Ever had a game session so draining that even your dice lose levels? In this episode, the RPGBOT crew resurrects one of D&D’s most dreaded mechanics: energy drain, and the undead horrors that made it famous. From the White Box to Pathfinder 2e, Tyler, Randall, and Ash relive decades of pain, permanent debuffs, and emotional damage, all in the name of understanding why we’re so glad energy drain is (mostly) dead. Grab your holy symbol, chug a potion, and prepare for a nostalgic necrotic nosedive.
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Show Notes
The RPGBOT crew takes a dark, funny journey through the history of energy drain — one of tabletop RPGs’ most punishing and misunderstood mechanics. Starting with OD&D’s dreaded Wight, they trace how “losing levels” evolved across editions — from instant death in AD&D to hit point maximum reduction in D&D 5e and drained conditions in Pathfinder 2e. Along the way, Ash shares stories from her Ravenloft campaign, Tyler explains why undead needed to be terrifying, and Randall asks the eternal question: “Did anyone actually have fun with this rule?”
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How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
Ash Ely
- Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
- Join Ash’s West Marches-style PF2 Game
- Bluesky: GravenAshes
- YouTube: @ashravenmedia
Randall James
- AmateurJack.com
- Bluesky: @JackAmateur
- Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale
