I think Drain Life needs a rebalance to be used as intended. When I first got it, I used it pretty regularly, but now it’s becoming harder and harder to justify its use in combat.
Max Drain Life has the same amount and rate of healing as Max Force Heal, but requires a much higher investment in Alter than Heal does in Control. It’s also concentration ability, which means I have to decide to use it instead of Lightning or Absorb.
In addition, while there is a use for it outside combat (draining a willing minion, for example), it is specifically an offensive, combat ability in the lore. Lore also forbids us from using Force Heal if we use Drain Life.
It’s also listed as a power that cannot be taught, only learned by experiencing it, which would make it fit well as a power earned through RP, like Lightning. However, I’ve seen no indication that it is.
I have a couple suggestions:
- Lower Drain Life’s skill requirement to be more in line with Force Heal.
And/or
- Increase the amount of healing, or the rate at which the healing occurs. Maybe scale it off Int.
And/or
- Turn Drain Life into a nuke on a cooldown, not unlike Vampiric Touch.
And/or
- Turn it into an AoE at high levels, like Palpatine could do.
Benefits to buffing include a synergy with Force Body (another underutilized power), a reason for some STR-Saber characters to invest in Alter instead of just control, and further incentive for new Sith to engage in training RP.