Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Difference between revisions

* This drives the plot for ''[[Liar Game]]''. The elaborate organization manages to get away with forcing billion dollar debts on people simply because it's so rich and powerful (though it also helps that none of the people bothered going to actual, ''real'' lawyers).

** And subverted [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|spectacularly]] on Yokoya, who previously was able to buy his way out of any situation with money. In the Pandemic Game, one of his teammates had turned sides and locked himself in a room, forcing Yokoya to persuade to come out by offering money. But after slipping cheque after cheque underneath the door, the teammate still wasn't satisfied and kept demanding more money, until Yokoya [[Villainous Breakdown|lost his cool]] and began kicking the door in frustration. Then, we find out that {{spoiler|it was Akiyama in the room all along and Yokoya had been giving free money to his archrival this whole time!}}

** Plus the president of the student council seems [[Strange Minds Think Alike|to have the same mindset as Sousuke]], and usually agrees with his crazy conclusions.

* ''[[Eden of the East]]'' features several characters with ludicrously large cash reserves and a concierge who helps them do whatever they want with it, including {{spoiler|bribing the Prime Minister, serial murder, launching missiles at Japan, and [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|building a nice hospital]].}}

== Fanfiction ==

* Tsuruya's father in ''[[Kyon: Big Damn Hero]]'' turns this [[Up to Eleven]], buying a hospital to reward one nurse for her diligence and buying a company to transfer one person. {{spoiler|Being a [[Yakuza]] boss certainly does nothing to hurt.}}

* In [[White Rain]], {{spoiler|Lucia van Alstyne tries this on the Hokage - Uzumaki Naruto. While it doesn't quite work, Shikamaru reveals that for all intents and purposes, she '''does''' own a hefty chunk of Fire Country, and probably Konoha as well.}}

 

== Literature ==

* Hans Ebert in David Wingrove's ''[[Chung Kuo]]'' relies on this trope to get away with being who he is.

** He later finds out the hard way that wealth and prestige don't help when you've screwed up [[Evil Overlord|the Dark Lord]]'s orders.

* Flashman in ''[[Tom Browns Schooldays]]'', though eventually his behavior was too out of control for even his family connections to save him.

* Subverted hard in Robert Aspirin's ''[[Phule's Company]]'' books; and one of the few examples of the trope being consistently employed effectively on the side of good. Most of the time, it's the titular Williard Phule, aka Captain Jester, using his vast wealth to foil [[Obstructive Bureaucrat]]s who have the letter, if not the spirit, of the law on their side.

* Used in one of the books in ''[[The Once and Future King]]'' series. Mordred argues with Arthur that their judicial system - two champions jousting, on behalf of the defendant and persecution - was unfair since it was more of a battle of muscles. Arthur pointed out that the law allowed for each party to hire whomever they liked to be their champion and pointed out that if they switched to using lawyers it would just be the same (each party could hire whichever lawyer they thought would best save their bacon). He finishes by pointing out that in the judicial system, whoever has the most money will most likely win.

* The rich members of the [[Six-Student Clique]] in ''[[The Secret History]]'' attempt to use their money to get rid of all potential problems. {{spoiler|It runs out and they have to kill Bunny anyway.}}

* Done in ''Night Train to Rigel'' by Timothy Zahn. The infiltrating alien enemy is convinced that its relocation to a new homeworld has gone undiscovered because there is only one interstellar Quadrail station in the {{spoiler|Yandro}} system and it has it continuously under surveillance. However, the protagonist works for Larry Hardin, the richest man on Earth, who simply paid a trillion dollars to build another Quadrail station on the other side of the system.

** Subverted in the game: the rules have some unusual skills, where a skill represents any available means of getting things done. One skill the core book suggests is for a percentage chance a rich relative bails you out at opportune moments. Now, according to the rules, you can screw the rules, 'cause your uncle has money!

** And there's Axel Able. Fails to ascend to the Invisible Clergy, but screw that, he's going to control the Occult Underground because he has money.

* [[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]]. The whole idea of the game is to get more money than everyone else. And the banker always wins.

* The Syndicate in ''[[Mage: The Ascension]]''. One memorable description of vulgar (i.e. obviously magical) Syndicate magic, found on rpgnet courtesy a Mr. "Random Nerd":