Bonus Types

Many powers and abilities provide bonuses to your Attack Rolls, Defenses, Damage Rolls, Skill Checks, and a variety of other statistics. Often, these bonuses have a type associated with them. Bonuses to a particular stat are only cumulative if they are of different types (this is sometime called stacking) and come from different sources (i.e. if you are affected by the same power or ability more than one time, the bonuses never stack). If the bonuses are of the same type, only the greatest bonus applies.

For example, if you are granted a +1 power bonus to Reflex from a clerical prayer and a +2 power bonus to Reflex from a Wizard's spell, only the +2 bonus applies (you do not add the bonuses together). On the other hand, if you are given a +1 Item bonus to Attack Rolls and a +2 power bonus to Attack Rolls, you may combine these for a total bonus of +3.

Some bonuses apply to a range of stats (such as all defenses), consider the bonuses that apply to each stat separately to determine the maximum bonus. For example, if you get a +1 Item bonus to all defenses, and then get a +2 Item bonus to Reflex, your Reflex gets the +2 bonus, and all your other defenses still get the +1 bonus. The types of bonuses are listed below.

Stacking Bonuses

If you have an ability that adjusts a stat by a percentage and another ability that increases it by a flat amount, the percentage is applied first. For example, consider two effects that increase damage: one that increases it by 50% and another that increases it by a flat 10 points. In this case, you would increase the damage by 50% first, then add the flat bonus of 10.

If you have multiple bonuses that adjust a stat by a percentage, the percentages are additive. For example, if you have two abilities that double the duration of your powers, then you will triple the duration. Similarly, if you had an ability that doubles your damage, and another one that increases it by 50%, then you would increase damage by 150% (in other words double it, then add 50%).

As always, stacking bonuses only apply if they are of different bonus types.

Types of Bonuses

Racial: Granted by a character's race, these bonuses are permanent.

Class: Granted by a character's class, these bonuses are permanent.

Feat: This bonus is granted by some Feats chosen by a character and apply as long as the character has the feat. Some feats chain together, allowing a Feat bonus to be improved with subsequent feats.

Power: Power bonuses are granted as the result of abilities, Spells and other Powers. These bonuses are always temporary and have a set duration.

Armor Bonus: Granted by a character's worn armor, this bonus applies as long as the character wears that armor. If the armor is removed, the bonus is also removed. A few powers and abilities also grant an Armor Bonus.

Shield Bonus: Granted by a shield the character wields, this bonus applies as long as the shield is utilized. If the shield is unequipped, the bonus is removed. Some weapons, denoted with the Defensive Weapon property, grant a Shield Bonus. A few powers and abilities also grant a Shield Bonus, usually to represent using another item to act as a shield.

Talent Bonus: These bonuses are granted by a character's Talents (if any); these bonuses are permanent.

Item Bonus: Granted by Magic Items, these bonuses apply as long as a magic item is equipped and Allocated. If the item is unequipped, the bonus is removed (even though the Allocated energy does not return until after an Extended Rest).

Penalties

Penalties are not typically labeled as any particular type and always cumulative (unless they are resulting from the same power).