Alternative to level drain: XP blocking condition?

RPGPundit · April 09, 2015, 02:08:42 AM

I think it's a more elegant way to handle things than traditional level-drain; although I personally would probably go with neither by default.

nDervish · April 09, 2015, 06:24:15 AM

Quote from: Gabriel2;824339Come to think of it, City of Heroes did something where when you got KOed you'd go into XP debt. You wouldn't lose a level, but you had to re-earn a decent chunk of your XP before you caught back up.

It was a pain in the ass. It was definitely something to be avoided.

Not necessarily. There was a period relatively early in the game's life (around issue 3 or 4 was when it started, I think) where "perma-debt" was a thing, mostly because it gave you twice as much time to earn enough influence to replace your enhancements before they expired. I occasionally got some interesting comments when I told groups that I'd run out of debt, so hold on for a minute while I go commit suicide a few times.

Even before that, though, I'd always treated level drain in D&D as XP drain - you lose the XP as described in the rules, but it doesn't reduce your level.

Omega · April 09, 2015, 05:46:41 PM

What about instead of level drain. It induces a level of exhaustion each hit? That would actually better simulate having your life force drained away and is more dramatic and impacting.

tuypo1 · April 14, 2015, 12:27:11 AM

Quote from: Omega;824963What about instead of level drain. It induces a level of exhaustion each hit? That would actually better simulate having your life force drained away and is more dramatic and impacting.

that could work well auctualy

Alternative to level drain: XP blocking condition?

RPGPundit

nDervish

Omega

tuypo1