Even if context became part of the argument, unbalanced powers are still unbalanced.

So let's say Sacred Guardian was amended to only work for Food Dogs. Except, when someone builds a custom power, that power is usually based off existing powers. That's the recommended approach. So what's to stop our friend A.Munchkin from taking a power exactly similar to Sacred Guardian, but only works for minitiarized giant space hamsters instead, or whatever bullshit concept he's trying to sneak past the table? Granted, the GM could just say no way, but in that case, there would be no point in restricting Sacred Gurdian anyway, since the GM wouldnt allow it even without that note.

Personally, I think Sacred Guardian should just be rewritten. Foo Dogs []ishould[/i] have a power like it, but it should cost a lot more.

As an aside, I'm not entirely sure it's out of context, exactly, to allow Sacred Guardian to apply to social and mental conflicts. If hat was intended, though, then yeah, it should cost a hell lot more.

I can't help but wonder why Papa Raith would teach the slimmed down version of the Red Court curse to Sells, which requires the storms to empower it, when he could just teach him the He Who Walks Behind entropy curse that requires much less power instead, and can be performed any day of the week. It can't be that he didn't know it, since we're fairly certain he killed Maggie Dresden with it. Then again, that could just be First Installment Weirdness (to use a tvtropes term).

Other than that, I like this theory, and wouldn't be surprised if you're completely right.

It might have been due to the "the more people who know/cast it, the less powerful it its" effect.

Ah, I see. So for the first example, would you recommend not letting self-inflicted stress use up the extra stess boxes as well?

Damn. This list is awesome.  Or it would be, if the links weren't dead. Were those things lost forever when the forums died?

So basically, you can only have long-term minions if you go on a quest to acquire them, hitting a few milestones on the way?