Do stat items stack?

[SterlingEdge]

Question 1:
Can I have a circlet of Charisma +2 and a ring of Int +2 and a ring of Charisma +4.

Basically, will a +4 stat item override a +2 stat item of any stat,

Or will a +4 stat item override a +2 same stat item,

Or will a +4 stat item and a +2 stat item = a +6 in that stat?

Clarification 2:
I'm pretty sure that a ring of protection +2 overrides a cloak of protection +1 making it a +2 total deflection bonus.

Clarification 3:
Not 100% sure about a +1 sheild adding to +1 plate mail, but I think that it works?

[RuyanVe]

Bonusses of the same variety do not stack, they overlap.

Never heard about a cloak of protection, only a cloak of resistance, but again: if the bonus is of the same type (e. g. enhancement), they do not stack, they overlap.

If you can get bonusses with different types on the other hand (say a morale bonus to saves and a luck bonus to saves), they do stack.

Ruyan.

[RuyanVe]

Ah, just saw the last one:

The bonusses on the armor adds to the overall AC, granting you an armor bonus of +10 (+1 base for plate, +1 enhancement for the enchantment), this is added to your bonus of +2 from your shield here (+1 shield bonus - thinking light shield here - +1 enhancement bonus for a total of +2 shield bonus).

In total this gives you a +12 bonus to your AC (+10 from armor bonus and +2 from shield bonus).

Ruyan.

[Skerek]

depends on the type of bonus. As a general rule same type bonuses don't stack (dodge bonus to ac is one of the exceptions)

So in your first one it'll be +4 charisma and +2 int since the +4 charisma and +2 charisma don't stack

clarification 2: yes correct if both are providing a deflection bonus then only the higher one will apply

clarification 3: a +1 shield provides an enhancement bonus to the shield's shield bonus like wise a +1 plate mail provides an enhancement bonus to the plate mail's armor bonus. Since these are different types of bonuses to AC they stack

[Midnight_Angel]

Look at the type of bonus these thingies provide.

A +2 enhancement bonus to a statistic will not stack with another enhancement bonus to the same statistic. So, if the circlet confers a +2 enhancement bonus to Cha, and the ring confers a +4 enhancement bonus to Cha, you'll only get the greater one (the circlet becoming relevant if something dispels the powers of your ring).

It should be noted that almost all bonuses to one of the six primary statistics granted by magical equipment are enhancement bonuses.

On the other hand, things like the +2 profane bonus to Cha you can get from a Succubus or the +2 inherent bonus to Cha you can get from a pair of wishes perfectly stack with one another, and with your items' enhancement bonuses. If you can get your hands on a reliquary necklace dedicated to Shelyn that grants a +1 sacred bonus to Cha (not defined as per RAW), this will nicely stack on top of all of this (though some GMs, myself included, will consider 'sacred' and 'profane' as not normally working with one another).

Long story short: Bonuses of the same type do not stack with one another (with the exception of untyped bonuses and Dodge bonuses. Good luck trying to get the latter one on anything but AC and CMD, though).

Edit: Damn ninjas...

[SterlingEdge]

Thanks all, helpin me take my min maxer players down 1 peg at a time.

[Bobson]

Also, stat items that aren't belts for physical or headbands for mental don't exist by RAW. Neither do odd-value items or items of differing bonuses to different stats. The item crafting rules are guidelines intended for a GM to create a reasonable price for a new item they're introducing, not a recipe book for PCs. (It's perfectly valid for the 'new item the GM is introducing' to be designed by the player and just approved by the GM.)

So if that's how they got rings of +stat, that's another peg you can take them down.

[Jasconious]

I think it's kind of rude talking about knocking players down when you don't even understand how the rules work. Maybe they are simply making a mistake understanding how the items stack.

You want a min/maxer?

Try this out for size:

+4 Enhancement bonus to CHA
+4 Divine bonus to CHA
+4 Profane Bonus to CHA
+4 Luck Bonus to CHA
+4 Insight Bonus to CHA

Nothing wrong with that scenario and you gain +20 to charisma. None of it overlaps the other since they are different bonus types.

I think it's rude that you have placed a Me vs Them sort of mindset on the scenario. Your player might be new or inexperienced. Or maybe they just messed up. Identifying that you are "taking them down a peg" is really a show of bad Gamemastering and creates a situation where your players may not want to continue being in your group.

[Gauss]

Except that custom magic item ability bonuses come in only one flavor: enhancement.

- Gauss

P.S. Perhaps it is abusive players setting up Them vs GM? Never can tell. Many groups love to do that sort of thing.

[Jasconious]

True an item does come in enhancement.

However (I don't recall the item) a player could buy the state "book" providing an insight bonus or through the use of miracle/wish up their stat through a different flavor. A feat or class or spell could provide a different flavor all together.

Or were non-Pathfinder material allowed in the campaign, a player might find a stackable state increase.

Its unfortunately an issue that people make divisions while gaming - the group should be working together for a fun experience. Should be players vs monsters/challenges. I just found it very rude from one GM to the next for a fellow gamer to state he was knocking a PC down. Could've been an honest mistake by the PC. And for a GM to not understand the rule and being heavy handed seemed rather ungentlemanly. Its all about having fun with friends - why else are you playing?

[Gauss]

Inherent of course is quite allowable. But that is as per Wish/Miracle and thus costs a minimum of 25,000gp per +1. All inherent +'s for one ability score need to be acquired at the same time (not cumulative with themselves) and max out at +5 per ability score.

- Gauss

[Jasconious]

The other thing is read the fine print on an item.

Player crafted items wont say this bonus stacks. But pre-genned items may. Know your bonus. Dodge stacks. Deflection, enhancement, etc stacks with other types but not themselves. Natural armor from items does not stack with itself typically. But from race, feat, or class it might state it improves existing.

An idea could be a player gets an item with an unusual bonus like a cleric getting a ring of +2 Wis divine bonus for his fealty to the order. It would be an unusual situation a player would really respond to and certainly thank you for.