[3.5] Negative Undead Levels

[Cardea]

So, question came up with a DM, and we're confused as to how this resolves itself.

Propose that a creature dies while it has negative levels. Whether it dies because of them is not the point, merely that it has them while it was alive, before it died. If someone were to cast Animate Dead on the corpse, would the newly-risen corpse be affected by the Negative Levels still?

The question came up, and we think its one of three things:

Yes, because it was much weaker while it was still alive.
No, because Undead are immune to Negative Levels.
No, because when it died, it was just a corpse, therefore it should remove Negative Levels.

[Urpriest]

I'd definitely say 3. If it actually lost levels, that's different. But negative levels are a debuff, and any debuff will disappear when it ceases to be a valid target. Similarly if you cast Bull's Strength and kill something you won't get a Skeleton with Bull's Strength.

[Cardea]

I'd definitely say 3. If it actually lost levels, that's different. But negative levels are a debuff, and any debuff will disappear when it ceases to be a valid target. Similarly if you cast Bull's Strength and kill something you won't get a Skeleton with Bull's Strength.
Thank you.

[tyckspoon]

If you can afford to wait a day or so before raising it, you can be safely guaranteed it won't have any negative levels- they drop off after 24 hours, either because they were saved against or because they got converted to full on level loss. An object is immune to Fort saves and has no levels to lose regardless, so if you can just give it those 24 hours you can be guaranteed your new undead has no negative levels hiding in it. Otherwise.. I have no idea. Weird case.

[flabort]

Although that would be an interesting idea for a new undead...

[Coidzor]

I'd definitely say 3. If it actually lost levels, that's different. But negative levels are a debuff, and any debuff will disappear when it ceases to be a valid target. Similarly if you cast Bull's Strength and kill something you won't get a Skeleton with Bull's Strength.

Considering that skeletons and zombies don't have levels in the first place, I'm not seeing how level loss on the prior occupant of the body should effect them.