Plot Tailored to the Party: Difference between revisions
→Literature: replaced: Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone → Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (novel)
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* Used in every ''[[Xanth]]'' novel where a character wishes to ask the Good Magician Humfrey a Question. Entrance to Humfrey's castle is guarded by three specific Challenges suited to the Asker's abilities, designed to test the Asker and ensure the Question is not asked trivially.
* ''[[The Laundry Series|The Jennifer Morgue]]'' openly invokes it, [[Lampshade Hanging|hanging lampshades all the while]]. Ramona says that Bob is caught up in an "eigenplot," and she can't reveal any details lest he become contaminated—he needs to be clean of any knowledge of what's going on so he can make it past the "semiotic firewall." She does, however, discuss concepts such as "danger in a foreign land," "encountering the enemy agent" and "joining with the Dark Anima." The "eigenplot" in question? {{spoiler|Bob's been geased by the villain to enact the tropes of a James Bond movie, so that only one British agent tries to stop the plot for world domination -- and, since the villain controls the geas, he can stop it when the only thing that ''could'' stop him becomes just another boffin.}}
* In ''[[Harry Potter and
** It could be seen that the first-years' success lay in their vastly different strengths and teamwork, whereas a lone person would be less likely to have all of the skills required to get past all of the obstacles. {{spoiler|"Quirrelmort" made it to the final room, but since the Mirror of Erised only gave the stone to someone who wanted the stone but not want to use it, he ''never'' would've been able to get it by himself.}}
** It's also due to the tasks being created with adult wizards in mind. Most of them aren't good enough athletes for the broomstick ride or well enough acquainted with logic to solve the chessboard or potion riddle. Most adult wizards have little use for the kind of lateral thinking a science or maths major (or Hermione) would, as she points out.
* This is a key plot point of ''[[The Belgariad]]''. The Purposes of the Universe, at war, set events in motion that are calculated to require very specific people to perform very specific tasks. It is openly explained and discussed among the characters. It also crosses heavily over into [[Xanatos Speed Chess]].
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