Scion-Fixes and Ideas for new players?

[ArendK]

So I'm looking back at past games I've played in, and as I'm reading through some books out here, I'm really interested in doing a modern Mythology game.

Scion was a blast when we just acknowledged that the system wasn't balanced and just rolled with it. But that was with a gaming group that I'd been with for several years where we generally knew how things worked.

Well, fast-forward many years and any group I may be able to salvage is either unfamiliar with Scion and its quirks or new to gaming in general. So I'm at bit stumped, especially with the curve that Scion as a system has to begin with, much less the fixes needed to make it viable for my group (mostly skill/attribute synergies and combat rules we altered the bejesus out of). Really, I'm trying to think of ways to streamline the combat and boon systems for newbies.

The biggest houserule change I'd make is everyone starts at Legend 3, not 2. They can only start at 4 at most through BP, but Legend 2 always felt useless to me.

Any suggestions on improving this system and making things easier, but still fun and semi-balanced?

[Friv]

I have a suggestion, but it's probably not one that you want: use a different system.

Marvel Heroic Roleplay handles the feel of Scion a lot better than Scion does; each player gets a Heritage powerset and a Birthright powerset, and you replace the Affiliation die with a Legend die that starts at d8. Limit how high players' Heritage and Birthright dice can be to d10, and give demigods and gods bonus to their rolls:

*) Demigods can add three dice to their results instead of two, and have d10 Distinctions and Legend.
*) Gods can boost their Heritage and Birthright to d12, and have d12 Distinctions and Legend.

[ArendK]

Indeed, not what I was looking for. I appreciate the thought, but I'm looking at Scion specific. I've thought about some fixes to balance out the need to be a combat monkey to survive, also, I'm looking at things that may overpower the normal game, but counter-balances hopefully combat vs. social vs. ingenuiity;

Boons- You don't buy specific powers, but sheer power in a given boon. Treating it almost like Prophecy/Mystery, but Scions do gain the specific powers normally for their boon (water-breathing for 1 Dot Water, Fire Immunity for Fire, etc. etc.). However, they can try to manipulate their given element to create a specific effect with a related roll (very abstract, but almost never relying on the physical stats); if it is mimicking the regular boon of another Purview (for instance, traveling through Fire, Shadows, or Trees like a Psychopomp, or a Frozen form of Levins Fury, etc. etc.), then the effort requires a spent point of Willpower; if the mimicked effect is normally of a Dot value higher than the Scions Legend, that requires another Willpower per dot of difference on top of the cost of mimcking another effect.

Perception is added to Ranged Damage rolls in lieu of Strength except with thrown weapons (using a relic designed otherwise, like a pistol that sets it's recoil to match the users epic strength and adds it to damage, costs a dot of the Birthright, is an example of exception to the rule).

Scrap the Weapon Speeds/Ticks. Sometimes, it's important to keep things simple.

Epic Values and increases-
This will require more work when fixing monsters and creatures for encounters;
Epic Automatic Successes are simply equal to their Dot Value. None of this scaling BS where a diceroll becomes insignificant at high Legend; The Arete Purview is handled the same way. As a result, target successes will have to drop a little bit.

Wits can be added instead of Dexterity for DV.

Starting characters will get 4 dots in a Guide Birthright for free. These points are separate from the regular pool of Birthright points, but can be used to boost a Guide (for example, if a player spent a point from their regular pool on a Guide, then added another point from the Guide-only pool bringing his Guide to 2 Dots. He would have 3 points left, and would be able to have a 3-dot Guide as well). Regular rules apply regarding point values of Birthrights above 3 dots.

Certain Knacks can be automatically enhanced when subjected in a situation related to a characters related Purview (has to be a Purview from their divine parent that the character shares); For instance, a Scion of Thor with the Sky purview might receive a 2-1 healing boost when using Self-Healing during a lightning storm. A Scion of Hephaestus with the Fire Purview would be receiving the same while consumed in a fire. A Scion of Ares Self-Healing might only be boosting in the middle of combat from the War Purview.


Anyone have any critiques?