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The aid spell increases your current and maximum HP, but only for the duration of the spell.

However, the School of Necromancy wizard's 10th-level Inured to Undeath feature (PHB, p. 119) says:

your hit point maximum can't be reduced.

Does that mean a character with the Inured to Undeath feature can increase their maximum HP permanently by having aid cast on them, since the increase from aid can never fade away even after the spell stops being active?

If this is the case, could repeated applications of aid over multiple engagements ratchet their HP upward each time and increase their HP infinitely?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I have edited your question to make what you are asking clearer. If my changes are not in line with what you want, click edit and either revert my changes or make your own to bring it back in line. \$\endgroup\$ – Rubiksmoose♦ Jan 19 '18 at 16:05
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Rubiksmoose fantastic edit. I tuned the last paragraph a bit more to clarify the mechanism of these gains. \$\endgroup\$ – Harper - Reinstate Monica Jan 19 '18 at 18:27
  • \$\begingroup\$ What class/subclass is "inured to undeath" from? \$\endgroup\$ – inthemanual Jan 30 '18 at 0:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ @inthemanual It is Wizard with the Necromancer School. They get it at level 10. \$\endgroup\$ – RonV Jan 30 '18 at 15:00
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PHB, p. 205

The effects of different spells add together while the durations of those spells overlap. The effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine, however.

Instead, the most potent effect-such as the highest bonus-from those castings applies while their durations overlap. For example, if two clerics cast bless on the same target, that character gains the spell's benefit only once; he or she doesn't get to roll two bonus dice.

RAW does not say that spells cannot stack, but that the effects of the same spells cannot stack.

As such the argument can be made that, since the HP max was never reduced again, the effect of the aid spell never actually disappeared, thus making the character ineligible to be targeted again by the spell, unless it's with a higher spell level; RAW states that the target is affected by the more potent spell effect. Even then, they'd only get the higher max HP bonus, not both.

It might still be a permanent max HP increase, but one that cannot be repeated, so it may not be necessary to counter it.

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    \$\begingroup\$ As a side note, this type of ruling is usually helpful in dealing with players who find semi-broken combos like this. It rewards their creativeness and exploration of the rules, but it doesn't completely break the game. Everybody wins. \$\endgroup\$ – Alex N. Jan 18 '18 at 17:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ To clarify, if you applied two different spells that had the effect of raising your HP maximum, would you gain just the highest potency - or gain both, as they are not the same spell? \$\endgroup\$ – Bilkokuya Jan 19 '18 at 11:02
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Bilkokuya As far as I can see, if two different spells had the same effect, they'd still be the effects of two different spells and as such would combine under RAW. \$\endgroup\$ – Suthek Jan 19 '18 at 11:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ Worth noting that, since the other effects are suppressed not dispelled, you'll switch over to other castings as soon as each one is used up. So, while they don't technically stack, you can benefit from more than one boost at a time anyways, just not with permanent duration. \$\endgroup\$ – Please stop being evil Nov 23 '18 at 18:25
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    \$\begingroup\$ All my necromancers are going to ask clerics to aid them and make them a nice hero's feast from now on. \$\endgroup\$ – Q Paul Jul 19 '19 at 14:47
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"Inured to Undeath" is a protective feature, and although not explicitly stated, the implication should be that your Maximum HP cannot be reduced below its normal level. One could also interpret that the loss of Maximum HP from the end of Aid is not a reduction, but a loss of an addition.

In either case, the posited interpretation fails the common sense test. it is highly unlikely the designers intended to produce an infinite HP increase combo. So we must seek the most likely meaning from the written rule.

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    \$\begingroup\$ +1 for "not a reduction, but a loss of an addition," which is what I was trying to figure out how to word myself. I think this deserves expansion and focus in your answer \$\endgroup\$ – Bloodcinder Jan 20 '18 at 5:13
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Does that mean a character with inured to undeath can increase their maximum HP permanently? Yes

Inured to Undeath

Beginning at 10th level, you have resistance to necrotic damage, and your hit point maximum can't be reduced.

RAW, this seems to mean, once you have received a hit point maximum increase rom aid, that increase will stay even after the spell itself has stopped being active.

Could the character then stack multiple aid spells to increase their HP infinitely? No

According to the PHB:

The effects of different spells add together while the durations of those spells overlap. The effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine, however.

Note the emphasis on the effects of the spell and not the spell itself. The character is still benefiting from the effects of aid and thus cannot benefit a second time.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Hmm, the Feat Inspiring Leader looks like it would stack. Want to fold that in as an example, or do you think that's a separate question? \$\endgroup\$ – KorvinStarmast Nov 24 '18 at 20:56
  • \$\begingroup\$ @KorvinStarmast that might be a separate question there. The question seems to focus only on the aid spell and thus so does my answer, though I think your point is interesting it might not be the most relevant wrt the current Q&A. \$\endgroup\$ – Rubiksmoose♦ Nov 24 '18 at 21:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ OK, sometimes when we say "that won't stack" adding 'but this would stack' helps, but that' probably not necessary. \$\endgroup\$ – KorvinStarmast Nov 24 '18 at 21:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ @KorvinStarmast ah I see what you are saying. I'll think it over. \$\endgroup\$ – Rubiksmoose♦ Nov 24 '18 at 21:26
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Inured to Undeath

Beginning at 10th level, you have resistance to necrotic damage, and your hit point maximum can't be reduced. You have spent so much time dealing with undead and the forces that animate them that you have become inured to some of their worst effects.

While the sentences "resistance to necrotic damage" and "your hit point maximum can't be reduced" are distinct, the whole paragraph can be used to argue that your HP can't be reduced from Necrotic effects only. The second line confirms this by talking about your character being inured to the worst effects that undead have. If you take just the line "your hit point maximum can't be reduced" then even having your Constitution score reduced wouldn't reduce hit points.

And Aid is an abjuration spell so wouldn't fall under not losing HP to necrotic effects.

Thought this was a good answer, but see that really what I am saying is that the GM can rule otherwise, which is actually rule 0 so not saying anything. Though already posted the answer so will leave it.

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    \$\begingroup\$ "you have resistance to necrotic damage" and "your hit point maximum can't be reduced" are separate statements; they're even separated by a comma. Compare to Wild Shape: "You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form." Those two restrictions have been confirmed to be independent of each other by the designers. \$\endgroup\$ – Doval Jan 18 '18 at 16:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Doval - I was saying it could be interpreted that way, not that the sentences made it that way. I have edited to try and make that clear. \$\endgroup\$ – RonV Jan 18 '18 at 17:19
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Doval So you can't Wild Shape into a monkey and still cast somatic spells? \$\endgroup\$ – JAB Jan 18 '18 at 19:26
  • \$\begingroup\$ @JAB not until you get the 18th level druid ability. \$\endgroup\$ – rpgstar Nov 24 '18 at 5:29

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