History Main / OneCurseLimit

* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'', [[spoiler:The Hero]] is already under the effect of a curse, which is why the spell on the castle didn't effect him. In a case of GameplayAndStoryIntegration, he cannot be placed under the Curse status effect in battle, either.

->"A more powerful spell is already active."

* ''Fanfic/MrAndMrsGold'': This is why Rumpelstiltskin does not have to worry about [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf]] bites.

* In ''Fanfic/FateParallelFantasia'', Illya is immune to False Avenger's cursed chains because she has already been cursed by the tainted Holy Grail.

* In ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', any given Pokémon can only be under one of the major status effects (Sleep, Paralysis, Burn, Freeze, Poison) at a time. They can still be affected by secondary status effects like Confusion or Attraction, but a burnt Pokémon can't be paralyzed, and a poisoned Pokémon can't be frozen. In fact, in competitive echelons, players often ''intentionally'' inflict their own Pokémon with a status that isn't much of a bother, purely to prevent more crippling ones: for instance, a Pokémon with the "Guts" ability may be given a Flame Orb (which burns the holder) to trigger the ability while also rendering them immune to Paralysis or Sleep.

** In addition, a Generation VII Pokémon named Komala has an ability called "Comatose" which renders it immune to status effects because the game treats it like it has "Sleep" despite acting normally. The big downside to this is that Komala also takes attacks as though it were asleep, meaning moves like Dream Eater and Nightmare will always work on it.

* This [[GoodBadBugs can be exploited]] in ''VideoGame/SeikenDensetsu3'' to heal all status ailments on the party for free. [[spoiler: Using the Chibikko Hammer will make your team miniature, replacing whatever status effect they have, and using it again will invert the miniature status effect turning them to normal]].

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' games from ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall'' onwards, you can only be a werewolf or a vampire. You can't be both.

* In ''VideoGame/MarioKartDoubleDash'', only one attack can take effect at a time. A Kart spinning from a banana peel might shrug off Lightning-Strike Shrinking and a dozen red-shell hits. On the other hand, anything (besides Lightning) that's powerful enough will override a lesser effect. You ''can'' get catapulted by an explosion, rolled by a Giant Bowser Shell, or knocked back by a Mushroom-boosting or Power-Starred Kart.

* Zig-zagged in ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' with regards to [[StandardStatusEffects the Poison and Toxic status effects]]: although resistance to both is a single stat, they each have a separate buildup meter, so you can be afflicted by ''[[FromBadToWorse both at once]]''. However, there are different ''forms'' of Poison and Toxic, with varying duration and rates of damage, that can only be applied one at a time, favoring the one you already have. Some player take advantage of this while going through [[VideoGame/DarkSoulsI Blighttown]], intentionally using [[DungFu Dung Pies]] [[ViolationOfCommonSense to inflict Toxic on themselves so they'll be immune to Toxic from Blowdart Snipers]] (which is more than three times as damaging).

* A form of this occurs in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' book ''Discworld/MakingMoney'' when Topsy Lavish has a contract put out on Moist von Lipwig. This actually protects Moist, as the Assassin's Guild won't take two separate contracts on the same person and Moist is only in danger if the dog doesn't live out a natural lifespan.

* One boss in ''BunnyMustDie'' attempts to curse Bunny in his death throes. It doesn't work, because she was cursed in the backstory.

** In addition, a Generation VII Pokémon named Komala has an ability called "Comatose" which renders it immune to status effects because the treats it like it has "Sleep" despite acting normally. The big downside to this is that Komala also takes attacks as though it were asleep, meaning moves like Dream Eater and Nightmare will always work on it.

** Humans with less than 12 minutes of life remaining to them cannot be killed by a Death Note.

** If someone ''attempts'' to kill you with the Death Note, but writes your name incorrectly four times, you can no longer be affected by that Death Note. Trying to exploit this loophole by misspelling your own name four times [[ObviousRulePatch will kill you]].

* Inverted in Creator/PatriciaCWrede's short story "The Sixty-Two Curses of Caliph Arenschadd". [[spoiler: The cure for the unbreakable curse the family is under turns out to be having a different curse put on them, which displaces the first.]]

* Inverted in Patricia Wrede's short story "The Sixty-Two Curses of Caliph Arenschadd". [[spoiler: The cure for the unbreakable curse the family is under turns out to be having a different curse put on them, which displaces the first.]]

* In the [[{{TabletopGame/Pokemon}} ''Pokémon'' TCG]], the status conditions Sleep, Paralysis, and Confusion are mutually exclusive because each one is indicated by rotating the affected Pokémon card at a specific angle. On the other hand, Burn and Poison conditions are indicated by placing specific tokens on the card, and are therefore ''not'' mutually exclusive.

* In the [[TabletopGame/Pokemon ''Pokémon'' TCG]], the status conditions Sleep, Paralysis, and Confusion are mutually exclusive because each one is indicated by rotating the affected Pokémon card at a specific angle. On the other hand, Burn and Poison conditions are indicated by placing specific tokens on the card, and are therefore ''not'' mutually exclusive.

* In the {{Pokemon}} Trading Card Game, the status conditions Sleep, Paralysis, and Confusion are mutually exclusive because each one is indicated by rotating the affected Pokémon card at a specific angle. On the other hand, Burn and Poison conditions are indicated by placing specific tokens on the card, and are therefore ''not'' mutually exclusive.

* In ''{{Pokemon}}'', any given Pokemon can only be under one of the major status effects (Sleep, Paralysis, Burn, Freeze, Poison) at a time. They can still be affected by secondary status effects like Confusion or Attraction, but a burnt Pokemon can't be paralyzed, and a poisoned Pokemon can't be frozen. In fact, in high level ''Pokemon'' players it consider normal to intentionally inflict one's own Pokemon a status that isn't much of a bother (or with some special abilities, a benefit) purely to prevent more crippling ones: for example, a Pokemon with the "Guts" ability may be given a Flame Orb (which burns the holder) to trigger the ability while also rendering them immune to Paralysis or Sleep.