Energy Drain

Energy Drain is a type of attack in early games of the Megami Tensei franchise.
==Appearances==
*Megami Tensei
*Megami Tensei II
*Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei
*Shin Megami Tensei
*Shin Megami Tensei II
*Shin Megami Tensei: if...
*Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
*Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
*Megami Ibunroku Persona
==Profile==
Energy Drain attacks are enemy-exclusive skills that inflict the Paralysis status ailment on human party members. If those skills are used on a character that's already paralyzed, it will reduce the target's level by 1. The character doesn't need to have been paralyzed by an Energy Drain attack for the level reduction to happen, and multiple levels can be lost in one single fight. In the first Megami Tensei, Energy Drain attacks don't need to paralyze first and will reduce the target's level on the first strike.
Most of the games with Energy Drain attacks have three variations of them: one that only affects male targets, one that only affects female targets, and one that affects any human target regardless of gender. The skill Tetraja will also protect any party member from having their level reduced in addition to its usual effect of protecting against instant-kill skills.
Aside from the level reduction, the affected character's highest parameter will be reduced by 1. For example, if the victim's highest parameter is Strength, it will be reduced by 1. This is done to prevent the player from abusing this mechanic to max a character's parameters. If more than one parameter is tied for the highest one, the topmost will be reduced. For example, if both Intelligence and Magic are tied for the highest, Intelligence will be the one reduced as it comes above Magic in the status screen. In Megami Ibunroku Persona, each level up grants 3 points to a character instead of just 1. Therefore, instead of reducing the highest stat, the game will keep track of how the points earned were spent and revert those changes.