How does that negative-level-till-you-gain-a-level rule work?

[Noumenon]

Some people, instead of a permanent level loss after raise dead, give out a negative level until the next time that person would gain a level, then the negative level goes away.

Sounds great, only... PCs gain a level every 2-4 sessions. It really doesn't feel like any penalty at all when somebody is dead and has a negative level for all of three hours. Anyone do anything about this?

 

[Jack Simth]

That's not quite how it works.

You drain them of the XP, but instead of actually docking them a level (and all the paperwork that entails - skills, spells known, spells per day, saves HP, BAB, class features, and so on) so that their level matches their remaining XP, you leave them with their abilities, but apply a negative level. Once they get back up to the XP for having the level they're at, the negative level goes away.

 

[Noumenon]

Thanks, I understand the point of it now. That is kind of nice to the spellcasters, though, since they lose just one spell slot instead of all of them.

 

[Jack Simth]

Thanks, I understand the point of it now. That is kind of nice to the spellcasters, though, since they lose just one spell slot instead of all of them.

Yes and no.

They only lose one spell slot, true, but rather than loosing 3/4 or 1/2 point of BAB, they lose a full point of attack bonus. Rather than losing 1d4+Con hit points, they lose a flat 5 hit points (which, with a d4 hit die, is about the equivalent of a level when having a +2 or +3 Con modifier). Rather than having their Will save got down by 1/2 and their other saves go down by 1/3, they all go down by 1, and so on.

In some ways, it's harsher, in others, it's easier. The big point of the method is reduced bookkeeping.

 

[starwed]

That's not quite how it works.

Actually, that's exactly how my group plays it. The point wasn't to lower the amount of book-keeping, but to reduce the penalty of dying.

Mostly so our DM can give us quite lethal encounters and not feel quite so bad about it... (There was a point where we had 1-2 PC deaths per session... my cleric now prepares a greater array of defensive spells, including the super-useful Delay Death in the SC.)

 

[Noumenon]

I did some more Enworld googling (I have a special keyword set up to search this site) and found other people who do get rid of the level as soon as you level up. If it seems too easy on the ones who died, one writes:

Some approach it as a team sport, and for such players, the idea that removing the level loss from a raised character reduces the victory for them is as alien as a the idea that a basketball (or football, or soccer) player who suffered an injury during one game and had to leave the field, but managed to recover and return at full health for the next, somehow lessens the victory for the other players.

I also found that the legendary Piratecat uses the rule this way:

Instead of level loss, I use a negative level that can be removed through an active quest for the God that raised them. That lets the DM get rid of it as slowly or quickly as you like. People who have this negative level are half in and half out of the living world... they look sickly, animals don't like them, and shadows fall on them more heavily. It's all special effects, of course, but gives some neat role playing hooks when they run across superstitious villagers.

One of my dead players said he was totally open to having to do a quest for the god that raised him. It's Kord so I think I'll have some sort of strength challenge versus hound archons. The barbarian will pass and the weak sorcerer will prove unworthy and need to do a quest.