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1->''"That's the door to Earth. Go through there, you'll be wherever you need to be. You won't have any other powers though. You wanna get around, you're just gonna have to take a bus or something."''
2-->-- '''The Doorman''', ''Series/TheGoodPlace''
3
4In {{Dream Land}}s and {{Spirit World}}s, there is often an EldritchAbomination who is able to harness the limitless power that exists there. An omnipotent RealityWarper who can fully utilize the concept YourMindMakesItReal. Sadly, the bane of many of these creatures is that this power only exists [[PlaceOfPower in their native world]]. Ergo, if they try something like [[WhenDimensionsCollide invading reality]] hoping to use their near infinite power to TakeOverTheWorld, they'll usually find that their power didn't make the trip with them.
5
6In other words, they've encountered ''literal'' [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome reality]].
7
8If the creature relies mostly on its powers and is naturally physically weak, it's WeakButSkilled. If the creature is still able to cause trouble even without its god-like abilities, that's BroughtDownToBadass.
9
10In the event the creature ''does'' manage to bring its omnipotent powers with it into the real world, be prepared for TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
11
12The creature may or may not be a DomainHolder.
13
14Subtrope of YourMagicsNoGoodHere. For other cases where beings are stripped of their powers, see BroughtDownToNormal. See also DimensionLord. A common weakness for creatures that normally live in DreamLand or have power there, such as the DreamWeaver, NightmareWeaver, and DreamWalker.
15
16----
17!!Examples:
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19[[foldercontrol]]
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21[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
22* Within a dream, Yuko from ''Manga/TheDemonGirlNextDoor'' can [[ImaginationBasedSuperpower conjure into being]] anything her imagination can come up with -- unfortunately, with her being a bit of an airhead with an extremely sheltered upbringing (somewhat justified for being sick most of her life), her imagination has trouble coming up with very much. Her [[MorphWeapon Whatever Staff]], already capable of defying the laws of nature in the real world, is practically a RealityWarper when she brings it into the dream world. Screw entropy, screw probability, screw thermodynamics, screw logic, if Yuko ''thinks'' it'll work, ''it'll work'' -- the only catch being that doing the impossible in a dream is incredibly taxing on her very limited magical power and it quickly runs out; doing such things in reality is completely beyond her capacity. [[spoiler: For now.]]
23* PlayedForDrama on the protagonists' side in the third ''Anime/YokaiWatch'' NonSerialMovie. The animated yokai world is being turned into the real world by a mysterious force. The yokai find in this new reality that their powers are weaker. Jibanyan's RapidFireFisticuffs become [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome a much more realistic speed and end up underwhelming]].
24[[/folder]]
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26[[folder:Comic Books]]
27* Ashley Guthrie, one of the "slashers" in ''ComicBook/HackSlash'', retreated into the {{Dream Land}}s when he was murdered on earth. In the dream realm, he is almost omnipotent. When forced back into the real world, he is almost powerless (and bound into the form of the teddy bear that was used to smother him).
28* ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'':
29** John Dee is a shriveled, malnourished old lunatic in the waking world, but when he got his hands on the Materioptikon, enabling him to tap into The Dreaming, he became powerful enough that he not only drove a whole diner full of people insane, but he also caused a wave of homicidal madness to spread out over the world. Even Dream, who ''created'' the Materioptikon, nearly died at Dee's hands, surviving only because Dee destroyed the Materioptikon in the mistaken belief that doing so would kill Dream.
30** Dream/Morpheus himself also counts. He's no slouch in the material world, where he's immortal and has a variety of powers/abilities and tools that he can use for magical effects, but in the Dreaming he's practically an omnipotent RealityWarper. He can effortlessly change the surroundings of the world, or the perceptions of anyone in it, and can be everywhere and nowhere at once. When the demon Azazel, one of the former co-rulers of Hell, challenged Dream in the Dreaming, the result was Dream effortlessly crushing and then imprisoning Azazel. The number of beings that can plausibly be a threat to Morpheus while he's in his own realm can probably be counted on one hand.[[note]]God himself, Lucifer, Dream's older sister Death, and TheHecateSisters (in their role as The Furies). Following the release of ''ComicBook/TheSandmanOverture'', presumably the parents of The Endless [[spoiler:Time]] and [[spoiler:Night]] can be added to the list.[[/note]]
31[[/folder]]
32
33[[folder:Fan Works]]
34* In the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' and ''Franchise/LittleWitchAcademia'' crossover ''Fanfic/AFoolsStudyIntoWitchcraft'', Akko ''can'' summon her Personas in reality, but it takes more out of her than in the Cognitive World. Being around a Ley Line helps significantly.
35* In ''Fanfic/SuperMarioWorldMaxLandis'', humans have extraordinary strength and durability in the Mushroom World and other dimensions, giving them a huge advantage over the inhabitants. The climax of the script involves [[spoiler:Wario being dragged to the real world, as it's the only way to inflict damage that sticks]].
36* ''Fanfic/TantabusMarkII'': Moondog, as a revamped version of the Tantabus, is a DreamWeaver surpassed only by Luna herself. In the real world, though, she's a MasterOfIllusion and not much else, with too much magic use causing aches and pains. Furthermore, her existence and magic are powered by mental energy; she can easily grab bits and pieces nopony will miss while in dreams, but reality keeps draining her health while all her magic is CastFromHitPoints.
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38
39[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
40* ''WesternAnimation/MuneGuardianOfTheMoon'': A rare heroic example. Mune is seen as a nobody and a weakling in his own world, but learns that he has [[DreamWeaver incredible power]] in the dream world, which he uses to fight off the nightmares that try to attack him and Glim.
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43[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
44* In the ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'' series, this is one of Freddy Krueger's {{Achilles Heel}}s. Within the dream world, he's pretty much a fear-empowered god. Outside of it, he's only a guy with a bladed glove who is somewhat harder to kill than a normal man, but die he does... until the SequelHook appears, that is.
45* Both played straight and subverted in ''Film/LastActionHero''. When both ActionHero Detective Jack Slater and ProfessionalKiller Benedict escape the FilmWithinAFilm and reach [[KidHero Danny's]] "real world" they both have to get used to the fact that {{Surprisingly Realistic Outcome}}s occur and the real world is very different from the over-the-top action movie universe they've inhabited. Jack is somewhat dismayed to learn that a lot of his tried and true techniques don't work; in real life [[EveryCarIsAPinto cars don't explode when you shoot them in a random spot]], and trying to [[SoftGlass punch out a glass window]] hurts like hell and is likely to injure you. Combined with him being stripped of his PlotArmor, this makes Jack considerably weaker in the real world than he is in the movie. Benedict, on the other hand, is ''delighted'' to learn that some of the tropes that work against the bad guy in movie world, such as InstantEmergencyResponse, don't happen in the real world and ApatheticCitizens in a rundown part of town don't care when you kill somebody for no reason. If anything, Benedict has the advantage over Jack in the real world, a fact which Benedict gleefully boasts about in their final confrontation.
46-->'''Benedict:''' Here, in this world, the bad guys can ''win!''
47* ''Franchise/TheMatrix'':
48** 'Film/TheMatrix'': When Neo is first disconnected from the Matrix and wakes up in the real world, he realizes that his actual body is so atrophied from never being used that he's too weak to move under his own power.
49** 'Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'': Smith, a powerful rogue computer program, can only interact with the real world by possessing the body of someone that he had taken over in the Matrix, and he notes that real human bodies are really weak compared to the abilities he's used to possessing in the Matrix. And when Neo and the body possessed by Smith fight in the real world, there are no fancy martial arts, no gravity-defying jumps or displays of SuperStrength that both showed in the Matrix, just a pair of guys awkwardly grappling and trying to slam each other into walls or grab anything that can be used as a weapon.
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52[[folder:Literature]]
53* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
54** In ''Literature/TheWeeFreeMen'', the Grim Hounds are instantly incapacitated when they cross over from the fairy realm to reality, because [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome their razor teeth start cutting the insides of their own mouths.]]
55** ''Literature/{{Thud}}'' has the Summoning Dark, an entity of vengeance capable of crossing a million dimensions in the blink of an eye, but unable to cross a room. It possesses people to do its work, although HeroicWillpower is able to keep it trapped.
56* In Creator/CSLewis's ''Literature/TheMagiciansNephew'', this phenomenon keeps Jadis from conquering our world with her magic, but even here she keeps her [[SuperStrength strength sufficient to rip an iron crossbar from a Victorian lamppost]]. Far worse for her is the Wood Between the Worlds; there she is weaker than Digory or Polly, gasping for breath, stooped and staggering: she herself says it is literally killing her.
57* In a heroic example, the Sleepwalkers in ''Literature/SideBySideDreamers'' are just ordinary high school girls in the real world but are able to fight to protect humanity while dreaming. In particular, Saya notes that it's surprising to see Hitsuji so intense while fighting Suiju in the Nightland when she seems so delicate and aloof in the waking world.
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60[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
61* In ''Series/TheGoodPlace'', [[spoiler:Michael and Janet lose their otherworldly powers when on Earth, though Janet still knows everything up to the point when she left due to the nature of her existence]].
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64[[folder:Video Games]]
65* ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 6'': Net Navigators, normally cyber-entities, can manifest in the real world through the newest technology called Copybot; the Navi is uploaded into the bot, which then shifts shape into the Navi in question. The uploaded Navi is limited to their most basic of abilities while inhabiting a Copybot: its operator cannot "feed" them Battle Chips and its physical strength and speed are explicitly said to be limited to roughly the level of an average adult human. Late in the game, the villains are shown to possess modified Copybots that allow a Navi to use much more of their powers in reality than the common models.
66* This applies to most protagonists in the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series. In metaphysical environments like the [[VideoGame/Persona3 Dark Hour]], [[VideoGame/Persona4 TV World]] or [[VideoGame/Persona5 Metaverse]] they have access to a powerful FightingSpirit that also boosts their physical abilities, but in mundane reality it takes a lot of focus and experience to manifest a persona. Most don't realize it's possible at all.
67** This is extended further to ''VideoGame/Persona5'''s PhantomThief attire. In addition to looking cool, the Phantom Thieves are also gifted with superhuman agility and dexterity, allowing them to perform daring acrobatics. It's noted that they do not have this same level of athleticism outside of the Metaverse.
68* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series has the Daedric Princes, the "original spirit" divine beings who did not take part in [[CreationMyth the creation of the mortal world]] (known as Mundus). Unlike the Aedra, they did not sacrifice any of their power during creation and remain [[CompleteImmortality truly immortal]]. Each has a particular sphere, which they are said to govern from [[EldritchLocation their planes]] of [[VoidBetweenTheWorlds Oblivion]] which they [[DimensionLord inhabit and rule]]. (In some interpretations, a Prince's realm is considered [[FisherKing an extension of that Prince themselves]], as their "[[GeniusLoci body]]". Furthering the "body" analogy is that while a Prince has absolute power in their realm, it doesn't translate into ''omniscience'' within that realm.) However, because they did not participate in the creation of Mundus, the Princes are subject to metaphysical barriers which prevent them from manifesting at full divine power in the mortal world outside of some very specific circumstances. As such, the Princes prefer to [[MissionFromGod work through mortal agents]] to accomplish their goals within Mundus. [[DestroyerDeity Mehrunes]] [[OmnicidalManiac Dagon]] is one of the few Princes who has been able to manifest at full power several times in history, [[PersonOfMassDestruction causing massive destruction]] each time and requiring the intervention of other deities ([[DeityOfHumanOrigin Almalexia]] in the late 1st Era when he destroyed Old Mournhold and [[TopGod Akatosh]] himself to end the [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion Crisis]]).
69* The titular ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' is a standard RPG hero within [[MentalWorld Headspace]], and has access to a wide array of moves, higher attack and defense, and the [[StatusBuff emotion-manipulating mechanic]], among other things, as do the three dream versions of his friends. His real-life self, Sunny, and the real-life counterparts of his friends, on the other hand, are severely restricted in real-life battles, with less moves, lower attack and defense, no ability to change emotions using skills, and basically none of the extra things Headspace combat has.
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72[[folder:Web Original]]
73* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': Spirits that are strong enough to manifest outside of Astral Space have an energy requirement to manifest, making them weaker in the real world than in the Astral.
74[[/folder]]
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76[[folder:Western Animation]]
77* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperforceGo'', Skeleton King traps the Hyperforce in a shared dream world, wherein his power is greater than ever, effortlessly [[CurbStompBattle Curb-Stomping]] the entire team. After the Hyperforce awaken and escape, however, Chiro drags Skeleton King back to the real world with him when he awakens. Skeleton King's power is greatly weakened here, even moreso when [[WeakenedByTheLight the morning light starts burning him]].
78-->'''Chiro:''' [[LampshadeHanging Not so powerful in the real world]].
79* Humans in ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' are weaker in real life than dreams: Bill Cipher usually interacted with the world through the mindscape, [[DreamWeaver which he has endless influence over]], but people can fight him back by controlling their own dreams. Upon entering the real world, Bill's powers evolve to full-fledged [[RealityWarper reality warping]] levels, while others are no more powerful than normal. [[spoiler:Despite his newfound ultimate power, however, he cannot leave the magical boundaries of the titular town.]]
80* In ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', Doctor Destiny is omnipotent when operating in people's dreams, but he is easily taken out by Batman in the real world, who has taken three cups of coffee (among [[HeroicWillpower other things]]) to avoid falling asleep.
81* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'' has the Dream Beavers, nearly invincible when inside the dream world, but reduced to harmless, cute plushies when they manage to enter the real world. The irony is that escaping to wreck havoc was their goal, and preventing it was the charge of a man [[NeverSleepAgain that refused to sleep for years]], and both are disappointed by this turn of events as the beavers return to the dream world.
82* ''WesternAnimation/PoetAndersonTheDreamWalker'': Jonas and the other lucid dreamers are regular humans at day, but powerful in the dream world, having the ability to control aspects of said dream world or create objects in order to protect innocent dreamers from the evil monster of nightmares.
83* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'', Darkwing and Morgana tangle with Nodoff, the king of dreams. In DreamLand, Nodoff is a nearly omnipotent {{Dream Weav|er}}ing [[TheTrickster Trickster]] who can reshape the world or give himself new powers and abilities with a thought. However, when Darkwing [[HoistByHisOwnPetard blasts him with his own]] [[TheSandman sleep sand]], Nodoff is transported to the real world, where he is basically just a short [[GripingAboutGremlins gremlin]] with no powers.
84* In ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Back to the Sewers]]'', while in the digital domain of the internet, the Cyber Shredder could do [[{{Pun}} virtually]] anything due to being made of data, much like Viral, whose body he had taken over. Upon crossing into the real world, he lost most of these abilities due to being matter now. Nevertheless, he was still dangerous due to his naturally fighting abilities along with being able to interface with computers.
85* Zigzagged in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeGhostbusters'' where Morpheus, a dream demon, sought to crossover into the waking world. While his reality manipulating powers were just as potent as they were in the realm of dreams, he overlooked the fact that in entering the real world, he gained a weakness: namely becoming an ectoplasmic entity the Ghostbusters could trap.
86* Averted in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?" where Princess Luna explicitly states that if the Tantabus succeeds in escaping the dream world into the waking world, it could uses its nightmarish powers to terrorize Equestria, requiring the heroes to stop it before that happened.
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