Negative Level Questions for Casters

[Johnboy]

Me and my DM are going at it a little bit about Negative levels on Casters. Ive been running Casters for a while and read that when a Caster takes negative leves that they lose one level of the highest level spell slot they can cast. And thats all.

However my DM believes that if i lost enough levels to the point where I couldnt normally cast a certain level of spells that i normally have access to that I couldnt any longer have access to any of those spells. For instance a Level 7 character has access to 4th level spells. Bestowing 1 negative level reduces his level to 6 and a normal level 6 wizard wouldnt be able to cast 4th level spells.

I read the following info on the Wizards sitehttp://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_negativelevel&alpha=, but he isnt convinced. Other than the obvious, what the DM says goes rule, what do you all say? If you can refrence materials please do so.

[Johnboy]

This bit is on the description in the link I gave as well
"-1 effective level (whenever the creature's level is used in a die roll or calculation, reduce it by one for each negative level)."

[Duke of Urrel]

The Enervation spell imposes 1d4 negative energy levels. According to the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/enervation.htm), "Each negative level gives a creature a -1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, ability checks, and effective level (for determining the power, duration, DC, and other details of spells or special abilities). Additionally, a spellcaster loses one spell or spell slot from his or her highest available level. Negative levels stack."

According to this text, one negative energy level causes you to lose "one spell or one spell slot." I interpret this to mean that if you've already prepared one or more spells at your highest available level, you lose one of these prepared spells. If you don't prepare spells (because you cast them spontaneously), or if you've left a spell slot at your highest available level open for later preparation, you lose one spell slot at your highest available level. That's all the spellcasting ability you lose with one negative level. Of course, with each additional negative level, you lose another spell or spell slot, so that if too many negative levels are imposed upon you, you may not be able to cast any spells at your highest level at all. Indeed, you may start losing spells or spell slots at your second-highest spell level, because the more negative levels you have, the more you lose.

You can't lose access to all the spells of your highest spell level because of only one negative level (unless you can cast only one spell at this level), but you can if this negative level changes into energy drain, which is the permanent loss of a character level. This can happen with some negative-energy attacks and with the Energy Drain spell, but not with the Enervation spell.

[StreamOfTheSky]

You lose spell slots, even if you recover the negative level afterwards, they're just gone for the day.

The effective level loss will cut off access to higher level spells completely as well, as you no longer have the minimum caster level to use them*. However, should you heal the negative levels afterwards, you'd get to use your remaining high level spells once again. You only lost access to it, not the resource itself.

*For reference: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/castingSpells.htm#casterLevel

You can cast a spell at a lower caster level than normal, but the caster level you choose must be high enough for you to cast the spell in question, and all level-dependent features must be based on the same caster level.

You can't cast a spell of a given level if you lack the min. caster level needed to access it. Full stop.

I agree with your DM.

[SinsI]

That latter part is arguable. If Negative Level is an adjustment to caster level, you are casting at your original caster level (or below, if you wish to) - that is changed afterward by all your caster level adjustments for the purpose of determining numerical effects/spell strength.

[Duke of Urrel]

I disagree, StreamOfTheSky.

In my understanding, a negative level doesn't actually reduce your caster level; only energy drain does that. A negative level merely imposes a –1 penalty upon your caster level, so that your effective caster level, "for determining the power, duration, DC, and other details of spells or special abilities," is lower.