Unpopular opinions go here

[Nikosandros]

The Italians don't know everything about pizza. Yes, they make excellent pizza, but that doesn't mean that only the pizza toppings that Italians developed are worthy of consideration or acclaim. There is a reason why a Finnish pizza maker won a pizza contest by putting reindeer on his pizza, and there is a reason why ham and pineapple have become a popular pizza topping in Canada, US, and the rest of Europe.

I've never tried reindeer on anything and I personally dislike pineapple on pizza, but I actually agree with you on the general point. If people could not steal and repurpose culinary stuff, we would be all probably still eating just berries...

 

[Willie the Duck]

I went a different direction. Level draining could be healed over time - IIRC, it was about a week/level of rest. And then I gave undead a claw/claw/bite routine instead of the standard 1 attack that most undead had. You very much could die from level draining undead, but, if you survived, it wasn't going to completely derail the campaign because now Dave's character lost three levels.

I think that's it. Level Drain is reasonable in a game where Dave's character losing three levels is an unfortunate setback for Dave and their character, but immaterial to the ongoing structure of play* (for the party, players, and DM). The closer you get to West Marches, hex-crawl, and large party** (players and/or hench/hire), the more it works. As you drift towards modules (with specified level ranges) or party-cultivated adventures; or of course AD&D/later BECMI/WotC-era character creation where changing levels changes a lot of features that must be adjusted or tracked; then level drain goes from setback for Dave to punishment for everyone.
*And beneficial to the game as a whole in that these setback structures (level drain plus things like item saving throws, rust monsters, etc.) can keep the party in the sweet spot-- where the game works best-- longer.
**such that Dave showing up with a fighter-3 instead of fighter-6 doesn't wildly change the party's challenge-coping ability

 

[Gradine]

As a lifelong Californian I have no horse in this race, but...

Chicago Style Pizza > New York Style Pizza

 

[Lanefan]

Your HP changed, your saves changed, your number of attacks might change. You lost access to spells, and some lost potency. Your proficiency with skills changed.

Saves are on a DM-side chart anyway, no need for a player to track those. The rest is fairly trivial, and other than Thieves there were no skills in 1e.

If your PC had level-based racial abilities, or use of your magic items had different level-based limitations, you had to account for that. You might lose control of creatures under your command. You might become less effective at using Turn Undead.

Turning undead is again a DM-side table. Losing control of commanded creatures would IMO be a very rare situation.

Level-based racial abilities? That's a new one on me.

The math got trickier if you played something like a F/MU/Th.

Again, though, if the classes are advancing independently (which they are) and you lose a level, that level only comes from one of those classes; and if you lose a MU level sure it affects your casting but doesn't touch your Thieving, etc.

 

[TarionzCousin]

As a lifelong Californian I have no horse in this race, but...

Chicago Style Pizza > New York Style Pizza

I lived in Manhattan for several years. New York pizza is extra greasy, cheap, and spineless.

The Chicago-style pizza in my hometown (Portland, Oregon, USA) is not deep dish--and it's great.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

I lived in Manhattan for several years. New York pizza is extra greasy, cheap, and spineless.

The Chicago-style pizza in my hometown (Portland, Oregon, USA) is not deep dish--and it's great.

I thought deep dish is the defining trait of Chicago style pizza. If it's not, what is?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I thought deep dish is the defining trait of Chicago style pizza. If it's not, what is?

It complains constantly about how it's overlooked in favor of New York and Los Angeles style pizzas.

 

[deganawida]

It complains constantly about how it's overlooked in favor of New York and Los Angeles style pizzas.

America’s Second Pizza?

 

[Gradine]

I thought deep dish is the defining trait of Chicago style pizza. If it's not, what is?

Yeah, if it's not deep dish it's not Chicago.

Just like if it's not a gigantic floppy greasy piece of trash it's not New York

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah, if it's not deep dish it's not Chicago.

Just like if it's not a gigantic floppy greasy piece of trash it's not New York