History Main / CharacterLevel

See also LevelGrinding, AbsurdlyHighLevelCap, AbsurdlyLowLevelCap, ClassAndLevelSystem, LevelLockedLoot, LevelScaling, SpellLevels, StatGrinding and SuperWeight. If a game is said to have RPGElements, then people usually mean that it incorporates a Character Leveling system into its gameplay in addition to whatever is expected from the genre. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant No relation to]] MookThemedLevel.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' explicitly averts this: when you do well, you earn Karma Points, which are used to level up skills and abilities directly, at a cost of your current score in that ability plus one (so going from Body 3 to Body 4 takes 4 karma points). All skills are available to all characters, but all ''abilities'' are not: in order to use magic, you must be a mage or shaman, which is generally part of the character's backstory at character creation. Technomancers (characters able to navigate computer systems without a specialized tool or implant) are also limited to character creation. Other than that, there's nothing stopping you from starting with a melee-focused combat build and gradually shifting to a computer hacker, as long as you're willing to spend the karma points (however, it's generally recommended to make a character than can do one or two things really well, rather than a character that can do everything, but poorly).

* ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'' levels are based on ''money'', except if you're still playing through the story, in which case every other level requires you to complete a storyline mission. These levels allow you to purchase mightier ships, which in turn have better armor, shields, armament capacity, and cargo space.
** The "money levels" in ''Freelancer'' are also a form of GoWaitOutside because generally your allies are getting plot-important stuff done while you go raise some cash and spruce up the ship for the next mission. It's always set at a certain amount above your current value, so you can't just grind up extra money ahead of time and skip those levels.

* The ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' games feature this, generally in increasingly extreme forms as the series progresses, but for your weapons; Each time you kill something with any particular weapon, the WEAPON earns experience. When it gets enough, it levels up. Later games allow it to become a new, more powerful type of weapon at the end of a multi-step leveling sequence. Most of the games have a cap on the level you can reach, but in the NewGamePlus you can use the money you've acquired to buy the upgraded form, which will put the weapon at the next level, as well as allow you to get more experience for your weapon until you reach the ''second'' level cap.

* ''VideoGame/{{Smashroom}}'': Whenever you fill up the ExperiencePoints meter in the top right corner of the screen, [[PlayerCharacter Smashroom]] can level up, allowing you to upgrade one of four randomly selected stats.

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* ''VideoGame/{{Jagged Alliance}}'' has an "Experience Level" that increases slowly whenever the character's attributes or skills go up (no matter which skills...). It increases performance in nearly every aspect of gameplay, but does not increase the level of challenge (that's based on another, character-irrelevant value). However, more experienced characters do cost more to hire, which means that you need to watch out not to train your characters beyond your financial means.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Final Fantasy Tactics}}'' characters get experience and ability points for every successful action taken (meaning attacks that ''hit'' not missed etc.), which could result in possible grinding by hitting your ''allies'', while having some unfortunate enemy surrounded or running off to the distant corners of the field.

** In the ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' anime, this phenomenon was depicted by Ash's Charizard, who cheerfully obeyed him as a Charmander, but ignored him more and more as it evolved. It ''almost'' followed the games rules: the Charmander wasn't his to begin with (it was a castoff from some other trainer who was never heard from again) and quickly became his most powerful Pokemon (thus higher level), but the anime failed to account for the badges, which are the sign of "earning the right" to command traded Pokemon.

* The first two ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' games also take a somewhat different direction. When Mario levels, he can choose between more HitPoints, Flower Points (used for special attacks) and Badge Points (which can be used to equip badges with a variety of effects). His offense on the other hand is upgraded by finding better hammers and boots, and the Star powers are plot-related. His partners don't level at all but can be upgraded twice, resulting in more hitpoints (in the second game), offense and a new move.

See also LevelGrinding, AbsurdlyHighLevelCap, AbsurdlyLowLevelCap, ClassAndLevelSystem, LevelLockedLoot, LevelScaling, SpellLevels, StatGrinding and SuperWeight. If a game is said to have RPGElements, then people usually mean that it incorporates a Character Leveling system into its gameplay in addition to whatever is expected from the genre.

** Each main character has an "echeladder" that they climb as they gain experience. Rather than numbered levels, each "rung" on the ladder has a different silly name. It also parodies the concept by giving the same echeladder system to inanimate objects and having them "level up" upon being used as tools to defeat enemies. Jane once gained a level both for herself and for her hat by throwing it forcefully onto the ground, which is apparently worth a tiny amount of experience.

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* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': Parodied in a sketchbook as Tensaided [[https://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/2018-037 gains a level... in Manager.]]
* Apparently gaining a level in ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' [[http://www.goblinscomic.com/07162006/ feels like a glow inside]]... and can be the result of roleplaying at the last moment to have just enough [[http://goblinscomic.com/01202007.html experience]].
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Levelling up is representing by an audible "Ding". Roleplaying for experience is also what comes to mind when you've just been denied [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0125.html killing your party's scrappy for the level]]
** In ''On the Origin of [=PCs=], Haley convinces Vaarsuvius to leave his academic studies of magic behind and join an adventuring party by telling him that [[RPGMechanicsVerse you gain much more XP through adventuring than you do through studying the skills you're actually interested in improving.]]

* As ''Webcomic/GoldCoinComics'' shows, [[http://gcc.goldcoincomics.com/?page=13 lower character levels]] often mean you get the lower end of the equipment list.
* Red Mage of ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'' lets out a barbaric howl of DING! when he "[[CloudCuckoolander levels up]]".
* Played straight in ''Webcomic/{{Our Little Adventure}}''. The group even get a fanfare filled panel when they do level up.
** When the characters leveled up in the Rosoro Underground, not all the characters leveled up at the same time. Lenny leveled up first ''accidentally'' in [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0158.html this comic here.]]
* Parodied in [[http://xkcd.com/189/ this]] Webcomic/{{XKCD}}.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', each main character has an "echeladder" that they climb as they gain experience. Rather than numbered levels, each "rung" on the ladder has a different silly name. It also parodies the concept by giving the same echeladder system to inanimate objects and having them "level up" upon being used as tools to defeat enemies. Jane once gained a level both for herself and for her hat by throwing it forcefully onto the ground, which is apparently worth a tiny amount of experience.
** There are also a second set of levels above the regular echeladder called the God Tiers (that name being a pun on CharacterTiers). Attaining the first God Tier [[CameBackStrong requires completing a "sidequest" of sorts]], but once the transition has been made further level-ups occur as normal.
* Fern Green from ''Webcomic/AwfulHospital'' levels up after defeating enemies in or around the titular hospital.

** Paving way for the third installment of the above series, ''Oriental Legend 2'' also had this by proxy, only it could go up to Level 100; new moves could be unlocked per set level for all characters.

** The whole ''Knights of Valour'' series had this via the score meter leveling up your character when a certain amount of points are achieved; leveling up was less subtle and was only at the end of each stage in the second installment. Level 70 was the max level to reach in the third game's HD installment.

* ''VideoGame/{{Smashroom}}'': Whenever you fill up the ExperiencePoints meter in the top right corner of the screen, [[PlayerCharacter Smashroom]] can level up, allowing you to upgrade one of four stats (Health, Power, Fire Power, Ice Power).

** ''VideoGame/DeltaRune'' Like ''Undertale'', the game tracks your EXP and LV. However, EXP and LV still appear to quantify KillingIntent, and the protagonists are unable to kill anyone due to the enemy running away after a certain amount of health is lost ([[NonLethalKO non-lethal beatings]] still don't give any EXP). Consequently, LV for the whole party is stuck at 1, making it essentially cosmetic. There is even a boss that must be overcome peacefully due to it being able to heal itself more than the party can damage it, removing even the ability to non-lethally beat up every enemy in the game.