Boosting saves to prevent permanent level drain?

[Legildur]

<sigh> even after 2 years of 3E my group is still struggling with 2E hangups. But that’s another story.

Our Cleric in Rappan Athuk got level drained by some Spectres and ‘gained’ 6 negative levels (from 8th to 3rd). Unfortunately, while adventuring further to gain 9th level before he had to make the saves the next day to prevent the negative levels becoming permanent, he triggered a Curse trap and gained a further –4 penalty to his saves.

Needless to say, his chances of making the 6 saves (with a –10 penalty) to regain the lost levels were slim. In the end, he failed 5 from 6, but the 5 lost levels cost him too many hit points and he died (we were out of healing). A True Resurrection (from a Rod) brought him back with no further penalty, except for the 5 lost levels of course.

My first question is, can you boost the Cleric’s saves, through Cloak of Resistance, spells, and other means, in order to give him the best chance for making the saves 24 hours after being struck? My DMs (2 groups) both say that you can only use enhancement items/spells that are in effect at the time of the drain. That is, no temporary (read short term) boosts.

How precise can a character be in estimating the elapsed 24 hours? For example, could a Barbarian rage at just the right time in order to boost Con and increase their Fort save?

What happens when the Cleric regains his 7th level (and access to 4th level spells)? Can he cast Restoration and regain levels 8 and 9? Or more?????

Thanks

[edit] Changed terminology from 'stack' to 'boost'. [/edit]

 

[Zhure]

If you had a rod of True Resurrection, why didn't you just kill him then raise him rather than face all those saves?



Greg

 

[Legildur]

Trust me, we thought about it, but the Good party (and particularly the Paladin) would not wear it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Wouldn't work anyway - either he'd be dead when the 24 hours elapsed, which Monte Cook was once quoted as saying means you automatically fail your saves - or he'd be True Resurrected with 6 negative levels, and still have to make his saves at the end of 24 hours.

They don't go away just 'cos you're dead.

-Hyp.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Trust me, we thought about it, but the Good party (and particularly the Paladin) would not wear it.

Honestly - what the hell does alignment have to do with the price of bread in this case?

 

[Hypersmurf]

How precise can a character be in estimating the elapsed 24 hours? For example, could a Barbarian rage at just the right time in order to boost Con and increase their Fort save?

Rappan Athuk - I'm not familiar with it, but were you underground?

You want to estimate 24 hours to within one minute or so, without even the sun to guess by?

Endurance, with a several-hour duration, no problem.

Rage, with a several-round duration? No way.

However... given that the attacks probably didn't all occur in the same round, I would let a Barbarian Rage after he made his save for the levels lost from the first attack, so that his Con would be higher for the saves for all the other attacks...

I'd also allow Cloaks of Resistance donned after the combat to assist the save 24 hours later. Same if someone gets poisoned... they cast Resistance a minute later to aid the secondary save, it should work.

-Hyp.

 

[Legildur]

Call us strange, but a Lawful Good Paladin executing (or allowing to be executed) a Lawful Good Cleric....... I don't think so.

Yes, Hypersmurf, Rappan Athuk is definitely underground (commercial module in 3 parts).

And I agree about allowing a Barbarian to rage AFTER the first save is made..... (yes levels were lost over 4 rounds).

 

[niteshade6]

Even if you were above ground, I don't think you'd be able to estimate the exact time of your save down to a period of 6 seconds. That's the sort of thing you'd need a digital watch for. I've also seen it ruled that you need to have the bonus for the entire 24 hour period, because presumably your body is fighting off the drain the entire time, not just in the last few seconds. That's a house rule of course, but very much in the flavor of the rules.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Even if you were above ground, I don't think you'd be able to estimate the exact time of your save down to a period of 6 seconds.

Oh, I agree... but underground just makes it more obviously ludicrous

-Hyp.

 

[hong]

Call us strange, but a Lawful Good Paladin executing (or allowing to be executed) a Lawful Good Cleric....... I don't think so.

Remember that scene near the end of _The Abyss_, where Mary Elizabeth Monstrouslylongname drowns herself, and then Michael Biehn revives her? Same idea.