Looking for some help with a custom IoP

[Magickal_Grenadier]

I'm trying to put together an IoP for a character I'm making as a back-up just incase my current PC gets taken out. Here's what I've got so far:

Book of Grimm [-?]
Description: An ancient leather-bound copy of Grimms Märchen (Grimm’s Fairy Tales) hand written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It contains a wealth of knowledge on supernatural creatures.
Musts: You must have an aspect related to your possession of this item.
Skills Affected: Scholarship, Lore
Effects:
[-0] Purpose. The Book of Grimm was penned in an effort to educate the owner on the supernatural.
[-0] It is what it is. The Book of Grimm is a book. It can be read by anyone.
[-0] Unbreakable. This book cannot be destroyed except with a magical ritual predicated on perverting its purpose.
[+1] One time discount. It's a book. You can hide it in plain sight.

[Sanctaphrax]

May I suggest a custom power?

If not, sorry.

MENTAL LIBRARY [-2]
Description: Your knowledge is so extensive that you have no need for printed libraries. This power can represent a perfect memory, a computer in your head, knowledge of everything ever written down, or a number of other things.
Musts: You must have an aspect reflecting your extensive knowledge.
Skills Affected: Lore, Scholarship, possibly others
Effects:
Mental Library. Your memories constitute a library on every subject that you are familiar with. The rating of the library on a given subject is equal to the skill that is used for knowledge of that subject. You may access this library freely, and other characters may use it by questioning you in detail.
Inexplicable Knowledge. You are no longer bound by the normal human limits on knowledge. You may make assessments and declarations concerning things that you cannot observe directly, either looking back through your memories to examine the thing again or perceiving that thing in mysterious and incomprehensible ways. Players should work together with the GM to work out the exact limits of this power.
Improved Mental Library [-1]. Increase the rating of each of your mental libraries by two.
Instant Recall [-1]. All research using your mental library is two time increments faster.

It's a bit weird to put a power designed to reduce reliance on gear onto an IoP, but it's not entirely dumb. Highly-rated libraries are rather hard to come by.

[Magickal_Grenadier]

Sancta, this is the second time you've suggested the Mental Library power to me. Lol. I could see this working with the idea I have though.

[Sanctaphrax]

Sorry, I don't keep track of who I suggest what to.

Anyway, there really isn't much else out there for knowledge powers. Stunts might be the way to go here.

PS: Found a semi-relevant link. http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,22837.msg981723.html#msg981723

[ARedthorn]

I could see a -1 Power that lets you fulfill a catch as a Declaration (costing a FP- between the book's knowledge and your FP, you happen to have just the thing)... plus a stunt that improves your lore.

[Sanctaphrax]

Why would you need a power to make Catch-satisfying Declarations?

[Magickal_Grenadier]

So I thought up one power for the book.

[-2] Perfect Page: By focusing on a particular name/image of a supernatural creature, when opened, the book will open to the most relevent page.

How does this sound?

[Sanctaphrax]

Seems a bit useless.

Mechanically speaking, it seems to have no effect.

[Magickal_Grenadier]

Well I assumed that it would be helpful considering the book contains details and sketches of nearly all supernatural creatures. Figured that it would be helpful to have a power that allows you to automaticly persue the perfect page for the creature you're up against in an instant rather than having to waste time franticly flipping bages while your being charged by a blood-thirsty Loup Garou or something.

[ARedthorn]

Finding the right page is just as easily handled by a quick lore check- which also can add to the drama- and bypassing that check... not worth [-2].

I suppose, theoretically, you could make such Catch-satisfying declarations no matter who you are, but only within reason. If a creature's catch is particularly rare, poorly known, or hard to have on you, I'd restrict access as a GM short of a full scene effort. My intent was to provide a power that lets players just... do it. NO MATTER WHAT.

The catch is a spear used to kill a saint? I'm supernatural Batman.
The catch is enriched uranium? I'm Supernatural Batman.
The catch of this creature is common, but it's a creature no one's ever heard of (Lore 9 or higher)? I'm Supernatural Batman.

The option to completely bypass that and have access to plot restricted or unreasonable catches... yeah, that's worth something. A stunt allowing a +2 to assessments and declarations is fair... a power that lets you all but bypass the same seems reasonable when there are Swords of the Cross and SotC-clones out there. (instead of costing -2 and fulfilling all catches, it costs -1 + a FP and fulfills all catches).

[Sanctaphrax]

Hm, okay. It's actually a bit overpowered, then. All Creatures Are Equal Before God costs 3-4 refresh and 1 FP/use. This should be about as pricey.

As for the "correct page" power: The problem is that finding the correct page does absolutely nothing rules wise. Perhaps an enchanted-item-like power letting you spend a FP to automatically get a Legendary Lore Assessment or knowledge roll is what you want.

[ARedthorn]

In that case, I'd err towards giving the book 2-3 stunts...
[-1] Encyclopedia of Everything: The Book of Grimm has a page or two on nearly every supernatural creature out there- with the exception of a few newer bumps-in-the-night types, you can, with a little time, find out everything you never wanted to know about anything. +2 to lore rolls for research on supernatural creatures.
[-1] Be Prepared: Exposure to the kind of knowledge in the Book of Grimm tends to make it's owner a bit... paranoid. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm himself put a lot of his personal will and effort into making sure whoever had the book was prepared for anything that could possibly come their way, and it's possible that an echo of that is affecting the current owner. The player can be assumed to have stockpiled a lot of useful stuff- it may not always be immediately on hand, but his attic could make the discovery channel. +2 to resources for determining equipment as long as that equipment is specifically tied to defending yourself from the supernatural.

[Magickal_Grenadier]

Thanks for the help guys. I'm not very good at making IoPs and the such. If you have any other ideas I'd love to hear them.