I brought this up last game and people seemed to be puzzled at the idea.
I recall that, in 3.5, the text pointed out that a person could cast the same spell twice -- such as Owl's Wisdom -- and that while the spell's effects wouldn't stack, both effects would be remain active. The point of this would be, if a spell were Dispelled, then a second Owl's Wisdom would remain in place and the character would continue benefiting from it.
I tried looking it up in Pathfinder and didn't find much to it. I'm wondering if this is no longer the case, especially since Dispel Magic doesn't target all the spells affecting a target anymore.
I also suppose that it would cause problems, such as -- what if a creature has At Will spells, and overlaps each spell like Invisibility five times? Or Dominate Person?
I also suppose that it would cause problems, such as -- what if a creature has At Will spells, and overlaps each spell like Invisibility five times? Or Dominate Person?
That seems fine, although I think if the effect is broken, it would be broken for all copies of the spell.
That is, if you attack while invisible, all invisibility spells are done.
Likewise, if you succeed on your check vs. Dominate Person, you'd succeed on all checks vs. Dominate Person.
Stacking would help to extend durations, and protect vs. Dispel, but otherwise doesn't help much.
I agree that Invisibilities would all break if the creature attacked. It would be the worst for creatures with Greater Invisibility, because it all but destroys Dispel Magic from being that effective. When you have to spend five combat rounds minimum against an intelligent foe, each attempt at a 50% chance of success ...
Hopefully you have Invis Purge or Glitterdust.
I agree that Invisibilities would all break if the creature attacked. It would be the worst for creatures with Greater Invisibility, because it all but destroys Dispel Magic from being that effective. When you have to spend five combat rounds minimum against an intelligent foe, each attempt at a 50% chance of success ...
Hopefully you have Invis Purge or Glitterdust.
Greater Invis has a duration in rounds though. So if someone spent 5 rounds buffing with GI and still had a lot of duration left, they probably could have used 4 of those five rounds to apply better buffs instead and just reapply GI if it is dispelled.
Excellent point. I haven't run a character with Greater Invisibility yet, so I was working off of a minute/CL understanding of the effect.
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I recall that, in 3.5, the text pointed out that a person could cast the same spell twice -- such as Owl's Wisdom -- and that while the spell's effects wouldn't stack, both effects would be remain active. The point of this would be, if a spell were Dispelled, then a second Owl's Wisdom would remain in place and the character would continue benefiting from it.
....
I also suppose that it would cause problems, such as -- what if a creature has At Will spells, and overlaps each spell like Invisibility five times? Or Dominate Person?
Stacking Effects
Spells that provide bonuses or penalties on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and other attributes usually do not stack with themselves. More generally, two bonuses of the same type don't stack even if they come from different spells (or from effects other than spells; see Bonus Types, above).Different Bonus Types
The bonuses or penalties from two different spells stack if the modifiers are of different types. A bonus that doesn't have a type stacks with any bonus.
Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths
In cases when two or more identical spells are operating in the same area or on the same target, but at different strengths, only the one with the highest strength applies.
Same Effect with Differing Results
The same spell can sometimes produce varying effects if applied to the same recipient more than once. Usually the last spell in the series trumps the others. None of the previous spells are actually removed or dispelled, but their effects become irrelevant while the final spell in the series lasts.
One Effect Makes Another Irrelevant
Sometimes, one spell can render a later spell irrelevant. Both spells are still active, but one has rendered the other useless in some fashion.
Multiple Mental Control Effects
Sometimes magical effects that establish mental control render each other irrelevant, such as spells that remove the subject's ability to act. Mental controls that don't remove the recipient's ability to act usually do not interfere with each other. If a creature is under the mental control of two or more creatures, it tends to obey each to the best of its ability, and to the extent of the control each effect allows. If the controlled creature receives conflicting orders simultaneously, the competing controllers must make opposed Charisma checks to determine which one the creature obeys.
Spells with Opposite Effects
Spells with opposite effects apply normally, with all bonuses, penalties, or changes accruing in the order that they apply. Some spells negate or counter each other. This is a special effect that is noted in a spell's description.
Hope that helps.