I need a justification for this character's ability

...which is basically a Superpower Lottery taken to ridiculous level.

He can replicate any matter, provided that he has a complete imagery of the matter in at least two senses (usually its visual and texture, for food, taste works too) and understands its (mechanical or chemical) composition, he can make infinite copies of it. For example, he once succeeded in making a sword and next second he creates a shower of million swords. Almost did the same with grenades.

Main justification is that he can draw materials from all the infinite number of parallel universes. But that doesn't explain all the energy. Any ideas? Also, what would be the consequence of violating the first law of thermodynamics?

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.

Which means he is depleting those universes from resources, kinda like a *poof*? How are his alternate hims, or the random-universe-of-the-day Continuity Agency going to take it?

As for justification, the only way I could see it that it is not blatant magic, would be him gaining an inbuilt (brain-level) ability to understand and reprogram a sort of Grey Goo on the fly. Kinda like Brainthor. But that leaves the problem of how do the raw materials come from other universes (and once you have crossed that barrier there's no reason whatsoever to be worried about the laws of thermodynamics anyway).

Fanfic Recs orwellianretcon'd: cutlocked for committee or for Google?

Huh? It does actually. If he can seemingly draw material on the fly why not radiation? Also, you don't really need a justification when your character is a god. Just say he's a god.

Fundamentally matter and energy are same thing.

When I said energy, it meant the energy used to draw the materials and form objects with them. He's not. He's actually an Ordinary High-School Student, albeit with some fierce training during his childhood.

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.

Well, infinate means the number of parrael universes could be ones where the Big Bang failed, and a large amount of energy is floating around. He could try from only one universe and have enough for millions (or billons, or trillions...)of his other selfs.

He's a wizard, and he used magic.

Honestly, why are people so averse to this?

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial

Because Magic>Basic Laws of physics seemed to be an outdated trend nowadays. Maybe.

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.

You are already violating the basic laws of physics, it's not like you can pretend that you're not.

IT'S MAGIC

I DON'T NEED TO EXPLAIN SHIT.

Whatcha gonna do, little buckaroo? | i be pimpin' madoka fics

Because "A Wizard Did It" is seen as lazy? Sure, he used magic, but how exactly? Although this case here does seem like a bit of overthinking to me.

^ No, that's the thing.

Just...

don't explain it.

Because your audience is simply not asking for an explanation. Star Wars gave me glowing swords of dooom, and I nodded my head and went, "Sure, okay."

And then they tried explaining it, and all of a sudden I'm thinking, "Wait, nononono, it doesn't work like that—"

Botched explanations kill suspension of disbelief. If you're going for the semi-plausible, and want to appeal to the sort of audience that wants an explanation for your space elevators and your AI and your nanotech? That's another matter.

Magic powers? Uh, no. Don't explain.

Otherwise?

edited 11th May '11 8:36:05 PM by Chubert

Whatcha gonna do, little buckaroo? | i be pimpin' madoka fics

My explanation seems valid enough. If people question methods like that, Avatar: The Legend of Aang wouldn't have got off the ground. That, or Superhero comics would have gone the way of the westerns.

edited 11th May '11 8:40:22 PM by chihuahua0

I'm not talking about technobabbly pseudoscientific attempts to do in the wizard. Those annoy me as much as you. What I am talking about is establishing rules for magic - I am a big fan of magic A is magic A, and I like to establish some ground rules for exactly how and/or why magic affects things. "Because it's MAGIC" is not an answer, at least not one I'd be satisfied with.

ohhhh

okay we're just mis-communicating.

Yeah, I like internal consistency as much as the next guy. Fiction tells you one big lie, as long as everything's consistent with that lie I'm fine with it. Explaining that lie is unnecessary was my point.

For example:

1. My hero can fly up to speeds of x mph and to an altitude of y km.

2. My hero can fly because he applies a reactionless to himself at every point of his body.

3. My hero gets the energy required to apply this reactionless force from—this is unnecessary. If you would like, go ahead, but if it's half-assed, then it yanks suspension of disbelief.

Whatcha gonna do, little buckaroo? | i be pimpin' madoka fics

It's kind of like in Full Metal Alchemist, people can use magic but they all have justification, mainly, drawing energy from tectonic movement. I just want an explanation, something simple yet plausible enough.

Besides, I never denied anything.

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.