For some groups, the handwavey way in which weapons, armor, cars, etc are dealt with is great. For others, it doesn't work. My group is one of those. It also makes powers like Claws and Breath Weapon pretty weak. I have a solution: Equipment Points.
I still assume characters have the normal equipment they need to use their skills, or could reasonably get. This is for equipment which provides a distinct mechanical benefit, like weapons and armor.

The GM sets a number of equipment points available to characters (just like they'd set refresh, skill points, and skill cap). Generally, I feel 1 EP/every 3 refresh and a bonus 2 for pure mortals is enough. At Average Resources, you get one extra EP and one more at Good and Superb.

Each point of Weapon or Armor rating costs 1 EP. For other non spellcasting non combat applications of skills, get +1 per point spent on a specific application of that skill (like a really nice computer for research, car for driving, or a medkit for consequence recovery).
Once you spend an EP on gear, it cannot be changed for the rest of the session (GM's may waive this if the story permits).

You can get temporary EP by invoking applicable aspects (like Stolen Car) at a rate of 2 points per invocation. This equipment lasts for one scene.

Feedback appreciated.

Evocation Fate Core Style:

For this FateCore version of DFRPG, I’m going to use the FateCore skill list with the addition of Discipline. 

Spellcasting:
A spellcaster must have a high concept related to spellcasting.  This may be compelled to accidentally hex technology.

Channeling (Spellcasting):
Costs: 2 refresh, high concept relating to the element you control (such as Pyromancer for fire)
-You have the ability to conjure and control a single element or energy type, such as fire.  This is the direct side of magic, quickly pushing energy around for a single overt effect.
-You may use Discipline to Attack, Defend, or Create Advantage so long as you can describe how your control of that element in a direct way could do so.
-You may increase the effect of an action by taking mental stress.  Each point of stress taken increases the effect of your action. 

Attacks:
-All attacks made with Channeling are made at Weapon:0. 
-You may increase this weapon rating by 1 for each point of stress taken.
-You may reduce the attack roll or weapon rating by two to attack an entire zone (including yourself if you were in that zone).  This may not reduce your attack roll or weapon rating below 0.
-You may split your total attack roll between multiple opponents, dividing the total shifts rolled between them.  You make take additional stress to increase the total number of shifts by 1 for each point of stress taken, but no attack on a target may exceed the number of shifts in the original attack roll.
Defenses:
-You may increase a defense roll by 1 for each point of stress taken.
Create Advantage:
-You may gain an extra invoke on a successful roll for each two points of stress taken.
-You may create a barrier between two zones.  The strength of this barrier is equal to the result of your defense roll to create it.  If a character attempts to cross this barrier, they must succeed on an overcome action with a difficulty equal to the barrier’s strength.  Characters on either side of a barrier may use the barrier’s value in place of their defense rolls verses create advantage attempts or attacks which cross the barrier.  Alternately, they may opt to use half the barrier’s value as Armor versus attacks across the barrier.  The barrier lasts until the end of your next turn.
-You may increase the strength of a barrier by 1 for each point of stress taken.
-You may increase the number of turns a barrier lasts for by 1 for each two points of stress taken.

Additional Elements
Costs: 1, requires Channeling
You may control two additional elements or energy types. 
Change your High Concept to suit this (Wizard, Sorcerer, or Evoker is appropriate).

Focus Item
Costs: 1 refresh
You have an item which increases your magical capabilities on a single type of action for a single element.  Choose a single bonus from the list below, and the element it applies to.  This bonus only applies when you are able to wield the focus item it is attached to.  You may choose to add additional bonuses to a single item instead of creating another focus item.  You may only take each bonus once per element.
Attack:
-Increase your attack rolls by 2.
-Increase your weapon rating by 2.  This stacks with weapon rating increases from taking stress while casting.
Defend:
-Increase your defense rolls by 2.
-You automatically have Armor 2 against any attack you used magic to defend against.
Create Advantage:
-Increase your create advantage rolls by 2.
-Free invokes from created aspects provide a +3 bonus instead of the usual +2.

Note: Running Out of Gas
A consequence a caster inflicted upon himself may be compelled to prevent the caster from casting spells which do not cause stress for the rest of the scene.  In essence, he has used up his reserves and every further spell he casts causes him harm. 

Note: Fallout
If a caster chooses, he may increase any spellcasting roll by 2.  This creates a scene aspect related to destructive, uncontrolled, magical energy released by the caster overexerting himself.  Their opponent gets a free invocation of this scene aspect (they do not).

Note: Backlash
A caster may inflict a consequence upon himself and use the free invocation to increase any spellcasting roll by 2.

The notes are optional and are intended to provide flavor such as loss of control or running out of magic as we see in the novels. 

Veils would be narrative description of a Defense, Advantage, or Barrier depending on context.

Basically, my question is this: If one throws flavor aside and is building a combat practitioner, which is the most useful skill to have as a peak skill?  Discipline, Lore, or Conviction?  I am primarily interested in Evocation based builds, but would also like to know if enchanted item based builds are actually better. 

From what I can tell, Discipline should almost always be the peak skill in this case.  It allows the most optimal use of one's stress track (Conviction, Conviction+1, Conviction+2, Conviction+3), contributes to accuracy and damage simultaneously, and applies to evocation and enchanted items. 

This is assuming Conviction is at least Good (for 4 stress boxes), but that's a reasonable assumption at almost any power level. 

Peak Conviction really only gives you that extra consequence at Superb, but means you're more likely to take stress or be casting sup-optimally because of your lower control. 

Peak Lore gives you the best enchanted items, but without Discipline high, you're not as accurate with them. 

Ideally, you'll have two top spellcasting skills, but if you can only have one, which do you think is best?

Djinn
I'm working on creating a djinn.  I would like this to be a blend of what is in the Quaran and the western wish granting genie that we're all familiar with.  Of course, this being the Dresdenverse, I also want some scary bargaining built in.

Here's what I'm thinking:

Limited to Channeling one element outside of the Nevernever. [-??? see below]
Breath Weapon (whatever element the djinn channels).  Uses Discipline. [-2]
Gaseous Form. [-3]
Wizard’s Constitution (also applying to mental consequences). [+0]
Supernatural Mental Toughness (only applies to spellcasting) granting 4 additional stress boxes. [-3]
True Shapeshifting [-4]

Within the Nevernever, may cast any thaumaturgical or evocation effect with evocation’s methods and speed. [-6, -8?]

Wishes. 
   The djinn may perform any thaumaturgical or evocation effect with evocation’s methods and speed when doing so in the service of a mortal. 
   When doing so, the djinn may add its Lore bonus to both the power and control of the spell.
   Alternatively, the djinn may grant the mortal an enchanted item.  The enchanted item has a number of shifts equal to twice the djinn’s Lore, which are split between uses and strength.  Once all of the items uses are expended, it may not be recharged. 
   Finally, the mortal may use this as an excuse to spend refresh on Supernatural powers, forfeiting any bonus he receives from being a Pure Mortal.
   If the djinn ever grants more than three wishes to any mortal, the djinn must serve that mortal for the remainder of the mortal’s life.  If pressed into service this way, the djinn no longer receives his Lore bonus on spellcasting and may not grant enchanted items. 
   Djinn may refuse to grant a particular wish, but may not break a bargain once struck (such as a bargain for exactly three wishes in exchange for something on the mortal’s part). 

I like, more or less, how this works.  But I have no idea how to cost it.  Obviously I don't intend to have the custom power that Wishes would turn into be available to players, so it's not strictly necessary to do so.  I still would like to.

I want to spice up one of my recurring characters.  Sometimes he's an ally of the PCs, sometimes he's a foe.  He's an agent of Monoc, and has no spellcasting.  I'd like to give him an edge against our practitioners, if it comes to that.  Here's the power that I'm toying with (in his case, it'd be applied to an IoP):

Might Over Magic [-2]
Effects:
Disruptive strikes. Your blows are capable of disrupting spells, provided the effect can physically be attacked.  Roll Might plus the Weapon Rating the melee weapon you are using against the spell’s control (in the case of effects from enchanted items or thaumaturgy, treat the spell’s control equal to the spell’s strength).  If you have any Strength powers, you may add their stress bonus to the roll.  If successful, the spell's effect ends as if counterspelled.  This may be done instead of a defense roll. 

Notes: On the axe, it would be Might+2 plus the damage bonus from any Strength powers you may have.

I'm doing a version of FATE heavily inspired/completely converted from D&D for a friend of mine.  He likes the aspects and classless character creation of FATE, but wants to play in his high fantasy dungeon looting sandbox.

So, because of this, I knew I'd need a much more detailed Weapons and armor list.  Here it is if anyone is interested:

Unarmed 0 used with Fists skill
Gauntlets/Brass Knuckles 1 used with Fists skill
Dagger/Knife 1 small, can be thrown

Swords:
Shortsword 2
Longsword 3
Bastard Sword 4 requires two hands, but may be used one handed on horseback
Greatsword 5 requires two hands, Might restricts

Axes:
Handaxe/Throwing Axe 2 can be thrown
Battleaxe 3
Waraxe 4 requires two hands
Greataxe 5 requires two hands, Might restricts

Hammers/Picks:
Light Hammer/Pick 1 small, can be thrown
Heavy Pick 2
Warhammer 3

Maces/Clubs:
Baton 1 small
Club/Light Mace 2
Quarterstaff 2 requires two hands
Heavy Mace/Morningstar 3

Pole-arms:
Shortspear/Trident/Javelin 2 can be thrown two zones
Spear 2 reach weapon
Lance 3 requires two hands, may be used one handed on horseback, reach weapon
Halberd/Guisarme/Glaive 4 requires two hands, reach weapon

Flails:
Flail 3
Heavy Flail 4 requires two hands

Sling 1
Dart/Shuriken 1 thrown only

Bows:
Shortbow 2 requires two hands
Longbow 3 requires two hands, cannot be used on horseback
Greatbow 4 requires two hands, cannot be used on horseback, Might restricts

Crossbow:
Hand Crossbow 2, supplemental action to reload
Light Crossbow 3, requires two hands, supplemental action to reload
Heavy Crossbow 4, requires two hands, supplemental action to reload

Thrown weapons can be thrown one zone away (javelins two zones).
Other ranged weapons have a range equal to your Ranged Weapons skill.
Reach weapons cannot be defended against with the Melee Weapons skill unless target is using a shield (default defense with Athletics).
Weapons which require two hands cannot be used with a shield.
Small weapons may not use the Melee Weapons skill to defend against other weapons.

And the armor:

Light Armor 1
Medium Armor 2 Endurance restricts Athletics and other physical skills
Heavy Armor 3 Endurance and Might restrict Athletics and other physical skills

Light Shield 1, Weapon 1
Heavy Shield 2, Weapon 2

Armor Descriptions:
Light Armor is a category including padded hauberks, leather armor, and mail shirts.  This armor is relatively easy to wear and doesn’t normally restrict movement.

Medium Armor is a category including heavy hide armors, scale, mail, and breastplates.  This armor is fatiguing to wear.  Endurance restricts your Athletics skill, and may restrict other physical skills.  Endurance restricts a spellcaster’s Discipline while casting as well.

Heavy Armor is a category including reinforced mail and plate armors.  This armor is very difficult to move in and incredibly tiring to wear.  Endurance and Might restrict your Athletics skill, and may restrict other physical skills.  Both of these also restrict a spellcaster’s Disicpline while casting.  This means that if both your Endurance and your Might are lower than the restricted skill, you take a −2 penalty.  If only one is lower, you still take a −1.

Shields are quite advantageous to use.  They allow a character to use their Melee Weapons skill to defend against ranged attacks and reach weapons.  Shields also provide an Armor bonus which, unlike most Armor bonuses, stacks with an Armor bonus from armor a character is wearing.  They do not, however, stack with magical Armor bonuses, such as those from enchanted items.  Shields may also be used as a weapon, but doing so means that you take a −2 on all defense rolls until your next turn.

Please critique this IoP for me.

Information on the historical person:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jābir_ibn_Hayyān

Jabir ibn Hayyan’s Grimoire [-1]
Description: You possess the grimoire of the mad artificer Jabir ibin Hayyan who sought knowledge at the cost of his sanity.  Tread lightly on when retracing his path to knowledge, lest it plunge you into the same madness which took him.
Musts: You must have the Thaumaturgy power.
Skills Affected: Lore, Varies.
Greatest Artificer of Merlin’s Age.  The Grimoire grants +2 to the strength and frequency of any enchanted items or potions the caster makes. Any compels applied to increase the strength of potions made with this must be in line with Jabir’s Agenda.
Methods of Madness.  Upon complete discharging (using all of the uses per session) any enchanted items or potions made with the Greatest Artificer of Merlin’s Age effect, you must roll Discipline against the strength of the item, as if you were defending against an attack.  Failure to defend results in mental stress as if from an attack; psychological consequences that result are set by the GM, in line with Jabir’s agenda.  Additionally, extra uses of these enchanted items cost 2 mental stress instead of one.
The Mind of a Madman.  You gain +1 on any skill roll made in keeping with Jabir’s agenda (often having to do with seeking out knowledge and magical power at all costs).  When doing so, you must roll Discipline against the result, as if you were defending against an attack. Failure to defend results in mental stress as if from an attack; psychological consequences that result are set by the GM, in line with Jabir’s agenda.
Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, it cannot be broken, save through dedicated magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.
It’s a Book. The Grimoire is a large, ancient tome.  A caster may spend Focus Item slots to use the Grimoire as a focus item.
Discount Already Applied. As an Item of Power, the Grimoire already includes the one-time discount (YS167). This means that if you possess more than one Item of Power, the one-time discount will not apply on that second item. If Jabir ibin Hayyan’s Grimoire is the second or subsequent artifact the you gain, the refresh cost is -3.

NOTES:  I see Greatest Artificer of Merlin's Age as being roughly equal to taking two Refinements.  However, I think IoPs for Refinements are broken so I added Methods of Madness as a balancing factor.  Still strong.  Very strong, but I don't think it'll break out table.  Mind of a Madman is just a renamed Demonic Co-Pilot without shapeshifting.  So GAoMA -2, MoaM -1, IoP+2.

My group's on a quest to get Hippolyta's girdle.  Something about a descendant of Herakles pissing off some Amazons.  But knowing them, they'll probably try to use it, which means I have to stat it up.  Please critique:


Hippolyta’s Girdle [-4]
Description: You possess the golden girdle of Hippolyta, the Amazon’s greatest queen.  Beware, the changes it enables can fracture your identity and corrupt your sense of self.
Musts: Only women may wear the girdle.  
Skills Affected: Varies.
Effects:
Like a Greek Goddess. You may take on an alternate form as a supplemental action by inflicting a 2-stress mental hit on yourself.  You become taller, more beautiful, more powerfully and athletically built, and youthful.  When in this form, you have Inhuman Strength (YS183) and Inhuman Speed (YS178).

Honest Report. It is important for the leader of a warrior people to get honest intel from her subordinates.  Once per scene, for a fate point, the wearer of the girdle may compel a target to tell the truth.  The target is unable to lie, but may still deceive through omission or technical truths.  

Skills of an Amazon.  The wearer of the Girdle gains the skills of an Amazon when using the Like a Greek Goddess effect.  For most women, this makes them highly skilled warriors.  You may shuffle around your skills (as the Skill Shuffle effect of Beast Change on YS174), as long as you maintain two of the following skills in your highest tier: Might, Endurance, Weapons, Fists, Archery (Guns).

Human Form. When not using the Like a Greek Goddess effect, you’re just a regular woman.  You do not have access to Inhuman Strength, Inhuman Speed, or the Skills of an Amazon effect.  You may still use the Armor of the Gods effect below, however.
Armor of the Gods. The Girdle can draw upon the power of Olympus to protect its wearer, but controlling such energies taxes the mortal mind.  You may boost your Armor Rating by inflicting a mental stress hit upon yourself, gaining +2 Armor for each point of stress in the hit.  The bonus cannot exceed the total number of stress boxes in your mental stress track and lasts until the beginning of your next turn.

Total Recovery. While wearing the Girdle, you’re able to recover from physical harm that would leave a normal person permanently damaged. You can recover totally from any consequence—excluding extreme physical ones—with no other excuse besides time; simply waiting long enough will eventually heal you completely.
Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, it cannot be broken, save through dedicated magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.

It’s Armor. The Girdle is a wide golden bronze belt forged in Hephaestus’ smithy.  It provides Armor 1 against physical attacks.

Discount Already Applied. As an Item of Power, the Girdle already includes the one-time discount (YS167). This means that if you possess more than one Item of Power, the one-time discount will not apply on that second item. If the Hippolyta’s Girdle is the second or subsequent artifact the you gain, the refresh cost is −6.

Yes, basically it'll make someone Wonder Woman.