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** The Instant Death Spell was designed specifically for use against Dreadblood Spiders… a species which it has already rendered extinct.

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** The Instant Death Spell was designed specifically for use against Dreadblood Spiders… [[CripplingOverspecialization a species which it has already rendered extinct.extinct]].
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** Instant Death is the best counter in the for DemonicSpiders

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** Instant Death is the best counter in the for DemonicSpidersDemonicSpiders.
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** The Instant Death spell almost never hits, and/or is [[AwesomeButImpractical extremely costly to cast compared to normal spells.]]

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** [[PowerfulButInaccurate The Instant Death spell almost never hits, hits]], and/or is [[AwesomeButImpractical extremely costly to cast compared to normal spells.]]

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* '''Justified''': The Instant Death channels the power of the BigBad, so the bosses, who are [[TheDragon his lieutenants]], are immune to it.

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* '''Justified''': '''Justified''':
**
The Instant Death channels the power of the BigBad, so the bosses, who are [[TheDragon his lieutenants]], are immune to it.it.
** The Instant Death Spell was designed specifically for use against Dreadblood Spiders… a species which it has already rendered extinct.

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* '''Downplayed''': Instant Death only works and is cost-effective in some situations, but they come up often enough that it's worth getting/keeping in mind/your spellbook/whatever.

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* '''Downplayed''': '''Downplayed''':
**
Instant Death only works and is cost-effective in some situations, but they come up often enough that it's worth getting/keeping in mind/your spellbook/whatever.spellbook/whatever.
** Instant Death is the best counter in the for DemonicSpiders
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** The spell is seemingly way too specific to ever be useful... Except you just so happen to be in the one situation where being able to use the spell is commonplace.

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* '''Exploited''': The character mutters "It won't work.", rather than waste a turn casting a spell that won't work.

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* '''Exploited''': The character mutters "It won't work.", rather than waste a turn casting a spell that won't work.After many fights where reflecting enemy spells was the best way to defeat them the BigBad specifically uses only spells he is immune to.


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** The character mutters "It won't work.", rather than waste a turn casting a spell that won't work.
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** The normally Useless Useful Spell is [[NotCompletelyUseless the ONLY way]] [[ChekhovsGun to defeat a]] [[PuzzleBoss specific boss]].

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** The normally Useless Useful Spell is [[NotCompletelyUseless the ONLY way]] [[ChekhovsGun way to defeat a]] [[PuzzleBoss a specific boss]].
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* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': Instant Death working for the villains (but hardly ever for the heroes) is meant to help subtly underscore the EvilIsEasy theme in the game's story.

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* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': '''Plot Foundation''': Instant Death working for the villains (but hardly ever for the heroes) is meant to help subtly underscore the EvilIsEasy theme in the game's story.

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* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': Instant Death working for the villains (but hardly ever for the heroes) is meant to help subtly underscore the EvilIsEasy theme in the game's story.



%%* '''Implied''': ???
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???

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%%* '''Implied''': ???
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''':
???

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* '''Played For Drama''': Instant Death almost never works, and so a character doesn't bother defending against it, then dies when it finally ''does'' work.



%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???

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%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''':
???

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* '''Played For Laughs''': These spells are the wizards' equivalent of a get-rich-quick scheme, and have all the attached qualities... including [[EpicFail spectacular failure.]]



%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
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** The Instant Death spell almost never hits, or is [[AwesomeButImpractical extremely costly to cast compared to normal spells.]]

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** The Instant Death spell almost never hits, or and/or is [[AwesomeButImpractical extremely costly to cast compared to normal spells.]]
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** The Instant Death spell almost never hits, or is [[CoolButInefficient extremely costly to cast compared to normal spells.]]

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** The Instant Death spell almost never hits, or is [[CoolButInefficient [[AwesomeButImpractical extremely costly to cast compared to normal spells.]]



** The normally UselessUsefulSpell is [[NotCompletelyUseless the ONLY way]] [[ChekhovsGun to defeat a]] [[PuzzleBoss specific boss]].

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** The normally UselessUsefulSpell Useless Useful Spell is [[NotCompletelyUseless the ONLY way]] [[ChekhovsGun to defeat a]] [[PuzzleBoss specific boss]].
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* '''Downplayed''': ???

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* '''Downplayed''': ???Instant Death only works and is cost-effective in some situations, but they come up often enough that it's worth getting/keeping in mind/your spellbook/whatever.
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* '''Exploited''': ???

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* '''Exploited''': ???The character mutters "It won't work.", rather than waste a turn casting a spell that won't work.

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* '''Downplayed''': ???



* '''Deconstructed''': Protection against the Instant Death spell becomes so commonplace that the spell itself is forgotten, and in time, so are the countermeasures.
* '''Reconstructed''': The final boss is ancient enough to remember using it too.



** Alternately: There's no Instant Death spell, but lesser status effects work regularly on the majority of enemies and are actually useful.

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** Alternately: There's no Instant Death spell, but lesser status effects work regularly on the majority of enemies and are actually useful.



* '''Exploited''': ???



** Alternatively, you're playing a Pokemon game.

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** Alternatively, You're playing a Franchise/{{Pokemon}}-style game, where you cannot have the "luxury" of having an UselessUsefulSpell on your {{Mon}}s, specially [[SeriousBusiness if you're playing at a Pokemon game.competitive level]].




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* '''Deconstructed''': Protection against the Instant Death spell becomes so commonplace that the spell itself is forgotten, and in time, so are the countermeasures.
* '''Reconstructed''': The final boss is ancient enough to remember using it too.



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%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
%%
%%* '''Implied''': ???
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???

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* '''Straight''': The enemies you'd want to hit with Instant Death are immune to it.

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* '''Straight''': '''Straight''':
**
The enemies you'd want to hit with Instant Death are immune to it.



* '''Inverted''': The Magic Missile spell seems useless at first glance but turns out to be a staple of the gameplay.

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* '''Inverted''': '''Inverted''':
**
The Magic Missile spell seems useless at first glance but turns out to be a staple of the gameplay.



* '''Averted''': The Instant Death spell has a flat chance to work on anything, making it a GameBreaker.

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* '''Averted''': '''Averted''':
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The Instant Death spell has a flat chance to work on anything, making it a GameBreaker.



* '''Defied''': Before fighting the BigBad you secretly replace his AntiMagic ring with an ordinary ring, when you fight him later he has no protection against Instant Death.

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* '''Defied''': '''Defied''':
**
Before fighting the BigBad you secretly replace his AntiMagic ring with an ordinary ring, when you fight him later he has no protection against Instant Death.
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** The normally UselessUsefulSpell is the ONLY way to defeat a specific boss.

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** The normally UselessUsefulSpell is [[NotCompletelyUseless the ONLY way way]] [[ChekhovsGun to defeat a a]] [[PuzzleBoss specific boss.boss]].



* '''Subverted''': The Instant Death spell almost never hits... but there's a spell that guarantees the next spell to hit.

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* '''Subverted''': The Instant Death spell almost never hits... but [[CombinationAttack there's a spell that guarantees the next spell to hit.hit]]...
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** Alternatively, you're playing a Pokemon game.
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** Instant Death is a DiscOneNuke capable of obliterating 90% of the game's enemies with great ease.
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** The Instant Death spell almost never hits, or is [[AwesomeButImpractical extremely costly to cast compared to normal spells.]]

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** The Instant Death spell almost never hits, or is [[AwesomeButImpractical [[CoolButInefficient extremely costly to cast compared to normal spells.]]
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** Alternately: There's no Instant Death spell, but lesser status effects work regularly on the majority of enemies and are actually useful.

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