From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Kind of a compilation of level-draining ideas
Date: 1 Sep 92 00:41:15 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology


OK, some people think that draining a level (or two) on every hit is
ridiculous.  Others argue that it makes more sense to drain hit points
or abilities permanently.  Others say that it should be any one of the
above, but only temporarily.  Still others think you should get a saving
throw before you get drained....

OK, the ideas proposed and why *I* don't like them:

Drain a level or two with every hit (the TSR plan).
	This idea is find and dandy as long as you don't get into fights
	with many undead.  If you are in a graveyard or something with
	lots of undead, a LUCKY HIT can ruin several weeks (or more) of
	real time playing.  In two words:  THIS SUCKS.

	But it's effective.  Nothing is as terrifying as losing levels,
	and that's what undead are supposed to be.

Drain hit points and/or abilities permanently.
	I have a real problem with this because once you lose these things,
	they're *gone* unless something *very* rare happens.  Even with
	levels, you can always regain the experience.  A 6th level fighter
	who gets hit 4 times loses 20 hit points and 4 points off Str and Con
	permanently, and he's screwed in a major way.

Drain hit point and/or abilities temporarily.
	This doesn't do much damage to the characters: "Oh, a vampire?
	One week of bedrest.  Not a problem."  It takes the terror out
	of undead.  Then there's no point.

Any of the above with a save.
	I like the idea of a save, but it still leaves the problems above
	if you fail a save.  This is only eliminating the problem for those
	who roll high and have good saving throws.  Now, if the save is made,
	what do you do?  Half effect?  No effect?  What?


So, I humbly offer for your scrutiny a proposal for handling level draining
undead.

I immediately threw out the second and third ideas - one is way to severe,
and the other is so mild that it makes undead laughable.

All that leaves is the first, possibly with saving throws.  OK, but how
about, instead of losing a *level*, you lose experience points every time
you get hit?

I know this has been suggested before.  But the problem was that people
said "An XP draining undead who drains 10,000 XPs per hit (which is about
what an undead would do when he hits a 5+ level character) would totally
eliminate lower level characters.

This is true.  So, we make the number of XPs drained a variable, based on
the Hit Dice of the undead.  Wights and wraiths (the weakest drainers)
would only drain 1000-5000 XPs per hit.  Vampires could drain as many as
100,000 or more per hit.

Include a saving throw.  If successful, you lose only one half the amount
(or none, whichever you prefer).   But, there is a penalty to the save,
again based on the Hit Dice of the undead.  The penalty against a wight
would only be -1 or so, while the penalty against a vampire could go as
high as -7 or -10.

Now, this means that a vampire would wipe out a low-level character with
one hit.  But then again, that's what vampries SHOULD do.


The advantage to this system is that it's possible to get hit, and while
you will lose something, you might not actually lose a level:  if you're
1,500 over the minimum required to reach your level, and you get hit by
a wraith, you will still be 500 over.  You won't lose a level, unless you
get hit again.

This also means that a wight is nothing to fear for a level 12 character -
which makes perfect sense.  Level 12 characters should not lose a level
every time they get hit by something like a wight.  Level 1-4 characters
should, and they will.


So what do you think?  Questions?  Comments?  Suggestions?



One thing, if I didn't include an idea that was proposed, sorry, I only
included the ones I read.  If this whole thing has been said before, sorry,
I've never seen it.  I just thought this might be a good way to handle it.


-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | Sign in a restaurant:
Georgia Institute of Technology  | 
Office of Information Technology |   "We reserve the right to serve refuse to
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |        anyone."