History Main / UpgradeArtifact

* ''Literature/OutOfTheDark'': The Shongairi test direct "neural education" on humanity and finds us surprisingly better at receiving it than most of the Hegemony's species. [[BlatantLies This is no way]] [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard comes back to haunt them]] [[ForegoneConclusion in the end]].

* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'': as of the season 3, [[spoiler:having the new Intersect means you have a GreatBigBookOfEverything worth of feats at your disposal]].

* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', the Dewitchery Diamond awakened Elliot's magical potential and created Ellen who's potential was awakened from the start.

* In ''Webcomic/{{GirlsInSpace}}'' , the Universal Upgrader [[http://www.girlsinspace.co.uk/comic/one-for-one-page-21/ instantly cures Fergus's gambling addiction and gives him enormous muscles]]. There are also Infobadges, which are Upgrade Artifacts used to teach the characters [[http://www.girlsinspace.co.uk/comic/one-for-one-page-09/ language]] and [[http://www.girlsinspace.co.uk/comic/colourblind-page-11/ other skills]].

** Skill books have been present in the series since ''Morrowind''. When read, they'll increase one of your skills by one point. They also typically contain [[InGameNovel short stories]] related to the skill in question.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' has the Bittercup, an artifact of the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] [[DealWithTheDevil Clavicus Vile]], which will [[RareCandy instantly give a massive boost]] to your top two attributes, up to the limit of 100. However, this one also come with a downside, as it will ''decrease'' your lowest two attributes by the same amount.

* In the ''Westernanimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' episode "It's a Bird, It's Insane, It's Dale!", the eponymous Dale comes into possession of an alien rock that causes anyone who comes in contact with it to become [[RubberMan stretchy and bouncy]], and decides to become a superhero known as Rubber Bando. Naturally, the episode's villain ''also'' acquires a piece, and uses it to commit CarmenSandiego-scale acts of theft.

* ''[[VideoGame/NightsIntoDreams NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams]]'' has the Persona masks, which enable NiGHTS to take on the appearance of a rocket, a dragon, or a dolphin and grant her/him special abilities.

* The [=TMs=] and [=HMs=] in ''{{Pokemon}}'', [=CDs=] that you stick to your Pokémon's foreheads. Somehow Pokémon can download the data off the disc like that.

* ''InazumaEleven'' features skill manuals, items that instantly teach a character the new skill, which becomes a plot device as the rookie Raimon team keep relying on getting new GameBreaking abilities every chapter to climb up the tournament. It doesn't work by the half of the game and the heroes are finally told they need to train properly instead of spending times looking for papers.

* Used in ''Film/TheMatrix'', of course -- rather than spend time actually learning Kung Fu, Neo just has it uploaded directly into his brain. Voila, I know kung fu! At various other points in the series, other characters also gets instant uploads of useful skills, such as flying a helicopter, or hotwiring a motorbike. The second is gently spoofed when, before Trinity can be given the hotwiring skills, the Keymaker simply gives her the right key to turn on the bike.

** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' has the Bittercup, an artifact of Clavicus Vile, which will instantly give a massive boost to your top two attributes, up to the limit of 100. However, this one also come with a downside, as it will decrease your lowest two attributes by the same amount.

** Naturally, these were both invented by Creator/WilliamGibson, the latter in ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}'', the former in ''Mona Lisa Overdriv''e. The sex chip was usually implanted voluntarily (it makes earning money as a hooker less... icky) and the knowledge imparted by the memory chips vanished as soon as they were removed.
*** His choice of name for memory chips, ''micro softs'' dates the novel somewhat.

* The ''{{Diablo}}'' Franchise has many Magic and Unique items which enable the use of abilities you haven't invested skill points into, or even abilities from a different class. However, take off that piece of gear or store that charm in your chest, and you can kiss that ability goodbye.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' has The Thirty-Six Lessons of Vivec, which are scattered around the world for you to read and upgrade your skills by one of the demigods.
** Morrowind, and all Elder Scrolls games since then (and possibly even before) have many, many skill-enhancing books of this sort

* In ''MegaManZX'' you acquire new biometals.

* ''Circuit's Edge'', the cyberpunk murder-mystery adventure based on ''Literature/WhenGravityFails'' by Creator/GeorgeAlecEffinger, features a wide variety of mind-enhancing and skill-providing software directly installed in one's brain in a vein similar to fellow cyberpunk pioneer, Neuromancer.

Becoming truly skilled at something takes a long time and a lot of hard work. Sometimes, you can handle this with a TrainingMontage, but the plot doesn't always have enough time for this. So, how DO you go about transforming your UnluckyEverydude into a BadAss SuperHero in less than an hour?

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' and other cyberpunk [[TabletopGames tabletop roleplaying games]] use "skill softs" and linguasofts, datachips containing memories and trained reflexes or foreign languages copied from a donor and uploaded into the recipient's brain via a datajack. For physical skills like combat or piano playing, it's necessary to install a skill wire cyber system into the body's nervous system and limbs which basically remote-controls the body and overwrites its reflexes with new ones while the skill chip is activated. In ''{{GURPS}} Cyberpunk'', "slave chips" can be used to paralyze a subject (usually a prisoner) or overwrite his personality with a new subservient one, for example to turn someone into a sex slave.

** Nanoha and Fate became the overpowered mages they are by [[TrainingFromHell training a lot]]. Hayate, who received the power and spells of the [[TomeOfEldritchLore Book of Darkness]] after she became its Master, beats them both in raw magical strength (but because she skipped the basics she suffers from AceLightningSyndrome).
** While training is responsible for much of Nanoha and Fate's crazy power level, a large portion of it is due to their [[AppliedPhlebotinum Velka Cartridge Systems]], which fall somewhere in between Upgrade Artifacts and ''normal'' old [[MidSeasonUpgrade Mid-Season Upgrades]].

* ''Franchise/Digimon'':

*** ESPECIALLY Miracles (Veemon -> Magnamon - a HOLY ***ING KNIGHT and therefore a Mega in all but name) and Destiny (Terriermon -> GoldRapidmon - a variant of an Ultimate level).

** ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'': The DigiEggs.

** ''Manga/DigimonNext'': The [[=DigiMemories=]].

** ''Manga/DigimonNext'': The DigiMemories.

Obviously, a natural result of PowersAsPrograms. Compare AmplifierArtifact and, for video games, HeartContainer. Contrast ExpomarsitionBeam, when this is done with memories.

* In the ''Westernanimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' episode "It's a Bird, It's Insane, It's Dale!", the eponymous Dale comes into possession of an alien rock that cause anyone who comes in contact with it to become stretchy and bouncy. Naturally, the episode's villain ''also'' acquires a piece, and uses it to commit CarmenSandiego-scale acts of theft. Rubber Bando!

* All of the weapons in ''{{Drakengard}}'' come with a magical spell the protagonist can use perfectly once he equips the weapon. He can also use a variety of weapons and weapon styles perfectly, but that's [[HandWave probably because he's a]] BadassNormal.
* In the ''{{Metroid}}'' series of games, not only does Samus acquire new powers and skills by collecting artifacts, she often [[BagOfSpilling loses these artifacts]] and has to collect them all over again.

* ''ShiningForce II'' has Upgrade Artifacts for certain characters that let them promote to different classes than they would under normal circumstances (Mages can upgrade to Wizards or SummonMagic-using Sorcerers, Priests [Healers] can become either Vicars or Monks, etc.)

* The mysterious Monoliths in ''SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'', which not only repair damaged units, but somehow increases their fighting skills too.

* In ''NexusTheJupiterIncident'' you manage to acquire a disabled mechanoid. Angel, the ship's AI advisor, subsequently integrates the mechanoid craft into the Angelwing at a molecular level, in spite of being told not to. The Cptn. Cromwell, while already having gotten several ship upgrades, [[TakingALevelInBadass takes a new level of awesome.]]

* This is how you improve your ship in ''DarkstarOne''. By collecting enough artifacts, you can upgrade the Darkstar's wings, hull or engines, and unlock new abilities for the Plasma Cannon.

Obviously, a natural result of PowersAsPrograms. Compare AmplifierArtifact and, for video games, HeartContainer. Contrast ExpositionBeam, when this is done with memories.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Cosmic Spider-Man, as a result of the Enigma Force choosing Spider-Man as the next Captain Mar-Vell.

* ''VideoGame/Dota2'' has Aghanim's Scepter, which buffs some heroes' ultimate ability in a certain way. Meepo, for example, gains one extra clone on purchase, while Juggernaut gains 3 extra slashes on his ultimate.