New Bonus Type – Transmutative

Design Notes: this was added as a bonus type for bonuses (usually ability bonuses) that shouldn’t stack with each other for balance sake, but will stack with Enhancement bonuses so as to not make the features and effects that grant these bonuses obsolete with the use of Automatic Bonus Progression. Thus this bonus type should be added into the list of bonus types in the core rules:

Transmutative — A transmutative bonus is a bonus that is gained by the act of physical transformation, or magical effects that cause it. This is distinguished from Alchemical or Enhancement bonuses, which are the alchemical or magical amplification of a given stat, minus any distinct physical alteration of the affected target. Just because a spell or effect might be of the Transmutation school does not mean bonuses gained by it are transmutative — for example, Animal Prowess [Bear’s Endurance, et al] does not visibly, physically manifest itself (turn you into a bear, or even bear-like) , and thus is still considered enhancement bonus. Transmutative bonuses stack with other types of bonuses, but they do not stack with themselves when applied to the same stat.

The following are effects which grant a Transmutative bonus in lieu of their stated bonuses:

• Alternate form racial ability and similar abilities,
• The Mutagen ability and similar abilities, and any other bonus to abilities that was alchemical,
• Polymorph school spells (Beast Shape, Polymorph, Shapechange, et al), unless the bonus in question is a size bonus,
• Shifter Aspects (and Hunter and Feral Striker, etc features by extension),
• The Wild Shape ability and similar abilities.