Useless Useful Spell: Difference between revisions

These attacks are also far more useful in [[Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game|MMORPG]]s due to generally stronger [[Mooks]] and player controlled enemies that are very vulnerable to such tactics. '''Useless Useful Spells''' are often hated among [[Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game|MMORPG]] communities for their ability to handicap player characters (often even better then when used on [[Mooks]] due to [[The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard|the computer cheating]]). However, in [[Player Versus Player|PvP]], ''that'' is a different story!

** Spells and abilities that endow creatures and to a lesser extent other permanents with specific abilities (including but not limited to the aura subtype of enchantments) may fall under this. Consider [https://web.archive.org/web/20080630161048/http://ww2.wizards.com/gathererGatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=83088 Flight]. From the enchanted creature's perspective, it's potentially a great effect—it gains flying if it didn't have it already, allowing it to bypass most non-flying blockers and/or block flying attackers itself. Get to the point where you actually want to put the card into a deck, though, and you'll soon realize that if having flyers is important to your strategy, you'd best include a number of creatures that have the ability in and of themselves already in case you don't actually ''draw'' that Flight card...yet the more of those you have, the less good the card actually does you in the first place! (This logic does not, of course, apply to abilities that actually have a cumulative effect. However, many of the more commonly granted abilities—like flying, first strike, or trample—do not fall into this category.) Then there's the issue that the empowered creature isn't necessarily any harder to ''kill'', potentially taking the entire investment in extra cards, mana, and/or other resources to the graveyard with it...

* ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', the original RPG, completely inverts this trope; traditionally Useless Useful Spells tend to be the most useful spells in the game, with direct damage spells falling well below them in power level. This is because most spells are equally likely to succeed in affecting a foe, thus a spell which can kill a foe is far more effective than a spell which can hurt one. Some status affecting spells automatically succeed, and many others are essentially the same as spells which outright kill foes because they completely disable them for long periods of time, allowing players to kill them at their leisure. Relatively few foes are immune to such spells, while many foes are resistant to elemental damage spells, adding insult to injury. A wide variety of spells which don't even directly harm opponents are also extremely powerful, and all in all this leads to wizards and other powerful spellcasters being [[Game Breaker|game breakers]]s. This is played straight however in the "mobility" feat, which gives you an AC bonus against Attacks of Opportunity, the problem is that anyone who needs the [[Prestige Class]] or feats it qualifies you for has Tumble, which means you don't provoke [[Ao O]]...

** And again in Castlevania: SotN, we've got Dark Metamorphosis, which allows our vampeal hero to heal with the blood shed by enemies... of course, most things, exploding into flames on death and dying in one hit, or being animated armor or skeletons or whatever else, don't bleed; the most powerful early-game weapons (Jewel Knuckles and spells) won't draw blood from any enemy; and the late game most powerful weapons (Crissaegrim, Alucard Shield, spells) are such complete [[Game Breaker|game breakers]]s you'll almost or entirely never will need to heal.

** Though, it is worth mentioning that on lower difficulty levels, skills like Dominate and Hacking, which are nearly useless in the higher difficulty levels are basically [[Game BreakersBreaker]]s.

* All Force type character classes in later versions of ''[[Phantasy Star Online]]'' have particular technique specialities, techs that they have a higher level cap for than other classes. The [[Magic Knight|FOmar]]'s speciality are the buff and debuff techniques, which at max level make an enormous difference to the affected stats and have a massive area of effect. Having Shifta and Deband maintained whenever possible is standard procedure for PSO, and the [[F Omar]]FOmar is generally the preferred caster of choice for the task.

* Dervishes in ''[[Guild Wars]]'' have enchantment (buff) stacking as their gimmick. Typically any given one only has minor effects, but given that many of them synergise well and Dervish primaries gain energy every time an enchantment ends, it tends to be essential to maintain a lot of them.

* Any boss in ''[[Science Girls]]'' is just as vulnerable to status effects as regular enemies, so you can poison them or drop their stats from the start of the fight. It's balanced by some bosses having moves that can cancel them out after they're afflicted, but it at least makes them waste a turn.

* ''[[Persona 4]]'' (and from all reports, all [[Mega Ten]] games) seems to avert this trope with some degree of gusto. Not only does stat-up/down work on most bosses (and are necessary at points to avoid death) but instant kill techniques such as Chie's Galactic Punt Follow Though technique will instantly remove everything up to and including mid-bosses from battle.

* Parodied in [https://web.archive.org/web/20100601125238/http://www.adventurers-comic.com/d/0167.html this] ''[[Adventurers!]]'' strip.

* In the ''[[Harry Potter and Thethe SorcererPhilosopher's Stone (novel)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' Game Boy Color game, best way to beat the final boss? Locomotor Wibbly to inflict stun...then Mucus Ad Nauseum to poison him; especially if you don't have Flipendo Tria.