I think it wholly depends on the role you want a villain to play. I haven't read your link yet, but if you want villains to last longer and be occasional part-time allies, then they certainly needs admirable qualities. Marcone and Lara, while cold and calculating, are not inconsiderate of others around them and how their businesses affect these people. You shouldn't expect any mercy if you cross them, though.

Nicodemus is such a powerful player and has such a breadth of scheming, planning and manipulating that he has the luxury of civilization. Even if it is a thin veneer. His admirable qualities stem from his arrogance and practicality, I'd say...

Anyhoo, first I'll read that link before going more in-depth

I would also really cast doubt on the benefit of casting blocks, at least personal shield type spells.  Do many people actually use these?  They take up your entire action for the turn and only last one turn, an encahted reflexive item does everything they do but better by not taking up your action. 

I think their value is somewhat lessened by the fact that most wizards in game are part of a group of players. In the novels, Harry is usually up against a load of thugs all by himself. Like Zenten said, if you can use such a spell to provide protection/block for multiple people on your side, then their value returns.

Then again, they are great for narrative purposes. The wizard steps out into the open, calls out the gunwielding thugs, they blast away at him and he is unharmed. He laughs maniacally and madness ensues. (Or something similar...)

Also, I am afraid I must inform you, that I called 1-900-WARDEN

Let's avoid the politics and stick to facts.

Argh, it's the gas they spray from airplanes that made me do it! Sorry, I'll behave now

Meh, I'm still all for karma!

No, seriously, I can see how thinking of it in terms of balancing itself out would be needlessly complicated now.

I'll say this- a player who doesn't use his aspects isn't really playing fate... the thing I fell in love with about fate was the fact that your actual character- your persona and not just your stats- make it onto your character sheet in a meaningful way... that story affects mechanics as much, in fact, more than the other way around.

Quite so! I mean, how sucky is it that with a Strength of 20+ you still don't have much say over what you are really good at or not (other than being a mule). With FATE, you can create a cool aspect and use it whenever you get the chance.

I've seen a lot of systems, but I honestly think that FATE gives the most flexibility to players. White Wolf has Willpower to spend, Legend of the Five Rings has Void Points, Star Wars uses Force Points, D20 Modern Action Points, but none allow the players to create aspects on scenes like FATE! Yay, FATE!

I think you're making more of a problem out of this than necessary.

One simple thing: if the creature has actual wings, then it still needs room to use them. Alleys are out of the question in most cases. Please note that the power actually says:

"You have wings of some sort—
gossamer as a faerie, leathery and batlike as a
demon—enabling you to fly."

You want flight without wings? Pay extra, no doubt in my mind about that. You use a jet pack? Good luck maneuvering without constant skill checks to keep the thrust at a certain level in cramped spaces. (Imagine Iron Man in the movie, trying to get that right, but without all the fancy computer tech)

Also, if you're a flying target, without super-speed, expect grenades and rockets to become large troubles. If you are a creature with supernatural speeds, then I'd use nets against them. As was said before, your enemies learn, just as much as you do. Any advantage can be cancelled out. They expect you to take fligt? Expect them to snipe a bullet into your wings/equipment/head before you take off.

Don't forget how birds get the ability to fly: they have very ligt bone structures. A human, with our current physique and weight would need a wingspan of some 12 meters/36 feet to get airborne (if I remember correctly). I know this game is about fantasy, but you could ask a human-like player with wings to take an appropriate aspect. "Screw you guys! I'm not skinny, I'm hollow-boned!"

I always wondered why Harry didn't come up with a dream catcher that saved up a little sleep, or a health thingy that made him ever so slightly sickly most of the time... then when Harry's back is to the wall and he's banged up and exhausted:  BING!  A week's R&R in an instant.

But it looks like the fallout from books 12 and 13 make that a moot point.

Whoop! Don't forget his potion in Fool Moon and the bear-belt he used in... Proven Guilty, I believe. They are rather nifty and give him lots of juice to throw around, but when it wears off, all the consequences and stuff hit him like a sledgehammer. (I believe the potion is in YS, btw) The items were so dangerous, they aren't ever mentioned in other books again.

What I take this to mean is this: you can siphon of little bits of luck from others so you get good luck, but that means you can only spend as much as you've gathered (like Harry's force rings). You want a boat-load of good luck at once, or for a longer time: then a boat-load gets drawn from somewhere else as you cast the spell. It might take some time to manifest, but it's gone all the same.

Also, if I'm not mistaking, altering the luck of other people is a breaking the law Law... Whether or not it is positive, it doesn't say, so we could (and should) assume that it has caused loads of problems in the past. A year of good luck could mean a year of bad luck for someone else, but imagine that bad luck got someone killed within a week, then the bad luck shifts to another person. Or it could all manifest at once and steep an entire nation in debt. (2008/2009 world economy dip, anyone? )