Character Creation Scion 2E

[wyrdhamster]

I’m starting the Scion 2E game – and found character creation rules a bit confusing. Even with added sum-up material of Scion Character Creation Quick Reference ( SCCQR in short ), I still have questions on it.

Origin Tier

1. Legend - Origin character get or not get Legend 1 score? I thought that at Origin tier, characters are ‘mortal’, so they DO NOT have Legend – i.e. they have Legend 0 – however SCCQR point they get Legend 1. Who is right?
2. Knacks – As I understand, Origin characters get at start 1 Calling – and from that Calling list, they choose ONLY ONE Knack option for start. So if I choose Creator as Calling, I can choose 1 Knack between Innate Toolkit, Perfect Rendition, Reverse Engineer, Flawlessly Platonic Ideal, The Unlimited Quatermaster, We Go All Night OR Wireless Interface. I get it right?

[Mugbearer23]

Hi,

on the matter of callings. Origin Characters get one Calling (with one dot) and one heroic knack. Later on in the finishing touches they may choose two additional Heroic Knacks. But even then they can only have one at the time active.

[Florin]

Origin level characters do not have Legend. Look at all the ready made characters in the Origin book. Also, in Hero it says when upgrading after the Visitation, you note your one dot of Legend.

[wyrdhamster]

ElfSpeaker, you should corect the Legend error on Origin tier in SCCQR.

[ElfSpeaker]

Thank you for the @. I’ll get it corrected shortly

[wyrdhamster]

3. Callings - As I understand, at Origin tier, characters CANNOT take more Callings than one only? If I choose Guardian, on Origin itself, I cannot take other Calling to mix-and-match Knacks from various lists? Origin book do not point that you can buy new Callings from Experiance.

[Geoffrey]

Correct. At Origin, your character has one Calling and one active Knack from either that Calling or the General Knack list. Callings cannot be bought with experience (ever). Knacks can be bought with experience, but the number of active Knacks you can have is fixed.

[Kyman201]

Yeah, you don't buy Calling dots with XP. You get them as your Legend goes up.

You gain 4 Calling Dots when your Legend increases to 1, after your Visitation (5 total Calling dots), and then you gain 1 more every even Legend dot.

So at Legend 2 you have 6 total Calling Dots, at Legend 4 you have 7 dots, and so on.

Edit: And to predict a future question: You can't just pay XP to switch your established Callings. At Hero Tier, you undergo what's called a Failure Deed or a Crisis to weaken your ties to a specific Calling (such as failing to slay a powerful foe for your Warrior Calling, or utterly break a heart as a Lover) and then can take up an Adoption Deed to gain a new Calling.

At Demigod tier, there's a phase of the Ascension Path called the Threshold wherein you can more freely swap your Callings every session as you explore your personal Legend and play with your identities. Like my hypothetical Loki Scion Demigod may stop being a con artist for a bit and work with law enforcement to help bring in other criminals, losing her Liminal Calling and taking the Judge Calling as she experiments with being a force for justice. Then she tosses it aside because she reaffirmed that the law is often bullshit.

[wyrdhamster]

4. Skills - I get it right that in Origin, characters only get 18 Skill dots? 9 from Primary Path, 6 from Secondary Path and 3 from Tertiary Path? In SCCQR there is also mentioned 5 extra free Skills dots - but I do not see rules for them in Origin book chapter...

EDIT: No, final sum is 23 Skill dots, with 18 from Paths and 5 free later on.

[Kyman201]

The Five Extra Skill Dots are mentioned in the Finishing Touches part of Character Creation in Origin. Page 98, under the heading "Step Six: Finishing Touches". Right next to the extra Attribute Dot, and a choice of either two extra Knacks or four Birthright Dots.

[wyrdhamster]

5. Extra Knacks or Birthrights - I suspect that line 'Add two heroic Knacks OR four points of Birthrights, see Scion: Hero...' is wrong on 'heroic' kind of Knacks for Origin tier?

[Geoffrey]

5. Extra Knacks or Birthrights - I suspect that line 'Add two heroic Knacks OR four points of Birthrights, see Scion: Hero...' is wrong on 'heroic' kind of Knacks for Origin tier?

No. A little confusingly, Heroic Knacks are Knacks that take up only one active Knack "slot." There are also Immortal Knacks in Hero, which take up two.

[ElfSpeaker]

Yeah, it’s confusing but correct.

[Kyman201]

I would let my players take two bonus Knacks of Heroic or Immortal type at Chargen... But I'd warn the players that if they're at Origin tier they shouldn't take Immortal Knacks because they won't be able to use them.

[wyrdhamster]

6. So 'first chosen Knack' from Calling at Origin tier is also Heroic Knack? Or Heroic Knacks ar only in Hero book and two alternative to Birghtrights are OTHER kind than those from Origin book? 🤔