Ability penalties don´t stack

[sfedi]

Ability penalties don´t stack

Where does it says so?

I have a debate over Fell Weaken and Ray of Enfeeblement not stacking, and I think that they don´t stack because they are both penalties. The other guy says they stack because they are not the same source/effect.

 

[werk]

READ Fell Weaken.

(It's in Libris Mortis pg. 27)

Sorry that didn't directly answer your question...
"Modifiers
A modifier is any bonus or penalty applying to a die roll. A positive modifier is a bonus, and a negative modifier is a penalty.

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)."

So penalties can stack...but not in your example.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Where does it says so?

I have a debate over Fell Weaken and Ray of Enfeeblement not stacking, and I think that they don´t stack because they are both penalties. The other guy says they stack because they are not the same source/effect.

They stack. The penalties are unnamed (as are most penalties in 3.5), and from different sources.

Two Rays of Enfeeblement do not stack; two Fell Weakening spells do not stack; but Fell Weaken stacks with RoE.

-Hyp.

 

[werk]

...but Fell Weaken stacks with RoE.

Should read Fell Weaken...

 

[sfedi]

Thanks Hyp.

"Modifiers
A modifier is any bonus or penalty applying to a die roll. A positive modifier is a bonus, and a negative modifier is a penalty.

Stacking
In most cases, modifiers to a given check or roll stack (combine for a cumulative effect)

But these spells give a penalty to an Ability, not a roll or check.

Do penalties for abilities follow the same rules?

 

[werk]

Do penalties for abilities follow the same rules?

Yes, but again I urge you to read the text of Fell Weaken, the debate will be moot.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Should read Fell Weaken...

It says the penalty from multiple spells affected by Fell Weaken don't stack...?

-Hyp.

 

[Pyrex]

Right Fell Weaken does not stack with Fell Weaken. Thus sayeth the feat description and thus sayeth the rules on stacking.

However, none of the cited texts prevents Fell Weaken from stacking with Ray of Enfeeblement.

However, you can't apply Fell Weaken to Ray of Enfeeblement because the RoE doesn't deal damage.

Which still doesn't mean you can't hit an opponent with a Ray of Enfeeblement followed by a Quickened Fell Weakened Acid Splash for a huge Str penalty then follow it up next round with a Wave of Exhaustion for another -6 to Str that stacks with both the RoE and Fell Weaken.

 

[Hypersmurf]

However, you can't apply Fell Weaken to Ray of Enfeeblement because the RoE doesn't deal damage.

Right - if that was what the OP was suggesting, I misunderstood.

-Hyp.

 

[sfedi]

I now read Fell Weaken.

It explicitly says it doesn´t stack with itself, that is, that multiple spells with this feat applied dont stack their strength penalties.

But that´s not my question, though, sorry if I wasn´t clear.

My question was on the line of what Pyrex said:

Does a Ray of Enfeeblement followed by a Quickened Fell Weakened Acid Splash stack?

And it seems the answer is Yes.

Thank you very much for the answers, and I apologize for the confusion.