Spell Template Difficulty

Personally, I care little for changing up the weaknesses-to-strengths standard, for two reasons:

1. My character isn't a mage. Whatever happens to the rules on magic won't adversely effect me.
   
2. Coming up with a certain amount of strengths and/or weaknesses isn't something I'm incapable or even have difficulty in accomplishing.
   

Now, despite all that, I'm still posting in here; yet I'm not asking for reform—so why is that? Because I don't believe a set ratio of weaknesses-to-strengths makes sense, whatsoever. In combat-context, a spell is used to fight an opponent(s)—so what's the point in using something more disadvantageous than advantageous? By law of logic, you wouldn't. Not without some sort of underlying strategy to use the weaknesses of your actions to further yourself in the battle. Of course, that's dandy and all—but that's not the only way to fight. Some people prefer, and enact, head-on tactics, which is okay too. Given that, what's the point of using a spell that has more weaknesses than strengths?

I'm not arguing that spells shouldn't have weaknesses, so don't think I am. What I am arguing is that the weaknesses of a spell shouldn't be based on number. The same thing with strength; I don't find it sensible that a spell must achieve a minimum requirement of strengths or weaknesses. Sometimes, actions just have one strength, or one weakness. It's fine and dandy to have the members use their brain juice flowing and making them get creative instead of just settling for one strength/weakness. But not all things are so simple.

In my opinion? Strengths and weaknesses shouldn't be restricted to a certain amount, but rather the certain effects. Depending on the gravity of a spell's weakness or strength—that's how they should be balanced out. What's the point of having four weaknesses which ultimately do jack to inhibit the user, and then have three strengths which display how powerful a spell can be? Of course, something like that would be checked by the grader, since that'd be unbalanced, but that's not the point. The point is that a strength—and weakness—can be worth more than some other strengths and weaknesses of lower effect.

I find it more sensible to at least have a 1-strength 1-weakness restriction on spells, and it is up to the person turning in the magic app to balance the strengths and weaknesses. They can have 4 strengths and one weakness, but that one weakness must have equal value to those four strength; in can inhibit the user just as much as the strengths are an advantage to them.

This allows far more freedom for the apper, and the workload on the grader isn't affected all too greatly. If the apper has unbalanced strengths and weaknesses, all the grader has to do is point it out and probably change the value of the weaknesses' affect (or strengths' effect).

e.g

Name: Rectal Fireball
Rank: D
Type: Fire
Duration: Instant
Cooldown: 2
Description: The user aims their posterior in whatever desired direction, and with a great big grunt the magic power within flows out of the rectum along with the release of 'gas'. The eternano expelled is blasted out with far more pressure than the gas itself, inherently propelling the nauseating substance outward. Following the 'blast' is a spark achieved through eternano. This spark causes a chain reaction that combusts the 'gas', and with the momentum from the initial "Blast", a raging form of fire spits out a distance of twelve feet.
Strengths:

• The process of completing the spell is highly unorthodox, and might catch the target off guard
  
• The fireball can do damage equivalent to singing hair or slight burns on skin.
  
• The spark occurs after both the gas and eternano is 'blasted' out. As such, it is not necessary that one exposes their rear to the open air for 'maximum effect'.

Weaknesses:

• The user must eat a very heavy meal filled with flatulence-inducing items at some point in the thread before using this spell. As such, the usage of this spell is limited to a pre-determined action, and can not be used until this pre-determined action is completed.

As you can see, this spell only has one weakness and three strengths, but the strengths given are superbly lame, whereas the weakness actually has a tangible effect and inhibits the user equally—perhaps even moreso than the strengths are an advantage. As for the Duration and Cooldown counting as a strength and/or weakness, I'm pretty whatever about that.