Giving a ghost a ring of protection

[TR_Merc]

One of the abilities that ghosts have is gaining a deflection bonus equal to their Cha modifier.

I was wondering that considering that most of the time magic items stack with innate creature abilities (such as a creature's natural armor with magical natural armor) would the magical deflection bonuses stack with the ghosts natural deflection bonus?

[Lucy_Valentine]

No, because they both specifically grant a deflection bonus.

(edited to add): most natural armour magic gives an enhancement bonus to a creatures existing natural armour, which is why the highest such buff stacks with the base natural armour. The ring of protection (and other deflection granting things) typically lack this language.

[doomman47]

If you want to boost their ac give them a level in scaled fist monk.

[zza ni]

just make sure they can equip the ring to start with. some incorporeal creatures can't use items.

[doomman47]

Shouldn't be a problem if its an incorporeal item to start with if you can find a way to make it so.

[EvilMinion]

As long as the ring was on them when they died, and was still sitting on the skeletal finger of their long-dead corpse, wherever it came to lay... the ring will still be on the ghost decades later, and usable.

Ghosts are easy to have equipment on, if you include it when they died. Its just adding new equipment afterwards that gets tricky.

And heaven forbid, beware ghost wizards. Once they lose that spellbook to the ravages of time, casting spells becomes a problem ... as would not having a spell component pouch anymore!

But, on-topic, ya, the deflection bonus would not stack.

[Volkard Abendroth]

zza ni wrote:

just make sure they can equip the ring to start with. some incorporeal creatures can't use items.

Ghost wrote:

When a ghost is created, it retains incorporeal “copies” of any items that it particularly valued in life (provided the originals are not in another creature’s possession). The equipment works normally for the ghost but passes harmlessly through material objects or creatures. A weapon of +1 or better magical enhancement, however, can harm material creatures, but any such attack deals only half as much damage (50%) unless it is a ghost touch weapon. A ghost can use shields or armor only if they have the ghost touch quality.

The original items remain behind, just as the ghost’s physical remains do. If another creature seizes the original, the incorporeal copy fades away. This loss invariably angers the ghost, who stops at nothing to return the item to its original resting place (and thus regain the item’s use).