Howdy,
One of the indigenous creatures of the High Moor according to canon is the wight. The d20srd says it's attack includes:
Energy Drain (Su)
Living creatures hit by a wight’s slam attack gain one negative level. The DC is 14 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the wight gains 5 temporary hit points.
A couple of questions;
1. Would you toolset this by adding the property of OnMonsterHit: Level Drain to its attack, or is that not quite the same thing?
2. How do we feel about negative levels generally?
3. Is such a creature disallowed under some rule that I'm not aware of?
I am afraid I have the NWN1-only answer to some of these (or at least, opinions), but assume NWN2 follows along fairly closely.
(1) A very qualified yes.
In NWN1, I can easily add "On Monster Hit: Level Drain Amount: 1." This drains a level. It does not give the monster any bonus hitpoints though, to reflect "juicing up" from a success on their level drain attack. The save DC is probably NOT Charisma based either, I honestly forget how the spell save DCs get "called" in the guts of that script, it might work off of like, the overall "spells" series of scripts (where "Level Drain" counts as a spell on hit). I guess one could trial and error, create a dummy wraith with a proper CHA 15, see whether NPCs get a DC 14 Fort Save to avoid the level drain.
Anyhow, if you truly wanted to alter things to get the "5hp on success" bit going, it is certainly possible to script a "unique power on hit", where dozens of different things could happen. Drain a level, add some hitpoints, apply miscellaneous vfx or whatever, you name it. I have it on reasonable authority though that this kind of unique alteration to on hit powers can kill efficiency, create lag, whatever. Gotta sort of ask whether "+5hp" is worth performance issues. *shrugs*
Someone more deeply NWN2 technical could probably advise on whether such a unique power script would be a good or bad idea.
(What's even more fun is that anyone slain by a wight should become a wight minion in 1d4 rounds, woo hoo! Still, not in scope of your questions.)
(2) I feel great about 'em. They are easily cured with an appropriate restoration spell (I think "Restoration" for levels, "Lesser Restoration" if just ability points). In prior editions of D&D, you needed some big mojo to fix negative levels, this made stuff like wraiths, wights, whatevers, truly fearsome. You might've even needed to re-earn XP, boo.
These in NWN1 could also sometimes be OOCly cured by a server reset, if I recall correctly. Ie, wander around "drained", then later, you're fine. Same with poison, diseases, and all kinds of other stuff. Still, that's OOC, honest play would maybe include having a DM keep your PC crippled up from their brushes with the undead.
Anyhow, yeah, negative energy attacks like level drains are a hallmark of mid-to-high level non-mindless undead. Never seen any reaction against that in NWN1, don't know why that'd change in NWN2.
(3) Doubt it. They're classic creepy crawlies, found throughout better NWN1 dungeons, I've heard of no disdain for them in NWN2, nor rules.
Possibly making sure NPC priests sell "Restoration" services might be a necessary little bit of infrastructure if you have nasty static crypts around, less a rule than a suggestion to get PCs back on their feet, if these things are common. Most NWN1 priest packages I saw out in ALFA seemed to have "Restoration" somewhere on the dozen-item menus, pricing I forget. Somewhere in the DMG you can find the "NPC spellcaster pricing" (Usually Caster Level x 10gp x Spell Level + material component costs). Turns out Restoration is Cleric 4, and needs 100gp in diamond dust, so you'd normally need at least a 7th level cleric (280gp + 100gp materials).
Hope this is of some aid, though really only a story from the NWN1 perspective.
ALFA NWN2 PCs: Rhaggot of the Bruised-Eye, and Bamshogbo
ALFA NWN1 PC: Jacobim Foxmantle
ALFA NWN1 Dead PC: Jon Shieldjack
Belated thanks to BB on this one. I've only just realised that actually I can go back to NWN1 and make a note of how some creatures missing in NWN2 were implemented.
What is a slam attack? Does the creature normally use it every round? Is it a full-round action replacing its attacks, etc.? Should it stack up unlimited negative levels, or just keep 1 max? What's a fortitude save to remove a negative level - or is it simply the prevention - and if not when do such happen?
Veilan wrote:What is a slam attack? Does the creature normally use it every round? Is it a full-round action replacing its attacks, etc.? Should it stack up unlimited negative levels, or just keep 1 max? What's a fortitude save to remove a negative level - or is it simply the prevention - and if not when do such happen?
I can say with confidence that my answer to all of those questions is, "I don't know". As mentioned earlier I was going to copy the settings from the NWN1 creature and hope no-one makes a fuss. *Looks nervous*.
