I've recently been in a conversation about the rules behind damage reduction when it stacks.
The exact quote from the srd is as follows:
If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation.
In this general rule, it states that damage reduction does not stack. It only uses the most effective type, so if a creature had DR 10/evil and DR 5/-, the 5 would only apply to evil-typed damage, and all other sources would be reduced by 10.
However, there are items and feats which state that they stack with other sources. As two examples, there is the Hero's Hauberk and the feat, Stalwart.
The hauberk has the following statement:
The damage reduction of this dull gray +1 adamantine chain shirt stacks with any other damage reduction the wearer possesses. For example, a wearer with DR 5/magic would reduce damage from non-magical attacks by 6, and magical attacks by 1.
It additionally performs several other effects, but the important part is what has been quoted. So I've got a few questions based on it:
1) Does the DR from Hero's Hauberk act this way for only the Hero's Hauberk, or is this an effect of making armor out of Adamantine? In other words, does adamantine now stack with existing sources of DR?
2) What is the rule for stacking different types of damage reduction? There is a statement for when DR doesn't stack, but there isn't for when it does, with the exception of the example given in Hero's Hauberk.
3) Should Stalwart stack with lesser forms of class-granted DR because of this? Or should it remain in this weird limbo of stacking with typeless DR only?
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Specific rules overrule the general rules.
1) The Hero's Hauberk has a specific rule that applies only to it. It don't extend to other kind of adamantine armor unless they have the same or a similar text.
2) DR don't stack unless the sopecific item or ability say differently.
3) Stalwart say: "This damage reduction stacks with DR you gain from class features, such as the barbarian's, but not with DR from any other source." so it stack only with DR that you get from class features.
The general rule is to clarify what it means when DR does not stack. There is nothing in place to describe what happens when DR does stack, with the sole exception being the exerpt quoted from Hero's Hauberk.
For example, Stalwart does not clarify what it means if that class-granted DR is differently typed. The Stonelord archetype (dwarf paladin) grants DR/Adamantine equal to 1/2 its class level. Even though Stalwart states that it would stack with class skills, they are not of the same type. Prior to Hero's Hauberk (an ACG item), there was no example to define what happens with stacking different types and the general consensus was they did not, and the only type of DR it would stack with was other DR/-.