The ability to irreversibly remove one of the possible pathways/methods to do something. Combination of Universal Irreversibility, Mathematics Manipulation, Virtual Warping, Probability Manipulation and Nonexistence. Opposite of Path Maker.
Also Called
- Possibility Removal
Capabilities
User can irreversibly (barring omnipowers) remove a method to achieve a certain outcome for a given task, which has many ways to accomplish. Users can remove one of these ways so that there will be fewer ways available to accomplish said task.
The effect of this power is often the result of some almost story breaking Plot Control (by rendering an all-powerful and irreversible entity useless, usually to create a plot twist), but skilled writers can script their characters to use it as a standalone power with varying strength and extent of applicability.
For example, in Planescape, Orcus has at least two ways to kill others - either via the traditional method, or via using the Last Word. However, later in the story, some form of Plot Control occurs as the many gods unite and somehow weaken the power of the Last Word. Now Orcus only has one way to kill others: via the traditional method.
Another more direct example is Shiki Ryougi materializing the death-lines of Mitsuru Kamekura's calculated future, and severing said lines with her knife. This "successful" future is now rendered unreachable (because it has been killed) by all means, thus his bombs then malfunction without any explanation.
Applications
- Curse Inducement: When the task is e.g. "Healthy" and the pathways to the task are eliminated one by one.
- Future Removal
- Immortality by removing all paths that lead to one's death, or Death Inducement by removing all paths that lead to one's life.
- Nonexistence: When the task is "the existence of the object" and all possible ways and perspectives for this task is removed
- Physics Manipulation: e.g. Stop the progression to heat death by removing the two main pathways to increase entropy (2nd Law of Thermodynamics): tendency to increase the number of possibilities (microstates) and energy dissipation (heat).
- Probability Manipulation: When the task has a significant involvement of probability e.g. "probability to extinguish this fire", so that the task become more likely or unlikely (depend on which paths you remove). Repeated applications can achieve Certainty or Impossibility.
Variations
Associations
Limitations
- Users of Path Maker can recreate the Path that has been destroyed.
- One path at a time! (i.e. Usually have massive cool down period), thus it takes a long subjective time (thus immune to cheating such as Time Manipulation or Probability Manipulation to speed up the process) to achieve reality warping feats
- Can unintentionally render a curse unbreakable except via omnipowers if the condition(s) to break the curse is removed. (Curses are notorious for their strict breaking conditions, like a stubborn person who won't listen to you unless you have exactly what they need.)
- Cannot undo what has been done. The destruction of paths by the user cannot be undone by the same user. Undoing a destroyed path by another user is possible by destroying the undone and nondone of that path)
- Cannot affect entities that are under the effect of omnipowers
- All the limitations listed above are naturally Omnilocked, thus no other powers (except omni powers due to their very nature) can circumvent them in any conceivable way.
Known Users
- Jyoka (Houshin Engi)
- The Gods that Weaken the Last Word (Planescape)
- Rose Tattoo (Image Comcs)
- Shiki Ryougi (Kara no Kyoukai)