Does enervation turn you into a wight?

[Stalker0]

Under the dmg destriction of level drains it says that someone killed by level drain is brought back as a wight... unless stated otherwise. Since enervation and energy drain don't say it doesn't... does it?

 

[Darklone]

Right

Love it.

 

[Arksorn]

Or, how about when you are 1st level and gain a negative level because you are good and you attempt to weild an unholy weapon? (or evil and attempt to weild a holy weapon, etc.)

 

[Darklone]

Or, how about when you are 1st level and gain a negative level because you are good and you attempt to weild an unholy weapon? (or evil and attempt to weild a holy weapon, etc.)

Interesting

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Under the dmg destriction of level drains it says that someone killed by level drain is brought back as a wight... unless stated otherwise. Since enervation and energy drain don't say it doesn't... does it?

But the spell does state otherwise:

If the subject has at least as many negative levels as HD, it dies

You die, plain and simple.

AR

 

[Particle_Man]

But the spell does state otherwise:



You die, plain and simple.

AR

Not so fast. Creatures ALWAYS die before becoming a Wight, so saying that a creature dies does not "say otherwise". So the creature will become a wight (that is why you should ALWAYS cut the heads off of/burn to a crisp/etc. creatures slain with enervation, to prevent such nastiness).

 

[MerakSpielman]

Hm.... look at how you turn into a Bodak, too...

 

[jgsugden]

I noticed this as well. By a strict reading of the rules, yes. Enervation can create wights.

You'd better be careful, however. If a PC can create undead with enervation at will, it makes the spell pretty useful in causing havoc.

A single wight can spawn hundreds of wights in a matter of minutes in a city of 1 HD NPCs. A wight can probably spawn another wight in 5 rounds or less in a populated area. This creates a pyramid with the number of wights doubling every 30 seconds. In five minutes, you can have over a thousand wights. In ten minutes, you could have over a million. Obviously, these numbers would be reduced because it would take longer for wights to find their targets, there would be some resistance, etc ... , but still, the numbers are staggering. A mid-level wizard that teleports into town, enervates a half dozen bums in different areas (the docks, the slums, etc ...) can teleport away and feel pretty secure in knowing that unless clerics can get to all of his starting points very quickly, he likely has destroyed that town.

 

[LazarusLong42]

jgsugden:

Ooooo... I like that idea. Nice plot hook.

 

[pawsplay]

I was looking this over. The DMG describes only Energy Drain attacks and negative levels, and the consequences thereof. The player's guide definies negative levels, of which energy drain are one possible source, and it specifies neither sudden death nor wights. Enervation itself specifies the possibility of sudden death.

So it appears there is no danger of accidental wight creation.