Weakness or Resistance?

[The_real_cal_howard]

This is a question that's been on my mind for a while, with some things related to BB, DB, DM, and others, so I think it's time to ask it. This isn't necessarily to change anything, but to get information.

When would we consider something a resistance as opposed to making a power have a weakness?

If that's not clear, here's an example (Don't worry. It's completely made up, so I'm not calling out any verse here)

A witch is capable of turning people into rabbits, however, it demonstrably doesn't work on people who are over 6'5". Say we made profiles for the verse. Under what conditions would we put it in the weakness section of the witch that she can't turn people over 6'5" into rabbits, as opposed to giving everyone over 6 foot 5 resistance to transmutation?

 

[Dragonmasterxyz]

Well that example is a specific defined weakness.

 

[PaChi2]

That's a weakness of the power. The power is limited by deffinition.

 

[The_real_cal_howard]

For my example, that's the case, but what would be the reverse?

 

[Kaltias]

In general, if the mechanic is "doesn't work against everyone with X characteristic" it's a weakness.

If it doesn't work even if there is no specific weakness (like a character surviving erasure even if the erasure doesn't have a weakness preventing it from working against them) it's usually plot armor resistance.

 

[Dragonmasterxyz]

Basically what Kalt says. If there is no defined weakness to a power, then it will 95% be counted as a resistance.

 

[DontTalkDT]

Basically what the rest said. If it isn't specifically explained to be a weakness we usually say it is a resistance.


Not that it is something I am particularly happy about, because I have the impression that, particularly in shonen, it usually is that hax just arbitrarily stops working against stronger opponents, more than that they gain resistances.

 

[LazyHunter]

Agree with everyone. Weakness is a general limit on the power that applies to everything, while resistance is something based on the target's powers/abilities.

For example, in Toaru, Knight Leader's Thororm Defense Formula has several limits on what he can null. He can only use it in one weapon at a time, only works on things he identifies as weapons and doesn't work on enemies much stronger than him or people/weapons related to the British royal family. Those things are inherent to the spell, so him not being able to nullify Archangel Gabriel's wings does not give Gabriel resistance to Power Nullification.

On the other hand, Gabriel shows the ability to physically grab and block Curtana Second shards with its bare hands. Curtana Second and its shard slice through space and don't have a limit like Thororm's Defense Formula, so Gabriel has resistance to spatial slicing attacks.