History Main / LevelLockedLoot

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has a slight twist on the trope: you ''can'' use weapons tiered above your skill level or strength level, but this causes a penalty to range weapons accuracy[[note]]With free aim this means more SniperScopeSway, while VATS takes a direct penalty. The given skill level is what's required for maximum accuracy, though more skill will still increase the damage you do.[[/note]] and non-range weapon attack speed proportional to how far below the requirements you are. In both this and ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', you need to undergo the requisite training to use PowerArmor, which generally doesn't occur until late in the game.

* In ''PhantasyStarOnline'' the different kinds of items are restricted by different stats: armor is level-restricted, blade weapons are restricted by your attack strength, guns are restricted by your accuracy, and wands are restricted by your mental strength. Your other equipment is counted for the limit, so if you equip an [[StatSticks item that increases your accuracy]] you can equip better guns than you normally could.

* ''KingdomOfLoathing'' has stat requirements for equipment, but in the earlier days of the game, there were no such requirements for consumables. This made it possible to skip from level 1 to level 4 immediately after a NewGamePlus by simply eating some of the best food in the game at the time, so it was eventually {{Nerf}}ed by adding level requirements for consumables.
* ''WorldOfWarcraft'' restricts both gear and consumables by level. Yes, this means your character needs to learn how to [[YouHaveResearchedBreathing eat anything besides stale bread and tough jerky]]. Averted with specific items meant to facilitate the levelling of alts which can be handed down from a high to low level character, but even those don't give you more stats than a good level-appropriate level gear piece would because they scale with character's level and increase in stats only when you do. The upside is, you don't need to upgrade them until maximum level.

* ''TheSecretWorld'' has gear restricted by skill points invested in the relevant weapons and talismans. Higher level gear has higher skill point requirements.

* ''{{FATE}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Torchlight}}'' both have a whole slew of character, stat and feat requirements for any equip you care to name, and the [[PowerEqualsRarity Legendary gear]] in {{FATE}} also requires a high Fame level. It's possible to remove an item and have several others unequip themselves because they were depending on its stat bonuses...and in your adventuring career this ''will'' happen at least once.

* ''{{Freelancer}}'' has Level Locked ''Ships'', with mightier ships capable of mounting more and better weapons, as well as having better [[ManaMeter power supplies]]. The [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Guns]] can only be installed on the three highest-level ships.
* ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'': There aren't any level restrictions, but there are a few items that can only be used by a [[IncorruptiblePurePureness light-]] or [[TheDarkSide dark-side]] character.

* ''DarkSouls'', much like its spiritual predecessor ''DemonsSouls'', uses stats to determine the effectiveness of weapons. Any player can equip any weapon, but if the player character doesn't have the minimum stats to properly wield it that weapon's performance will be severely penalized.

* DawnOfWar 2 usually has level requirements for equipping gear.

* In ''DungeonsAndDragonsOnline'' most items have a minimum level that you must be before you can use or equip them.
* ''RohanOnline'' allows players to wear much higher level equipment but imposes stat penalties that may end up making the gear less powerful than what the player ''is'' qualified to wear.
* ''{{Vindictus}}'' has the usual class and level restrictions, and also has a set of Proficiency skills that allow you to use higher-grade gear of a particular type (e.g. [[SinisterScythe battle scythes]], [[BoringButPractical plate armor, secondary weapons]], etc.)

* In ''UFO: Aftershock'', there are certain types of equipment that require special training before soldiers can use them. For example, a soldier can't use rocket launchers until he gets the Trooper Level 1 training.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has all gear locked to certain levels in order to prevent new players from acquiring powerful equipment from their friends and using them to blow through the early parts of the game.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' games, guns, shields and (in ''VideoGames/{{Borderlands 2}}'') relics have a level cap, although it's hard to find an item above your level outside of the early game if you're not in an area you're not supposed to go to yet. You can share the stuff you can't use yet with your multiplayer pals, and you can challenge them for a duel in case they find it too awesome to give it back to you.

* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'': With the level cap now at 69 and having 2 play-throughs, not to mention, [[GunPorn 6 bazillion guns]], this game has loads of stuff you can't use yet.

* The later ''VideoGame/FallOut'' games had level-locked equipment after it was revealed in the first game that, with a bit of luck, you could charge nigh-naked into the final town of the game and obtain the [[DiskOneNuke best armor available]] before doing a single quest.

[[folder: VideoGames]]

A game-specific subtrope of PhlebotinumHandlingRequirements. Compare with PowerEqualsRarity, StatSticks & YouHaveResearchedBreathing. See also ClassAndLevelSystem, AnAdventurerIsYou, and [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus]]/[[InfinityMinusOneSword Minus One Sword]].

[[folder:MMORPGs]]

A game-specific subtrope of PhlebotinumHandlingRequirements. See also ClassAndLevelSystem, AnAdventurerIsYou, and [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus]]/[[InfinityMinusOneSword Minus One Sword]]. Compare StatSticks and PowerEqualsRarity.

* ''DiabloIII'' has "reduced level requirement" as a possible random ability on some gear, making level 60 kit that you can wield at (say) level 46 ''that still has the stats of level 60''. The gap between 46 and 60 is a ''[[GameBreaker lot]]'' bigger than that between 32 and 46...

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has a slight twist on the trope: you ''can'' use weapons tiered above your skill level or strength level, but this causes a penalty to range weapons accuracy[[hottip:*:With free aim this means more SniperScopeSway, while VATS takes a direct penalty. The given skill level is what's required for maximum accuracy.]] and non-range weapon attack speed proportional to how far below the requirements you are. In both this and ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', you need to undergo the requisite training to use PowerArmor, which generally doesn't occur until late in the game.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has a slight twist on the trope: you ''can'' use weapons tiered above your skill level, at a significant penalty to accuracy and damage. Also, all weapons have a strength requisite, and coming up short there also causes an accuracy penalty. In both this and ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', you need to undergo the requisite training to use PowerArmor, which generally doesn't occur until late in the game.

* And if you're not strong enough to wear it, you can simply put it in your backpack and carry it until you are.

* TheSecretWorld has gear restricted by skill points invested in the relevant weapons and talismans. Higher level gear has higher skill point requirements.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has a slight twist on the trope: you ''can'' use weapons tiered above your skill level, at a significant penalty to accuracy and damage. Also, all weapons have a strength requisite, and coming up short there also causes an accuracy penalty. In both this and ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', you need to undergo the requisite training to use PowerArmor.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has a slight twist on the trope: you ''can'' use weapons tiered above your skill level, at a significant penalty to accuracy and damage. Also, all weapons have a strength requisite, and coming up short there also causes an accuracy penalty.