Stacking Temporary Hitpoints

[Hannibal Barca]

Can anyone point me out to a definitive answer for whether temporary hitpoints stack and/or overlap? Does a vampire's level draining attacks result in hitpoints that stack? The sage seems to imply this in a August 2004 response (see below).

Q: Do temporary hit points stack? Specifically, would vampiric touch stack with barbarian rage? Would vampiric touch stack with a second vampiric touch? Would vampiric touch stack with a vampiric drain weapon enhancement? How about two vampiric weapon strikes? And lastly, vampiric touch with aid?

A: No, temporary hit points do not stack. Note that barbarian rage doesn't give you temporary hit points. It raises your Con and that increase your hit points. When your rage ends you lose Con and you lose hit points. The D&D FAQ once made an exception for effects that allow you to gain temporary hit points over time, and that would apply to things like undead level drains.

 

[FEADIN]

Maybe the rules are changing too often or are not very clear on that point, the RAW writtent says that you cannot stack bonuses from the same source/spell/type, 2 bonuses hp from 2 vampiric touch spells would not stack, you take the better.
Stacking Effects: Spells that provide bonuses or penalties on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and other attributes usually do not stack with themselves. More generally, two bonuses of the same type don’t stack even if they come from different spells (or from effects other than spells; see Bonus Types, above).
Different Bonus Names: The bonuses or penalties from two different spells stack if the modifiers are of different types. A bonus that isn’t named stacks with any bonus.
Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths: In cases when two or more identical spells are operating in the same area or on the same target, 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. Usually the last spell in the series trumps the others. None of the previous spells are actually removed or dispelled, but their effects become irrelevant while the final spell in the series lasts.
One Effect Makes Another Irrelevant: Sometimes, one spell can render a later spell irrelevant. Both spells are still active, but one has rendered the other useless in some fashion.
You can see that you can gain hp from a different spell, false life for exemple, and gain hp on top.
For the undead this is very special, I rule that they stack.

 

[TheGogmagog]

Can anyone point me out to a definitive answer for whether temporary hitpoints stack and/or overlap? Does a vampire's level draining attacks result in hitpoints that stack? The sage seems to imply this in a August 2004 response (see below).

Q: Do temporary hit points stack? Specifically, would vampiric touch stack with barbarian rage? Would vampiric touch stack with a second vampiric touch? Would vampiric touch stack with a vampiric drain weapon enhancement? How about two vampiric weapon strikes? And lastly, vampiric touch with aid?

A: No, temporary hit points do not stack. Note that barbarian rage doesn't give you temporary hit points. It raises your Con and that increase your hit points. When your rage ends you lose Con and you lose hit points. The D&D FAQ once made an exception for effects that allow you to gain temporary hit points over time, and that would apply to things like undead level drains.

I don't see any ambiguity. They do not stack. FAQ is not erratta, so if there was a FAQ statement that contradicts the rules, consider it optional rules. So, there was a FAQ reply that made an exception for undead attacks, but this FAQ reply does not support the previous FAQ reply.