Vampiric Touch and temporary HP

[kolikeos]

So there's a sorcerer with vampiric touch, each time he uses it he gets more HP, last session he had about 160 HP at the end of a fight. I've read somewhere that only the latest spell counts or that only the highest bonus counts, does that apply to this situation or can he keep on adding HP like that?

 

[Vegepygmy]

The 3.5 FAQ says:

Do temporary hit points from two applications of the same effect stack? What about from different effects? If I have temporary hit points from multiple sources, how should I apply damage?

Temporary hit points from two applications of the same effect don’t stack; instead, the highest number of temporary hit points applies in place of all others. Temporary hit points from different sources stack, but you must keep track of them separately.

For example, imagine a character who gained 15 temporary hit points from an aid spell. After taking 8 points of damage, she has 7 temporary hit points left from the spell. If another aid spell were cast on the same character granting 12 temporary hit points, this total would replace the other spell’s total, meaning the character would now have 12 temporary hit points (rather than 19). If the character then cast false life on herself, she would add the full benefit of that spell to the temporary hit points from the aid spell.

This also applies to temporary hit points gained from energy drain and similar special abilities. Each successful attack counts as one application of the effect (meaning that an attack that bestows 2 or more negative levels still counts as only one application of the effect). For example, a wight gains 5 temporary hit points each time it bestows a negative level with its slam attack. If it bestows another negative level while it has 2 temporary hit points remaining from the first attack, the new temporary hit points would replace the old ones.

Temporary hit points are “first-in, first-out.” Damage should be taken off the oldest temporary-hit-point-granting effect first; when that effect is exhausted, apply damage to the next oldest effect. For this reason, you must track each supply of temporary hit points separately.

 

[carborundum]

I'd the same question about my Duskblade - I think we did it right.
He has 50 hp and after Vamp Touch he gained 15 hp. Total 65.
He got hit for about 35 and ended up at 30.
Another Vamp Touch gave him 20 hp back, putting him back at 50, with 20 of them being temporary.
Another round of damage and he took another 40, leaving him only 10hp, of which 20 were temporary. (!)
A third Vamp Touch gave an astonishing 22 on 4d6 leaving him on 32hp, of which 22 were temporary.

Did we do good?

 

[Plane Sailing]

The 3.5 FAQ says:

This also applies to temporary hit points gained from energy drain and similar special abilities. Each successful attack counts as one application of the effect (meaning that an attack that bestows 2 or more negative levels still counts as only one application of the effect). For example, a wight gains 5 temporary hit points each time it bestows a negative level with its slam attack. If it bestows another negative level while it has 2 temporary hit points remaining from the first attack, the new temporary hit points would replace the old ones.

Interesting. We've always played it that the wights and wraiths and vampires and whatever stack up the temp hit points from energy drain indefinitely (which makes them a real pain to fight, since in some circumstances their hit points were going up with their drains faster than we were reducing them with our weapons!).

If they *don't* stack, it makes such a small difference to the creatures, while adding significant bookkeeping extras, that it hardly seems worth it.

 

[Darklone]

*snip*
Another round of damage and he took another 40, leaving him only 10hp, of which 20 were temporary. (!)*snip*

Did we do good?

I don't think so, maybe I misunderstood something. The temporary hitpoints go away first when you get hit, so how does a Duskblade at -10 hp (who's dead by normal rules but unconscious at most other houserules) strike someone to get 20 temporary hitpoints?

For the record: Arcane Spellcaster uses False Life... 1d10+CL temp hitpoints. Then he uses Vampiric Touch. Then he gets an Aid from his cleric buddy friend. Then let's assume he's the BBEG vampire and he drains some orphans or other hostages. All these temporary hitpoints stack.

Now if he casts twice VT, the higher would be interesting... and if he takes damage, both amounts would decrease. That's debated, however.

PS: You did it right IIRC, just don't forget that this infinite amount of temporary hitpoints go away after one hour.

 

[Plane Sailing]

PS: You did it right IIRC, just don't forget that this infinite amount of temporary hitpoints go away after one hour.

But the last couple of sentences of the FAQ quoted suggest that those temp hitpoints overlap, rather than stack...

"If it bestows another negative level while it has 2 temporary hit points remaining from the first attack, the new temporary hit points would replace the old ones."

 

[Vegepygmy]

We've always played it that the wights and wraiths and vampires and whatever stack up the temp hit points from energy drain indefinitely...

That's how I rule it, too, despite what the FAQ says.

 

[GorTeX]

...
Another Vamp Touch gave him 20 hp back, putting him back at 50, with 20 of them being temporary.
Another round of damage and he took another 40, leaving him only 10hp, of which 20 were temporary. (!)
A third Vamp Touch gave an astonishing 22 on 4d6 leaving him on 32hp, of which 22 were temporary.

Did we do good?

you did it right, just wrote it wrong here.

you were at 50hp (20 of which were temporary)
Then took 40 damage..damage comes off of temp hp 1st, so you were at 10hp, but 0 of it was temporary
then third VT put you at 32hp, 22 of which were temporry..(take another 40hp and you'd be at -8 with no temp HP)...

 

[Darklone]

But the last couple of sentences of the FAQ quoted suggest that those temp hitpoints overlap, rather than stack...

"If it bestows another negative level while it has 2 temporary hit points remaining from the first attack, the new temporary hit points would replace the old ones."

I know but then it's boring.

And I like to have my horror zombies and other undead on a killing spree

If anyone is looking for Resident Evil zombies: Fall of Liaven from Kenzer. Ever wanted 1500 zombies or more in an adventure?