Interest check - 1930s Scion (Pulp)

Started by HairyHeretic, July 31, 2015, 01:50:35 PM

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Tinkertoy

*raises hand* Freeform preferably by a mile, but reluctantly cool with system if the majority rules.

I only wanna be your self-inflicted wound.
It sees you, baby. The friction between me and you.
Show me what makes you human, I'll show you vulnerable.
You bend, you break, you surrender and melt like solid gold.

Ixy

Hi Hairy-- if this stays a relatively small group (like, no more than 5 players or so?) I would love to take part.  I still, yes, want to recycle the daughter of Artemis from your wild west game that kinda was but went poof.  I'm still open to other character concepts, so not trying to jump the gun here. 

I would, also, prefer freeform, but perhaps we'd start with sheets (of some sort, even if just descriptive... hint hint) just to give us an idea of what our characters can do, and to keep them balanced.  You would need to be the arbiter in some cases if we go that route, but I expect that with the right group of players, it would be mostly group-managed and we could keep drama and story as our goal without munchkining out on you.

The fear is that this thread will soon be swamped with zomgs and wonky futa shit, but if you decide to select some players and I'm one of them, I'd be glad to take part.

Rough concept at the get-go...
vanity post

   
Kate has vague dreams of the wild west, of the harbors along the Aegean, of the grit of horse-drawn New Orleans, but one thing never changes-- the intimate awareness that her hand is not complete without the grip of a weapon.  From one stormy-gray eye she stares into the world, but its missing twin's silver-orb surrogate sees so much more through its luminous lens, staring inexplicably into the depths of darkness, seeking the glinting truth of spirit in form... sighting the barrel of a .45.
Born in Gravesend, England, she was lucky enough to leave it behind for London-- just before the Blitz, of course.  After so many losses and so many nights on the streets, Kate's life has been a riotous thrashing spiral to the surface, from Government service to agent-out-of pocket, and she balances the rights and wrongs of a chaotic world on the knife's edge.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Senti

#27
May i slip in I have played this game table top.
I am interested. I will look out the books. And my characters if thats ok?

Also have another game set in this era so checking on that (Heroes)

Muse

  Hi, Hairy!  This looks awesome, am I too late? 

  It looks like I might not have been fast enough... 
A link for all of us who ever had a shouting match with our muse: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

How to set this Muse ablaze (O/Os)

When the little angel won't appear no matter how many plum blossoms you swirl:  https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=135346.msg16474321#msg16474321 (Major update 5/10/2023)

Chrystal

WOW, I'm in. Even if you do a system thing on this, I'm still in although I'll probably need a LOT of coaching because I hate systems with a vengeance.

But the idea is too good to pass up.

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

HairyHeretic

General consensus seems to be a preference for freeform, so that should make it easier.

I'll likely use the rulebooks for background material, and help designing powers and relics that people would like to use.

We seem to have a good crowd interested, so I'll set up an OOC thread and we can discuss details there. I'll update the thread once I have it set up.
Hairys Likes, Dislikes, Games n Stuff

Cattle die, kinsmen die
You too one day shall die
I know a thing that will never die
Fair fame of one who has earned it.

Kadigan

This looks really interesting, and I generally prefer freeform.

Phaia

I claim responsibility  :o :o  for giving Hairy this idea!!!!  O:)  >:) >:) >:)

If ya need another person or an NPC!! Let me know!

Phaia

HairyHeretic

#33
It's true, blame Phaia :P

I think we still have room for you :) If there are sufficient large numbers of players, it would always be possible to have two (or more) groups running, with players crossing paths as Fate decrees it :)

OOC thread is up
Hairys Likes, Dislikes, Games n Stuff

Cattle die, kinsmen die
You too one day shall die
I know a thing that will never die
Fair fame of one who has earned it.

Ixy

Quote from: Phaia on August 01, 2015, 07:52:21 AM
I claim responsibility  :o :o  for giving Hairy this idea!!!!  O:)  >:) >:) >:)

If ya need another person or an NPC!! Let me know!

Phaia

ltns :)

(beckoning finger) Ve haf vays of meking ju talk...
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Muse

  Ack... 

  Um, if youre doing two groups, I don't suppose you'd consider one freeform and the other system? 
A link for all of us who ever had a shouting match with our muse: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

How to set this Muse ablaze (O/Os)

When the little angel won't appear no matter how many plum blossoms you swirl:  https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=135346.msg16474321#msg16474321 (Major update 5/10/2023)

HairyHeretic

I'd prefer a single group, but depending how many people want to play, it may be easier with two groups. That's not set in stone.

Trying to mix system and freeform for separate characters in the same game would be a massive headache though. I'm sure any system gamer would be able to write their character freeform, keeping to the guidelines the system would have though.
Hairys Likes, Dislikes, Games n Stuff

Cattle die, kinsmen die
You too one day shall die
I know a thing that will never die
Fair fame of one who has earned it.

Muse

  *nods*  I only mentioned it because ou mentioend two diferent groups. 

  With a group this awesome I might even play freeform. 
A link for all of us who ever had a shouting match with our muse: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

How to set this Muse ablaze (O/Os)

When the little angel won't appear no matter how many plum blossoms you swirl:  https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=135346.msg16474321#msg16474321 (Major update 5/10/2023)

HairyHeretic

Hairys Likes, Dislikes, Games n Stuff

Cattle die, kinsmen die
You too one day shall die
I know a thing that will never die
Fair fame of one who has earned it.

Chrystal

Sorry, this has turned out to be too complicated for my feeble mind.

I am withdrawing.

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

HairyHeretic

Hi Chrystal

I'm afraid I was busy elsewhere and didn't get a chance to reply to your posts til now. If you're still interested I'd be happy to run through whatever you wanted to discuss.
Hairys Likes, Dislikes, Games n Stuff

Cattle die, kinsmen die
You too one day shall die
I know a thing that will never die
Fair fame of one who has earned it.

Joel

hey harry.  i'm being all extra-curricular and made up a rough scion sheet to just get a sense of the system/attributes.  my question though is, how uniform do you imagine the starting characters to be in terms of 'level'.  or put another way, do you imagine that the characters have only recently been visited by their divine parent or might that have occurred sometime in the past for some of the characters.

HairyHeretic

I've just put a post sort of along those lines in the OOC thread. If you want to go game terms, we'd probably be talking visitation in the last year or two, and the characters themselves in the Legend 3-4 range, enough that they'd have some variety in power level, abilities and so on. I'm keeping it fairly generic since we're going freeform.
Hairys Likes, Dislikes, Games n Stuff

Cattle die, kinsmen die
You too one day shall die
I know a thing that will never die
Fair fame of one who has earned it.

Phaia


Bloodied Porcelain

After putting some more thought in to it, I don't think I have the time to research and brain storm or required knowledge of the Scion lore to be a part of this after all. It looks like a fabulous idea, but I'm not in a place or time irl to be able to devote the effort to really get comfortable enough with the game's lore to pull it off.

Have fun guys, and Hairy, thanks for the invite and entertaining my pestering questions.
I want no ordinary lover. I want a storm. I want sleepless nights and endless conversations at four a.m. I want passion, I want madness.
I want someone who's able to make my whole body shiver from a distance and also pull me close to make sense of all my bones.

~ Bizarre, Beautiful, And Breathtaking ~
~ O/O ~ Seeking ~ A/A ~ Mirrors and Masks ~ Poetry ~
She walked with the universe on her shoulders and made it look like wings.

Garuss Vakarian

#45
Quote from: Joel on July 31, 2015, 01:58:33 PM
YAAASS!!!! me me memememememe
also what the hell how can you NOT be interested when you mix:

indiana jones + more nazis + fuckingwerewolves + pulp supernatural !!!


I also sense a bit of League of Extraordinary gentlemen in there. Is that just me? None the less :P I am very much interested. Start that Indiana Jones theme again, cuz I'm jumping in. lol

HairyHeretic

Quote from: Bloodied Porcelain on August 02, 2015, 04:50:16 PM
After putting some more thought in to it, I don't think I have the time to research and brain storm or required knowledge of the Scion lore to be a part of this after all. It looks like a fabulous idea, but I'm not in a place or time irl to be able to devote the effort to really get comfortable enough with the game's lore to pull it off.

Have fun guys, and Hairy, thanks for the invite and entertaining my pestering questions.

No worries. If you change your mind, you're welcome to pester me with whatever questions you like :)

Quote from: Garuss Vakarian on August 02, 2015, 06:17:45 PM
I also sense a bit of League of Extraordinary gentlemen in there. Is that just me? None the less :P I am very much interested. Start that Indiana Jones theme again, cuz I'm jumping in. lol

No, the LoEG would also work pretty well as a part of this setting. :)
Hairys Likes, Dislikes, Games n Stuff

Cattle die, kinsmen die
You too one day shall die
I know a thing that will never die
Fair fame of one who has earned it.

Joel

this thing is so awesome you know you want to join!

Crash


"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Crash

#49
I was thinking of playing her....

Name: Ami Ellison
Calling: Librarian
Nature: Pedagogue
Pantheon: Pesedjet
God: Thoth

Age: 26
Build: Slender
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 115 lbs
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Brown
Languages: English

Willpower: 6

Legend: 3
Legend Points:   9/9

EXP    0/0

Attributes
(0BP)
Strength:    2   
Dexterity:   2
Stamina:    3

Perception:    2
*Intelligence:    5**
*Wits:      4**

Charisma:      2
Manipulation:    4*
Appearance:    3

Abilities

Abilities, Favored (4BP)
Academics: 5
Investigation: 3
Integrity: 3
Occult: 5
Politics: 1
Science: 3

Abilities: Other (2BP)
Animal Ken:
Athletics:
Art (History): 2
Awareness:  2         
Brawl                 
Command               
Control: Automobile: 2
Craft:       
Craft:
Empathy:       
Fortitude: 2             
Larceny
Marksmanship                   
Medicine
Melee: 3           
Politics
Presence: 4           
Stealth
Survival                 
Thrown                   


Virtues

Conviction: 2                   
Harmony: 3   
Order: 3   
Piety: 1

Birthrights

(4 BP)

Blessed Khopesh of Khonsu (Relic ••)
Accuracy +1, Moon Purview

Book of Ogdoad (Relic •••)
The precursor to the Book of Thoth it holds the same curse towards thieves (Pg 165).  The book gives access to Mystery, Magic

Canopic Jars (Follower ••, Relic •)
Summons 5 mummies

Boons

Magic (••)
THE UNLIDDED EYE (•)
Dice Pool: Perception + Occult
Cost: 1 Willpower
This spell allows its caster to see magic and supernatural powers that are normally invisible to mortal sight. It also faintly reveals the threads of Fate that entwine people, revealing strong or thick threads and allowing the caster to determine a Scion’s or other supernatural being’s Legend score.

EVIL EYE (••)
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Presence
Cost: 1 Legend
The caster curses a single target with a withering glance or insulting gesture. Success levies a dice penalty on the dice pool for the target’s next action (i.e., the next action for which dice need to be rolled). One die is subtracted per dot of the caster’s Presence (or one die if the caster has no rating in this Ability). Each success on the casting affects one additional roll. For example, if the caster rolls three successes, he affects the next three rolls made for the target.

Mystery (••)
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Mystery
To use this Purview, the Scion clears her head and looks at the World around her without analysis or expectation. Based on what she sees, the character makes heretofore-denied intuitive leaps of logic as objects in the World around her spark off subconscious connections. The player then rolls her character’s (Intelligence + Mystery), without adding bonus successes from Epic Intelligence. The player may then ask her Storyteller pointed, specific questions about various events that have occurred in game—one question per success on the roll. The Storyteller need not expound upon his answers (they can be quite terse and to the point, in fact), but he must answer them as honestly and directly as he can.

Using this Purview cannot reveal facts about things that will happen in the future, nor can a character use it to gain insight into events that don’t concern either her or the members of her heroic Band. The player can use this effect to gain knowledge only once per story. She can reroll a failed roll until she gets a success, but on a botch she gets no information and she cannot use Mystery again until the next story.

Smoking mirror (Moon •)
Dice Pool: None
Cost: 1 Legend
By looking up at the moon and spending the requisite Legend point, the character sees reflected in it a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding terrain. This perspective allows a clear view of a radius in miles equal to the Scion’s Legend. The Scion may focus on any point in the reflection and see it clearly, but he can’t see through physical objects or change the angle from the top-down perspective. This Boon doesn’t function on new moon nights, but it can see down through thick clouds on any other night. If the moon is visible during the day, the Scion can use this Boon then as well.

Knacks

(6BP)
Language Master
Cost: N/A
Learn a language by hearing a few sentences.

Fast Learner
1/2 xp to learn Academics, Medicine, Occult, Politics or Science.

Instant Translation
Cost: N/A
Read anything

Jack of all Trades
Cost: 2L
Add Epic Wits dots as bonus successes to abilities with no dots in them.

Instant Assessment
Cost: 1L
Instantly assess another's combat abilities in relation to your own.

Talent Mirror
Cost: 2L/Pool
Copy someone else's dice pool or DV. Usable once plus once per extra Legend spent to activate. A DV may be copied up to (Legend times).

Overt Order
Sometimes, the direct method is more effective than the cleverest of intricate schemes. With this Knack, a Scion barks out a command that the target must obey. Doing so costs one Willpower, and the command must be one the Scion can give and the victim can perform in a single action. “Freeze!” is acceptable, as is, “Don’t shoot!” or, “Shoot him!” Ordering someone to go home and shoot his wife won’t work because doing so would take longer than a single action.

Combat

Unarmed Heavy:
Speed        5
ACC (+0)        -1   
Damage        +2B
Defense (-2)   

Unarmed Light
Speed        4   
ACC            +1
Damage        +0B
Defense (+1)

Blessed Khopesh
Speed       5
ACC (+)     +1 
Damage   +4L
Defense  +2

Dodge DV: 3

Parry DV: 4

Soak (Piercing):
Bashing: 3       
Lethal: 2
Aggravated:

Health:
-0            ( )
-0            ( )( )
-0            ( )( )
-2            ( )
I                      ( )
D                    ( )


Goddess of Librarians and Hidden Secrets
Favored Abilities: Same as Thoth
Associated Powers: Epic Intelligence, Epic Wits, Mystery, Magic, Heku, Moon
Rivals: Hecate


Ami was the result of her mother’s fling with a visiting professor during her final year as a graduate student at Oxford.  She had no idea that the dashing Professor of Archaeology was actually the Egyptian God Thoth.  He was vacationing for a decade or two touring universities for excelling students to teach and Ami’s mother caught his attention.   She has a brilliant mind and went on to being one of the leading Scientist in her field.  She married a scientist and they raised their precocious young daughter Ami who appeared to be smarter than the both of them.

Ami’s parents continually offered metal stimulus for their daughter, but little loving contact.  They were extremely busy professionals and placed her intellectual well-being before all else.  It appeared to be a success as Ami was by far the smartest girl in school and excelled at any academic subject placed before her.  She graduated high school at the age of 10 and the sky was the limit.

It came as a shock to her parents when she chose Library Science as her major.  Ami could have been a world class doctor or scientist and her parents couldn’t understand why their daughter would throw those careers away to be a librarian.  They tried threatening, bribing, cajoling, anything to get her to change her mind but she was a stubborn young woman and her parents gave up on trying to dissuade her from her choice figuring it would simply be one of many degrees their daughter would achieve.  They failed to understand the depth and breadth of Ami’s insatiable thirst for knowledge. She would stay at a library only long enough to squeeze every ounce of secret contained in its dusty tomes and then move on to the next.

It was at the Oxford University Bodleian Library that she met her real father in the guise of an old librarian who was hired to see to the restoration of new found collection of ancient Egyptian documents found at Hermopolis.  He guided her towards the mysterious Book of Ogdaod, the precursor to the cult of Thoth and the exploration of the spells and incantations within.  It was then that he revealed himself and told her about her divine heritage.  It almost drove her mad.  She had been wrapped in logic and reason from a child and existence of Gods and magic torn at everything she knew to be real.  Thoth cured her building madness and placed her on her current path giving her tools to help protect herself from titanspawn and charging her with gathering any information she could find to defeat and imprison the titans and their spawn once more.

Ami knows she is no physical match against the titanspawn so she fights from behind the scenes, digging up information that other heroes can use in the fight against the titans.  She still craves knowledge and is willing to place herself in danger to get it, something that concerns her real father who would rather she continue to work behind the scenes and use others to do the dirty work for her as her mind is much too valuable to lose.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious