# Negative Energy- sources besides Inflict spells?



## Beckett (Jun 20, 2006)

For a campaign starting up, I'm thinking of taking Tomb-Tainted Soul (from Libris Mortis, p 31).  Besides serving as a prereq for a couple other feats, Tomb-Tainted Soul causes you to be healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy, as if you were an undead creature.

So, with it I know I'd have to avoid Cure spells, and that Inflict spells would be useful for healing me.  But is there anything else in the core rules that does damage through Negative Energy?  I was thinking about some undead abilities, but they seem to do Energy Drain or Ability Drain.


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## Sejs (Jun 20, 2006)

Negative Energy Ray (Sor/Wiz 1) and Negative Energy Burst (Sor/Wiz 3) both do direct negative energy damage.  The Charnel Touch ability of the Dread Necromancer class does direct negative energy damage.  I also vaguely remember there being a weapon quality that did negative energy damage like flaming does fire - in the bovd, maybe?  Somewhere.

In the _core_ rules? No.  Nothing else aside from Inflict spells (and Harm) spring to mind.  But then again Tomb Tainted Soul isn't core itself either, so take that as you may.


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## Beckett (Jun 20, 2006)

Sejs said:
			
		

> But then again Tomb Tainted Soul isn't core itself either, so take that as you may.




True, but it's more likely I'll run into something core.  I thought that the only thing it would save me from was Inflict spells, but if I could expect to get a little more mileage out of it, that would make it all the more interesting.  When I first thought of the feat, I thought it might protect me from Energy Drain or something, but reading it showed that wasn't the case.


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## the Jester (Jun 20, 2006)

Isn't a lich's touch attack a negative energy attack? IDHMBIFOM.


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## Jack Simth (Jun 20, 2006)

the Jester said:
			
		

> Isn't a lich's touch attack a negative energy attack? IDHMBIFOM.



Fortunately, it's in the SRD:


			
				SRD said:
			
		

> Damage: A lich without natural weapons has a touch attack that uses negative energy to deal 1d8+5 points of damage to living creatures; a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 lich’s HD + lich’s Cha modifier) halves the damage. A lich with natural weapons can use its touch attack or its natural weaponry, as it prefers. If it chooses the latter, it deals 1d8+5 points of extra damage on one natural weapon attack.


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## Beckett (Jun 20, 2006)

Thanks, I figured at least one undead did use negative energy- although for a game starting at 4th level, I imagine it will still be a long time before I see a lich.  Although, by that time the DM might have forgotten about the feat, so it'll be a nice payoff- "The lich touches you for 10 points of negative energy" "Cool, I needed some healing after he fireballed us"  

Still not sure if I'll take the feat.  It'll be a hassle, even worse than a warforged, but I like the idea of a doomed knight, tainted by the undead horrors, but through the taint he becomes a more powerful enemy of the undead.


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## frankthedm (Jun 20, 2006)

The negative energy attacks of the undead usally strip off levels and ability scores not HP.


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## werk (Jun 20, 2006)

Ray of Enfeeblement.   

Whoops, meant to type, Enervation


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## MarkB (Jun 21, 2006)

werk said:
			
		

> Ray of Enfeeblement.
> 
> Whoops, meant to type, Enervation



It doesn't deal damage.


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## werk (Jun 21, 2006)

MarkB said:
			
		

> It doesn't deal damage.




It is a source of negative energy...and if you read the last line of the spell description: "An undead creature struck by the ray gains 1d4x5 temporary hit points for 1 hour."


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