New flaw ( illiteracy )
basically you can't read!
Now for the obvious question, how would you handle a wizard with this flaw?
Not really a new flaw, as it's covered by an extant flaw in the Core Book: Ability Block (Academic) or Ability Block (anything that includes Artes Liberales).
An illiterate magus would just focus on being taught by others and studying vis.
We have one in my campaign. He needs to be tutored and study from Vis, This far we have not seen any troubles except that he drains a lot of Vis.
This is not a flaw, it is the setting default.
Having the option to learn to read requires a virtue. IIRC this is/was true even in the 4th edition.
Now there's a true handicap.
Dyslexia, on the other hand, would be a flaw.
Hm. Well, the way GURPS handled that (back in 3rd edition) was that for modern societies, it was a -15 point disadvantage; but for pre-industrial societies, it was a -5. And that was for PC's - ie, folks that likely would actually run into scenarios in which they would occasionally run into scenarios in which reading would be necessary.
For AM? Yeah - Dyslexia would likely be a 0-point disadvantage for most, as it literally would not affect their behavior in any way. For magi, though - that's a huge portion of their learning. While it wouldn't necessarily affect their AL or Philosophae score (as you can figure out geometry and debate techniques and Plato without reading), it pretty much kills any way to use casting tablets, or look at lab notes, or study summae/tractus. At the least, it's a major disadvantage, as it prevents you from EVER learning from those sources.
EDIT - well, the extreme form of it, anyway. My dad's mildly Dyslexic, but reads just fine: it just takes longer than would otherwise. That version would probably be better modeled on the "you gain 1/2 the XP from written sources", or something like that.
The flaw that models Dyslexia, or any other learning disability, in Ars Magica is Poor Student.
illiteracy does not nescarraly mean that the person is a bad student.
Of course not, that's not even close to what I said, though, was it?
Illiteracy, in Ars Magica, in both the current edition and the 4th Edition (IIRC), which you have, is handled by having access to Artes Liberales. Prior to play commencing, unless one has a virtue that grants access to the ability one is presumed to be illiterate. Hermetic Apprentice, the Free Social Virtue, grants access to Artes Liberales.
sorry about the confution caused by me, I meant this quote.
That doesn't clarify a single thing.
Taking this further off tangent...
Another good flaw that can mimic a bad student is Master of None. The inability to focus on any one ability more than once in a year is a pretty big deal. I've done it and I've seen other players have their magi (and to a lesser extent companions) grind away at a tome until it is exhausted, or they realized some advancement goal. I currently have a magus with this Flaw, and I spend a lot more time figuring out her advancement plan than any other magus character I've played. And interruptions due to stories are huge to a character with this kind of flaw.
Indeed.
Again, I never said that an illiterate person was a bad student. My comment about Poor Student was in response to KevinSchultz's comment about Dyslexia, and I even reference Dyslexia specifically. If one wished to model Dyslexia in the Ars Magica game, one would pick Poor Student. Indeed, Poor Student can be a general term used for any sort of Learning Disability that the player might want to have for his character. The idea is that Poor Student is a generic term that can be fleshed out by the Player so that he can say his character has Dyslexia or any other common LD. I think ADHD, personally, is better modeled by Master of None (from Grogs) to better represent the ability to focus on one task to the exclusion of all others.
it would be hard for the magi with this flaw to create breakthoughs that other magi could acturally use though, wouldn't it?
Obvi
not nessarally to everyone unfortunattly, but that's always the case.
could this flaw be removed during play?
if so how?
Same way you remove other flaws. How have you removed flaws in your game(s)?
I haven't been that far along in my games I'm afraid to say, so no idea
One example would be to take a pilgrimage in order to gain a divine understanding and maybe healing from God.
Another would be a Creo Mentem healing ritual.
Though I would suggest that you replace said flaw with a new one, maybe some sort of personality trait like Pious in the first case or optimistic/cheerful in the second case.