Confidence In Magical Power
"I have had centuries in which to study the art of combat! No one that lives can be my equal!"---The Dread Dormammu
"Speak to me not of equals, Dormammu...! I have pledged my very life to prove that I am your superior!"---Doctor Strange
"So long as you endured, my mystic power could never be supreme! But now, once I have destroyed you, all of mankind shall call Mordo master!"---Baron Mordo
"Base braggart! You possess not the skill for supremacy in the mystic arts!"---Doctor Strange
Karma Adjustments: All super heroes and villains have a tendency to be verbally melodramatic from time to time, but magic wielders can sound like the most overbearing of the lot. The reason, quite simply, is a matter of confidence. When dealing with magical energies and extradimensional beings, the mind can become easily boggled, sometimes leading to a dangerous lapse in concentration. When the concentration goes, so does the effect of the spell. The constant reassurances, threats, and boasts that a character yells at his opponent not only helps him stick to his task, but can possibly weaken the other character's resolve as well.
The usual form this lack of resolve takes is in the character running away and accepting the Karma loss (whether NPC or PC). But, with magic wielders, loss of confidence or despair can affect their performance. As explained in the Arcanum of Magic, heroic magic wielders who behave in a particularly cowardly fashion lose suffer double the Karma loss that their actions would normally require.
If, however, a magic wielder heroically attempts to rescue innocents, thereby leaving himself open to attack (again explained in the Arcanum of Magic) and still manages to win, the Judge should grant the hero an additional 20 Karma after the victory, regardless of whether or not the villain was actually captured and brought to justice.