C-Dog
03-15-2019, 11:35 AM
(Posting this in New Player b/c it's a basic question, but the answer is convoluted enough that I wanted to make sure I had it right...)
There are so many different "adds to Saving Throw" bonuses on gear, both droploot/named and Cannith Crafted - which ones stack, and which ones don't? Most are "resistance bonuses", and by rule "bonuses of the same type don't stack" - but it seems in this category there are more exceptions than not...
(Info taken from Cannith Crafted Scaling Effects Table (https://ddowiki.com/page/Cannith_Crafting/table_3b)* & "Resistance" (https://ddowiki.com/page/Resistance_(enchantment)) article)
(* @ New(er) players - When we talk about a "scaling" effect, it's something that gets bigger with higher Minimum Level gear. So, looking at the 4th line of that table ("Ability"), an ML 5 item would have a +4 Ability bonus, but the same effect at ML 10 would be +6, and so on.
You can use this table to help judge the loot you find. Good droploot should be at or close to these levels; rare droploot and the best named loot might exceed them by a little.)
o Resistance* (aka "Staunch" on some items) - This adds to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saving throws. This is the basic "across the board" ST boost item that everyone should have.
(* Not to be confused w/ various "elemental resistance" or "resistance to (element)", which is a different thing entirely)
In addition to that gear, we can add...
o Individual Fortitude, Reflex or Will saves - identical scaling value as "Resistance", above, and listed as another "resistance" bonus, but do NOT stack w/ Resistance. (If I have this right, these values should be higher than the all-encompassing one, above - right? Why would you ever choose just 1 when you could have all 3?)
o Spell Saves - identical scaling value as "Resistance", above, and listed as another "resistance" bonus, but DOES stack w/ Resistance.
o Saves against a Specific School of Magic (e.g. "against Enchantment" or "against Illusion") - identical scaling value as "Resistance", above, and listed as another "resistance" bonus, but DOES stack w/ Resistance.
But the two above do not stack w/ each other. So, again, a bonus against an individual school should be higher than the general boost, right? Or... why bother w/ the specific one?
o Disease and Poison saves/wards - identical scaling value as "Resistance", above, and listed as another "resistance" bonus, but DOES stack w/ Resistance.
o Nightshield spell (https://ddowiki.com/page/Nightshield) - Everyone recommends taking this over Shield as your anti-MM defense, but if its "resistance bonus" doesn't stack, then why not take Shield's +4 AC and call it a win? I don't see a ST boost shown on character sheets when I use it - what's the attraction?
Thanks in advance for helping me clarify this muddle.
There are so many different "adds to Saving Throw" bonuses on gear, both droploot/named and Cannith Crafted - which ones stack, and which ones don't? Most are "resistance bonuses", and by rule "bonuses of the same type don't stack" - but it seems in this category there are more exceptions than not...
(Info taken from Cannith Crafted Scaling Effects Table (https://ddowiki.com/page/Cannith_Crafting/table_3b)* & "Resistance" (https://ddowiki.com/page/Resistance_(enchantment)) article)
(* @ New(er) players - When we talk about a "scaling" effect, it's something that gets bigger with higher Minimum Level gear. So, looking at the 4th line of that table ("Ability"), an ML 5 item would have a +4 Ability bonus, but the same effect at ML 10 would be +6, and so on.
You can use this table to help judge the loot you find. Good droploot should be at or close to these levels; rare droploot and the best named loot might exceed them by a little.)
o Resistance* (aka "Staunch" on some items) - This adds to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saving throws. This is the basic "across the board" ST boost item that everyone should have.
(* Not to be confused w/ various "elemental resistance" or "resistance to (element)", which is a different thing entirely)
In addition to that gear, we can add...
o Individual Fortitude, Reflex or Will saves - identical scaling value as "Resistance", above, and listed as another "resistance" bonus, but do NOT stack w/ Resistance. (If I have this right, these values should be higher than the all-encompassing one, above - right? Why would you ever choose just 1 when you could have all 3?)
o Spell Saves - identical scaling value as "Resistance", above, and listed as another "resistance" bonus, but DOES stack w/ Resistance.
o Saves against a Specific School of Magic (e.g. "against Enchantment" or "against Illusion") - identical scaling value as "Resistance", above, and listed as another "resistance" bonus, but DOES stack w/ Resistance.
But the two above do not stack w/ each other. So, again, a bonus against an individual school should be higher than the general boost, right? Or... why bother w/ the specific one?
o Disease and Poison saves/wards - identical scaling value as "Resistance", above, and listed as another "resistance" bonus, but DOES stack w/ Resistance.
o Nightshield spell (https://ddowiki.com/page/Nightshield) - Everyone recommends taking this over Shield as your anti-MM defense, but if its "resistance bonus" doesn't stack, then why not take Shield's +4 AC and call it a win? I don't see a ST boost shown on character sheets when I use it - what's the attraction?
Thanks in advance for helping me clarify this muddle.