energy drain

[juliaromero]

Are the initial negative levels from being hit by a vampire automatic, or do you get a saving throw against them as well? I know you get a save after 24 hours to turn them into real level loss, I was wondering about the immediate ones.

Are these negative levels also fatal if they equal or excede your total level, or only the real level loss the next day?

 

[Piratecat]

Nope, no immediate save; and they're fatal if they exceed your immediate level. Real level loss the next day is merely a nice side effect.

 

[juliaromero]

Thanks.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Real level loss the next day is merely a nice side effect.

Especially since you have 24 hours to boost your saves by any means possible, so that making those saves is almost assured.

AR

 

[juliaromero]

It actually seems a bit unbalanced to me ... the saves the next day seem like most of the time they will be trivial (with exceptions of course) since like you said you can either boost them or have access to restoration given time. On the other hand those immediate loses can get pretty scary really fast ... like with a nasty high level Monk Vampire for example. His hit point damage is irrelevant ... the level drain adds up fast with mulitple attacks if they hit.

That reminds me of a related question ... how does energy drain work exactly with slam attacks? Does the attack have to do damage? Two examples ... one, can a vampire make a touch attack to just energy drain? And what happens if it hits but it's damage doesn't get through the person's DR?

 

[ciaran00]

like with a nasty high level Monk Vampire for example. His hit point damage is irrelevant ... the level drain adds up fast with mulitple attacks if they hit.

Read the ability. 1/round no matter how many attacks.

That reminds me of a related question ... how does energy drain work exactly with slam attacks? Does the attack have to do damage? Two examples ... one, can a vampire make a touch attack to just energy drain? And what happens if it hits but it's damage doesn't get through the person's DR?

Not sure about this one...

ciaran

 

[juliaromero]

Read the ability. 1/round no matter how many attacks.
ciaran

Is that one per round period, or one per round per victim?

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Most energy drain attacks require a successful melee attack roll—mere physical contact is not enough

Yes, there's a "most" in there, probably because some undead are uncorporeal and thus only need to touch you in order to deliver damage - and energy drain.

A vampire can use its energy drain ability once per round.

Once per round period.

AR

 

[juliaromero]

Yes, there's a "most" in there, probably because some undead are uncorporeal and thus only need to touch you in order to deliver damage - and energy drain.

AR

Thanks. But it still seems a little ambiguous about how DR works ... though it does seem to at least imply that you would have to bypass DR even if it isn't explicit.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains

Spoiler

AR the hidden