diff --git a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/CardStorageReader.java b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/CardStorageReader.java
index 0f99bf6b87d..72c47d78a65 100644
--- a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/CardStorageReader.java
+++ b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/CardStorageReader.java
@@ -413,6 +413,8 @@ public class CardStorageReader {
             return reader.readCard(lines, Files.getNameWithoutExtension(file.getName()));
         } catch (final FileNotFoundException ex) {
             throw new RuntimeException("CardReader : run error -- file not found: " + file.getPath(), ex);
+        } catch (final Exception ex) {
+            throw ex;
         } finally {
             try {
                 assert fileInputStream != null;
diff --git a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/card/CardFace.java b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/card/CardFace.java
index 041e9251378..cfb3205c44b 100644
--- a/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/card/CardFace.java
+++ b/forge-core/src/main/java/forge/card/CardFace.java
@@ -87,21 +87,27 @@ final class CardFace implements ICardFace {
     void setInitialLoyalty(int value)        { this.initialLoyalty = value; }
 
     void setPtText(String value) {
-        final int slashPos = value.indexOf('/');
-        if (slashPos == -1) {
+        final String k[] = value.split("/");
+
+        if (k.length != 2) {
             throw new RuntimeException("Creature '" + this.getName() + "' has bad p/t stats");
         }
-        boolean negPower = value.charAt(0) == '-';
-        boolean negToughness = value.charAt(slashPos + 1) == '-';
 
-        this.power = negPower ? value.substring(1, slashPos) : value.substring(0, slashPos);
-        this.toughness = negToughness ? value.substring(slashPos + 2) : value.substring(slashPos + 1);
+        this.power = k[0];
+        this.toughness = k[1];
 
-        this.iPower = StringUtils.isNumeric(this.power) ? Integer.parseInt(this.power) : 0;
-        this.iToughness = StringUtils.isNumeric(this.toughness) ? Integer.parseInt(this.toughness) : 0;
+        this.iPower = parsePT(k[0]);
+        this.iToughness = parsePT(k[1]);
+    }
 
-        if (negPower) { this.iPower *= -1; }
-        if (negToughness) { this.iToughness *= -1; }
+    static int parsePT(String val) {
+        // normalize PT value
+        if (val.contains("*")) {
+            val = val.replace("+*", "");
+            val = val.replace("-*", "");
+            val = val.replace("*", "0");
+        }
+        return Integer.parseInt(val);
     }
 
     // Raw fields used for Card creation
diff --git a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/StaticEffect.java b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/StaticEffect.java
index f01c811b022..b2c925c748e 100644
--- a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/StaticEffect.java
+++ b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/StaticEffect.java
@@ -58,9 +58,6 @@ public class StaticEffect {
     private String chosenType;
     private Map<String, String> mapParams = Maps.newTreeMap();
 
-    // for P/T
-    private final Map<Card, String> originalPT = Maps.newTreeMap();
-
     // for types
     private boolean overwriteTypes = false;
     private boolean keepSupertype = false;
@@ -101,7 +98,6 @@ public class StaticEffect {
         copy.xValueMap = this.xValueMap;
         copy.chosenType = this.chosenType;
         copy.mapParams = this.mapParams;
-        map.fillKeyedMap(copy.originalPT, this.originalPT);
         copy.overwriteTypes = this.overwriteTypes;
         copy.keepSupertype = this.keepSupertype;
         copy.removeSubTypes = this.removeSubTypes;
@@ -345,68 +341,6 @@ public class StaticEffect {
         this.originalKeywords.clear();
     }
 
-    // original power/toughness
-    /**
-     * <p>
-     * addOriginalPT.
-     * </p>
-     * 
-     * @param c
-     *            a {@link forge.game.card.Card} object.
-     * @param power
-     *            a int.
-     * @param toughness
-     *            a int.
-     */
-    public final void addOriginalPT(final Card c, final int power, final int toughness) {
-        final String pt = power + "/" + toughness;
-        if (!this.originalPT.containsKey(c)) {
-            this.originalPT.put(c, pt);
-        }
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * <p>
-     * getOriginalPower.
-     * </p>
-     * 
-     * @param c
-     *            a {@link forge.game.card.Card} object.
-     * @return a int.
-     */
-    public final int getOriginalPower(final Card c) {
-        int power = -1;
-        if (this.originalPT.containsKey(c)) {
-            power = Integer.parseInt(this.originalPT.get(c).split("/")[0]);
-        }
-        return power;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * <p>
-     * getOriginalToughness.
-     * </p>
-     * 
-     * @param c
-     *            a {@link forge.game.card.Card} object.
-     * @return a int.
-     */
-    public final int getOriginalToughness(final Card c) {
-        int tough = -1;
-        if (this.originalPT.containsKey(c)) {
-            tough = Integer.parseInt(this.originalPT.get(c).split("/")[1]);
-        }
-        return tough;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * <p>
-     * clearAllOriginalPTs.
-     * </p>
-     */
-    public final void clearAllOriginalPTs() {
-        this.originalPT.clear();
-    }
 
     // should we overwrite types?
     /**
@@ -995,7 +929,7 @@ public class StaticEffect {
             }
 
             // remove set P/T
-            if (!params.containsKey("CharacteristicDefining") && setPT) {
+            if (setPT) {
                 affectedCard.removeNewPT(getTimestamp());
             }
 
diff --git a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/staticability/StaticAbilityContinuous.java b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/staticability/StaticAbilityContinuous.java
index 112f22376cf..2a641dbb669 100644
--- a/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/staticability/StaticAbilityContinuous.java
+++ b/forge-game/src/main/java/forge/game/staticability/StaticAbilityContinuous.java
@@ -582,14 +582,7 @@ public final class StaticAbilityContinuous {
 
             // set P/T
             if (layer == StaticAbilityLayer.SETPT) {
-                if (params.containsKey("CharacteristicDefining")) {
-                    if (setPower != Integer.MAX_VALUE) {
-                        affectedCard.setBasePower(setPower);
-                    }
-                    if (setToughness != Integer.MAX_VALUE) {
-                        affectedCard.setBaseToughness(setToughness);
-                    }
-                } else if ((setPower != Integer.MAX_VALUE) || (setToughness != Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
+                if ((setPower != Integer.MAX_VALUE) || (setToughness != Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
                     // non CharacteristicDefining
                     if (setP.startsWith("AffectedX")) {
                         setPower = CardFactoryUtil.xCount(affectedCard, AbilityUtils.getSVar(stAb, setP));