Scion 2nd Edition Intro
#1 of Scion Material
This took WAY longer than I wanted it to. I meant to finish and upload this years ago, but kept procrastinating. Anyways, this is a basic introduction and rundown for the 2nd edition of the game, Scion.
As the newest version Onyx Path Publishing's popular game, Scion, second edition introduces some major changes to both the setting and mechanics. While first edition portrayed the setting to be a world in which the Gods had almost completely distanced themselves from interacting with mortals, and the Titans were almost universally antagonists, second edition tries to go for a more diverse and nuanced approach to the situation.
Simply put, the difference between what constitutes a God from a Titan is a matter of empathy and self determination. Gods try, at least in some form of capacity, to work with mortals and provide stability to the World as a whole. Titans, on the other hand, reject the idea of mortals having any degree of significance. In addition, their behavior is motivated by an almost singular desire to serve their respective purviews.
All Titans have a specific purview which defines their existence. While they often have more than one purview at their disposal, their core purview is the one they primarily focus on. For example, Gaea is a Titan of the Earth and serves as the living spirit of the entire planet itself. Echidna on the other hand, is a Titan of Fertility and spends nearly every moment of her free time breeding and endless horde of monsters with the hopes of overwhelming the Gods with shear numbers.
Titans such as Gaea are generally benign in their activities and can be left to their own devices without fear of threatening the World at large. But others, such as Echidna, are much more aggressive and need to be opposed wherever they can. It is the members of the later group who form the primary antagonists of the game, and draw players into a war known as the Titanomachy.
While the first edition went with the idea that the Gods are trying to keep a low profile on things, 2nd edition goes with the idea that the existence of Gods, Titans, Scions and monsters is well known to the people of the world. But most of it takes place in the background of society. The pantheons have an unspoken agreement with the World's mortals. They will not directly interfere in government matters, and in return, the governments of the World will not try to interfere with the business of the Gods. In this manner, the modern world of Scion has developed in a similar way to the one we live in. With the only major difference being that most of what has been defined as 'mythology' actually exists, and actually did happen at some point in the past.
And in case you're wondering how the countless myths and legends can fit into the same setting, when most of them contradict each other. The answer to that is... complicated... The easiest way to describe it, is that each mythology is part of its own self contained cosmology. Every pantheon or religion has its own version for the origin and history of the World, and within their personal cosmologies, that is how things actually happened. As if explaining it through the lens of a multiverse theory, they are ALL true. The world of mortals, as we understand it, seems to be a metaphysical melting pot of all these cosmologies blended together. Instead of adhering to a single pantheon's narrative history, it shares a metaphysical connection to all of them.
Of course, when talking about the Gods, we can't leave out the part about them existing beyond the mortal comprehension of time and space. This is partially true for Scion as well. When a new God (or Gods) chooses to branch off and found their own religion, their cosmology is retroactively added to the history of the world. Even though they may have become a deity only a few hours ago, and could not possibly have had any hand in shaping the universe's creation, the World will be convinced otherwise, and perceive them to be just as ancient as any of the other deities who have been around for eons.
But for those of you who aren't very knowledgeable about this game, you might be asking "what is a Scion?"
Well, to put it simply, a Scion is somebody who has inherited a spark of divinity, and has the potential to ascend to Godhood, or possibly even becoming a new Titan. It is a long, difficult journey that results in most Scions either dying along the way, or giving up the quest in favor of a less demanding place in life.
Under normal circumstances, Scions do not have immediate access to their divine powers. Indeed, most of them probably don't even realize they're Scions at all! Their powers remain dormant, often for years at a time, until they receive their first visitation. That is when one of the Gods / Titans (usually their patron) appears before them and explains the truth about their origins. From that moment on, they awaken as a Scion, and begin their journey up the ranks from Hero, to Demigod, to finally God.
Along with the visitation comes some additional perks. The Scion gains access to the signature purview of their respective pantheon, as well as an inherent connection to one of the purviews wielded by their patron. For example, a Scion of Poseidon might gain power over Water, as their patron is well known for being the lord of the sea. However, he is also the god of horses and earthquakes, so his Scions may receive the power over Earth and Beasts (Horses). Their patron might also present them with gifts in the form of Relics, which can grant access to additional purviews, among other useful benefits.
In first edition, Scions could only be made of human stock. But this has been changed in 2nd edition, so that now anyone with the appropriate connection to the divine may become one. These more than human Scions are referred to as "supernatural paths," and the following is a list of some examples provided in the books.
Satyrs: (part human, part goat and always down to party. also includes Hulder and Deer Women as subtypes)
Kitsune: (the fox folk of Japanese myth)
Centaurs: (part human, part horse. also includes the Kinnara and Nuckelavee as subtypes)
Therianthropes: (those who transform into beasts when certain triggers are activated)
Wolf Warriors: (though they may not be divine, their willingness to fight for a cause has made them legendary in their own right. Also includes Shieldmaidens and Amazons as subtypes)
Saints: (mortals who are blessed with the power to twist Fate in their favor, and come to exemplify the virtues of what a pantheon stands for)
Prophets: (those gifted with precognitive abilities, allowing them to see what Fate has in store for the World)
Cassandras: (those who are cursed to only speak the absolute truth, yet nobody will ever believe them)
Cu Sith: (the great dogs spoken of in Irish legends)
The approach to handling Scions has also been changed with second edition. While first edition went with the idea that Scions were the direct offspring of Gods breeding with mortals, this is no longer the case with 2nd edition. Indeed, there are now a variety of options available in the form of Born, Created, Chosen and Incarnate for your origin story!
Born Scions are much the same as the classic version from 1st edition. In the sense that they are related by blood to their divine patron. Generally speaking, most Born are only removed from their divine ancestor by 1 or 2 generations. Any further than that, and they're likely to be part of some sort of divine legacy, like the pharaohs of Egypt.
Created Scions are those who were spontaneously brought into the world through an act of divine will. Generally speaking, the Created have no need to attend educational systems, or mature into adulthood. They emerge into the world fully formed, and with an instinctive awareness of all knowledge that would be necessary for them to survive among human society and fulfill the task they were designed to do. However, this can mean that any knowledge outside the realm of what was absolutely necessary may have been deemed irrelevant by their creator, giving the Created ample opportunity to explore additional character development over the course of their adventures.
Chosen Scions are those who did not have any special connection to divinity at all. They were just regular people going about their daily lives as usual. But somehow, they earned a deity's favor and were imbued with the powers of a Scion as a reward. Many of them become devoted champions of whichever God chose them, for they realize that if it hadn't been for their blessing, they would still be living as a powerless mortal.
Incarnate Scions are what happens when a currently existing God's mantle dies while projecting an avatar. While normally acting as a puppet through which the Gods interact with the mortal world, avatars become self aware in the event of their creator's destruction. Through reenacting the legends of their shattered mantles, the Incarnate may restore themselves to full power, and the not quite so dead God lives once more. In other words, the Incarnate gives players the opportunity to play members of already existing deities (like Thor, Hercules and Susano-o) as Scions!
Just like the previous edition of the game, Scion Second Edition offers a variety of different pantheons which your Scion may be sponsored by. The core options which are introduced in Origin and expanded upon in Hero are as follows.
Aesir - The Pantheon of the Norse.
Manitou - The Pantheon of the native Algonquians.
Theoi - The Pantheon of the Greeks / Romans.
Netjer - The Pantheon of ancient Egypt.
Kami - The Pantheon of Japan.
Tuatha De Danann - The Pantheon of Ireland.
Orisha / Loa - The Pantheons of West Africa.
Deva - The Pantheon of South Asia.
Shen - The Pantheon of China.
Teotl - The Pantheon of the Aztecs.
It is worth noting, however, that players should not feel obligated to play the ethnicity represented by their pantheon. Indeed, you are free to make your character from any cultural background you want. A black Scion of the Kami, a white Scion of the Loa, or an asian Scion of the Manitou are just some examples. The pantheons simply denote which cultural background the Gods are traditionally associated with.
In addition to changing Scions and shaking up the pantheons, second edition has also reworked the Purviews from 1st edition. In some cases, older purviews were scrapped and completely replaced with new ones, such as those which were specific to the pantheons.
To explain it in simple terms, a purview is an aspect of the universe which dictates the powers Gods and Titans have at their disposal. Each of the pantheons has a unique purview that only beings associated with that pantheon's cosmology may wield. But all of the other purviews can be shared between them.
At character creation, Scions gain an inherent access to their pantheon's specific purview, as well as one of the purviews associated with the God they are connected to. In order to access more purviews, they must rely on the aid of a Relic or a Guide to do so. This requirement no longer becomes necessary once the Scion masters the additional purview, the process of which will presumably be explained in future supplement books as it was in 1st edition.
Additionally, each of the different purviews has an innate power, which can be accessed by those who have an innate connection to that purview.
The core purviews which are presented in the second edition of Scion: Hero are as follows.
Basic Purviews:
Artistry - The power of art, including lines of poetry, dancing, music, story telling, est. This purview's innate power lets its users communicate with others through artistic expression and performance. Granting audiences a supernatural insight into their thoughts and feelings.
Beasts - The power of animals, harnessing their physical and spiritual qualities. This purview's innate power ensures that non-legendary animals will never attack or harm you, unless they are compelled to do so by supernatural means.
Beauty - The power of charm and charisma. This purview's innate power lets its user perform a Feat of Scale when attempting to influence others using their appearance or body language. Such manipulation need not always be of the friendly sort, either.
Chaos - The power of entropy and disorder. This purview's innate power protects its user from harm as a result of random and haphazard dangers. Actions which are deliberately meant to cause harm to you still pose a threat, however. Additionally, the user is not protected against environmental hazards, such as a room that has no breathable oxygen in it.
Darkness - The power of literal and metaphorical darkness. This purview's innate power lets you see clearly in darkness, even that which is magical in nature. Additionally, you can see into people's dreams by watching them sleep.
Death - The power of death and the afterlife. This purview's innate power lets you see and communicate with ghosts, shades and other forms of undead which are normally imperceptible to mortal senses. Additionally, you can see entryways that lead to the Underworld.
Deception - The power of illusion and misdirection. This purview's innate power adds a +3 complication on all Empathy and Assess Attitude rolls made against you. You can even choose what feedback they receive, if they fail to see through the deception.
Earth - The power over both literal and metaphorical forces of earth. This purview's innate power gives you a +1 bonus on Might and Stamina rolls, as well as making you impossible for others to forcefully move you from your current position as long as you remain in physical contact with the ground.
Epic Dexterity - The purview of divine agility and reflexes. This purview's innate power endows its wielders with supernatural grace, so long as they remain in motion towards a destination. Not only can they effortlessly scale vertical surfaces without the need for handholds, but solids and liquids alike can support their body weight as if they were light as a feather.
Epic Stamina - The purview of divine fortitude and endurance. This purview's innate power grants you immunity to all poisons and diseases who's source is derived from something with a lower Legend rating than your own. Additionally, you do not face Complication or risk of death as a result of hunger, thirst or exhaustion.
Epic Strength - The purview of divine might and muscle. This purview's innate power grants you a +1 Scale for the purpose of lifting, breaking or carrying large objects. Additionally, you can use Might in place of Presence for intimidation, seduction, or building Bonds of camaraderie.
Fertility - The power of nature's bounty, including both the harvesting of crops and the producing of offspring. This purview's innate power lets you radiate an aura of vitality once per session, which causes plant life to instantly bloom and grow. Additionally, this aura can resolve a single Bruised or Injured condition for all allies who are within range of its effects.
Fire - The power of both literal and metaphorical flame. This purview's innate power shields you and your personal belongings from damage caused by fire, heat or smoke inhalation. You can walk through wildfires or industrial microwaves unharmed, swim in magma for as long as you can hold your breath, and perform similar feats of fireproof heroism. This heat protection also applies to sources of extreme cold as well.
Forge - The power of craftsmanship and smithing. This purview's innate power makes your handiwork infallible, subtracting 1 point of total Flaws caused by Complications when using one of your craft projects, down to a maximum of 0.
Fortune - The power of luck and chance. This purview's innate power allows you to sense the existence of Fatebindings, and even identify who somebody is bound to if you happen to meet their other half. Additionally, you can recognize when a prophet or sorcerer has used their powers to manipulate Fate, even if such actions are normally impossible to perceive.
Frost - The power of both literal and metaphorical cold. This purview's innate power protects you from harm as a result of extreme cold, as well as from difficult terrain or Complications due to snow, hail or ice. Additionally, you may walk over water, or even clouds, as it turns to solid ice under your feet long enough to support you.
Health - The power of biology and life essence. This purview's innate power allows you to, once per session, gain one point of Legend when you successfully provide treatment to a Storyguide character ally that resolves an Injured Condition, Poisoned Condition, or disease.
Journeys - The power of roads and traveling. This purview's innate power bestows you with an unfailing sense of direction, allowing you to find a route that leads to any point in the world as an unrolled action, unless its position is obscured by magic. You can also sense the presence of an Axis Mundi or other gate between realms of existence from a number of miles away equal to your Legend rating.
Moon - The power of moonlight and transformation. This purview's innate power lets you radiate an aura of moonlight that cuts through darkness out to long range as a reflexive action. Only you and those you designate can perceive this illumination, others do not benefit from it. Additionally, you may pay a 1 point of Legend to attempt to reveal the true form of any shapeshifters or transformed characters within the moonlight, rolling a Cunning + Legend against the Manipulaiton + Legend of a character that wishes to conceal the truth.
Order - The power of law and authority. This purview's innate power lets you sense the laws that govern any jurisdiction you stand in, letting you tell whether any action you witness or contemplate would be legal according to them. Any mortal law enforcement acting in their official capacity that attempts to take action against you for a lawful act or overreach the bounds of authority is physically unable to do so - their body betrays them in the face of true justice.
Passion - The power of the emotional spectrum. This purview's innate power lets you see into the hearts of others, gaining a +3 Enhancement on Assess Attitude rolls. Additionally, if you observe someone who has a Bond towards another character present in the scene, you intuit the Bond's existence.
Prosperity - The power of wealth and commerce. This purview's innate power allows you to exploit your wealth or financial status to influence someone, treating their Attitude towards you as one point higher. This does not stack with other magical Attitude bonuses.
Sky - The power of weather, winds and lightning. This purview's innate power grants you perfect foreknowledge of the weather and climate around you up to at least a day in advance, and may ignore any Complication imposed by rain, wind or hazardous weather.
Stars - The power of knowledge and guidance. This purview's innate power lets you shift your perception of the world to a long range, top-down perspective as long as you are standing beneath an open sky.
Sun - The power of both literal and metaphorical aspects of the sun. This purview's innate power lets you radiate an aura of sunlight out to long range that pierces through darkness as a reflexive action. Additionaly, you may spend 1 point of Legend to increase this radiance to blinding brilliance, imposing a +2 Complication on any attack rolls against you or an ally within the light.
War - The power of battle, strategy and tactics. This purview's innate power allows you to grant a group of Heavy followers the Savage tag with your blessing as an ordinary action. This lasts indefinitely, but only one group can benefit at a time..
Water - The power of the tides, currents and all forms of water. This purview's innate power lets you breathe water like air, and swim through it with flawless grace, ignoring any Complication for moving or acting underwater. You are also immune to harm from the pressure or temperature of water.
Wild - The power of nature unspoiled by the touch of civilization. This purview's innate power lets you move through the wilderness with a dryad's grace, ignoring any difficult or dangerous terrain based on dense undergrowth, fallen trees, briar patches or similar plant-based hazards. Additionally, you gain a +2 Enhancement on all rolls to establish stealth while in a wilderness area.
Pantheon Specific Purviews:
Wyrd - The signature purview of the Aesir, granting them the power of Galdr and prophecy. It's innate power dooms each wielder to a personal fate that they are destined to meet. However, they can draw power from events which correlate with their eventual downfall, adding 1 to the Momentum pool.
Yoga - The purview of the Deva, granting them divine power and blessings as a reward for selfless devotion to the the world. It's innate power allows the user to, once per scene, spend Momentum on an action made to uphold a duty or serve someone else without having to draw upon their Virtues. For every point of Momentum they spend, they also add another free die, as though they had the Virtuous Condition.
Yaoyorozu-No-Kamigami - The purview of the Kami, granting them the power to communicate with the divine spirits of everything that exists, and entreat them for assistance. It's innate power allows you to speak with the kami of objects and animals, allowing you to communicate and attempt to influence them. They have Attitude 2 towards you by default.
Gun / Cheval- The purview of the Orisha / Loa, allowing them to possess and control the bodies of others. The Orisha call this purview "Gun" while the Loa refer to it as "Cheval." It's innate power allows the user to tell if somebody they are looking at is possessed by a spirit or deity and identify the nature of the possessing entity. Additionally, you can attempt to drive out a possessing enemy with a Clash of Wills using a Presence + Legend against its Resolve + Legend.
Dodaem - The purview of the Manitou, granting them the power of communing with totems to seek wisdom and guidance. It's innate power allows the user to, once each scene, ask a manitou for its favor as a simple action. It grants a +3 Enhancement on relevant rolls for the scene, such as those to hunt a bear or pass through a forest safely. In exchange, it will either ask you for a favor (the bear's manitou needs a new charge after the hunt) or impose a restriction (the forest manitou forbids you from harming living things). You lose the Enhancement if you don't honor the bargain, and the offended manitou may favor your foes until you make amends with it.
Heku - the purview of the Netjer, granting them power over the soul and external life force. It's innate power allows its users to hold power over those who's true name they know. For most mortals, this is their full given name, while the true name of mythical beings, cautious occultists, or Gods requires more extensive research or subterfuge to uncover. Knowledge of a character's true name grants a +2 Enhancement bonus on rolls to gain knowledge or understanding them.
Nextlahualli - The purview of the Teotl, granting them the power of ritual sacrifice. It's innate power adds 1 point of Momentum to the pool each time you gain Legend from sacrifices. Additionally, you add 1 Momentum to the pool whenever helping a mortal who has sacrificed to you directly or the Teotl causes narrative difficulties for you.
Tianming - The purview of the Shen, granting them the power of celestial bureaucracy. It's innate power allows you to ignore all Complications from bureaucratic delay, corrupt officials, missing paperwork, long lines at the DMV, or similar obstacles that impede the right functioning of bureaucratic and official institutions.
Metamorphosis - The purview of the Theoi, granting them the power of shapeshifting and transformation. It's innate power grants you supernaturally convincing talent for disguise, with trivial characters automatically failing to see through your deception. When you roll to disguise yourself or present yourself as someone else, you ignore any Complications from changing height, size, race, sex or even species.
Geasa - The purview of the Tuatha De Danann, granting them power over rules, prohibitions and requirements. It's innate power is that each user is placed under a geis of their own, which they may draw power from as long as they continue to uphold it. If they break it or otherwise resolve the Condition, the Storyguide should arrange for you to fall under another - either from a Tuatha or fellow Scion, one of the sidhe, the biting words of a poet, or simply mythic circumstance. You take on a second such geis upon becoming a Demigod, and a third upon becoming a God.
Denizens: Humans are not the only intelligent beings to inhabit the world of Scion. Titans and Gods alike have created a great number of different creatures who call our world home. These beings are collectively known as 'Denizens' and with a bit of tweaking, players have the option of choosing one as a playable character.
As mentioned before, Scions do not have to be human in second edition anymore. Which means that you can be both a Denizen and a Scion at the same time. Even without the sponsorship of a God, however, many Denizens have access to their own supernatural abilities that allow them to compete with Scions up to various levels of power.
Also as mentioned before, a Scion does not need to be of the same ethnicity as the pantheon they derived from. The same also goes for Denizens, which means that you can play a kitsune of the Theoi, a satyr of the Manitou, a Wolf Warrior of the Shen, or whatever other combination you feel like.
Listed below are just some examples of various supernatural beings you as a player can choose from. Some of them are introduced in Origin, and expanded upon later in Hero, while others only appear in the Hero book. It's probably safe to assume that Demigod and God will further expand upon this list, as new creatures are introduced to the setting.
Cu Sith - Typically associated with the Tuatha De Danann pantheon. Cu Sith are also known by the names of Church Grim, Gabriel's Ratchet, or simply Black Dog. The sight of one of these supernatural canines is regarded as a bad omen, signifying that one has earned the displeasure of the Gods. The Cu Sith are recognized by their glowing red eyes, and their supernatural howls that can paralyze those who hear it. Unfortunately for them, normal Cu Sith almost never advance in power beyond Origin level, requiring them to become Scions if they wish to keep pace with the rest of the player group.
Kitsune - Typically associated with Inari, a member of the Kami pantheon. Kitsune are magical foxes who are known for their love of pulling pranks on others. Their power level is denoted by how many tails the fox has, with a total of 9 tails being said to rival Demigods in power. Although being able to change their form at will is one of their most iconic abilities, Kitsune seem to have great difficulty with being able to completely hide their tails. Thus, a thorough investigation of their disguise can blow their cover.
Satyr - Typically associated with Pan, a member of the Theoi pantheon. Satyrs are easily recognized as having the body of a human, with the legs and horns of a goat. They are also notorious for their hedonism, and a great many prefer to spend their lives in constant debauchery. But one should not be fooled by their decadent behavior, for Satyrs can often exhibit power comparable to those of Hero level Scions, as well.
Variants include Deer Women (Native American) and Hulder (Norse)
Wolf-Warrior - Mortals who have pledged themselves to a cause, and will gladly die to defend it. The strength of their conviction gives them a boost in power compared to ordinary mortals, even to the point of trading blows against Hero level Scions.
Variants include Shieldmaidens (Norse), Classical Amazons (Greek) and Dahomey Amazons.
Therianthrope - Those who possess the ability to take the form of specific animals, whether of their own volition, or as the result of a supernatural compulsion forced upon them. The most famous type of Therianthrope is probably the Werewolf, who transforms every full moon and infects those bitten by them with the same curse. While accessing their bestial forms, many Therianthropes are endowed with supernatural prowess that can make them a threat against even Hero level Scions.
Centaur - Typically associated with the Theoi pantheon. Centaurs have the upper body of a human, with the lower body of a horse, and prefer to live wild and free of the trappings of human civilization. Their naturally powerful builds allows these large brutes to easily compete with Hero level Scions
Variants include Kinnara (India) and Nuckelavee (Celtic)
Saint - Mortal men and women who are devoted so strongly to a particular set of virtues, that they too have a limited capacity to work miracles. Saints are almost universally celebrated and idolized by their religious community, but the spiritual strength needed to maintain their status can be exhausting over time.
Prophet - Mortals who have the power to decipher the machinations of Fate. Their ability to predict the future is greatly respected by those who seek them out, and greatly feared by those who do not. Nobody likes hearing bad news, especially when it's followed up by saying they can't do anything to stop it from happening.
Cassandra - Mortals who are cursed to speak only the absolute truth of what is currently happening in the world. The strangest part about their curse is that normal people will never believe a word of what they're saying. Those who possess divine powers (like Scions) are immune to this part of the curse, however, and may take advantage of the Cassandra's revelations.
Current Books In The Series: As of the time that I am currently writing this, the 2nd edition series of Scion has released the following books.
Scion: Origin - A book detailing how to play at the mortal level of power. This is the core rule book for 2nd edition, and is required in order to make proper use of any additional books.
Scion: Hero - A book detailing how to play at the Hero level of power. Unfortunately, it possesses the same title and cover art for 1st edition, which may confuse newcomers to the game.
Mysteries of the World - A companion supplement book which expands upon many features and mechanics for 2nd edition. Also covers several new real life pantheons, which include the Loa of Haiti, the Nemetondevos of Gaul, and the Yazata of Persia. As well as a fictional pantheon of the Atlanteans.
Titanomachy - A supplement book which goes into further details regarding the nature of the Titans and their war against the Gods. Also provides details on how to play a Scion of the Titans, if you feel like taking on the role of a more antagonistic character.
Mythical Denizens - A small supplement book providing some examples of ready made antagonists players might encounter during their story.
Future Releases: Though not currently out yet, the following books are planned to be added to the series at some point. Bare in mind that these are just the ones which I personally know about, and it is quite possible that more books may be featured in this list that I am not aware of.
Scion: Demigod - A book detailing how to play at the Demigod level of power. As with Hero, it too uses the same cover art and title as first edition, which may confuse new players.
Scion: God - A book detailing how to play at the God level of power. Presumably, it will also use the same cover art and title as its 1st edition counterpart.
Masks of the Mythos - A supplement book which promises to introduce the Lovecraft mythos into the world of Scion, allowing players to take on the role of Scions descending from eldritch horrors and incomprehensible entities.
Scion: Dragon - A spin off game which takes place in the same setting as Scion. Players slip themselves into the role of an Heir to the legacy of the dragons, who's once glorious civilization was destroyed in ancient times by the Gods and their Scions.