History Main / TrackingSpell

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has several tracking options, from the lowly short-range "Locate Object" up to the top-tier "Discern Location", the latter of which can track its target precisely and unerringly from anywhere in TheMultiverse, barring top-tier protective spells or divine intervention. "Locate City" achieved infamy due to a... ''creative'' interpretation of the rules that allows it to serve as a literal FantasticNuke if the DM is permissive enough.

[[caption-width-right:320:Apparently GPS now stands for Global Pendulum System.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/Charmed1998 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prue_scrying.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Found you!]]

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has several tracking options, from the lowly short-range "Locate Object" up to the top-tier "Discern Location", the latter of which can track its target precisely and unerringly from anywhere in TheMultiverse, barring top-tier protective spells or divine intervention.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Castoff}}'', tracking spells work better if you have more information on whoever you're looking for - but they don't work on the dead at all. Since Zera can't track Arianna, he presumes she's dead and the woman we know as Arianna is an impostor.

** In an impressive feat of thaumaturgy, Harry builds a SympatheticMagic model of most of Chicago, allowing him to follow the movements of a target that he can't track directly.

SensorCharacter is the character who is specialized in using tracking spells.

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/{{Charmed}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prue_scrying.jpg]]]]

* ''Series/{{Charmed}}'': The page image shows Prue using a magical tracking technique called Scrying, which all Witches in this shows' universe can use. To use this, a witch has to hold a crystal pendant over a map of the area in which the person or object she wants to find is presumably located, and move it around until the pendant eventually pinpoints the exact location of the person/object by pulling down on to a spot on the map.

** From Season 5 onward, the "Cutie Map" -- the magical table at the center of the throne room of Princess Twilight Sparkle's new castle -- is a powerful artifact that can project a map of the whole of Equestria. It then detect "friendship problems" anywhere by summoning members of the Mane Six [[spoiler:(and later, Starlight Glimmer and Spike)]] through their cutie marks, projecting a floating image of said mark over a location. The specific ponies summoned are the best suited to solve whatever friendship problem is afoot.L

* In ''Literature/TheLaundrySeries'', one early joke about the titular MonsterHunterOrganization is that it [[ObstructiveBureaucrat tries so hard to follow the ISO-9000 code that agents can be expected to be audited for the paperclips they use]]. And then it turns out that the joke was a ChekhovsGun, because the agency can cast a spell that can give the exact position of every paperclip of any specific batch that they own... which is pretty good when they need to find a spy that has run away with top-secret documents.

Of course, the TrackingDevice is the non-magical equivalent. Often depends on SympatheticMagic, using a piece of the target or something connected with them to make an attachment. Related tropes might be CrystalBall and SurveillanceAsThePlotDemands.

* In the crossover of the ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' universe with ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Fanfic/FateRevelationOnline, Kibaou is a capable tracker using Runic magic.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prue_scrying.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Found you!]]

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* ''{{Series/Charmed}}'': The page image shows Prue using a magical tracking technique called Scrying, which all Witches in this shows' universe can use. To use this, a witch has to hold a crystal pendant over a map of the area in which the person or object she wants to find is presumably located, and move it around untill the pendant eventually pinpoints the exact location of the person/object by pulling down on to a spot on the map.

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* ''[[VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} Warcraft III]]'': The Faerie Fire spell reduces the target's armor and makes it visible to the casting player (even through the Fog Of War) until the effect wears off.

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* In ''Literature/TheLaundrySeries'', one early joke about the titular MonsterHuntingOrganization is that it [[ObstructiveBureaucrat tries so hard to follow the ISO-9000 code that agents can be expected to be audited for the paperclips they use]]. And then it turns out that the joke was a ChekhovsGun, because the agency can cast a spell that can give the exact position of every paperclip of any specific batch that they own... which is pretty good when they need to find a spy that has run away with top-secret documents.

* ''{{Series/Charmed}}'': All witches are capable of a magical tracking technique called Scrying, which can be performed with a crystal pendant and a map of the area in which the person or object a witch wants to find is presumably located. The witch has to hold the crystal pendant over the map and move it around untill the pendant eventually pinpoints the exact location of the object or person by pulling down on to a spot on the map.

* ''[[Literature/ElementalMasters Blood Red]]'': Rosamund uses a tracking spell that combines SympatheticMagic and a good-quality map to pinpoint Markos' location when he's captured. She also teaches the spell to the local village's mayor, as he has just enough magical ability to make it work.

Of course, TrackingDevice is the nonmagical equivalent. Often depends on SympatheticMagic, using a piece of the target or something connected with them to make an attachment. Related tropes might be CrystalBall and SurveillanceAsThePlotDemands.[softreturn]

* Nanoha in ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' has the spell "Area Search", originally created to find a [[MineralMaguffin Jewel Seed]] in a massive tree. It's shown to have to have to search manually in the form of a ball of magic. Becomes a ChekhovsSkill in ''[=StrikerS=]'' when she combines it with her [[WaveMotionGun Divine Buster]] to perform a DungeonBypass. Yuuno also demonstrates skill with tracking spells that end up landing him a job as the Chief Librarian at the Infinite Library.

* Harry Dresden of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', as a wizard private detective, uses a lot of these, in both mundane and supernatural cases. He can follow any target provided he has something connected with them or enough personal information about them. The most reliable method is to use a piece of the target's body, feeding a trickle of magic into its sympathetic link with the target and following where the magic goes.

** In an impressive feat of thaumaturgy, Harry creates a sympathetic model of most of Chicago, allowing him to follow the movements of a target that he can't track directly.
* Such an ability exists in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', known as a Finder. The trace must be placed on an object, and as long as the intended target keeps the object on their person, the creator of the trace will be able to sense their direction unless they get very far away.
* ''[[Literature/ElementalMasters Blood Red]]'': Rosamund uses a tracking spell that combines SympatheticMagic and a good-quality map to pinpoint Markos' location when he's captured. (She also teaches the spell to the local village's mayor, as he has just enough magical ability to make it work.)

* '''[[VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} Warcraft III]]'': The Faerie Fire spell reduces the target's armor and makes it visible to the casting player (even through the Fog Of War) until the effect wears off.

* ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures''' resident chi-wizard Uncle often casts these kind of spells that help the heroes locate the [[MacGuffin artifact of the week]].