Natural armor stacking

[Dhrakken]

Good morning all,

I have a PC in my game that is a bloodrager with the draconic bloodline. He just hit level 4 and got his +1 to natural armor bonus. We are playing Reign of Winter and he has the Cloak of the Yeti which also gives him +1 to natural armor.

The conundrum here is that Hero Lab will not stack them. Is this right? My research seems to indicate that they would stack... and my player is pretty insistent that it does stack.

Can someone confirm if Hero Lab is correct so I can make a ruling in my game on this?

Thanks

[Togainu]

That is Correct.

Natural armor (Bonus) is a bonus to AC.
So a Natural armor (Bonus) doesn't stack with a Natural armor (Bonus) (As per the rules of same bonuses not stacking. With the only exception being dodge)
You can however for example get enhancement bonuses to your Natural armor Bonus. (as per Barkskin for example)

Don't forget that the enhancement bonus to Natural armor doesn't stack with other enhancement bonuses to natural armor.
So Barkskin wouldn't stack with Ironskin for example.

Small break down of how it looks:

AC
- Armor Bonus (not stacking)
- Shield Bonus (not stacking)
- Natural armor (bonus) (not stacking)
- - Enhancement bonus to Natural armor (not stacking)
- Dodge Bonus (stacking)
- Etc

As for the ruling location Armor Class AC. Just scroll down to the Natural armor part in that table

[Dhrakken]

Thanks for confirming... the confusion seems to come from the fact that the one bonus is an inherent ability.

Also, if you look at the Paizo forums, there are arguments for both sides; some that say they do stack and others that say they don't.

[Togainu]

The part from the ruling:

A natural armor bonus improves armor class resulting from a creature's naturally tough hide. Natural armor bonuses stack with all other bonuses to armor class (even with armor bonuses) except other natural armor bonuses. Some magical effects (such as the barkskin spell) grant an enhancement bonus to the creature's existing natural armor bonus, which has the effect of increasing the natural armor's overall bonus to armor class. A natural armor bonus doesn't apply against touch attacks.

Look at the bolded part. Issue with forum posts and Guides they go with the wishful thinking in the players favor route sadly enough

[JustinThomason]

I don't have the book in front of me to confirm the wording, but the Archives of Nethys has the entry and all it says is it grants a +1 Natural Armor bonus. Since other things (e.g. Barkskin, Amulet of Natural Armor, etc.) specifically call out the fact that they grant an enhancement bonus to Natural Armor (with a typical human having an effective Natural Armor bonus of +0), my personal ruling would be that they don't stack, unless there has been some errata or semi-official word from Paizo I am unaware of.

But that's just my two (very dubious and unasked for) cp. However, aside from that, it would seem that HL is running it strictly as written.

[JustinThomason]

ninja'd and much more cogently argued by @Togainu

[Dhrakken]

I appreciate you guys taking the time to answer my question!

[captnchuck67]

The only Ac bonus that stacks as stated in the rules is dodge.