Jabir ibn Hayyan's Grimoire IoP

[InFerrumVeritas]

Please critique this IoP for me.

Information on the historical person:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jābir_ibn_Hayyān

Jabir ibn Hayyan’s Grimoire [-1]
Description: You possess the grimoire of the mad artificer Jabir ibin Hayyan who sought knowledge at the cost of his sanity.  Tread lightly on when retracing his path to knowledge, lest it plunge you into the same madness which took him.
Musts: You must have the Thaumaturgy power.
Skills Affected: Lore, Varies.
Greatest Artificer of Merlin’s Age.  The Grimoire grants +2 to the strength and frequency of any enchanted items or potions the caster makes. Any compels applied to increase the strength of potions made with this must be in line with Jabir’s Agenda.
Methods of Madness.  Upon complete discharging (using all of the uses per session) any enchanted items or potions made with the Greatest Artificer of Merlin’s Age effect, you must roll Discipline against the strength of the item, as if you were defending against an attack.  Failure to defend results in mental stress as if from an attack; psychological consequences that result are set by the GM, in line with Jabir’s agenda.  Additionally, extra uses of these enchanted items cost 2 mental stress instead of one.
The Mind of a Madman.  You gain +1 on any skill roll made in keeping with Jabir’s agenda (often having to do with seeking out knowledge and magical power at all costs).  When doing so, you must roll Discipline against the result, as if you were defending against an attack. Failure to defend results in mental stress as if from an attack; psychological consequences that result are set by the GM, in line with Jabir’s agenda.
Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, it cannot be broken, save through dedicated magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.
It’s a Book. The Grimoire is a large, ancient tome.  A caster may spend Focus Item slots to use the Grimoire as a focus item.
Discount Already Applied. As an Item of Power, the Grimoire already includes the one-time discount (YS167). This means that if you possess more than one Item of Power, the one-time discount will not apply on that second item. If Jabir ibin Hayyan’s Grimoire is the second or subsequent artifact the you gain, the refresh cost is -3.

NOTES:  I see Greatest Artificer of Merlin's Age as being roughly equal to taking two Refinements.  However, I think IoPs for Refinements are broken so I added Methods of Madness as a balancing factor.  Still strong.  Very strong, but I don't think it'll break out table.  Mind of a Madman is just a renamed Demonic Co-Pilot without shapeshifting.  So GAoMA -2, MoaM -1, IoP+2.

[citadel97501]

I am slightly confused, does the Greatest Artificer of Merlin's age count as bonuses from a refinement therefor requiring you follow the growth pyramid, or does it get around that requirement?

If it gets around that issue, then it is extremely overpowered even with the restrictions you applied. 

[UmbraLux]

I'm not sure how you've valued the powers but I'd only give a +1 IoP bonus to a book.  Not like it's all that unusual or difficult to carry around.  That would put the powers at -2 refresh total...which seems really low.

[Viatos]

Methods of Madness doesn't work. Here's why: the book gives you +2 power, +2 frequency per item. If you save the last use of every item so as not to trigger its effect? You get a free +2 power, +1 frequency per item with no drawback.

[Sanctaphrax]

I'm not sure how you've valued the powers but I'd only give a +1 IoP bonus to a book.  Not like it's all that unusual or difficult to carry around.  That would put the powers at -2 refresh total...which seems really low.

He gave it a +2 rebate. He listed the values of each power at the end of his post.

I dislike Methods Of Madness. If Refinement is broken, fix it. This just feels inelegant. "Sure, have your broken power. Also, f**k you!"

And yes, the bonuses should count against caps.

[crusher_bob]

How about some relative of sponsored magic instead, since refinement in an IoP tends to be a bad idea.

Something like:
The book contains many pages of arcane rituals, that you can read read from to produce many different effects:
You get 4 free 'potion' slots (you have to produce the book and read from it to get the use)
You get +2 to lore declarations to have 'just the right type of potion'
You can take sponsor debt to up the power of your potions
Worth around -2 refresh?

And then either an additional mild mental consequence, or possibly demonic copilot for evocation control, though I'm not sure about the balance of that.

[Viatos]

possibly demonic copilot for evocation control, though I'm not sure about the balance of that.

The amount of work and Refresh that needs to be spent avoiding this being a death sentence (or at least an NPC-sentence) is really quite colossal. Demonic Copilot is not something you want to attach to Evocation, no.

[DFJunkie]

Maybe do away with uses per session for items made with Greatest Artificer entirely and have the item make the attack against Discipline every time it’s used?  Also set a hard floor of Great for the attacks, so there’s always at least a fair chance the user will have to either take stress or spend fate.

[InFerrumVeritas]

Good points everyone.  Thank you.  How this update to the effects?

Greatest Artificer of Merlin’s Age.  The Grimoire contains extraordinary alchemical insights.  Gain 2 Specializations which must be spent on crafting (strength or frequency).  These are subject to all normal limitations applied to Specialization bonuses.  Enchanted items lose these bonuses if you don't have the Grimoire available.
Methods of Madness.  You may boost the power of an enchanted item or potion upon use.  This bonus may not exceed your Lore skill.  When doing so, you must roll Discipline against the total power of the item, as if you were defending against an attack.  Failure to do so results in mental stress as if from an attack plus additional mental stress equal to the bonus from this effect.  Psychological consequences that result are set by the GM, in line with Jabir’s agenda.
The Mind of a Madman.  You gain +1 on any skill roll made in keeping with Jabir’s agenda (often having to do with seeking out knowledge and magical power at all costs).  When doing so, you must roll Discipline against the result, as if you were defending against an attack. Failure to defend results in mental stress as if from an attack; psychological consequences that result are set by the GM, in line with Jabir’s agenda.
Keep a second specialization pyramid "Without Grimoire" for reference incase you lose it.

I did not want to do Sponsored Magic because of the inclusion of Channeling in that power.  Additionally, we already have two in the group who have sponsors and the player whom this item would be for asked me to create something which worked differently and suggested Demonic Co-Pilot.

[Silverblaze]

I like it.

It seems like something I'd enjoy using with a character.

[Sanctaphrax]

Still not sure about this.

If I've built my specialization pyramid on top of the specializations I get from this, what happens when I lose the book.

As for Methods Of Madness, I don't know how good it is. Hard to judge.

[DFJunkie]

If I've built my specialization pyramid on top of the specializations I get from this, what happens when I lose the book.

Or even lack in-the-moment access to it.  The point of the IoP discount is that it's possible to lose access to the power if you can't access the item.  Presumably items created with the help of the book don't lose their potency when the book isn't present.  If that's the case the discount isn't warranted.

[InFerrumVeritas]

Still not sure about this.

If I've built my specialization pyramid on top of the specializations I get from this, what happens when I lose the book.

As for Methods Of Madness, I don't know how good it is. Hard to judge.

Revert to previous, like stress boxes when you lose toughness.  So you'd want to keep a second pyramid labeled "Without Grimoire."  Not elegant, but simple enough (shapeshifters have to basically do it with skills).

Items created would require that the caster keep the book on hand.  Thankfully, it's indestructible, but it is big and bulky (roughly the size of a larger textbook).  If you lose it, they lose extra power/uses.

I'll do a simple edit to the previous post to clarify.

[Sanctaphrax]

Revert to previous, like stress boxes when you lose toughness.  So you'd want to keep a second pyramid labeled "Without Grimoire."  Not elegant, but simple enough (shapeshifters have to basically do it with skills).

So if I use the Grimoire to get a pyramid like this:

Crafting frequency +1, Crafting strength +2, Entropomancy control +3, Entropomancy complexity +4

what do I revert to upon losing it?

[Becq]

Just rule that your specialization pyramid must be legal both with and without the bonuses.  This will lead to a less-than-optimal pyramid ... but maybe that's not a bad thing, given the long "discussions" regarding the balance or lack thereof of the Crafter build, even without a supercharging item like this.