# Does Crippling Strike stack?



## Phlebas (Sep 15, 2007)

A Rog/Ftr/Shadowdancer TWF IMC has just looked up crippling strike from the rogues special ability and enquired about it as an option. As DM i didn't think it looked too unbalanced until i thought about what could happen in a full attack with flanking - even if only 3 out of the 4 attacks hit thats 6 strength damage which seems a fairly big penalty to the victim (admittedly they'd be more worried about looking like a pincushion having taken about 8d6+2d4 +12 points of damage but then the -3 seems to add insult to injury)

Ive read the description a few times and it doesn't say anything about not stacking, though it is a little ambiguous, so i thought i'd ask the question and see what other people think



> Crippling Strike (Ex): A rogue with this ability can sneak attack opponents with such precision that her blows weaken and hamper them. An opponent damaged by one of her sneak attacks also takes 2 points of Strength damage. Ability points lost to damage return on their own at the rate of 1 point per day for each damaged ability.


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## UltimaGabe (Sep 15, 2007)

It's Strength Damage, not a Strength Penalty, so it stacks.

Honestly, it's not as big of a deal as you might think- Sneak Attack is already quite limited in its use, and it's got its downsides. Sure, the opponent may be taking a -1 to all attack and damage rolls for each sneak attack he takes, but then again, how often do rogues hit strength-dependant enemies? And when a rogue is in a position to start full-attacking a melee opponent, how long does that opponent really stay around anyway?

So, in the end, it's nasty, but I doubt it'll turn the tide in many battles, if any. Most of the time you won't even need to record it.


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## Nifft (Sep 15, 2007)

Yup, it's ability damage, and it stacks.

It would be a totally useless ability if it didn't stack!

Cheers, -- N


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## Arkhandus (Sep 16, 2007)

Zombies make Baby Lidda cry.


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## Mark Chance (Sep 16, 2007)

UltimaGabe said:
			
		

> It's Strength Damage, not a Strength Penalty, so it stacks.




Yep, it does.



			
				UltimaGabe said:
			
		

> ...how often do rogues hit strength-dependant enemies? And when a rogue is in a position to start full-attacking a melee opponent...?




IME, quite often for the first question, and after about a half-dozen game sessions with my rogue/fighter/invisible blade, not even once. It will happen sooner or later, and when it does the dual-wielded kukris hold a potential 3d4+5 plus 9d6 points of damage, assuming all three attacks hit. After that, if the foes isn't down, it's time to tumble out of combat rather than become targeto numero uno.


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