How broken would it be if you made it so that if you had channeling+ritual with the same element (or theme) you'd get a 1 Refinement free?
Not very. Evocation and Thaumaturgy still have free specializations, so they'd be competitive.
I don't think trying to break down package discounts like that will work very well. The math involved in balancing a game system is so complex that one is forced to use holistic gut-instinct judgements rather often.
I mean, it starts out easy enough. But once you start tracking the interactions between abilities and the expected differences in playstyle things get insanely complex.
Anyhoo, I owe y'all a reworded Superior Pyromancy. Here it is:
SUPERIOR PYROMANCY [-4]
Description: The White Council looks down on Focused Practitioners, but specialization has its merits. Through obsessive devotion to one element, it is possible to acquire abilities that a generalist cannot match.
Sponsor: This magic is self-sponsored.
Agenda: As self-sponsored magic, this power lacks an agenda.
Evocation: Superior Pyromancy may be used to cast fire evocations.
Thaumaturgy: Superior Pyromancy may be used to cast rituals that create, make use of, or control fire in some way.
Evothaum: Any ritual that can be cast with Superior Pyromancy may be cast with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: A character with Superior Pyromancy can use his offensive or defensive fire power bonus in place of his complexity bonus for rituals that can be cast with Superior Pyromancy.
Note: Powers similar to this one could exist for elements other than fire.
If this passes muster I'll update the list.