Componant flaw

[Pardum]

What do think about the idea of a -1 flaw called components required? Essentally the flaw is for a magic user who can only use a spell if they have a specific set of components, like a lock of hair or specific alchemical ingredients. Should I make this a specific flaw or just use the limited flaw?

[FuzzyBoots]

What do think about the idea of a -1 flaw called components required? Essentally the flaw is for a magic user who can only use a spell if they have a specific set of components, like a lock of hair or specific alchemical ingredients. Should I make this a specific flaw or just use the limited flaw?

Sounds a bit like a Power Loss Complication or the Hard-to-Remove device flaw (here, modeled as that the pouch of components is the "device" necessary for the magic). A general -1 Flaw seems a bit too much.

[hypervirtue]

This is already covered in the game.

It is a 1 point flat flaw. Not a "per rank" flaw. It is the same as a Magnetic Controller taking "Blast" as an alternate power, where they throw metal at someone, and taking the flat flaw "Quirk: Requires Metal" from Power Profiles. In this case it is, "Quirk: Requires Components"

[Fists of Dorn]

This is already covered in the game.

It is a 1 point flat flaw. Not a "per rank" flaw. It is the same as a Magnetic Controller taking "Blast" as an alternate power, where they throw metal at someone, and taking the flat flaw "Quirk: Requires Metal" from Power Profiles. In this case it is, "Quirk: Requires Components"

A mage being without his spell components is not quite the same as a master of magnetism being deprived of metal due to how common metal is compared to the mage's specific spell components; it is a difference of availability. Finding a newt's eye, the eye lashes of a newborn, and a personal possession of the spell's intended target are generally going to be harder to come by in most settings.
I agree that it does not warrant a '-1 per rank' flaw, but instead a few ranks of the Quirk flat flaw would fit this particular descriptor better than a single rank of the same flaw.

However this is a situation that I think would really be best covered by the use of a Power Loss complication; it works out to providing the GM a handy tool to better control the flow of the story and provides the player with a resource that can aid his character in succeeding in a task.




-Fists.

[Pardum]

Thanks everybody. I wasn't even thinking about the power loss complication at first but this does seem the best way to represent the fact that some spells need components.