Energy Drain
Type: M Action: Complex
Range: T Duration: Permanent
The Energy Drain power is used by a number of dangerous critters and spirits in different ways. Each version of this power is slightly different, depending on the entity using it. Similar to the Essence Drain power (p. 396, CRB), Energy Drain allows the creature to suck life energy from a victim, be it Karma, Force, Magic, or Essence. For some creatures, such as blood spirits, shedim, or insect spirits, this power is Touch range, so a resisting victim must be subdued first or drained unwittingly. Other beings, such as shadow spirits, merely require line of sight for this power, allowing the critter to feed off its victims from afar.
Draining a point of Karma, Force, Magic, or Essence requires a Willpower + Magic [Mental] (10 – target’s Essence/ Force, 1 minute) Extended Test. If the critter is disturbed or interrupted before this test ends, the point is not drained. If the Extended Test is completed, the critter drains one point of the specified energy, adding to its own or converting the energy to an appropriate rating point at a 1:1 ratio. Some critters, such as astral bacteria or insect spirits, use the drained energy to reproduce, as noted in their individual descriptions. Drained points are permanently lost.
In addition to the drain, victims suffer 1 box of damage for each point drained. Depending on the critter, this may be Stun damage (shadow spirits, astral bacteria) or Physical damage (blood spirits, shedim). Victims who take Physical damage appear drained, withered, and hollow, and are sometimes marked permanently (white hair, hair loss, wrinkles, premature aging, or other strange markings).
If a character’s Magic is reduced to 0, he burns out and becomes mundane. If a critter’s Magic is reduced to 0, it dies. If a spirit, sustained/anchored/quickened spell, focus, or mana barrier’s Force is reduced to 0, it is destroyed. If a victim’s Essence is reduced to 0, they die.
(p195 SG)