Stacking AC Bonuses

[NickD]

It gets a bit confusing at times. Armour Bonus, Deflection Bonus, Natural Bonus, etc, etc, etc...

What are all the AC bonus types? Which stacks with which? What does magic armour not stack with? What does a magic shield not stack with?



Sidenote: Is it possible to take magic armour and making it more magical? e.g., buying +1 armour now and making it +2 armour later?

[Magile]

All AC bonuses stack with one another; however, multiples of the same type do not stack with one another. If you have two items that give a Deflection Bonus of +1, you will only gain +1. Likewise, if you have two items that grant Deflection Bonus at +1 and +2, you will only gain the highest one (so the +2).

The items will say in their examination what type of AC bonus they grant, so it's easy to avoid stacking the same type (if your character understands it, of course ). I believe the only bonus that stacks with itself and everything else is a Dodge bonus, unless stated otherwise (such as in a Feat description).

For the side-note, I was under the impression that you could; however, it'd still cost a good chunk of change and require the right help. As an extra note, Masterwork items can be enchanted, so it's certainly possible for you to buy/find a MW item and grant it the +1, +2 or what have you bonus you wish to have placed on it (again, price and help permitting).

edit: A list of AC bonuses would be the following...
Armour Bonus
Shield Bonus
Deflection Bonus
Natural Armour Bonus
Dexterity Bonus (as much as the armour allows, of course)
Dodge Bonus (Stack with itself)
Size Bonus (such as Halfling)
Miscellaneous Bonuses (feats and such)

I think those are the only ones in NWN1/2.

[Mick]

The five contributors to AC are:

Armor
Shield
Natural Armor
Deflection
Dodge

Only Dodge bonuses can stack with themselves (to a maximum of +10, I believe.) All of the others will take the highest contributor you have in effect in that category and will send you a message saying they do not stack.

Edit: er...as Magile indicated

[NickD]

Thanks for the quick replies

[kmj2587]

Here's what items will give you which bonus types.

Armor bonus:
armor
bracers

Shield bonus:
Shield

Natural Armor:
Amulets

Deflection:
Belts
Cloaks
Rings
Helmets

Dodge:
Boots

As mentioned previously, dodge bonuses are the only things that stack with one another. Your dexterity bonus, an AC bonus on boots, and to the best to of my knowledge, feats like Dodge and Luck of Heroes all constitute dodge AC bonuses. If you have two magic rings however, you only get the bonus from whichever one has a larger bonus. Same thing would apply to a magic ring and a magic cloak, or magic armor and magic bracers and so on and so forth.

As to your second point, it is possible to have magical items upgraded.

[Kalrenath]

I think, at least in 3.5 pnp rules, there's also the rare luck bonus.

[Magile]

I think, at least in 3.5 pnp rules, there's also the rare luck bonus.

There is a luck bonus; however, I do not believe NWN has it.

[hollyfant]

Luck of Heroes should give a luck bonus; I'm not sure it does. And as I recall, the Combat Expertise bonus stacks with everything even though it shouldn't.

Don't trust the PnP rules. Burn the game manuals. The only way to be certain is to bring the character in a test module and watch the die rolls.

[Zelknolf]

Luck of Heroes is Dodge AC, and thus stacks with everything

Combat Expertise is Dodge AC, and thus stacks with everything.

[NickD]

Huh. It looks like deflection doesn't stack with armour. In vanilla NWN2 anyway.