Question on Ability Penalties - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Question on Ability Penalties

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
cole_caecus
Mar 15, 2011 0:15:06 So, if i hit someone with multiple Ray of Enfeeblements, or Multiple Touch of Idiocies, would they only count one time, or would they stack? I was under the impression that penalties stack. My DM says that they dont. Help?
#2
MalakLightfoot
Mar 15, 2011 0:51:54
So, if i hit someone with multiple Ray of Enfeeblements, or Multiple Touch of Idiocies, would they only count one time, or would they stack? I was under the impression that penalties stack. My DM says that they dont. Help?

IIRC from my time in 3.x, they stack. Be sure to let your DM know that he can hit your characters with as many of those effects as he likes, too. After all, if you are doing it to the monsters, they can do it to you. Fair is fair, after all.

Others with better memories may chime in and correct me though. It has been a long time since I played 3.x.
#3
cole_caecus
Mar 15, 2011 1:10:38 Im currently in an arena, and the DM said that they dont stack. Thats fine for the arena, but id like to know for myself if they really do or not. I thought they did, which is in part of why i took the spells i did. I play a Duskblade and hit them with multiple of the same spell in one round.
#4
slobo777a
Mar 15, 2011 4:23:58
So, if i hit someone with multiple Ray of Enfeeblements, or Multiple Touch of Idiocies, would they only count one time, or would they stack? I was under the impression that penalties stack. My DM says that they dont. Help?

Stat penalties applied by the same spell do not stack. If you apply multiple Ray of Enfeeblements then they are all "in effect" for purposes such as dispelling them and separate durations fo effect, but the penalty that the target takes is simply the worst one currently affecting it.

This is different to stat damage. Stat damage is an instant effect, like hit point damage. Technically it neither stacks nor doesn't stack . . . but the effect you want - multiple spells further reducing stats, works when the spell causes stat damage as opposed to a penalty with a duration.

#5
slobo777a
Mar 15, 2011 4:25:56
So, if i hit someone with multiple Ray of Enfeeblements, or Multiple Touch of Idiocies, would they only count one time, or would they stack? I was under the impression that penalties stack. My DM says that they dont. Help?

IIRC from my time in 3.x, they stack. Be sure to let your DM know that he can hit your characters with as many of those effects as he likes, too. After all, if you are doing it to the monsters, they can do it to you. Fair is fair, after all.

Others with better memories may chime in and correct me though. It has been a long time since I played 3.x.

I used to DM 3.5, and my recollection is that penalties do not stack. This cropped up regularly in my games with Ray of Enfeeblement, so I am fairly confident in that.

The OP's DM is correct.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 cole_caecus Mar 15, 2011 0:15:06	So, if i hit someone with multiple Ray of Enfeeblements, or Multiple Touch of Idiocies, would they only count one time, or would they stack? I was under the impression that penalties stack. My DM says that they dont. Help?
#2 MalakLightfoot Mar 15, 2011 0:51:54	So, if i hit someone with multiple Ray of Enfeeblements, or Multiple Touch of Idiocies, would they only count one time, or would they stack? I was under the impression that penalties stack. My DM says that they dont. Help? IIRC from my time in 3.x, they stack. Be sure to let your DM know that he can hit your characters with as many of those effects as he likes, too. After all, if you are doing it to the monsters, they can do it to you. Fair is fair, after all. Others with better memories may chime in and correct me though. It has been a long time since I played 3.x.
#3 cole_caecus Mar 15, 2011 1:10:38	Im currently in an arena, and the DM said that they dont stack. Thats fine for the arena, but id like to know for myself if they really do or not. I thought they did, which is in part of why i took the spells i did. I play a Duskblade and hit them with multiple of the same spell in one round.
#4 slobo777a Mar 15, 2011 4:23:58	So, if i hit someone with multiple Ray of Enfeeblements, or Multiple Touch of Idiocies, would they only count one time, or would they stack? I was under the impression that penalties stack. My DM says that they dont. Help? Stat penalties applied by the same spell do not stack. If you apply multiple Ray of Enfeeblements then they are all "in effect" for purposes such as dispelling them and separate durations fo effect, but the penalty that the target takes is simply the worst one currently affecting it. This is different to stat damage. Stat damage is an instant effect, like hit point damage. Technically it neither stacks nor doesn't stack . . . but the effect you want - multiple spells further reducing stats, works when the spell causes stat damage as opposed to a penalty with a duration.
#5 slobo777a Mar 15, 2011 4:25:56	So, if i hit someone with multiple Ray of Enfeeblements, or Multiple Touch of Idiocies, would they only count one time, or would they stack? I was under the impression that penalties stack. My DM says that they dont. Help? IIRC from my time in 3.x, they stack. Be sure to let your DM know that he can hit your characters with as many of those effects as he likes, too. After all, if you are doing it to the monsters, they can do it to you. Fair is fair, after all. Others with better memories may chime in and correct me though. It has been a long time since I played 3.x. I used to DM 3.5, and my recollection is that penalties do not stack. This cropped up regularly in my games with Ray of Enfeeblement, so I am fairly confident in that. The OP's DM is correct.