When Does Ability Damage Stack?

[hippononymous]

How do you know when ability damage stacks? For instance, does Touch of Gracelessness stack with itself? Does Calcific Touch stack with itself? Do they stack with each other?

I want to be a debuff wizard, so I'm open to any recommendations you have as to which spells to use. I am allowed to use PF Core and the APG.

 

[Jadeite]

Ability damage and ability drain stack, ability penalties don't.

 

[Nebten]

Damage always stacks, whether its to your hit points or ability score. Penalities do not. Such spells that provide penalities to the stats are Touch of Gracelessness and Ray of Enfeeblement.

 

[Jadeite]

It should also be noted that penalties, while stacking with ability damage and drain, can't reduce an ability score below 1.

 

[hippononymous]

I see. Thank you!

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Actually, ability penalties stack just fine with each other.

What doesn't stack are the penalties from the same source. For instance, two castings of Touch of Gracelessness are the same source, and so fall under the ...

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 one with the highest strength applies.

... rules.

But, if you were to also hit them with a different spell that applied a penalty to Dexterity, then it would fall under the ...

Different Bonus Types

The bonuses or penalties from two different spells stack if the modifiers are of different types. A bonus that doesn't have a type stacks with any bonus.

... rules. The vast majority of penalties are untryped, and therefore stack.

 

[hippononymous]

So what would you say would be the most effective spells to use to inflict the most ability damage? I already plan to use Enervation, but I'm wondering if there are other spells that are as effective.

 

[Nagol]

Shivering Touch is mind-boggling effective.

 

[Nebten]

Enervation does level damage, not ability damage. Big difference!

 

[hippononymous]

Shivering Touch is mind-boggling effective.

Is that from Pathfinder Core or APG? Sounds awesome.

Enervation does level damage, not ability damage. Big difference!

Oh, sorry. I'm mostly looking for spells that make monsters ineffective. So ability damage, level damage, conditions. Anything that will make it easier for the melee characters to dodge and hit the thing