Does poison damage stack?

[Xahn'Tyr]

It seems to me that poisons do damage to a stat, rather than applying some sort of "Poison Penalty". Therefore they should "stack" just like hit point damage does right?

On a similar topic, doesn't the "Bestow Curse" spell also stack since it causes a "-6 effective decrease to an ability score (minimum 1)" rather than some sort of named penalty (or is "effective decrease" supposed to be a name of some sort?)?

 

[kreynolds]

It seems to me that poisons do damage to a stat, rather than applying some sort of "Poison Penalty". Therefore they should "stack" just like hit point damage does right?

Absolutely. If you get poisoned 5 times in a row, you're going to be making saving throws for the next 10 rounds, as most poisons cause immediate damage, and more damage 1 minute (10 rounds) later.

 

[Caliban]

It seems to me that poisons do damage to a stat, rather than applying some sort of "Poison Penalty". Therefore they should "stack" just like hit point damage does right?

Yes.

On a similar topic, doesn't the "Bestow Curse" spell also stack since it causes a "-6 effective decrease to an ability score (minimum 1)" rather than some sort of named penalty (or is "effective decrease" supposed to be a name of some sort?)?

Magical effects from identical spells generally don't stack. I would consider two bestow curse spells to be the same source.

From the SRD:

Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths: In cases when two or more identical spells are operating in the same area, but at different strengths, only the best one applies.

Same Effect with Differing Results: The same spell can sometimes produce varying effects if applied to the same recipient more than once. None of the previous spells are actually removed or dispelled, but their effects become irrelevant while the final spell in the series lasts.

You could rule that a second casting of bestow curse would suppress the first casting, but I don't reall think that applies in this case. I think the "Same effect with differing results" would apply to things like polymorph other, where the spell would logically override any previous shapeshange.

I think the "Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths" applies in this case. You could hit someone with two bestow curse spells that target different stats, but if they target the same stat they overlap instead of stacking.

 

[Xahn'Tyr]

Wow, thanks for the fast answers! And it even makes sense too

 

[Grendel]

Dang, if they didn't stack I had the backbone of my arguement of why weapon and spell damage shouldn't stack.

I would be invicible!

 

[KarinsDad]

An interesting question related to this:

If your Con drops low enough, will your hit points go negative?

In our game, the DM ruled (as per my suggestion ) that you cannot go down to less than 1 hit point per level due to Con lowering.

But, if you are already injured beyond that, your damage applies to your new total.

So, for example, a 5th level character with 20 hit points whose Con drops by 6 will drop down to 5 hit points, but if his Con drops lower, that's as low as his hit points will go.

If he started out with 13 out of 20 hit points when this occurs, he will drop down to -2 hits and start dying.

 

[kreynolds]

An interesting question related to this:

If you Con drops low enough, will your hit points go negative?

In our game, the DM ruled (as per my suggestion ) that you cannot go down to less than 1 hit point per level due to Con lowering.

But, if you are already injured beyond that, your damage applies to your new total.

So, for example, a 5th level character with 20 hit points whose Con drops by 6 will drop down to 5 hit points, but if his Con drops lower, that's as low as his hit points will go.

If he started out with 13 out of 20 hit points when this occurs, he will drop down to -2 hits and start dying.

By the rules, if your Con drops to 0, you die. If your con drops low enough, you die.

 

[KarinsDad]

By the rules, if your Con drops to 0, you die. If your con drops low enough, you die.

Yes I know.

I was referring to if you are 5th level with 20 hit points and a Con of 14 for example, if your Con dropped to 2, would you be at -10 hit points and dead or would you be at 5 hit points (i.e. minimum one hit point per level)?

 

[Grendel]

In our game, the DM ruled (as per my suggestion ) that you cannot go down to less than 1 hit point per level due to Con lowering.

thats not even a house rule, i belive its in the core books somewhere, otherwise an elven wizard with a 2 con (base 4 with a -2 racial adjustment). would be comatose on creation.

 

[Crothian]

You automatically get a minium of 1 for HP each level. Reducing one's constitution temporarily is applying a neagtive to your HPs in general. So, maybe a better rule would be that you can't be reduced to a HP total of your level since you have to get iHP for each level no matter howw low your con is.