Continuing on my giant list of things in PF1 I had changed for my games (and my satisfaction, obviously), here's are my take on how the various bonus types should be arranged and working in the game.
I noticed that most of the various types only work on one score or roll in the game (tons of AC-modifying types, Inherent only for ability scores, etc.), and there's even one, Enhancement, that can even give a bonus to... other bonuses, which frankly I see as an aberration.
So I decided to make some housecleaning and put some order into that mess, which should be one of the basic assets in the game. First, I stated a couple general rules:
- Bonuses and penalties should always have a type, no exceptions allowed.
- Bonuses and penalties can be applied only to checks (attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, etc.), rolls (damage rolls, etc.), and DCs (AC, CMD, save DCs, checks DCs, etc.), again no exceptions allowed.
The main reason for those two rules is to avoid excessive stacking of untyped bonuses and, even more so, of penalties. I also wanted to remove the "penalties are almost always untyped" habit, which makes room for really excessive debuffing in the game, especially against poor, lonely megabosses confronting with cohordinated parties.
Then I devised a new, narrower list of types, which can be applied at (almost) any kind of roll or DC in the game:
Alchemical: This one is pretty unchanged. It comes from interaction with active substances, either magical or mundane in nature. All bonuses and penalties coming from poisons and drugs are os this type.
Arcane: This new type includes all bonuses and penalties coming from magical and supernatural effects that are not of another specific type. This means that magic buffs/debuffs would almost always have a type.
*Circumstance: This one stays as it was, being based on some situational conditions. It now includes some aspects of the size bonus type, which has been removed.
*Competence: Another mostly unchanged type, it comes from a change in the knowledge, training or general skill at performing a particular task. It plays a major role in other homerules of mine, such as shields and defensive weapons now providing competence bonuses to AC.
Corruption: A new type that in some ways takes the place of the old profane type, it implies some physical or qualitative change for unnatural reasons (such as being touched by chaos or subject to some pseudonatural creature's powers).
Divine: A new type that replaces holy type, it comes from receiving some effect from the direct intervention of divine or spiritual entities.
Enhancement: Relatively unchanged, it comes from changing the inherent qualities of creatures and objects.
Insight: Another unchanged type, it comes from changes in awareness or comprehension.
Kinetic: A new type coming from the interaction with some form of external forces that guide the actions of a character or contribute to hamper those of others. It incorporates the old deflection type.
Luck: Pretty much unchanged, it indicates a change in the probabilities of an event to take place.
Morale: Again an unchanged one, it comes from changes in the attitude or self-confidence of a character. All fear effects bring forth morale penalties.
Possession: A new type for when a character is under the direct influence of an entity that operates on its body and mind.
Racial: Basically unchanged, it comes from the very being of the character. It now includes some aspects of the old size type, and replaces the natural armor type.
*Reaction: A new type that replaces the dodge bonus to AC, it comes from modifications in the speed, agility, or coordination of the character.
Tenacity: A new type representing variations in the resolution, ferocity, and resistance of a character. It incorporates the old armor bonus to AC and resistance bonus to saving throws.
*Untyped: This one is only changed in its nature, which is to give a type to bonuses and penalties that can't be limited to another single type. Basically, if something can be related to two or more types or none at all, it belongs to this type.
There's also the Mythic type, for those who use those rules (I do not).
To determine the final modifier of a specific type to a roll or DC, take the best bonus and the worst penalty and add them together.
Bonuses and penalties marked with an asterisk (*) can stack so you add together all bonuses and penalties of that type to get the final modifier.
As usual, bonuses and penalties coming from the same source never stack, not even if of stacking types.
If someone has already published rules similar or related to this one, please feel free to post a link to their work below. Comments and feedback would be appreciated.