Stacking Favored Terrains

[Matthias_DM]

Some Favored Terrain Questions

1) Can you select the same terrain 2x? Like this:

1st Favored Terrain (Mountain)
2nd Favored Terrain (Mountain) and +2 to Mountain

Ending up with a +6 to mountain terrains.

2) Does the first choosing of favored terrain grant a +2 bonus to itself by way of the second paragraph.

"In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by +2."

Does that count the First Interval?

So Favored Terrain Forest +2 and +2 at the 1st favored terrain?

[SwiftyKun]

Matthias_DM wrote:

Some Favored Terrain Questions

1) Can you select the same terrain 2x? Like this:

1st Favored Terrain (Mountain)
2nd Favored Terrain (Mountain) and +2 to Mountain

Ending up with a +6 to mountain terrains.

2) Does the first choosing of favored terrain grant a +2 bonus to itself by way of the second paragraph.

"In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by +2."

Does that count the First Interval?

So Favored Terrain Forest +2 and +2 at the 1st favored terrain?

favored terrain:

Favored Terrain (Ex): At 3rd level, a ranger may select a type of terrain from the Favored Terrains table. The ranger gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when he is in this terrain. A ranger traveling through his favored terrain normally leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (though he may leave a trail if he so chooses).

At 8th level and every five levels thereafter, the ranger may select an additional favored terrain. In addition, at each such interval, the skill bonus and initiative bonus in any one favored terrain (including the one just selected, if so desired), increases by +2.

If a specific terrain falls into more than one category of favored terrain, the ranger's bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

Original thought. Wrong.:

As per the wording of the favored terrain ability, you only have two choices when picking a favored terrain. Pick a new terrain to add onto the existing list, or choose nothing at all.

At each new interval your previous terrain selections regain the bonus while the new terrain starts fresh.

First favored terrain: Forests+2
Second favored terrain: Mountains+2, Forests+4
Third favored terrain: Deserts+2, Mountains+4, Forests+6
Etc.

Edit: After re-reading the ability, the bonuses do not accumulate automatically. You get the +2 bonus for simply picking the terrain, and every time you are prompted to choose a new terrain, an existing terrain including the one you just chose, may get a stacking +2 to it.

So your choices may actually look like...

First favored terrain: Forest+2
Second favored terrain: Mountain+2, Forest+4
Third favored terrain: Desert+4, Mountain+2, Forest+4
etc

Or

First favored terrain: Forest+2
Second favored terrain: Mountain+2, Forest+4
Third favored terrain: Desert+2, Mountain+2, Forest+6
etc

As to your questions, you may select the same terrain to gain the +2 bonus that stacks, but may not choose the same terrain as the NEW terrain you choose to get a further +2 bonus.

And no, the very first favored terrain does not count as a +2 interval. The +2 interval is an addition, and it is said after attaining eighth level.

[williamoak]

I concur with swiftykun.
It's the same way as favored enemies.

Still, even with the normal way, if you take the horizon walker PrC you can easily get +20 in a single terrain.

[Matthias_DM]

So.... an "Additional Favored Terrain" is cannot be the same one?

[RedDogMT]

Matthias_DM wrote:

So.... an "Additional Favored Terrain" cannot be the same one?

Correct.

[Scavion]

williamoak wrote:

I concur with swiftykun.

It's the same way as favored enemies.

Still, even with the normal way, if you take the horizon walker PrC you can easily get +20 in a single terrain.

Take two levels of Rogue and spend all your feats into Extra Rogue Talent Terrain Mastery and you can get it into the 40s. And your secondary ones will be in the 20s.