Double Trapfinding in the same class?


Rules Questions


So I was looking through the various Alchemist archetypes and I happened to notice a rather odd combination: the Crypt Breaker gets Trapfinding in place of Brew Potion, while the Trap Breaker gets it in place of Poison Use and the first increment of poison resist.

Since these two archetypes do not interfere with each other you can theoretically take both. What would this mean for (for instance) a 3rd-level alchemist with these archetypes? Would they get +2 (because half of 3 is one, and they are then added together) or +3 (because adding two halves together makes 1?

Sorry if that isn't very clear.


I would say that assuming they stack at all, that you would get a +1 for each for a total of +2. I'm a little dubious of the archtypes being compatible, but I don't have a reference for them. What book are they from?


One of them is from Inner Sea Magic and the other from the Dungeoneer's Handbook. I suppose it is possible that they got copied onto the PFSRD wrong, because I just looked there.

Hopefully these links work: one and two.

Liberty's Edge

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A bonus that came from the same source don't stack, Trapfinding+trapfinding = trapfinding.


So if one of them wasn't called trapfinding, but was called (for the sake of an example) clever explorer instead, they would stack? That seems slightly odd considering that nothing has been changed but the name, but I suppose stranger things have happened.


Llyarden wrote:
So if one of them wasn't called trapfinding, but was called (for the sake of an example) clever explorer instead, they would stack? That seems slightly odd considering that nothing has been changed but the name, but I suppose stranger things have happened.

The rules say bonuses from the same source don't stack, and if they had different names they might stack by RAW, but you have to look at context also. If the devs noticed one slipped by, they would likely just make an FAQ saying they don't stack.

PS: If the ability also references another ability with regard to how they work they also might not stack depending on the specific circumstance.

Grand Lodge

That looks more like a case of overlap than stacking.


They aren't the same source though. If you actually read though the abilities, you notice it. One 'adds 1/2 his alchemist level' and other 'adds 1/2 his level'. The Crypt Breaker bonus comes from level so it should go up even if you multiclass out.


Rogue Trap Sense:Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack
So it would make sense if they stacked


Pathfinder Starfinder Society Subscriber
graystone wrote:
They aren't the same source though. If you actually read though the abilities, you notice it. One 'adds 1/2 his alchemist level' and other 'adds 1/2 his level'. The Crypt Breaker bonus comes from level so it should go up even if you multiclass out.

That is a distinction without a difference. In class and archetype descriptions, references to "level" are assumed to mean "level in class being described" unless the class or archetype description specifically says otherwise.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

That is not a significant difference - it would need to explicitly say 'character level'. 'Level' by itself implies class level


Class features refer to the parent class unless otherwise stated so due to the overlapping it still won't be gained twice. It is like climbing two five foot ladders at the same time. You can do it but you won't get any higher.

Liberty's Edge

ME LIKE SMASH wrote:

Rogue Trap Sense:Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack

So it would make sense if they stacked

They aren't from different classes. They are from two archetypes of the same class.

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