So is this wasted? eg. Should I just use the +1 refresh to upgrade to Evocation since that comes with a free Specialiation?

I have a character that has Channeling: Earth Magic. Has focus items giving +1 to offensive power/control respectively. Just hit a major milestone, and was thinking of taking Refinement for specialization...

He is an offensive minded character, and I am a bit unclear what Specialization can do for me. The character, and myself, are very new to spellcasting! Any help would be appreciated...

His conviction is a 3 and lore/discipline is at 2. So yea, very new to casting! lol

I'd be taking this to allow the Specialization:

 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.

I'm curious if GMs consider these following homebrew abilities as overpowered in a game. Other homebrew powers have been selected by some players, but I am curious as to your collective opinion of these:

 Special Techniques [-varies] Description: Supernatural martial arts moves, more or less. A staple of any decent fighting manga. Skills Affected: Fists, Weapons, Guns Effect: Special Techniques. When you take this power, choose fists, weapons, or guns. Then pick a number of techniques from the technique list equal to the number of refresh points you spent on this power. Whenever you make an attack with the chosen skill, you may spend a fate point to add the effects of one of your chosen techniques to the attack.

With: Rapid Strike. You can make a number of attacks up to your skill with one action. Each attack suffers a penalty equal to the number of extra attacks made. B

And finally:  Ironhide [-1] Description: Dodging attacks is for cowards and weaklings. You are so strong that you can hold your ground while absorbing attacks. Musts: The character must have a supernatural template and likely toughness powers that justify this. Skills Affected: Endurance Effects: You roll endurance instead of athletics to avoid attacks. Additionally, all armor you have is converted from giving you a damage-reduction bonus to giving you a bonus to your endurance to avoid the attacks. A success doesn't mean the attack doesn't hit you, it means it glanced right off you or you're so tough it didn't affect you. This power must be attached to any catches the character has.

These would be taken, obviously(!), by a melee focused character. Thanks in advance for your opinions!

To clarify I was looking at bad ass melee combatant development. I currently have intimidate at 5, and the Homebrew Stunt (forgot the name but its on the list on these boards) that gives a +2 to Intimidation rolls when soneone knows who i am and/or what i am. But his 5 intimidation is in human form, not in his animal form... In animal I think its at a 2.

Would incite anger be worth it? Or maybe upping the inhuman ones or even poison claws since he has claws... Thanks for the help guys!

I have a tank melee based were creature, and we are nearing a refresh bonus. I currently have Inhuman Strength/Recovery/Toughness. To dominate melee should I up strength to supernstural, then eventually mythic? Or another one to super natural? Or even take billing size instead?

Just looking to be the nest combat beatatick I can be... Thanks in advance!