Level draining is a terrifying threat! When I played Baldur’s Gate 2 for the PC, I panicked when fighting vampires. Spells, blessings, or leveling up could allow a character to slowly or immediately gain back levels, but it wasn’t easy. Does that sound nuts? It kind of is! It was also semi-permanent. A character whose levels were drained would become a lower-level character. Past editions of D&D used a mechanic that D&D 5e left behind: Level Drain. “You should fear the disturbed dead far more than you do…”Īfter a noble battle, the player asks the DM, “When does this level drain go away? I can rest and be good to go, right?” The DM smirks, “As I said, you should learn to fear the undead.” “This was supposed to be easy!” says the player. Creative Commons License.ĭisclaimer: This article contains affiliate links that add gold to our coffers.Ī character’s over-confident demeanor evaporates into complete fear as the undead creature sucks away its vital life energy. Featured D&D 5e level drain image is “Necromancer” by crmbsct.