I'm not quite sure if this is a bug or an intended feature, but when you repeatedly cast Nerve Staple on a single mob, the mob will get stacking Nerve Staple debuffs. At the same time, repeated Nerve Staples will be reduced in damage. Now, the spell description says: "Deals crippling existential damage to one being. Indiscrete use of this spell may provoke economic sanctions." So I'm not sure if this describes the decreasing damage of Nerve Staple, or just happened to be worded so.
I believe that is the intended behavior. The spell does the damage, a few stats debuffs, but also does 20 resist existential So subsequent casting will stack this 20 resistance thus causing the total damage to decrease.
I think the "economic sanctions" thing is just a joke, but I've had the same problem. It's probably a bug.
It's an obscure reference to "Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri." Both the spell itself and the description.
I think I recall actually HEALING a Djinn with repeated Nerve Stapling casts once. The stun kept working, though.
Yes, like in Alpha Centauri the effects of repeated nerve staplings is meant to be reduced. It's intended to be a spell that's relatively useful but which you can only use on an individual enemy once to great effect. The economic sanctions part was something that I don't think ever actually got implemented. I mean... That's The Joke. Yesss, carry on.
@clocknova Oh, no! Not Global warming! The ice caps will melt! Wait, no, that's Civilization 2. My bad. Still though, beats Al Gore's take.
@clocknova Sorry. It was a joke. Besides, you'll be fine, it's never going to be as bad as they say it is. It's all hype. Anyhow, not the right forum for this discussion.