A proposal for an alternate form of level draining

[Jhaelen]

Too powerful an ability, would require way too much bookkeeping to run, and raises too many weird questions about such undead and their effect on the campaign world (like what happens when a single wraith enters a village and emerges with a few hundred levels and a few hundred subordinate wraiths).

In short, that would be remarkably poor design.

QFT.
The bolded part is my main objection, the rest just adds insult to injury.

In other ways: Not a good idea.

 

[WhatGravitas]

QFT.
The bolded part is my main objection, the rest just adds insult to injury.

In other ways: Not a good idea.

However, the concept is nice - if something inflicts negative levels, it should gain an equal amount of 'positive levels' - each positive level gives +5 hp, +1 on all d20 rolls. These positive level fade, when the recipient of the negative level gets rid of it (either by making the save or getting a restoration). If *really* lose the level, then the undead gets your level (this way, you put the bookkeeping far away enough to do it out of game).

Cheers, LT.

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

QFT.
The bolded part is my main objection, the rest just adds insult to injury.

In other ways: Not a good idea.

This is really a sad commentary on 3rd Edition. I sincerely hope that 4th Edition cuts the bookkeeping back to 2nd edition amount. IMHO I think that anytime we have to tell a DM 'dont do that as it causes too much bookeeping' D&D loses a piece of its soul.

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

HELL NO!! NO MORE LEVEL DRAIN!!

It is the most ridiculously broken, unfun game mechanic ever designed. It should die, then have its throat cut and be buried face down just to make sure its dead.

The single BEST thing I have heard about 4e is that level drain is gone. Good riddance.

I can buy the argument that level drain in 3e is a royal pain in the butt for the same reason that buffs are a pain in the butt — too much bookkeeping or rather it takes a computer to manage character sheets now. But as for the rest of your argument…. I must respectively disagree wholeheartedly.

 

[Quartz]

Level drain is simply not fun. Make it stat drain or damage.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

To simplify bookkeeping, make the level drain and transfer into a worst-case scenario for the PCs, as follows ...

For every level the wraith drains, it permanently gains:

+1 BAB (gains extra attacks at +5, +10, +15, and +20.)
+1 Fort Save, +1 Will Save, +1 Reflex Save
+12 hit points (plus any Con bonus of the character drained)
1 Feat of the DM's choice (typically something devastating)
Any ability lost by the PC, such as a lost Feat, lost special power, lost ability of a PrC, and so on (if the PC is a Feat Master, this could be a real problem for the party ...)

However, if a Restoration is cast upon the drained character, the wraith loses the level gained, and all benefits disappear.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

There should not be any such thing as a McWraith. Wraiths should be unique, and should be what they are and where they are for a good reason.

A wraith (in my setting) is bound to a particular area, or a particular manifestation which appears and disappears in regular fashion. The wraith is bound by the curse that brought it back to unlife, and this curse binds it to the area in question.
A wraith *can* be loosed by a powerful evil cleric, wizard, psionicist, fiend, or greater undead, although it takes great power to do this and the limits can only be expanded, not fully removed. The wraith views as sacriligeous this alteration, and utterly hates the one manipulating it.

A protection from evil spell will keep out a wraith, preventing it from touching those within. A paladin's aura of protection from evil is also effective. A wraith cannot enter a holy or consecrated area. It is held at bay by many clerical, wizardly, and psionic enchantments.
Sunlight is anathema to a wraith, and it cannot endure it. It cannot even endure a darkened room with a cracked door admitting light from a cloudy, gloomy day. Any spell that creates truly bright light, even a mere continual light spell, will force the wraith back and prevent it from attacking those within that light.
True sunlight strips a wraith of all it's level draining powers, and renders it otherwise helpless as well (no attacks, no defense, slow movement only, considered Dazed.) Spells that duplicate true sunlight also strip the wraith of it's level draining powers while they last. Spells that produce merely bright light do not have this debilitating effect.
Wraiths can be turned or blasted out of existence by good and even neutral clerics and some druids. They can be imprisoned within magic circles or protection from evil spells.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

An interesting idea, altho I too don't particularly like the book keeping involved.

I would prefer a set group of abliities the wraith can gain as it levels, perhaps based on what it drains.. perhaps not.

Spawning *costs* levels, so your typical wraith will still be in the expected CR ranges.

To make it easier, perhaps 'bands' of abilities:

Base, as RAW
Invested, earned after draining 4 levels.
- gains +1 BAB, +15 hit points, +1 feat
Enhanced, earned after draining 8 levels.
- As Invested {stacks} and +1 Fast Healing
Empowered, earned after draining 12 levels.
- etc...

The Wraith loses a band of power per week, meaning sometimes its best to retreat and return some time later.

{the above are off the cuff numbers typed in at 11:34...}

 

[Kmart Kommando]

Iron Heroes has a good way of dealing with level drain. Negative levels are purged one per day naturally. Unless you take more negative levels than actual levels, in which case you die. No need to recalculate which was your last level, and which skill points were your last, just keep track or how many negative levels you have and take one off every day until you're better.

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

Iron Heroes has a good way of dealing with level drain. Negative levels are purged one per day naturally. Unless you take more negative levels than actual levels, in which case you die. No need to recalculate which was your last level, and which skill points were your last, just keep track or how many negative levels you have and take one off every day until you're better.

Sounds good to me.

I also have a house rule than when the life-drainer is killed, all levels stolen are restored to the victims. THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!!!