Greetings, true believers!
I’ll keep this relatively short, since my allergies are murdering me. First, we’ve got the link to the third Sardonyx teaser, featuring Scale and the three Schemas of combat. Not featured: Speed and Damage.
Scale is more or less a chart that allows you to determine the effects of your actions in the world, but we distinguish between dramatic effects and special effects – punching a nemesis versus tossing a fireball into the crowd of mooks. We distinguish this because – as some of you have noted – it’s important to preserve narrative against realism while still servicing both. Keep in mind that Scale doesn’t always apply – Daredevils don’t always get that +1 Enhancement to everything, only when they burn Inspiration (or take Tricks or powers that allow them to always apply their Scale permissions). You might remember a similar system from the Mage Chronicler’s Guide, which I thought was a very elegant way of handling things. I’d like to include benchmark success charts in the books, but you can probably eyeball a rough idea of what the effects are (which is the entire point). One of Scion’s Heroes working to Scale can pretty easily heft a vehicle over her head and toss it, while a demigod swinging a Scaled blade can probably topple a couple of good-sized hills. Caladbolg* that!
The Scale chart Factor names represent our best guess of the uppermost powers of that Tier, and shouldn’t be taken as indicative of their respective games. Heroes might end up edging out proxies (although, I doubt it – proxies have some serious psychic might on their side). On the other hand, I imagine the gods themselves feel a bit limited next to Divis Mal or the Colony.
Focus is another slightly adiegetic mechanism in our bag of tricks, but one that I think synergizes well with initiative and allows noncombatants the spotlight (or combatants to have all the spotlight).
Shifting Attributes for Ranged bands was a controversial decision, but I’d like to test it out and see what you all think. Consider that Edges and certain Skill Tricks would allow you to shift Attributes when it comes to Ranged bands.
Be sure to comment in either the RPG.net thread or either of the two threads in the Onyx Path forums (Trinity and Scion, respectively). We’ve gotten some great feedback so far, which is helping me prep the next version of Sardonyx.
*is it the Caledfwlch-aka-Excalibur of the Welsh Mabinogi, or the hill-cleaving sword of the Irish Tuatha Dé Danann? At least the other Celtic pantheon can’t lay claim to it. This has been your weekly Scion teaser.
Music: Alabama Shakes, “Don’t Wanna Fight”
Reason to Drink: It’s my birthday!
I really like the shifting attributes on range bands.
Happy Birthday! It seems you got it mixed up – we’re supposed to give you gifts, not the other way around. Regardless, the system is amazing.
Given the way the system functions, I wouldn’t call them “ticks”. Ticks seem to imply a counting down and are more associated with some of the older Exalted systems. Here I might call it “Priority” of something instead.
I have to agree, just calling it Initiative or Priority is less confusing.
You know Onyx Path should make a Youtube video song for Sardonyx based on the cartoon theme song of “Robotix” (from the 1980’s)
As previously noted, Sardonyx is not the final name of the system.
I love this and am SO excited for the Aeonverse and Scion returning. I’ve been a huge Aeonverse fan since their initial run and have many positive experiences with all three games used in different capacities.
My only two notes are: I think that scale should be applied to all systems, with epic or legendary feats of investigation/observation in procedural situations and epic bond forging and manipulations with intrigues.
Additionally, I think there should be a system in the procedurals category for hiding information or setting up false clues to beef up play options around the intellectual part of the setting. Some of this could use the intruiges but other examples within the procedural part could be working in ciphers, hacking to corrupt data, crafting false alternative clues (core clues should be accessible at all times but may include action adventure or intrigue depending on story context).
I just noticed that the intensity bonuses are wrong according to the formula given, starting at scale six. It has probably been caught already, but I figured I’d point out just in case.