Interest Check: Scion (White Wolf)

[Teddy Molotov]

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Hello everyone! I was wondering if anyone would be interested, or even heard of, a game of Scion?

For those of you that don't know, Scion is an RPG by White Wolf where you are a demigod in a contemporary world.

The insidious Titans have broken free from their prison in the Underworld, and started their campaign to exact vengeance on the gods that overthrew them.

As for the Gods, after defeating and imprisoning the Titans, the separate pantheons noticed that their presence on Earth tempted Fate, resulting in natural disasters and powerful monsters attacking mortals. So they made a pact, to separate themselves from humanity, with the exception of world ending phenomena, the kind they hoped to avoid by their self-imposed exile. Over time, they became myth, and worship ceased, and their power began to wane.

However, the Divine have not removed themselves completely, particularly when a beautiful mortal catches their eye. Under the cover of Avatars, disguised as mortals, the gods occasionally have trysts on Earth. Sometimes a child results from these unions, part god and part man. These creatures are known as Scions. They usually know nothing about their heritage, and often lead blessed or cursed lives, never knowing their true potential.

In the modern era, mythological creatures and monsters known as Titanspawn have begun to rise to torment humanity on behalf of their Titan masters. The gods, needing a way to defend the mortals, decided to turn to their bastard children. Select Scions are are chosen, and visited by their parents or emissaries from the Heavens to become Heroes. As Heroes, they can develop the powers needed to push back the forces of the Titans. if they survive, Heroes may even reach the level of a Demigod, and beyond that, full-fledged Godhood. But it is a dangerous path, that could lead to certain doom. Not to mention the forces of Fate, that will continuously push Scions and the mortals closest to them into ever increasing danger and drama. For these reason, Heroes must try to keep their supernatural might hidden from the public eye, to protect themselves and their friends from Fate's cruel machinations.

Monologue, monologue, monologue. That's the gist in a nutshell. Your the bastard child of a chosen deity, and after an event where you come in contact with the powers that be, get super powers and ancient relics to fight the Titans. Keep in mind, Titans are primal forces, and neither good or evil. Morality is a human concept, so it's important to have both good and evil Scions, as long as they battle the Titans.

I always thought the game had a really sexy feel to it, particularly in the lore, but never really had an opportunity to explore it beyond PG-13 sensabilities. While the system might be a little funky, I find the lore delicious, and I figured there'd be some people here on E who might appreciate this concept.

We'd be playing Play-by-Post here on E, using the site's dice roller, I'm thinking. I would be serving as Storyteller

If you're interested, please let me know! I'm more than happy to answer any questions.



EDIT:

So, since people are starting to send in profiles and back stories, I'll be putting up a proper roster. Because I'm a fan of symmetry, I'm going to go with a roster of ten active characters at a time. If a player drops out, their position will open up for a new character to fill. I also encourage a diverse cast, so I will stop accepting characters if they start finding similarities with one another (Pantheon, gender,  personality, etc). Please PM me character information if you're interested in playing.

CAST

• Kurtis Freison, Male, Aesir (Vanir), Rogue Nature, Scion of Freyr
• Kamala Jai, Female, Deva, Visionary Nature, Scion of Ganesha
• Chan Sung Jung, Male, Celestial Bureaucracy, Libertine Nature, Scion of Sun Wukong
• Lady Caitlin "Cuckoo" Laine, Female, Tuatha De Danaan, Bravo Nature, Scion of the Morrigan
• Jack O'Neill, Male, Tuatha De Danaan, Competitor Nature, Scion of Lugh
• Nakamura Yuriko, Female, Amatsukami, Bravo Nature, Scion of Amaterasu
• Jessica Williams, Female, Dodekatheon, Libertine Nature, Scion of Aphrodite
• Hitomi Hikaru, Female, Dodekatheon, Visionary Nature, Scion of Apollo
• Benjamin Ames, Male, Aesir, Gallant Nature, Scion of Baldur
• Asuka Takamura, Female, Amatsukami, Visionary Nature, Scion of Hachiman
• ~OPEN~
• ~OPEN~

UPDATE: Accepting two more characters to the roster. Would like at least one more male character.



UPDATE: This section will be used to note house rule changes to the system, and detail how we'll play on the forum.

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.

Character Creation

As in the book, with a few minor differences;

All characters start at Legend 3, not Legend 2.

Legend can not be purchased with experience, but must be earned through Role Play and completing story events.

Pantheon Specific Purview boons are free, and develop with your Legend.

Instead of 15 bonus experience at creation, characters get 30

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, which you can use as a replacement to rolling. (So if you have a dice pool of seven, you can just take a static 2 successes)

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

Starting Plot

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.

OoC Thread: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=215218.0

IC Thread: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=215385.0

[Nowherewoman]

I love the basic theme, but I don't know much about White Wolf's systems.  How rule-heavy are you planning to go with this?

[AndyZ]

I love Scion ^_^

[deadmanshand]

When I'm done dying I'd love to play. Any restricted Pantheons? And would it be Hero level?

[avorae]

I'd love to get in a game of scion. It's been a good while since i've last played it.

[Teddy Molotov]

I love the basic theme, but I don't know much about White Wolf's systems.  How rule-heavy are you planning to go with this?

Honestly, not very. Like I said, the system is kind of clunky, and while I'd like people to have a PDF of the books as reference I think people here are responsible enough to work kind of loose. The narrative is what I'm mostly after.

I'm actually really surprised that I got a response so quickly, and so positive.

For restricted Pantheons, I'm only going to allow the ones in the Hero and Companion books, with the additions from Ragnarok, excluding the Atlantean and WW2 Pantheons.

Yes, we'd be starting at Hero level.

[deadmanshand]

I still can't believe they made the WWII pantheon. That thing is just awful.

[ChaoticSky]

Oio! Interest! :D I had a friend a couple years back who loved to theorycraft for Scion, we made Tons of characters, i lost all my old files for it when my HDD crashed a while back, but i am still very interested and would love to have a serious crack at it.

So what pantheons are you all considering?

[Teddy Molotov]

Yeah, the WW2 Pantheons were... heh.

Anyways, available Pantheons. As of now, we have the option of the Pesedjet (Egyptian), Dodekatheon (Greco-Roman), Aesir (Norse), the Teotl (Central/Southern America), Amatsukami (Japanese), Loa (Voodoo Spirits), Tuatha de Danaan (Irish), The Shen (Chinese), and the Devas (Hinduism)

I like giving people options, so for a totally home brewed story, I'll probably say it's free range. I'm also thinking of running the Ragnarok Campaign, though, and that would be Aesir exclusive. Whatever we decide to do, I'll put it up to popular vote.

[Muse]

Oh!  Me me!  Pick me!  I'd love to play! 

[ChaoticSky]

I'm also thinking of running the Ragnarok Campaign, though, and that would be Aesir exclusive. Whatever we decide to do, I'll put it up to popular vote.

Now, i admit its been a while, but im pretty sure ragnarok doesnt have to be Aesir only, its Aesir-centric, yes, but the Norse Gods are well known to have a simple way to determine who their friends are; who will stand with us at Ragnarok? Indeed, if the time is neigh and they started calling in their markers, it could lead to the scions of various allied or indebted deities of other pantheons being offered up to aid them.

As they say; shit flows down hill  :P

But all that in mind, i do preferr home-made campeigns over premade ones, it puts more work on the GM, but you asked for our votes  ;)

[AndyZ]

If we do Ragnarok and it doesn't have to be Aesir-exclusive, I'll probably do non-Aesir just to show support and help out.  I have quite a few ideas on what to play but not 100% which would be best, though knowing which ones are off the table is beneficial (like not to try for my Br'er Rabbit girl) ^_^

[Muse]

  *Grins* 

  My favorite concept for Ragnarock is a skater-girl scion of Uler. 

  But that's just chit chat.  I've never read or played any of the cannon modules (I know there's one in each of the core books.)  I'd generally love a chance to play Scion using the system--not necessarily 'system heavy'--and with the full on sexual opportunities that he setting--and source material--encourage.  :) 

[HopeFox]

Ooh, I'd love to get into a Scion game! I do have a concept for a very sexy scion of the Morrigan (though probably not in the way that first comes to mind) that I never got the chance to play in tabletop. I'd be more in favour of a homebrewed campaign, especially since I've read Ragnarok already.

[Teddy Molotov]

Well, I guess that settles that, then~

I suppose think on characters. I'm thinking of a party of 10, including myself. I guess it'll sort of be first come/first serve, as far as filling the player roster. Those interested in playing, please send me a character concept with backstory, and I'll get started on a finalizing a plot.

[AndyZ]

Full character sheets or just a backstory and concept?

[Teddy Molotov]

Just backstory and concept for now, though I wouldn't be offended if you included a full sheet.

[wingnut2292]

I would like to express internist as well. If we did Ragnarok would children of the Norns be a possibility?

[ArcherCC]

I am definitely interested.

[Teddy Molotov]

I would like to express internist as well. If we did Ragnarok would children of the Norns be a possibility?

I'm sorry, it doesn't look like we'll be doing Ragnarok.

[HopeFox]

I'm working on a profile, background and character sheet now.

For character sheets, may I make a suggestion to keep Legend determined solely by the GM? As in, we all start at the same Legend score as decided by the GM, and increases in Legend happen only when the GM decides it. That way, the entire Band will progress through Legend at the same rate, and all become Demigods or Gods at the same time. It also prevents everyone from pouring all of their points into Legend, since getting to Legend 5 (demigod status) is basically better than anything else you could possibly do with your XP.

I suggest Legend 3 as a starting point - 2 is a bit weak and restrictive, whereas 4 is more powerful than I'd like to see at the start.

[avorae]

Should we post them here are send them to you in a PM?

[HairyHeretic]

I'm interested. My usual scion is a son of Sun Wukong, but I see you already have one of those.

I do have a couple of other concepts though. Before I pick one though, what house rules do you plan on using? As much as I love Scion, there are a few areas that the rules do need a little help, and some of the more common fixes tend to crop up as house rules in the games I've played / seen.

[Bandeena]

I should probably post my interest instead of just lurking, since this seems to be moving forward. I'm curious to see how this'll be adapted for pbp~

[HairyHeretic]

I've played a number of Scion forum base games, both here and on other sites. The main difference is speed, games always run slower on forums than around a table. It tends to particularly slow down when you get to combat, and have a relatively large amount of dice rolling in a relatively small amount of time (or would be around a table).

[Bandeena]

Yeah, running it as you would around the table seems like it would be painfully slow. Teddy said earlier that it would be a narrative focus, so I assumed modification from straight tabletop.

[CarnivalOfTheGoat]

I haven't played Scion, but I've played other WW games. Tentatively expressing interest in a pugilistic priest-son of Bast. Lightweight professional boxer bad-boy, a bit androgynous both in looks and pursuits.

She was a war goddess, the defender and protector of Lower Egypt before certain dynasties got hold of her, other gods were elevated, and the priests in charge said 'Nope, kitty-cat.'

[Teddy Molotov]

@Avorae: Please PM me your profiles and sheets.

@HopeFox: Yes, I will be restricting the rise in Legend, and will probably give rewards in Legend to the group as a whole as opposed to individuals, but we'll see how things go.

I've always started people off at Legend 2 in my games, but in this case, Legend 3 is a good place to start. Okay, you got it, players will start at Legend 3, and will probably get more bonus points for character creation to start.

@HairyHeretic: Yeah, I'll probably make a lot of changes to help things progress quickly through the forums. Ideally, I want this game to be very rules-lite and accessible. For example, I'd love to know that the game could progress without me being around to storytell. xP

@CarnivalOfTheGoat: Haha, points for using the word "pugilist."

I've been a long time fan of Bastet myself. (Set too, but that's a whole other ball of wick). We could certainly use a character from the Pesedjet, and I don't think we have an androgynous or bad-boy archetype character yet.

General: I've updated the first post, and will be working on figuring out how to houserule the Scion system for better accessibility with the forums. Um... I'm also having some trouble with the dice system here on E (It's kind of complicated to a newcomer such as myself), so if someone wouldn't mind giving me a rundown or link me to a tutorial or something, I'd really appreciate it.

[HairyHeretic]

Dicebot
Dice: Number of dice to roll
Sides: 10
Target number: 7
Second Target number: 10

That should be what you need for Scion rolling, you just add the auto successes manually after.

What are you thinking in terms of character creation in addition to Legend 3?

And do the words Nac Mac Feegle have any meaning for you?  >:)

[Teddy Molotov]

Okay. Hypothetically speaking, say I wanted the dice bot to roll multiple dice, but only register the top results without adding them together or counting successes?

As for other changes... Well, I've always said that the Pantheon Specific Purviews should be free, with the exception of buying the same boon a second time (see: Arete. God damn Arete). I'm also thinking of doubling the starting bonus points from 15 to 30. Other than that, character creation should remain fairly standard.

EDIT: And by "Nac Mac Freegle," you wouldn't happen to be talking about wee little angry folk from Discworld, would you?

[HairyHeretic]

Okay. Hypothetically speaking, say I wanted the dice bot to roll multiple dice, but only register the top results without adding them together or counting successes?

I'm not sure what you mean by this. This what a roll using the dice roller gives, for a typical Scion roll.

Test Roll: hairyheretic rolled: 6d10
First Target Number: 7
Second Target Number: 10
Comment:
Result: 7, 4, 4, 8, 9, 7,
For: 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0,
Total: 4

What is it that you want from it?

As for other changes... Well, I've always said that the Pantheon Specific Purviews should be free, with the exception of buying the same boon a second time (see: Arete. God damn Arete). I'm also thinking of doubling the starting bonus points from 15 to 30. Other than that, character creation should remain fairly standard.

Some PSPs are better than others, mind you, I always thought the base Jotunblut was a bit weak, for example.

Doubling the BPs is going to give more powerful characters, but I can't say I mind that :)

[Teddy Molotov]

It was just a silly question, don't worry about it.

I agree, Jotunblut is heavily dependent on having mortal or animal sidekicks, and even then isn't particularly useful at higher legend. But that only makes me feel like PSP's should be free, and grow along with your character. Particularly if we start exploring what happens when demigods abandon their respective pantheons. I had a game where that happened, and so the character lost access to their PSP.

[deadmanshand]

I'm not sure I've even read the Celestial Bureaucracy's PSP. I remember glancing at it long enough to determine that Chan probably would never use it.

[Bandeena]

Taiyi is complex. Potentially very useful, but it requires a lot of planning and theory. It doesn't have the raw appeal of other PSPs, like, say, Arete. A lot of the Companion PSPs are like that.

[HairyHeretic]

I think Taiyi starts getting particularly useful at the demigod levels. I've used it a fair bit with my pen and paper scion character.

[avorae]

I've never really used the PSP before even on the few times I've taken it for a character. Though the Amatsukami's looks fun so I might actually give it a try.

[Teddy Molotov]

I find that a lot of people gloss over PSP's without really toying with all the possibilities. Personally, I love Taiyi, Tsukoku-Gami and Heku. Heku is amaaaazing, imo, and Itzli is deliciously spooky.

[HopeFox]

As for other changes... Well, I've always said that the Pantheon Specific Purviews should be free, with the exception of buying the same boon a second time (see: Arete. God damn Arete). I'm also thinking of doubling the starting bonus points from 15 to 30. Other than that, character creation should remain fairly standard.

So, 30 bonus points instead of 15, Legend starts at 3 and can't be increased, and everyone maxes out their PSP for their Legend? Sounds good to me.

I like the idea of free PSP - it really helps to differentiate between similar Scions from different pantheons. They do vary in power and utility a bit, but in a freeform setting like this, it'll be easier to make them all useful. Jotunblut, for example, can benefit greatly from narrating berserker NPCs in interesting situations.

[Teddy Molotov]

Yup, that's what I was thinking.

So, the biggest problem now is streamlining combat. I was thinking of removing the Battle Wheel completely and leaving it to opposed rolls. Also, how do people feel about initiative being fixed, the new formula being (Wits+Awareness-Weapon Speed), the higher initiative going first?

[deadmanshand]

Removing the battle wheel is a welcome change. I hate that thing on tabletop much less pbp. The new Initiative sounds fine.

All the other changes are cool too. Whether I use Taiyi or not it's always good to have more options.

[Teddy Molotov]

Time in combat should be treated a little looser than on the table-top version, I think. For the purposes of combat, each combat post should last about six seconds, and end with an opposed roll. If you're attacking or defending, whether it's physical or with a boon, I'd say that takes your entire turn, while non-combat actions in the combat round could be done twice in a turn, all this assuming a turn would be your post.

As for baddies, I'll most likely post their DV's and initiative, and everyone can take their respective turn down the initiative track with their roll. If a target is selected multiple times, it's DV will go down once after each attack it suffers, whether hit or not. For example, if the Ogre has been target three times, and you're the fourth attacker, it suffers a -3 DV penalty. If you're the third attacker, it would have suffered a -2 penalty.

Initiative should be kept relatively simple, and probably included in your post or at the beginning of combat. As I said before, the formula will most likely be (Wits+Awareness-Weapon Speed)

We're also considering making auto successes a lot more loose, maybe you start receiving auto successes if your pool is higher than 5, instead of 7. The exact number is still up in the air at the moment, however.

I would also like to compile accuracy and damage into one roll, which will be difficult to do with threshold successes. Any ideas on this front would be greatly appreciated.

As for powers and mortals. Extras are people, I've always believed that, but for the sake of pace I will say that using powers on a mortal extra that's not directly under a Storyteller's control is an automatic success. Feel free to invent NPC's for the sake of your personal plot or showcasing your abilities, or whatever you need them for.

How does all this sound so far?

[HairyHeretic]

Keep in mind there are a few knacks and things that can change the initiative fairly substantially for combat.

[Teddy Molotov]

I believe the knacks you're talking about are Subliminal Warning (Perception, and only kind of dealing with initiative), Tactical Planning (Intelligence), Opening Gambit (Wits), and Between the Ticks (Wits).

Subliminal Warning deals only with sneak attack, Tactical Planning replaces Wits with Intelligence when determining initiative, and Opening Gambit just makes it so you go first in the initiative round and otherwise ignore your join battle by spending some legend.
Between the Ticks would essentially work as an interrupt, and can only be used once a scene.

I don't think I'm missing anything on this front...

[HopeFox]

Yup, that's what I was thinking.

So, the biggest problem now is streamlining combat. I was thinking of removing the Battle Wheel completely and leaving it to opposed rolls. Also, how do people feel about initiative being fixed, the new formula being (Wits+Awareness-Weapon Speed), the higher initiative going first?

I'm definitely in favour of removing the Battle Wheel. One way to do that is basically to say that all actions are Speed 5, so it's a simple matter of characters taking their actions in turn. I don't really mind how we do initiative, as long as knacks like Subliminal Warning and Opening Gambit are still useful (or, at least, we know that they aren't, so we don't bother taking them).

I would also like to compile accuracy and damage into one roll, which will be difficult to do with threshold successes. Any ideas on this front would be greatly appreciated.

The simple way to do that is to assume that all damage rolls are average. Attack with Dexterity+Melee or whatever, count successes, subtract target's PV, then add Strength+WeaponDamage, divide by 2, then add Epic Strength bonuses and subtract soak and armour. The only problem with this is that it makes it very hard to damage creatures with super-high soak and armour, but such creatures probably call for different measures anyway, like grappling or careful targeting of weak points.

As for powers and mortals. Extras are people, I've always believed that, but for the sake of pace I will say that using powers on a mortal extra that's not directly under a Storyteller's control is an automatic success. Feel free to invent NPC's for the sake of your personal plot or showcasing your abilities, or whatever you need them for.

I can feel free to leave a trail of Extras with broken ribs or broken hearts behind me? Got it.

How does all this sound so far?

Sounds good! I'm pretty happy to wing combat as we go along, anyway - I'm sure everyone will be patient with the first few fights, and if we collectively decide that the system we're using is too cumbersome or unbalanced, we can change it later.

I think, when it comes to combat, everyone should post their initiative, armour and soak in each post, so that it's there for easy reference. Certain actions can change those values, too (such as combat manoeuvers that penalize DV), so it's good to keep them up to date.

(I also volunteer to test the combat system first!)

[HopeFox]

• Lady Caitlin "Cuckoo" Laine, Female, Tuatha De Danaan, Bravo Nature, Scion of the Morrigan
• Jack O'Neill, Male, Tuatha De Danaan, Competitor Nature, Scion of Lugh

Well, this is going to end with either bloodshed or sex. If not both.

[Teddy Molotov]

Haha, my money's on both, but I guess we'd just have to wait and see~

You bring up some excellent point, Fox. Not entirely sold on your suggestion for damage, but I can see the merits of it, for sure. It could certainly help inspire some strategy.

;-; And don't abuse my Extras too badly.

[HairyHeretic]

One combat alternative might be to have everyone list their actions for the round, as well as any conditionals, and let the GM roll all the dice and report the outcome.

I'm going to go with two attacks this round.
First will be a shockwave attack, second normal, preferably against a target that gets knocked into the air
If either attack misses I'll spend a point of Legend to reroll it.

As long as you're not trying to cover every possibile eventuality, it should give the players a fair degree of control over their combat actions, and the GM doesn't have to wait around on successive dice rolls.

[Letrixia]

Can I play on this one? I would love to do a daughter of Aphrodite, I need to know if you are full and if you can reserve me the spot.

[Teddy Molotov]

@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.

@Letrixia: Certainly not full :) Would you mind PMing me a basic outline of a character concept and backstory?

[HairyHeretic]

That's the same issue we all have. Life happens, and as long as we can get / give a head's up, I don't think anyone will mind too much.

[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.

[Teddy Molotov]

Updates made to rules section. We're probably close to being ready to start, probably tomorrow.

[AndyZ]

Doubt I'm going to be all set by then, but it seems like everyone is pretty set up.  I hope you all have fun ^_^

[Teddy Molotov]

xP Hey man, if you need more time, all you need to do is ask.

[AndyZ]

Nah, my creativity is just being mean lately.  I can't seem to force any of my Scion ideas out onto a sheet.

Could be worse, though.  The ideas for my next novel are chugging decently along so I can't complain too much.

[Teddy Molotov]

Well, hey, that sounds novel, hehehe...

But seriously, if you really must go, don't be a stranger, alright?

[AndyZ]

I'm leaving the mental box open for ideas.

[avorae]

Working on my sheet now. Just trying to make sure my numbers are right and buttoning up some details. I should have it sent sometime tonight for review.

[Teddy Molotov]

Righto  :-)

[Teddy Molotov]

UPDATE: At this point in time, we have a full roster! I also may have jumped the gun yesterday, saying we could start today xP It would be more considerate, I think, to allow everyone to get their characters and sheets up on the profile thread before we begin.

[HairyHeretic]

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.)

I've seen one house rule that applies Epic Perception to missile damage the same way Epic Strength gets added to melee. Would that help here?

[Teddy Molotov]

Yeah, that perception knack applies. I've already modified that house rule on the front page, bringing to back to how the game is traditionally run.

EDIT: Specifically, Thousand Yard Stare and Shatterpoint knacks from the quick reference house rules is what I was thinking.

[Teddy Molotov]

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=215218.0

Here we have a link to the OoC Thread, and I'll have a link on the front page here. Please, make good use of it until we're ready to get this show on the road.

[AndyZ]

Asuka Takamura - Scion of Hachiman
Nature: Visionary

Strength 3 - Epic 1
Dexterity 5 - Epic 1
Stamina 3 - Epic 1

Charisma 2
Manipulation 2 - Epic 1
Appearance 4 - Epic 1

Perception 2 - Epic 1
Intelligence 5 - Epic 1
Wits 4 - Epic 1

Academics 1
Animal Ken 1
Art (Dancing) 1
Athletics 3
Awareness 3
Brawl 1
Command 1
Control (Automobiles) 1
Craft (Origami) 1
Empathy 1
Fortitude 1
Integrity 3
Investigation 1
Marksmanship 1
Melee 5
Occult 3
Presence 1
Science (Computer) 5
Stealth 1

Languages:

English
Spanish
French
Sign Language
Japanese
Latin

Birthrights:

Tomoe Tattoo - Right shoulder - Grants access to the Animal, Fertility and Guardian purviews

Meteor Hammer (Flexible Weapon stats) - Range out to Legend*5 yards, Adds Legend to Dexterity+Melee attacks, Grants access to the War purview.  Unlike the picture, Asuka's Meteor Hammer has a head on each end, one of which is covered with spikes and blades.

Smartphone - Works as a computer and gives Legend to Intelligence+Science rolls for hacking, never needs plugged in or recharging, maintains a steady signal unless in a strange terra incognita unknown to Hachiman.


Knacks:
Making it Look Easy
Cat's Grace
Self-Healing
Advantageous Circumstances
My Eyes Are Up Here
Spatial Attunement
Wireless Interface
Opening Gambit

Boons:
Vigil Brand
Blessing of Bravery
The Wakeful Spirit
The Watchful Spirit

Virtues:
Duty 1
Endurance 1
Intellect 5
Valor 5

Legend 3
Legend Points 9/9
Willpower 10

Meteor Hammer - 14 Accuracy, 9 Damage, 8 PDV, Speed of 5

[Captain America]

Absolutely love a GOOD Scion game. I'd play if there was room and it wasn't PbP. If it's off site I can also bring 3-5 folks if you want them.

[Teddy Molotov]

Good to know, though I think PbP is working well with our current group.

[HairyHeretic]

There is also the option of running a game on our Mumble server. I've run an L5R one there, though it can be tricky to co-ordinate more than a couple of hours time when you're dealing with people spread across not just countries but continents.

[Teddy Molotov]

Yeah... time zones make RL gaming a hassle, sometimes...