Ability score penalties

[questionmark693]

If I cast a spell (like ray of clumsiness or stupidity or whatever) that causes a target to have a penalty to an ability score, and then cast it again, do they stack?

[OldTrees1]

Effects from the same source tend to not stack. Wish's inherent bonuses are the exception, not the rule.

[questionmark693]

So this might sound stupid, but what then differentiates taking damage from the same sword multiple times?

[Bakkan]

The game makes a distinction between a penalty and damage.

A penalty is generally a temporary reduction in a certain quantity resulting from some effect with a set duration. Examples include Ray of Clumsiness and Bestow Curse. Penalties from the same source or of the same type typically do not stack.

Damage, on the other hand, is an instantaneous effect which "permanently" reduces some quantity such as hit points or an ability score. It doesn't have a duration and must be healed via various in-game means such as natural rest or a Restoration spell. Examples include the ability damage from poison and damage inflicted by weapons. Damage always stacks with itself outside of some corner case which I am not aware of but am sure exists somewhere.

In short: damage stacks, penalties of the same type don't.

[questionmark693]

Ok. So if I have a spell that's doing ability damage instead of giving a penalty to an ability, then it will stack with itself?

[RedMage125]

Ok. So if I have a spell that's doing ability damage instead of giving a penalty to an ability, then it will stack with itself?

With separate castings of it, yes. Much like a shadow's touch can eventually drain someone to 0 STR.

[questionmark693]

Awesome, thank you guys!

[TheCountAlucard]

A Poison spell used repeatedly can drop your score more than once because it's doing ability damage; ray of exhaustion won't drop your Strength twice because, while exhaustion gives you a -6, it's a specific penalty that won't stack with itself (so no becoming double-exhausted). However (and this is the scary part), it would stack with a Ray of Enfeeblement, though the Ray of Enfeeblement wouldn't stack with itself (though if you roll better, it would overwrite the prior one).

An Empowered Ray of Enfeeblement and a Ray of Exhaustion make a pretty potent one-two punch against anything with a remotely-human range of Strength; sure, they're not dead, but a quick dagger to the eye socket can see to that.