From: foxx@foxxjac.Berkeley.EDU (Andrew "AJ" Foxx)
Subject: Re: AD&D THE UNDEAD AND LEVEL LOSS
Reply-To: foxx@foxxjac.b17a.ingr.com
Organization: Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, AL.
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 15:31:24 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.131802.3601@cs.tulane.edu>,
WJR@Go-Player.SCH.Symbolics.COM (Wayne J. Rasmussen) writes:
|> I would recommend reading an article by Greg Minter
|> in The Dragon about three years ago.  Greg created
|> a system for rewarding characters for quests based
|> on reasons for the quest and level of difficulty
|> of the quest.  I remember him suggesting to use
|> quests for a character to regain lost levels due to
|> draining.  Anyhow, I would strongly suggest a quest
|> to regain the levels.
|> 
|> I don't like the idea of time recovery.  It's too
|> wimpy.
|> 
|> Exp drain is not good due to the non-linearity of
|> the advancement system.
|> 
|> Wayne J. Rasmussen
|> 

One down side I discovered when operating with specialized quests
is that I (as DM) would have problems designing the quests and
finding time to run those specifically involved in it.  I would
create a quest for the few who suffered the loss and all the
party would want to go, or I would create a quest for many and
only a few would go.  The characters saw no difference in a
quest to restore levels and an adventure to gain xp (thus
restoring levels).  A quest was just like any other job or 
opportunity to them.  They considered their motivations and 
desires before game mechanics (this isn't a complaint, I do like 
that they did this).  So I ended up with the same problem someone
has mentioned in this thread already.  I spend all this time 
trying to challenge the party to attain more experience/higher 
levels.  So why am I using level loss to tear down what I've been
building?

So I abandoned level loss and eventually ended up with stat
loss.  Undead now drain strength, constitution, and/or
dexterity.  At ST of 0 a character doesn't have the strength to
stand or move, at CN of 0 a character can't remain conscious,
and at DX of 0 a character isn't coordinated enough to move
(only flop).  A character's stats can't go below 0, but the
character is obviously at the mercy of friend and foe.  An undead
creature has to kill (stomp the hit points out of) a character
just like any other monster (pretty easy since the character is
immobilized). I allow characters to regain one point to each
stat per DAY, two for *total* rest.

This change has allowed a number of game enhancing effects.
Undead now can prey on different stats.  A wight drains a point
from ST, CN, and DX with its touch.  A vampire's touch in combat
drains a point of ST and DX, but a late bite snack is d4+1 CN
points from a victim (a little blood isn't that much to ask for
someone so CHARMing).

The randomness is also welcome IMO.  A character can lose 1d8 DX
to a nasty creature, but try using dice with that many sides for
level loss and YOU will probably lose 1d8 players.

Lastly, characters must consider undead to be more dangerous.  
With level loss, the characters are at least still competent 
after the combat (assuming they survive).  A 1st(used to be 5th) 
level fighter can still run, jump, and play, just not as well. A
5th level with a strength of 3 and a constitution of 6 is in for
an experience and is IMHO in a much better position to roleplay
the horror of undead encounters/aftermath.

-- 
   ] Andrew "AJ" Foxx           ] Software Analyst - Mapping Sciences Division
   ] foxx@foxxjac.b17a.ingr.com ] Intergraph Corporation
   ] voice (205) 730-1921       ] M/S IW17A4  Huntsville AL U.S.A.  35894-0001