Greater Restoration and Clerics

[Hawklord]

Here's one for all you rulesmeisters that came up in our game last night, that I'd appreciate some advice on.


Greater Restoration reverse level drain, "restoring the creature to the highest level it had previously attained". Fine so far...

Greater Restoration also has a cost of 500XP to cast. The rules state that "no spell can restore the XP lost in this manner"

The case in point - the cleric in the party was level drained from 14th. This takes him to the mid point between 13th and 14th. he then casts Greater Restoration, which should take him to the minimum required for 14th level (and would if he cast it on anyone else). However as he's cast the spell on himself, he can't recover the 500XP he's expended on the spell therefore immediately drops to that amount below the minimum level for 14th.

This means effectively that a cleric can never recover a level immediately, which seems somewhat odd.

Any thoughts out there on this?

 

[Ranes]

It's not so odd, since the cleric is only prevented from immediately recovering a level when casting the spell on himself. The cleric has one week per caster level (the time limit GR sets on being effective) to earn the 500XP needed. Alternatively, a stored GR, such as on a scroll, will do the trick nicely.

 

[Eolin]

coudn't he just use multiple normal restoration spells?

Or doesn't it work like that?

 

[Ranes]

No. Restoration will repair ability damage but it does not restore level loss.

 

[MerakSpielman]

I'm sorry Ranes, but you're incorrect.

Restoration
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 4, Pal 4

Components: V, S, M

This spell functions like lesser restoration, except that it also dispels negative levels and restores one experience level to a creature who has had a level drained. The drained level is restored only if the time since the creature lost the level is equal to or less than one day per caster level. A character who has a level restored by restoration has exactly the minimum number of experience points necessary to restore him or her to his or her previous level.

Restoration cures all temporary ability damage, and it restores all points permanently drained from a single ability score (your choice if more than one is drained). It also eliminates any fatigue or exhaustion suffered by the target.

Restoration does not restore levels or Constitution points lost due to death.

 

[Wish]

The cleric should end up at 14th level. The xp cost for greater restoration is paid first. Then the cleric has his level restored. The spell isn't restoring xp, either from the level drain or the spell's component cost, it's restoring a level. Once that is done, the xp is reset to the minimum for that level.

 

[MerakSpielman]

I personally think a cleric restoring his own lost levels using Greater Restoration should regain the levels, but have a 500xp "debt" that must be paid before he begins to accumulate more XP.

 

[cvrinn]

To cast the spell you have to have all the components required. This is the case with xp components as well. The spell will not even be cast if the xp is not paid first. So, first the xp(500 in this case) is spent to cast the spell and then the spell restores the lost level. The cleric is again at 14th level.

 

[Thanee]

A cleric casting Greater Restoration must have some serious mental issues. Gladly, the spell should remove those.

This spell is so bad, Restoration does basically the same for a fraction of the cost (sometimes you need multiple Restorations, tho, but even then it's by far cheaper than a single Greater Restoration). It even has a much, much higher casting time.

I really have no idea what has ridden them to make it a 7th level spell with an XP cost. A 300-500 gp material component and no increase in casting time and 6th level would have been more reasonable.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Eolin]

Is it a good combat-restore? Since GR can restore multiple levels at once, if you are being attacked by some level-sucking creature, it could be useful.

i guess.