White Magic: Difference between revisions
m
clean up, replaced: Always Chaotic Evil → Exclusively Evil
m (revise quote template spacing) |
m (clean up, replaced: Always Chaotic Evil → Exclusively Evil) |
||
Line 1:
{{trope}}
[[File:
Polar opposite of [[Black Magic]]. "Holy" powers that the Heroes use. Probably called this because we tend to think of [[Light Is Good|light as good]].
Line 12:
Unlike with [[Black Magic]], with White Magic you don't have to worry about malevolent side effects. (There may be a sacrifical cost to prove your commitment.) Whereas [[Satan|evil]] [[God of Evil|gods]] tend to despise their human patsies, ''genuinely good'' deities tend to ''genuinely like'' their devotees. However, with White Magic you do tend to face certain Restrictions, as good gods tend to be pickier about how their servants use the powers granted to them. [[Crystal Dragon Jesus]] usually wants his followers to use his powers to go out and help people, and he won't be amused when his devotees run around killing babies.
There are two common methods for imposing Restrictions. One is to limit what sorts of powers the disciples receive to largely beneficial effects that can cause no direct harm; [[Healing Hands|powers of healing]], protection, or [[Status Buff|blessed empowerment]]. Mature (or merely advanced) devotees might get a handful of spells for [[Standard Status Effects|offensively weakening and hindering others]], though the available "debuffs" tend to be relatively gentle compared to the curses of [[Black Magic]]. There may be at least one honestly destructive spell available, but which is only effective against [[
It should be noted that between the lack of [[The Corruption|uglifying side-effects]] of [[Black Magic]] and the abundance of healing effects, the followers of Good tend to be much healthier and prettier. (Which may actually serve as a [[Justified Trope|Justification]] for [[Beauty Equals Goodness]].)
Line 20:
Depressing as it is, sometimes [[Light Is Not Good]], or else [[Lawful Stupid|just very stupid]]. In these cases, people are able to use White Magic in all the wrong ways, either by serving as the personal healer of [[Big Bad|an evil overlord]] or by marauding around the countryside, using "holy" bolts to slaughter [[Dark Is Not Evil]] races like the aforementioned [[Friendly Neighborhood Vampires]] and [[Our Orcs Are Different|Blizzard-type Orcs]]. Either the deity behind the White Magic isn't [[God Is Evil|all he's cracked up to be]], or the [[Functional Magic|form of magic]] doesn't actually involve a sapient source at all.
See also: [[The Medic]], whose [[Healing Hands]] are often a result of
{{examples}}
Line 46:
** In ''Prospero in Hell'', Miranda hypothesizes that their father thought that sprouting part of the True Cross and carving a staff from the tree would make using the staff to resurrect someone White Magic.
* In [[Robert E. Howard]]'s "[[The Phoenix on the Sword]]", Epemitreus marks [[Conan the Barbarian]]'s sword to let it slay demons. Possibly the only benevolent use of magic in Howard's entire Conan saga.
** In "[[The Tower of the Elephant]]", the [[Deceptive Disciple]] imprisoned his mentor because he was being taught only
* ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' series by [[Susan Cooper]] has the Light vs the Dark, where the Old Ones use magic to save humanity. Although it's not always nice to those who have to endure the effects or after-effects.
* A point of in universe controversy in ''[[The Witch Watch]]'', is whether or not white magic exists. Is it holy to use magic for the purpose of healing? {{spoiler|Not when it turns out it requires human sacrifices to function}}
| |||