Orbius hurts my head

[ways and means]

Though I agree that Orbius probably doesn't make sense as a grapple there are defiantly ways I could see evocation being used to create a grapple like effect such as increasing the gravity around someone massively so they can't move at all, earth burial (open the ground under them then shut it), chains of air or simply holding people with spirit. Evocation both in the Novels and in Your Story can clearly be used to block pretty much any physical action so magical grapples (or at least blocks against multiple actions) are appropriate but given block rules they should be breakable by any roll they block (so any appropriate skill) and following evocation rules a block shouldn't cause stress on the side. 

[The Mighty Buzzard]

@The Mighty Buzzard:

I really don't think that this is so clear-cut. As far as I know, Tedronai is neither illiterate nor evil. So if he genuinely thinks that it blocks everything, then maybe there's some merit to that.

Not necessarily.  Everyone's entitled to be wrong now and then.  Happened to me once even.

The main cause of the disagreement is probably the fact that "a block against breathing" doesn't actually mean anything according to the game rules.

I'll grant you that it would be better represented as a maneuver placing an aspect of Can't Breathe on the subject then letting the GM compel it but the RAW seem to be more lax when something is really nothing but color.  Sometimes I like that, sometimes a particular bit of color annoys me. I'm rather indifferent about Orbius's color, so I let it slide and say "eh, it's in the RAW".

[The Mighty Buzzard]

It occurs to me that a lot of The Mighty Buzzard's argument is that it says "Offensive Block, adjudicated as a grapple." How would you respond then if we just made a magic grapple? There's other RAW supporting that.

Nah, my main beef is the description is ignored in favor of a vague and largely unhelpful line later in the spell writeup.  I'd be peachy with it if the description stated or even implied that it limited actions as extensively as a grapple.

[Tedronai]

Nah, my main beef is the description is ignored in favor of a vague and largely unhelpful line later in the spell writeup.  I'd be peachy with it if the description stated or even implied that it limited actions as extensively as a grapple.

Which is a fine complaint.
But I'd suggest ignoring a piece of the associated rules text in favour of a largely unhelpful (ie. rulesless) piece of fluff is similarly problematic.

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Which is a fine complaint.
But I'd suggest ignoring a piece of the associated rules text in favour of a largely unhelpful (ie. rulesless) piece of fluff is similarly problematic.

I tend to agree given the amount of debate that's been had over it.  Orbius as written looks a lot like something you'd jot down for personal use because you would know what you meant and nobody else would be reading it.