History Main / PowerCrutch

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* In ''The Eye of The World'', Egwene mistakes Moiraine's staff for an enchanted object. Moiraine corrects her, saying that using it just helps her concentrate.

* The trope is lampshaded in one of the ''[[Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar Tarma and Kethry]]'' short stories where one of Kethry's classmates had stolen their teacher's staff, thinking that it was the secret to his great power. In truth, the only thing special about the staff was that it had been cut to just the right length to help him with his limp.
* ''[[Literature/AMagesPower A Mage's Power]]'': Beginner mages all require something to focus and direct their magic. This object can be anything but it's usually a manner of weapon such as a staff. Once a mage is no longer a beginner, they don't need anything. Basilard, for instance, is a Greater Mage with decades of experience. He can start a camp fire with a snap of his fingers. His students, Eric and Nolien, require their stave and a spell.

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* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'', blinker stones are [[PowerCrystal power crystals]] that focus inherent psychic abilities like a lens. Etheric beings like TheFairFolk and animals, who can use such powers effortlessly, consider anyone using them and still tethered to their bodies stupid. Annie's eventually gets broken by Ysengrin to force her to stop suppressing her emotions and she subsequently has trouble astral projecting. She used to be able to see in the ether clearly but now everything is inky blackness and she can only sense Reynard's nearby etheric presence.

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May be an AmplifierArtifact raising the power level from "sometimes noticeable" to useful. Compare TransformationTrinket, a different sort of superpower enabler. Contrast its inversion, PowerLimiter.

* Protoss Psi blades from ''{{Starcraft}}'' seem to work like this. As do Ghost "invisibility suits".

* Protoss Psi blades from ''{{Starcraft}}'' seem to work like this.

* In ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'', you need fewer Breaths to awaken something that has a bit of your own body (like a hair or something) on it.

* In ''{{Champions}}'', this is a type of focus.

* In the VideoGame/{{XCom}} series, the Psi-Amps work this way: the abilities of the human psychics are their inner abilities, but they need these devices (and in the second game, an implant) to manifest them, unlike psychic aliens, who can mind-blast you without gadgetry.

* In Gunnerkrigg Court, blinker stones are [[PowerCrystal power crystals]] that focus inherent psychic abilities like a lens. Etheric beings like TheFairFolk and animals, who can use such powers effortlessly, consider anyone using them and still tethered to their bodies stupid. Annie's eventually gets broken by Ysengrin to force her to stop suppressing her emotions and she subsequently has trouble astral projecting. She used to be able to see in the ether clearly but now everything is inky blackness and she can only sense Reynard's nearby etheric presence.

* The trope is lampshaded in one of the ''[[HeraldsOfValdemar Tarma and Kethry]]'' short stories where one of Kethry's classmates had stolen their teacher's staff, thinking that it was the secret to his great power. In truth, the only thing special about the staff was that it had been cut to just the right length to help him with his limp.

A Power Crutch is some object which enables a character to use his or her superpowers, or at least assists in their use. It differs from a MagicFeather in that a Magic Feather is a placebo, while the Power Crutch is not. A Power Crutch has some in-story justification for why it works.

* In the {{X-COM}} series, the Psi-Amps work this way: the abilities of the human psychics are their inner abilities, but they need these devices (and in the second game, an implant) to manifest them, unlike psychic aliens, who can mind-blast you without gadgetry.

* While [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] by no means ''needs'' his blasting rod or wizard staff to pull off magic, he definitely prefers them for the added focus they lend him (to clarify, he is entirely capable of summoning up vast, devastating power, blasting rod or not. The blasting rod, however, changes it from "general, wanton destruction" to "focused, targeted destruction"). Other characters use various items to channel their magic through as well, while some don't bother.

A PowerCrutch is some object which enables a character to use his or her superpowers, or at least assists in their use. It differs from a MagicFeather in that a Magic Feather is a placebo, while the Power Crutch is not. A Power Crutch has some in-story justification for why it works.

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* ''SystemShock 2'' has Psi Amps used the same way, although they have many more applications than just telepathy.

* Notably subverted in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', where Théoden's advisor Gríma ''thinks'' Gandalf's staff is a Power Crutch, and orders the doorwarden Hama to have Gandalf surrender it. (The consensus among Tolkien fandom is that the staves of the Five Wizards are just lengths of ordinary wood.)
** Gandalf breaking Saruman's staff is treated as a big deal, however, and when Saruman next appears he is considerably diminished in power.
** There's a strong school of thought that says that the staffs, while not actually magical, are a kind of symbol of office, and the breaking of Saruman's staff loses him a lot of credibility - akin to, say, a crucifix worn by a Christian clergyman, and if he allowed it to be profaned he'd find it hard to "sell" his beliefs.

* In the last book of the ''Literature/{{Harry Potter|and the Deathly Hallows}}'' series, wandmaker Ollivander explains that wizards and witches can channel magic through just about anything to cast their spells such as an ordinary stick. Without such a crutch, a person's magic will have uncontrolled and unpredictable results -- a wand is needed to properly focus the magic into spells. To get the best results they need to use wands that are suited to them. Since a wand is to some extent an EmpathicWeapon, it will only work perfectly for someone it likes. The wand choosing ceremony in a wand shop makes sure that this is the case for the customer's wand. Since wands also like to be owned by the strongest wizard/witch possible, they will also switch their loyalties to people who claim them by defeating their previous owners in a contest of magic or strength.
** For example: Hermione can't use Bellatrix's stolen wand very well because she never actually defeated her in such a contest; she remarks that it still feels like a piece of Bellatrix herself.

* In ''[[MageTheHeroDiscovered Mage]]'', Kevin Matchstick's baseball bat Excalibur is one of these. If Excalibur gets more than a few yards away from Kevin, his powers conk out.

* {{Hawkman}}'s wings aren't necessary for him to fly (that power comes from his belt) but they are necessary for him to steer.
* Lady Liberty from the Force of July in ''[[BatmanAndTheOutsiders The Outsiders]]''. The Outsiders thought her energy blasts came from her torch and disarmed her. It turned out her power was internal and the torch just helped her focus it.

May be an AmplifierArtifact raising the power level from "sometimes noticeable" to useful. Compare TransformationTrinket, a different sort of superpower enabler.

* The dragon amulet of JadeEmpire allow the Spirit Monk to tap into his or her in-born powers and easier usage of ability-augmenting beads. Like most examples of this trope, the SM eventually learns how to function without the amulet. ''Un''like most examples of this trope the where the crutch is quietly discarded as useless by the hero, the amulet's focusing ability becomes ''very'' important to the BigBad after he steals it.

* Happens to [[spoiler:[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Accelerator]]]] in ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' after he suffers from brain damage and has to use a battery powered HiveMind to control his powers.

* Many people who are less proficient in wielding [[AppliedPhlebotinum Shinsoo]] in ''TowerOfGod'' use item called wands (though they come in many different forms) to make up for it.

* While [[TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] by no means ''needs'' his blasting rod or wizard staff to pull off magic, he definitely prefers them for the added focus they lend him (to clarify, he is entirely capable of summoning up vast, devastating power, blasting rod or not. The blasting rod, however, changes it from "general, wanton destruction" to "focused, targeted destruction"). Other characters use various items to channel their magic through as well, while some don't bother.

* Happens to [[spoiler:[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Accelerator]]]] in ''ToAruMajutsuNoIndex'' after he suffers from brain damage and has to use a battery powered HiveMind to control his powers.

* Notably subverted in ''TheLordOfTheRings'', where Théoden's advisor Gríma ''thinks'' Gandalf's staff is a Power Crutch, and orders the doorwarden Hama to have Gandalf surrender it. (The consensus among Tolkien fandom is that the staves of the Five Wizards are just lengths of ordinary wood.)

* In the last book of the ''Literature/{{Harry Potter|and the Deathly Hallows}}'' series, wandmaker Ollivander explains that wizards and witches can channel magic through just about anything to cast their spells such as an ordinary stick. Without such a crutch, a person's magic will have uncontrolled and unpredictable results -- a wand is needed to properly focus the magic into spells. To get the best results they need to use wands that are suited to them. Since a wand is to some extent an EmpathicWeapon, it will only work perfectly for someone it likes. The wand choosing ceremony in a wand shop makes sure that this is the case for the customer's wand. Since wands also like to be owned by the strongest wizard/witch possible, they will also switch their loyalties to people who claim them by defeating their previous owners in a contest of magic or strength. Hermione can't use Bellatrix's stolen wand very well because she never actually defeated her in such a contest; she remarks that it still feels like a piece of Bellatrix herself.