Sustain #stat, Hold Life?

[bughunter]

I'm currently playing a halfling rogue, and he has a =Str.

Yet a recent encounter left me with reduced strength and drained XP. I can't recall which mob it was... an undead of some kind I believe. (Didn't notice right away.) (I know, bad form.)

What are the limits on "Sustain #stat" and "Hold Life" protections? Clearly they're not perfect.

It's been a while since I've played Angband, but istr that at least the ring should have protected my little filcher from a Str drain... not really sure about the racial ability.

[Cryomaniac]

Hold Life never gave complete protection from XP drain, but it significantly reduces the amount of XP you lose. Stat sustain should give complete protection against stat drain, though - maybe you got hit with a time element attack?

[bughunter]

maybe you got hit with a time element attack?

Ahh - good call. I did get ambushed by a Time Vortex on the same level... never saw it but it died anyway.