Recovering from energy drain?!

[Shaele]

In our campaign last night, the party's wizard was drained two levels by a vampire. The party didn't have a cleric and incorrectly assumed that the effect would expire. At the end of the 24h period, the wizard failed both fort saves and permanently lost the levels.

This puts the party at a serious disadvantage: he was already relatively weak (from multiclassing for 3 levels as a cleric), so he's now effectively 5 levels lower than the rest of the group. A 3/4 cleric/wizard is underpowered in a party of 10th+ level characters.

Is there any legitimate way for a 10th level party to recover an experience loss from an energy drain after the 24 hour grace period? Any higher level spells or strategies they might use?

If not, any suggestions on how a poor DM might handle this? (delving into the realm of DM forums I know, but I'm panicking!)

--shaele

 

[hong]

Either restoration (cleric spell, 4th level) or greater restoration (7th level).

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Ask and ye shall receive, my child:

From the SRD:

Greater Restoration

Necromancy
Components: V, S, XP
Level: Clr 7
Casting Time: 10 minutes

As lesser restoration, except the spell dispels all negative energy levels afflicting the healed creature, restoring the creature to the highest level it had previously achieved. This reverses level drains by a force or creature. The drained levels are restored only if the time since the creature lost the level is no more than 1 week per caster level.

Greater restoration also dispels all magical effects penalizing the character’s abilities, cures all temporary ability damage, and restores all points permanently drained from all ability scores. It also removes all forms of insanity, confusion, and similar mental effects. Greater restoration does not restore levels or Constitution points lost due to death.

XP Cost: 500 XP.

Break out the piggy bank, get yourself to a cleric before the end of the time-limit (which, if this happened relatively recently, you should be well under,) and you're back in business. The only thing this spell won't restore is level-loss due to death.

 

[Shaele]

*slaps forehead*

I knew the time period had lapsed on the Restoration spell, but I didn't realize there was a Greater version!

Thanks for the timely assist, and can now face my group again =)

--shaele

 

[hong]

*slaps forehead*

I knew the time period had lapsed on the Restoration spell, but I didn't realize there was a Greater version!

Thanks for the timely assist, and can now face my group again =)

--shaele

?? The restoration spell has a grace period of one day per caster level. Levels that were lost in that time can still be restored, albeit one at a time.