Defense against negative levels

[0ldschool]

FYI, newbie on my first character, now at Level 17. I’m still running Gianthold at the moment to get my saga reward.

I find lately that negative levels are typically the most dangerous thing that I face with any regular frequency, running level 14'ish quests on Elite. I thought that I had this beat when I got my UMD up, but found out that when I’m hit with 4 negative levels my UMD plummets and Greater Restoration scrolls are not an option. I’ve been using my Gloomy potions of Restoration from Revels, but at this rate those won’t last much longer.

If I understand DDOwiki correctly, my options to prevent this are Death Ward and Negative Energy Absorption items.

Death Ward: There are no permanent Death Ward items. I have Potions of Gloomy Death Ward, but again those will run out quickly. I don’t have a Death Ward clickie, but I’m not sure if 7 minutes once per quest is going to be enough for me. As a first timer, I don’t know when I’m going to run into it, and I take a lot longer than 7 minutes to run a quest. I also have the option of getting a hireling to cast Death Ward on me over and over. Again, not ideal.

Negative Energy Absorption: I pulled a Death’s Locket from Prison of Planes. It has 5 charges per day. If I wear it, I will lose a Realistic 5 of Natural Armor 7 necklace, which is a LOT to give up IMHO. My lack of knowledge of the quests doesn’t allow me to switch in and out items for each quests or even within quest for different encounters. I try to optimize for anything that may come my way.

Is there something I can do to better defend against the negative levels full time, or is the real answer here that I simply won’t likely have anything close to full time protection? The truth may be that I must learn when it is needed by first running quests, and then in the future firing up a clickie or hireling Death Ward when I know what’s coming.

Thanks for your help.

[Zretch]

FYI, newbie on my first character, now at Level 17. I’m still running Gianthold at the moment to get my saga reward.

I find lately that negative levels are typically the most dangerous thing that I face with any regular frequency, running level 14'ish quests on Elite. I thought that I had this beat when I got my UMD up, but found out that when I’m hit with 4 negative levels my UMD plummets and Greater Restoration scrolls are not an option. I’ve been using my Gloomy potions of Restoration from Revels, but at this rate those won’t last much longer.

If I understand DDOwiki correctly, my options to prevent this are Death Ward and Negative Energy Absorption items.

Death Ward: There are no permanent Death Ward items. I have Potions of Gloomy Death Ward, but again those will run out quickly. I don’t have a Death Ward clickie, but I’m not sure if 7 minutes once per quest is going to be enough for me. As a first timer, I don’t know when I’m going to run into it, and I take a lot longer than 7 minutes to run a quest. I also have the option of getting a hireling to cast Death Ward on me over and over. Again, not ideal.

Negative Energy Absorption: I pulled a Death’s Locket from Prison of Planes. It has 5 charges per day. If I wear it, I will lose a Realistic 5 of Natural Armor 7 necklace, which is a LOT to give up IMHO. My lack of knowledge of the quests doesn’t allow me to switch in and out items for each quests or even within quest for different encounters. I try to optimize for anything that may come my way.

Is there something I can do to better defend against the negative levels full time, or is the real answer here that I simply won’t likely have anything close to full time protection? The truth may be that I must learn when it is needed by first running quests, and then in the future firing up a clickie or hireling Death Ward when I know what’s coming.

Thanks for your help.

Death ward clickes are not exclusive. Farm up 3-4 of them and use them as you need. A shrine will reset all of them. I carry 4 Visors when I level up in heroics. At cap, there's the new necklace out of WPM which gives 3 charges of 15 minute Mass Death Ward (level 29 item).

If you're a dagger build, the Vistani tree has immunity to negative energy drain as an enhancment.
Paladins have Sealed Soul in tier 5 KotC.
Warlocks get Death Ward as a spell in a Tainted Scholar core.
When you hit epics, Shadowdancer has sealed soul as a tier 5 ability.
When you hit epics, a 4 (or maybe 5) piece purity sentient set gives immunity to negative energy drain.

Spell absorption can also absorb neg level spells. You can carry more than one spell absorption item (like a jeweled cloak or ioun stone) and swap them when they run out. Once again, a shrine will refill them all.

[0ldschool]

Death ward clickes are not exclusive. Farm up 3-4 of them and use them as you need.

The non-exclusive part is big news for me. I would have assumed that they all run on the same timer, sounds like they don't. Thanks! Now I get why Visors are farmed so heavily.

At cap, there's the new necklace out of WPM which gives 3 charges of 15 minute Mass Death Ward (level 29 item).

Cool. I also notice the ML20 Epic Dusk Heart, with one 15 minute charge. I'm not too far away from that.

Spell absorption can also absorb neg level spells. You can carry more than one spell absorption item (like a jeweled cloak or ioun stone) and swap them when they run out. Once again, a shrine will refill them all.

OK, another good one. I've been told that the Jeweled Cloak is worth the effort, just not lucky enough to pull one yet.

Thanks everyone.

[Kenpai]

I also notice the ML20 Epic Dusk Heart, with one 15 minute charge. I'm not too far away from that.

I would not count on having an Epic item from the Sands.
Especially not an Epic item that drops from the explorer area in the Sands.
Once you get into King's Forest you can trade Cleric commendations for ML:1 CL:20 Death Ward potions at a rate of 1:1.

[Enoach]

I would not count on having an Epic item from the Sands.
Especially not an Epic item that drops from the explorer area in the Sands.
Once you get into King's Forest you can trade Cleric commendations for ML:1 CL:20 Death Ward potions at a rate of 1:1.

It is rare, the Epic Rose Quartz Sigil Stone is easier to obtain then the Epic Dusk Heart

--
As a note there are other options to avoid level drain
1. Being of the Race Warforged or Bladeforge
2. Be in Undead Shroud using the Wizard Pale Master Tree
3. Take the Sealed Life Enhancement (Tier 5 Knight of the Chalice)

[NemesisAlien]

It is rare, the Epic Rose Quartz Sigil Stone is easier to obtain then the Epic Dusk Heart

--
As a note there are other options to avoid level drain
1. Being of the Race Warforged or Bladeforge
2. Be in Undead Shroud using the Wizard Pale Master Tree
3. Take the Sealed Life Enhancement (Tier 5 Knight of the Chalice)

Cheapest AP wise is palemaster walking dead season ddo, number 2 is vis tree, its in tier 4, still a lot of investment for 1 thing.

If I want cheap i'd use pale, then can spec EK for improve shield also. Total 8 ap last i checked.

[spyder7723]

Oldschool. I love you man. You are such a breath of fresh air compared to other new players screaming that things are impossible and need nerfed.

The easiest way to get deathward clickies is running tangleroot. Get a couple of them and it will be enough. Remember they recharge when you shrine so you just need enough to get to the next shrine.

Also consider combining tactics for specific encounters. Beholders for example will dispel DW then priced to pile on neg levels at a very high rate. A way to stop this is cast dw/use dw clickie/ drink dw pot plus equip a spell absorption item such as the upgraded pale lavendar ioun stone. To clarify: dw AND soell absorption prevent the every drain attack. Once the charges on the spell absorption item are drained the dw will be dispelled. Word of warning, the pale lav initially has limited charges, only once it is upgraded do those charges replenish when shrining.

A couple other things that are sorta on topic. One of the eveningstar traders trades deathward and restoration pots for commendations. I forget which one but i wanna say its cleric or druid. Also save your remnants. You will eventually have enough to trade them in for an eternal flask of deathward. And flask of displacement and my personal favorite: freedom of movement. They share a 10 minute comedown with each other so you can only use one at a time howevet i suggest eventuality getting them all unless you can cast the spell. And even then get them all cause you will eventually want to tr. Having fom at level 1 (or displacement )is freaking awesome.

Also one of the collectible traders in the necropolis had restoration pots.

The jewelled cloak seems to be in the chain end reward list often for me.

[Knobull]

I have been running Tangleroot for 9 years and not once have I been offered the Visor of the Flesh Render Guards in the end rewards. So don't count on that.

As a result, before the levels where hires with deathward are available, I just let the negative levels time out: go to the store, watch a TV program, do the dishes... then when you get back, the negative levels have expired, you can heal and resume the quest. I look at it like a forced gaming break, get up move around, get the blood flowing. Other times, I just log off for the day.

[askrj1]

Oldschool. I love you man. You are such a breath of fresh air compared to other new players screaming that things are impossible and need nerfed.

This. Old players having pet peeves over old issues that aren't fixed is one thing, new players just complaining X isn't working out for them and asking for game to be changed to their flavour is just completely beyond me. It would be so much more constructive if new players asked for help around the game to join the rest of us rather than going on about not getting what they wanted purely out of blind expectation.

[0ldschool]

Oldschool. I love you man. You are such a breath of fresh air compared to other new players screaming that things are impossible and need nerfed.

I can't imagine anything that would lead me to that. This is a leisure activity for me, and I have very little leisure time between career and family. It's way too scarce to waste on something I don't enjoy. If I ever get to the point where this games annoys me more than I enjoy it, you won't see any complaining from me, because I'll simply be gone. For now, its all good!

Oh... and I love you too

[vms4ever]

If you're going to include epics, shadowdancer epic destiny includes sealed soul which gives immunity to neg levels

[RootinTuutin]

OK, another good one. I've been told that the Jeweled Cloak is worth the effort, just not lucky enough to pull one yet.

These are not necessarily bound, so you can often find them on the AH for cheap. And they are especially good with beholders. Beholders will just throw anti magic and dispel your deathward and then neg level you anyway.

[Knobull]

This surprises me. I had collected so many of them that even my rarely played alts have 2 or 3. How may times have you actually ran it in those 9 years?

Edit: just checked the wiki. They are GUARANTEED to be in the end reward list every 3rd completion. And those quests are fast. You can run that whole chain in under an hour at level, on a level 17 it would be even faster.

Weird. I'd say I have run it at least 4 times per year over 9 years. Never has the visor been offered. Maybe the three completions have to be within a certain period of time?

These are not bound, so you can often find them on the AH for cheap. And they are especially good with beholders. Beholders will just throw anti magic and dispel your deathward and then neg level you anyway.

These, I have three of. They do work well for lower level beholders, but are pretty much useless against higher level beholders like the ones in the Orchard who spam rays like they're going out of style. 5 charges is not nearly enough and my twitch skills are no where near good enough to swap gear mid combat.

[Krelar]

Weird. I'd say I have run it at least 4 times per year over 9 years. Never has the visor been offered. Maybe the three completions have to be within a certain period of time?

Reincarnating resets the counter. Also it hasn't had that feature the entire time, it was added in U13 which was early 2012.

[spyder7723]

Weird. I'd say I have run it at least 4 times per year over 9 years. Never has the visor been offered. Maybe the three completions have to be within a certain period of time?



These, I have three of. They do work well for lower level beholders, but are pretty much useless against higher level beholders like the ones in the Orchard who spam rays like they're going out of style. 5 charges is not nearly enough and my twitch skills are no where near good enough to swap gear mid combat.

the epic version has 20 charges. nothing that I know of blocks the con drain of doomsphere rays. that's why we have easy to get restoration pots. if you run the necro chain by the time you get to the doomsphere you will have enough of the collectibles to get a handful of restoration pots. or if you are a collectible junky like me and been playing 9 years, you already have 500 of them. the trader is in the lower necropolis. I think its the one over by the person that gives the quest bloody crypt.

[alex1972]

Weird. I'd say I have run it at least 4 times per year over 9 years. Never has the visor been offered. Maybe the three completions have to be within a certain period of time?

Knobull, First, I acknowledge that improbable rolls happen, so it is fully possible that you have run Tangleroot several times and never received a Visor. However, that end reward list is unusual in that it is very long. I have to scroll down quite far to see the full list of what is offered, and the Visor is usually near the end of the list. There are only a few reward lists like this, so perhaps not everyone has noticed the scroll bar on the list?

I apologize if I'm not offering anything you didn't already know, and I hope your next run nets you this very handy clickie.

[ThreadNecromancer]

*snip*

When you hit epics, a 4 (or maybe 5) piece purity sentient set gives immunity to negative energy drain.

*snip*

It's the 4pc set bonus, but I'm not sure it's working properly. I tested it in heroic Abbott and still got double digits worth of negative levels.

Either that, or those Wheeps/Quells are OP as hell.

[LightBear]

There is:
https://ddowiki.com/page/Spell_Resistance
https://ddowiki.com/page/Category:Sp...sorption_items
https://ddowiki.com/page/Negative_Energy_Absorption
https://ddowiki.com/page/Death_Ward
And finally there is
https://ddowiki.com/page/Resistance_(enchantment)
(Not sure if there is a resistance for necromancy affix, does anybody know if there is one?)

And yes, that does seem to be the order in which they are checked, tho spell absorb and neg en absorb might tick off at the same time if two items are equipped at the same time.

To get back up you can use restoration and heal (prob from scrolls).

My favorite items for this are:
Eternal Flask of Death Ward (mysterious remnants trade in), useable from level 1 and upwards.
Elegant Diamond Necklace (store bought item), equip when going against beholders
(Epic) Phiarlan Mirror Cloak, has both spell resistance and spell absorb but is drained empty with one magic missiles spell.

[0ldschool]

There is:
https://ddowiki.com/page/Spell_Resistance
https://ddowiki.com/page/Category:Sp...sorption_items
https://ddowiki.com/page/Negative_Energy_Absorption
https://ddowiki.com/page/Death_Ward
And finally there is
https://ddowiki.com/page/Resistance_(enchantment)
(Not sure if there is a resistance for necromancy affix, does anybody know if there is one?)

And yes, that does seem to be the order in which they are checked, tho spell absorb and neg en absorb might tick off at the same time if two items are equipped at the same time.

To get back up you can use restoration and heal (prob from scrolls).

My favorite items for this are:
Eternal Flask of Death Ward (mysterious remnants trade in), useable from level 1 and upwards.
Elegant Diamond Necklace (store bought item), equip when going against beholders
(Epic) Phiarlan Mirror Cloak, has both spell resistance and spell absorb but is drained empty with one magic missiles spell.

Belated thanks for your suggestions. Unless I am mistaken, Heal will not remove negative levels. But I do have Restoration scrolls, which i confirmed I can use with 4 neg levels. I'm going to need a pile of them, though, at that rate. It would be vastly better if was protected from being neg'd in the first place. I've just managed to open up my Belt slot, and I would love to put in the belt equivalent of Death's Locket, or Jeweled Cloak. I can't bring myself to give up effects in the cloak and necklace slots at the moment, at least on a full time basis. Anyone know of any Spell Absorption or Negative Energy absorption belts? Eternal Flask of Death Ward sounds spectacular! I'm going to have to find the Mysterious Remnants trader.

Thanks again.

EDIT: I just realized what you meant, Restoration and then Heal to get back the HP. Sorry about that!

[Zretch]

Belated thanks for your suggestions. Unless I am mistaken, Heal will not remove negative levels. But I do have Restoration scrolls, which i confirmed I can use with 4 neg levels. I'm going to need a pile of them, though, at that rate. It would be vastly better if was protected from being neg'd in the first place. I've just managed to open up my Belt slot, and I would love to put in the belt equivalent of Death's Locket, or Jeweled Cloak. I can't bring myself to give up effects in the cloak and necklace slots at the moment, at least on a full time basis. Anyone know of any Spell Absorption or Negative Energy absorption belts? Eternal Flask of Death Ward sounds spectacular! I'm going to have to find the Mysterious Remnants trader.

Thanks again.

EDIT: I just realized what you meant, Restoration and then Heal to get back the HP. Sorry about that!

Greater restoration scrolls will remove all negative levels for one scroll use, but you'll likely have to be a CHA build on a class that has UMD has a class skill to cast them at a reasonable level in heroics.