Items with overlapping affects

[Brodnur]

Not sure if this is the place for this post, as it relates primarily to supplicated items, rather than quest or purchased items. I've been told that if a pc wears 2 or more items that offer the same bonus, say for AC for examle,one of them is over-ridden by the other, and I've noticed that some of the supp'd items offer overlapping affects. I guess I am suggesting either the items themselves, or the affects for those that overlap be changed to offer something different. Just my thoughts on the matter.

[Keltorn]

There's a little more to it than that. It's not so much bonuses to the same thing that overlap. It's bonuses of the same type to the same thing.

For example, both armor and shields give a bonus to armor class. However, the armor gives an armor bonus and the shield gives a shield bonus. That's why they stack instead of overlapping.

Another example, if you happened to be wearing two rings of deflection, they would overlap since both are providing a deflection bonus.

That means you could be using armor, a shield, a ring of deflection, the barkskin spell, and the bonus from your dexterity score. These would all stack because they're different bonus types (armor, shield, deflection, natural armor, and dexterity bonuses, respectively) even though they're all to armor class.

There are some exceptions (dodge bonuses being the popular one). If you'd like more details, the first in a series of four articles can be found here.

All that being said, having supplicated items that interfere with each other would definitely be a shame.

[Brodnur]

That article explains alot for me, but I asked on the ask channel, and was told that of the items in question, one did override the other. (feel free to edit if this info is too iccly for this thread) One is a ring which gives a bonus to AC, and the other a skull cap which offers the same. I guess what I am wondering,is if they are in diffeent locations, do they stack, or does one over ride the other?

[Kallias]

They are both enchantment bonuses (most likely). You can only have one of each type for a specific value (AC, ability, skill, hit) unless type is specifically stated to stack all the time (circumstance bonus, etc).

Types of bonuses for AC:

Armor (natural mundane armor's ability to absorb)
Circumstance (a dynamic bonus, something such as defensive fighting or hiding behind a wall)
Deflection (ring of protection types - magical shield effects)
Dodge (the feat)
Enchantment (magical bonus put on something with an armor bonus, or in rare cases weapons)
Insight (see the attacks coming, seers have a lot of these)
Luck (fate is on your side)
Morale (something that motivates you to perform at your peak, magical or otherwise)
Natural Armor (something that gives your skin qualities that is more durable than natural skin...magical or otherwise)
Profane (evil divine blessings)
Racial (a benefit specific to your race's culture or genetic make up)
Sacred (good divine blessings)
Shield (mundane deflection)
Size (target size, bigger is easier to hit)


So, in theory, there are 14 available types. In this game, I've only found shield/size/nat armor/enchantment/circumstance/armor. I'm guessing your two items are set as the same type. I know different types of AC bonuses stack in this game. I do not know how many types of AC bonuses are actually coded to exist. I can only comment on how I perceive my character's changes based on what I know about the mechanics this system is based on.

[Alaudrien]

Some of the same types stack just cause they are local that way if you got one that goes just to legs and another to just arms they stack because they only apply to that local wear slot and ie limb type. Head chest arms legs

[Kallias]

That's just a side effect of our AC being goofy. AC will be the only value that applies to. That won't work for something that affects an attribute/hit etc. And it'd also demand that the bonus also only applies to that one part, not just that it's the only place you can wear it.

So if you have a ring of increase AC, and an amulet of increase AC - since they both don't have AC slots to affect (even though they can only be worn on one specific equipment slot) they'll likely affect many/all AC regions and thus overlap making one useless.

That is the case here, I imagine.