Does ability drain/damage stack?

[Trellian]

What the topic says.

Does drain/damage from a ghost's touch, a wounding sword or the Ray of Enfeeblement stack with each other? Or is the maximum amount of drain/damage a character can take limited to the upper limit from that attack? (e.g. 4 points of strength damage from a ghost's touch). What if there are more ghosts? Can the other ghosts drain him for more?

 

[the Jester]

I think you're confusing some stuff here.

"Stacking" rules only apply to bonuses and penalties. Ability damage and drain aren't penalties, they are a special type of damage. (Ability drain is simply permanent damage.)

Then you get to ray of enfeeblement, which isn't damage, but imposes a penalty to strength. Now you have something where stacking rules do apply; so two RoE's won't stack. Moreover, unlike ability damage or drain, RoE reduces the target to a minimum strength of 1. This means that someone who already has a str 1 is effectively immune to the spell!

(Yes, this actually came up once in my halfling campaign, with the kobold bard with a strength score of 1!)

 

[frankthedm]

What the topic says.

Does drain/damage from a ghost's touch, a wounding sword or the Ray of Enfeeblement stack with each other? Or is the maximum amount of drain/damage a character can take limited to the upper limit from that attack? (e.g. 4 points of strength damage from a ghost's touch). What if there are more ghosts? Can the other ghosts drain him for more?

Damage and drain all stack. If a pack of stat whacking undead gang up on a Character, that character is boned.

Ray of Enfeeblement does NOT do damage. The spell text itself states it inflicks a PENALTY. The penalty does not stack with itself.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Moreover, unlike ability damage or drain, RoE reduces the target to a minimum strength of 1. This means that someone who already has a str 1 is effectively immune to the spell!

To add in some more ridiculousness, a lot of people rule that if you're under the effects of a Ray of Enfeeblement spell, you CAN'T have your Strength reduced below 1. So even if you're hit by a dozen Shadows all getting crits on you, supposedly it makes sense that you aren't affected whatsoever because of this offensive spell that was cast on you earlier.

Makes sense, right?[/not]

 

[Trellian]

Ah.. thanks, I get it now. I had a dervish once with a sword of wounding. Lethal combination.

 

[the Jester]

Ah.. thanks, I get it now. I had a dervish once with a sword of wounding. Lethal combination.

Oooh.

There's a dervish in one of the games I run. Good treasure idea for her...