Line #29 PlayingWith/BadassNormal


1	'''Basic Trope''': A character who, despite lacking the magical enhancements of the main cast, still holds their own in a fight against those that ''DO'' possess magical enhancements.
2	* '''Straight''': Bob is the only character on TheTeam who cannot use any sort of magic. Despite only having a sword, he is more than capable of contributing to the team's success.
3	* '''Exaggerated''':
4	** ''Everyone'', including animals, can use magic...[[UnSorcerer except for Bob]], but he doesn't let this get him down.
5	** Despite everyone else having [[RealityWarper reality-altering supermagic]], Bob (who has no magic or fighting skills of any sort whatsoever) is a OneManArmy.
6	** Bob, the [[RidiculouslyAverageGuy most ordinary average joe possible,]] [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu can go toe to toe with God, Eldritch Abominations, Reality Warpers and Cosmic Entities]] and win.
7	* '''Downplayed''':
8	** Bob can't use magic like the other characters, but the other characters' magic abilities are too situational or low-powered to be notable.
9	** FightsLikeANormal
10	* '''Justified''':
11	** MugglesDoItBetter and the superpowered beings haven't been able to adapt.
12	** Bob lacks TheGift that allows people to use magic, but [[TrainingFromHell trains really hard to make up for it]].
13	** Anyone that uses Magic is a SquishyWizard.
14	** Magicians are still human (or {{demihuman}}), so they are just as vulnerable as everyone else to bullet/swords/arrows. Bob is just a skilled sniper/sword fighter/archer.
15	** Bob's four friends, Alice the NobleBirdOfPrey, Dave the KingOfBeasts, Charlie the CoolHorse, and Emily the NobleWolf, are all {{Fully Dressed Cartoon Animal}}s, and only animals can use magic. Bob, the TokenHuman, learns to imbue his sword with spells, creating physical elemental attacks.
16	** Bob is the director of an organization full of superhumans, and the rule is that the director has to be normal for plot reasons (acting as TheHeart for the superhumans, TheFace for the muggle population, TheStrategist for the organization as a whole etc.)
17	** Bob is a ScienceHero with lots of {{Magitek}} to produce similar effects as the mages.
18	** Bob is a GuileHero; he can't outfight or overpower his enemies, but he can outsmart them.
19	** [[HumansAreSurvivors The lack of magical powers has forced Bob to excel in ways that most mages don't care about, like field medicine,]] which has made him more adaptable in an emergency (mages that don't have the juice or knowledge to cast healing spells tend to bleed out because they don't know what to do).
20	* '''Inverted''':
21	** Bob is the only person on Earth who's capable of using magic, and he needs it to keep up with his teammates, who are all StrongAndSkilled fighters.
22	** Bob, the one non-magical character, is completely useless and considered TheLoad.
23	* '''Subverted''':
24	** 1. ) Bob ''can'' use magic - he just [[FightsLikeANormal keeps it secret]] so he can [[IAmNotLeftHanded bust it out unexpectedly during a fight.]]
25	** 2.) It's revealed Bob's proficiency at [[DoingInTheScientist martial arts and other physical fighting has a magical origin.]]
26	** 3.) Bob is a MilesGloriosus, FakeUltimateHero, or only BadassOnPaper.
27	** 4.) It turns out that muggles in this world can create a belief-induced AntiMagic field, which is a good trump card, when the enemy relies on magic.
28	* '''Double Subverted''':
29	** 1.) Turns out that his magic is in the form of pre-made magical reagents that he can not make himself. Whenever tapping into said magic, he's an EmpoweredBadassNormal.
30	** 2.) The magical origin is {{Magitek}} that aids his training. He doesn't use it during battle.
31	** 3.) Bob TookALevelInBadass or was just pretending to be a wimp to fool his enemies with bravado that he can actually back up.
32	** 4.) While anyone can created the belief-induced AntiMagic field, it takes HeroicWillpower to make one strong enough to matter, and any decently trained mage can power through it with their own belief in their own magic. Bob, however, is a hardcore FlatEarthAtheist and this, alongside his large amounts of training, essentially turns him into an anti-magic [[TheJuggernaut juggernaut]].
33	* '''Parodied''': The people who use magic aren't good at it, and Bob is a world-class fighter capable of using several different martial arts. However, Bob moans about his lack of magic at any given opportunity.
34	* '''Zig Zagged''': Bob ''can'' use magic, but he's not very good at it. At least, that's what he claims...
35	* '''Averted''':
36	** Bob can use magic, or some other powerset as good as magic, and is not "normal" at all.
37	** Bob is an ordinary {{Muggle}} and can't hold his own in a fight against magic users.
38	* '''Enforced''': "Well, crap - every other character on this show has some generic magic power, but I can't think of any new powers to give to Bob." "How about you just write it to where he's a really good martial artist?"
39	* '''Lampshaded''':
40	** "Why haven't you used your magic yet?"
41	** "You have no powers, you took on an insanely powerful supervillain, and you won!? Damn Bob, you're hardcore."
42	* '''Invoked''': Knowing that he doesn't have magical skills like everyone else, Bob trains harder and becomes a martial arts expert.
43	* '''Exploited''':
44	** Knowing that their main villain and all of his henchmen are magic-users who rely heavily on magic, Bob's team (even though they are also mostly magic-users) all learn to cast anti-magic spells, to render everyone defenceless, except Bob, who can then mop the floor with the enemy using his superior mundane combat skills.
45	* '''Defied''':
46	** Bob decides to learn magic.
47	** As a muggle, Bob is constantly teleported away or mindwiped by the wizards that enforce the masquerade whenever things get serious. Aside from this inconvenience, Bob's life is never truly affected by wizard shenanigans.
48	* '''Discussed''': "Bob's martial arts skills must be incredible if he can't use magic and is still able to keep up with the rest of his team!"
49	* '''Conversed''':
50	** "Have you ever wondered how this guy with no special abilities can still fight magically-empowered villains and win using nothing more than kung fu?" "This guy is TheProtagonist, duh."
51	** "How can a guy with ''no powers'' be so overpowered in these shows?" "At least he's relatable."
52	* '''Deconstructed''':
53	** Bob finds himself being [[OvershadowedByAwesome completely outperformed by his allies who have access to magic.]]
54	** Bob's lack of magical prowess is viewed as a handicap by his magic-using peers, given what they face. Whether or not this actually restricts him depends on the degree of cynicism of the story.
55	** Magic users have a tendency to learn martial arts and tactical thinking as well, in order to give themselves an even greater advantage over others during a real battle. The natural result is that when Bob encounters an enemy who is both equally combat skilled and magically talented, Bob's magical handicap ultimately becomes his undoing and he is [[DroppedABridgeOnHim vaporized without fanfare.]]
56	** Bob's lack of magical abilities causes him to develop a very crippling inferiority complex, despite his impressive fighting skills. TheVerse is split between people who view him as pathetic or underestimate him, and those who view him as a savior because of his skills, while Bob himself is unable to really appreciate his own contributions.
57	* '''Reconstructed''':
58	** Bob is not outperformed by the mages because he can perform superhuman feats himself. This is not treated as ''superpowers'' but [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower training really, really hard for a long time.]]
59	** Bob understands the [[MagicAIsMagicA limitations of magic]], and can exploit them to his advantage, thereby becoming a MageKiller.
60	** Bob recognizes this handicap and compensates by learning enough about magic to [[AntiMagic cancel out]] his opponents' magic skills, thereby evening the playing field.
61	** Bob's LoveInterest, knowing that he feels inadequate for lacking magical powers, gives him a SmoochOfVictory after every battle.
62	----
63	Back to BadassNormal
64	----
65	%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
66	%%
67	%%* '''Implied''': ???
68	%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
69	%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???

Context PlayingWith / BadassNormal