Oh crap, I had no idea that Jim and Shannon got divorced. How awful. My deepest condolences.

And now I see that Jim is with Kitty Krell. That's cool. I guess I've been way out of the loop for quite awhile.

No this is really useful, Sanctaphrax, thanks.  I can see why they didn't include something so obviously mechanical and straightforward in the rulebook (doesn't really fit the in-universe tone) but it definitely makes the purpose of the Catch clearer.

In some of the custom characters and NPCs that I've seen on this board, specifically for various were-people, their recovery/toughness powers have been attached to a Catch.  I'm wondering what the general understanding of the board is for that situation.  I tried to search for a thread with this topic specifically, but I came up empty.

NOTE:  The OW Lycanthrope has Inhuman Recovery with no Catch.  Do you view this as an essentially undiscoverable Catch [+0] or as literally no Catch possible or existing?  How does this effect your consideration about a Catch for, let's say, an elephant?

I'd stat Mort with Modular Abilities (or something very similar) instead of extra spell casting powers.  GS spoiler:

(click to show/hide)

It seems to fit his spending an action to have a ghost 'possess' him and then gaining powers related to the ghost...even up to Harry's spell casting.

Yes, but that doesn't explain such things as Mort   That seems like a clearly high shift ectomancy spell.

As for Sponsored Magic, the books states "These power sources, called sponsors, are at least semi-aware, if not fully-aware, entities.  Ancient and strange and potent, they have agendas of their own, and they view those to whom they grant a modicum of their own power as their agents throughout Creation."  Mort seems to act out of compassion for the shades that wander Chicago, and not as their servant.  Now, if you want to have a character with a nebulous sponsor in your game then that's your business.  But as for the canon character?  I'd say he's just a really specialized ectomancer.

Hey everyone, I posted on this topic quite awhile ago and I was wondering if positions have changed any. (Particularly given Mort's performance in GS)  I have suggested running with a houserule that allows FPs to use refinements to boost their abilities, but limiting it to -1 or -2 Lore instead of at their Lore level.  It just makes sense to me that FPs should be really badass at their discipline, and not get shown up by jack-of-all-trades wizards in their area of expertise.

EDIT: I should have mentioned that we generally cap the number of Focus Items/Enchanted Items one character can have.

Hey, check out the new Case File, Neutral Grounds.  Maria Emana has a refinement that boosts her power and control.

Although the words "the Erlking is the Summer King" wasn't said...

He does say that Santa Clause is the Winter King, but he makes it clear that he is talking about the 2 kings of the 2 opposite seasons, and the only other being he talks about is the Erlking.  Honestly, if Jim is even slightly trixy about how he words something he is upfront about it and makes sure we know.  If he doesn't want us to know something, he tells us.  I've heard him chant "I'm not gonna tell you and rub the inside of his elbow and mutter about heroin for writers a lot.  If the Erlking isn't the Summer King, then this WoJ is an instance of Jim trying to deliberately mislead his readership at a public Q&A and honestly, he respects us too much to do that.

Of note:  It's A Summer King, not THE Summer King.  There are 3 Queens of each Court, so why not as many of more Kings?  It seems more like a courtesy title, something won by might instead of directly related to the Seasonal Courts.

EDIT: at 7:12 in the youtube video of the DragonCon interview he says specifically "The Erlking, he is a Summer King."
         And Santa Claus is "one of the Winter Kings" - plural

For species with natural armor of some kind, like the rhino's Supernatural Toughness or the bear's Inhuman Toughness, would a beast shifter need to take a Catch?

Something like... chemical weapons?  Or a particular disease?