Here are the revisions to the powers I'm working on. I think they work better now. Plus a new flaw for spellcasters.

Focused Study [–0]
Musts: Channeling and/or Ritual.
Description:  Experienced focused practitioners learn in time how to refine and focus their abilities, gaining a deeper understanding of their one particular area of study.
Skills Affected: Discipline, Conviction, Lore.
Effects:
Intense Focus. You have chosen to focus heavily upon one particular application of spellcraft. When you take this power you forever give up the ability to upgrade Channeling to Evocation or upgrade Ritual to Thaumaturgy.
Focused Specialization. You may now choose to gain specialization bonuses when buying the Refinement power.

Focused Mastery [-1]
Musts: Focused Study
Description: With experience comes eventual mastery. A few focused practitioners have learned how to unlock their full potential and gain an incredible amount of mastery over their chosen area of spellcraft.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline, Lore
Effects:
Esoteric Lore. You roll Lore at +1 when dealing with magic particular to your area of focus (as determined by your element, ritual, or theme).
Potent Specialization. You no longer need to structure your specialization bonuses for each ability according to the same “column” limits for skills (see page 65). You still cannot have any specialization bonuses higher than your Lore skill.

Rote Reliance [+1]
Musts: At least one rote spell.
Description: You aren't very good at improving with your magic, preferring to stick to a few well rehearsed and known spells.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline, Lore
Effects:
Improvisational Block. You suck at casting any spell you haven't worked out ahead of time. When casting  non rote spells, consider your Conviction and Discipline to be 2 steps lower than the actual ratings.
Total Reliance [+1]. You are totally reliant upon a few well rehearsed spells. The only spells you can cast are rote spells. When casting such spells you must roll to control the power as if you were casting them normally.

Signature Spell [-1]
Musts: At least one rote spell.
Description: You are well known for one spell in particular. You might be a one trick pony, but it's a damn good trick!
Skills Affected: Discipline, Conviction, Lore.
Effects:
Choose one of your rote spells when you buy this power. This spell then becomes your signature spell and gains the benefits listed below when you cast that spell by rote. You may only have one signature spell at a time. At the game masters discretion you may be able to change your signature spell after a Significant or Major milestone.
Efficient Spellcraft. You've refined one spell so greatly that you can cast it with incredible efficiency. When determining the mental stress cost (page 250) of your signature spell, consider your Conviction to be 1 step higher than its actual rating.
One Last Spell. You've learned to keep a little bit of energy in reserve for your favorite spell. You may spend a Fate Point instead of taking metal stress when casting your signature spell.

I think that the first power (Focused Study) is better than Refinement.  This in my opinion shouldn't be.  I think adding two rote spells should be added to the Refinement power in any game that this power is allowed also.  I think perhaps choosing only one option per refresh is more balanced. Perhaps allowing two choices per is fine but once all choices are picked (each only allowed to be chosen once) the power cannot be taken again.

Not a bad suggestion. What if they still had to obey the column limits? In that instance they'd be limited to a +1 bonus and a +2 bonus for channeling and ritual. In which case this is more or less refinement then.

I'm really leery on only allowing one option per refresh, since that makes it half as effective as Refinement. That one extra refresh for Evocation gives you a heck of a lot of bang for your back when compared to Channeling. Plus if you limit it to only one option per pick then you might as well pick Evocation at that point. You'd get the same specialization benefit plus two extra elements.

Personally, my thinking is this: Refinement lets you pick 2 specialization bonuses per choice (and in my games I did add the rote spell clause to refinement) which is what this does. Those specializations must go into one element; but if you only have one element known then choosing said element is pointless. Then again, I suppose you could take sponsored magic. That loophole needs closed.

While on the topic I think it is entirely possible non wizard spell casters get the shaft in the long run, I'm not sure how to fix that, but this doesn't seem quite optimal to me.

This is so freaking true. My players are now sitting at 13 refresh and the wizard is just an utter powerhouse. It's gotten to the point where the rest of the characters are feeling overshadowed. And unfortunately, the normal balance of compelling the wizard like crazy only makes him stronger in the long run. I've no idea how to close the gap.

Focused Mastery -2 (this costs too much for what it does.

That's good to know. See, I was worried that it was too cheap for what it offered.

The closest thing to keeping casters in check is forcing them to take metal stress for spells.  Letting them skip that is a bad idea.  If the power is allowed it should only be allowed once, not several times (one signature spell ever).  I also think letting them cast it multiple times per day without stress is a poor idea.  Maybe only allow the casting without stress once a day?

Yeah, the power might well be much too powerful. And I never intended it to be taken multiple times.

You know, I might modify it instead. Maybe give the wizard a +1 bonus on his targeting roll with that one spell instead of reducing stress.

So here are a few powers I've been working on and would like a bit of feedback, if you folks would be so kind.

Focused Study [–1]
Musts: Channeling and/or Ritual; if you take this power you cannot later upgrade Channeling to Evocation or upgrade Ritual to Thaumaturgy.
Description:  Experienced focused practitioners learn in time how to refine and focus their abilities, gaining a deeper understanding of their one particular area of study.
Skills Affected: Discipline, Conviction, Lore.
Effects:
Deeper Understanding. Focused Study is a tool for improving your channeling over time. Each time Focused Study is taken, choose two of the following options:
Learn and master 2 additional rote spells.
Gain a +1 power bonus for all your evocations.
Gain a +1 control bonus for all your evocations.
Gain a +1 complexity bonus for all your rituals.
Gain a +1 control bonus for all your rituals.
Unlike refinement, you do not have to structure your specialization bonuses according to the “column” limits for skills (see page 65).

Focused Mastery [-2]
Musts: Focused Study
Description: With experience comes eventual mastery. A few focused practitioners have learned how to unlock their full potential and gain an incredible amount of mastery over their chosen area of spellcraft.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline, Lore
Effects:
Breadth of Knowledge. You have far fewer blind spots than most other spellcasters who deal with your type of spellcraft. This has no actual game effect other than giving you better justification for performing magic that might be considered unusual for your particular brand of spellcasters. Game masters are encouraged to be a bit more lenient with such players when they attempt more unusual uses of magic.  For example, a pyromancer with this power might make the case for fire being a purifying element and use this justification to perform a spell that “burns out” a sickness or malady someone is suffering.
Depth of Knowledge. You've unlocked a lot of secrets within your area of specialization. Roll Lore at +1 whenever dealing with your particular area of expertise (as defined by your Channeling or Ritual power). For example, a pyromancer would roll his Lore at +1 whenever dealing with fire magic or the results of fire magic.
Respected Master. Your expertise is so extensive that even wizards respect your prowess. When dealing with other spellcasters (anyone with the Channeling, Evocation, or Sponsored Magic powers), all of your social skill rolls operate at a +1 bonus.

Signature Spell [-1]
Musts: Channeling or Evocation
Description: You've utterly mastered a single spell and have learned how to cast it with an economy of energy and motion.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline, Lore
Effects:
Signature Spell. Choose one of your rote spells. The stress cost for casting this one particular spell is reduced by one. If this reduction would reduce the stress cost to zero you may only cast this spell for zero stress a number of times equal to your Lore rank, after which you must pay the normal stress cost.


Thoughts
Focused Study is more or less Refinement for people who have Channeling and Ritual. It's always bothered me that people who focus in one particular element can't actually get any better at that element (unless they make an item). This bridges that gap but also locks you out of further upgrading. That's why the bonuses say all evocations: you'll only ever have one element or type of ritual. The addition of gaining rote spells just felt right.

Focused Mastery is a bit murkier. I like the general feel of the power but it's really hard to price because one of the benefits is so nebulous. I made the other two benefits somewhat minor (a lesser version of Marked by Power) to compensate. I'm really open to suggestions if people happen to have other ideas. I just felt that focused practitioners needed a cool capstone ability.

I'm still really up in the air on Signature Spell. It was a neat mechanic I was toying around with and I wanted to write it up formally. I think it might be a bit strong for only 1 point of refresh, but it fills a bit too lackluster for 2 refresh. However, I was looking at the Incite Emotions and Beast Change powers. Both are more or less "one spell" that you can cast for free all the live long day. However, wizard spells are a lot more potent so I knew they shouldn't be unlimited. And linking it to Lore at least makes sure you have to keep a third skill up there (and does play into the Rote spell aspect). Thoughts on the power of this one?

Thanks for the feedback folks. I'm trying to stat this guy out as an Up to your Waist level character and I don't think the immunity to poisons thing is gonna make the cut. It was a fun idea but I can see the argument for actually make it that expensive. (For what it's worth, I'm thinking a blanket immunity to Toxins would be the way to go).

As for the taste power, I'm thinking that I might just list it as "heightened taste" and call it being able to make assessments and declarations with Alertness when it comes to taste. That lets the GM (if one ever materializes) set the difficulty or if it's even possible.

I should state that my intention with the power was letting him sort of analyze other potions and liquids by taste. Not enough to actually let him reproduce them right then and there, but enough to get him started on further research into the area. Mostly it was just kind of a flavor thing that I didn't think was handled well enough by aspects.

Is there a transcript for the hearing impaired, by chance?

In my campaign, the players have recently uncovered information about an unknown branch of the Order of Santiago which was not secularized in the sixteenth century, but instead continues to watch over four Swords of the Saints: Joyeuse, Durandal, Curtana and Almace, and their potential wielders. [Note:  I chose these with reference to the Song of Roland and each contains relics of a specific patron saint.]
Of course, Charlemagne’s sword is said to have been buried with him, and Curtana is currently in Ultima Thule… 

We did something similar in my game. I even have stats for Durendal, if you're interested.

Personally, I don't think it breaks anything if there are more swords, though said swords should have different powers. Here's what I have for Durendal.


Durendal [-3]
Description: Durendal is a holy relic every bit as powerful as one of the Swords of the Cross.  While the Knights of the Cross concern themselves with fighting the Order of the Blackened Denarius, the weilder of Durendal (and several other lesser holy relics) has been tasked with protecting a smaller area of the world.  Where the Swords of the Cross can cut through the most potent protections Durendal can temporarily strip an evil entity of its greatest power.  Such a boon does not last long, however, and so the weilders of this holy relic learn to finish their fights quickly.
Musts: You must have a destiny or calling to inherit the Sword, represented as a high concept or template.
Skills Affected: Weapons, others

Armor of Faith.  When weilded with a true and holy purpose Durendal surrounds the bearer with a nimbus of golden radiance.  This holy light provides the weidler with Armor: 2 against the attacks of supernaturally evil beings and creatures.

Divine Purpose. Durendal may only be swung with true selfless purpose in mind and heart; if this is not the case, the bond between the Weilder and the Sword is broken and may only be restored by undergoing some sort of trial of faith. When swung without such purpose in mind and heart, the blow does not land (any attack roll automatically fails), the bond is immediately broken, and the sword falls from the wielder’s hand.

Hidden from the Unworthy.  Durendal was only meant to be weilded by those of great faith and piety.  Those who do not possess the Righteousness power tend to overlook the presence of Durendal – at least until it has been drawn.

Holy. This weapon is a powerful holy symbol in its own right. Its very touch is like holy water or that of a cross or other symbol of faith backed by the belief of the possessor.

Lay Low the Wicked. Durendal was crafted with a singular purpose in mind – protecting the innocent from supernatural evil.  The Weilder of Durendal can temporarily supress the powers of supernaturally evil beings by spending a Fate point and making a special maneuver.  This is a Weaponry manuever opposed by the target's Conviction or Endurance (whichever is higher).  If the maneuver is successful the Weilder may supress one of the target's powers for a number of exchanges equal to the shifts gained in the action.  If the maneuver is unsuccessful the Weilder instead takes stress equal to the shifts gained by the target.

It’s a Sword. Durendal is a scimitar (+2 damage) with a golden hilt.  It is said to contain within its golden hilt one tooth of Saint Peter, blood of Saint Basil, hair of Saint Denis, and a piece of the raiment of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, it cannot be broken, save through dedicated magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.

Discount Already Applied. As an Item of Power, the sword already includes the one-time discount (page 167). This means that if the character possesses more than one Item of Power, the one-time discount will not apply on that second item. If Durendal is the second or subsequent artifact the character gains, the refresh cost is –5.

I wrote out a pretty comprehensive chart for Furycrafting a while back. If I find it, I'll link it.

That would be enormously helpful!