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<blockquote data-quote="Cheiromancer" data-source="post: 1266497" data-attributes="member: 141">Well, again it is the complexity issue.&nbsp; Dropping ability scores affects magic and turn undead rolls, renders certain feats unusable (power attack, dodge and expertise especially), changes encumbrance levels, bonus hit points due to Con, etc., etc..&nbsp; My alternative is something you only have to remember to apply when you roll a d20.Of course, you could make my version of energy drain work the same in combat as the ability damage option- just say that when the number of negative levels is greater than or equal to 1/2 of any ability score something bad happens; the ability score is treated as 0, leading to paralysis, catatonia, etc..But then there are three things that could drop the character- hp damage (if the undead steals 1d12 with each strike), negative levels equal to their character level (instant death), or negative levels equal to half their lowest ability score (death or incapacitation).&nbsp; That would probably be the killer- anyone with an 8 dump stat is going to be in trouble- two hits by a vampire and they are down.&nbsp; Almost anyone would be incapacitated by a third blow by a vampire.Hmmm.&nbsp; Are you sure you want to have it do ability damage?&nbsp; I don't think energy drain needs more than two ways to drop a character, and applying 2 points of ability damage to every stat probably makes it too lethal.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Cheiromancer, post: 1266497, member: 141"] Well, again it is the complexity issue. Dropping ability scores affects magic and turn undead rolls, renders certain feats unusable (power attack, dodge and expertise especially), changes encumbrance levels, bonus hit points due to Con, etc., etc.. My alternative is something you only have to remember to apply when you roll a d20. Of course, you could make my version of energy drain work the same in combat as the ability damage option- just say that when the number of negative levels is greater than or equal to 1/2 of any ability score something bad happens; the ability score is treated as 0, leading to paralysis, catatonia, etc.. But then there are three things that could drop the character- hp damage (if the undead steals 1d12 with each strike), negative levels equal to their character level (instant death), or negative levels equal to half their lowest ability score (death or incapacitation). That would probably be the killer- anyone with an 8 dump stat is going to be in trouble- two hits by a vampire and they are down. Almost anyone would be incapacitated by a third blow by a vampire. Hmmm. Are you sure you want to have it do ability damage? I don't think energy drain needs more than two ways to drop a character, and applying 2 points of ability damage to every stat probably makes it too lethal. [/QUOTE]

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