Spells: Dot Stacking - not a bug

[mwatt]

Originally Posted by moklianne [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

About dot stacking from different casters of the same class (as much as I hate to post it):

from here:
http://everquest.allakhazam.com/hist...es-2002-2.html

Damage Over Time (DoT) spells are spells that linger on the target
doing damage. Until today two different characters could not have the
same DoT spell on the same target. As long as one copy of the spell was
active any new version of the spell would not take hold. After today
the same DoT spell cast by different casters can affect the same target
at the same time. Also, if you cast a DoT spell on a target and you
already have that spell active on it, the spell will refresh. (Note: It
will not be possible to stack Lifeburn).

This does not allow for inferior spells to stack along with superior
spells. (Example: Two Necromancers can both land Boil Blood on the same
target. However, Heat Blood, being an inferior spell, will still not
stack.)

Several DoT spells that have debuff components such as Tuyen's Chant of
Frost and Breath of Ro will not stack due to the balance issues of
having several hundred points of Resistance debuffs on a single NPC.

I can see why the above quote from the 2002 patch notes, about "being an inferior spell, will still not stack" could easily be interpreted how it is being interpreted. But I believe that the CONTEXT of what is being discussed is two different players landing dots. I believe what this poorly written patch note is talking about is only intended to mean that for two different players, an inferior spell will still not stack.

I have found at least one reference from 2002 in a forum that clearly states that all druid "bug" dots stack. Here is an exceprt from that quote "And the best part about this is that it's one of the druid bug dots (which all stack by the way) and it takes just about immunity from magic to resist a bug dot.". See bushsetter's post at: http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?item=3571

If you look at the same series of patch notes that was quoted here, from 1999 through 2003, you will see no mention of changing things so that Druid spells of the same line will now stack. From this one can infer that which I believe to be true: For a single druid player inferior and superior dots in the same line will stack and always did. I have not such found a quote for Necros, but it is the same I believe. I did see a reference to a Necro dot stacking chart from 2003 but you have/had to be a paid member of Zam to actually look at the chart.

In addition to the 2003 quote about Druid dots, I have found several references from more recent years that state all dots in the same line will stack, for both Necros and Druids.