Magic Tool: Difference between revisions

== Live Action Television ==

* In ''[[Doctor Who]]'', the sonic screwdriver is a piece of [[Applied Phlebotinum]] that can basically fix, break, lock, unlock, or otherwise modify anything you want. The only things it specifically can't do are unlock a [[Kryptonite Factor|deadlock seal]], inflict injury or kill. [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?|Unless you're a Cyberman]]. Oh, and it doesn't work on wood. And it's vulnerable to hair dryers. And you can't triplicate the flammability of alcohol either.<ref>Though technically you can't do ''anything'' that doesn't actually mean anything.</ref> It may not be able to inflict injury, but if you're dumb enough to let him near the sound system it can sure as ''hell'' [[Loud of War|hurt your ears]]. Oh, and one time, it was used to ''drive a screw''.

** Then the Eleventh Doctor appears to use it as a weapon against the Silence, while River Song is shooting them. The screwdriver emits a green beam as he whirls back-to-back with River, but he's simply using the screwdriver on the ship that surrounds them, preventing the Silence from absorbing it to power their attacks.

* ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]''

** The Tricorder and related items, which often allow a skilled user to discover, diagnose, and fix almost anything with no other tools.

 

== Tabletop games ==

* ''[[Command & Conquer]]'' spinoff ''Renegade'' features the Repair Gun, which has some range unlike most variants, and does exactly what the name implies. They can also disarm enemy C4 and beacons by draining their health bar (nothing else can damage these things). The singleplayer version is only used by [[NPC]]s and has a damaging secondary fire, but not so the multiplayer version.

* ''[[Mass Effect]]'' has the appropriately named Omni-tool, a holographic tool that can dispense medigel, conduct electronic warfare, and function as a datapad, and repair vehicles and a certain plasma vent. It is also a definite threat in combat; if you bring her along, the tech-focused party member will brandish one as a threat while others draw weapons or take up their [[Pstandard Psychic Pstance]].

* ''[[Half-Life 2]]'' series

** Alyx Vance carries around an all-purpose electronic...thing that seems capable of overriding, reprogramming or destroying pretty much any electronic barrier that stands in your way. Alyx then uses a ''gun'' on humanoid adversaries. The player's near-multiversal-tool, the Gravity Gun, is useless on heavier objects and humanoid enemies {{spoiler|until the last level, where simply ''dragging'' a bad guy forward kills him}}.

* ''[[Homeworld]]'': The mysterious green beam, which fixes ships, is apparently the reverse operation of the mysterious ''red'' beam which gathers resources. In the sequel, harvesting is done by mechanical arms on the harvester, an apparent step back in technology. Probably taken from/inspired by ''Total Annihilation'' (see above), which predates ''Homeworld'' by a couple of years.

* ''[[Dark Cloud]]'': "Repair Powder," which takes this to a whole new level: merely sprinkling this miraculous powder on a weapon will instantaneously repair it.

* ''[[Deus Ex]]'' is a rare first-person shooter that almost completely averts the trope. You have nano-lockpicks, which can reform themselves to, well, pick locks. But for electronic security, such as keypads or security cameras, you need to use a different device, called a multi-tool. The function of these tools is more magical than the lockpicks. Finally, to break things such as crates open, you need an object such as a crowbar, police baton, or sword, all of which are themselves usable as weapons. The sequel plays it straight, abolishing lockpicks, as all traditional locks have vanished and replaced with keypads.

* In ''[[Sins of a Solar Empire]]'', the construction ships can build any structure. ''With a blowtorch''

 

== Web Comics ==

 

== Web Original ==

 

== Real Life ==

* Multitools. The name says it all.

* Swiss army knives use this trope as a major selling point.