Clap Your Hands If You Believe: Difference between revisions

← Older editNewer edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 222: Line 222:
** The concept was added to the ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' setting in the "Avatar trilogy" of novels. As of Third Edition, this is actually considered the default handling of gods in the default setting (Greyhawk, though they don't call it that) and ''Forgotten Realms''; in ''[[Dragonlance]]'', suiting the role of its gods, although belief is important to them, it's not directly necessary for their existence.
** The concept was added to the ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' setting in the "Avatar trilogy" of novels. As of Third Edition, this is actually considered the default handling of gods in the default setting (Greyhawk, though they don't call it that) and ''Forgotten Realms''; in ''[[Dragonlance]]'', suiting the role of its gods, although belief is important to them, it's not directly necessary for their existence.
** In ''[[Eberron]]'', the gods exist independent of mortals entirely, but their power in the material world seems to be dependent on their worshipers - as in, the stronger churches are better able to carry out what they divine as the will of their god... though different religions don't even agree on whether or not that is even necessary. It isn't even strictly made clear that the gods actually ''exist'', or whether the manifestations and abilities of priests and so forth are just a (local) result of their faith. And some of the things that are worshiped as gods (such as the Dreaming Dark) don't really fit any conventional use of the term.
** In ''[[Eberron]]'', the gods exist independent of mortals entirely, but their power in the material world seems to be dependent on their worshipers - as in, the stronger churches are better able to carry out what they divine as the will of their god... though different religions don't even agree on whether or not that is even necessary. It isn't even strictly made clear that the gods actually ''exist'', or whether the manifestations and abilities of priests and so forth are just a (local) result of their faith. And some of the things that are worshiped as gods (such as the Dreaming Dark) don't really fit any conventional use of the term.
** The book ''Faiths of Eberron'' makes this trope even more evident. Followers of the Lord of Blades (A warforged of considerable might, but who is mortal) have access to divine magic from their belief/faith in ''his'' divinity and his cause.
*** The book ''Faiths of Eberron'' makes this trope even more evident. Followers of the Lord of Blades (A warforged of considerable might, but who is mortal) have access to divine magic from their belief/faith in ''his'' divinity and his cause.
** In the 3.5 core rules, clerics were able to gain power by revering a cause. ''[[Eberron]]'' actually had attempts to train clerics of ''nationalism'' (although it failed).
** In the 3.5 core rules, clerics were able to gain power by revering a cause. ''[[Eberron]]'' actually had attempts to train clerics of ''nationalism'' (although it failed).
** The 2E supplement ''Shaman'' used this trope extensively, with the twist that any spirits generated by such power of belief weren't considered "real" by deities, or at least, not as "real" as the deities themselves.
** The 2E supplement ''Shaman'' used this trope extensively, with the twist that any spirits generated by such power of belief weren't considered "real" by deities, or at least, not as "real" as the deities themselves.
Line 231: Line 231:
* Similar to the Doctor Thirteen example mentioned above, one power available to players in ''[[GURPS]] IOU'' is the advantage Mundanity. Magic and super-science fails to work in a Mundane's presence, and at the higher levels monsters, aliens and assorted other non-normal entities actually change to have mundane explanations (a monster turns into someone wearing a monster costume, the alien invasion turns into a movie set) until the character leaves the area.
* Similar to the Doctor Thirteen example mentioned above, one power available to players in ''[[GURPS]] IOU'' is the advantage Mundanity. Magic and super-science fails to work in a Mundane's presence, and at the higher levels monsters, aliens and assorted other non-normal entities actually change to have mundane explanations (a monster turns into someone wearing a monster costume, the alien invasion turns into a movie set) until the character leaves the area.
** A lesser version of this is available in the 4th edition as the perk (one-point advantage) Skeptic. Any supernatural powers the character doesn't believe in get a penalty to use, and the effect is cumulative when there are multiple skeptics present.
** A lesser version of this is available in the 4th edition as the perk (one-point advantage) Skeptic. Any supernatural powers the character doesn't believe in get a penalty to use, and the effect is cumulative when there are multiple skeptics present.
* Da Orks in ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' subconsciously generate a mild psychic field, its strength directly proportional to the amount of "boyz" present, so if enough Orks believe in something then reality is given a swift kick in the balls and told to follow the proper, Orky way of doing things. While it won't cause a stick to be able to shoot bullets if an Ork believes it will, Ork belief in "[[Law of Chromatic Superiority|da red wuns go fasta]]" really ''does'' make vehicles painted red move slightly faster, and because Orks believe that [[Large and In Charge|the biggest Ork is in charge]] an Ork will ''actually grow'' in response to other Orks following him.
* Da Orks in ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' subconsciously generate a mild psychic field, its strength directly proportional to the amount of "boyz" present, so if enough Orks believe in something then reality is given a swift kick in the balls and told to follow the proper, Orky way of doing things. While it won't cause a stick to be able to shoot bullets if an Ork believes it will, Ork belief in "[[Red Ones Go Faster|da red wuns go fasta]]" really ''does'' make vehicles painted red move slightly faster, and because Orks believe that [[Large and In Charge|the biggest Ork is in charge]] an Ork will ''actually grow'' in response to other Orks following him.
** While Orks can't make a stick fire bullets, their powers are able to make a lot of things that shouldn't work shoot bullets. Most of their "shooterz" are little more than boxes filled with boxes that are in the general shapes of guns, and have been known to make ships without fuel fly across solar systems.
** While Orks can't make a stick fire bullets, their powers are able to make a lot of things that shouldn't work shoot bullets. Most of their "shootaz" are little more than boxes filled with boxes that are in the general shapes of guns, and have been known to make ships without fuel fly across solar systems.
** Tech-priests of the [[Machine Worship|Adeptus Mechanicus]] ''are'' taught genuine mechanical skills, just in an odd and highly-ritualised way involving lots of chanting and application of holy oils in order to please the "machine spirits". Except machine spirits are quite real, with many examples of a vehicle functioning long after its crew are dead, or even "going feral" and rampaging across the battlefield, so it isn't certain how much of Imperial technology is this trope and how much is genuine engineering.
** Tech-priests of the [[Machine Worship|Adeptus Mechanicus]] ''are'' taught genuine mechanical skills, just in an odd and highly-ritualised way involving lots of chanting and application of holy oils in order to please the "machine spirits". Except [http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Machine_spirit machine spirits] are quite real (semi-[[Wetware CPU|wetware]] low end AI), with many examples of a vehicle functioning long after its crew are dead, or even "going feral" and rampaging across the battlefield, so it isn't certain how much of Imperial technology is this trope and how much is genuine engineering.
** There are also the faith-based powers of the Adeptus Sororitas (aka Sisters of Battle), particularly in [[Dark Heresy]], where their Faith renders them immune to the negative effects of Daemonic Presence, and provides many other useful abilities at higher character ranks.
** There are also the faith-based powers of the Adeptus Sororitas (aka Sisters of Battle), particularly in [[Dark Heresy]], where their Faith renders them immune to the negative effects of Daemonic Presence, and provides many other useful abilities at higher character ranks.
* In ''Over The Edge'', one NPC mentioned is a fairly obvious [[Expy]] of [[wikipedia:James Randi|James Randi]], who makes all the rampant weirdness of the setting shut down around him due to sheer power of disbelief.
* In ''Over The Edge'', one NPC mentioned is a fairly obvious [[Expy]] of [[wikipedia:James Randi|James Randi]], who makes all the rampant weirdness of the setting shut down around him due to sheer power of disbelief.
Line 300: Line 300:
* [[Built With Lego|Legotech]] in ''[[Troops of Doom]]'' runs on this. If you can make an agglomeration of Legotech vaguely resembling the device you want, ''it will function perfectly as such''.
* [[Built With Lego|Legotech]] in ''[[Troops of Doom]]'' runs on this. If you can make an agglomeration of Legotech vaguely resembling the device you want, ''it will function perfectly as such''.
* ''[[Rusty and Co.]]'' has Madeline the paladin, [[The Ditz]] who purchased gardening tools as "magical weapons" from the local [[Honest John's Dealership|untrustworthy looking gnome]]... [[Running Gag|repeatedly]]. In part, because she is never ends up disappointed - if Madeline is convinced that a [http://rustyandco.com/comic/level2/level-2-3/ hoe] has properties of Holy Avenger, or a spade is "[http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-6-5/ vorpal halberd]", in her hands the object ''will perform accordingly''. This turns her naivete into a ridiculously strong asset. And no, it's not "she's just that good a warrior": once she was told a [http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-7-17/ pitchfork] is an "enchanted weapon" and decided it must be a Trident of Warning - then it [http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-7-60/ actually detects] "dangerous fishies and such", which allows her to discover a hidden [[Trap Door]] over [[Shark Pool|pit of piranhas]]. She's just [[Crazy Awesome]] like this.
* ''[[Rusty and Co.]]'' has Madeline the paladin, [[The Ditz]] who purchased gardening tools as "magical weapons" from the local [[Honest John's Dealership|untrustworthy looking gnome]]... [[Running Gag|repeatedly]]. In part, because she is never ends up disappointed - if Madeline is convinced that a [http://rustyandco.com/comic/level2/level-2-3/ hoe] has properties of Holy Avenger, or a spade is "[http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-6-5/ vorpal halberd]", in her hands the object ''will perform accordingly''. This turns her naivete into a ridiculously strong asset. And no, it's not "she's just that good a warrior": once she was told a [http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-7-17/ pitchfork] is an "enchanted weapon" and decided it must be a Trident of Warning - then it [http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-7-60/ actually detects] "dangerous fishies and such", which allows her to discover a hidden [[Trap Door]] over [[Shark Pool|pit of piranhas]]. She's just [[Crazy Awesome]] like this.
* In ''[[Chasing the Sunset]]'' Fey magic is based on this. A dragon [http://www.fantasycomic.com/index.php?p=c360 dropped in a conversation] some implications, before he [[Oh Crap|remembered]] that the other party is a [[The Fair Folk|pixie]]:
{{quote|'''Feiht''': Wait... are you saying that whatever I can convince myself I can do, I can do?
'''Dragon''': Er... I have said too much already. I should go now. Maybe to another universe. }}
** Fortunately for the rest of Multiverse, other Fey creatures are more sane, and pixies are [[The Ditz|too scatterbrained]] to remember this for long, let alone figure out on their own. Others aren't, so after this accident Leaf more than once tricked Feiht into fixing problems with magic, as he convinced her that things ''always were'' this way by exploiting a pixie's short attention span and vulnerability to [[Circular Reasoning]].




Line 331: Line 335:
* In ''[[South Park]]'', the Imaginationland storyline revealed this to be the case (technically [[Doing in the Wizard]] in doing so). Everything and everyone ever imagined by someone on Earth is real in [[Magical Land|Imaginationland]], including all religious figures (even including real people believed to be gods and prophets, such as Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon faith). This is made hilarious if one remembers that Jesus has a public access television show in the real world.
* In ''[[South Park]]'', the Imaginationland storyline revealed this to be the case (technically [[Doing in the Wizard]] in doing so). Everything and everyone ever imagined by someone on Earth is real in [[Magical Land|Imaginationland]], including all religious figures (even including real people believed to be gods and prophets, such as Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon faith). This is made hilarious if one remembers that Jesus has a public access television show in the real world.
* An episode of ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'' revealed that laughter (or, perhaps more correctly, the Power Of Fandom) helped cartoon characters stay young.
* An episode of ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'' revealed that laughter (or, perhaps more correctly, the Power Of Fandom) helped cartoon characters stay young.
* In the [[Christmas Episode]] of ''[[Buzz Lightyear]]'', it's the power of belief that allows [[Santa Claus|Santa's]] sleigh to work fast enough.
* In the [[Christmas Episode]] of ''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]'', it's the power of belief that allows [[Santa Claus|Santa's]] sleigh to work fast enough.




Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Clap_Your_Hands_If_You_Believe"