Temporary HP Question

[Silva Stormrage]

Hello, just a quick question about Temporary HP, when does it stack? For example undead such as wights gain temporary HP but does it stack with itself for more hp or does it overlap and only go to 5 temporary HP. What about different sources of temporary HP such as a wight psion using vigor and then energy draining someone.

[Jack_Simth]

Hello, just a quick question about Temporary HP, when does it stack? For example undead such as wights gain temporary HP but does it stack with itself for more hp or does it overlap and only go to 5 temporary HP. What about different sources of temporary HP such as a wight psion using vigor and then energy draining someone.
The usually-balanced answer is "it doesn't".

I mean, really, do you *want* the wizard with Fiery Burst to build himself an iron golem and give it infinite temp HP?

[Silva Stormrage]

The usually-balanced answer is "it doesn't".

I mean, really, do you *want* the wizard with Fiery Burst to build himself an iron golem and give it infinite temp HP?

Oh I am well aware of what the balanced answer is. I was just woundering what the RAW answer is. And usually they aren't the same thing :smallbiggrin:.

[Infernalbargain]

I think by RAW it simply stacks up, as it is not a bonus.

[Nashwolfe]

Temporary Hit Points

Certain effects give a character temporary hit points. When a character gains temporary hit points, note his current hit point total. When the temporary hit points go away the character’s hit points drop to his current hit point total. If the character’s hit points are below his current hit point total at that time, all the temporary hit points have already been lost and the character’s hit point total does not drop further.

When temporary hit points are lost, they cannot be restored as real hit points can be, even by magic.
Increases in Constitution Score and Current Hit Points

There's no mention of stacking, at least in the SRD. However I'm pretty sure that most spells/effects I've seen which grant temp hit points specify that they don't stack. Don't have books handy though.

I've always interpreted them as not stacking, under the rules of 'It Would Be Stupid If They Did'.

[Big Fau]

There's no mention of stacking, at least in the SRD. However I'm pretty sure that most spells/effects I've seen which grant temp hit points specify that they don't stack. Don't have books handy though.

I've always interpreted them as not stacking, under the rules of 'It Would Be Stupid If They Did'.

Temp HP from different sources stack as of the Rules Compendium.

Edit:

Temporary hit points gained from multiple applications of the same effect don’t stack. Instead, the highest number of temporary hit points gained from that effect apply.

If temporary hit points are gained from multiple, different sources that stack, keep track of those sources and when they were gained separately. Any damage taken is first subtracted from the oldest effect that granted temporary hit points. When those are gone, subtract damage from the next oldest effect, and so on.

[mootoall]

Yeah, usually it'll tell you in the entry of whatever spell/ability it is. I'm away from books/an actually viable computer right now though, so I couldn't tell you about that specific case.

[Keld Denar]

There is a case for undead temp HP stacking, though. The Dream Vestage in Libris Mortis reproduces when it gains temp HP equal to its max HP, at which point it buds and splits into two. If temp HP didn't stack, it would never get above 5 temp HP and never reproduce.

That would indicate that each individual touch is a seperate source, and thus stacks. To use programming terms, each is a variable that is uniquely named by a timestamp or something. Incorp Touch @ 11:56:30 stacks with Incorp Touch @ 11:56:36 and Incorp Touch @ 11:57:06, for example.