Multiple Level Drain/Round

[xanatos]

Can someone tell me why this ruling of The Sage? (it's from the monster's faq). I've searched everywhere in the PH, the DMG and the MM2 (it has the newer version of the rules about monsters), but I wasn't able to find anything about this. But I've found (in the BOED) an Undead monster with Drain Level ability and multiple attacks and there wasn't any note about the fact that it could make a single draining attack/round (the VileWight). Even the Soul Drinker prestige class (from BOED) doesn't have any note about this. The only fact I'm sure is that there aren't many monsters with multiple attacks or a high BAB (the example of a Vampire is made with a 5th level Fighter, so he have only a single attack and "casually" the "vampire lord" (from the Monster Mayhem) is a 10th level Wizard (so he has a single attack)

Ah... Just another question... The Vampire Template adds a Slam attack to the base creature. If you have a high BAB (>= 6) do you make a single slam attack or multiple slam attacks? (+6/+1).

Creatures with level-draining ability drain levels only once per action, so if they get multiple attacks, only the first hit in a series of hits bestows a negative level. (Note that a hasted creature bestows a negative level with a hit during its regular action and another negative level with a hit during its extra partial action.)

 

[Hypersmurf]

Well... Energy Drain is a Su ability, and "Using a Supernatural ability is a standard action, unless noted otherwise". So using it once per round is a reasonable call, I guess.

-Hyp.

 

[xanatos]

But under the generic description of Energy Drain (in MM) it is written "happens automatically"... So it uses the "unless otherwhise noticed" rule of Su. And then, using this as an example, even Attribute Drain should work in the same way! Or supernatural diseases (mummy/licantrophe) and many others.

 

[Kraedin]

It's erroneous. That happens, sometimes.

 

[Darklone]

Since you have no save against the negative levels... imagine a monk vampire with his MANY unarmed attacks...

 

[karooba]

What about the horribly unbalanced Energy Drain armor from DotF (p.23)? The one time/round restriction doesn't seem to apply with this ... and it drains 1d4 levels! I nerfed it to be usable only 2 times/day. It's far worse than Speed armor on the next page. Lastly, Command armor is also way unbalanced - even for a splat book.