| rdfs:comment | - FATAL FLAW (Level 1): This Gift allows the user to sense his or her target's weaknesses. NATIVE TO: Shadow Lords
- Fatal Flaws are mental or physical weaknesses that demigods, humans, and immortals possess. These flaws can often cause the downfall of the being, but are particularly dangerous to demigods. In Greek plays, they are often referred to as "Tragic Flaws".
- Heroes (and less often Villains) have a Fatal Flaw which they wrestle with on a consistent basis. This may open them up for specific conflicts later -- when a protagonist's fatal flaw is encountered through the course of a plot, the audience's reaction is very tense. Aristotle calls this hamartia, and it is a key part of Tragedy. Some specific Fatal Flaws:
* Ambition
* Cruelty
* Envy
* Gluttony
* Hypocrisy
* Pettiness
* Pride
* Greed
* Selfishness
* Selflessness
* Perfectionism
* Wrath Note the resemblance to the Seven Deadly Sins.
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| abstract | - FATAL FLAW (Level 1): This Gift allows the user to sense his or her target's weaknesses. NATIVE TO: Shadow Lords
- Fatal Flaws are mental or physical weaknesses that demigods, humans, and immortals possess. These flaws can often cause the downfall of the being, but are particularly dangerous to demigods. In Greek plays, they are often referred to as "Tragic Flaws".
- Heroes (and less often Villains) have a Fatal Flaw which they wrestle with on a consistent basis. This may open them up for specific conflicts later -- when a protagonist's fatal flaw is encountered through the course of a plot, the audience's reaction is very tense. Aristotle calls this hamartia, and it is a key part of Tragedy. In classic literature, a Fatal Flaw is often what prevents a Tragic Hero from succeeding, or serves as the cause of their Tragic Mistake. It is usually some sort of character deficiency listed below or, in conventional television, an addiction of some sort. In modern television, the Fatal Flaw is more likely to lead to a Very Special Episode. Some specific Fatal Flaws:
* Ambition
* Cruelty
* Envy
* Gluttony
* Hypocrisy
* Pettiness
* Pride
* Greed
* Selfishness
* Selflessness
* Perfectionism
* Wrath Note the resemblance to the Seven Deadly Sins. Naturally, this can be good or bad. Sometime, it can serve as a Drama-Preserving Handicap, preventing an otherwise perfect character from becoming a God Mode Sue. Other times, it can merely serve as a hindrance to drag themselves and everyone else down. Someone with the latter is very often The Scrappy. If the Fatal Flaw doesn't play any role in the story, it's an Informed Flaw. If the flaw isn't quite so fatal, you're likely dealing with Mr. Vice Guy. A literal fatal flaw, as often seen in science fiction, would be Phlebotinum Breakdown. Examples of Fatal Flaw include:
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