Ability scores of 6 or less + Exhaustion

[Yogibear41]

If a creature has a strength or dexterity of 6 or less, and it becomes exhausted, does that effectively makes its str or dex 0 for the time period and thus completely preventing movement? Or does it simply reduce it to 1 for the time period? Looked through the PHB and can't find a specific ruling on the "penalty" imposed by being exhausted. I know things that apply a penalty generally can only reduce to a minimum of 1 such as ray of enfeeblement.


In the case of combining penalties with damage how is that resolved, say you hit a dragon with ray of exhaustion prior to using the dex damaging shivering touch spell on it, would its dex effectively be at 1(or higher) until you had dealt a total of 10 points of dex damage from shivering touch spells, or for an exhausted dragon with a base dex of 10, would 4 points of dex damage be enough to immobilize it?

[Zombimode]

I know things that apply a penalty generally can only reduce to a minimum of 1 such as ray of enfeeblement.

But those effects specifically say so. Since Fatigue and Exhaustion don't those penalties do not stop at 1. For the time you are under the effect of the penalty you effectively have the reduced ability score. If the penalty would reduce the ability to less then 1 then you the effects of having a score of less then 1 in this ability co



In the case of combining penalties with damage how is that resolved, say you hit a dragon with ray of exhaustion prior to using the dex damaging shivering touch spell on it, would its dex effectively be at 1(or higher) until you had dealt a total of 10 points of dex damage from shivering touch spells, or for an exhausted dragon with a base dex of 10, would 4 points of dex damage be enough to immobilize it?

Hit it first with the ray, then shivering touch. That way you can reduce Dex to less then 1.
If you do it the other way arround the ray can't reduce Dex less then 1.

The reason is that ability damage, drain and penalty are all on the same layer (there is nothing in the rules to indicate that they are on different layers). While the game tracks the amount for each stat reducing effect separately, they are all applied to the current score.