[FLPBCNFAIS]I don't like Energy Drain as written in the books. How about you?

[mmadsen]

I never really liked the idea of permanent level drain. I would like to know how others feel about it.

I just find Level Drain a hokey mechanic. Inspired by rereading The Lord of the Rings last year, I decided to go with a more Nazgul-esque drain. I make a "negative level" -2 to all abilities (Str, Dex, etc.) -- and thus -1 to all Skills, To-Hit, etc. -- that works like a disease. Thus, the character could continue to get worse without rest and treatment.

 

[Darkness]

In general, I like it.

I'm not sure whether I like vampire to drain levels with slam attacks, but there's a different thread for that particular topic. Hmm... I think I'll go there now and read it...

Later, folks.

 

[Bonedagger]

...but there's a different thread for that particular topic. Hmm... I think I'll go there now and read it...

Later, folks.

Hey. I did warn you that this was a [FLPBCNFAIS] thread.



I did like the idea about energy drain having a disease background though.

Personally I have gone from having it being something that can be cured with rest and then to... Ups. Better not risk having this thread moved. Never mind.

 

[Al]

Al... I think the issue most people have with energy drain is that they tend to encounter it on the player side WELL before they are anywhere near 9th lvl spells.

The bevy of undead that have the effect more than make up for the fact that it's easy to get rid of when you're uber.

At low levels, it sucks to get slapped with one... no question about it. That being said, I like it the way it is in the dmg because it puts the fear of god into the players.

-F

Oopsy- I thought Energy Drain meant 'Energy Drain' the 9th level spell, not energy drain the concept. I'm too case-sensitive

Still, it doesn't suck any more than getting killed (depends on DM's policy of new characters). Yes, it's a royal pain, but a 4th level cleric spell is quite cheap (min. 280gp) so nothing that a character can't save up for (seeing as he should be around 4th level and hence in theory have around 9000gp worth of stuff.) Just hope there's a friendly cleric in town...

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

I don't know any DMs who make you start back over at 1st level after you get killed. Just doesn't seem like you'd be able to do anything with the rest of the party. Besides, getting killed gives you an opportunity to try out different characters.

 

[mmadsen]

I did like the idea about energy drain having a disease background though.

Thank you, Bonedagger. For the most part, the level drain is there for historical reasons and because it's one of the few mechanics that really scares players. Anything semi-permanent and hard to heal could work though.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I never have liked it, and from 1e days I used a Str drain to represent level drains (Shadows drained 1str, wights et all 2 Str, Spectres et al 4 points)

What I do now is use the Con drain which the wight and wraith have, but just increase the potency of that for spectres... and my vampires can't drain energy when the slam you, they have to grapple and then bite...

 

[mmadsen]

I never have liked it, and from 1e days I used a Str drain to represent level drains (Shadows drained 1str, wights et all 2 Str, Spectres et al 4 points) What I do now is use the Con drain which the wight and wraith have, but just increase the potency of that for spectres...

This brings up another point: don't Str Drain and Con Drain go together? It seems a bit silly to be sapped of one but not the other.

 

[ForceUser]

I like it because it instills fear - real fear - in the player group of certain monster types. My DM does XP loss instead of negative levels, and that doesn't make me fear those monsters. Hey, I'm not getting any weaker; I didn't lose anything but time.

In my game, there's level loss. I think if you tinker with it, you also have to tinker with the availability of restoration spells and resurrections. That's too much work for me.

 

[mmadsen]

I like it because it instills fear - real fear - in the player group of certain monster types.

Right, but anything semi-permanent and hard to heal could work to scare players. Well, anything semi-permanent, hard-to-heal, and damaging. Your DM's use of experience-point loss doesn't "hurt" much, as you pointed out.

In my game, there's level loss. I think if you tinker with it, you also have to tinker with the availability of restoration spells and resurrections. That's too much work for me.

I don't see the need for any extra tinkering. If you replace negative levels with -2 to all abilities, what breaks?