Just wondering if trait bonuses stack. We are about to start the Carrion Crown adventure path and one of our players chose the Chance Savior campaign trait (gives +2 trait bonus on Initiative) and the Reactionary combat trait (also gives +2 trait bonus on Initiative).
It has been answered...but here is the line from the PRD under Traits that gives the exact ruling. (emphasized with bolded text)
Many traits grant a new type of bonus: a “trait” bonus. Trait bonuses do not stack—they're intended to give player characters a slight edge, not a secret backdoor way to focus all of a character's traits on one type of bonus and thus gain an unseemly advantage. It's certainly possible, for example, that somewhere down the line, a “Courageous” trait might be on the list of dwarf race traits, but just because this trait is on both the dwarf race traits list and the basic combat traits list doesn't mean you're any more brave if you choose both versions than if you choose only one.
Greg
So don't allow reactionary and improved initiative, right? And where is the rule so i can show it.
Improved Initiative gives a +4 untyped bonus, not trait bonus. Which wouldn't make sense since its a feat not a trait.
Untyped boni stack with everything.So yes, Reactionary, Improved Initiative and Compsognathus familiar give you a +10 initiative.
So don't allow reactionary and improved initiative, right? And where is the rule so i can show it.
Reactionary is a trait and Improved Initiative is a feat, those would stack.
GregEDIT: Expertly goblin ninja'd by Quatar :P
We can only learn by asking :)
I read the rules questions all the time because I am always learning things I have missed. Sometimes, they are obvious once pointed out, other times they are such an obscure case, I have just never encountered the situation. But, in both cases, if no one asked, I would not have learned.
Ask away! :P
Greg
EDIT: Sheesh! What kind of keyboard is that goblin using???? :)
If he's playing a wizard he could always pick a Familiar that gives +4 to Initiative.