Temp HPs

[BobTheNob]

What an odd thread. People confusing curses for marks and thinking temp HP's somehow stack?

This is day 1 basics I thought everyone understood and had been the status quo for years now.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Im not sure where the OP got the impression that Temp HP from different sources stack, or where the quote above got the impression that this is how things worked. This is the text from Combat section of PHB (Page 294)

You've misunderstood me. I know that different sources do not stack. I was wondering what the definition of "sources" was. I said as much in the opening of the post:

According to the PHB, you don't add up all your Temp HPs from all sources...but what counts as a separate source?

(emphasis mine)

This matters because if "sources" means a single event, an item like the gloves or something like the Pact boon can only provide you with a tiny amount, repeatedly. If, OTOH, "source" would be the item or Pact Boon itself, then it can provide a bunch of THPs.

For example: if a PC wearing the gauntlets triggers their effect, he gets 2 THP. If they work the first way- if each triggering event is the "source"- the wearer will not be able to trigger the gauntlets' effect and gain THP until he loses at least 1 of the 2 he gained the first time. Essentially, the gloves will only provide 2 THP total at any time. At best, he will keep getting a "reset" to 2 THP.

If, OTOH, it works the other way- if the gauntlets are the "source"- he'll get the +2 for the first triggering, +2 the next, etc., actually increasing his THP total.

 

[mudlock]

This is day 1 basics I thought everyone understood and had been the status quo for years now.

Damn, it's almost like new people join this hobby every now and then.

WotC needs to stop letting that happen...

 

[mudlock]

For example: if a PC wearing the gauntlets triggers their effect, he gets 2 THP. If they work the first way- if each triggering event is the "source"- the wearer will not be able to trigger the gauntlets' effect and gain THP until he loses at least 1 of the 2 he gained the first time.

Each time you gain thp, it is a new source.

And for the love of Kord, don't even suggest that they intended you would have to track what power or item granted you thp. "Oh, I've got 3 thp from curse, 2 from gloves, 4 from the cleric... I got hit for 5? Okay, 2 from gloves and 3 from cleric, that leaves me with 3 from curse and 1 from cleric, so I can gain 2 more if I hit next turn." No. No no no no no.

If you do, somehow, get a mark going as an infernal warlock, and hit and kill a dude while wearing these gloves, you get 2 thp from the gloves, *that are immediately irrelevant* because you'll get more than 2 from killing the dude, and thps don't stack.

 

[BobTheNob]

Damn, it's almost like new people join this hobby every now and then.

WotC needs to stop letting that happen...

And then you look at the number of posts and how long they have been around. There was no "Hi, Im new to the game here".

We had someone who has been here 2 years and nearly 600 posts give an example where temp HP's should stack, and a rank 19 poster confusing marks with curses.

I guess I was just a little surprised, given the calibre of the posters, I found myself questioning my own understanding of the game.

 

[Aegeri]

The rules compendium is far more clear on this issue, abandoning the "Source" language entirely. You now only gain the highest amount of temporary HP. So if you have 5 temp HP and a power gives you 2, you still only have 5. At the same time, if you had 2 temp HP and a power gave you 5, you would now have 5 temporary HP and not 2.

Temporary HP never stack (though there may be an exception somewhere).

 

[IanB]

Yeah I have a recollection of seeing something somewhere that explicitly stacks with itself.

 

[Dice4Hire]

The rules compendium is far more clear on this issue, abandoning the "Source" language entirely. You now only gain the highest amount of temporary HP. So if you have 5 temp HP and a power gives you 2, you still only have 5. At the same time, if you had 2 temp HP and a power gave you 5, you would now have 5 temporary HP and not 2.

Temporary HP never stack (though there may be an exception somewhere).

The only possible exception I know about is battlerager fighters (weaponmasters) but I am unclear onthe updated eratta.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And then you look at the number of posts and how long they have been around. There was no "Hi, Im new to the game here".

Amazingly enough, when you don't use a mechanic or you get a new item, certain aspects of it may be a tad confusing, even to a veteran gamer- in this case, one whose sole 4Ed PC is just 3rd level.

Besides, even with my vast experience on this board, I did not realize it was customary or vital to list one's experience with a game before asking a question about it.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Each time you gain thp, it is a new source.

Thank you.*

And for the love of Kord, don't even suggest that they intended you would have to track what power or item granted you thp. "Oh, I've got 3 thp from curse, 2 from gloves, 4 from the cleric... I got hit for 5? Okay, 2 from gloves and 3 from cleric, that leaves me with 3 from curse and 1 from cleric, so I can gain 2 more if I hit next turn." No. No no no no no.

that's not what I was suggesting at all, since that would clearly run afoul of the rules in the PHB.

I was asking about a single source- a class feature, an item- triggering more than once, and thus adding to your THP multiple times. IOW, does it stack with itself?


*And as to the later RC reference eliminating "source", are you sure? Because I copied that item info from the CB.