History Main / MagicCompass

!Examples

[[folder: Film ]]

* The Alethiometer in ''TheGoldenCompass'' pointed to the truth.
* From ''{{Titan AE}}'', the star chart embedded in Cale Tucker's hand reorients its pointer while Cale stands on the precise spot where his father once stood on the planet Sessharrim.

* ''TheKaneChronicles''

* Compasses in the ''{{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.

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

* In ''ThePiratesOfDarkWater'' Ren has a necklace that shoots a blue beam in the direction of a nearby [[MacGuffin Treasure of Rule]].

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** ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' magazine #220, "Arcane Lore" article "Sea Magic". The Home Port spell allows the recipient to know which way to go to return to a ship's home port.

* In TheDresdenFiles, this is one of Harry's most commonly used spells in his job as a detective. However, it can also be weaponised as a remote cause of YourHeadAsplode.

** In another episode [[PeterPan Captain Hook]] leads Emma [[JackAndTheBeanstalk up the beanstalk]] to steal a compass from the giant that will let them find a way between worlds back to Storybrooke.

* Finding ''MonkeyIsland'' and the ghost ship of the undead zombie ghost pirate [=LeChuck=] tends to involve constructing one of these.

Forms may take a traditional spindle compass or some object that indicates a specific direction by some means. May also be used alongside a MagicMap.

* Luigi's quest in ''{{Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door}}'' revolves around one of these. According to Luigi, the face of the so-called Marvelous Compass was split into seven shards, and each shard points to the location of the next.

* Luigi's quest in ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' revolves around one of these. According to Luigi, the face of the so-called Marvelous Compass was split into seven shards, and each shard points to the location of the next.

* Luigi's quest in "Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door" revolves around one of these. According to Luigi, the face of the so-called Marvelous Compass was split into seven shards, and each shard points to the location of the next.

* In ''Webcomic/LookingForGroup'' there is a compass that uses a [[http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/552 person's blood]] to locate them.

* The ol' Gilbert pocketwatch on TheVampireDiaries was in actuality a vampire detector.

[[folder: Anime ]]

* In ''[[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.

* ''TheBookOfMormon'': As Lehi's family is journeying toward the promised land, one morning outside Lehi's tent, they discover an exquisitely crafted sphere-shaped compass. One of its spindles points the direction they should go in the wilderness, but only when they are righteous and trust in the Lord. For example, it stops working when they quarrel and tie up Nephi, and it works when they're working together and praying for guidance.

* In one of the LordDarcy stories, Master Sean enchanted a splinter left behind by a murder weapon and used it to find the rest of the weapon.
* In EEDocSmith's ''SkylarkSeries'', it was possible to create an "object compass" which, once attuned to something, would always point towards it.
* Inverted with the ''Point Me'' spell in ''HarryPotter'', which uses magic to make the caster's wand briefly [[MundaneUtility point north]].

* On ''{{Literature/Gor}}'' compasses point to the Sardar Mountains, home of the Priest-Kings (the gods of the world).

* The compass is ubiquitous to Zelda games. In the first games it only showed the boss's room or the room after that, but in later games it also showed unopened treasure chests and sometimes keys.

-->'''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?

-->--''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''

* Jack's compass in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' which points to whatever the one holding it wants.

[[folder: Web Comic ]]

* In ''WebComic/LookingForGroup'' there is a compass that uses a [[http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/552 person's blood]] to locate them.

--> '''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?"

A compass is used to point to magnetic north, which allows travelers to get their bearings and find their way. The Magic Compass works on different principles to point to something else. Whether it only points to one specific place or object, or to different things at different times, its use is to lead whoever holds it to something that is lost or hidden.

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.

Forms may take a traditional spindle compass or some object that indicates a specific direction by some means. May also be used alongside a MagicMap.

[[AC: {{Anime}}]]

[[AC: {{Film}}]]
* Jack's compass in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' which points to whatever the one holding it wants.

[[AC: {{Literature}}]]

[[AC: LiveActionTelevision]]

** In the finale of the first season Rumpelstiltskin enchants Prince Charming's ring so that it will lead him directly to Snow White.

[[AC:Religion and Mythology]]

[[AC:TabletopGames]]

[[AC: VideoGames]]

[[AC: WebComic]]

[[AC: WesternAnimation]]
* In ''ThePiratesOfDarkWater'' Ren has a necklace that shoots a blue beam in the direction of a nearby [[MacGuffin Treasure of Rule]].
* 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.