[Dragon] Understanding Spell: Foresight

[Solana]

I'm getting back into Scion again after being away from it for over a year, and am diving back in with Scion: Dragon, with my friends. Just got to the section on Dragon Magic and found this spell under understanding:

You know what your target is going to do before they do it. When the target attacks you, you can change a Stunt the target is using against you to a different one. For example, if they declare Inflict Damage, you could change it to Knockdown instead. They must still spend the requisite successes to perform the Stunt. Alternately, you can use your understanding of the future to influence it, dictating who and what the target may attack. You can declare both the target of the attack and a Stunt for your target. Used in this fashion, this spell imposes a +3 Complication on your target. If they do not buy it off, you can dictate how they spend their Successes this round.

Maybe I'm just completely befuddled at this point, but it feels like I'm completely misunderstanding the situation here. It sure seems like a first level spell robs another character (potentially even a scion) of any agency in combat. How does this actually work, in practice?

[LaughingGull]

While admitting that I haven't read Dragon yet (I skipped that KS), as I read it, it's meant to allow the character to do the thing where an impeccably timed dodge causes someone to hit the guy behind you. You're not mind controlling the guy doing the punching; you're just using your foreknowledge of their attack to redirect where their fist lands.

[Dataweaver]

In particular, it does not let you avoid the attack. Something bad will happen to you. You just have say over what that will be.