Game-Breaking Powers To Worry About?

[Tedronai]

When I read that spell, I thought it should probably be more like a Thaumaturgy spell not unlike Victor Sells Exploding Heart trick.

The spell from the novels that it was meant to emulate was clearly not a thaumaturgic ritual.

[PatchR]

And, the way I see it, if you're "adjudicating it like a grapple" then if someone beats the power of the roll, they throw the goop off their face.

[ReaderAt2046]

Two thoughts:

1: I thought there was a rule that the bonus from a Rebate power can't be more than one less than the cost of what it's tied to. So a Cold-iron catch could be worth up to +4 by the rules (very widely known and easily accessed), but if you've only got Inhuman toughness (-2), you only get +1 for the Catch.

2: Orbius looks much less OP when you note that it's an 8-shift spell, so your average player will have to eat at least 4 mental stress just to call that much power, and probably a few more shifts of backlash to make it go off straight. Also, for comparison an 8-shift straight attack will completely bypass the entire stress track of anything without at least Supernatural Toughness (or Inhuman Toughness and Hulking Form).

[Sanctaphrax]

Orbius talk. Lovely.

Probably shouldn't have mentioned it.

Well, here's a relevant link.

1: I thought there was a rule that the bonus from a Rebate power can't be more than one less than the cost of what it's tied to. So a Cold-iron catch could be worth up to +4 by the rules (very widely known and easily accessed), but if you've only got Inhuman toughness (-2), you only get +1 for the Catch.

There is such a rule.

Cold Iron is a +3 Catch in OW, though. Do not ask me why because I do not know.

[Tedronai]

Probably has something to do with the fact that, while everyone with any meaningful knowledge of the supernatural knows that Fae are vulnerable to Cold Iron, they might not immediately know that the Billy Goats Gruff are Fae.  Harry had to look it up, and get Bob's help (Bob being Harry's version of an extensive arcane library), and Harry is rather more than minimally familiar with the supernatural.

[Wordmaker]

Also, as Harry points out, most people assume "cold iron" is either pure iron or iron that's been prepared a certain way. They don't realise that a simple stainless steel kitchen knife can do the trick. It's less to do with the Catch being hard to find and more to do with people not knowing how easy it is to find.

[Wolfhound]

This thread is just great

[PirateJack]

I wouldn't expect trouble if he uses it for Powers.

Yeah, that doesn't bother me so much because you have to pay full refresh cost for each power. Plus it keeps the game interesting.

What worries me is the possibility that he could pick up a big skill from a powerful NPC and then keep it forever. One lucky opportunity lets you be overpowered indefinitely.

Mimicking the Merlin's Discipline makes using Refinement to boost your control seem weak. Mimicking Shiro's Weapons is way better than True Aim. And so on.

I've solved that problem by forcing him to keep to the skill cap. He can only take skills up to Superb, with higher ones being lowered to Superb when he takes them. It's mostly for balance issues (as you said), but I've fluffed it as his body's way of minimising the dangers associated with stealing powers. I'm just waiting for the day he tries to take Sponsored Magic from something.

[Sanctaphrax]

Subjecting mimicked skills to the cap certainly helps. Don't think it completely fixes the issue, but it certainly helps.