"How come it never goes smooth?!"
— Malcolm Reynolds, Firefly
These characters attract a particular type of plot, apparently by pure chance. They aren't deliberately looking for the plot, nor is anyone setting them up for it, but time and time again, they find themselves enmeshed in the same plot.
Specific types are:
- Born Unlucky - attracts all kinds of bad luck.
- Butt-Monkey - attracts humiliation and "put him through hell" storylines.
- Chick Magnet - attracts lots of ladies.
- Coincidence Magnet - attracts improbable coincidences.
- The Comically Serious - a serious character who attracts comedic situations.
- Designated Victim - attracts danger and trouble Once an Episode. Frequently winds up kidnapped.
- Doom Magnet - attracts doom and despair to those around him.
- The Dulcinea Effect - attracts trouble brought about by trying to save the girl.
- Fight Magnet - attracts fights.
- Magic Is a Monster Magnet - attracts supernatural trouble due to one's magical nature.
- Magnetic Medium - attracts ghosts and spirits
- Magnetic Hero - attracts allies
- Character-Magnetic Team - group of magnetic heroes that attracts fringe characters and party replacements.
- Magnetic Plot Device - the magnet is actually a MacGuffin the character is somehow associated with
- Mystery Magnet - attracts mundane mysteries.
- Weirdness Magnet - attracts Speculative Fiction Tropes.
