Damage effects are cumulative? (Staggered+Staggered=Uncons)

[spikevampire]

Hi all,

simple question. If I am already staggered and I miss a save again by 10, should I be unconscious?

thank U

[Murkglow]

Yes if you get staggered twice then you become Incapacitated. Note however that this is the exception, not the rule. Becoming Dazed twice does not make you Staggered and Afflictions do not "stack" on each other normally either (that's what the Cumulative extra does).

[spikevampire]

Affliction mislead me indeed!

Creating the extra cumulative let me think that should be something similar for the damage count.

BTW: if I miss a save by 15 (4 grade), do I take all the previous steps all togheter?
-1, staggered and incapactiated in 1 blow

I assume so,
Thank you as usual!

[Shadowchaser]

Affliction mislead me indeed!

Creating the extra cumulative let me think that should be something similar for the damage count.

BTW: if I miss a save by 15 (4 grade), do I take all the previous steps all togheter?
-1, staggered and incapactiated in 1 blow

I assume so,
Thank you as usual!

If you're using the DC Adventures Hero's Handbook, check out the rules for Conditions on page 19, under "Combined Conditions." Incapacitated makes you Defenseless (supersedes vulnerable), Stunned (Cannot take any actions), and Unaware (unable to make interaction or perception checks or perform any action based on them).

Since none of these conditions Supersedes "Staggered" or the -1 Toughness penalty, you still keep those conditions as well. Looking at the DCA HH on page 179, you'll also find the rules for Recovery, which shows that you must recover from being Incapacitated first, then Staggered, then Dazed, and finally you can start removing -1 penalties per minute.

I hope those reference points help you understand the damage a little better, I know it can seem a little confusing at first! If there's anything I didn't explain well, ask again and I'll do what I can to clarify.

edit-Also, -1 Toughness penalties *do* stack. So if you have suffered three -1 Toughness penalties, you have a total of -3 to your Toughness checks, and recovering all three would take 3 minutes (1 minute per -1 penalty) once you've healed all other damage.

Regeneration changes the order of recovery (when using the power, not from normal resting), allowing you to recover things during combat starting with the -1 penalties, then going *up* the ladder of severity at a rate determined by your ranks of Regeneration.

[Shock]

BTW: if I miss a save by 15 (4 grade), do I take all the previous steps all togheter?
-1, staggered and incapactiated in 1 blow

I think what you're asking is that if you fail your very first save by 15 or more, do you take the lower conditions as well. In which case the answer is No. If you go straight to Incapacitated, you don't get Staggered or any of the other conditions at the same time.

[Murkglow]

edit-Also, -1 Toughness penalties *do* stack. So if you have suffered three -1 Toughness penalties, you have a total of -3 to your Toughness checks, and recovering all three would take 3 minutes (1 minute per -1 penalty) once you've healed all other damage.

Just one minor correction/clarification (the book makes this unclear too): The -1 penalties for damage are not -1 to toughness checks they are -1 to future damage checks only. So if you had a -1 from damage then got hit with an affliction resisted by toughness you'd not take the -1 penalty on it. At the same time though, if you had a -1 penalty and got hit with a mental blast (a damage effect normally resisted by will) you'd take the -1 penalty on your check because it's a damage attack.