A question on Fear effects

[Doughnut Master]

If two effects which produce a Shaken state are used simultaneously, do those effects stack or do you actually have to wait through each stage of fear one at a time?

[Yora]

It depends. Fear is a special case in that it effectively has three levels of severity: shaken, frightened, and panicked.
If you're affected by a doom spell and become shaken, another doom spell does not make you frightened, because it's the same source, the doom spell. But in other situations, fear effects usually stack. When you have enemies that are under the effect of the scare spell and frightened, and you cast doom on one, he will be panicked for as long as both spells are active. When one spell ends but the other still is in place, the fear is reduced to frightned or shaken until the other spell ends as well.

[Doughnut Master]

What about if you also had the feat Dreadful Wrath feat. Would that stack with casting Doom on a target?

[Person_Man]

What about if you also had the feat Dreadful Wrath feat. Would that stack with casting Doom on a target?

Yes. Fear effects always stack unless they're from the same source, unless otherwise specified in the description of the source.

On a metagame note, it's quite easy to stack 2 or more Fear effects with a minimal investment. There's half a dozen feats, a dozen magic items, and probably two or three dozen spells and class abilities which inflict Fear in some form or another. And theoretically, doing so is very powerful against many types of enemies. But you may wish to avoid having an "always on" Fear effect like Dreadful Wrath. It's an annoying logistical hassle for the DM to roll Saves for every enemy in every combat, and having large groups of enemies run away constantly mean that your DM will compensate by using larger groups of enemies, and/or enemies with immunity, and/or enemies with high Will Saves. Instead, I suggest I suggest Fear sources that you only activate when you really need them. Spells, psionics, the Demoralize ability under Intimidate, etc.

[FMArthur]

Yes. Fear effects always stack unless they're from the same source, unless otherwise specified in the description of the source.

On a metagame note, it's quite easy to stack 2 or more Fear effects with a minimal investment. There's half a dozen feats, a dozen magic items, and probably two or three dozen spells and class abilities which inflict Fear in some form or another. And theoretically, doing so is very powerful against many types of enemies. But you may wish to avoid having an "always on" Fear effect like Dreadful Wrath. It's an annoying logistical hassle for the DM to roll Saves for every enemy in every combat, and having large groups of enemies run away constantly mean that your DM will compensate by using larger groups of enemies, and/or enemies with immunity, and/or enemies with high Will Saves. Instead, I suggest I suggest Fear sources that you only activate when you really need them. Spells, psionics, the Demoralize ability under Intimidate, etc.

Having every enemy running away from you as fast as they can needlessly draws out combat as well, and if they run in different directions a lot of them will escape where they might not have, which can be disadvantageous in many ways.

[Doughnut Master]

I'm actually working on this for an NPC. Death Knight.

Speaking of which, I was also wondering about the symbol spells. I was considering having one inscribed on the npc's forehead, but covered by a hood. So if the PC's ever try to see the face, or he takes off his hood intentionally, the symbol activates. Is that possible?

[gorfnab]

For more information about using Fear effects take a look at the Fear Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3809.0)