Dying in these ways should terrify your players as they fret for their characters’ lives! Remember, some of the effects listed below can disqualify a creature from being resurrected by spells other than Wish. The 5e level draining effects include stat draining and hitpoint draining from undead monster attacks, though non-undead monsters may have similar features.
D&D 5E LORD OF THE RINGS MANUAL
Several monsters in 5e Monster Manual have effects that remind me of the level draining concept, but they’re debatably not as terrifying. Monsters with Level-Drain-Like Effects in D&D 5e This has been a disappointing scenario for me on many occasions, but now I know I can make undead far scarier! It’s wise to learn what exists before making changes! You may find that the current mechanics of 5e are good enough for you without needing to homebrew, so let’s check them out. It was tedious! Sure, other effects like getting stunned were potentially far more devastating, but level draining was what I feared most.Īnalyzing Modern D&D 5e Versions of Level Draining EffectsĮvaluate existing effects that imitate or resemble level draining in D&D 5e already. Characters required heaps of healing for the damage they suffered and the hitpoints that were drained. I feared level draining more than any other effect.Įven after recovering from level drain, spellcasters must re-prepared spells. These vampires alone made me feel like it was mandatory to have two Clerics in the party (or any character who could cast restoration spells) to complete the game. They became less effective in combat, closer to dying, and spellcasters lost their high-level spell slots. Characters are devastated by level drain. You know I love Baldur’s Gate 2 if you read many of my articles, and one of the biggest threats in much of that game came from undead vampires! Whenever I was fighting vampires, I’d prepare every spell I could to deal with level drain. Level drain can dramatically slow down the game, but maybe we can make it work for D&D 5e without bogging down the game or burdening player upkeep. I say that solely because I cannot imagine players in my game groups being capable of decreasing their characters’ levels in the middle of combat. Frodo’s wound example is the kind of effect I picture with level draining.įrom a logistical point of view, it may have been an excellent move to omit level draining from D&D 5e. The game is difficult to beat if you can’t deal with undead creatures’ level draining effects.įrodo in The Lord of the Rings never fully recovered from his Nazgul wound at Weathertop. I kept plentiful restoration spells handy when undead creatures were around. Level draining is a terrifying threat! When I played Baldur’s Gate 2 for the PC, I panicked when fighting vampires. Spells, blessings, or leveling up could allow a character to slowly or immediately gain back levels, but it wasn’t easy. Does that sound nuts? It kind of is! It was also semi-permanent.
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A character whose levels were drained would become a lower-level character. Past editions of D&D used a mechanic that D&D 5e left behind: Level Drain. “You should fear the disturbed dead far more than you do…”Īfter a noble battle, the player asks the DM, “When does this level drain go away? I can rest and be good to go, right?” The DM smirks, “As I said, you should learn to fear the undead.” “This was supposed to be easy!” says the player. Creative Commons License.ĭisclaimer: This article contains affiliate links that add gold to our coffers.Ī character’s over-confident demeanor evaporates into complete fear as the undead creature sucks away its vital life energy.
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Featured D&D 5e level drain image is “Necromancer” by crmbsct.