Can you apply multiple personal upgrades to the same ability?

Question

While the rules regarding personal upgrades seem straightforward enough, I'm still left wondering whether or not a player may use multiple personal upgrades to increase the same ability.

You can gain a total of three personal upgrades, regardless of the source. Each personal upgrade item has a model number: mk 1, mk 2, or mk 3. A mk 1 personal upgrade grants you +2 points to a single ability score, a mk 2 personal upgrade grants +4 points to a single ability score, and a mk 3 personal upgrade grants you +6 points to a single ability score. Each of your personal upgrades must be a different model number (for example, you cannot have three mk 1 upgrades, but you can have a mk 1, a mk 2, and a mk 3).

They all mention granting a bonus to a single ability score. The wording leads me to believe that they should be applied to different ability scores. Am I reading the ruling right?

Answer 1

No.

This FAQ says each personal upgrade must augment a different ability score.

Can I place multiple personal upgrades (page 212) on the same ability score? For example, can I have both a mk 2 and a mk 3 upgrade apply to my Dexterity for a total of +10 Dexterity?

No. Each personal upgrade you have must apply to a different ability score.

It is also worth mentioning that bonuses to the same statistic from multiple instances of the same option/source do not stack. For example, you cannot stack bonuses from having multiple masterwork tools or stack bonuses from casting the same spell on someone multiple times.

Answer 2

Currently, they seem to be untyped bonuses; you could stack your Mk 1 and M 2 for +6 to one score or all 3 upgrades for +12 to one score... but that doesn't seem to be the intent.

These seem to be the intended replacement to Pathfinder's Belts and Headbands of (adjective) (Ability) which was an Enhancement bonus. Expect GM's to restrict you from doubling up on a single type of Personal Upgrade until Paizo FAQ's it either way.

Answer 3

As a GM, I cannot think of a single good reason to restrict a person from using all three upgrades, regardless of source, to augment a single ability. A person could come up with any number of explanations why this is possible. An mk3 item is only attainable at a higher item level to automatically restrict most players to being unable to augment any single ability modifiers by +12 until they're already at a high enough level where an edge like that might be required to be competitive. It is understandable that every GM has control over the encounter development process. Even the modules, greatly balanced and play tested, do not account for personal dynamics in-character and out-of-character and all GMs should feel empowered to adapt the rule sets as they see fit to entertain their players. This, after all, is their primary function. If you want to allow your players to add a +12 to a single ability and you find that it is possible/plausible and it adds to the fun, then do it to it! If you find out that it doesn't, then change your answer! Easy Peasy. My answer supports GM discretion, having found no text that specifies any such limitations as queried. In the world of tech, which is nothing more than another kind of magic...anything goes.