Taking arms, negative levels and lost hit points

[Scharlata]

Hi!

With the -5 hit point loss per negative level gained, how do you describe the effects that happen when someone without an appropriate alignment takes up a weapon (or other magic items) that bestows negative levels as long as she is handling them?

For example, imagine a paladin that takes up - foolishly! - a nine lives stealer. What happens when she gains the 2 negative levels? Do wounds (aka 10 points of damage) burst open? Is she "drained" of 10 hit points without actual "blood spilling"? Will the lost hit points come back, when she drops the sword [silly]?

Going even further: If our foolish paladin were badly wounded in a dire fight against a fighter/cleric lich and had 0 hit points left and - behold! - grasps the nine lives stealer from the hands of her enemy to prevent further demise, would she die instantly and handing victory over to her enemy?

OK, the worst case scenario won't happen all to often but I'd like to hear from you.

Kind regards

 

[Scion]

it is a -5 hp penalty, so I would describe it something like part of his lifeforce being bludgeoned with a really large spoon.

A rusty, evil spoon.

And yeah, the negative levels could kill you from the loss of hp. That may actually be preferable though to dieing due to negative levels equalling your total levels.. because that would make you raise as a wight.

 

[UltimaGabe]

In our campaign, we ignore the -5 hit points with each negative level. Negative Levels sucked enough before they added that in.

 

[Ferret]

A draining paleness dehydrfated look.

 

[Faerl'Elghinn]

Honestly, I find negative levels to be one of the most ill-conceived aspects of the game. It can be very difficult to temporarily alter nearly every aspect of a character's statistics in the middle of a session. I would suggest either ignoring the negative levels, or simply doing away with the prissy 24-hour grace period and reverting to the original method of requiring an immediate save. In my day, we would see a vampire and say to each other, "all right- you kill me as I kill you. That way, he can't drain us. We'll worry about getting back up later... Hey, anybody packing Feign Death?"

As far as describing their effect, one might say, "the Paladin looks as if he's been affected by the stupidest rule ever to taint the pages of a Player's Handbook. Oh, yeah, and as the creature touches him, his eyes flash black and he begins to convulse. When the assault relents, he appears uncharacteristically pale and shaken by the attack, which doesn't appear to have done him much physical harm. You can only guess as to what evil power the creature wields, but are not anxious to encounter its corrupting touch."

 

[Faerl'Elghinn]

In our campaign, we ignore the -5 hit points with each negative level. Negative Levels sucked enough before they added that in.

Right. What if you're a Wizard with 8 con and you only gained one hit point last level? What if your base attack bonus didn't increase? You'd be better off just taking the stupid level loss...

 

[Scion]

I dont have a lot of problem with negative energy. I do have a huge problem with actual level loss though. Generally I just ignore the long term problems and make characters make the saves every 24 hours. Those that succeed make it go away, those that fail have to be made again 24 hours later.

 

[Faerl'Elghinn]

I dont have a lot of problem with negative energy. I do have a huge problem with actual level loss though. Generally I just ignore the long term problems and make characters make the saves every 24 hours. Those that succeed make it go away, those that fail have to be made again 24 hours later.

Nice idea. Personally, I find Energy Drain to be a completely unbalanced and "un-fun" ability. As a player, I would much rather have a character die than be drained of multiple levels. I've had it happen many, many times, and it never ceases to utterly suck butt big time. It's just no fun to instantly go from being a vital part of a party to being an insignificant, ineffectual tagalong of significantly lower level than everyone else. The same applies to permanent ability damage.

 

[Scion]

At least permanent ability damage is incredibly easy to fix.

Massive loss of exp is pretty much the same as the dm telling me he doesnt want me to play that character anymore.

"What? I am now 6 levels behind everyone else? well, my character decides he is done adventureing and is going to hide in a building with a slight tick for the rest of his life.. I'll make a new character now, thanks"

 

[Faerl'Elghinn]

At least permanent ability damage is incredibly easy to fix.

Massive loss of exp is pretty much the same as the dm telling me he doesnt want me to play that character anymore.

"What? I am now 6 levels behind everyone else? well, my character decides he is done adventureing and is going to hide in a building with a slight tick for the rest of his life.. I'll make a new character now, thanks"

Wow. I've never read the revised versions of the Restoration family of spells. Much more inclusive than before. Actually, this changes much of what I stated in my previous post. It still sucks, but not nearly as much as when it was irreversible...