Possible changes to energy drain glimpsed from Savage Species

[esorek]

So I'm reading through Savage Species and I notice that the energy drain attack For the Wight template now allows a fortitude save on the attack to immedietly avoid having the negative level bestowed in the first place and the normal fortitude save in 24 to remove the negative level.
Looking at other energy drain critters in Savage Species like the spectral template and sure enough energy drain behaves the same way as the Wight template.
Not sure if this was mentioned here before but based on this it looks like they might be changing the way energy drain works in 3.5.

Oh and BTW the Wight in Savage Species bestows 2 negative levels on a failed save as opposed to one in the MM.

 

[LuYangShih]

Interesting. It looks like failing the save will be much deadlier, but at least you can fully avoid the effects without requiring a Cleric on hand at all times.

 

[Celtavian]

Re

I think this will be a good change. It was far too easy to swarm players with spectres or wraiths and have them die. Even high level characters could easily die to a swarm of spectres or wraiths, and that just doesn't seem right.

 

[esorek]

I personally like this change. After the group I DM had a rather nasty encounter with a vampire who drained the cleric and prevented him from casting protection from negative energy or restoration I instituted a house rule that almost identical.