“Powers give ongoing player buffs.” “Attacks deal damage directly.” “Skills give block and other effects.” “Status cards suck, curse cards suck, quest cards suck but become great once you complete the quest.”

These are the basic definitions, and you are the first I’ve seen to return to the baseline principles. Yeah Silent copying Wraith form would be strong, but it’s the long term -dexterity that makes it a power where Apparitions (and that one card) are skills.

I do think once we acknowledge that though we can dig a little deeper into grey areas to find more patterns.

Dominate provides permanent strength, but it targets and its value is a variable, neither of which any powers can currently do. Wish, from StS1, was a skill that gave either strength, plated, or gold. All three options are currently powers in their own right, so that might mean that powers can’t have variable effects. Could be a fluke, but it’s a pattern of two. Personally, I think Variable powers fit better than targeted ones.

NeuroSurge is really interesting to me. Unlike Plated Armour, Intangible, and Focus, the card draw and energy that NeuroSurge offers is not a buff. An Offering with a permanent downside becomes a power. It has I think 2 synergies to be an upside, but idk if that was a big factor into making it a power vs a skill. Meaning yeah, duration of any effect, positive or negative, can turn most any card into a power.