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Message: <blockquote data-quote="thedungeondelver" data-source="post: 4967868" data-attributes="member: 34865">There's an option here that isn't mentioned, and one that merits being part of the discussion, and that's stat drain.  Case in point:  last night during a foray into the third level of the TEMPLE OF ELEMENTAL EVIL, the most illustrious cleric of the party, Jarlon Barakson, encountered the Lamia in her fungus garden (area 312 for those reading along at home, IIRC).At any rate, he succumbed to the creatures charm and suggestion spells as well as the illusion of a Valkyrie-like fighter she projected, and leapt to her defense when the rest of the party, unswayed by her charms and spells, attacked her.  Four times during the ensuing melee she touched the cleric, bringing him from a legendary WIS (of 18) to a rather more mundane 14.The net result was the loss of all but two extra 1st level spells and the ability to ever cast 6th or 7th level spells, the 10% XP bonus, and any magical saving throw bonuses.A restoration spell, so applied, would have restored the WIS points lost (per my house ruling, it is not explicitly so in the spell description).  However, such a casting would cost 10,000 plus a like amount per level of the recipient.  Thus each restoration spell would cost 70,000.  Four of them, then, 280,000.Other judges might deem that a single application of the spell would restore all lost ability points (after all, feeblemind destroys intelligence entirely, reducing the target to a "moron"), but still, 70,000 is nothing to scoff at!This example only addresses the loss of a somewhat easily restored characteristic - what of a permanent loss of STR or CON?  Hope for the acquisition of many librams, tomes or manuals?  Or a willing magic-user to employ one or more wish spells depending on the loss?So yes, I'd say that the loss of a characteristic is a greater (MUCH greater) threat than death, level loss or equipment loss.</blockquote>

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