Resistance Stacking

[roehcai]

I know things from different sources generally stack, but my question is about resistances. Specifically, if I'm making a heavily celestial-themed character.

Celestial Sorcerer seems like a great pair for Aasimar. However, both give resistances to similar things. Do those resistances stack or overlap? One's racial, the other class, but don't know if that counts. (I don't want to start out with this combo and have redundant bonuses).

Thanks!

[Caelinus]

So kinds of bonuses are what tell you if something stack or not.

So a +1 Resistance bonus to Saves will not stack with any other resistance bonus affecting the same stat. (Saves)

However there are numerous kinds of bonuses, so a +1 Insight bonus to Saves will stack.

As you can see the first word, resistance/insight, is the source of the bonus, and the part that tells you if it stacks or not.

I am not sure about DR or Reistance (the first is for physical damage reduction, the second for elemental) but I think that if they specify a source (like racial) they should stack.

[roehcai]

I know about the 'different source' rule, but unsure how it applies to resistance. I can't recall if it specified - I think both just said "you have resist 5 to cold...' etc. I'll double check but I believe that's how it's worded.

[Kel'Ithra]

they don't stack. + of same source regardless override each other.

If you mean dr, i don't think it stacks... it uses the best unless their different types of dr.

[Graygan]

I think the issue is with semantics....

Saves - Fortitude, Reflex, Willpower
Resistances to Elemental Fire, Cold, Acid, Electric
resistance source to boosts - is not the same as resistance to elemental energy.

Now if you're looking at elemental resistances... Like 5 cold... Those almost never stack. So if you have both class and race giving 5 cold, you'll have 5 cold, not 10.

There is almost always a "type" of source. Rarely... very very very rarely, will you get an untyped boost to something. So as Caelinus said, look for the type of boost to your saves.

Off-hand, though, I'd think that class and race boosts to saves will be unlikely to stack since they're both likely to be resistance bonuses. Which means that a Cloak of Resistance and most of the resistance boosting spells from divine casters will not stack either.

If you're looking to go high saves, then you want to look at Paladins and Monks. Paladins get a cha boost to saves that does stack with resistance boosts to saves. Monks have fast Fort/Ref save increases to begin with and need a high Wis for the class, so they generally have good saves especially with resistance boosts like a cloak.

If you're looking for higher resists, go with a spell-casting class and shoot for Resist Energy which is a 2nd level spell that lasts 10 minutes per level.

[roehcai]

No, I mean resistance. As in "You have resist 5 to electricity" Mechanically it functions like DR (it subtracts 5 from the damage you take), but it's called 'resist'
And, they are different sources... sort of? One comes from race (assimar), the other from class (celestial sorcerer). But neither call out a source, like bonuses do.

I'm away from the game so I'll have to check, but I believe:
Bonuses are phrased "You have a +4 insight bonus to stealth"
Resistance is phrased "You have resist 5 to fire."

[roehcai]

Originally posted by Graygan:

I think the issue is with semantics....

Now if you're looking at elemental resistances... Like 5 cold... Those almost never stack. So if you have both class and race giving 5 cold, you'll have 5 cold, not 10.

Cool, that is what I'm looking for. Thank you!

It's unfortunate, though... Playing an Aasimar seems to go hand in hand with a celestial bloodline, and it stinks they'd build a resistance redundancy into that combo.. :/