10 replies to this topic

['Adam']

So, when it comes to Scion, which you favorite Pantheon and why?

Personally, I like the Greek, mostly because I'm familiar with about every Greek myth there is and the way Scion presents the opportunity to 'live' those myths is incredibly cool to me.

One thing I don't like is the Arete purview.  I think it's broken in a major way when compared (statistically) to the other purviews.  I ran a few numbers and honestly Hercules or Ares can win in almost any fight against any other God or Titan as long as they have Athletics Arete at 10 and any Combat Arete at 10. (and I think Ares does)

[Owns-The-Night]

That's a toughie...  

I grew up reading a lot of myths and legends from a lot of different cultures: African to Far Eastern to Native American.  But I'm going to have to come down off the fence and pick the Aesir.  Scandinavian mythology contains a lot of my favorite tales.

As for Jotunblut, I haven't played Scion or run the numbers effectively enough to compare it to other Pantheon-specific purviews, but on first impressions it strikes me as the ultimate "Call the hordes to war" power.  If you like the mental image of your hero riding at the head of a mob of frothing, super-strong berserkers and giant intelligent wolves, then it's perfect.

[Ouroboros]

For me I'd have to say probably the Olympians as well.  I know those stories and grew up hearing about them as they permeate our culture in various ways. The Aesir would rank a close second.  The Egyptian gods third because mummies rule and of all the gods they have the best imagery.  

In play however I think the Celestial Bureaucracy is very interesting.

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: 'Adam'

...as long as they have Athletics Arete at 10 and any Combat Arete at 10. (and I think Ares does)

Does Athletics Arete increases DCV?

[SalmonMax]

I actually like the stories of Egyptian mythology a lot...though they get convoluted and weird due to the sheer amount of time they existed. Then you add that most Egyptian gods had cults who had beliefs that weren't in the 'mainstream,' some of which became dominant, others of which were outlawed and faded into obscurity. It means that there's these broad narratives, the specifics of which vary widely according to what period you're looking at. Egypt has less "a" mythology and more a sequence of closely related mythologies.

I also really like "Native American" mythology, though again, that's a really misleading term since you have to specify what tribal ethnicity you're talking about, and to some extent what time...

Greek mythology is neat, but I feel a bit oversaturated by it. Since it forms the foundation of our culture, via the Romans, there's tidbits of it everywhere you look.

There's things in the Aesir I like...Odin is a really interesting figure, for example. One who rules primarily by his wits and intelligence in a very warlike people. I also think the imagery of the ultimate rabid beast who is bound by chains of thought, and of the fatalistic doom that hangs over them all but which they all struggle to avoid. The broad saga, I like, but most of the characters are kind of forgettable...save Odin, and Loki, who are the opposite sides of the same coin, and thus rather interesting.

[SalmonMax]

Originally Posted By: Courier

Originally Posted By: 'Adam'

...as long as they have Athletics Arete at 10 and any Combat Arete at 10. (and I think Ares does)

Does Athletics Arete increases DCV?

Not in this game, though I understand there's some debate about that in the rules in general.

[Ouroboros]

Originally Posted By: SalmonMax

Originally Posted By: Courier

Originally Posted By: 'Adam'

...as long as they have Athletics Arete at 10 and any Combat Arete at 10. (and I think Ares does)

Does Athletics Arete increases DCV?

Not in this game, though I understand there's some debate about that in the rules in general.

Correct. My logic being that DV is not a dice pool but a value and Arete adds dice and/or re-rolls to dice pools.  This is a point of contention among the scion community but I found this to be the best way to rule it until I hear otherwise.

[Dave ST]

You are correct Jameson, Arete only adds to the rolled value of a skill, it does not add to the skill total for calculating static values, like DV.  What it does add to though are weapon damage rolls and this equals a God of War who can shear through the defenses of any other God of War or Death in any other Pantheon.  Not that Ares' Ultimate Strength wouldn't do that any way, but on average the Dodeks have a decisive advantage in combat over most other pantheons.

As far as Jotunblut, I don't recall in any Norse legend where the gods fed their blood to the beasts and people to make them into super soldiers.  Maybe I'm wrong and I welcome a correction, but to me it seems like they a bit off base on that Purview.

[Ouroboros]

Originally Posted By: Dave ST

What it does add to though are weapon damage rolls and this equals a God of War who can shear through the defenses of any other God of War or Death in any other Pantheon.  Not that Ares' Ultimate Strength wouldn't do that any way, but on average the Dodeks have a decisive advantage in combat over most other pantheons.

True, true, but then he is the God of War.  Kratos my arse.

[Krul]

My favorites would be the Tuatha, then the Aesir, then the Atzlanti, and then the Pesujeset, after that I tend to like them all equally.  

I should point out, some of the other pantheon purviews do things that can't be done any way, and some of them can match the dice of Arete.  Enech comes to mind, for example, but Tsukumo-gami is not far behind, and both of those purviews are more versitle then Arete.  Actually, it's how boons, epics and knacks interact that can get really scary.

[metaphysician]

I have a very definite least favorite:  the Devas.  Writer of that material didn't even *pretend* to try and make it fit with all the others.  I suspect only editorial oversight kept him from decreeing Brahman the one true creator of the cosmos.