Drains And Negative Values Follow-Up

[Brick]

Either I'm blind or just too dumb to look... I could not find the answer to my question. A lot of interesting points, but not the one I was looking for, so I guess I'll have to ask again - please don't shoot me...

 

According to the rulesbook on page 100, characters may use Drains repeatedly on the same target provided that the target still has points left to Drain in the Power or Characteristic. That sounds as if it is not possible to Drain somebody below 0 (no negative Characteristics). However, just below that line there is a rule for what happens to characters whose BODY is Drained to negative his starting BODY. This is, in my opinion, a contradiction. What is correct?

[Steve Long]

It's the second question under "Drain":

 

Q: On 5E 100, it says: “...he may use the same Drain repeatedly on the same target, provided the target still has points left to Drain in the Power or Characteristic.” Does this mean Characteristics (or Powers) cannot be Drained to negative values? (Or while at negative values?) For example, if I have a Drain STR and I Drain my target’s STR to a value of -3 in Segment 5, am I unable to Drain him to further negatives if I use my Drain on him again in Segment 8?

 

A: You can keep Draining Characteristics into the negatives. As long as there’s a distinctive effect to that — as indicated by the negative Characteristics rules — the target still “has points” in them, so to speak. “Points still left to Drain” refers mostly to things like, say, Desolidification, which have a flat cost and for which a negative effect wouldn’t make much sense.

 

If a Characteristic is Drained/Suppressed into the negatives, then the standard rules for that Characteristic apply. For example, a character with zero or negative END would have to use STUN in place of END if he wanted to take actions requiring END.

 

One exception: Comeliness. Ordinarily characters have to pay points for COM below 0, so a Drain can’t take a character below 0 COM. (Alternately, the GM may allow Drains to -10 COM, or negative the character’s normal COM score.)