Enhancement Bonuses

[Rhaegar14]

How does an Enhancement bonus stack with Armor, exactly?

Example: Say you have a Wizard wearing Thistledown Padded Armor (+1 Armor Bonus, 0% spell fail) with a +3 enhancement bonus, for a total of a +4 bonus. Say that same Wizard casts Mage Armor. Does he then have a +4 bonus or a +7 bonus?

[Big Fau]

Enhancement bonuses only apply to the suit of armor they are enchanted to, not to whatever armor you are wearing.

[Rhaegar14]

Okay, but that doesn't answer my question. Is the Enhancement bonus from aforementioned +3 Thistledown Padded Armor considered part of the armor bonus (so it doesn't stack with Mage Armor) or is it considered a separate bonus (meaning it does)?

[pilvento]

The enhancement bonus u add to any item "enhances" its actual bonus so your +3padded armor will give you a total of 4 armor bonus (1 from armor and 3 from its enchant)

Mage armor gives the caster +4 armor bonus and armor bonuses dont stack, its like using 2 rings of deflection or 2 amulet of nat armor. the same tipe bonuses never stack, you use the best one suited for you.

[KillianHawkeye]

An Enhancement Bonus to armor effectively increases the Armor Bonus granted by that armor. It won't stack with any other Armor Bonus you have.

Same reason that holding a +5 dagger in your off-hand doesn't increase the effectiveness of any other weapon you're wielding. The bonus applies only to the item it's on.

EDIT: So you'll have the +4, not +7.

[myancey]

Yeah, stacking rules make me sad sometimes..but are pretty necessary. The rule in question on this thread is:

Spoiler

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Stacking

In most cases, modifiers to a given check or roll stack (combine for a cumulative effect) if they come from different sources and have different types (or no type at all), but do not stack if they have the same type or come from the same source (such as the same spell cast twice in succession). If the modifiers to a particular roll do not stack, only the best bonus and worst penalty applies. Dodge bonuses and circumstance bonuses however, do stack with one another unless otherwise specified.

Armor Bonus

An armor bonus applies to Armor Class and is granted by armor or by a spell or magical effect that mimics armor. Armor bonuses stack with all other bonuses to Armor Class (even with natural armor bonuses) except other armor bonuses. An armor bonus doesn't apply against touch attacks, except for armor bonuses granted by force effects (such as the mage armor spell) which apply against incorporeal touch attacks, such as that of a shadow.

Enhancement Bonus

An enhancement bonus represents an increase in the sturdiness and/or effectiveness of armor or natural armor, or the effectiveness of a weapon, or a general bonus to an ability score. Multiple enhancement bonuses on the same object (in the case of armor and weapons), creature (in the case of natural armor), or ability score do not stack. Only the highest enhancement bonus applies. Since enhancement bonuses to armor or natural armor effectively increase the armor or natural armor's bonus to AC, they don't apply against touch attacks.