Does Positive Energy Aura (ability or spell) stack?

[killem2]

I'm a spellgifted, focused speciliast conjurer. Healing is a bit light at the moment, and eventually, I would like to use my left over slots for the day (if any) to summon Vivacious creatures to heal the part up a little to get use out of them.

Does the Positive Energy Aura of a Vivacious creature stack for someone if they standing within two or more Positive Energy Auras?

Should I need combat healing:
I want to be able to use those Viviacious monkey (tiny ones), on a slot that gives me like the 1d4+1 or 1d3 ect, and place them around people in their square.

I have not been able to find anything that states that this cannot stack. If I am surrounded by 5 of these I would restore 5 hit points a round.

My DM and I are in agreeance that this is NOT fast healing as if it was, it would be called FAST HEALING or the wording would say, grants fast healing.

For Reference:

Positive Energy Aura (Su): Any living creature within 10 feet of a vivacious creature gains 1 hit point per round due to the aura of positive energy surrounding it. Creatures that exceed their full normal hit points from this effect need to make Fortitude saves as if in a positive-dominant environment. Creatures with immunity to positive energy effects, as well as other vivacious creatures, are not affected by this aura. If conscious, a vivacious creature can suppress this aura as a standard action, but the creature takes 1 point of Strength damage for each full minute that the aura is inactive. The aura always functions while the creature is unconscious.

[killem2]

I started taking a very shotgun-like approach to this. I asked on other boards.



Quote Originally Posted by medivh from RPG.net
Yes, I'd expect the auras to stack and grant 2 HP per round. It's pretty firmly established in 3E that More Positive Energy = More Healing.


It's up to your DM, of course. But, my blanket ruling would be that bonuses of the same name don't stack, unless otherwise stated.
"Different named bonus types all stack, but usually a named bonus does not stack with another bonus of the same name, except for dodge bonuses and some circumstance bonuses." 3.5 DMG p. 21

However, this is not a bonus, but at Su ability. So, it seems to me you could get extra hit-points.

But, starting a battle like that seems rather risky because of the Fortitude save vs explosion every round if you're at double full. However, I am guessing the ones you plan on using can turn that off at will, unless someone fireballs them and they fall unconscious. I usually just kill familiars that get troublesome, but I'm guessing you're planning on using a summoning spell of some kind.

Yet, it's up to your DM, of course.


C'mon playground, I know you guy have tackled harder than this before! :D

[Khatoblepas]

It doesn't stack any more than casting Cure Light Wounds twice on someone stacks.

Which is to say, more vivacious animals = more healing.


...Positive Energy Aura (Su): Any living creature within 10 feet of a vivacious creature gains 1 hit point per round....

The math goes like this:
1) Are there any living creatures within 10ft of me? If YES, goto 2
2) Those creatures gain 1 hit point.

They do not gain any ability that could stack, or overlap, they simply gain a hit point. This ticks off of all Vivacious creatures seperately. Is there a living creature? They gain 1 hit point. Watch out for exploding your party members.

[killem2]

It doesn't stack any more than casting Cure Light Wounds twice on someone stacks.

Which is to say, more vivacious animals = more healing.



The math goes like this:
1) Are there any living creatures within 10ft of me? If YES, goto 2
2) Those creatures gain 1 hit point.

They do not gain any ability that could stack, or overlap, they simply gain a hit point. This ticks off of all Vivacious creatures seperately. Is there a living creature? They gain 1 hit point. Watch out for exploding your party members.

You aren't convincing me :) I agree with ya, but my DM is who I need to show this stuff too.

[ArcturusV]

Well, I'm in the 1 HP/round regardless of number category. It comes down to that bolded phrase Khatoblepas mentioned.

The ability is worded "Any living creature is within 10 feet of a vivacious creature gets 1 HP per round".

Now if it was phrased a little differently I might agree with stacking them. Like if it used "... gets 1 HP per round for each vivacious creature".

[Alienist]

I would say the auras don't stack. It is a general principle that you don't benefit from the same thing multiple times.

E.g. it doesn't matter how many times you cast desecrate, your undead that you create in the desecrated area aren't going to get +1000 hit points per hit dice.

On the other hand I'd probably let it stack with a dragon shaman's healing aura, or the various cleric feats/spells for limited amounts of unlimited healing* and fast healing respectively.

*Yes, I know.

But I'm curious why you think you can summon these things? Planar Handbook says that you have to discuss it with the DM, and the DM chooses which monster/animal gets taken off the list when you add the Vivacious critter on.

So, since you have to talk to your DM anyway, why haven't you talked about it with them?

[killem2]

I would say the auras don't stack. It is a general principle that you don't benefit from the same thing multiple times.

E.g. it doesn't matter how many times you cast desecrate, your undead that you create in the desecrated area aren't going to get +1000 hit points per hit dice.

In the cases of bonuses you mean? That is about the only thing I see that has a universal principle attached to it, it also has articles and rules to support it. This doesn't.

General principle is not a rule (though message boards aren't either :smallbiggrin:), when I DM, I don't restrict on theoreticals. If there isn't a rule stopping something, then I tend to let it go through assuming there was at least a base rule to begin with. (99% of the time, if it comes down to logic then sometimes we have to do that)

My DM and I try to not spend a lot of time reading into the words of WOTC because it can drive you bat ****! :smallsigh:



On the other hand I'd probably let it stack with a dragon shaman's healing aura, or the various cleric feats/spells for limited amounts of unlimited healing* and fast healing respectively.

*Yes, I know.

But I'm curious why you think you can summon these things? Planar Handbook says that you have to discuss it with the DM, and the DM chooses which monster/animal gets taken off the list when you add the Vivacious critter on.

So, since you have to talk to your DM anyway, why haven't you talked about it with them?

I have, he isn't entirely sure on if it does or doesn't stack, which is why I'm asking everyone because he'd like to hear more on it. At first we were looking at fast healing for guidance but this isn't fast healing. :smallconfused:

Summoning them isn't the issue, he's very open to that, but clarity of rules is important.


Well, I'm in the 1 HP/round regardless of number category. It comes down to that bolded phrase Khatoblepas mentioned.

The ability is worded "Any living creature is within 10 feet of a vivacious creature gets 1 HP per round".

Now if it was phrased a little differently I might agree with stacking them. Like if it used "... gets 1 HP per round for each vivacious creature".


My only qualm about this, is that it assumes we're always dealing with multiple creatures. This is meerly a template, for one creature for 1 statblock. How often are there creatures that refer to multiples in any of the books?


Why doesn't Vcreature A get his ability to work just because there is a Vcreature B and C near by as well?

I'm very big on, if wotc didn't want you to do it, they would give you something telling you (other than rule 0 stuff) it doesn't stack, heck even the cleric spell doesn't mention stacking/not stacking.


The thing I refer to most are things such as:

Damage Reduction and Spell Resistance, these both do not stack, but it is because the RAW says they don't stack.

Also, by this rationale, standing in 30 overlapping wall of fires would only hurt you for ONE not the other 29.



A771

Yes. The ability only checks whether you are standing with the aura of the creature with the ability, then gives you the 1 hit point or forces you to make a fortitude save.

The Simple Q&A Got and Answer as well.





1. Look at the spcific ability in question and does it tell you any special rules about it?

2. Look at what it is, (in this case it is a Super Natural Ability) is there a blanket rule about Super Natural Abilities?

3. Look to see if there is a term in the entire lexicon of the D&D, (Stacking), does it reference anything in step 1 and 2?

4. Determine rule 0. Is it going to be back breaking busted to your game if you allow it, if so, rule against the positive otherwise, let it be.