Dragon Writer
Not to mention that "other" definition of impotence....
An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.
$50 a day, plus expenses
Hoo boy, a whole lot of overlap and several ideas mixed in.
The main idea is of course godly beings or Sufficiently Advanced Aliens that don't involve themselves directly for whatever reason. Sometimes because watching is their job, and sometimes because interference by them could result in equal interference by their Dark Counterparts. Seems to apply to both the idea of the Watchers and Neglectful Precursors and the Deities in many Tabletop RPGs. For some reason, I wonder if there's a significant difference between the two.
God's Hands Are Tied at first I thought may involve this idea applied directly to the Abrahamic God. Now that I've read it, it needs a rename. What it seems to say is that gods are helpless against the new threat, so only mortals can stop it. Or, at least, whatever the threat is, the gods can't stop it directly for whatever reason. So it's not that they're unwilling, but unable.
Omni Impotence seems to TRY to aim for "Godly beings use their powers frivoulously, or are too apathetic to use them." As it mentions Mr. Mxyzptlk, Dr. Manhattan, and Bruce Almighty. There's an element that there is no real restriction, they just don't want to. Not sure it's sufficiently different enough.
Personally, I'd merge Omni Impotence and All-Powerful Bystander, and overhaul God's Hands Are Tied. I see the trope, but the name isn't very indicative.
Don't take life too seriously. It's only a temporary situation.
Bump. ![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
sounds like a plan.
Gentleman Troper!
I concur.
Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!
Bumping for further discussion.
Gentleman Troper!
Okay, so the suggestion is to merge Omni Impotence with All-Powerful Bystander (because they're the same thing), and to start a new TRS thread on God's Hands Are Tied which also needs work.
Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!
Bump. So are we going to merge?
Ravenous Sophovore
Crowner fastened to thread.
Waiting on a TRS slot? Finishing off one of these cleaning efforts will usually open one up.
I like what I'm hearing. I couldn't find a difference between this trope and All-Powerful Bystander so I looked into this TRS for a counter arguement. Having found none I agree with the merge.
On the other note I think God's Hands Are Tied is distinct from these two tropes and the distinction is, as has been noted earlier, that the bystander in question is "unabled" to act instead of "unwilling." I imagine the difference being that in the 'tied' version a plot could have, for instance, the bystander use Loophole Abuse to help or Call the Hero to remove the reason the reason they can't help. The simply uninterested would be different in tone and series of events.
AXTE INCAL AXTUCE MUN
Calling crowner.
I didn't write any of that.
I merged Omni Impotence and all its wicks (except for those that should go to God's Hands Are Tied) with All-Powerful Bystander and cutlisted Laconic.Omni Impotence.
After the discussion move, we should be done here.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Gentleman Troper!
Wow, that was fast. Thank you!
vigilantly taxonomish
Not moving the discussion page as both have content.
Locktime.
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Crown Description:
Vote up for yes, down for no.
This trope is about a character with great or unlimited power who is unablle to affect events, generally because of a code of honor. That's actually exactly what the trope All-Powerful Bystander is also about, and there's the third trope God's Hands Are Tied which is also remarkably similar.
Am I missing a subtle nuance here or is a merge in order?
Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!