Scion - 2nd ed

[Azuresun]

I'd be fine with the default 2e (or 1e, for that matter) world / World. I would like there to be a clear premise to the game beyond 'they fight crime!', as Scion is one of those settings that gives me a case of "This looks really cool, I have no idea what to do with it." 

[HairyHeretic]

The nice thing about Scion is you can use Fate as the reason for the band to be pretty much anywhere and doing pretty much anything. If they have ideas they want to pursue themselves, that helps the GM out too. At lower levels it can be simple things, like taking on comparatively simple threats ... mortal thugs, evil corporations, relatively weak supernatural threats. By demigod they ought to be saving cities, if not countries, going beyond the mortal world, and then when you get up to God level its fate of the world kinda stuff.

[Azuresun]

The nice thing about Scion is you can use Fate as the reason for the band to be pretty much anywhere and doing pretty much anything. If they have ideas they want to pursue themselves, that helps the GM out too. At lower levels it can be simple things, like taking on comparatively simple threats ... mortal thugs, evil corporations, relatively weak supernatural threats. By demigod they ought to be saving cities, if not countries, going beyond the mortal world, and then when you get up to God level its fate of the world kinda stuff.

Yes, but....

I'd find it helpful to know what the focus is. Because if I get "you can do anything!", I'm just going to be blankly looking at all the options with no idea where to start.  And IME, it doesn't help the longevity of games if you have a disparate collection of weirdos for the PC's, who have nothing in common and might hate each other on sight.

[HairyHeretic]

If you're talking character creation and advancement. I encourage my players to think end goal. What is this character going to end up being the deity of? Have an idea what you want to do with them, and pick stuff that works with the theme.

If you're talking scenarios and campaign play, the players are likely going to cross paths with the weird stuff, the things ordinary mortals couldn't deal with. Ghosts and monsters, curses and magic, urban legends and myths.

There's no hard and fast rules for what the band should encounter, or how they have to respond to it, other than dialling it up to 11, whatever you choose to do :)

[Azuresun]

If you're talking character creation and advancement. I encourage my players to think end goal. What is this character going to end up being the deity of? Have an idea what you want to do with them, and pick stuff that works with the theme.

If you're talking scenarios and campaign play, the players are likely going to cross paths with the weird stuff, the things ordinary mortals couldn't deal with. Ghosts and monsters, curses and magic, urban legends and myths.

There's no hard and fast rules for what the band should encounter, or how they have to respond to it, other than dialling it up to 11, whatever you choose to do :)

I swear I'm not trying to be obtuse, but that still doesn't give me any information on what this story would be about.

To put it another way, these are the questions I'd pin down for me and the players if I were running this:
--Where is it set?
--How static vs globetrotting will the game be? (I don't want someone to develop their job and family in great detail and then have their character get sent to Australia for the entire next arc!).
--How much combat is there likely to be?
--Does it start pre or post Visitation?
--How light / dark do I want the tone and characters to be? As described, Xipe Totec's Scions aren't going to fit into every group, for example.
--What's going to bring the characters together and give them a reason to hang out, other than PC glow? Do they start knowing each other?
--Are there any elements I want PC's to have in common in their backgrounds (for example, "you all knew this guy, who has just died, and the game starts when you meet at his funeral")?

That's the sort of thing I find helpful in whittling down possibilities and coming up with a character I know will be a good match for the game the GM wants. Of course, it might not have been pinned down at all yet, I'm just saying what I find helpful in a campaign pitch.

Does that explain it any better?

[HairyHeretic]

Ok, I get what you're saying more now.

For my own Scion games, I tend to run things on an episodic format. This allows players to come and go, with the understanding that Fate is moving them where they're supposed to be, whether that be into the story or out of it.

For location, I like to move around. The game I've been running on here has had the Band visiting Iceland, the UK, Germany, Russia, Taiwan, Hong Kong (briefly) and now an Underworld. Globetrotting lets you bring in the weird and the wonderful from all over the world. In contrast, the Dresden Files game I've run / played in with my local tabletop group has been set in and around New Orleans.

Playing at Hero level of Scion, you could stick to one locale. I think by the time you got to Demigod though, you would need to expand on that.

Combat - there's as much as the Band decides there will be. Scions can have scary social fu powers as well as the ability to pick up a truck and hit someone with it. If your band goes combat heavy in the players choices, then expect there to be more combat. For myself, I try to tailor my scenarios so that everyone gets a scene or two in the spotlight, combat monster or otherwise.

Pre / Post Visitation - For my 1st ed game I started the Band at Legend 3. This gave them a chance to pick up at least a few fun abilities.

What brings them together? Fate. Fate is a driving force in Scion. It ensures the Band are where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be, in order to face the challenges that will let them grow their legends and become the powers they were meant to be. Once they do start working together, after a story or two, then they have the impetus to stick together.

Common elements - Useful, but not essential. I swiped an idea from the Dresden Files, and have each player come up with a cou[ple of backstory adventures that had them cross paths with another Scion. This meant that everyone knew one or two others, and got around that initial hesitent "you meet in a tavern and this guy with an exclamation mark above his head offers you a quest" :)

I don't look for players to do create a character that fits seamlessly into a group. Create what you want to create, and I'll do my best to work with it, and help them fit in. Assuming the character isn't the complete opposite of everyone else, you ought to be able to do something with them, even if it means a few tweaks here and there.

Does that help more?

[Azuresun]

Yes, thanks.  Still don't have a firm idea, but I was thinking a Created Scion of a god of the underworld (was thinking Hel or Persephone).

[Sessha]

 And just remember if the Scion of Sun Wukong decides to upend the vehicle on two wheels while in the middle of a gun blazing car chase with a flat tire. Let him do it! Also let the Scion of Hephaestus be one to fix said flat tire in the middle of the gun blazing car chase. 

[vonpenguin]

And just remember if the Scion of Sun Wukong decides to upend the vehicle on two wheels while in the middle of a gun blazing car chase with a flat tire. Let him do it! Also let the Scion of Hephaestus be one to fix said flat tire in the middle of the gun blazing car chase. 

Only if the scion of Susan-O gets to surf on top of the car the entire time while the Scion of Apollo plays and awesome Guitar solo during the entire thing.

[Sessha]

Only if the scion of Susan-O gets to surf on top of the car the entire time while the Scion of Apollo plays and awesome Guitar solo during the entire thing.

Ha! Beautiful! I love it! Fun fact is in the scion game I run my players did exactly what I said they did. It was glorious!

[evilnerf]

If this game is coming together, I'd love to hop on board.  I've had a couple ideas floating around I'd love to take for a spin.

In answer to the questions, I would prefer a modern day Hero game with the default setting.

[HairyHeretic]

I haven't been working too much on this since. I have a solid idea for the overall campaign, but getting the starting adventure or two set out is proving more awkward than I'd hoped.

[vonpenguin]

Getting players/concepts/deeds might help.

[HairyHeretic]

Not so much for what I have in mind. The first story would be an introduction, with the characters starting as mortal and getting their visitation at the end of it. I sort of know part of what I want to accomplish, but it hasn't all come together for me yet.

[vonpenguin]

Fair enough. Just trying suggestions..

[HairyHeretic]

I appreciate it :) The block is on my side though.

[AndyZ]

Looks like they just put out a 2E Pregen called A Light Extinguished.  Who all would be interested in playing and/or running it?

[HairyHeretic]

Playing, maybe. I'd prefer to get a bit of experience with the system before running it.

[AndyZ]

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=308656.0