Made of Phlebotinum: Difference between revisions

[[File:Mass-Effect-as-Phlebotinum_6452Phlebotinum 6452.jpg|link=Awkward Zombie|frame|"How could you [[Hand Wave]] everything like that?"<br />"[[Mass Effect]]."]]

Some [[The Verse|settings]] ''have'' [[Phlebotinum]]. It helps [[Screw theNew Rules Ias Havethe Plot Demands|move along the plot]], [[Hand Wave]] various characters' [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief|improbable]] powers, and conveniently get the [[Heroes]] [[Teleporters and Transporters|from point A to point B quickly]]. It can let you just say [[A Wizard Did It]].

The main dividing line between a world that simply has a lot of Phlebotinum and one that's [[Made of Phlebotinum|''made of the stuff]]'' is this litmus test: if you took away the Phlebotinum, would your world still exist in any meaningful sense, or would it more or less just [[The End of the World Asas We Know It|collapse]]? If it would, your world is just plain '''Made Ofof Phlebotinum'''.

There is actually a great deal of evidence that ''[[Real Life]]'' is thus: when you develop a potent capability to the point that there are few side effects, you start using it for everything imaginable. When we learned to harness electricity easily, the only things weren't 100% electrical were the things that we used to generate electricity. When computers became advanced enough, we started carrying them around with us. Litmus Test? If you took away computers, it'd '''re-create [[The Great Depression]]'''. If you took away electricity, '''''ninety percent of the world would die within a decade'''''.

{{examples|Examples:}}

* ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]''. The world runs on Spiral Energy, quite literally the quintessence of determination, [[Hot -Blooded|hot blood]], love, and willpower.

{{quote| Youtube Commenter: I'm not sure which is weirder, the way the universe in this series works, or the fact that the universe works EXACTLY HOW KAMINA THINKS IT DOES!}}

* ''[[Star Wars]]'' could nominally be considered this trope, especially a planet like Coruscant, for example. [[Subspace or Hyperspace|Hyperdrive]], [[The Force]], [[Flying Car|levitating vehicles]], [[Frickin' Laser Beams|laser weapons]]...there wouldn't be much left to this [[The Verse|'verse]] if you subtracted the [[Phlebotinum]].

** The ''[[The Science of Discworld]]'' books go on to give the Phlebotinum a name: narrativium, which (together with chelonium and elephantigen) in fact makes the formation of flat worlds on board giant turtles and elephants not only natural, but ''inevitable''. Too bad [[Real Life|Roundworld]] lacks these ''perfectly normal elements'' and had to concoct some outlandish alternative involving big rocky balls...

** In ''[[Discworld (Literature)/The Last Hero|The Last Hero]]'' Discworld comic, Cohen and his Silver Horde have made it their mission to bring fire back to the gods --- via a large explosive. This would suddenly remove magic from the world and cause everything to die.

== [[Live -Action TV]] ==

* Technology in ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'' is pure phlebotinum: the Sonic Screwdriver that can fix anything ([[Plot -Sensitive Items|unless it's deadlocked or wood]]), Psychic Paper (in the new series), Transmat teleporters, Dalek antigravity, time rings/vortex manipulators that fit on one's wrist, and of course the blue box that's bigger on the inside and travels through time and space. Despite its ostensibly scientific worldview, it's hard to think of a story that uses accurate science.

* ''[[Eberron]]''{{'}}s [[Dungeon Punk]] world comes to mind as an especially obvious example of this trope. Without that magical-flavored [[Phlebotinum]], everything in that world would fall apart ''hard''. It's pretty much [[Made of Phlebotinum]].

** To a lesser extent, all ''[[Dungeons and& Dragons]]'' settings fit this trope. ''[[Planescape]]'' and ''[[Spelljammer]]'' especially, but even a place like ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' is mildly [[Made of Phlebotinum]].

** The Phlebotinum is named Essence, and it is [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|the essence of everything ever.]] Even the unshaped raksha are made of it and use it to fuel their eldritch powers. Its name is used in many places where we would use the word "atom".

* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' seems more [[Made of Phlebotinum]] than most fantasy worlds, what with all its [[Magitek|magically-powered civilizations]] and such. What's also notable is the multitudes of flavors of [[Phlebotinum]]; The Draeni lean towards magic crystals [[Imported Alien Phlebotinum|given them by the Naaru]], [[Our Elves Are Better|Blood Elves]] throw around Arcane magic like it's going out of style, the [[Our Gnomes Are Weirder|Gnomes]] love their tech, with a healthy dose of Arcane, and the [[EverythingsEverything's Better Withwith Cows|Tauren]] stick to their [[Nature Hero|hunting, gathering, and communion with nature]].

** According to [http://www.viddler.com/rooreynolds/videos/26/ this]{{broken link}} video, Azeroth is a sphere about 12 kilometers across, with a density around a hundred times that of Earth. This explains why when you drop an item it disappears; due to the gravity it is crushed into an extremely fine powder spread over a wide area.

* In ''[[Chrono Trigger (Video Game)|Chrono Trigger]]'', the magical floating continent of Zeal is this. It completely depends on magical energy to stay aloft and its residents do pretty much everything by magic.

* ''[[Tales of Symphonia (Video Game)|Tales of Symphonia]]'' and ''[[Tales of Phantasia (Video Game)|Tales of Phantasia]]'' are like this. The main focus for most of both games is preserving the mana flow and thus preventing the collapse of the world. Without it, magic won't work, crops won't grow, etc.

* [[Mass Effect]] uses this as its ''[[Character Title]] [[Title Drop|Drop]]'', despite being one of the [[Mohs Scale of Science Fiction Hardness|hardest]] [[Space Opera|Space Operas]]s to date. How does [[Casual Interstellar Travel|Casual]] [[Faster -Than -Light Travel]] work? [[Applied Phlebotinum|Mass Effect Fields]], generated by [[Unobtainium|Element]] [[Minovsky Physics|Zero]]. How do the [[Flying Car|Flying Cars]]s fly? Mass Effect Fields, generated by Element Zero. How do [[Differently -Powered Individual|Biotics]] [[Mind Over Matter|move things with their minds]]? Mass Effect Fields, generated by Element Zero. How do the guns have [[Bottomless Magazines]]? Mass Effect Fields, generated by Element Zero. How do {{spoiler|the Reapers build a space station in the '''[[Useful Notes/Black Holes|galactic core?]]}}'''}} <s>[[His Dark Materials|Subatomic Angels]]</s> '''''[[Overly Long Gag|Mass Effect Fields, generated by Element Zero.]]''''' And of course, without Mass Effect Fields, generated by Element Zero, [[Anthropic Principle|there would be no interstellar civilization]].

** [http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_energy It's till pretty hard], [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy:Dark energy|all things considering]].

* [[Eight Bit Theater (Webcomic)|8-Bit Theater]] has recently{{when}} ''proven'' it's made of Phlebotinum, since, in that world, you can drill for mana.

* In the blog-novel ''[[Flyover City]]!'' – Malphysical Particles create a cosmic loophole which render the laws of physics “malleable”, allowing the story’s superheroes to do all those superhero-y things that are impossible in the real world.

* [http://elcenia.com/11/251-2-41.shtml Elcenia]{{Dead link}}:

{{quote| "Physical laws? Oh, those things. We don't have them."<br />

"But everyone has them. It's a fundamental principle."<br />

"Not in this world. Everything is taken care of by magic in various forms. What's holding you to your seat isn't gravity, for example."<br />

"Oh, what then?"<br />

[[Category:Tabletop GamesGame Tropes]]