Does Melf's Acid Arrow stack when cast from two mages onto one target?

georgelappies

Hi all
 
If Neera and Edwin both cast Melf’s Acid Arrow onto one target, will the following happen if we assume that Edwin’s arrow hit half a second before Neera’s and both of them are level 4, and per the spell description then
 
Target gets 2D4 damage from Edwin – initial hit.
Target gets 2D4 damage from Neera – Initial hit.
Target gets 2D4 damage from Edwin – One round later. --- for lvl 2
Target gets 2D4 damage from Neera – One round later. --- for lvl 2
Target gets 2D4 damage from Edwin – One round later. --- for lvl 3
Target gets 2D4 damage from Neera – One round later. --- for lvl 3
Target gets 2D4 damage from Edwin – One round later. --- for lvl 4
Target gets 2D4 damage from Neera – One round later. --- for lvl 4
 
Thus the target will get 16D4 damage in total and should look like it has hiccups if it has enough HP to withstand this. But it doesn’t seem to trigger nearly as often as described in the description…

Aasimar069

That's an interesting question ; I have also always been wondering if the damage would stack.

ZanathKariashi

No. It did in the initial build of BG1, but was removed in a patch for being stupidly OP, and now you can only have 1 version of the effect on the same enemy at a time.

DreadKhan

Poisons also?

CamDawg

Melf's Acid Arrow stacks.

Bercon

Yeah I believe it stacks in every situation. You can put two in sequencer and they stack when they hit.

Kaltzor

I've seen it stack.

In fact, this is one of the best ways to deal with the Fire Giant at the end of the Black Pits... Just stack as many acid arrows as you can on it, then run around as it melts to death.

SCARY_WIZARD

It stacks, and stacked, it is glorious. If you're like me, and you like to have several mages, this + spell sequencers is fun, fun, fun. ...the reason I say "several mages" is because one is never enough for me.

Schneidend

I'm always iffy about having multiple mages, but I'm still tempted when it comes to things like Acid Arrow and Magic Missile in Sequencers. Delicious.

georgelappies

Great, it is good to know that it stacks then

But I checked again now on the frequency and amount of procs and something defiently seems off.

I don't think the spell"s second ability to trigger every round triggers the corect amount of times as per the spell description. I saved the game and let Neera cast one on Kagain. She is level 4 and as such should have the initial damage as well as 4 after triggers (one for each level). However I am definitely not seeing 4 secondary triggers...

lunar

georgelappies said:

Great, it is good to know that it stacks then

But I checked again now on the frequency and amount of procs and something defiently seems off.

I don't think the spell"s second ability to trigger every round triggers the corect amount of times as per the spell description. I saved the game and let Neera cast one on Kagain. She is level 4 and as such should have the initial damage as well as 4 after triggers (one for each level). However I am definitely not seeing 4 secondary triggers...

Err does it trigger for every level? I thought it was 1 additional hit for every 3 lvls. If a lvl 3 spell caster hits someone, the victim takes 2d4 initial damage and another 2d4 extra damage next round. 6th lvl caster will cause two extra ticks, 2d4 at contact, 2d4 a round later, 2d4 a round later. A 18th lvl caster will cause 6 additional ticks over 6 rounds, doing 14d4 acid damage total with no save. And they should stack, a lvl 18 mage who fills a victim with acid arrows will do horrible damage in 6 rounds:the victim will melt and die.

georgelappies

Well acording to the description when you click on the spell it says once per level, however it would correlate with what I am seeing if it is once per 3 levels instead. But then the description in game is incorrect...

Wowo

georgelappies said:

Well acording to the description when you click on the spell it says once per level, however it would correlate with what I am seeing if it is once per 3 levels instead. But then the description in game is incorrect...

Spell description says 1 extra round per 3 levels for me and goes on to give examples of:
3-5th: 2 rounds
6-8th: 3 rounds
and so on

DreadKhan

You know you could just cast a skull trap to nuke several enemies? I don't mind sequencing magic missiles or acid arrows, but its odd that they are better than the brute force of a skull trap.

Malicron

DreadKhan said:

You know you could just cast a skull trap to nuke several enemies? I don't mind sequencing magic missiles or acid arrows, but its odd that they are better than the brute force of a skull trap.

The problem there being that you nuke innocent bystanders and your melee line as well. Same reason I'll spam Horrid Wilting in BG2 but still hold back on things like Incendiary Cloud.

DJKajuru

I remember cowled wizards casting multiple acid arrows at us. That was really annoying!

Noon

georgelappies said:

I don't think the spell"s second ability to trigger every round triggers the correct amount of times as per the spell description. I saved the game and let Neera cast one on Kagain. She is level 4 and as such should have the initial damage as well as 4 after triggers (one for each level). However I am definitely not seeing 4 secondary triggers...

Neera isn't a good example anyway, as she is a wild mage, her caster level varies.