Upgrade Artifact: Difference between revisions

Becoming truly skilled at something takes a long time and a lot of hard work. Sometimes, you can handle this with a [[Training Montage]], but the plot doesn't always have enough time for this. So, how DO you go about transforming your [[Unlucky Everydude]] into a [[Badass]] [[Superhero]] in less than an hour?

 

 

If the object is a [[Cool Sword|magical sword]], expect instant [[Implausible Fencing Powers]].

* The Stand Arrow from ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure|Jojo's Bizarre Adventure]]''. Normally, it's used to turn normal people into [[Psychic Powers|Stand users]]. However, someone who is already a Stand user will gain additional powers if shot by the arrow again (Yoshikage Kira gained the ability to create time loops near the end of Part 4 to try and escape the heroes), and when a ''Stand'' is shot by the arrow, it becomes a MUCH more powerful version of itself, as seen when Polnareff's [[Royal Rapier|Silver Chariot]] becomes Silver Chariot Requiem and gains [[Freaky Friday Flip]] abilities. Likewise, Giorno's Gold Experience becomes Gold Experience Requiem and goes from being able to transmute objects into being able to [[Divide by Zero]], thereby thoroughly trouncing [[Big Bad|Diavolo]] and his timeskipping abilities.

* Nanoha and Fate in ''[[Lyrical Nanoha]]'' became the overpowered mages they are by [[Training From Hell|training a lot]]. Hayate, who received the power and spells of the [[Tome of Eldritch Lore|Book of Darkness]] after she became its Master, beats them both in raw magical strength (but because she skipped the basics she suffers from [[Ace Lightning Syndrome]]).

* Subverted/averted in ''[[Dragonball Z]]'':

** Master Korin tells Goku that the "Sacred Water" from a particular jar will make him stronger, but takes the jar away every time Goku wants to drink from it. In the end, the water has no effect: it's the exercise you have to do to get it that makes you stronger. Truth be told, Korin just fills the jar with ordinary water.

* Used in ''[[The Matrix]]'', of course - rather than spend time actually learning Kung Fu, Neo just has it uploaded directly into his brain. Voila, I know kung fu! At various other points in the series, other characters also gets instant uploads of useful skills, such as flying a helicopter, or hotwiring a motorbike.

** The second is gently spoofed when, before Trinity can be given the hotwiring skills, the Keymaker simply gives her the right key to turn on the bike.

** If only it was. Other movies survive nonsensical plot holes; Battlefield Earth doesn't for other reasons.

 

* Used in ''[[Warcraft: The Last Guardian|Warcraft the Last Guardian]]'', when the wizard Medivh teaches his apprentice Khadgar how to ride a gryphon.

* The [[Cool Sword|magical sword Need]] in the ''[[Heralds of Valdemar]]'' books will give its bearer magical protection if a fighter, fighting skills if a mage, or both if the bearer is neither. Then things get more complicated...

 

 

** Naturally, these were both invented by William Gibson, the latter in ''[[Neuromancer]]'', the former in ''Mona Lisa Overdriv''e. The sex chip was usually implanted voluntarily (it makes earning money as a hooker less... icky) and the knowledge imparted by the memory chips vanished as soon as they were removed.

*** His choice of name for memory chips, ''micro softs'' dates the novel somewhat.

* 1st Edition AD&D included magical books and ioun stones that granted you a free experience level if you read or used them. These were dropped from later editions of the game, on the grounds that levels should be earned through actual play, not found lying around in dungeons.

** There remain certain artifacts in edition 3.5 (The Book of Vile Darkness, etc) that grant this effect, though they can only be used by divine spellcasters, and then only once in a lifetime.

== Video Games ==

* Frequently used in the ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' series of games.

** In both ''[[Final Fantasy III]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy V]]'', the characters gains access to the skills of 'ancient warriors' by picking up the shards of the Crystals.

** Has a small presence in ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]'', as Rydia can gain several hidden summons from [[Randomly Drops|randomly dropped items]].

* All of the weapons in ''[[Drakengard]]'' come with a magical spell the protagonist can use perfectly once he equips the weapon. He can also use a variety of weapons and weapon styles perfectly, but that's [[Hand Wave|probably because he's a]] [[Badass Normal]].

* In the ''[[Metroid]]'' series of games, not only does Samus acquire new powers and skills by collecting artifacts, she often [[Bag of Spilling|loses these artifacts]] and has to collect them all over again.

* The ''[[Golden Sun]]'' series of portable RPGs features items which teach specific psyenergy (the game's equivalent to magic) abilities to the character who equips them.

** However, these items can be unequipped to be equipped by other characters, making this more a sort of Device Magic. A more fitting example is perhaps the Psyenergy-tablets in the elemental rocks in ''Golden Sun: The Lost Age''.

*** Not to mention Porygon evolves through an item named Upgrade.

** Don't forget Rare Candy, a level in a wrapper.

* The same thing applies in ''[[Fire Emblem]],'' where all base classes can promote at level 10 when using the right item. However, doing so also means missing out on the other 10 levels the character can gain in that class, so it's better to wait until the character has reached the level cap. Unlike a level, a promotion adds predefined stats to the character, and sometimes gives them a new ability and/or the ability to use new weapon types.

* In ''[[Mega Man ZX]]'' you acquire new biometals.