I was never satisfied with the RAW Staying I description. If I exert 1 lb of "pressure"/force on an object that weighs less than one pound, (ie. has less than 1 lb of force acting on it),
then it will move.
I HR the description.
I tell players to think of this spell as a Push. It pushes in one direction. Up, down, whatever. You can push an object across the floor,
pull it towards you, but it only works in one direction. If you Stay from underneath, it can hang something in mid-air.
IMHO, this shows the growing complexity and understanding of the List. First you can influnce an object to Vibrate. Next you learn how to affect one direction with Staying. Eventually you can exert force on an object along any X, Y, Z plane.
If someone showed inventiveness in using their spells, is it abuse or should the GM reward the player?
Some spell might be a bit over-powered for their level or List. I don't think Staying is one of them, even if you allow the force to be in any direction, like me.
Used in melee:
It's still a Force spell.. So you have to make a Base Spell Roll and the target gets an RR, if capable of resisting.
Presence:
I also just give a number. I'm kind in the fact that I let casters omit the presence of their party, familiars, etc, if they've been together a while. If detected, you now know someone is there. This should provide a bonus if you're searching for someone hiding. You know some's there, 'just have to find them.
How much %Act to find an item?
Essence Co. pg 21 is a good guide.
0%Act to use/grab worn item.
20%Act to retrieve item from device.
100%Act to retrieve from organized container; backpack.
150%Act to retrieve from unorganized container.
50%Act to re-shoulder container, re-tie belt pouch; backpack, scroll case..
I feel these are generous, for containers, but they work.
Potion Miscibility:
There is a table of potion mixing and magic item interaction. I have it printed into a note book but I'm not sure from where. Probably one of the old Companions. I'll have to find the source.