Stacking question...

[Hubbaman]

Hello, I'm new to pathfinder and where wondering about some stacking rules. I have read the core rules on page 208, but since I'm not completely sure what counts as spell effects, I have some questions.

The case:

I'm playing a fighter and have decided to also go for the Evangelist prestige class. I had aslo planned from earlier to take the Eldritch Heritage with the Orc bloodline, but I'm a bit unsure how this would work out.

From Evangelist:
Spiritual Form (Su)

Upon reaching 10th level, the evangelist gains the ability to assume a spiritual form. Assuming this form is a standard action, and the evangelist can remain in spiritual form for a number of minutes per day equal to her character level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be used in 1-minute increments. Returning to her normal form is a free action.

The evangelist's spiritual form grants her telepathy to a range of 100 feet, as well as two variable abilities.

Upon reaching 10th level, the evangelist must choose the form of these two abilities, and once she has selected them they can't be changed. First, she chooses one ability score to which she gains a +4 bonus when in spiritual form. Second, she chooses one physical transformation from the following to gain when she transforms: wings (fly speed of 40 feet with good maneuverability), gills (ability to breathe water and a swim speed of 30 feet), or a single natural attack (a claw, bite, gore, slam, or tail sting that deals damage as appropriate for the evangelist's size) as well as a temporary appendage capable of making such an attack if necessary.

From Orc Bloodline:

Strength of the Beast (Ex): At 9th level, you gain a +2 inherent bonus to your Strength. This bonus increases to +4 at 13th level, and to +6 at 17th level.

Power of Giants (Sp): At 15th level, you may grow to Large size as a standard action. At this size you gain a +6 size bonus to Strength, a –2 penalty to Dexterity, a +4 size bonus to Constitution, and a +4 natural armor bonus. You may return to your normal size as a standard action. You may remain in this size for up to 1 minute per character level per day; this duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be used in 1 minute increments.

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So, I assume that the Strength of the Beast (Ex) will stack any spells, but not other Ex (like the similar one on the abyssal bloodline). Is this correct, or won't this stack with enchantments/spells either?

Power of Giants is a Sp (Spell like) ability, but I think you gain bonuses from increased size, will that then stack with strength enchantment bonuses (like from a belt)?

Spiritual Form is a Su, Supernatural ability, so again, will this stack with enchantments/spell bonuses?

I also wonder if all these would work together, can I use both Power of Giants and Spiritual Form at the same time and will those stack?

An enchanted item counts as a spell effect when it comes to stacking right? So can't use Belt of strength and then cast Bull's strength to boost further?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Sniggevert]

The stacking is referring to the type of bonus, not the type of the source of a bonus.

Strength of Beast: +2 inherent bonus

Power of Giants: +6 size bonus

Spiritual Form: chooses one ability score to which she gains a +4 (untyped) bonus

Bulls Strength and/or Belts of Strength: +X enhancement bonus

As, you now have an inherent, size, untyped, and enhancement bonus lined up, they all stack as they are all different types of bonuses.

[Hubbaman]

Awesome! Thanks for the quick help!

[Charon's Little Helper]

Sniggevert is totally correct. I'm just going to add what amount to footnotes to his post.

While in most cases the same kind of bonus don't stack - there are a couple of exceptions.

1. Untyped bonuses actually stack with themselves. (There is one exception to this exception - but I won't mention it here as it's unlikely to matter to you.)

2. Dodge bonuses all stack no matter what their source.

3. Natural armor bonuses all stack for AC so long as more than one isn't an enhancement to natural armor. (For example - a Dragon Disciple gets nat armor from both his draconic bloodline and from Dragon Disciple levels, and possibly feats such as Armor of the Pit. All three stack with each other, and would stack with an Amulet of Natural Armor. The Amulet would NOT stack with Barkskin though, as both are enchancement bonuses to nat armor.)

[zainale]

so natural armor from race stacks with natural armor from a class? what about prestige and from a magical item? also if you can link me to the information on the d20pfsrd?

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

That would be neat, but I am skeptical.

CRB:Combat wrote:

Natural Armor: If your race has a tough hide, scales, or thick skin you receive a bonus to your AC.

Dodge Bonuses: Dodge bonuses represent actively avoiding blows. Any situation that denies you your Dexterity bonus also denies you dodge bonuses. (Wearing armor, however, does not limit these bonuses the way it limits a Dexterity bonus to AC.) Unlike most sorts of bonuses, dodge bonuses stack with each other.

Note how that bolded sentence is missing from the Natural Armor entry.

Dragon Disciple wrote:

Natural Armor Increase (Ex): As his skin thickens, a dragon disciple takes on more and more of his progenitor's physical aspect. At 1st, 4th, and 7th level, a dragon disciple gains an increase to the character's existing natural armor (if any), as indicated on Table: Dragon Disciple. These armor bonuses stack.

Note how the DD specifically gets an increase to their NA rather than just getting NA. (Plus it explicitly says they stack.)

The only typed bonuses that stack implicitly are dodge, circumstance, and racial.

[zainale]

draconic bloodrager gets
Draconic Resistance (Ex)

At 4th level, you gain resistance 5 against your energy type and a +1 natural armor bonus to AC. At 8th level, your energy resistance increases to 10 and your natural armor bonus increases to +2. At 16th level, your natural armor bonus increases to +4.

and my race gives a natural AC.

this is where any issue will come up. that's why i asked if class nature ac stacks with racial natural armor in response to Charon's Little Helper third entry for clarification.

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

Yeah, those aren't going to stack w/o GM fiat. :-(

I've had the same race/class NA issue. I understand it not stacking in general, but it would be nice if more class features made it an increase like dragon disciple does.

[Onyx Tanuki]

Yeah, double-checked on the glossary entry posted on the PFSRD; natural armor bonuses do not stack. However, you can get a bonus to your natural armor bonus. So, for example, if you have +2 NAB from Draconic Resistance and you cast Barkskin on yourself (assuming you're 8th level), you'll increase the bonus to +5 as barkskin is providing a +3 enhancement bonus to your NAB. On the other hand, if you have, say, a wood kineticist who gets barkskin cast on him, then those won't stack since the wood kineticist's defense wild talent provides an enhancement bonus to NAB; you'll just get whichever bonus is higher.

[zainale]

cool just wanted to check thanks