Custom Power List

[Tedronai]

Well, you don't actually get free specializations with Elemental Command. So without Refinement, it's worse than Channeling in every way.

I'm mostly worried about people taking Elemental Command and the max number of Refinements. Is it more broken than someone doing the same with Channeling or Evocation? I'm not sure.

More broken?
Probably not.

More powerful?
Definitely.


It helps that they don't get starting specializations to replace the starting item slots.  I wasn't clear on that from the initial description.

[Sanctaphrax]

Well, more powerful in this case is a problem. Because the thing that it's more powerful than is a common balance complaint. Anyway, here are my builds for the three powers. These builds should represent the pinnacle of combat spellcasting for a starting character without Sponsored Magic or Lawbreaker. I'm actually not sure whether Elmer is stronger than the other two, but if he is then there is a problem.

Element-Commanding Elmer
Conviction 4 Lore 5 Discipline 5
Elemental Command [-2]
Refinement [-5]
Specializations giving +5 control and power.
Offensive control 10
Offensive power 9
Defensive control 10
Defensive power 9
7 refresh spent, one element available

Evocating Evangeline
Conviction 4 Lore 5 Discipline 5
Evocation [-3]
Refinement [-5]
Two staff foci, giving +5 offensive control and power. Specializations giving +2 power and +1 control.
Offensive control 11
Offensive power 11
Defensive control 6
Defensive power 6
8 refresh spent, three elements available

Channeling Charlie
Conviction 4 Lore 5 Discipline 5
Channeling [-2]
Refinement [-4]
Two staff foci, giving +5 offensive control and power.
Offensive control 10
Offensive power 9
Defensive control 5
Defensive power 4
6 refresh spent, one element available

[Tedronai]

You'd have a more direct comparison if you spent the same refresh on all of them (at 6, since that's where 'Charlie' runs out of things to buy), but I'd place 'Elmer' as rarely being at a significant disadvantage to 'Charlie', who is the most comparable build (Evocation is essentially unapologeticaly more powerful than Channeling), with the possibility of significant substantial advantage (a single successful disarm maneuver nerfs 'Charlie')

[Sanctaphrax]

Well, Elemental Command's origin was an attempt to make Channeling a match for Evocation once Refinements come into play. But I never thought of disarming as a balancing factor for uber-Channelers. They often won't have the FP to resist it. So I'll need to think this through a little further.

Anyway, here are the three at 6 refresh.

Element-Commanding Elmer
Conviction 4 Lore 5 Discipline 5
Elemental Command [-2]
Refinement [-4]
Specializations giving +4 control and power.
Offensive control 9
Offensive power 8
Defensive control 9
Defensive power 8
one element available

Evocating Evangeline
Conviction 4 Lore 5 Discipline 5
Evocation [-3]
Refinement [-3]
Two staff foci, giving +3 offensive control and power. Specializations giving +2 power and +1 control.
Offensive control 9
Offensive power 9
Defensive control 6
Defensive power 6
three elements available

Channeling Charlie
Conviction 4 Lore 5 Discipline 5
Channeling [-2]
Refinement [-4]
Two staff foci, giving +5 offensive control and power.
Offensive control 10
Offensive power 9
Defensive control 5
Defensive power 4
one element available

[ways and means]

DEATH'S Scythe +2

Description: A plain unmarked Scythe, the wooden base of Scythe is well worn but the blade itself is still has an edge of incredible sharpness. Some say this blade was weiled by DEATH himself until the massive increase in world population after the 20 century forced the Grimm Reaper to upgrade to a combine harvester.  

Imparted Abilities

•(-2) Immaterial Edge (+2 weapons rating, this blade ignores the first 2 points of armour and also counts as the catch for ghosts and other disembodied spirits.)
•(-0) Manifested Blade (The blade needs to be summoned every scene it is used for a point of mental stress and a supplemental action, when not in use the blade is stored safely in death’s demesne.)
•(-2) Spiritual Weapon (As a weapon designed to sever the soul from the body its blows do more than physical harm. When the user decides to attack his enemy’s soul directly he may make a Weapons 4 Mental attack, anyone taken out this way will die as their soul is separated from their body leaving no signs of physical harm.)
•(-1) True Strike
•Unbreakable

-3 Refresh

Spiritual Weapon is now on par with potent and lasting incite emotion but costs one less refresh because it lacks the subtly of incite emotion and thus does not get the +2 to manouvres.  

[ways and means]

Short-term precognition -2
Description: Your can see a few a moments into the future
Must: You must have Cassandra’s Tears

Pre-emptive Evasion: your dodging checks are made at a +2
I saw you coming: you have a + 4 to alertness check to avoid ambush

Skills Effected  
Athletics, Alertness and some other physical skills

[Gatts]

Short-term precognition -2
Description: Your can see a few a moments into the future
Must: You must have Cassandra’s Tears

Pre-emptive Evasion: your dodging checks are made at a +2
I saw you coming: you have a + 2 to alertness check to avoid ambush

Skills Effected  
Athletics, Alertness and some other physical skills

It looks good, but it also looks like two stunts; with a prerequisite no less. Stunts are allowed to be better when they have prerequisites, and powers are by default better than stunts. I'd seriously suggest adding a little something else in there, even if it's very minor.

[ways and means]

I considered putting the +2 for I saw you coming up to +4 as precognition would make ambushing someone next to impossible do you think that be balanced?   

[Gatts]

I considered putting the +2 for I saw you coming up to +4 as precognition would make ambushing someone next to impossible do you think that be balanced?   

Just opened the book to check before answering, Inhuman speed gives you +4 to a specific thing, +1 to an entire skill (and a further +1 to a smaller aspect of it). It removes the penalty for moving a zone, and gives you a stealth bonus.

So yes, a +4 to avoid being ambushed is perfectly fine. I'd suggest using something like Inhuman Speed as a guideline for it, to show you the level of power you can have when just providing skill bonuses instead of new powers.

[Sanctaphrax]

Well, +2 to defence is a little better than a stunt. While the RAW says that a stunt can give +2 to a trapping without restrictions, I generally require a condition for defence stunts.

Of course, it's probably not a problem if it's a power. Unless you start stacking it with other defence boosts, in which case you are a cheeseweasel.

And be careful with basing powers off of Inhuman Speed or Strength. That can lead to problems. Part of the balance of those powers is that you get a bunch of stuff you may or may not want along with the stuff that you do.

That being said, there isn't a problem unless somebody intends to twink. So your power should be fine, +4 to avoid ambush or not.

[KOFFEYKID]

Healing Light [-2]
Description: By channeling your supernatural energy into somebody else you allow them to begin the healing process, and may even help them recover to perfect health.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Scholarship
Effects:
Starting Recovery. You may use this power to make scholarship declarations to justify the start of natural recovery from physical consequences, just as if they'd gone to a doctor or the hospital.
Healing Pool. You have a pool of healing power equal to your conviction.
Healing Surge. You may spend a fate point to allow somebody to recover from all of their physical consequences up to severe as if they where a mild. Subtract the value of the highest consequence so affected from your healing pool.
Healing Backlash. At the end of the scene you must roll against a hunger attack with a value equal to the number of negative points in your healing pool. If you have used other powers attached to your feeding dependency during the course of the scene, this (positive) value is added to the overall strength of the hunger attack you would suffer from use of your powers instead.

[Tedronai]

Incite Crowd [-1], upgrade to Incite Emotion
You may use Incite Emotion against multiple targets simultaneously, as per the Spray Attack rules, splitting effort between targets, or, for a -2 penalty, against everyone in the zone you occupy, excluding yourself if you wish.  The benefit of this upgrade cannot be used in conjunction with the benefit of At Range.  Though you may possess both and use them both, you cannot use them both in the same action.

[Samael]

Here is an item of power I put together for a Champion of God/True Believer type for a campaign I am joining. Hope you like it

[-1] Item of Power – Saint Peter's Crucifix
Description: This wooden crucifix is a potent relic rumored to have been carved by the hand of Saint Peter out of the wood of the True Cross when he founded the Church in Rome.  Allegedly stained by the blood of the Son of God, and having been passed down from one member of the clergy to the next for over 2000 thousand years, potent Faith has given it a power all its own.
Effects:
Bastion of Faith –  Your very presence, backed by the force of your rock solid Faith, is anathema to Supernatural beings of malicious or ill intent. Effects; Shield of Faith. You may spend a Fate Point to create a threshold with a value equal to your Conviction within your current zone for one exchange. You may extend the duration by one more exchange by taking a supplemental action on your next turn. It only repels beings with malicious or ill intent, that are antithetical to Faith of the bearer.

Visions From On High – Those who pray over this item sometimes receive visions and prophetic messages from God, giving you cryptic and often difficult to interpret future knowledge. But in this day and age where so called prophets are a dime a dozen especially with the Cassandra Tears scam artists few are likely to believe you. Effect; Gift of Prophecy. This places an aspect on the “world” related to the prophecy that remains until it comes true or is otherwise resolved. Whenever trying to warn people about what you foresee, you are at a –2 to any attempts to convince them that what you’re saying is correct.

Holy - This Crucifix is a powerful holy symbol in its own right. Its very touch is like holy water or that of a cross or other symbol of faith backed by the belief of the possessor.
 
It is What it is - Its a big wooden Crucifix, about a foot long about the length and size of a Dictionary. (Weapon: 1, if used to hit someone)

Unbreakable - As an Item of Power, it cannot be broken, save through dedicated magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.

Discount Already Applied - As an Item of Power, the Crucifix already includes the one-time discount (page 167). This means that if the character possesses more than one Item of Power, the one-time discount will not apply on that second item.  The base cost of this item [-3] refresh.

[KOFFEYKID]

Wrote this for Samael.

Miracle Man [-1]
Description: You are able to perform old school miracles, but at great cost.
Effect:
Bargain For Miracle. Negotiate with your gm for an appropriate cost in fate points for each miracle you perform. This power is potentially limitless in scope, given enough fate points.

[Tedronai]

Wrote this for Samael.

Miracle Man [-1]
Description: You are able to perform old school miracles, but at great cost.
Effect:
Bargain For Miracle. Negotiate with your gm for an appropriate cost in fate points for each miracle you perform. This power is potentially limitless in scope, given enough fate points.

Might want to at least include some guidelines for appropriate costing by miracle scale / impact.