OC Workshop #1: Powers vs. Weaknesses

Hello all, this is Nevermore from the Roleplay Committee.

It has come to our attention that many OCs on this amino list a set of powers, but have no weaknesses to balance those powers/abilities.

So I'm here to explain a few different types of weaknesses you can use to balance your characters.

Absolutely feel free to message any of us if you have questions or need help balancing your characters! Toffee

☆Be sure to list your characters weaknesses in character bios/wikis! If they are not listed people have no way of knowing your character, or even canon characters have them. Which can falsely lead people to presume your OC is either Mary Sue or Overpowered☆

OCs deemed either Overpowered, Mary Sue or Underpowered will be temporarily disabled until the issue is fixed!

This post will include example of the following types of weaknesses.

-physical

-mental/emotional

-personal

Please note there are many types of weaknesses you can add, but these are the most often used since they are the most apparent.

Small spoilers ahead as I will be highlighting some of the weaknesses the titans themselves have.

Physical

This is normally the most visible type of weakness you can give a character as it pretains to the body.

A physical weakness can be something obvious such as a bad limp that reduces speed or mobility.

But it can also he more subtle. Such as being quick to tire.

Cyborg has an excellent example of a physical weakness, in the fact that he needs a battery in order to function. Take said battery away and he will shut down.

Or, physically weaknesses can also be temporary, such as when Robin broke his arm and was temporarily out of the game.

Mental/Emotional

Mental and emotional weaknesses characteristically tend to be subtle, yet are some of the most impactful weaknesses a character can have. Sometimes shaping the characters entire personality.

Things such as mental disorders, for example, depression, PTSD, Anxiety, ect. ect. are classic examples of a mental weakness.

Please note that these types of weaknesses are EXTREMELY delicate and should be handled with the upmost respect and dignity. These are things that affect real people every day. They should not just be attached to a character haphazardly. AVOID STEREOTYPING!

Do NOT romanticize having mental illnesses! Conversely do NOT downplay how severe they can be!

Even if you suffer from these, and ESPECIALLY if you do not you should do research on any sort of mental illness you plan to give a character! Every one is different and as such mental illness comes in many many forms.

However mental weaknesses do not have to be a mental illness, a mental weakness can be things such as vivid nightmares after events/fights/mentally straining activities.

They can also be things such as obsessions, as when Robin was so transfixed on catching Slade he began to allow it to negatively affect him, and cause him to do things he normally would not have.

A classic example of an emotional weakness would be from our lovely neutral Raven. She must keep her emotions in check or there can be disastrous consequences. In particular her anger.

In her case emotions themselves are a weakness, and a liability she must control. Which has shaped the personality she has.

Other emotional weaknesses can include, emotionally sensitivity where people have a hard time controlling their emotions or are sensitive to certain things, or on the flip side, like Raven, refusing to show emotions even when they need to.

♧Please note emotional weaknesses, and any weakness, can influence a characters personality, but they should not make up a character's entire personality. For example characters where their entire character revolves around them being unable to control their powers. People are more than just their powers. ♧

Mental and emotional weaknesses are anything pretaining to someone's mentality, or their emotions so be creative!

Personal/Personality

This kind of weakness has to do with people's reactions, or perceptions. They are aspects that can, but will not always get a character into trouble. These can double as character flaws.

One example being a character being too trusting, or kindhearted, always trying to see the good in everyone and therefore unable to see when people are tricking them.

Or a character who is unable to bring themselves to fight women, men, or anyone childlike.

Perhaps a character hates being in the limelight so they choose not to reveal the entirety of their power even in situations where it is needed.

Or like our lovable Starfire is clueless about certain norms and it causes them to get into awkward or sticky situations.

Again the possibilities are virtually limitless so think outside the box!

That being said it is important to that while some physical weakness can be resolved quickly like a broken arm, weakness in the personal or mental categories can NOT! They take a lot of time and a lot of effort, and even then particularly mentality weakness may never fully go away.

A character who is unable to fight women will not one day wake up and suddenly have no problem fighting them, just as a character suffering from depression will not simply wake up one day and be cured. So take special care when deciding to give a character a personality or mental weakness.

Please be sure to make the weaknesses you give yourself character are appropriate for said character.

For example a character who can control fire temporarily losing their abilities if it's raining or they're underwater Vs. A character who can control fire but will collapse in hot environments.

Weaknesses do not need to make your characters power itself weaker, but they do need to make it so your character can be beaten. It can be difficult, look at Slade or Trigon, but it must be possible.

Closing Comments

Feel free to message us if you need help, we all have our own lives but we will respond to you as soon as we can to help you with your questions!

☆ to put your characters weaknesses into their wiki to avoid your character being labeled as Overpowered or Mary Sue and their wiki being temporarily disabled!☆

Thank you all for your time I hope you have a lovely morning, day, or night!

~Nevermore over and out~