Positive and Negative Energy

[steenan]

I always ran positive and negative energy as morally neutral. They may be used in different ways, some good, some evil, just like any other tool. Undead, and creation of them, is evil not because it uses negative energy, but because it uses it to create a mockery of life, an abomination, a thing that is dead but behaves as alive. Positive energy may be used against its nature, too, but it is not something as grounded in fantasy as undead creation - I don't remember ever encountering it in my games.

In this model, it is also obvious that there is no such thing as "positive energy undead", "deathless" etc. - creatures animated by positive energy are just living things. Positive energy giving life is a part of life cycle, as is negative energy taking it. What is morally wrong is subverting this flow.

 

[Starfox]

In this model, it is also obvious that there is no such thing as "positive energy undead", "deathless" etc. - creatures animated by positive energy are just living things.

To me, a living creature has a healthy flow of positive to negative energy - like a current. An undead creature is a stagnant pool of negative energy. Likewise, a deathless is a stagnant pool of positive energy.

Just my take on it.

 

[El Mahdi]

deleted

 

[Sadrik]

In my homebrew setting positive is chaos of life and negative is the laws of death. Outside of that concept though they are just tools used by anybody so neutral as far as good or evil.

 

[1Mac]

an extreme of anything can be a bad thing - even an extreme amount of positive energy

I recall that the 3.5 DMG says that if mortal characters bumble into the plane of positive energy without any precautions, they are bound to explode in a dazzling burst of colorful stardust. The plane of negative energy was said to just make people really, really depressed, on the other hand.

 

[Kinneus]

I've always been in favor of them being neutral forces. I don't like the idea that a necromancer-type character or anyone who utilizes negative energy is always, always, forever and ever evil. Then again, I tend to shy away from black-and-white morality in any and all games I play.

I mean, fireballing an entire platoon of orcs is neutral, but using a single 'negative' spell is evil? Even if the spell in question is non-fatal? How does that work?

 

[john112364]

I always viewed them as elemental forces no different than fire, air, earth or water. And the original cosmology backed me up. In the 1e PHB the elemental planes were topped by the positive plane on top and negative on the bottom. Negative energy drains life while positive feeds life. Everyone knows how negative energy can be abused, but I saw positive energy as similar to electric current. Try putting 500volts in to your computer and see what happens. (Hint: It would not be pretty and we would miss you on En World ) The same would apply if you had too much positive energy. *Pop* goes the character.

 

[Shemeska]

I recall that the 3.5 DMG says that if mortal characters bumble into the plane of positive energy without any precautions, they are bound to explode in a dazzling burst of colorful stardust. The plane of negative energy was said to just make people really, really depressed, on the other hand.

Nah, without protection, both of them will kill you in very short order. Death by soul immolation in the positive energy plane, or death by energy drain in the negative energy plane.

The soul-crushingly depressive plane was the Waste.

 

[S'mon]

This reminds me that I'm finding 4e's Radiant vs Necrotic much easier to deal with!

 

[1Mac]

The soul-crushingly depressive plane was the Waste.

The Gray Wastes of Gehenna, or something like that, right? Anyway, my mistake.

In my imagination Death by Positive Energy should be proceeded by giddy euphoria. This amuses me, for the same reason as those stories about the professional runner who dies while running. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing, I guess.