[RPG] Do AC bonuses from spells stack with AC from equipment

armor-classequipmentpathfinder-1espells

For classes like the Bloodrager that can wear armor and shields and cast arcane spells:

  • Does the armor bonus to AC from the Mage Armor spell stack with the armor bonus to AC from an actual armor worn by the character?

  • Does the shield bonus to AC from the Shield spell stack with the shield bonus to AC from an actual shield equipped?

  • Do these spells (Mage Armor and Shield) stack with each other?

Best Answer

In Pathfinder, bonuses of the same type do not stack.

Mage Armor and regular armor (full plate, etc.) both provide an armor bonus, so they do not stack. The same can be said for a shield and the spell Shield — they both apply a shield bonus to AC. When they don't stack, you use the higher of the two bonuses.

This means that Shield and Mage Armor do stack, because they provide bonuses of different types — Mage Armor grants an armor bonus and Shield grants a shield bonus.