Basic Trope: Object that everyone wants that will kill you if you try to use it.
- Straight: Bob and Emperor Evulz have been trying to track down the Golden Fleece for months. Just when Bob is inches away from it, Evulz appears and grabs it himself...and gets turned into gold.
- Exaggerated: Every artifact comes with some kind of deadly catch.
- Downplayed: Bob and Emperor Evulz have been trying to track down the Golden Fleece for months. Just when Bob is inches away from it, Evulz appears and grabs it himself...and his hands get turned into gold.
- Justified: ???
- Inverted: Bob and Emperor Evulz have been trying to avoid ending up with Pandora's box for months. When Evulz gets it (wrapped up like a birthday present), it unleashes torment on him.
- Subverted: ???
- Double Subverted: ???
- Parodied: ???
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted: No MacGuffins appear in the story.
- Enforced: The author originally wrote the ending with Bob getting the MacGuffin. However, the editor thinks he's more saleable as the underdog rather than a rich guy. He makes the author write in a reason why the hero doesn't have the MacGuffin after spending all this time chasing it.
- Lampshaded:Bob: Wouldn't you know it — you spend all that time looking for something and it's an Artifact of Doom.
- Invoked: One of the past owners of the MacGuffin cursed it.
- Exploited:
- Defied: ???
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
You could take this link back to the fabled Fatal MacGuffin, but I wouldn't. I really wouldn't.
