History Main / MagicCompass

* In''Literature/TalesOfTheKettyJay''

** In the first novel the crew steal maps and a compass that reveals the location of the fabled secret SpyPirate hideout of Retribution Falls. The problem is they've no idea how to use the compass, so they need to work it out as they're [[BlindDriving blind-flying]] the Ketty Jay through mist-shrouded ravines. [[spoiler:The compass turns out to measure distance covered--a great help for blind navigation--and reveal the location of nearby magnetic aerial mines.]]

* In ''Literature/TalesOfTheKettyJay'', Grayther Crake makes daemon-bound compasses for the crew of the Ketty Jay that always point towards their captain Darian Fray.

->'''Will''': How can we sail to an island nobody can find with a ''compass that doesn't work?''\\
'''Mr. Gibbs''': Aye, the compass doesn't point North. But we're ''not trying to find North,'' are we?

->'''Will''': How can we sail to an island nobody can find with a ''compass that doesn't work?''
->'''Mr. Gibbs''': Aye, the compass doesn't point North. But we're ''not trying to find North'', are we?

** In the original ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda,'' it only shows the boss's room.

* A ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' compass points to the world's player spawn point, and as of 1.16 lodestones can be used to alter the location a compass points to.

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfZelda'' had Link and Zelda using a magic compass to locate parts of the Triforce of Wisdom, which had been split into three pieces.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Birdman}}'' episode "Meets Birdgirl". When the villain steals some hydrogen bombs, Birdman uses his "atomic compass" (which is "tuned to the wavelength of the bombs") to track them down.

** The Arrow of Direction could be thrown in the air and commanded to point toward the nearest example of one of eight things: stairway (up/down), sloping passage (up/down), dungeon exit/entrance, cave, cavern. When it fell to the ground it would be pointing the correct way.

* Gargamel and his magically-created clone made one from a magic stone that would help him track down Smurfs in ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' episode "Papa Smurf, Papa Smurf."

* A ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' compass points to the world's player spawn point.

* ''Manga/BlackClover'': Letoile can use Compass Magic which forms compasses that let her redirect attacks. When possessed by an elf, her magic is shown to be able to block numerous attacks, find a hiding target using multiple clones, disrupt the flow of other people's mana to leave them vulnerable at her discretion, and fire giant compass needles that border on an AlwaysAccurateAttack.

* In the ''[[Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Demigod Files]]'' short story "The Sword of Hades", Persephone gives Percy, Thalia and Nico a flower that points the direction the thief who stole the titular sword is in. It loses petals the closer said thief gets to escaping.

* ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'': The Alethiometer ("Truth-meter") is often likened to a golden compass (hence the name of the first book), having four hands and many different symbols around the edges. It is stated to always tell the absolute truth, if one knows how to read it. A question can be posed by pointing at three symbols with the user-controlled hands, and the fourth will then move of its own accord and point at symbols in sequence to deliver the answer. Since each symbol can have dozens of meanings, most people who can read one rely on extensive reference books and can take weeks to decipher an answer to a single question.
* Inverted similarly to ''Harry Potter'' in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels. The Discworld, being "as coreless as a pancake", lacks a magnetic field. A needle of the intensely magical metal [[FantasyMetals octiron]] will align itself to the BackgroundMagicField and therefore always point towards the Hub.

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', the ancient [[{{Precursors}} Aldmer]], ancestors of the modern [[OurElvesAreDifferent races of Mer (Elves)]], could create "waystones" - crystalline balls that rotate on their axis toward a specific direction. Topal the Pilot, the legendary BoldExplorer and [[WarriorPoet poet]] who was the first to discover and explore Tamriel during the Merethic Era, had a "north-east pointing" waystone which he used to navigate.
* ''VideoGame/{{Nioh}}'': William Adams' compass is a magical stone called Amrita with a Merrow's feather tied in, which led him to Japan. In-game, the compass shows the general location of the next objective, but can be upgraded with equipment or guardian spirits to show corpses and jewels, treasure chests, enemies, and/or lost spirits.
* '' VideoGame/EndRoll'': You find several different compasses throughout the game, and each one opens up a different area.

* {{Conversed}} in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': Sarah and Sam [[http://egscomics.com/comic/tsos-03 try to figure out the plot of a movie]] based entirely on the poster. The plot they come up with involves a compass that points to the protagonist's destination and antagonists who have a compass which points to the protagonist (all this being inferred from the poster featuring a woman holding a glowing box). The actual movie [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot fails to live up to their imagined plot]] perhaps not even having any Magic Compasses at all.

* In ''WesternAnimation/OnyxEquinox'', the ball once used by the Hero Twins can find gates to the Underworld using the stars and a beam of light.

* ''Manga/BlackClover'': Letoile can use Compass Magic which forms compasses that let her redirect attacks. When possessed by an elf, her magic is shown to be able to block numerous attacks, find a hiding target using multiple clones, disrupt the flow of other people's mana to leave them vulnerable at her discretion, and fire giant compass needles that border on an AlwaysAccurateAttack.

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
* ''FanFic/TheInfinityLeague'': The chain of events that led to Ash training to becoming an Aura Guardian began with a friend of Cynthia's giving her a compass that is supposed to point to people with large amounts of Aura.

[[folder:Live Action Television]]

[[folder:Religion and Mythology]]

** The [[VideoGame/DragonQuestI first game]] has Gwaelin/Lora's Love, which gives numbered coordinates to Tantegel based on the player's location on the outside map.
** In the [[VideoGame/DragonQuestIII third game]], there is the Sailor's Thigh Bone, which does the above to locate the GhostShip.

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', the ancient [[{{Precursors}} Aldmer]], ancestors of the modern [[OurElvesAreBetter races of Mer (Elves)]], could create "waystones" - crystalline balls that rotate on their axis toward a specific direction. Topal the Pilot, the legendary BoldExplorer and [[WarriorPoet poet]] who was the first to discover and explore Tamriel during the Merethic Era, had a "north-east pointing" waystone which he used to navigate.

* {{Conversed}} in ''''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': Sarah and Sam [[http://egscomics.com/comic/tsos-03 try to figure out the plot of a movie]] based entirely on the poster. The plot they come up with involves a compass that points to the protagonist's destination and antagonists who have a compass which points to the protagonist (all this being inferred from the poster featuring a woman holding a glowing box). The actual movie [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot fails to live up to their imagined plot]] perhaps not even having any Magic Compasses at all.

To be a magic compass, it must indicate a direction. It cannot be something that leaves a trail nor is it a map. It's method of operation should be something inexplicable and/or incomprehensible, quite often artifacts of a [[AWizardDidIt wizard]] or a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien.

* Compasses in the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' setting ''do'' point north, but this is presumably a magical effect because the Land of Mists is not a globe, so doesn't have poles. Just what force it is that attracts compass-needles there is a bit of a mystery.