Energy Drain

[Greyhawk6]

Hi all,

Energy Drain - is there any counter to this at all? Death Ward used to counter it but it doesn't seem to work any more. There seems to be no save, no check vs spell resistance, no dodge, nothing. You just get drained multiple levels at a time with no obvious way to stop it happening. Since wizards spam enervation contantly this seems a really cheesy and peevish thing to have. Almost as bad as mobs spam heal themselves to max everytime (Drow Priestesses, looking at you).

Am I missing something blindingly obvious here? All my toons have deathblock items as standard but thats no counter either. So far the only way I've countered it is casting multiple restoration spells and rest shrines. Beholders draining 14 levels in 1 second kind of makes you want to rage quit.

[CaptainPurge]

Hi all,

Energy Drain - is there any counter to this at all? Death Ward used to counter it but it doesn't seem to work any more. There seems to be no save, no check vs spell resistance, no dodge, nothing. You just get drained multiple levels at a time with no obvious way to stop it happening. Since wizards spam enervation contantly this seems a really cheesy and peevish thing to have. Almost as bad as mobs spam heal themselves to max everytime (Drow Priestesses, looking at you).

Am I missing something blindingly obvious here? All my toons have deathblock items as standard but thats no counter either. So far the only way I've countered it is casting multiple restoration spells and rest shrines. Beholders draining 14 levels in 1 second kind of makes you want to rage quit.

Death Ward blocks level drain. Deathblock does not. In what circumstances are you seeing DW not blocking level drain? Beholders do dispel buffs so is that it?

[Dragavon]

Hi all,

Energy Drain - is there any counter to this at all? Death Ward used to counter it but it doesn't seem to work any more. There seems to be no save, no check vs spell resistance, no dodge, nothing. You just get drained multiple levels at a time with no obvious way to stop it happening. Since wizards spam enervation contantly this seems a really cheesy and peevish thing to have. Almost as bad as mobs spam heal themselves to max everytime (Drow Priestesses, looking at you).

Am I missing something blindingly obvious here? All my toons have deathblock items as standard but thats no counter either. So far the only way I've countered it is casting multiple restoration spells and rest shrines. Beholders draining 14 levels in 1 second kind of makes you want to rage quit.

Deathblock on items / augments does not prevent energy drain. Deathworks works just fine, tested in game 10 minutes ago.

Spell absorption like jewel cloak or ioun stone works, and the silver flame talisman works fine too.

[Wakisaka]

Well you are fighting beholders so deathward gets removed near instantly by anti-magic cone.
So that leaves the following:

1. Kill it fast (it is a beholder and they are generally weak and most of the time solitary)
2. Hit and run away once you have more than 4 negative levels to get restored by hireling or via scroll/clicky
3. Have plenty of Absorb type items such as:

Good options (harder to acquire):
Beholder Optic Nerves (drops in the same quest it is most useful in)
Pale Lavender Ioun Stone (just plain good in many situations)

Okay options (easier to acquire):
Jeweled Cape
Mantle of the Worldshaper

Number 3 is very much recommended when they are in small packs like VoN or Invaders!

[Greyhawk6]

I'm sure I've been level drained while having death ward up. In fact my Cleric/Fighter has been level drained before with mass death ward cast and I've definitely been drained when I have a hireling's mass death ward on me. Sure of it.

I'll have to try it again...

Meanwhile note to self...don't try to do Study in Sable without doing it with a party beforehand. That's an hour I'll never get back...couldn't even scratch the guy and chain dominated. On Normal lol...at least I figured out how the thralls thing works.

Really nice looking dungeon though. :D

[Dragavon]

I'm sure I've been level drained while having death ward up. In fact my Cleric/Fighter has been level drained before with mass death ward cast and I've definitely been drained when I have a hireling's mass death ward on me. Sure of it.

I'll have to try it again...

Meanwhile note to self...don't try to do Study in Sable without doing it with a party beforehand. That's an hour I'll never get back...couldn't even scratch the guy and chain dominated. On Normal lol...at least I figured out how the thralls thing works.

Really nice looking dungeon though. :D

Then your deathward has been dispelled. 100% certain.

As for the vampire in Study in Sable, you have to lure him into the light to kill him. When he is in the light from the windows he is easy to kill.

[Cantor]

Spellabsorb and negative absorb items. I always use a silverflame necklace as a swap for beholders.

Dispel is really broken, enemies never fail to dispel you. Likely you were dispelled. The worst is shadow king, the wraiths in there spam it and you take str damage.

edit: specifically beholders... of course it was dispelled.

[Tlorrd]

Meanwhile note to self...don't try to do Study in Sable without doing it with a party beforehand. That's an hour I'll never get back...couldn't even scratch the guy and chain dominated. On Normal lol...at least I figured out how the thralls thing works.

Really nice looking dungeon though. :D

Had a similar experience first time I did Study ... I didn't read wiki or anything because from what I'd heard I thought the mystery of the quest would add more flavor. 15 min into boss fight I finally broke a pillar by sheer luck and chance and figured it out ... it was one heck of a ride. I do like doing that sometimes, figuring out a quest without any real prep.

[PlaneswalkerJP]

Meanwhile note to self...don't try to do Study in Sable without doing it with a party beforehand. That's an hour I'll never get back...couldn't even scratch the guy and chain dominated. On Normal lol...at least I figured out how the thralls thing works.

I was farming this quest last month, had same issue once never played it before. Use Protection from evil against dominate. Make it a lot easier

[Saekee]

You can also fight through energy drained states. Two of my favorite tactics:

The axe of famine (http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Axe_of_Famine)on Vorpal casts greater restoration
Way of the Sun Soul: Fire stance on vorpal does a Restoration


I do not know of any other gear that does this

great swap stuff for a melee that does not want to waste time out of combat!!! Kill to heal!!!

[JOTMON]

Hi all,

Energy Drain - is there any counter to this at all? Death Ward used to counter it but it doesn't seem to work any more. There seems to be no save, no check vs spell resistance, no dodge, nothing. You just get drained multiple levels at a time with no obvious way to stop it happening. Since wizards spam enervation contantly this seems a really cheesy and peevish thing to have. Almost as bad as mobs spam heal themselves to max everytime (Drow Priestesses, looking at you).

Am I missing something blindingly obvious here? All my toons have deathblock items as standard but thats no counter either. So far the only way I've countered it is casting multiple restoration spells and rest shrines. Beholders draining 14 levels in 1 second kind of makes you want to rage quit.


Beholders were meant to be tough to deal with..

avoid being face to face...
http://ddowiki.com/page/Beholder_race#A_Beholder.27s_eye-beam_attacks
Front Eye
~Disintegrate (Fortitude save or take 120+ damage)
~Enervation (Take 1-4 temporary negative levels. Prevented by Death Ward—provided that the beholder hasn't used Anti-magic on you and removed that spell...)
~Telekinesis
~Anti-magic cone
http://ddowiki.com/page/Anti-magic_cone


Level drain Prevention...
~Death Ward / Death Ward, Mass
~Spell Resistance can protect you against many sources of neg. levels
~Sealed Life provides Energy Drain immunity.
~Shadowdancer's Sealed Soul ability (T5)
~Warforged / Bladeforged are naturally immune to negative levels from spells.
~Warforged and pale masters are immune to level drain.
~Pale Masters in undead form are immune to negative levels.
~Various absorption items and effects

...Drow Priestesses.....
Don't forget CC options.. stunned/webbed/tripped/or otherwise disabled mobs cant heal themselves.

[Hobgoblin]

...Drow Priestesses.....
Don't forget CC options.. stunned/webbed/tripped/or otherwise disabled mobs cant heal themselves.

just on these portion - they shouldnt heal them selves - have stoned them beat them down and had them heal - but maybe only the named ones

also - for an instakill caster - put them in a globe of invulnerability - takes away dw

[arkonas]

You can also fight through energy drained states. Two of my favorite tactics:

The axe of famine (http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Axe_of_Famine)on Vorpal casts greater restoration
Way of the Sun Soul: Fire stance on vorpal does a lesser restoration


I do not know of any other gear that does this

great swap stuff for a melee that does not want to waste time out of combat!!! Kill to heal!!!

lesser restoration doesn't remove negative levels.

[Saekee]

lesser restoration doesn't remove negative levels.

Correct--it performs a restoration, not lesser: http://m.ddowiki.com/page/Way_of_the_Sun_Soul
will update my post

[Greyhawk6]

Then your deathward has been dispelled. 100% certain.

As for the vampire in Study in Sable, you have to lure him into the light to kill him. When he is in the light from the windows he is easy to kill.

Argh dammit that's so obvious. Could kick myself I missed it! /facepalm Will have to try that next time.

Maybe the DW was dispelled...not had chance to go back in game. Could be me being captain situational awareness of course.

[arkonas]

Argh dammit that's so obvious. Could kick myself I missed it! /facepalm Will have to try that next time.

Maybe the DW was dispelled...not had chance to go back in game. Could be me being captain situational awareness of course.

when you solo you tend to notice more what mobs dispel if you don't kill them quickly. like for example the End boss troll in Trial by fire dispels. most people might not notice it if hes dead but if you don't do much dps you would. i tend to remember which ones strip them sometimes so i can either kill them quickly or just wait until they're dead then try.

[Rykka]

Argh dammit that's so obvious. Could kick myself I missed it! /facepalm Will have to try that next time.

Maybe the DW was dispelled...not had chance to go back in game. Could be me being captain situational awareness of course.

Yeah, the first time I played through it I didn't use the wiki either. But I was able to perch and range attack so I'd get the vampire down and he would regen to full. I figured it was one of those quests that you had to kill the henchmen first, so I did that, but he still wouldn't stay dead. In the end I had to wiki it.

If I'd been on a melee and not cheat-perching I would probably have noticed that the pillars light up when you mouse over them.


As for beating beholders and ubiquitous dispel+energydrain casters, I always upgrade a Silver Flame Nugget (on each character) to at least the 5charge necklace version by completing Necro1 and 2 and using the in-quest shrines. If you can stand doing Necro 3 it upgrades to 10charges. It only stops negative spells, but each charge stops a full spell/attack. The 5/10 charge version also grants Deathblock. You can faceroll beholders with it.

Death's Locket works the same way, isn't exclusive, and is a rare chest drop in the Dolurrh room of Prison of the Planes.

[Niminae]

3. Have plenty of Absorb type items such as:

Good options (harder to acquire):
Beholder Optic Nerves (drops in the same quest it is most useful in)
Pale Lavender Ioun Stone (just plain good in many situations)

Okay options (easier to acquire):
Jeweled Cape
Mantle of the Worldshaper

Number 3 is very much recommended when they are in small packs like VoN or Invaders!

Also Silver Flame Talisman (http://ddowiki.com/page/Silver_Flame_Talisman), and Death's Door (http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Death%27s_Door_(shield)).


You can also fight through energy drained states. Two of my favorite tactics:

The axe of famine (http://ddowiki.com/page/Item:Axe_of_Famine)on Vorpal casts greater restoration
Way of the Sun Soul: Fire stance on vorpal does a Restoration


I do not know of any other gear that does this

great swap stuff for a melee that does not want to waste time out of combat!!! Kill to heal!!!

If you are a Druid or have one in the group Regenerate or Mass Regenerate are fantastic for fights with a lot of stat drains and/or level drains. Throw one of these in a fight with Harry or in Ghosts of Perdition or in the Dreaming Dark and you can ignore the stat drains entirely.

[peterzenn]

Hi all,

Energy Drain - is there any counter to this at all? Death Ward used to counter it but it doesn't seem to work any more. There seems to be no save, no check vs spell resistance, no dodge, nothing. You just get drained multiple levels at a time with no obvious way to stop it happening. Since wizards spam enervation contantly this seems a really cheesy and peevish thing to have. Almost as bad as mobs spam heal themselves to max everytime (Drow Priestesses, looking at you).

Am I missing something blindingly obvious here? All my toons have deathblock items as standard but thats no counter either. So far the only way I've countered it is casting multiple restoration spells and rest shrines. Beholders draining 14 levels in 1 second kind of makes you want to rage quit.

BE PERFECT, BE WARFORGED! - Lord of Blades