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SeptimusHeap MOD (Edited uphill both ways)
Mar 20th 2021 at 10:45:12 AM •••

Previous Trope Repair Shop thread: Misused, started by Willbyr on May 1st 2014 at 5:43:29 AM

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
MrRoarke Since: Feb, 2014
Aug 19th 2016 at 4:45:01 AM •••

Rich Burlew, who writes Order of the Stick, referenced A Wizard Did It in the 19 August 2016 comic. He's a known Troper.

Edited by MrRoarke
Piccolosaur Since: Nov, 2010
Jul 29th 2013 at 4:54:11 PM •••

There's really quite a lot of examples where what the Wizard is Doing isn't covering up for any plot related inconsistencies, but rather any inconsistencies with the laws of physics - for instance, all of Channel Awesome's examples under Web Original. (Linkara's gun working by magic explains away any potential problems with how it might work in-universe, but has nothing to do with the continuity of the show.) It's certainly the most popular pothole to this page, at least from what I've seen, and it probably is a useful trope if only for creator or fan reactions to questions about how stuff that explicitly breaks the laws of physics works.

Where, if anywhere, should these kind of examples go? Applied Phlebitonium where Phlebitonium in this case = magic?

Edit: and about half the examples on the Quotes page are about this rather than handwaving continuity errors as well. Oh, and the page picture, which really isn't good.

TL:DR the trope description is about a continuity Hand Wave which is justified by the fact that physics-breaking stuff exists in the work, rather than a physical impossibility handwave justified by same, and a lot of the stuff on the page doesn't fit.

Edited by 70.33.253.43 Hide / Show Replies
Piccolosaur Since: Nov, 2010
Aug 5th 2013 at 4:34:24 AM •••

Then if no-one has any objections I'm going to go ahead and start zapping examples I recognise which aren't examples of the trope, starting with the quote page.

Earriorwatcher Since: Mar, 2014
supergod Since: Jun, 2012
Nov 23rd 2014 at 2:58:23 PM •••

Yeah. This needs to be cleaned up to specifically include examples that are used to fix continuity problems, not just where it's used to explain how something works in the universe. I'm going to zap that D&D example, for starters.

For we shall slay evil with logic...
MCE Grin and tonic Since: Jan, 2001
Grin and tonic
Mar 24th 2011 at 11:04:54 AM •••

Does Mass Effect belong here?. FTL,cheap dropships and biotic powers all use mass effect fields, some weapons too.

Edited by MCE My latest Trope page: Shapeshifting Failure Hide / Show Replies
MrDeath Since: Aug, 2009
Mar 24th 2011 at 11:37:47 AM •••

No. Read the trope. A Wizard Did It is when the explanation of something is just "It's magic" in the sense that the writers aren't really bothering to explain.

aranamor Since: Apr, 2011
Mar 9th 2012 at 6:52:36 AM •••

You're thinking Applied Phlebitonium.

T Vtropes is NOT Wikipedia, stop trying to make it that. I'm attacking the darkness!
deadguy Since: Jan, 2001
Aug 6th 2011 at 12:36:23 PM •••

The trope explanation seems to imply that this is a fantasy only trope, literally saying "It's magic" or "Something magic happened off screen" to explain plot holes and continuity errors. But then a lot of examples are more in the way of "whenever Fanon/the creators (it's about 50/50 in so far as who does it) decides that continuity errors or out of character moments are the result of contrived plot devices that may or may not have shown up in more than one panel of a comic". For instance Doom's out of character moments all being Doombots and/or anal skrulls, or anything out of place in DC being explained as "Superboy punched reality, and this is the result".

Do we delete all examples that don't involve wizards, or should someone change the explanation to make it clear that this isn't a fantasy show only trope, that wizards aren't required for it, and that it's not about whenever it's reviled that a wizard did something that earlier didn't have an explanation beyond "This isn't the real world, things are different here".

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aranamor Since: Apr, 2011
Mar 9th 2012 at 6:52:02 AM •••

'A wizard did it' is a common enough phrase and generic to begin with. All you're doing is nitpicking.

T Vtropes is NOT Wikipedia, stop trying to make it that. I'm attacking the darkness!
Miguelinileugim Since: Oct, 2012
Jun 15th 2013 at 9:01:10 AM •••

Don Quixote is a superb example of these, when he found anything out of place he said that "a wizard did it", it happens many times and is one of the core pieces of his insanity.

Amazed is not already in the examples.

jkxs Since: Dec, 1969
Feb 6th 2012 at 3:59:44 AM •••

There really ought to be a link to Clarke's Third Law, which is fairly close in effect and execution.

Edited by jkxs Hide / Show Replies
aranamor Since: Apr, 2011
Mar 9th 2012 at 6:53:26 AM •••

Agreed.

T Vtropes is NOT Wikipedia, stop trying to make it that. I'm attacking the darkness!
skeith Since: Apr, 2013
Nezumi Perky Goth Since: Jan, 2001
Perky Goth
Sep 6th 2010 at 7:23:18 PM •••

Can someone do something about the duplicate Touhou entry? I don't want to wipe either of them out, because they both have something to add, but I can't think of a way to elegantly merge them, either.

"That's ridiculous. What would a walrus do with a magic bag?" Pokeamida
superslinger2007 Since: Jan, 2001
Mar 11th 2010 at 10:17:27 PM •••

About "Suzumiya Haruhi: any inconsistencies, contrivances, or really just anything could be explained with "Haruhi did it", or Kyon being an Unreliable Narrator." You mean the deblurred Mikuru picture?

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