pathfinder?

Do Natural Armor bonuses still stack in Pathfinder?

Thanks!

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