Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Fangthane 10-19-05, 10:03 PM	Having been out of the game for quite a long while I have been slowly getting my head around 3.x rules. I am in process of converting one of my all time favorite modules to 3.5 (Someone else may have done it already but by doing it myself I familiarize myself with the module again). I only have the basic books available to me and wanted to ask the more experienced how they run energy drain with skills and feats (as it seems to me it will become problematic to track what people would lose). Thank you in advance, and wish my players well, no one has ever survived me running Castle Ravenloft.
gbnogkfs 10-20-05, 04:38 AM	look at DMG page 293 ("Energy drain and negative levels") and page 296 ("Level loss").
Weenie 10-20-05, 10:03 AM	Energy Drain And Negative Levels Some horrible creatures, especially undead monsters, possess a fearsome supernatural ability to drain levels from those they strike in combat. The creature making an energy drain attack draws a portion of its victim’s life force from her. Most energy drain attacks require a successful melee attack roll—mere physical contact is not enough. Each successful energy drain bestows one or more negative levels (the creature’s description specifies how many). If an attack that includes an energy drain scores a critical hit, it drains twice the given amount. A creature gains 5 temporary hit points (10 on a critical hit) for each negative level it bestows (though not if the negative level is caused by a spell or similar effect). These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour. A creature takes the following penalties for each negative level it has gained: * -1 on all skill checks and ability checks. * -1 on attack rolls and saving throws. * -5 hit points. * -1 effective level (whenever the creature’s level is used in a die roll or calculation, reduce it by one for each negative level). * If the victim casts spells, she loses access to one spell as if she had cast her highest-level, currently available spell. (If she has more than one spell at her highest level, she chooses which she loses.) In addition, when she next prepares spells or regains spell slots, she gets one less spell slot at her highest spell level. Negative levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell, such as restoration. If a negative level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ draining creature’s racial HD + draining creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). On a success, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the negative level goes away, but the creature’s level is also reduced by one. A separate saving throw is required for each negative level. A character with negative levels at least equal to her current level, or drained below 1st level, is instantly slain. Depending on the creature that killed her, she may rise the next night as a monster of that kind. If not, she rises as a wight.
Fangthane 10-20-05, 10:31 AM	Thank you! Just one quick clarification, the way I am reading this then the PC does not actually lose any of her feats or skill ranks unless they fail their saving throw after 24 hours. Thanks again for you help. :)
Weenie 10-20-05, 11:27 AM	Just one quick clarification, the way I am reading this then the PC does not actually lose any of her feats or skill ranks unless they fail their saving throw after 24 hours. That's techically true, although you do effectively lose skills. You suffer a -1 penalty (per negative level) to all dice rolls, including skill checks. This is usually worse than losing a number of skill ranks (except for meeting prerequisites and the like). After 24 hours, it's a different story, but most PCs will look for a restoration before it comes to that.