Interest Check: Scion (White Wolf)

[HopeFox]

@HairyHeretic: Interesting. The only issue I see with your suggestion is what happens if I can't respond right away? I would feel super bad if I got busy and held up the game.

That's going to be a problem no matter what, though. If we're fighting against NPCs, you'll need to adjudicate and narrate their actions. If we're fighting each other then either:

• We work it out amongst ourselves, either rolling our own dice or agreeing on a result, and thus we don't need you to decide anything; or,
• We can't agree on a result and thus need your adjudication anyway.

I think the suggestion makes sense - it means that the GM only needs to step in once per round, rather than after each individual action.

[Teddy Molotov]

Fair enough. Okay, we're try it this way, then. Players will state their actions, and I'll post the results in order of initiative.

[deadmanshand]

That's what I do in the games I run on RPOL. It honestly works better than any other system I've ever used.

[AndyZ]

I would put every weapon at Speed 5.  If it's Speed 6, spend a birthright point to drop it to 5, and if it's lower, increase accuracy or damage by 1 point.

My usual trick for initiative that I've gotten to work extremely well on forums: everyone who beats out the enemy gets to go, then the enemy gets to go, then EVERYONE gets to go, then the enemy gets to go, and so on.

[Muse]

My usual trick for initiative that I've gotten to work extremely well on forums: everyone who beats out the enemy gets to go, then the enemy gets to go, then EVERYONE gets to go, then the enemy gets to go, and so on.

I totally agree with Andy that this is the way to do initiative if you don't use the tick system. 

You were saying somewhere that each round of battle should end with one contested roll.  Not sure where you were going with that.  The biggest online play advantage of scion is that you DON'T use contested rolls. 

I'm perfectly fine with the static equation for initiative.  it's clever to use the weapon speed for an initiative modifier.  :) 

I need to figure out what everyone else is doing and come up with a concept that lets me do stuff. 

[Teddy Molotov]

Alright, sounds like a plan, thanks for your input Andy.

Muse, I meant, like, attack rolls and stuff. I may have just fudged the terminology xP
Thank you for the compliment though, now I feel clever~

As for characters, there's a brief description in the front post now. It';s not super informative, but it has some stuff.

[deadmanshand]

That way actually sounds really easy. In the end it's whatever is the easiest when it comes to PBP.

@Muse - I'm gonna be a bit of a combat monkey. And that tedtalks link in your signature was brilliant.

[HopeFox]

Should we get a Characters thread started in the appropriate forum now? That way, we can start posting our character concepts, to facilitate communication, avoid overlap, and maybe foster character links (since I see two Irish characters, for a start), unless you specifically want us not to know each other before the game starts.

[Teddy Molotov]

Well, we can put up a character thread. I'm still kind of used to this on E, so which Forum would I start that in?

[HopeFox]

Well, we can put up a character thread. I'm still kind of used to this on E, so which Forum would I start that in?

It'll be one of the play-by-post small groups forums. Which one depends on what sort of sexual content you expect the game to have. If there's a possibility of sex with distinctly non-human creatures (minotaurs, satyrs, weird aes sidhe), then "NC: Exotic-System Small Groups" is probably the best bet. (I've never run a game here either, though, so I'm not a good source.)

[deadmanshand]

That's actually the section I'd suggest. By the nature of the game with all the strange beasties of myth running around you'd have to put it there I think.

[Teddy Molotov]

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=215001.0

BAM. Profile thread up. Those players who have accepted characters, go ahead and make a post, and simply modify it when you have a full sheet, profile, back story, info or whatever that you want to add.

(Also, please send me a copy of your character sheet first, before putting your stats up on the thread)

[HopeFox]

Excellent! Great to see what sort of characters we've got. We've got some variety in the "World's sexiest woman" competition, which is nice. :)

(Am I the only one whose name is a mythological pun? I thought that was traditional!)

Oh, one last rules question - we get 10 points to distribute among Epic Attributes and Boons at character creation. According to the books, buying Boons uses up a number of those points equal to the level of the Boon. Thus, starting with, say, the first two War purview boons costs 3 points, whereas buying the first two dots of an Epic Attribute costs 2 points. This gets even worse at the Demigod and God upgrades, such that a level 8 boon costs as much as eight whole dots of Epic Attributes. I've had GMs who run it differently - that a boon of any level only costs you one of your 10 points, as long as you're buying them all in order. Any thoughts?

[Teddy Molotov]

I will agree to each boon being purchased at one dot at character creation/upgrades if they are purchased in order.

[Ala Rai Sen]

Hard to pass up a game of Scion. Is there anything specific you want in the character PM Teddy?

[Bandeena]

I do referential names. I'm bad at puns...

[Teddy Molotov]

Hard to pass up a game of Scion. Is there anything specific you want in the character PM Teddy?

I would like a basic character background and a concept, including divine parentage and Nature. Other than that, anything you want to add.

[Marie Reynolds]

I might be interested but is there any plot snippets you can give us as to what type of story we could expect?

[Teddy Molotov]

Heh, at this point, not really? Although I will be drawing a lot on classical mythology. To be honest, the game probably isn't going to involve a ton of combat, and focus more on character interaction.

[Muse]

@Muse - I'm gonna be a bit of a combat monkey. And that tedtalks link in your signature was brilliant.

*Smiles*  Thank you.  I think we'll do great in this game. 

I adore that talk.  Takes me back to my creative writing classes in college and reminds me of what I'm trying to become.  :)

[HopeFox]

I really like the look of the characters we have! I look forward to meeting them all. I like the fact that we have a mixture of Scions who share their divine parent's cultural background, and Scions from completely different backgrounds.

[Teddy Molotov]

Yeah, I'm really happy with the roster too.

By the way, I made a plot teaser!

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

You are a Scion, the product of a single night between a mortal and a deity. Granted natural gifts beyond the scope of mundane men and women, you were always destined for greatness, but you did not realize how great until your true parentage was revealed to you by their Visitation. They have bestowed upon you gifts and helped unlock the latent power within your ichor, introducing you to a new realm of the divine and the cosmos. In return, you were also given a responsibility; the preservation of humanity, from their physical presence on Earth to their philosophies and virtues, against the primal forces of the newly freed Titans and their Spawn. Only you, who still have the blood of Men running through your veins, can do this, as the Gods maintain their self-imposed exile.

Be vigilant and virtuous, Scion, for the destiny of humanity rests within your hands.

In the time since your fateful Visitation, you have only just recently recieved direction, whether it was from the divine themselves or through the gift of prophecy or mystery, or even through dreams or basic instinct. While your directions are vague, one detail of your quest is clear;

You’re going to Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada, has seen some interesting times, recently. About a year ago, tourism has boomed, which is in and of itself an impressive statement. The Strip is bursting at the seams with an influx of foreigners and tourists, who have been sacrificing themselves to the pleasure of Sin City, almost ritualistically. A week ago, a law was passed in Clark County, officially making prostitution legal. Recreational drug use became an unstoppable force, pregnancy rates began to climb. Las Vegas already had a reputation for debauchery, but it seemed like the people of the city and it’s surrounding settlements were breathing the essence of Hedonism.

A year ago, a new hotel opened on the Strip known as the Garden Arcadia. The Arcadia was an overnight sensation, with it’s exotic decor and wild atmosphere. Built to operate on par with the greatest hotels and casinos on the Strip, the Arcadia managed to exceed that bar. Those who have visited claim it’s like being in the garden of Eden, though without the guilt. Within the walls of the Arcadia is a verdant paradise, a hot and humid jungle that resembles an idealized vision of the wilds of the ancient Mediterranean. The drinks never seem to cease, the food is unparalleled, the gambling is good and fun, the music is vibrant and unforgettable, and the staff carry a sense of uncanny beauty and sexuality. And, above all that, it’s criminally cheap to stay despite the luxuries the Arcadia provides.

However, Clark County has also been suffering from tragedy in the form of a string of serial killings. Fifteen victims have already been discovered, and placed ritualistically in their own homes. The victims have been skinned, their bodies hung from the ceiling and positioned like they were dancing, holding instruments made of pieces of animal and humans, most remnants of past victims. Lastly, their hearts have been carved out, and there is evidence of sexual activity. The single connection between the victims is that they were all musicians, most of which were singers or used string instruments.
Interestingly enough, while an investigation has started, there has been little progress. It is almost as if the authorities have no interest in the case, though they claim there is simply insufficient evidence. When a story begins to develop, the news then cuts to a story more superficial, the previous subject forgotten. When they are covered in the media, they are referred to as “The Maestro Murders,” and sensationalized as if used to only increase traffic to Sin City.

Something strange is happening in that Nevada valley, and the powers that be have sent you to discover the source of the city’s strange behavior, and hopefully save it from this enigmatic and dangerous phenomenon.

I will also be writing up a personal "prologue" visit for each of your characters and send those to each of you via PM (If anyone ahs a problem with this, please let me know xP )

[Teddy Molotov]

And here we have a first draft write up of the PBP rules and basic game explanation (though I think most of us are already familiar) Tell me what you guys think, and whether or not I need to add or take away anything.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Mechanical Rules

The basic mechanics of Scion are quite simple. You first have your core Attributes, which represent your natural prowess, such as your strength, intelligence, charisma, etc. Second, you have Abilities, which represent your practiced skills, such as familiarity with melee weapons, empathy, medicine, academics, etc.
A third factor, like your Legend, Stunts, or outstanding circumstances, may be involved in a roll, which hereafter will be referred to as [Wild Card] modifiers.

For each dot in these categories, you add an equal amount of dice to your pool. The formula should look as follows, assuming you’re wanting to calm a wild dog: (Charisma+Animal Ken+[Wild Card])
Let’s say you’re fairly charismatic and really good at animals. You also happen to have a some beef jerky in your pocket. The formula could then be (3+4+1)=8 dice.

Now, you may also be supernaturally Charismatic, being a Scion, and have two dots of an Epic Attribute. In most cases, Epic Attributes grant you superhuman enhancements to the tied attribute. They can never equal your Legend rating, nor your mundane attribute equivalent. But in the case of this example, let’s say you have 2 Epic Charisma, granting you a +2 Auto Success bonus. The new formula is (3+4+1)=(8 dice + 2 auto successes)

What are successes? Well, when you roll your d10, you’re aiming to get a minimum of 7. 7-9 counts as a single success towards your final result, while 10 counts as 2 successes.

So that’s the basic concept of the Scion system. For more detail on a simplified level can be found at the reference found below:

http://rpg-tools.org/generators/index.php?pageId=9&pageType=2

In regards to the link above; this is a quick reference to the Scion system as a whole. For the sake of simplicity, most of what you’ll find in this reference is what we’ll be using in our game, including the house ruled boons and knacks included in that tab. I will also be taking the applicable house rules they’ve made and adding them to the list of our own house rules/PBP changes listed in their own section below. Do not count their house-ruled pantheon as available.

General PBP Rule Differences

Outside of combat, rolls will be made by players using E’s dice roller and include the test and it’s results in their post. The Storyteller will then reply with the results of their attempt. Also, if you have 5 dice in your test pool, you gain a +1 auto success for that, and every 2 dice after.

Rolls are not necessary when interacting with mortal Extras (Minor NPC’s) not directly under Storyteller control. Unless specifically stated or having a significant place in a Storyteller post, all tests including powers automatically succeed.

Related, players may invent Extras to add depth to their posts. Just remember, they are still people and the Storyteller will treat them as people, and may make them more significant which may lead to a Fatebinding.

Combat PBP Rule Differences

While in combat, players will not be rolling their own dice. The Storyteller will be handling the math, in favor of allowing players to focus more on writing a cinematic scene. A combat post should include a description of the action you want to make, the appropriate roll formula for that action, and your Join Battle (Initiative), DV’s and Soaks.

Join Battle
The Battle Wheel is being removed in favor of a more streamlined and linear system of Initiative. Initiative will be treated as a static number, the formula being (Wits+Awareness-Weapon Speed), and does not include Epic Wits Bonuses.

Initiative is then compared with the enemy. The first round is a direct comparison of Initiative scores, and will progress in that manner with the PC Band and the Enemy turns following the track directly. Starting Round 2, all of the PC’s will go, followed by all the Enemy, though still following the Initiative order within each group.
In the case of a tie, compare Wits, followed by Intelligence, followed by Perception, followed by Dexterity if ties continue. If, somehow, you tie all four, compare the epic attributes in those categories, and in the unlikely event that’s still a tie, roll (Wits+Awareness) until the tie is broken.

Speed, Multiple Actions and DV’s
Weapon Speed now exclusively deals with initiative. The speed of different actions are mostly treated as being the same now, taking a single post to accomplish without penalty. Certain actions, specifically Aim, Guard and being Inactive will move your Join Battle lower, moving you down the track, and so you will post accordingly. Other bonuses and restrictions still apply, such as Aim only allowed to be used three times for the benefit.
If you are taking multiple actions in a post (excluding free actions like talking, etc), you may only take up to three actions a post, and only two may be attacks. The exception to this may be a stunt, but you’ll really have to sell it. For every extra action, you will take a penalty to your Join Battle, above the normal penalties.

Defense Values will be calculated normally. Special actions in combat will deduct DV’s (see the Quick Reference), and do stack with multiple actions.
Armor and cover are treated the same way as in the tabletop game, but please announce in your post that you are utilizing cover, and what kind you’re using.

Damage
Accuracy will be calculated normally, but damage will be static, using the average of your normal damage roll (Strength+Weapon Damage+Threshold Successes), and then add Epic Strength as Auto Successes as normal, as well as a [Wild Card] modifier that the Storyteller will roll in secret.
As stated before, all the rolls in combat will be done by the Storyteller, but it is the responsibility of the player to include the basic formula of the action they are attempting in their post.

Other House Rules

~Approved from the Quick Reference~

• All Boons and Knacks
  
  Blindness
  Blindness imposes a -2 DV penalty.
  
  Effects That Deal Aggravated Damage
  Anything that deals Agg only adds that attribute's dots as bonus damage instead of the full bonus successes.
  
  Itztli
  Healing Itztli damage costs one +1L per activation. Itztli boons deal damage to the user grant +1L per level taken.
  
  Knacks That Deal Aggravated Damage
  All knacks that deal agg cost 2L to activate.
  
  Legend
  Characters regain (Legend) Legend Points per day.
  
  Epic Stamina Health Levels
  Epic Stamina grants all Demigods bonus health levels equal to epic successes. (To be clear, does not apply to characters between Legend 2-4)
  
  Fixing the Willpower + Integrity + Legend Disparity
  Mental powers which are resisted by Will + Integ + Leg instead require a roll vs. a DV of (Wits + Integ + Leg) / 2.
  
  Virtue Channels
  Virtue channeling grants successes rather than dice.
  
  Knocking People Around
  Knockback / Knockdown has a base difficulty of 1 + the other's Epic Strength.
  
  Grappling
  Grappling does not render the victim inactive, it merely makes them immobile.
  
  Parry DV
  Parry DV is calculated as (Dexterity + Ability + Defense + Legend) / 2.

Player Contributed Boons/Knacks

Renaissance Man/Woman
Prerequisites: Fast Learner, Star Pupil
This Knack allows the Scion to consolidate their Abilities of Art, Craft, Control and Science into a single Ability. For instance, a Scion who had three dots in Art (Guitar) who took this Knack would suddenly have three dots in all forms of Art. He would pick them up instantly, instinctively knowing how to play the piano, sing, dance, do comedy improv, etc. A Scion who had 4 dots in Science (Biology) would suddenly have equal knowledge in chemistry, astronomy, etc. This Knack can be taken multiple times, each one allowing the character to consolidate a different Ability. If the Ability already has multiple aspects, like a character with 3 dots of Control (Automobile), and 2 dots of Control (Airplane) should discuss the loss of the lesser one with the Storyteller, as with the 10th dot of Animal.

~From avorae

[HopeFox]

By the way, I made a plot teaser!

We're going to Vegas! Woo hoo!

... now I need to figure out the logistics of transporting a six foot long spear across the world. Oops.

I will also be writing up a personal "prologue" visit for each of your characters and send those to each of you via PM (If anyone ahs a problem with this, please let me know xP )

No problem whatsoever! Looking forward to it, and to writing some posts about my character's home life and travel to Vegas.

Outside of combat, rolls will be made by players using E’s dice roller and include the test and it’s results in their post. The Storyteller will then reply with the results of their attempt. Also, if you have 5 dice in your test pool, you gain a +1 auto success for that, and every 2 dice after.

Is that auto-successes instead of rolling the dice?

Rolls are not necessary when interacting with mortal Extras (Minor NPC’s) not directly under Storyteller control. Unless specifically stated or having a significant place in a Storyteller post, all tests including powers automatically succeed.

Related, players may invent Extras to add depth to their posts. Just remember, they are still people and the Storyteller will treat them as people, and may make them more significant which may lead to a Fatebinding.

I like this. Normally I don't like scenes where players introduce random schlub mortals just to showcase how awesome their characters are, but Scion really is made for that sort of thing! And if said random mortal happens to become Fatebound and stalk the Scion across the world, well, that's just hilarious.

If you are taking multiple actions in a post (excluding free actions like talking, etc), you may only take up to three actions a post, and only two may be attacks. The exception to this may be a stunt, but you’ll really have to sell it. For every extra action, you will take a penalty to your Join Battle, above the normal penalties.

The third action would generally be activating a Boon or Knack, I imagine? Or other things depending on the circumstances. I have a feeling that making two attacks will be a very common tactic, even with the penalties it introduces.

Damage
Accuracy will be calculated normally, but damage will be static, using the average of your normal damage roll (Strength+Weapon Damage), and then add Threshold Successes and Epic Strength as Auto Successes, as well as a [Wild Card] modifier that the Storyteller will roll in secret.

If threshold successes on attack rolls become automatic successes on damage rolls, then that means Epic Dexterity affects damage as much as Epic Strength does, and Epic Dexterity is already pretty powerful. I'm not sure that that's a good idea. (Except for guns, which do have a lot of trouble doing damage in high Legend scenes.)

Fixing the Willpower + Integrity + Legend Disparity
Mental powers which are resisted by Will + Integ + Leg instead require a roll vs. a DV of (Wits + Integ + Leg) / 2.

And adding the Epic Wits bonus the same way you add the Epic Dexterity to physical defences?

Virtue Channels
Virtue channeling grants successes rather than dice.

I like this. It costs Willpower, so a few extra dice weren't really cutting it (when you can just spend Willpower for one success anyway).

[Teddy Molotov]

Is that auto-successes instead of rolling the dice?

No, in addition to rolling dice.

The third action would generally be activating a Boon or Knack, I imagine? Or other things depending on the circumstances. I have a feeling that making two attacks will be a very common tactic, even with the penalties it introduces.

Certain boons and knacks, if they aren't attacks themselves. If it does damage, I would consider it an attack.
And yeah, I see it happening a lot too, but I also like seeing combos~

If threshold successes on attack rolls become automatic successes on damage rolls, then that means Epic Dexterity affects damage as much as Epic Strength does, and Epic Dexterity is already pretty powerful. I'm not sure that that's a good idea. (Except for guns, which do have a lot of trouble doing damage in high Legend scenes.)

Hm, I see what you mean. I'll revise it.

And adding the Epic Wits bonus the same way you add the Epic Dexterity to physical defences?

It's contextual, but a good rule of thumb would be if the attack uses Epic Attributes, then so should the defense.