The Gaming Den

Many of the shapechanging spells give unnamed bonuses to disguise checks. As unnamed bonuses I've always assumed they stack. Recently the theory has been put forth that they do not because they overlap.

So what gives? Do they stack or not?

Game On,
fbmf

They don't stack.

Why? Because they apply to different rolls. When you use Alter Self to create a Disguise, you get a +10 bonus to the check. Only the check you make when the new form is assumed, and not any later ones. When you use Shapechange to create a disguise - you get +10 on that check, and not on any others.

So each time you assume a new form, you get a new disguise check with a +10 bonus from whatever effect changed your form - but since the forms layer and don't hybridize - ou can never assume the form from two different spells at the same time, and thus you always have to make the checks separately, and the bonuses don't stack.

It's not that they wouldn't stack - they just can't.

-Username17

Alter Self Text wrote:
Casting Time: 1 standard action
<...snip...>
If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your disguise tjeck

Shapechange Text wrote:
Casting Time: 1 standard action
<...snip...>
If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your disguise tjeck

Disguise Skill text wrote:
Creating a disguise takes 1d3x10 minutes of work

How is it not possible to cast and use both within the requisite time to make the skill tjeck..?

Josh lays out his full argument (in favor of stacking) here:
http://azure.bbboy.net/niftymessageboar ... r][br]Game On,
fbmf

How is it not possible to cast and use both within the requisite time to make the skill tjeck..?

Because casting the spell subs for taking the time for the skill tjeck - in exactly the same manner and to the same degree as Fabricate subs for the time for a craft skill tjeck.

Since you actually have any Shapechange form for less time than a normal disguise check would take, I don't see any other option.

-Username17