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View Full Version : (3.5) What protects you from Negative Levels and Ability Damage/Drain?



Fawsto
2010-03-10, 11:06 AM
Sup Guys,

Pretty straightforward here: Which spells protect someone from negative levels andability score damage and drain.

If possible, use core and the completes. SpC is a bit shady for my DM to accept.


In advance, Thx

Yora
2010-03-10, 11:10 AM
Death ward is a start.

The subject is immune to all death spells, magical death effects, energy drain, and any negative energy effects.

Fawsto
2010-03-10, 11:12 AM
Hmm...

Those effects include, for example, a Lamia's Wis drain or a Vampire's Con drain, right?

Ryumaru
2010-03-10, 11:18 AM
I wouldn't think so; death effects, energy drain and such I would assume mean Negative Energy stuff. So, negative levels, Wail of the Banshee, Phantasmal Killer.

Ability damage/drain =/= energy drain.

Death Ward wouldn't do anything about the blood von Kitten is nomming out of you neck (Con drain), but it would stop him punching the soul right out of you (Slam attack negative levels)

Cyclocone
2010-03-10, 11:23 AM
Yes, Deathward is only negative levels and [death] effects.

For the other stuff you'll want Veil of Undeath, though that is SpC (and [Evil] to boot).

Douglas
2010-03-10, 11:24 AM
Hmm...

Those effects include, for example, a Lamia's Wis drain or a Vampire's Con drain, right?
No, for that you need Life's Grace from Spell Compendium. It's essentially Death Ward plus immunity to stat-draining attacks from undead for a 1 level increase.

For blanket ability damage/drain immunity (Life's Grace is specific to undead special abilities in that regard), you need Sheltered Vitality from Spell Compendium. I don't know of any other spell that does that.

Both Life's Grace and Sheltered Vitality might also be in Libris Mortis, I'm not sure.

Irreverent Fool
2010-03-10, 11:27 AM
I'm not helping, but how is the SpC shady when the most powerful spells in it appear to come from the Completes?

I know, it's not you that won't accept it, it's your DM.

obnoxious
sig

Critical
2010-03-10, 11:30 AM
Be a construct, or become one using Green Star Adept. Likewise, you can be undead.

Lapak
2010-03-10, 11:31 AM
Are we absolutely limited to spells, here? Because there are items and soulmelds and other things that cover these immunities.

Soonerdj
2010-03-10, 11:31 AM
The Bone Knight class from 5N also gets immunities to pretty much everything.

Fawsto
2010-03-10, 11:37 AM
Items are alright, specially if we are talking core/completes.


I will check those spells... Seriously, I hate Lamias. A touch attack that screw clerics hard. What a pain in the ass.

Cyclocone
2010-03-10, 11:38 AM
Body of War turns you into a Warforged Titan, which may or may not grant you construct immunities (can't remember).

Shapechange is go, obviously.

I suppose AMF could work since ability damage attacks tend to be (Su), but meh.

Sinfire Titan
2010-03-10, 12:51 PM
There's a Vile feat that lets you donate a Negative Level to a willing creature touched (so you could give the benefits to an Undead minion and get a Win-Win situation). You can get the feat for free via Elder Evils.

Ability Damage is soaked by Shape Soulmeld: Strongheart Vest. Unfortunately, you can't get the Bind effect that renders you immune to Ability Drain.

A Reserve Feat in CC can temporarily restore damaged ability scores.

Lysander
2010-03-10, 02:04 PM
The question is, do you only wants spell that specifically grant immunity or spells that just improve your chances of avoiding level/ability drain? Blink for example gives everything a 50% chance of missing you, including touch attacks from undead creatures and from magic spells like energy drain. And how situational are we talking about? There are a lot of spells that would work against one type of creature but not against others. Is this for an encounter or do you just want ability level drain/damage immunity as a general character feature?

Anyway, off the top of my head:

Iron Body: immunity to ability damage
AMF: Protection from everything but (ex) abilities

Lapak
2010-03-10, 02:18 PM
A Scarab of Protection from the SRD will cover you against energy drains, negative energy, and death attacks. It also gives your SR 20, but after it has absorbed enough of the special attacks it is destroyed.

I feel sure there's an armor quality along the lines of Death Ward, but I'm not sure what book it's from.

Master_Rahl22
2010-03-10, 02:57 PM
Talisman of Undying Fortitude from Magic Item Compendium protects against ability damage/drain. It pretty much gives you all the undead immunities for 3 rounds, with a swift action to activate. It functions twice per day.

Fawsto
2010-03-10, 08:15 PM
Thanks for the help

Now, those spells (specially sheltered vitality and life's grace, since they are from a lower level) helped a lot.

I am asking this because I have a Cleric running for imunities right now. He is a Fighter 1/ Cleric 4/ CInq 3 with Travel and Celerity as domains, planing into Contemplative and Divine Oracle.

I started to "fear" ability drain/damage after a ill encounter with a pair of Lamias and those pesky "I touch you, oops, 1d6 Wis drain" ability. I was lucky enough to fly out of their reach with only 2 points of Wis drain.

Damn it, ability drain is certainly a very anoying way to punch someone out of the damn adventure. I don't like it at all.

I like the Bone Knight, but I can't use it (no campaing setting material accepted) and besides that achieving the level in wich you fuse with your armor means that a Bebilith can one shot you just by ripping your armor off. Creepy.

taltamir
2010-03-10, 08:19 PM
the SpC is way more balanced then core. most game breaking spells are in the SRD.

Roderick_BR
2010-03-10, 08:29 PM
Iron Body (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/ironbody.htm) from the Earth Domain makes you practically become a golen, with immunity to ability score damage, but not energy drain.

taltamir
2010-03-10, 08:34 PM
also: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#scarabofProtection