History Main / LevelDrain

* Many {{Roguelikes}}, such as ''VideoGame/NetHack'', have this as just one of the many dangers that your character can face. Yes, they're NintendoHard.

* The original UsefulNotes/PC88[=/=]MSX version of ''VideoGame/{{Valis}}: The Phantasm Soldier'' uses the same mechanic as ''Cave Story'', where getting injured by anything will lower your weapon level.

* ''VideoGame/GetInTheCarLoser'': The Rust ailment causes the target to lose one rank. Since lower ranked characters are penalized when attacking or defending against higher ranked characters, this ailment can make a world of difference.

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 2}}'' has the "Prophecy" spell, which resets a Persona's rank to 1. Given that a Persona's spells and stats come mostly from gaining ranks, and going from rank 1 to [[{{Cap}} rank 8]] often takes several hours of LevelGrinding, this can be aggravating.

Compare ClassChangeLevelReset, where changing classes makes your level drop, and MaximumHPReduction, where this applies only to life points. ''Do not confuse with a [[DownTheDrain Drain Level]], which is about the design of a level or stage.''

** In July 2013 the first really powerful and regularly usable way to drain a character's stats was added as a joke punishment for doing something clearly stupid. The joke was on the developers; it turned out there was great demand for deleveling as part of an experienced adventurer's toolkit.

* ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'': While not as far as stealing ''levels,'' there are enemies who can steal your XP with each hit (as well as doing traditional damage).

* In ''LightNovel/AccelWorld'', Seiryu, [[TheFourGods one of the four guardians]] of the Imperial Palace, can do this to the players it fights, and considering that leveling up takes a lot of time and effort in Brain Burst, this is a ''very'' bad thing. [[spoiler:When Nega Nebulus tried to take down the guardians, Aqua Current was assigned to deal with Seiryu, but ended up being reduced to a very low level]].

* This is common in the {{H Game}}s by 62studio, as these games have [[HornyDevils succubi]] as enemies. Losing levels to enemies is permanent, but not that painful since level only affects the player's Vigor and Stamina, not any of their other stats, and it's easy to level up. In ''Succubus in Wonderland'', the player can also willingly be drained by their succubus allies to level them up, which is helpful because the player gains experience more rapidly than their allies.

** As a [[HornyDevils Succubus]], Sabine has an energy-draining KissOfDeath, but her human lover Nale buys potions that provide immunity to this in bulk for their make-out sessions.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' being a D&D RPGMechanicsVerse, has several characters with life force draining attacks represented as level draining:

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':

** This is Xykon's favorite form of attack. He's used it on multiple occasions to take down other epic spellcasters.

** This is the [[StandardStatusEffects "standard" debuff against monsters]] and thus features numerous items, equipment, player skills and familiars that can do this. On the other side, there are also items and equipment that can ''add'' levels to the enemy, in order to boost their power (and the ExperiencePoints paid out for defeating them). A few rare items can do this to your own statistics, too.

** Third Edition introduced the concept of "negative levels," which was basically temporary level loss that you then had to make a Fortitude save against at the end of the fight for every level that you "lost" this way. If you made it, you got the level back, but if you failed the save, it was gone for good and you had to gain it back the hard way.

* In ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'', there is the Soulsucker spell, which is used by one of the bosses in the game and can also be learned by the player. It has an incredibly slow casting time and very short range, but a hit from this will drain a player's Soul Level.

-> "A black wind blows through your body.\\
All weapons drop to Level 1!"

-> "A black wind blows through your body. All weapons drop to Level 1!"

-> "You feel a black wind blow through you. All weapons dropped to Level 1!"
--> --''VideoGame/CaveStory''

** This mechanic is played with by the Spur, [[spoiler: an upgrade to the Polar Star if you return to the Hermit Gunsmith later in the story by using the Booster v2.0,]] it's mechanically unusual in that it doesn't use experience, instead employing a [[ChargedAttack charge shot]] which can deal up to 474 damage in a single beam.

* ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'': While not as far as stealing ''levels,'' there are enemies who can steal your XP with each hit (as well as doing traditional damage.)