I don't 3.0/3.5/PF mechanics for energy drain. I wasn't terribly fond of them in 1E/2E as well. The mechanics just seem too metagamey and clunky. I want a new energy drain. Here's my first stab at it:
Energy Drain (Su)
This attack saps a living opponent’s vital energy, causing fear, fatigue, and/or ill-health. This happens automatically when a melee or ranged attack hits. Each successful energy drain bestows one or more condition levels (the creature’s description specifies how many). If an attack that includes an energy drain scores a critical hit, it bestows twice the listed number of condition levels. A victim is allowed a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the draining creature’s racial HD + the draining creature’s Cha modifier) to reduce the inflicted condition level by one.
Unless otherwise specified in the creature’s description, a draining creature gains 5 temporary hit points for each condition level it bestows on an opponent. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour. Condition levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell such as restoration. If a condition level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the draining creature’s racial HD + the draining creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). On a success, a condition level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the condition level persists for another 24 hours. A separate saving throw is required for each condition level.
Possible Condition Levels
Fear Condition Levels:
Level 1 - shaken, Level 2 - frightened, Level 3 - panicked, Level 4 - cowering
Fatigue Condition Levels:
Level 1 - fatigued, Level 2 - exhausted, Level 3 - stunned, Level 4 - unconscious
"Health" Condition Levels:
Level 1 - sickened, Level 2 - staggered, Level 3 - nauseated, Level 4 - helpless
Example
Let's say a wight inflicts 1 fear condition level with its energy drain. Ranger Dan is slammed by a wight, and he fails his DC 14 Fort save. Ranger Dan becomes shaken. The wight gains 5 temporary hit points. Ranger Dan and his allies kill the wight. Ranger Dan remains shaken. After 24 hours, he gets another Fort save vs. DC 14. If he succeeds, he is no longer shaken. Otherwise, he remains shaken for another 24 hours.
Thoughts?
I'm not exactly a rules expert, but I've gone to pains to pains negative levels because I can never remember the rules. This would certainly simplify things, so if it works, I'd go with it.
I'm not exactly a rules expert, but I've gone to pains to pains negative levels because I can never remember the rules. This would certainly simplify things, so if it works, I'd go with it.
I'll be playtesting this rough draft version pretty soon. Nothing too extensive since I don't want to slaughter my players' characters.
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Wow, I never really liked the meta-gamey nature of energy drain.
(Although, paradoxically, I think it would make an interesting power for a fey doppleganger creature that literally steals your life from you, level by level, coming back each day to take another level, and make itself a little bit more you, appearing like you, remembering your memories (as you lose them), etc. with the final level loss reducing you to a twisted little gremlin that follows it around, unable to even remember that it once looked like a twisted little gremlin, and that you used to be the handsome knight that you are now serving... Subbing the fey for a 'night hag' or 'succubus' type creature, stealing your life from you night by night until it becomes you and does wicked things while wearing your face, is also an option.)
Of your solutions, I like the fatigued and health versions best, particularly to represent people suffering from vampiric blood drain or ghoul fever or something, with death leading to the usual 'arise in X hours as one of them' fate.
The fear based conditions are also neat, but for a different sort of undead, such as a ghost or haunt, I think, one that preys on the mind / psyche / soul more than the health / life-force / body.
This is a bad idea waiting to happen.
Being panicked for 24 hours is freaking horrible. Drop everything and run screaming, heedless of anything but sure suicide for an entire day? As opposed to a -3 to your d20 rolls? Where is the comparison?
Sickened is a -2 to everything you do (already worse than 1 negative level) and staggered reduces you to a single standard action every round and no more than that. Nauseated prevents you from taking any actions, and helpless allows you to be one-shotted by an anemic kobold child with a bent fork.
Again, fatigued is -2, exhausted is -4, and stunned causes you to drop everything and stand there like a moron, without being allowed to take actions.
This may as well be 'death touch', or 'fun removing touch'.
What was difficult and confusing in 'take a -1 to every d20 roll and effective caster level, and lose 5hp'?
What was difficult and confusing in 'take a -1 to every d20 roll and effective caster level, and lose 5hp'?
Nobody said it was difficult. Instead, this thread is about coming up with a more flavorful version that both reflects draining "vital energy" while at the same time providing something a bit more dramatic in terms of roleplaying potential.
Now, obviously, my idea is just a rough draft, and it's not likely to be the best idea possible. So, keeping in mind that this thread is looking for viable alternatives, do you have any constructive input?
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Mixing the latter two categories to get Fatigued -> Exhausted -> Staggered -> Helpless might be a decent way to do it.
Stunned, nauseated and panicked all seem pretty rough for 24 hour long third-tier conditions. Something that drastic seems best for the fourth stage condition (which is presumably followed by -> dying, if one gets hit again by the 'energy drain' effect).
Mixing the latter two categories to get Fatigued -> Exhausted -> Staggered -> Helpless might be a decent way to do it.
Stunned, nauseated and panicked all seem pretty rough for 24 hour long third-tier conditions. Something that drastic seems best for the fourth stage condition (which is presumably followed by -> dying, if one gets hit again by the 'energy drain' effect).
Good idea. I was concerned about the later tier conditions. Some mix-and-match could be the way to go. I've also thought about modifying the more serious conditions such as panicked. For example, its initial effects could be of limited duration, and then it could downgrade, only to reassert itself (with a save to resist) when danger occurs again.
I'm also not picturing energy drain as something that would be fatal in and of itself. The undead would use energy drain to reduce a victim to a helpless state, and then feed at its leisure.
I'd also want to check out magical counters. Most obviously, remove fear could at least temporarily mitigate the effects of fear-causing energy drain.
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Having it be fatigue based would make a restoration spell or the appropriate Paladin mercy be the best 'cures.' It would also be a brutal condition to impose on barbarians, who, perhaps not so coincidentally, tend to be the class most thematically appropriate to loathe and fear strength-stealing undead...
The sickened and nauseated conditions can be flavored as actual sickness, or as the effects of pain (or even incapacitating pleasure).
A fear based effect almost calls out for a new condition, 'tormented' or 'haunted,' which acts like a constant nightmare effect, preventing the fear-wracked individual from getting restful sleep.
Having the panicked condition occuring whenever the character is afflicted by a condition that might make them shaken (such as an Intimidate attempt to demoralize them), or whenever they have to make an Initiative check (combat starting!), could be one way of making it viable without having the awkward situation where the character attempts to run screaming for 24 hours... The Intimidate thing might cause a panic attack that lasts as long as the demoralization would have lasted, and the Initiative check-instigated-panic-attack could have a Will save (DC the same as the original fear-inducing undead effect) to resist it and be able to fight in this combat (although still with the shaken penalties). Other circumstances, like being forced to make a massive damage death save (if those rules even still exist, I don't remember...) or being hit critically or being surprised and rendered flat-footed vs. a new attacker, could also force saves to avoid a panic attack, although I'd be wary of making it *too* complicated and fidgety...
More good suggestions, Set.
During yesterday's game, one of the party's druids was hit twice by a wight. The druid made the first Fort save, but failed the second. Ebe the Druid is now shaken, haunted by a persistent fear of death. He'll get another save to throw off the shaken condition after 24 hours.
Now, this wasn't much of a playtest as it involved only a single energy-draining monster, but since the PCs are only 4th-level, I don't want to get carried away, especially since they still had to face the fiendish giant black widow and its drow cleric mistress. :)
You might consider giving undead spell-like abilities like cause fear, bestow curse, and contagion the first two would be similar to your idea while the last would reflect the old idea that undead spread diseases or were the source of them.