Scion: Text Complete and Release Updates
over 6 years ago
– Fri, Dec 29, 2017 at 12:22:25 AM
Hello, true believers! Happy holidays.
Neall writing here, with an update I'm finally proud to announce: Scions Origin and Hero are fully text-complete. Origin has been in editing, and Hero is in Rich's hands for approval (and then, hopefully, swiftly on to editing).
Once the books come back from editing, I'll be going over them in a final development pass to address the editor's concerns and any lingering issues ("Whoops! We forgot to talk about ichor!" "Oh, this section really should come before that one."). The moment I'm finished with my development pass, we'll be providing you with links to the finished text, with the fully laid-out versions coming and being delivered as they're completed. I realize the text has taken longer than promised for a variety of reasons, including systems improvements by Team Trinity, research issues, and backer feedback (like Kali, for example). The gist of it is that I don't want you - the backers - to wait any longer to play, so you'll get the text very early. This isn't usually what we do, but that we're making an exception for this situation and in recognition of everyone's patience and support.
I'll be making another substantial update with the Manitou just after the New Year, but for now, here's Santa Claus as a parent for your Scions. Perhaps, nine months and some decades ago, he left a present somewhere other than under the tree...?
Mikola Mozhaiski
Aliases: Saint Nikolai of Mozhaisk
One day, a people called to a God in the hills of what would one day be Russia. He did not know his name, but the people did, and once they called he knew what and who he was. He fought for his people as new Gods crossed into his territory, both he and his city becoming the symbolic gate to the capital of the Rus.
Mikola Mozhaiski is a mantle of Saint Nicholas, an Incarnate Scion who claimed the power of his progenitor. A warrior-hero, Mikola took a hard line against the invading Tengri Scions who invaded Mozhaysk during the 14th Century. His Incarnations in the modern World tend to be far more low-key, however: a farmer working on formerly collectivized land, a guard clacking his boots on the stones of Moscow, the cheerful weatherman, and the occasional toymaker.
Scions of Mikola occasionally inherit their father's tempestuous and warlike nature, but more often his generous and gregarious nature shines through. His one demand is that his Scions never forget the common folk, especially children.
Purviews: Epic Strength, Fertility, Frost, Prosperity, Sky
Short Update and Onyx Path @ PAX Unplugged
over 6 years ago
– Sun, Nov 19, 2017 at 12:55:07 AM
Greetings, true believers -
This is Neall with a short update from PAX Unplugged, where we're running full demos of a Scion scenario "A Light Extinguished", written by Monica Speca. If you're at the convention, stop by and say hello - myself and Scion writer/Changeling co-developer Meghan Fitzgerald are manning the demo booth pretty much dead center between the retail shop area and the expanse of game tables.
"Someone has killed the Bai Amari, the Luminary, a well-respected and beloved Scion of Ra on the cusp of becoming a true demigod. A woman as gracious as Bai didn't have many enemies, so who would want such a thing. Further, who could muster enough power to end a powerful Scion with little warning and even less of a fight? The Netjer are in an uproar, demanding blood. They wonder: Is this a declaration of war? A mortal detective investigating the murder on a mundane level reaches out to the player band - whomever murdered the Luminary did so on a level beyond mortality, and her death must be solved and avenged before agents of the Gods rip the city apart."
As a quick update for those who don't read the Monday Meeting notes at theonyxpath.com, Scion: Origins is text-complete and Scion: Hero will shortly be under review by Rich. Expect a full update the moment those reviews are complete. The review process mostly entails senior Onyx Path personnel going over the text with about a half-century's worth of game design experience, pointing out elements of unclear writing, setting and system artifacts from a long development cycle, or recommendations for the book such as pregenerated characters as examples (thankfully, we have a long-time set of characters who have served us well over many playtest iterations, and I'm happy to give them primetime status on short notice. Sigrún Askrdöttir, carved from a living ash tree in Vanaheim by Loki’s own hand, this is your time to shine). Once we're text-complete and approved on both books, they go straight into the editing process.
When I get back from PAX and recover from the inevitable con crud later this week, I'll post a link to the Manitou, third-to-last of the previewed pantheons, and reflect on some of the system changes from open development and the Myth Level for running your games in the genre you want them to be in. If you're at the con, feel free to stop by and ask me anything about Scion, or just get in on a Scion game!
-Neall
October update: Full Storypath core system!
over 6 years ago
– Fri, Oct 06, 2017 at 04:52:32 PM
Hi, folks, Rose here, with an update from Neall!
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Neall:
Greetings, true believers!
One of the things you've all been waiting for is a full system preview.
As I explained in the prior update, there were reasons for some of the Storypath delays - namely, that Trinity's and They Came From's (excellent) system updates caused some delays on my end, as did playtesting concerns. Lots of system variants were tested, especially in regards to Momentum (which went from a group pool to separate pools back to a group pool). Now you can see the fruits of our labor: core systems.
Here's a link to the full Storypath core system. I'm hoping next time we speak will be before the end of the month!
Storypath Core System
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Rose:
And, if I may, Onyx Path's got something else cooking: my own game, Cavaliers of Mars! Return to dying Mars in its last age of glory for intrigue, romance, and swashbuckling adventure! Backers get instant access to the full manuscript, so come check it out!
Cavaliers of Mars
September update: Check out the Devas!
over 6 years ago
– Tue, Sep 19, 2017 at 12:30:34 PM
Hey, folks. Rose here, with a new preview from Neall!
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Neall:
Greetings, true believers! It's been a while!
As I discussed with fans at Gen Con, there were reasons for some of the Storypath delays - namely, that Trinity's (excellent) system updates caused some delays on my end, as did playtesting.
But we've also been working on a lot of pantheon research, including today's preview: the Devas, the Vedic and Hindu deities. This is a process that takes consultation with religious experts, beta readers, and constant writing and rewriting to ensure it's both cool and culturally sensitive.
Check out the Devas!
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Rose:
And if I may, I'd like to throw in a pitch for my own game, Cavaliers of Mars, which debuts on Kickstarter tomorrow, September 19th, at 12 PM GMT-5! Cavaliers takes you back to dying Mars in its last great Renaissance, an age of daring adventure and strange romance, set against the majestic backdrop of exotic beasts and ancient ruins. It's very much a project from my own heart, and I hope you'll check it out!
August update: Meet the Netjer!
over 6 years ago
– Thu, Aug 03, 2017 at 11:02:25 PM
Rose here, with new previews from Neall and a few words from Rich. ^_^
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Neall:
Greetings, true believers! Today's preview is of Step One in the Origins character creation process and - ah, yes - the revised Netjer. We went back and forth with the author and several other beta readers and Egyptologists, and I think the final version is pretty good.
If you'll be at Gen Con, so will I - stop by the booth for a demo of Scion: Second Edition! I'll also be running a few games of it here and there at the con, so feel free to talk to us about it, and definitely stop by the "What's up with Trinity/Scion?" panel to hear more the impending release of both games.
Character Creation: Step One
The Netjer
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RichT adds:
A new book of historical Dark Eras, intended for the Chronicles of Darkness, but designed to be fascinating reading regardless of your gaming interests. Each Era features two different game lines. We started the book with six Dark Eras, and backers have already unlocked a seventh and an eighth -- the Golden Age of Piracy, and Arthur's Britannia!
Most importantly, backers are currently voting on which one of three other Eras to include in the book when the next Stretch Goal is met. Come on over and join in the fun:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/chronicles-of-darkness-dark-eras-2
