Thinking more about Potency as a sort of catch-all supernatural attribute. Watching the finale of Twin Peaks put me further in mind of it; I think we can agree that some kind of "spiritual advancement" is at play in that show, primarily as evidenced by Agent Cooper & Major Briggs, yes? I am willing to entertain the notion of a largely useless & expensive attribute...that occasionally becomes crucial. Or if not crucial, perhaps a better word is pivotal. You see Dale Cooper go to Glastonbury Grove...& step in-between the worlds. That sort of thing; something that most Players wouldn't focus on, because it is cost prohibitive with little in-game benefit, but the Player who really cares about being the Luke Skywalker or the Gandalf is welcome to purchase. For non-paranormal characters it could manifest as a sort of Luck attribute, perhaps? It probably is the Grant Morrison fan in me, but looking at "magic" as a code word for "narrative control" is another really attractive path. Storytelling & roleplaying is always a negotiation between the Player & the Narrator-- & the Worldbuilder, in cases where the person running the game isn't the same at the ones who made the setting-- & making the supernatural that aspect of the game made manifest is an idea. It would have to be done in such a way that it doesn't intrude on the immersive aspect of the story, which is tricky. I don't have easy answers, but I continue to think that charting the boundaries of the Paranormal versus the Supernatural will help find a way to integrate magic into a story in a way that is more fulfilling than throwing dice of damage.
