History Main / MaximumHPReduction

* ''VideoGame/Drakerider'' features a party of dragon riders whose only dragon is berserk and enslaved by the party against its will. Losing control of said dragon powers it up, but then it also has a fair chance of attacking its rider each turn, thereby decreasing his/her max HP. MaxHP restores sell for a whopping 12,000G at the item shops, so letting the dragon go berserk is a very bad idea.

** Some attacks deal "ability damage" that reduces the target's stats but heals when the character rests and "ability drain" which can only be healed magically. Constitution drain is essentially this trope, because a character's maximum hitpoints are calculated from it. A dead first level character who's resurrected (most resurrections cost the resurrected character at least one CharacterLevel to avert DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist) also permanently loses a point of constitution.

* In ''WorldOfWarcraft'', on the Heroic version of the Spine of Deathwing encounter, every Hideous Amalgamation you defeat (which is necessary to pry open the plates and damage the Burning Tendons, which must be destroyed to win) reduces the maximum health of all raid members by 6 percent.

* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', creatures with the Wither or Infect abilities deal damage to other creatures in the from of -1/-1 counters. Unlike regular damage, which creatures heal from at the end of each turn, -1/-1 counters represent a permanent reduction in both power and toughness (having toughness reduced to 0 will kill a creature) for as long as the creature is in play.

* ''DungeonCrawl'':

** ''EpicLevelHandbook'': The Lavawight and Shape of Fire have the blazefire ability which does exactly that.

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!!Non-video game examples:

[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/FateZero'', Lancer's Gáe Buidhe has wields a curse on whoever it attacks, making a WoundThatWillNotHeal. When asked to define this [[RPGMechanicsVerse in gaming terms]], WordOfGod said that its effect would be basically this trope. Also, Emiya Kitsurugi was cursed by the contents of the [[LightIsNotGood Holy]] [[ArtifactOfDoom Grail]], which was the ultimate cause of his demise, as it drained it's life force slow but steadily.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
** Some attacks deal "ability damage" that reduces the target's stats but heals when the character rests and "ability drain" which can only be healed magically. Constitution drain is essentially this trope, because a character's maximum hitpoints are calculated from it. A dead first level character who's resurrected (most resurrections cost the resurrected character at least one CharacterLevel to avert DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist) also permanently loses a point of constitution.
** The Vargouille monster could do this. If the victim of its attack failed a saving throw vs. poison, the {{Hit Point}}s of damage inflicted were lost permanently and could only be recovered by using a Wish spell. No form of healing magic would bring them back.
** ''EpicLevelHandbook'': The Lavawight and Shape of Fire have the blazefire ability which does exactly that.
** The ''Book Of Exalted Deeds'' has the Vassal of Bahamut Prestige Class, which uses bonus dice to deal permanent hit point damage to evil dragons.
* [[SubSystemDamage Aggravated Damage]] in ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' is sustained from fire, sunlight, and holy relics, and cannot be healed or regenerated by most normal means.
* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', creatures with the Wither or Infect abilities deal damage to other creatures in the from of -1/-1 counters. Unlike regular damage, which creatures heal from at the end of each turn, -1/-1 counters represent a permanent reduction in both power and toughness (having toughness reduced to 0 will kill a creature) for as long as the creature is in play.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Serious injuries to joints, to the point of requiring more than just ice, heat, and rest, may often decrease their maximum movement range and flexibility.
[[/folder]]

* In both ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIII'' and ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV'', if someone was downed in battle and still down at the end, they would be brought back with 1 hp and have their max health reduced: 3 also has the Mandrake healing item that's cheaper to buy than most other healing items and heals you to full, but likewise causes you to lose some of your max HP. Also, both games contain a move called Disembowel which inflicts HPToOne at the cost of reducing the ''user's'' maximum HP.
** There's also [[ThatOneLevel Desert Of Death]] in ''VideoGame/BreathofFireIII'', where you also lose a percentage of your max HP if you keep walking when you're thirsty: unlike the previous examples which capped the cumulative HP loss to 50% of max or so, your max HP can drop even further this way.

** There's also [[ThatOneLevel Desert Of Death]] in VideoGame/BreathofFireIII, where you also lose a percentage of your max HP if you keep walking when you're thirsty: unlike the previous examples which capped the cumulative HP loss to 50% of max or so, your max HP can drop even further this way.

* In both ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIII'' and ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV'', if someone was downed in battle and still down at the end, they would be brought back with 1 hp and have their max health reduced. Also, both games contain a move called Disembowel which inflicts HPToOne at the cost of reducing the ''user's'' maximum HP until the next time they rest at an inn.

This trope is about games that additionally feature enemies whose attacks can deal ''permanent'' damage, reducing the target's maximum number of HP, so that even if they can heal, it's in their best interests to avoid getting hit and end the fights quickly. Often, such "permanent" damage ''can'' be healed later but in a much more costly/time consuming way.

* ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'': From Dark Crusade onwards, Necron Pariahs reduce maximum HP with every melee attack until they or the target are dead.

* Ships in ''VideoGame/UnchartedWaters: New Horizons'' can be repaired after sustaining damage in battle, but constant damage wears down their maximum durability. Notably, there is no way to restore this permanent damage, except selling the used ship and buying a new one.

* ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'': The pretty much the almost never used (a mercy by the programmers and the AI) skill called Oracle reduces the max HP of the target. The only one who actually uses it Lans Tartare, the leader of the Templar Knights in the game.

* The spell Lunatic in ''SeikenDensetsu3'' reduces the target's maximum HP by 20%. It's very good when used at the beginning of boss fights, where it can knock off upwards of 10,000 HP.

* ''VideoGame/DungeonCrawl'':

* ''DungeonCrawl'' has the rotting status, which will gradually reduce your character's maximum HP while in effect. Like in the above example, you can repair small amounts of rot by using healing potions or wands while at full HP. Ghoul characters can also restore rotted HP by eating meat (preferably rotten), which helps offset the innate decay they suffer from. Then there's the spell called Borgnjor's Revivification, which fully heals you at the cost of ''permanently'' reducing your maximum HP.

* A variation in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': Stats and classes are mostly determined by what Djinn are on a character, and using them in battle cancels the stat boosts (including HP) until summoned or reset. Some bosses have abilities that "drains" the Djinni, causing loss of all stats until they recover. The BonusBoss has one that [[ThatOneAttack hits every Djinn on every party member]], nearly guaranteeing TotalPartyKill.

* In ''Literature/FateZero'', Lancer's Gae Bulg has wields a curse on whoever it attacks, making a WoundThatWillNotHeal. When asked to define this [[RPGMechanicsVerse in gaming terms]], WordOfGod said that its effect would be basically this trope. Also, Emiya Kitsurugi was cursed by the contents of the [[LightIsNotGood Holy]] [[ArtifactOfDoom Grail]], which was the ultimate cause of his demise, as it drained it's life force slow but steadily.

* In ''Literature/FateZero'', Lancer's Gae Bulg has wields a curse on whoever it attacks, making a WoundThatWillNotHeal. When asked to define this [[RPGMechanicsVerse in gaming terms]], WordOfGod said that its effect would be basically this trope. Also, Emiya Kitsurugi was cursed by the contents of the [[LightIsNotGood Holly]] [[ArtifactOfDoom Grail]], which was the ultimate cause of his demise, as it drained it's life force slow but steadily.