How do Banner (Cavalier), Flagbearer and Banner of Ancient Kings interact?

Question

I want to play a Bard/Cavalier/Battle Herald and now the question emerges how the Banner stuff interacts. Let us look at the defnitions:

Banner As long as the cavalier's banner is clearly visible, all allies within 60 feet receive +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge. The banner must ... must be carried or displayed by the cavalier ... to function.

Flagbearer As long as you hold your ... flag, members of that allegiance within 30 feet who can see the flag (including yourself ) gain +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws against fear and charm effects. You must hold the flag in one hand in order to grant this bonus.

Banner of the Ancient Kings As long as the longspear or pole to which the banner is attached is wielded in two hands, its carrier gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Initiative checks. +2 resistance bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting effects.

If the banner’s carrier possesses the Flagbearer feat, the banner of the ancient kings doubles the morale bonuses granted by that feat. A bard who carries a longspear or pole to which a banner of the ancient kings has been attached is treated as four levels higher than his actual bard level for the purposes of determining the bonuses granted by his inspire courage bardic performance ability.

Do I get that right, all together I would have

+4 against fear +2 attack and damage (on charge it is +3) +2 charm effects +4 Initiative checks +2 mind-affecting effects

The character would have to hold the banner in two hands attached to a pole or a longspear. All this is valid within 30ft and as soon as I attack with the spear the bonuses are gone? Can I use a shortspear as well?

Answer 1

In general, bonuses of the same type do not stack. This means that all allies will only get the highest single morale bonus for the circumstance between Banner and Flagbearer. Since Banner of the Ancient Kings doubles the bonus from Flagbearer, the Banner bonuses only apply to allies outside the 30ft range of Flagbearer but that are within the 60ft range of Banner.

The results would be:

+4 total against fear and charm: +2 morale from Flagbearer (+1 x2 from BotAK), +2 resistance from Banner of Ancient Kings

+2 against other mind-affecting: +2 resistance from Banner of Ancient Kings

+2 bonus on attack rolls: Flagbearer grants a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls (+1 x2 from BotAK)

+2 damage on attack rolls: Flagebearer bonus x2 (+1 x2 from BotAK)

+4 on initiative: +4 circumstance bonus on Banner of Ancient Kings

As long as you wield the spear in two hands, I don't see why the bonuses are gone as soon as you attack -- they should remain and apply to allies as long as they can see the banner. On the other hand, if you use a shortspear, you can still attack by wielding the weapon in two hands but you can't attach your banner of the ancient kings to it ("As long as the longspear or pole to which the banner is attached is wielded in two hands...").