// Recursive Power Program
 
#include <iostream>
 
using namespace std;
 
int power(int, int, int);
 
int main()
{
    int num = 5, pow = 3, full;
    //cin >> num; - out for the purposes of debugging; the program will return 5^3
    //cin >> pow;
    full = num;
    cout << power(num, pow, full);
    char response;
    cin >> response;
}
 
int power(int num, int pow, int full)
{
    if (pow > 1)
    {
    full = num * full; //Multiplies the original number by itself, and sets the new amount to full
    return (num * power(num, --pow, full)); //Multiplies the original number by full again and again until pow is 1
    }
    else
    {
    cout << full; //Just to make sure full had the correct value here (it did)
    return full; //The problem is here. Full = 125 here, but it then jumps back up to the return in the IF statement above, multiplying it 3 more times...
    }
}

if (pow > 1)
{
    full = num * full; 
    return (power(num, --pow, full)); //You've already multiplied once. Don't do it again.
}