History Main / ElementalBaggage

*** The UltimateUniverse manages to justify it...sort of. In this universe, Johnny excretes a chemical which combusts on contact with air. He also has a protective layer of microscopic scales to protect him from this flame. Though that still doesn't explain how he flies...
**** He can shoot fire correct? If he just blasts it down...well, every action has an equal and opposite reaction does it not?
***** You didn't really think that through, did you?

** Hermione explicitly says that "You cannot create food. But you can make more if you have some". So think of it what you might.

* In ''[=~Avatar: The Last Airbender~=]'', Hama reveals to Katara that using the water in the air is very doable, and when Firebenders imprisoned the Waterbenders from the Southern Water Tribe, they piped dry air into their cells to make sure they couldn't do anything. However, this is a more realistic instance; when they're pulling water from the air, Waterbenders only receive small portions. And when they're pulling it from living things, things tend to wither and die for quite a large area for a relatively small amount of water. Also averted with Earthbenders to the extent that keeping refined metal between them and any earth or stone is considered sufficient to imprison them... and only two have proven common wisdom wrong (one by commanding nearby stone with his exposed face, the other by figuring out how to control impurities in the metal). Though they're sometimes shown pulling boulders out of the ground without making a hole or noticeable mark in the ground [[FridgeLogic (closing said hole is also likely the result of Earthbending)]].

* ''MahouSenseiNegima'' often has characters summoning giant chunks of ice, balls of fire, and [[NaughtyTentacles giant watery hands that tickles enemies into submission]] out of nowhere. It's [[AWizardDidIt magic]], though, so no one seems to care.
** The thing with the [[NaughtyTentacles watery hands]] actually took place in a [[FuroScene bath room]], so that particular one makes sense.

* ''DresdenFiles'' by JimButcher averts this at times. While it is entirely possible to create fire, solid objects, and energy through the use of a wizard's personal will, they can also channel existing energy. Emotions can also be used to power spells. Harry has frozen water by drawing heat from it to create fire and channeled the energy of a storm, but has also just created fire and tossed it around, and [[spoiler: after becoming the Winter Knight, gains the ability to generate ice.]]

When this violation of EquivalentExchange occurs in a {{Fantasy}} setting, one can always claim that AWizardDidIt.[[hottip:*:It should be noted though, metaphysically, a lot of the time elements in [[FunctionalMagic functional magic systems]] are used not as material substitutes or basic building blocks of matter as they are classically, but rather 'forms" or "ideas" that is imposed on raw chaotic existence in order to cause an effect, either by changing things or creating things. This implies the world is not based, as ours appears to be, on real objective matter, but rather, a simple "existence" witch elements directly effect. Or in other words, equivalent exchange simply doesn't apply sometimes because [[RealityIsOutToLunch reality was out to lunch]] in the first place.]] However, it gets more and more {{egregious}} the closer we come to a ScienceFiction setting. From the moment the powers start getting called [[{{Whatevermancy}} Greek-element-o-kinesis]] the authors have introduced a magnet for FanWank. The fans are going to demand explanations increasingly often and the writers are going to be in trouble.

* ''DresdenFiles'' by JimButcher tends to avert this. Harry points out how his fire magic sucks heat out from the surrounding area, and how it takes a lot of energy to do some of the fire magic he does. Lakes, vans, and roads have been frozen from him drawing their heat off.
* Averted five times out of six in the ''CodexAlera'' series, also by Jim Butcher. Everyone has powers corresponding to at least one of six elemental "furies" of earth, air, fire, water, metal and wood. The power of people with water furies varies greatly depending on how much water is around them, but at a bare minimum they can control water in their own body, or [[NightmareFuel water in people around them]]. Same for aircrafters, earthcrafters, metalcrafters and woodcrafters: their power is almost directly proportional to the amount of that element within easy reach. The one exception is firecrafters. Their power is countered by water, but that's just because they are elemental opposites; it has nothing to do with physics or conservation of mass or energy. A good firecrafter can make something room-temperature burst into flame instantly, as long as both it and he are dry.

* So far averted in the WhateleyUniverse, as far as this troper can tell. Riptide, who can control water, has had enough water to really kick ass only once - a stormy, rainy day in Boston. (But she got knocked out before she could use her powers.)

** IIRC, they were stated to have large gas-sacs inside them and small nub in their mouth capable of generating a small eletric spark. They exhale the flamable gas while igniting the spark and viola: instant fire-breath. I think the gas-sacs were also supposed to be part of how they fly, big boyancy pockets inside them let them use their wings to fly (which otherwise would be insufficient to carry their large frames)

* In ''HarryPotter'' it is explicitly stated that you can't create matter out of thin air (explaining Mrs. Weasly's ability to conjure up food to cook). During the course of the books, Harry has used a spell to shoot a stream of water from his wand and conjure flame. However, it is never explained how exactly the fire is created. Of course, we're dealing with magic so you could just say AWizardDidIt.

* ''TeamFortress2'': Pyro apparently took nightclasses in this trope seeing as one of his taunts produces fire out of thin air.

** For the [[Film/AvatarTheLastAirbender live-action adaptation]], the rules for firebending have been refined and slightly redefined: most firebenders work from an existing fire source and the weaponry of the Fire Nation armies is build around the tactic of spreading fire sources onto the battlefield for the benders to use. Only advanced masters - Iroh, Ozai, eventualy Zuko - can conjure fire using ki powers. Unfortunately, this [[{{Wallbanger}} runs into a problem]] when firebenders start using fire from nearby torches which could be easily extinguished by their opponents.

This phenomenon is less of an ailment for users of more volatile elements such as air (which is present in large enough quantities in pretty much every setting), fire (although someone is bound to ask [[NoConservationOfEnergy where all those calories come from]], which is often {{Lampshaded}} by having fire users be [[BigEater Big Eaters]]) or lightning (where one is usually more distracted by the character's PsychoElectro qualities). Water and earth users have more trouble, but benevolent viewers will often allow for 10,000% humidity or really really dusty conditions. Not to be confused with SeasonalBaggage.

This phenomenon is less of an ailment for users of more volatile elements such as air (which is present in large enough quantities in pretty much every setting), fire (although someone is bound to ask [[NoConservationOfEnergy where all those calories come from]], which is often LampShaded by having fire users be [[BigEater Big Eaters]]) or lightning (where one is usually more distracted by the character's PsychoElectro qualities). Water and earth users have more trouble, but benevolent viewers will often allow for 10,000% humidity or really really dusty conditions. Not to be confused with SeasonalBaggage.

When this violation of EquivalentExchange occurs in a {{Fantasy}} setting, one can always claim that AWizardDidIt.[[hottip:*:It should be noted though, metaphysically, a lot of the time elements in [[FunctionalMagic functional magic systems]] are used not as material substitutes or basic building blocks of matter as they are classically, but rather 'forms" or "ideas" that is imposed on raw chaotic existence in order to cause an effect, either by changing things or creating things. This implies the world is not based, as ours appears to be, on real objective matter, but rather, a simple "existence" witch elements directly effect. Or in other words, equivalent exchange simply doesn't apply sometimes because [[RealityIsOutToLunch reality was out to lunch]] in the first place.]] However, it gets more and more {{egregious}} the closer we come to a ScienceFiction setting. From the moment the powers start getting called [[PsychicPowers Greek-element-o-kinesis]] the authors have introduced a magnet for FanWank. The fans are going to demand explanations increasingly often and the writers are going to be in trouble.

* The ''MegaMan'' and ''MegaManX'' games partially avert this. The weapons and tools are fueled by their own energy reserves, but where do the heroes get the materials for things like giant scissor blades, ''a damn meteor shower,'' barriers made of jewels, homing missiles, tornadoes, etc?

*** [[WildMassGuessing Perhaps the magical world is the result of an]] [[HitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy Infinite Improbability Device]]?

* Averted in ''DarkerThanBlack''. [[ShockAndAwe Electricity-generating]] Hei and [[AnIcePerson ice-user]] November 11 are both dependent on physical contact or some case of conductor (like metal for the former or water for the latter) to deliver their powers (and in November's case, something that he can make ice from), and April, who can create cloudbursts, seems to be using ambient water in the air and nearby bodies of water and is only shown using it outdoors.

** Spitting up their favorite element seems to be most ninja's favorite way of avoiding this trope. There was Kakashi and Darui spitting enormous walls of water out of their mouths, Izumo doing the same with a small lake of ''syrup'', Orochimaru puking up a tidal waves of thousands of snakes and the Fourth Hokage vomiting up several tons of mud to make a stone wall. Ninjas must have really big stomaches.

This phenomenon is less of an ailment for users of more volatile elements such as air (which is present in large enough quantities in pretty much every setting), fire (although someone is bound to ask [[NoConservationOfEnergy where all those calories come from]], which is often LampShaded by having fire users be [[BigEater Big Eaters]]) or lightning (where one is usually more distracted by the character's PsychoElectro qualities). Water and earth users have more trouble, but benevolent viewers will often allow for 10,000% humidity or really really dusty conditions.

* {{Averted|Trope}} in the [[TheRoseOfTheProphet]] trilogy. When a wizard travels to a desert environment he teaches some locals how to cast a spell to create mist and fog in order to allow them to help captured love ones escape. He fails to remember his teachers warning never to use the spell in dry conditions and as a result all the water has to come from somewhere. Specifically from the enemies guarding the prisoners who end up as dehydrated corpses. The wizard is understandably upset to find out he accidentally caused the deaths of a few dozen people who where just doing their jobs.

* {{Averted|Trope}} in the [[Rose of the Prophet TheRoseOfTheProphet]] trilogy. When a wizard travels to a desert environment he teaches some locals how to cast a spell to create mist and fog in order to allow them to help captured love ones escape. He fails to remember his teachers warning never to use the spell in dry conditions and as a result all the water has to come from somewhere. Specifically from the enemies guarding the prisoners who end up as dehydrated corpses. The wizard is understandably upset to find out he accidentally caused the deaths of a few dozen people who where just doing their jobs.

** It's mostly averted though in that both Katara and Toph have been seen to run out of bendables, in one case leading to Katara doing some rapid exercise so she could sweat to make her own. The sight of the hero using her armpit-sweat to save the day is one that will stay with this troper for a while.
*** Which has UnfortunateImplications (or [[FetishFuel sexy ones]], depending on what you're into) in Katara's case
*** And a bit of FridgeLogic. She couldn't use spit?

*** Actually, the Fire Nation wiped them out first because Fire Lord Sozin wanted to kill the Avatar and he knew that the one after Roku would be an Air Nomad.
** For the [[Film/AvatarTheLastAirbender live-action adaptation]], the rules for firebending have been refined and slightly redefined: most firebenders work from an existing fire source and the weaponry of the Fire Nation armies is build around the tactic of spreading fire sources onto the battlefield for the benders to use. Only advanced masters - Iroh, Ozai, eventualy Zuko - can conjure fire using ki powers.