Does deathward not block negative levels (anymore)?
- Thread starter Redoubt
- Start date
Mofus
Ultima Veteran
This seems to happen to me often, especially when running high level quest on R1 or above.
Bjond
Well-known member
Likely dispelled. It does work, but virtually all of the things that drain levels also dispel.
Personally, I've never found DW to be even slightly useful as a result of this, but I've only been playing since RL was released.
My understanding is that all the "oh, get DW" advice is very old and has not be applicable for at least 10y.
DW fully protects from negative levels. It is very effective against undead in general.
Unfortunately, against beholders it gets dispelled very fast and the negative levels follow up almost immediately. Thus the need for spell absorb, which might not be enough especially if you rely on heroic items without the ioun stone (like me).
Try to have a vkf or a palie at your party for quests like von3 or the one at harbor that have plenty of beholders and let them take agro. If it is 1-3 beholders in a quest you can handle with phiarlan cloak and the mantle from Thernal.
At epic levels shadowdancer removes the threat. If no other source of protection it worths to have the mantle just for that reason!
More info:
Cheers
Unfortunately, against beholders it gets dispelled very fast and the negative levels follow up almost immediately. Thus the need for spell absorb, which might not be enough especially if you rely on heroic items without the ioun stone (like me).
Try to have a vkf or a palie at your party for quests like von3 or the one at harbor that have plenty of beholders and let them take agro. If it is 1-3 beholders in a quest you can handle with phiarlan cloak and the mantle from Thernal.
At epic levels shadowdancer removes the threat. If no other source of protection it worths to have the mantle just for that reason!
More info:
Cheers
Deathward is still great and practically mandatory. The only things that regularly dispel it are beholders and casters around lvl13.
Against beholders you need to stay at longrange or use spell absorb.
Spell absorb counters the antimagic field for only 1 charge. Better kill the beholder quick though all the other spells they cast do drain those charges quickly.
Against beholders you need to stay at longrange or use spell absorb.
Spell absorb counters the antimagic field for only 1 charge. Better kill the beholder quick though all the other spells they cast do drain those charges quickly.
and stupid spinner in shadows
Titus Ovid
Mover and Shaker
Ghostflame (Skeletons) is a pest.
somenewnoob
Well-known member
With Mabar coming up, those Gloomy potions of DW and Resto are nice to get. I've got stacks of each stashed.
For things like beholders there are things like the silver flame talisman, scarabs of protection and mantle/jeweled cloak that can help with avoiding negs. And keep a stack of pots/scrolls handy to restore those lost levels.
https://ddowiki.com/page/Category:Negative_Energy_Absorption_(charge_type)_items
For things like beholders there are things like the silver flame talisman, scarabs of protection and mantle/jeweled cloak that can help with avoiding negs. And keep a stack of pots/scrolls handy to restore those lost levels.
https://ddowiki.com/page/Category:Negative_Energy_Absorption_(charge_type)_items
Greyhawk5
Was Amorais
Beholders have trouble getting through doorways. I try to annoy them with an arrow then run to the nearest one so I can range them. Ofc there's not always a door available so I use a hire first to get aggro then hammer it as fast as I can.
If I know there's dispellers in a quest I just dont bother doing any buffs at all. Its not worth bothering. There's so many mobs that dispel in the game its damned annoying as hell.
It works fine in the paper n pen game as generally speaking the enemy caster has only memorised it once, plus you can interrupt it. In a game where enemy casters get infinite mana and cannot be interrupted unless you trip them or something its massively overpowered.
I guess its one of the buffs enemies get, like they are permanently double hasted and ranged mobs can hit you even when they are too far away for the engine to render them. Hobgobs in sentinels somehow getting three attacks a round, evil casters in storm horns having Pseudodragon familiars..etc...I need a word with the Dragon union about that...
If I know there's dispellers in a quest I just dont bother doing any buffs at all. Its not worth bothering. There's so many mobs that dispel in the game its damned annoying as hell.
It works fine in the paper n pen game as generally speaking the enemy caster has only memorised it once, plus you can interrupt it. In a game where enemy casters get infinite mana and cannot be interrupted unless you trip them or something its massively overpowered.
I guess its one of the buffs enemies get, like they are permanently double hasted and ranged mobs can hit you even when they are too far away for the engine to render them. Hobgobs in sentinels somehow getting three attacks a round, evil casters in storm horns having Pseudodragon familiars..etc...I need a word with the Dragon union about that...
saekee
long live ROGUE
In the earlier days of DDO we would hit beholders with STR draining since their strength was really low. They went helpless real fast. Not sure if it works still.
That's a resourceful strategy! Ray of enfeeblement here you go!
jotmon
Well-known member
Update 76 (Nov 2025):
Death Ward no longer completely negates negative energy damage from inflict/necro spell damage, but reduces it by 50%. This is flagged with the Shield trait, much like Fire Shield/Energy Shield is for Fire damage.
It is supposed to block negative levels 100%.
Death Ward no longer completely negates negative energy damage from inflict/necro spell damage, but reduces it by 50%. This is flagged with the Shield trait, much like Fire Shield/Energy Shield is for Fire damage.
It is supposed to block negative levels 100%.
Last edited:
How does it apply to negative levels? Only 50%?
rabidfox
The People's Champion
Level drains are fully blocked by DW. It just means you don't take zero damage from certain damage spells.
Deathward should be fully blocking level drain, and in my experience it does so, though I suppose there could be a bug or some niche edge case where it might fail.
On the other hand, though, deathward gets dispelled like crazy so if you take negative levels while you think deathward is up, check if the icon is still there because odds are it got anti-magic'ed or dispelled without you knowing.
Death*block* does not prevent energy drain, despite preventing instant death effects, which can be a confusion point too.
On the other hand, though, deathward gets dispelled like crazy so if you take negative levels while you think deathward is up, check if the icon is still there because odds are it got anti-magic'ed or dispelled without you knowing.
Death*block* does not prevent energy drain, despite preventing instant death effects, which can be a confusion point too.