Negative Levels (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

Introduction

Sucks the life out of people with Call Lightning and Ball Lightning.

References

Magic of Faerun, Libris Mortis: The Book of the Dead, PHB 3.5, Dragon Magic.

Game Rule Components

Spells, Powers, Soulmelds, Stances, etc...

Ball Lightning, Call Lightning, Fell Drain (Metamagic).

Items

None necessary.

Progression

Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): Int at least 12

Race (Templates): Silverbrow Human

Starting Racial Traits: Human Racial Traits Humans possess the human racial traits described in the Player's Handbook.

Silverbrow Humans Silverbrow humans share some distant lineage with a silver dragon. Their racial traits differ from ordinary humans as follows: No bonus skill points. Dragonblood subtype. Feather Fall (Sp): A silverbrow human can use feather fall once per day, plus one additional time her day for every 5 Hit Dice he has. Disguise Aptitude: Silverbrow humans have a +2 racial bonus on Disguise checks, and Disguise is always considered a class skill.

ECL	Class/HD/LA	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Feats	Class Features	Special
			Fort	Ref	Will
1st	Wizard 1-15	+	+	+	+	Fell Drain, Practical Metamagic: Fell Drain, Possibly Arcane Disciple for Call Lightning, anything else	Summon Familiar	Before level 15 use Call Lightning. Highlights Ball Lightning can be split into 15 balls of lightning. Fell Weaken deals a no-save negative level on a hit with the Fell Weakened spell. Ball Lightning also lasts 15 rounds. Conclusion? 15 rounds dealing 15 negative levels each round. Call Lightning works (though more slowly) at a lower level, because you only need 4th level spells, but it deals 1 NL, then 2, and so on, up to (CL) levels per round. Munchkin-Size Me More burst damage: Ultimate Magus -> Twin and Repeat Ball Lightning. You can't sustain it, but still more burst. You can Chain, Twin and Repeat Enervation to target Fortitude, and tag this to another build with at least 6th level spells. Side Notes This is less of an optimized build and more of a combination of metamagic and spell that is incredibly broken. Tag this onto any other build for more versatile destruction. Limitations Things with high Reflex and Evasion can avoid most of the damage, and anything immune to lightning or level drain is immune too. DM Counters Anything with, again, high Reflex and Evasion, and if they start using Enervation just use high Touch AC or Fortitude. Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Optimized Character Builds