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SurlySeraph
2008-02-23, 12:03 AM
What's the earliest ECL at which a playable character can gain the Energy Drain special ability? I don't mean being able to cast Enervate, I mean actual vampire-style energy drain. Any help would be much appreciated.

SurlySeraph
2008-02-24, 02:39 PM
No advice? If I said that level drain would suck in 4E, or that I was going to make a level-drain-based monk build to prove that monks are actually far more powerful than druids, would I get some responses?

The Glyphstone
2008-02-24, 02:50 PM
Energy Drain at will is, as far as I know, the exclusive property of monsters (undead ones, specifically, like wights and vampires).

Vampire has LA+8, so ECL9 by that route. I don't have Libris Mortis on hand, but I think Wights were LA +4 with 4 racial hit dice...so ECL8 for a Wight Monster Class would be the earliest I can think of.

playswithfire
2008-02-24, 02:57 PM
If you allow 3.0 material, Soul Eater from Book of Vile Darkness gives energy drain at level 1 and is enterable at 5+LA of your chosen non-humanoid/monstrous humanoid. So a feral human or non-psionic thri-kreen can have energy drain at ECL 7. Or, since this plan requires 3.0 anyway, pick one of the anthropomorphic animals from Savage Species with a couple HD and LA 0 and you can have energy drain at ECL 6.

That's the best I got

Thrym
2008-02-24, 03:00 PM
Souleater Prestigeclass, BoVD, page 66: Gains Energy Drain at level 1, can be entered after level 5 with a full BAB class, but you'll need a race that is not a 'humanoid'.

A Necklace of the Fang from Savage Species or simply Gauntlets with the 'Souldrinking' ability (BoVD, page 112) would also do the trick, but that's a +4 bonus.

I think there's also some magical armor in some 3.0 book which had gauntlets with energy drain.

SurlySeraph
2008-02-24, 08:42 PM
Okay, thanks. I'll be going with a level in Soul Eater.

KillianHawkeye
2008-02-25, 05:01 AM
Vampire has LA+8, so ECL9 by that route.

Yeah, but you have to be at least 5th level to become one (so ECL 13), unless you want to chuck all your class levels and become Vampire Spawn.

Person_Man
2008-02-25, 12:16 PM
Soul Eater is 3.0, which some DMs care about.

A 3.5 workaround is to find a magic weapon property that drains levels, and then enchant your fists with that power. Or you can play a wight. Libris Mortis has rules for it.

Also, Libris Mortis has a couple of really potent feats that increase your draining ability and give you spell stealing. If you do get Energy Drain, I'd look into them.