Question about Spike Growth spell

[reveal]

From the SRD:

Spike Growth
Transmutation
Level: Drd 3, Rgr 2
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: One 20-ft. square/level
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: Yes
Any ground-covering vegetation in the spell’s area becomes very hard and sharply pointed without changing its appearance. In areas of bare earth, roots and rootlets act in the same way. Typically, spike growth can be cast in any outdoor setting except open water, ice, heavy snow, sandy desert, or bare stone. Any creature moving on foot into or through the spell’s area takes 1d4 points of piercing damage for each 5 feet of movement through the spiked area.

Any creature that takes damage from this spell must also succeed on a Reflex save or suffer injuries to its feet and legs that slow its land speed by one-half. This speed penalty lasts for 24 hours or until the injured creature receives a cure spell (which also restores lost hit points).

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It specifies that if a creature takes damage and fails a Reflex save, it's land speed is reduced by half. So, lets say a creature is moving through the area. They move in and take 1d4 damage and fail a Reflex save. So their speed is halved. Moving through, they take another 1d4 of damage and fail another Reflex save. Is their speed halved again or is it still at just the initial halving? So, for example, could a human with a base speed of 30, technically, move through and take damage to the point where they could no longer move forward (From 30 to 15 to 7 (rounding down) to 3 to 1 to 0)?

 

[Quasqueton]

As a DM who has seen this spell break up two major enemy charges, I would highly suggest just the one "halfling" effect.

Quasqueton

 

[Mal-2]

So, lets say a creature is moving through the area. They move in and take 1d4 damage and fail a Reflex save. So their speed is halved. Moving through, they take another 1d4 of damage and fail another Reflex save. Is their speed halved again or is it still at just the initial halving?

I think it's only halved the first time. In general, when a spell applies a non-damaging effect, it only applies the first time. The SRD has this to say about combining magical effects: "Stacking Effects: Spells that provide bonuses or penalties on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and other attributes usually do not stack with themselves."

That quote does not directly address movement penalties, of course. Still, I don't think it would be out of place to extend the logic used there to the movement penalty from spike growth.

Also, I don't think you can really be reduced to not being able to move at all. Again from the SRD: "In some situations, your movement may be so hampered that you don't have sufficient speed even to move 5 feet (1 square). In such a case, you may use a full-round action to move 5 feet (1 square) in any direction, even diagonally. Even though this looks like a 5-foot step, it's not, and thus it provokes attacks of opportunity normally."

For example, if you're moving through difficult terrain (double movement costs), in poor visibility (double movement costs again), and step into a Spike Growth (reducing your standard movement to 15'), you would normally be unable to move. You only have 15 feet of movement, and going one square would cost you 20 feet. Instead, you are allowed to move 5 feet as a full round action.

 

[reapersaurus]

Guys, you must have missed the "new" rules-lawyerish approach:
it doesn't specifically state anywhere that it doesn't stack, so it's an unnamed penalty, so it stacks.

 

[Hypersmurf]

it doesn't specifically state anywhere that it doesn't stack, so it's an unnamed penalty, so it stacks.

All penalties in 3.5 are unnamed, and stack with all other penalties. However, penalties from the same source are not "other penalties", and don't stack.

-Hyp.