Drain life (monster attack)
Drain life is a monster attack damage type that may reduce the experience level of the defender.
Description
If a drain life attack hits and passes through magic cancellation, then it has a 1⁄3 chance of taking effect.
It may be prevented by drain resistance, magic cancellation, or if the attacker is a cancelled monster.
Versus characters
The character's experience level is reduced by 1, killing them if their level reaches 0; their experience points are reduced to the maximum for their new level. Maximum and current hit points and energy are reduced by the same amount as they would have been increased had the player gained a level. They cannot be reduced below one hit point and zero energy points.[1][2]
Versus monsters
The monster's level is reduced by 1, killing them if their level reaches 0; their maximum and current hit points are reduced by 2d6. If their hit points are reduced below 1, they die.[3]
Monsters with the attack
The following monsters have this attack:
Additionally, if the system configuration option SEDUCE is not set, then foocubi have a drain life attack rather than a seduction attack.
Internals
Drain life is represented by the macro AD_DRLI.[4]
Strategy
Magic cancellation and an extremely good armor class reduce the chances of an attack hitting and getting through. If you expect to get hit many times, you can equip MC3 items or wield one of the drain resistance artifacts.
Most of the time, the hero immediately regains the first lost level from the experience gained by killing the attacker. If you do lose two or more levels at once, you can regain all the levels by quaffing a blessed potion of restore ability, or regain one level by quaffing an uncursed potion of restore ability or a blessed potion of full healing.
Messages
- Goodbye level <number>
- Fare thee well level <number>
- Sayonara level <number>
- Aloha level <number>
- Farvel level <number>
- You have been drained one level.
- <monster> suddenly seems weaker!
- A monster has been drained one level.
