Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Enmarnacu 03-01-08, 09:28 PM	Ever had a moment in which you just couldn't believe you were allowed to do that in D&D? Sure, there are unrealistic moments in the game that mechanics support. But sometimes, sometimes, I think I hear D&D breaking. Allow me to tell my story, since I love it so. Last night was the last session of a campaign. Our DM wanted to kill our characters and fashioned a situation in which we logically should have been in deep *@&$, even being two gestalts and very powerful. The other player rips through the majority of the battle until we're down to the BBEF. Big bad evil fish. A souped up aboleth. The whole time I was thinking I'd use some of my nifty fifth level beguiler spells to win. But all I needed to be was a duskblade. I hit it with Ray of Enfeeblement, a first level spell. My ranged attack bonus was higher than it's touch AC. Then, being able to cast that as a standard action and then use quick cast to cast a spell as a swift action, I did it again that round for a total of 17 STR damage. Next round, I repeated it for another 16 STR damage. 33 STR damage, dropping him down to 1. Suddenly he wasn't hitting the melee fighter, he was tickling him. That should not be possible.
Nephlite 03-01-08, 09:47 PM	The whole time I was thinking I'd use some of my nifty fifth level beguiler spells to win. But all I needed to be was a duskblade. I hit it with Ray of Enfeeblement, a first level spell. My ranged attack bonus was higher than it's touch AC. Then, being able to cast that as a standard action and then use quick cast to cast a spell as a swift action, I did it again that round for a total of 17 STR damage. Next round, I repeated it for another 16 STR damage. 33 STR damage, dropping him down to 1. Suddenly he wasn't hitting the melee fighter, he was tickling him. That should not be possible. Ray of Enfeeblement deals a penalty, it never stacks with itself, no not even than. So yes, you can't do that. It isn't possible.
zeratulcraft 03-01-08, 09:50 PM	Clever use of resources to turn a melee foe into a noncombatant? Entirely sensible, logical and (apparently) extremely effective. EDIT : Ninja'd into pointlessness, if it did stack though, very clever.
Majick 03-01-08, 09:53 PM	burn :P
Enmarnacu 03-01-08, 09:57 PM	I knew there had to be something wrong with it! Thanks for the stunning reply, Majick.
Eldritch_Lord 03-01-08, 09:58 PM	You're right. It isn't possible. A coruscating ray springs from your hand. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target. The subject takes a penalty to Strength equal to 1d6+1 per two caster levels (maximum 1d6+5). The subject’s Strength score cannot drop below 1. Stacking In most cases, modifiers to a given check or roll stack (combine for a cumulative effect) if they come from different sources and have different types (or no type at all), but do not stack if they have the same type or come from the same source (such as the same spell cast twice in succession). If the modifiers to a particular roll do not stack, only the best bonus and worst penalty applies. Dodge bonuses and circumstance bonuses however, do stack with one another unless otherwise specified. Penalties to ability scores don't stack if they come from the same source, such as the same spell. This has been clarified multiple times, and I believe it's also in the FAQ. Damage stacks, drain stacks, burn stacks...but penalties don't. EDIT: Dammit, ninja'd between clicking "Quote" and clicking "Submit Reply." Well, at least I had the appropriate quotes in there.
ZiggZagg 03-01-08, 10:07 PM	The only to get something like that to be a bigger penalty is to hit it with a bigger penalty. There is a spell in the Spell Compendium (the name escapes me right now) that does like 1d10 plus 5 or so str penalty if the target is already suffering from the ray of enfeeblement spell, thereby almost guaranteeing a higher penalty, so you might get lucky and hit it for like...15 or so. Maybe 20 if you empower it.