Talk:Drain strength

Can we have an article on stat draining in general? Is it permanent if not cured? I think a unicorn horn and potion of restore ability can heal drained strength but are there other ways? DemonDoll 20:57, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

Feel free to make an article on stat loss. However, strength is the only stat that can be drained by a monster spell. It is "permanent" in that any further changes will start from your current stat, e.g. you can push boulder to exercise your strength back up. Unicorn horn, prayer, restore ability (potion/spell) are the most common ways to heal it, but there are more obscure ways (see food poisoning for a list of pointers where to look). The exception is stat loss due to polymorphing in a new version of yourself, it cannot be healed. -Tjr 15:55, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

I stand corrected, quasits can drain dexterity, energy vortices maximum power etc. See magic cancellation for a list. -Tjr 14:10, 17 June 2009 (UTC)

Sustain ability

So wizmode testing in SLASH'EM seems to suggest a couple things:

• You start losing max hp at Str 4, not 3 (i.e. strength doesn't drop below 4)
• It definitely seems that sustain ability blocks the stat drain. But, if you're already at the minimum strength, it doesn't seem to block the HP loss. I'm not sure about marginal cases - i.e., if you have 7 strength, sustain ability, and get drained for 6 - do you lose no max hp, or do you lose 18 (because, without sustain ability, you would have dropped to strength 1)?

I'll try to do some more controlled tests on this later, though if someone wants to try in the mean time, feel free. Admittedly, this is all pretty minor, since you very rarely don't have magic resistance or Elbereth when facing monsters who can cast this spell. -Ion frigate 02:11, 22 December 2011 (UTC)