Difference between revisions of "Avatar: The Godhead"

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;[[World of Darkness -- Pax Romana]] ~*~ [[PANTHEONS]]
+
;[[World of Darkness -- Pax Romana]] ~*~ [[DOMINIONS]] ~*~ [[PANTHEONS]]
 
== '''''In The Beginning''''' ==
 
== '''''In The Beginning''''' ==
 
[[File:Creation.jpg]]
 
[[File:Creation.jpg]]
Line 117: Line 117:
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
----
 
----
−
== '''Innate Powers of Divinity''' ==
+
== '''INNATE POWERS OF DIVINITY''' ==
 
:'''[[Beatific Reward]]''': The bestowal of divine powers upon mortal followers as a gift or in return for faithful service.
 
:'''[[Beatific Reward]]''': The bestowal of divine powers upon mortal followers as a gift or in return for faithful service.
  
Line 134: Line 134:
 
:'''[[Otherworldly Communication]]''': Avatars can answer prayers or pleas directly with spoken words or visions, or indirectly with portents and signs.
 
:'''[[Otherworldly Communication]]''': Avatars can answer prayers or pleas directly with spoken words or visions, or indirectly with portents and signs.
  
−
:'''[[Resistance to Lethal Damage]]''': Avatars can soak lethal damage with Stamina alone, but need [[ENDURANCE]] to resist aggravated damage and even this divine attribute offers no protection against each divine entities' anathema.
+
:'''[[Resistance to Lethal Damage]]''': Avatars can soak lethal damage with Stamina, but need [[ENDURANCE]] to resist aggravated damage and even this divine attribute offers no protection against each Avatar's anathema.
  
 
:'''[[Superior Healing]]''': While Avatars do not have regeneration ''per se'', they do heal far faster than mere mortals.
 
:'''[[Superior Healing]]''': While Avatars do not have regeneration ''per se'', they do heal far faster than mere mortals.
 +
 +
=== DIVINITY ===
 +
Like the Gods who spawned them, Avatars are
 +
creatures born of divine legend whose deeds shape the
 +
World around them. Their actions defy the physical
 +
laws that bind ordinary mortals, and as they grow in
 +
power, their mythic weight distorts the very fabric
 +
of reality, causing waves of improbability that spawn
 +
wonders—and freakish disasters—wherever they go.
 +
Tumult and conflict surround them as the forces of Fate
 +
act against their power, until the physical realm can no
 +
longer contain them.
 +
 +
The Divinity trait measures a Avatar’s power,
 +
reflecting the favor of her divine parent and the glory
 +
of her epic deeds. As a Avatar’s Divinity grows, she gains
 +
access to greater Divine Attributes, Flairs and Powers, as
 +
well as the ability to perform fantastic stunts worthy of
 +
her name. But a Avatar’s divinity is a two-edged sword.
 +
As her energies increase, the forces of Fate act against
 +
her in corresponding strength, creating a vortex of
 +
conflicting influences that warp the laws of probability
 +
in increasingly fantastical ways.
 +
 +
Divinity is rated from 1 to 12. Avatars of Divinity 1
 +
through Divinity 4 are considered heroes—an ethics-
 +
neutral term here meant to separate Avatars from
 +
mere mortals. Avatars of Divinity 5 through Divinity 8
 +
are considered true demigods. Characters of Divinity
 +
9 through Divinity 12 are themselves gods. An Avatar’s
 +
Divinity rating generates a pool of Divinity points equal
 +
to the character’s Divinity dots '''''squared'''''.
 +
 +
==== USING DIVINITY ====
 +
As well as acting as a measure of a Avatar’s power, Divinity can be used during play in a number of different ways:
 +
                                                                                                                                                           
 +
'''Legendary deeds:''' A character’s Divinity allows her
 +
to regularly perform amazing deeds that defy the laws of
 +
physics or probability. Once per story per dot the Avatar has
 +
of Divinity, the player may add a number of bonus successes
 +
equal to the character’s Divinity rating to any action. (An Avatar
 +
with Divinity 4 could add four bonus successes to any four
 +
actions during the course of a single story.) The player must
 +
spend one Legend point to access these bonus successes.
 +
 +
'''Rerolling an action:''' The player may spend one Divinity
 +
point to re-roll a failed action, even if the action resulted
 +
in a botch. This ability is most cost effective when used to
 +
re-roll exceptionally difficult actions or stunts. Only one
 +
re-roll may be attempted per failed action.
 +
 +
'''Defensive do-over:''' By spending one Divinity point,
 +
the player of an attacked character may retroactively
 +
increase his character’s DV against a successful attack by
 +
an amount equal to his (Athletics ÷ 2). The player can do
 +
so only after the attacker’s player makes his attack roll.
 +
 +
'''Using powerful Boons:''' Some Powers are so potent
 +
that they must be activated by spending points from a
 +
Avatar’s Divinity pool. See Chapter Five, pages 139-156
 +
for more details.
 +
 +
'''Fueling magical spells:''' Magic, regardless of its
 +
origin, requires the expenditure of Divinity points for
 +
it to take effect. See Chapter Five, pages 153-155 for
 +
more details.
 +
 +
==== REGAINING DIVINITY ====
 
----
 
----
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
----
 
----
−
== '''Backgrounds''' ==
+
 
−
:* '''[[Allies]]''' --  
+
== '''[[BIRTHRIGHTS]]''' ==
−
:* '''[[Boons]]''' --  
+
=== INTRODUCTION ===
−
:* '''[[Birthrights]]''' --
+
The Gods do limit their involvement in the mortal
−
:* '''[[Companions]]''' --  
+
realm, but they don’t send their children to war unarmed.
−
:* '''[[Contacts]]''' --
+
A Avatar’s visitation by his or her divine parent invariably
−
:* '''[[Cult]]''' --  
+
involves the bestowal of Birthrights—legendary servants,
−
:* '''[[Influence]]''' --  
+
mentors or even creatures and relics of great power.
−
:* '''[[Legendry]]''' --  
+
 
−
:* '''[[Military]]''' --  
+
Possessing no Birthrights is a sure sign that a Avatar has
−
:* '''[[Progenitor]]''' --  
+
not yet met her divine parent or guide — a status that tends to
−
:* '''[[Provinces]]''' --  
+
attract titanspawn for the purposes of recruitment or
−
:* '''[[Resources]]''' --  
+
“preemptive disposal.” But for those Avatars who have
−
:* '''[[Retainers]]''' --  
+
already received a visitations, sages, beasts, armies
−
:* '''[[Status]]''' --
+
and relics await.
−
:* '''[[]]''' --  
+
 
−
:* '''[[]]''' --  
+
=== GIFTS FROM THE GODS ===
 +
Avatars begin the game with five dots of Birthrights,
 +
which can be divided among the Creatures, Followers,
 +
Guide and Relic traits. A player may purchase the same
 +
Birthright multiple times and assign differing amounts of
 +
dots to each, possessing several distinct relics or multiple
 +
legendary creatures, for example. No single trait usage can
 +
have a rating higher than five. By spending bonus points,
 +
a character could begin play with two five-dot creatures,
 +
for example, but not a single creature with a rating of
 +
10. Regardless of how players choose to distribute their
 +
Birthright dots, they must do so judiciously. Additional
 +
Birthright traits can be acquired only through roleplaying,
 +
not the expenditure of experience points.
 +
 
 +
The use of a Birthright trait, in and of itself, never
 +
requires any dice rolling. Determining the results of, say,
 +
a consultation between a Avatar and his guide should be
 +
arbitrated by roleplaying instead. Dice rolls for actions
 +
involving Birthrights might still be necessary (using a relic
 +
weapon to attack an opponent, for example), but such
 +
rolls never involve dots of the Birthright trait directly.
 +
----
 +
<BR>
 +
----
 +
=== CREATURES ===
 +
The Creature Birthright represents a Avatar’s close tie
 +
to a creature of legend, usually provided by a divine parent
 +
as a mount or companion. A player has all of mundanity
 +
and literature (especially the stories of his character’s
 +
chosen pantheon) to draw upon when choosing a creature
 +
for his Avatar. This Birthright might represent a coatl,
 +
benu bird, crocodile, wolf, snake or other creature. With
 +
enough dots invested in this Birthright, a Avatar could
 +
have an even more impressive creature at her disposal,
 +
such as a kirin or a young dragon.
 +
 
 +
Although the line between animal and human
 +
intelligence is often blurred in the realms of legend,
 +
this trait typically represents creatures of roughly animal
 +
intelligence. For more intelligent beings (centaurs or
 +
tengu, for example), the Followers or Guide Birthrights
 +
are more appropriate.
 +
 
 +
The entities covered by the Creature Birthright are
 +
assumed to be quite loyal, though not necessarily to a suicidal
 +
degree. If a creature would die to protect its master, that will
 +
become clear through roleplaying. It’s not assumed merely by
 +
allocating dots to this Birthright. Communication is likewise
 +
not taken for granted. At the start of a cycle, Avatars and
 +
their pets might share a limited form of communication (a
 +
few simple commands), and they can expand on this limited
 +
repertoire as the cycle proceeds. The Creature Birthright
 +
does not endow an otherwise unintelligent creature with
 +
telepathy or the ability to discuss higher level concepts,
 +
though Avatars proficient in the Dominion of Beasts might have
 +
some advantages in this regard.
 +
 
 +
Note that the dot descriptions here are merely
 +
guidelines. A very powerful nekomata, for example, would
 +
certainly rate more than a single dot, while an infant dragon
 +
would cost less than five. Use the following descriptions
 +
as rules of thumb.
 +
 
 +
==== Trait Effects ====
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●</span>||The creature is small, weak, somewhat fragile or perhaps entirely incorporeal — a weak nekomata, a monkey, a scarab, an owl or a raven, for example. Such creatures are useful for warning their owners of dangers and providing some limited reconnaissance, but little else.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●</span>||The creature is a somewhat larger or more powerful mundane beast—tigers, wolves, boars, large birds of prey. Weak entities can also be included here—a serpopard, Stymphalian bird, or various and sundry nature spirits would fall into this category.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●</span>||The creature is a beast of modest power, such as a golem, coatl or a pegasus.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●●</span>||The creature is a more powerful one, such as the Taureau-Trois-Graines or a valkyrie horse.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●●●</span>||The creature is a unique beast of legend (such as Gullinbursti) or a particularly dangerous monster such as a kirin, a roc or a basilisk.
 +
|}
 +
----
 +
<BR>
 +
----
 +
 
 +
=== FOLLOWERS ===
 +
Many heroes of legend stood at the forefront of
 +
mighty armies, and the Followers Birthright reflects that
 +
heritage.
 +
 
 +
This trait represents the number and quality of
 +
sentient beings who are extremely loyal to the Avatar —
 +
making allowances for the variety of “sentient” beings
 +
found in classical legend, of course. Followers might
 +
consist of a small cadre of human warriors or servants,
 +
though they can also be recruited from the denizens
 +
of the realms of legend, including zombies, ''spartoi''
 +
and even more exotic folk. As a rule of thumb, a being
 +
with intelligence and communication abilities roughly
 +
comparable to or surpassing humans are covered by
 +
the Followers Birthright, while creatures of animal
 +
intelligence (or those with limited communication
 +
abilities) fall under the auspices of the Creature
 +
Birthright. Given the breadth of human legend, this is a
 +
fuzzy line at best—the Storyteller gets the final say.
 +
 
 +
Though the trait effects listed here all assume five
 +
followers, a Avatar isn’t limited to this number. A player
 +
can opt for a greater number of weaker followers. In
 +
essence, doing so amounts to purchasing the trait multiple
 +
times. Using the listed examples, a player might allocate
 +
five dots to the Followers trait to represent 25 hoplites,
 +
four dots to represent 10 myrmidons, and so forth.
 +
 
 +
Although a Avatar’s player purchases this trait at
 +
character creation, having the dots does not imply that
 +
the character will always have access to that number of
 +
followers. If a follower dies in battle, note this on the
 +
Avatar’s character sheet in the Birthrights section. Barring
 +
a trip to the Underworld (not out of the question,
 +
considering the milieu), the follower is lost to the
 +
Avatar forever, or until other events arbitrated through
 +
roleplaying give the Avatar access to new followers.
 +
 
 +
==== Trait Effects ====
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●</span>||Five cops, hoplites or jaguar warriors.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●</span>||Five zombies or berserks.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●</span>||Five spartoi, samurai or amazons.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●●</span>||Five myrmidons, einherjar or tengu.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●●●</span>||Five valkyries or shinobi.
 +
|}
 +
----
 +
<BR>
 +
----
 +
 
 +
=== GUIDE ===
 +
In Greek legend, the heroes Achilles, Heracles, Jason,
 +
Aeneas, Asclepius and Peleus learned archery and the
 +
arts from the centaur Chiron—quite a list of students,
 +
considering that Chiron himself was the titanspawn
 +
child of Cronus. Military mentors, spiritual guides
 +
and other gifted advisors often figure prominently in
 +
legends from other parts of the World as well. Perhaps
 +
the ancient Gods find power in the form itself, because
 +
even in modern times, they are known to bless their
 +
children with guides.
 +
 
 +
Potential guides come in many forms: sagely mortals,
 +
fellow Avatars or even legendary beings. A Greek Avatar
 +
might visit a particular grove to commune with one of
 +
the “rural ghosts.” Japanese Avatars might do the same at
 +
remote Shinto shrines. Loa guides have the jarring habit of
 +
dispensing wisdom through convenient passersby, often at
 +
inopportune or embarrassing moments for their students.
 +
 
 +
Purchasing this trait is no guarantee that a Avatar’s
 +
guide will always be available to answer questions.
 +
Indeed, the most powerful and knowledgeable guides
 +
usually have the most distractions. Avatars with guides
 +
that can be reached through a relic (see “Relics and Other
 +
Birthrights,” p. 160) will usually find their mentors easier
 +
to communicate with.
 +
 
 +
In the same vein, no guide is unerringly accurate or
 +
completely honest about all subjects. They are characters
 +
with limitations and ambitions of their own. In general,
 +
however, a guide can be relied on to fulfill his archetypal
 +
role: sometimes confusing, sometimes preoccupied, but
 +
ultimately delivering a crucial education in the way of
 +
the hero.
 +
 
 +
Because the interaction between a Avatar and his
 +
divine parent is so fundamental to the game, the Guide
 +
Birthright cannot be used to define this relationship. A
 +
few Gods contact their children almost daily, some are
 +
complete absentees, but most fall somewhere in between.
 +
Regardless, an immortal mother or father is always more
 +
than just a guide (though Gods occasionally fulfill the
 +
guide role for Avatars who aren’t their children).
 +
 
 +
==== Trait Effects ====
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●</span>||A wise mortal. The guide can offer useful advice about several aspects of mortal life (Ability specialties, the conduct of war, finances, etc.). Such guides might be knowledgeable in certain areas relating to the Gods—the mystic practices of their worshipers, unconfirmed accounts of titanspawn, and so forth—though they rarely have firsthand experience with Avatars or their divine parents. In fact, many guides at this level have no idea how or why a deity would select them to mentor their children.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●</span>||A very wise and/or powerful mortal. The guide is either an extremely knowledgeable mortal—the World’s foremost expert in his or her chosen
 +
field, for example—or one who wields wide influence. The more power guides possess, the less time they have to guide their charges. A guide at this level could also be one of the rare individuals who is aware of the struggle between the Gods and the Titans. Such guides often have direct experience with other Avatars or titanspawn.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●</span>||An experienced Avatar. The guide can offer considerable insight into all things semi-divine. She might know other Avatars from several pantheons, or even a few Gods. Many have experience fighting various strains of titanspawn. Unfortunately, Avatars mentoring Avatars can sometimes resemble the blind leading the blind. Even experienced Avatars sometimes misunderstand the inscrutable intrigues of their parents. Another drawback to having a Avatar for a mentor is that she’s often involved with her own heroic Band, leaving her less time to guide her pupil.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●●</span>||A legendary being. The guide could conceivably be any sort of creature or being. Many kami and loa serve in this capacity, as do the numerous nature spirits that crop up in Greek and Norse legend. Although they aren’t outright Gods, such creatures are particularly attuned to the workings of divinity. These guides often have considerable experience with titanspawn, and might even have a rudimentary knowledge of the Titans themselves. Such creatures typically have limited knowledge of the mortal World, however. Sirens know lots about sailors, for instance, but their knowledge of cars and stock exchanges is limited.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●●●</span>||A minor God or Goddess. The guide possesses considerable firsthand knowledge of the Overworld, the Underworld and destinations in between, though he is often preoccupied with his divine duties. Some Gods are notoriously cryptic or find it difficult to communicate with mortals. Such deities confound (inadvertently or otherwise) as often as they guide.
 +
|}
 +
----
 +
<BR>
 +
----
 +
 
 +
=== RELICS ===
 +
Humans are creatures defined largely by their tools,
 +
and this relationship shows up time and time again in
 +
the legends they pass on. The tools of the Gods play a
 +
major role in defining Avatars as well. Relic, items of divine origin are always associated with one divine dominion or another; Avatars without the direct intervention of their divine parent can still learn new dominions through the acquisition of relics.
 +
 
 +
The Relic trait rating represents how many of the
 +
divine Purviews can be accessed through a single Relic.
 +
If a character has a particular Dominion, she may activate
 +
it as long as she has an appropriate Relic. The Wind’s
 +
Freedom Boon (see p. 146), for example, can be used if
 +
the Avatar possesses a relic of the Dominion of Sky — assuming,
 +
of course, that the character’s player purchased that
 +
of course, she has another relic that happens to cover
 +
that same Dominion).
 +
 
 +
Mere possession, however, is insufficient. The Avatar
 +
must also be able to use the item, which depends on
 +
the nature of the relic. Books must be read, swords
 +
must be wielded, bags of gris-gris must be opened and
 +
sprinkled. An Avatar who is unconscious, restrained by
 +
rope or chain, or has her sacred Relic buried deep inside
 +
a backpack and out of easy reach won’t usually be able to
 +
access her Relics or their associated Dominions.
 +
 
 +
An important caveat: A particular relic might allow
 +
an Avatar to use Dominions from a certain divine portfolio, but
 +
that doesn’t mean the Avatar now has access to every
 +
Dominion of that sphere. The character may use only those
 +
powers his player purchased at character creation or
 +
through the expenditure of experience points.
 +
 
 +
==== Trait Effects ====
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●</span>||Access to one Dominion.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●</span>||Access to two Dominion.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●</span>||Access to three Dominion.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●●</span>||Access to four Dominion.
 +
|-
 +
|<span style="font-size:large">●●●●●</span>||Access to five Dominion.
 +
|}
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
 
 +
=== ALTERNATE BIRTHRIGHTS ===
 +
:* '''[[ALLIES]]''' --  
 +
:* '''[[BAND]]''' --  
 +
:* '''[[BOONS]]''' --  
 +
:* '''[[COMPANIONS]]''' --  
 +
:* '''[[CREATURES]]''' --  
 +
:* '''[[CULT]]''' --  
 +
:* '''[[LEGENDRY]]''' --  
 +
:* '''[[PROGENY]]''' --  
 +
:* '''[[PROGENITOR]]''' --  
 +
:* '''[[PROVINCES]]''' --  
 +
:* '''[[TREASURE]]''' --  
 
----
 
----
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
----
 
----
−
== '''[[Divine Virtues]]''' ==
+
 
−
* [[Divine Conviction]]
+
== '''[[DIVINE VIRTUES]]'''==
−
* [[Courage]]
+
The children of the Gods do not feel as mortals
−
* [[Endurance]]
+
do. With the blood of their divine parent burning in
−
* [[Duty]]
+
their veins, Avatars are driven by passions both heroic
−
* [[Divine Expression]]
+
and terrible. These passions, or Virtues, are what
−
* [[Harmony]]
+
drive Avatars to perform their epic deeds. Sometimes,
−
* [[Intellect]]
+
when their passions run away with them, it can lead
−
* [[Loyalty]]
+
to terrible tragedy as well, as many heroes of legend
−
* [[Order]]
+
learned to their regret.
−
* [[Piety]]
+
 
−
* [[Valor]]
+
A character in Avatar begins the game with four
−
* [[Vengeance]]
+
Virtues, determined by the pantheon from which she
 +
descends. Like Attributes, each character automatically
 +
has one dot in each of her Virtues and can increase
 +
them further during the course of character creation.
 +
Virtues are rated from one to five dots, and a character
 +
can have high or low ratings in all of her Virtues.
 +
 
 +
=== THE BENEFITS OF VIRTUES ===
 +
Virtues represent the core values of an Avatar, those
 +
deep-seated beliefs that propel her to perform deeds
 +
worthy of legend. It is the strength of a Avatar’s Virtues
 +
that drive her to take action, and when she channels her
 +
Willpower in service of her beliefs, she gains an increase
 +
in power and effectiveness.
 +
 
 +
Once per story per dot her character possesses in a
 +
particular Virtue, a player may spend a Willpower point
 +
to add a number of bonus dice equal to the Virtue
 +
rating to the character’s dice pool for actions that relate
 +
to that specific Virtue.
 +
 
 +
For example, a Norse Avatar with
 +
a rating of 3 in her Courage Virtue would gain three
 +
bonus dice for a combat-related dice roll by spending a
 +
Willpower point. She could gain these bonus dice up to
 +
three separate times during the same story. Performing
 +
a stunt that strongly reflects the values of a given Virtue
 +
can restore one use of this benefit.
 +
 
 +
Naturally, these benefits become more cost-effective
 +
as the Avatar’s Virtue ratings increase, but there are
 +
disadvantages to high Virtue ratings as well.
 +
 
 +
=== THE DISADVANTAGES OF VIRTUES ===
 +
A high Virtue rating represents a Avatar’s deep
 +
commitment to the ideals of her divine parent. The deeper
 +
the commitment is, however, the harder it becomes for a
 +
Avatar to resist acting according to her beliefs, even when
 +
such action might be dangerous or unwise.
 +
 
 +
When a Avatar wishes to act in a way that runs counter
 +
to the tenets of one of her Virtues (or wishes to refrain
 +
from acting in line with one of her Virtues), the player
 +
may spend a point of Willpower to allow the character
 +
to do so. If he has no Willpower points to spend (or
 +
simply doesn’t want to spend Willpower), he must roll
 +
a number of dice equal to the character’s Virtue rating
 +
instead. If the Virtue roll generates even one success, the
 +
Avatar cannot resist behaving as her Virtue demands.
 +
 
 +
''For example: Kachiko, a Avatar of Amaterasu, has a
 +
Valor rating of 5. She is badly wounded after a fight with
 +
a titanspawn, but now the monster’s minions have taken
 +
hostages from a nearby home and are attempting to escape.
 +
Kachiko is in no shape to fight, but her Valor demands that
 +
she act to protect the helpless. Kachiko’s player makes a Virtue
 +
roll to try to stay out of the fight. She rolls five dice and gets
 +
two successes. Despite her grievous injuries, she finds that she
 +
cannot live with the knowledge that she failed to do everything
 +
in her power to save the hostages from the cultists, so she
 +
prepares herself for what might be her last battle.''
 +
 
 +
When a Avatar struggles against her Virtues, she is
 +
not only betraying herself but the expectations of her
 +
divine parent. Her blood seethes in her veins as she tries
 +
to act in a way that she knows is wrong. The stronger
 +
her beliefs are, the greater the pressure brought to bear
 +
against her becomes. If her resolve fails, she risks losing
 +
control of her actions, as she’s carried away in a storm
 +
of grief and remorse.
 +
 
 +
When a Avatar attempts to suppress one of her Virtues
 +
with a die roll and the resulting Virtue roll generates
 +
more successes than the character has points of ''temporary''
 +
Willpower, the Avatar suffers a Virtue Extremity. Under
 +
the effects of a Virtue Extremity, the character takes the
 +
demands of her Virtue to potentially tragic lengths. See
 +
the individual Virtue descriptions for information on
 +
the duration and effects of each Virtue Extremity.
 +
 
 +
=== VIRTUE VERSUS NATURE ===
 +
When choosing your character’s Nature, think
 +
carefully on how it will interact with the Virtues of the
 +
character’s pantheon. A Nature that is in opposition to
 +
the character’s Virtues can make for some interesting
 +
roleplaying opportunities, but it can also be frustrating.
 +
 
 +
A Survivor with the Virtue of Duty, however, has the
 +
potential for being an interesting character—a sort of
 +
reluctant hero who is driven to serve others even though
 +
he just wants to be left alone—but the dictates of the
 +
Nature and the Virtue are at cross-purposes. Either
 +
the character is going to require a lot of Virtue rolls as
 +
her rating increases, or she won’t get much Willpower
 +
back because she’s constantly acting against her Nature.
 +
 
 +
If that kind of internal conflict appeals to you, go for
 +
it. Otherwise, you might want to choose a Nature that
 +
complements your character’s Virtues.
 +
 
 +
=== VIRTUE DESCRIPTIONS ===
 +
* [[CONVICTION]]
 +
* [[COURAGE]]
 +
* [[DUTY]]
 +
* [[EXCELLENCE]] (formerly expression)
 +
* [[HARMONY]]
 +
* [[INTELLECT]]
 +
* [[LOYALTY]]
 +
* [[PERSEVERANCE]] (formerly endurance)
 +
* [[PIETY]]
 +
* [[RECTITUDE]] (moral order)
 +
* [[VALOR]]
 +
* [[VENGEANCE]]
 
----
 
----
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
----
 
----
 +
 
== '''DOMINIONS''' ==
 
== '''DOMINIONS''' ==
 
=== Introduction ===  
 
=== Introduction ===  
Line 192: Line 633:
 
Each dominion is further broken down into classifications of potency known as the lesser dominions and the greater dominions. Lesser dominions are available to demi-gods and lesser deities, while the greater dominions are only available to full-fledged gods. Within each delineation of the lesser or greater dominions, individual acts of dominion are called powers. For example, the first power within the Lesser Dominion of Beasts is Beast Speech which allows the deity in question to converse with most animals. Both lesser and greater dominions are broken down into five powers ascending from weakest to strongest, so the fifth and strongest power of a given lesser dominion would be slightly weaker than the first and weakest power of the greater dominion. Despite this arrangement, there is a considerable jump in potency between the lesser and greater dominions.
 
Each dominion is further broken down into classifications of potency known as the lesser dominions and the greater dominions. Lesser dominions are available to demi-gods and lesser deities, while the greater dominions are only available to full-fledged gods. Within each delineation of the lesser or greater dominions, individual acts of dominion are called powers. For example, the first power within the Lesser Dominion of Beasts is Beast Speech which allows the deity in question to converse with most animals. Both lesser and greater dominions are broken down into five powers ascending from weakest to strongest, so the fifth and strongest power of a given lesser dominion would be slightly weaker than the first and weakest power of the greater dominion. Despite this arrangement, there is a considerable jump in potency between the lesser and greater dominions.
  
−
=== Common Dominions ===
+
=== DOMINIONS (Celestial) ===
 
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''Common Dominions'''
+
|'''[[DARKNESS]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[ALLURE]]'''
+
|'''[[MOON]]'''  
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[APPREHENSION]]'''
+
|'''[[STARS]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[ARTISTRY]]'''
+
|'''[[SUN]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[BEASTS]]'''
+
|'''[[TIME]]'''
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
=== DOMINIONS (Elemental) ===
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[CHANCE]]
+
|'''[[EARTH]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[CHAOS]]'''
+
|'''[[FIRE]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[CORUSCATION]]'''
+
|'''[[FROST]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[DARKNESS]]''' '''*'''
+
|'''[[SKY]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[DEATH]]''' '''*'''
+
|'''[[WATER]]'''
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
=== DOMINIONS (Primal) ===
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[DECEPTION]]'''
+
|'''[[BEASTS]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[EARTH]]'''
+
|'''[[CHAOS]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[ENDURANCE]]'''
+
|'''[[DEATH]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
 
|'''[[FERTILITY]]'''
 
|'''[[FERTILITY]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[FINESSE]]'''
+
|'''[[PASSION]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[FIRE]]''' '''*'''
+
|'''[[SLEEP]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[FORGE]]''' '''*'''
+
|'''[[WILD]]'''
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
=== DOMINIONS (Social) ===
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[FROST]]'''
+
|'''[[ARTISTRY]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[GENIUS]]'''
+
|'''[[CHANCE]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[GRACE]]'''
+
|'''[[DECEPTION]]'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[FORGE]]''' '''*'''
 
|-
 
|-
 
|'''[[GUARDIANSHIP]]'''
 
|'''[[GUARDIANSHIP]]'''
Line 242: Line 697:
 
|-
 
|-
 
|'''[[JUSTICE]]'''
 
|'''[[JUSTICE]]'''
−
|-
 
−
|'''[[MIGHT]]'''
 
−
|-
 
−
|'''[[MOON]]'''
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|'''[[ORDER]]'''
 
|'''[[ORDER]]'''
−
|-
 
−
|'''[[PASSION]]'''
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|'''[[PROSPERITY]]''' '''*'''
 
|'''[[PROSPERITY]]''' '''*'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[REVELATION]]'''
+
|'''[[UNION]]'''
−
|-
 
−
|'''[[SKY]]''' '''*'''
 
−
|-
 
−
|'''[[SLEEP]]''' '''*'''
 
−
|-
 
−
|'''[[STARS]]'''
 
−
|-
 
−
|'''[[SUPREMACY]]'''
 
−
|-
 
−
|'''[[SUN]]'''  
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|'''[[WAR]]''' '''*'''
 
|'''[[WAR]]''' '''*'''
 +
|}
 +
 +
=== DOMINIONS (Unusual) ===
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[WATER]]'''  
+
|'''[[LONGEVITY]]'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
|'''[[WILD]]'''
+
|'''[[WINE]]'''
 
|}
 
|}
  
Line 287: Line 730:
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
=== Dominions Sacerdotal ===
+
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 +
|-
 +
|'''Dominions of the Tuatha -- The Celtic Gods'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[Enech]]''' -- ''The Worth of all Creatures'' '''*'''
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
== Dominions Sacerdotal ==
 
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 
|'''[[FATE]]''' -- The powers of the Dominion of Fate, read and or alter the destiny of the individual upon which they are targeted.
 
|'''[[FATE]]''' -- The powers of the Dominion of Fate, read and or alter the destiny of the individual upon which they are targeted.
Line 303: Line 753:
 
|'''[[SACRIFICE]]''' -- The Dominion of Sacrifice is a particularly unpleasant collection of powers that require the user to give up something or someone he cares about in return for power.  
 
|'''[[SACRIFICE]]''' -- The Dominion of Sacrifice is a particularly unpleasant collection of powers that require the user to give up something or someone he cares about in return for power.  
 
|}
 
|}
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
== DIVINE ATTRIBUTES ==
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 +
|-
 +
|'''DIVINE ATTRIBUTE LIST'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[MIGHT]]''' -- The ''Dominion'' of supernatural strength.
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[FINESSE]]''' -- A ''Dominion'' devoted to supernatural dexterity.
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[ENDURANCE]]''' -- Supernatural stamina is represented through this ''Dominion.''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[ALLURE]]''' -- This ''Dominion of supernatural charisma grants charm enough expect the forgiveness of your worst enemy or the love anyone to whom you speak.
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[SUPREMACY]]''' -- A ''Dominion'' of supernatural manipulation allows an Avatar to turn people into hand puppets.
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[REVELATION]]''' -- The ''Dominion'' of Revelation governs all aspects of appearance. Its wielders can be supernaturally beautiful, monstrously ugly or simply unseen.
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[APPREHENSION]]''' -- Far more than just a ''Dominion'' of preternatural senses, this divine attribute allows an Avatar to see the unseen, perceive omens, flashes of the future or see into other realms.
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[GENIUS]]''' -- Beyond mortal intelligence, genius allows Avatars superior computational skill, exceptional creativity in diverse endeavors to such a degree that they can advance human civilization.
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[CORUSCATION]]''' -- The ''Dominion'' of supernatural wits, those Avatars who have invested in this divine attribute can think at the speed of light, reacting to perceived threats far faster than their brethren.
 +
|}
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
<br>
 +
----
  
−
=== Errata ===
+
== Errata ==
 
:'''[[Powers Prototype Page]]'''
 
:'''[[Powers Prototype Page]]'''
 +
 +
:'''[[Dominions Prototype Page]]'''
 
----
 
----
 
<br>
 
<br>
Line 312: Line 795:
  
 
== '''EXPERIENCE''' ==
 
== '''EXPERIENCE''' ==
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 +
|+ EXPERIENCE AWARDS
 +
|-
 +
! '''Chapter Awards'''
 +
|-
 +
| '''Automatic -- One Point:''' Each player gets one point at the end of each chapter.
 +
|-
 +
| '''Heroism -- One Point:''' Gods are heroes by their very nature and provided that they uphold the basic values of heroism, they receive one point at the end of each chapter.
 +
|-
 +
| '''Learning -- One Point:''' If the player learned something of value during the course of the chapter then they receive one point at the end of chapter; extraordinary learning earns two points.
 +
|-
 +
| '''Roleplaying -- One Point:''' If the player carried off the role appropriately, believably and thoughtfully, they receive a single point; a truly inspired performance earns two points.
 +
|-
 +
| '''Teamwork -- One Point:''' Gods don't always work together, but when they do, the entire group receives an additional one point experience award.
 +
|-
 +
! '''Story Awards'''
 +
|-
 +
| '''Danger -- One Point:''' The characters survived against harsh odds and grave dangers.
 +
|-
 +
| '''Success -- One Point:''' The characters achieved all or part of the goals they set out to accomplish. Even minor victories can be rewarded if they pushed the game forward.
 +
|-
 +
| '''Wisdom -- One Point:''' The player, and thus the character, came up with a brilliant plan or even a spontaneous strategy that enabled the coterie to succeed when it would likely have failed otherwise.
 +
|}
 +
 +
 +
 
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 
|+ EXPERIENCE COSTS
 
|+ EXPERIENCE COSTS
Line 327: Line 836:
 
| DIVINE ATTRIBUTE (not associated with divine Progenitor) || rating x 7  
 
| DIVINE ATTRIBUTE (not associated with divine Progenitor) || rating x 7  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| DIVINITY || rating x 10
+
| DIVINITY || rating x 8
 
|-
 
|-
−
| DOMINION (General) || rating x 7
+
| DOMINION (Unrelated) || rating x 7
 
|-
 
|-
 
| DOMINIONS (Pantheon Specific) || rating x 6
 
| DOMINIONS (Pantheon Specific) || rating x 6
Line 345: Line 854:
 
! '''New Trait''' !! '''Cost'''
 
! '''New Trait''' !! '''Cost'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Ability || 3  
+
| ABILITY || 3  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| -- || --
+
| DIVINE ATTRIBUTE (associated with divine Progenitor) || 7
 
|-
 
|-
−
| -- || --
+
| DIVINE ATTRIBUTE (not associated with divine Progenitor) || rating x 8
 
|-
 
|-
−
| -- || --
+
| DIVINE FLAIR || 5
 
|-
 
|-
−
| -- || --
+
| DOMINION (Unrelated) || 10
 
|-
 
|-
−
| -- || --
+
| DOMINIONS (Pantheon Specific) || 9
 
|-
 
|-
−
| -- || --
+
| DOMINIONS (Pantheon Specific & Associated with divine Progenitor) || 8
 
|-
 
|-
−
| -- || --
+
| DOMINIONS SACERDOTAL (associated with divine Progenitor) || rating x 8
 
|-  
 
|-  
−
| -- || --
+
| DOMINIONS SACERDOTAL (not associated with divine Progenitor) || rating x 9
−
|-
 
−
| -- || --
 
−
|-
 
−
| -- || --
 
 
|}
 
|}
 
----
 
----
Line 374: Line 879:
 
== '''TABLES & CHARTS''' ==
 
== '''TABLES & CHARTS''' ==
 
:~ [[Avatar: Feats of Strength Table]]
 
:~ [[Avatar: Feats of Strength Table]]
−
:~ [[Avatar: Knockdown]]
 
 
:~ [[Avatar: Movement]]
 
:~ [[Avatar: Movement]]
 
----
 
----
Line 381: Line 885:
 
----
 
----
  
−
== '''OUTWORLDS''' ==
+
== '''COMBAT''' ==
 +
=== ACTIONS ===
 +
==== TAKING AIM ====
 +
When she really needs to hit ''Achilles’ heel'', or when
 +
she just has the leisure, your character can try to take aim.
 +
The player declares a target, which his character must be
 +
able to see. For each round spent aiming, the player adds
 +
one die to the attack his character unleashes upon that
 +
target, to a maximum of three. This bonus applies to
 +
only the next attack on the declared target, not on more
 +
than one roll or on any other target.
 +
----
 +
<BR>
 +
----
 +
=== SITUATIONS ===
 +
==== BEING PRONE ====
 +
Characters can be knocked prone after an attack,
 +
fall prone in slippery circumstances or intentionally
 +
hit the deck. Being prone does the following: A prone
 +
character cannot take Move or Dash actions until she spends an action to rise
 +
.
 +
Prone characters gain a one die bonus (+1) against ranged attacks
 +
and explosives, this being the key reason for a character
 +
to throw herself prone. (This bonus does not apply to stupidity. Throwing oneself to the ground in the middle
 +
of the street doesn’t protect one from the sniper on
 +
the rooftop. Throwing oneself on a grenade offers no
 +
protection from it.)
 +
 
 +
Prone characters suffer a one die penalty (-1) to close-combat attacks and a two-die penalty (-2) to
 +
attacks and most other actions.
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
 
 +
== '''FATE''' ==
 +
'''''Even the Gods must bow to Fate.'''''
 +
 
 +
<pre>Whether it is called Destiny, Kismet, Karma, Judgment or the Way of Heaven, nothing in the universe can escape
 +
it. Fate is the loom that weaves all elements of Creation into a unified whole. Even chaos has a place in its pattern,
 +
and it often seems to some that destruction—Armageddon, Ragnarök, Apocalypse, the End of the Kali Yuga—is its
 +
ultimate end point.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Or is it? Legends from around the World tell that Creation does not end, it only changes. The End of All leads
 +
to the birth of the new, even if Gods such as Baldur are the only ones who live to see the new World. The Age of
 +
the Titans gave way to the Age of the Gods, which gave way to the Age of Man. Is this current era, with the release
 +
of the Titans, the beginning of yet another Age—the Age of Heroes—or it the last days of the old Age, leading to
 +
an epic doom for Gods, men and heroes alike? Only the servants of Fate—the Moirae, the Norns the Morrigan
 +
and others—might know. ''Might'' know, for they do not answer when asked these questions. They do not smile, but
 +
neither do they frown. Perhaps the truth is to be determined not by their weaving, but by the deeds of heroes.</pre>
 +
 
 +
=== THE LOOM OF FATE ===
 +
<pre>The most common metaphor for Fate is that of a loom from which the pattern of history—including mortals’
 +
lives—is woven. The Greek Moirae, the three Fates, were called the “apportioners,” for they spun, measured and
 +
cut the threads that make up mortal lives. But this brings us no closer to understanding just what Fate is and how
 +
and why it operates as it does. Grasping the whole of Fate—or even many of its parts—is like trying to understand a
 +
higher-dimensional object. Imagine if a two-dimensional line were conscious. It could not reasonably understand
 +
a higher-dimensional object, such as a three-dimensional sphere. Trying to understand Fate is similar, for it is
 +
intimately tied to time, the fourth dimension.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Some thinkers have posited what a three-dimensional being might look like from a fourth-dimensional
 +
perspective: a single object, perhaps like a tube, with the being’s “birth” at one end and its “death” at the other,
 +
with all the moments of its life in linear sequence down its middle. The tube curls back and forth throughout space,
 +
weaving complex knots on top of places to which the being often returns.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>In fact, it’d be much like a thread in a woven pattern, with the whole pattern only visible to those with fourth-
 +
dimensional consciousness.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Or this thread might instead be envisioned as a serpent, such as the Titan known to the Greeks as Ananke, or “Necessity,”
 +
who was birthed at the beginning of Time. In this view, history is not an inert thread that is set in place once it has been
 +
woven, but a nest of wriggling, writhing snakes ever changing their positions—and continually changing both the past and future
 +
as they do so. But such thinking leads to madness, so perhaps the loom analogy is easier to grasp for mortal minds.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Fate influences all, from Gods to mortals to even Titans. Understanding its manipulations is vital to predicting its ordained results.
 +
Where does one begin? With the measure of all things: Man. While the Gods do not fully understand Fate, they know that it is somehow<br>
 +
tied to mortals. Before they began interfering in the lives of these beings of clay, the Gods were relatively free of Fate’s invisible hand,
 +
but now, their very essences are entwined with mortal expectations. Their forms rely on mortal beliefs to keep them coherent and free from merger
 +
with their Titan parents. What is this amazing power that mortals have, of which they are entirely unaware?</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>In short, it’s Story. The human mind craves stories.It makes stories out of the chaos of events, carving order from randomness. Not simply order
 +
characterized by reason and efficiency, but the loose, metaphorical, poetic order of the imagination, the unfettered free association of the mortal
 +
mind. “This happened, then that, and it ended like this...”</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Mortal egos are tragically fragile, as paper boats bobbing on a huge sea of greater human consciousness — of unconsciousness, a vast realm of imagination
 +
unknown to the waking mind. As Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and other 20th-century psychologists discovered, the human mind is often a puppet to its own hidden
 +
influences, deeply buried instincts and repressed desires. Both Freud and Jung linked this vast region with divine legendry, for it seemed that here the Gods
 +
still spoke to mortals, in dreams and visions welling up from within. Jung went further and posited that not only did each individual have his own unconscious
 +
region of the mind, but there was a collective unconscious shared by all members of the human race. This repository of ancient instincts was the source of the
 +
recurring motifs of classical legend, so similar the World over.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Jung did not realize how right he was, and not in the way he suspected. The Gods certainly still spoke to mortals now and then through dreams, or in actual
 +
encounters that were only remembered later, uncovered through hypnosis or meditation. But deeper still, the collective unconscious itself guided the Gods,
 +
ensnaring them in its story-making net. They had become interwoven with Fate, the vast, hidden collective psyche of all mortals.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>In a universe born under the rule of Titans, mortals need to make the cosmos their own. They do so with their imagination, the collective expression of which is
 +
Fate, and once someone gets caught in Fate’s story, she is no longer in full control of her destiny. The story of which she is now a part works to determine what
 +
happens to her, even to the point of turning her decisions against her own desires and showing how actions that at first seemed to be expressions of free will were,
 +
in the end, secret agents for Fate.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Fate is not a conscious agenda on the part of human beings, directed by them to make the World into what they want it to be. Indeed, what Fate demands and what
 +
mortals want is often at odds, just as an individual’s unconscious instincts and emotions can war with his conscious reason. The question arises: Is Fate directed
 +
by anybody? Nobody knows. Not Gods, not Titans, not the servants of Fate itself. Its ultimate reasons are beyond the scope of what any single mind can grasp, and
 +
even the collective musings of the Gods has yet to yield any tangible clues. Fate transcends the known cosmos, as the third dimension transcends the second dimension.</pre>
 +
 
 +
=== FATE BINDING ===
 +
<pre>An Avatar’s ''Divinity'' exerts a sort of gravity around which people, places and things might be drawn into orbit, turning them into a supporting cast or props
 +
for his exploits and deeds. This doesn’t just happen by accident; the Avatar himself initiates it, though not directly. Whenever he draws upon his Divinity
 +
to bend Fate for his benefit or to energize a Power, those affected by or witness to his action might be caught up in the strands of his epic life, for good
 +
or ill. They become ''Fatebound'' to him, even if he doesn’t like it. He can’t control who or what is Fatebound to him—that’s up to the whim of Fate.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Fate is forging a story about the Avatar’s exploits, and probabilities (and people’s behavior) will be altered to fit the story. The Avatar still has free will,
 +
but those affected by his Divinity don’t. Fate moves them like chess pieces. They might consciously realize this and resent it, and even try to resist it, but
 +
Fate gets its way in the end.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>While a mortal might occasionally exert such an effect on others, it’s rare. A Avatar’s divine lineage and connection to the Overworld provides the metaphysical
 +
force needed for him to stand out in the skein of destiny and draw others to him. As he treads the World, he inadvertently bends and tears the threads of others’
 +
lives, sometimes getting tangled in them and pulling them with him on his forceful march through history.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>The following conditions might cause a ''Fatebinding'' to occur:</pre>
 +
 
 +
● ''When a Avatar spends his Divinity points to alter the outcome of an action.'' <pre>The target of the action (or possibly a bystander who is affected by the outcome, such as
 +
someone the Avatar saves by attacking the bystander’s oppressor) might become Fatebound.</pre>
 +
 
 +
 
 +
<pre>The Storyteller—not the Avatar character’s player—secretly
 +
rolls the Avatar’s Divinity as a dice pool. The difficulty for
 +
any given scene begins at 5. If any character present in the
 +
scene spends Divinity points and the resulting Fatebinding
 +
roll yields at least one threshold success (that is, five or
 +
more dice showing a 7 or higher, with 10s counting twice),
 +
the difficulty for everyone on the scene drops to 4. The
 +
same thing happens again the next time a Fatebinding roll
 +
achieves a threshold success, this time reducing the difficulty
 +
to 3. The difficulty can go no lower than 3.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>If no Fatebinding roll equals or exceeds the difficulty,
 +
no Fatebinding occurs. If any rolls do succeed, however,
 +
one or more people (or things, or even the place in which
 +
the action occurred) become Fatebound to the Divinity. The
 +
Storyteller allocates the number of successful rolls between
 +
the Fatebinding’s strength and the number of people it
 +
affects. The Fatebound individual is called the Fated.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>The Storyteller might deem that a given scene is
 +
already weighted with the gravity of Fate. Perhaps the
 +
Avatar’s rival has lured him to the scene of his mother’s
 +
murder or the place where he first discovered his heritage.
 +
In such places, pregnant with classic story motifs, the
 +
Storyteller might begin the scene with a lower difficulty
 +
for Fatebinding rolls.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<br>'''''"Example: Carla, a daughter of Hermes, spies an unconscious child lying on the train tracks at an intersection with a train is barreling right toward him. She launches forward, hoping to beat the train and snatch the child out of the way. The odds are against her, but she spends Divinity points to more than even them, giving her automatic successes. She saves the child and rolls to safety as the train rockets past, horn blaring."'''''<br>
 +
 
 +
<br>'''''"Since Carla spent Divinity points to alter the odds of an action, she has effectively challenged Fate. The Storyteller rolls her Divinity score of 3 as a dice pool and gets 7, 10, 10 — matching the difficulty of 5, since 10s count twice. Since there’s only one reasonable target here (the child she saved), the Storyteller assigns one point (for the number of successful rolls) to the strength of the Fatebinding. Doing so ensures the child’s connection to Carla for the rest of the day. (See the “The Pull of Destiny” sidebar.)"'''''<br>
 +
 
 +
 
 +
● ''When an Avatar spends Divinity points to energize a Power or Flair.''
 +
<pre>The Storyteller secretly rolls the Avatar’s Divinity score against difficulty 5. This difficulty
 +
does not change, as when a Avatar spends Divinity to alter the odds of an action; it is always rated
 +
at 5. The Storyteller divides the number of successful rolls between strength and the number of
 +
affected people, as described previously.</pre>
 +
 
 +
 
 +
● ''When a Avatar uses magic spells.''
 +
<pre>The target of the magic is automatically Fatebound to the magic’s caster with a strength of 1.</pre>
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
==== THE PULL OF DESTINY ====
 +
The strength assigned to a particular Fatebinding is a measure of the range and duration of the bond.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 +
|+ FATEBINDING STRENGTH
 +
|-
 +
! '''Strength''' !! '''Effect'''
 +
|-
 +
| '''1''' || The Fated assumes his Fatebound Role (see “The Fated” for the odds of this occurring) only in the Scion’s presence and only for the next 24 hours at the most.
 +
|-
 +
| '''2''' || The Fated might assume his Fatebound Role when the Scion is within the same vicinity (a small town or city district). He is subject to the binding for one month.
 +
|-
 +
| '''3''' || The Fated might assume his Fatebound Role when the Scion is within the same region (a state or geological watershed). He is subject to the binding for one season (three months).
 +
|-
 +
| '''4''' || The Fated assumes his Fatebound Role for as long as the binding lasts (at least one year), no matter where the Scion is (or even if he is alive).
 +
|-
 +
| '''5''' || As with Strength 4, except the binding is permanent, although it is dissolved when the Fated dies (his ghost is no longer Fatebound).
 +
|-
 +
| '''6+''' || As with Strength 5, except that the binding lasts beyond death. The Fated ghost maintains its Fatebound Role even in the Underworld (although it can do very little to help or hinder the Scion from there).
 +
|}
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
 
 +
=== THE FATED ===
 +
<PRE>The lives of the Fated are tied to the Avatar to whom
 +
they are bound in ways both subtle and grand. The course
 +
of everyday events brings them—seemingly coincidentally—
 +
into contact with the Avatar again and again, no matter
 +
how much distance they try to put between themselves
 +
and the godling. Although the Fatebond’s strength
 +
applies only within a certain range, the Fated are often
 +
simply unable to travel outside that range for as long as
 +
the binding is active. They might take a bus out of town,
 +
only to wind up walking back in after the bus has broken
 +
down. Their plane flight might be indefinitely delayed, or
 +
they might find themselves on the “No Fly” list, but only
 +
for as long as the Fatebinding has put them there.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Once a mortal has been Fatebound to a Avatar, he
 +
assumes a certain role in relation to that Avatar’s exploits.
 +
The Storyteller chooses the role based on the context in
 +
which the Fatebinding occurred. Some examples are listed
 +
below, but this is in no way an exhaustive list. Storytellers
 +
are encouraged to create new roles as needed.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>The Fated mortal is not always under the spell of this
 +
role. He acts in accordance with it only under certain
 +
conditions, as explained in the “The Pull of Destiny”
 +
sidebar. When those conditions are at hand, the Storyteller
 +
can assume that the Fated mortal will assume the role. If
 +
he wants to add some variability to the matter, he can roll
 +
the Avatar’s Divinity as a dice pool to see whether or not the
 +
role is activated. The difficulty is usually 1, but if the stars
 +
don’t feel aligned, he can raise it to make it more unlikely
 +
that Fate will play a hand in the Fated’s behavior.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Once a Fatebound Role is active, the Fated mortal
 +
behaves according to that role’s motivations rather than
 +
his own (although they don’t necessarily always differ).
 +
He believes that the role’s motivations are his own. He
 +
is unaware that he is a puppet to Fate and believes he
 +
is exerting his own will and desires. If the conditions
 +
are right and the Avatar spends a Divinity point for any
 +
reason, it might be enough excuse to activate the Fated’s
 +
role, even if a great distance separates the two. </pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>It’s not just mortals who can become Fatebound to a
 +
Avatar. Anyone can be Fatebound—a Avatar, a titanspawn,
 +
a God. Unlike mortals, however, supernatural beings
 +
don’t succumb to Fatebound Roles; they retain their free
 +
will. Sort of. Odd “coincidences” still conspire to bring
 +
such a being into the orbit of the Scion to whom she is
 +
Fatebound, regardless of her own opinion on the matter.
 +
At the Storyteller’s discretion, certain supernatural
 +
creatures or beings might come under the effect of a
 +
Fatebound Role, but Avatars and Gods never do.</pre>
 +
 
 +
==== FATEBOUND ROLES FOR MORTALS ====
 +
;''(Note that while these roles are given handy titles for the Storyteller’s use, neither Scions nor the Fated use said titles in-setting.)''
 +
 
 +
 
 +
;Apprentice
 +
<pre>The Fated greatly respects the Avatar,
 +
so much so that he wants to follow in his footsteps.
 +
He models his own behavior and ideals on the Avatar’s
 +
(as he understands them), sometimes to an annoying
 +
degree. Examples: The fresh-faced kid, the guy with the
 +
mid-life crisis, the over-achiever.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Backup
 +
<pre>The Fated is ready and willing to aid the
 +
Avatar if things get tough, though he might not be any
 +
good at it. He might have the courage but lack the skill.
 +
Nonetheless, he’ll follow the Avatar’s orders and do as
 +
he’s told. Examples: The biker thug, the plucky boy/girl
 +
scout, the courageous nerd. </pre>
 +
 
 +
;Balm
 +
<pre>The Fated is a balm for the Avatar’s raging
 +
emotions. Something about him calms the Avatar and
 +
makes him feel at peace. The Avatar might not know
 +
why—he might even despise the idea—but, for whatever
 +
reason, the person makes the Avatar comfortable enough
 +
to let his guard down. Examples: The innocent little girl,
 +
the granny, the plain-suited accountant.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Boon Companion
 +
<pre>The Fated considers himself the
 +
Avatar’s best friend. He’ll do whatever he can for the Avatar,
 +
even if it means telling him what he doesn’t want to hear.
 +
While the Avatar’s cold reception or harsh words might
 +
hurt him, he won’t give up his friendship, no matter how
 +
much it’s unwanted. What makes this different from
 +
other friendly roles is that the Fated will travel with or
 +
behind the Avatar, even if it means taking time off work
 +
or quitting his job. Examples: The childhood friend, the
 +
grateful hobo, the rescued suicide attempt.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Canary
 +
<pre>The Fated is the proverbial canary in the
 +
coal mine. If something bad is happening, it happens
 +
to this guy first (thanks to Fate), serving as a possible
 +
warning to the Avatar. Examples: The selfish jerk, the
 +
materialistic fashion queen, the faceless janitor.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Catastrophe
 +
<pre>The Fated always causes problems—big
 +
problems—that the Avatar has to fix. He might not mean
 +
to (he might be akin to the Jinx role), but he can’t seem to
 +
help it. Or perhaps he does intend to do harm, and is now
 +
further prodded by Fate. Maybe it’s as banal as accidentally
 +
dumping toxic waste in the city’s water reservoir, as creepy
 +
as setting houses on fire or as malicious as firing a shoulder-
 +
mounted rocket into a teeming shopping mall. Regardless,
 +
it’s always in a place or situation that somehow involves
 +
the Avatar and is sure to make him leap into action (even if
 +
it’s just to save his own skin). Examples: The fire bug, the
 +
klutz, the bottom-line CEO.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Contrary
 +
<pre>This Fated seems to be playing another
 +
role than he actually is. The Storyteller should choose
 +
his real role (such as Lover) and then his cover role, what
 +
others think he is (Rival). At some point, when it’s most
 +
advantageous or deleterious to the Avatar (depending on
 +
the nature of the real role), the Fated will reveal his true
 +
role. Examples: The two-faced scoundrel, the long-lost
 +
friend, the embarrassed lover.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Fan
 +
<pre>The Fated is the Avatar’s biggest fan. Unlike
 +
those of certain other friendly roles, the Fated is content
 +
to adore the Avatar from afar, and is extremely nervous
 +
and giddy in his presence. If the strength of the bond is
 +
such that the role can be assumed when the Avatar is not
 +
present, the fan works to convert others to the Avatar’s
 +
fan club, even though most people refuse to believe
 +
what he’s telling them. Examples: The sci-fi geek, the
 +
sports fan, the gushing gossip columnist.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Herald
 +
<pre>The Fated acts as a PR flack for the Avatar,
 +
trumpeting his deeds and/or character to others. The
 +
Fated isn’t necessarily obsessed with the Avatar himself;
 +
he’s merely thinking tactically, like an ad exec. He’s
 +
quite willing to bend the truth about the Avatar, if it
 +
makes his “client” look better. Examples: The ad exec,
 +
the inspirational coach, the influential society maven.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Jinx
 +
<pre>The Fated is decidedly unlucky for the Avatar. If
 +
he’s near, he’s sure to do something that will screw up the
 +
Avatar’s plans, even if he’s utterly well intentioned. He might
 +
try to fix the Avatar’s car, only to break it worse. He might call
 +
911 to bring aid, only to give the police the impression that
 +
the Avatar must be taken down. Examples: The overconfident
 +
son-in-law, the know-it-all, the hapless stooge.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Lover
 +
<pre>The Fated falls in love with the Avatar. The
 +
Avatar rarely reciprocates the emotion, but he might use
 +
it to his advantage (if he’s a cad). In fact, the Avatar’s
 +
mortal parent might have been playing out such a role
 +
when the divine parent came calling. The Fated will do
 +
whatever she reasonably can to get the Avatar to love her
 +
back. Examples: The rescued maiden, the besotted blue-
 +
collar worker, the intrepid reporter.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Martyr
 +
<pre>The Fated is ready to die for the Avatar.
 +
Actually, he might want to die for the Avatar (if the
 +
Fatebinding’s strength is 4 or higher) and will seek out a
 +
way to do so. He might jump in front of a bullet meant
 +
for the Avatar, trigger a deadly trap to warn the Avatar
 +
of its presence, drink the poisoned draught before the
 +
Avatar can... Examples: The miserable screw-up, the
 +
distraught widower, the guilty turncoat. </pre>
 +
 
 +
;Mentor
 +
<pre>The Fated seeks to impart his wisdom to the
 +
Avatar. This doesn’t mean his “wisdom” is worthwhile,
 +
but he thinks it is. It is imperative to him to instruct the
 +
Avatar in the proper way to do whatever it is the Avatar
 +
is attempting to do. Examples: The autodidact, the
 +
bookseller, the gamer.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Nemesis
 +
<pre>The Fated has a vendetta against the
 +
Avatar. He is Ahab, and the Avatar is his White Whale.
 +
He might be foolish and headstrong, ready to jump the
 +
Avatar when he next sees him, or crafty and patient,
 +
concocting all manner of slow and complex plots against
 +
him. His ultimate goal is the Avatar’s demise. Examples:
 +
The foiled noble, the spurned lover, the jealous athlete. </pre>
 +
 
 +
;Rival
 +
<pre>The Fated can’t stand to see the Avatar succeed,
 +
or he desires to prove himself the better of the two. He
 +
is in competition with the Scion for fame, glory or some
 +
more specific goal (acquiring a lost Boon) and won’t rest
 +
until he can claim victory. The Rival doesn’t necessarily
 +
seek the destruction of the Avatar or even hate him; he
 +
simply wants to be the winner. Examples: The professional
 +
peer, the greedy executive, the shamed ex-hero.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Patron
 +
<pre>The Fated tries to help the Avatar economically,
 +
by providing goods and services or cold hard cash. He
 +
won’t volunteer money, but he will step in to help when
 +
asked or when the Avatar is obviously in need (but might
 +
be too proud to ask). He won’t go beyond his means,
 +
but he will give what he’s reasonably capable of giving.
 +
Examples: The dilettante, the heir, the Mafia captain.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Preacher
 +
<pre>The Fated sees it as his mission to convert the
 +
Avatar to his way of belief, whether it’s religion, politics or
 +
a simple hatred of a rival whom he wants the Avatar to also
 +
hate. He might simply use words and reasoned arguments,
 +
backed up now and then by evidence, or he might concoct
 +
situations that somehow prove his point. Said situations
 +
might even be dangerous, such as arranging to have a rival
 +
mob boss take out a hit on the Avatar just to prove the
 +
man’s a crook. Examples: The fundamentalist zealot, the
 +
newspaper editor, the disgraced investigator.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Traitor
 +
<pre>The Fated is the Avatar’s best friend — until he
 +
really needs him, at which point the Fated stabs him in the
 +
back, either figuratively or literally. He might do it for profit or
 +
simply because he’s come to hate the Avatar’s sanctimonious
 +
speeches. For whatever reason, he really seeks the Avatar’s
 +
downfall (although not necessarily his death). Examples:
 +
The jealous half-sibling, the greedy crook, the spiteful fan.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Trickster
 +
<pre>The Fated seeks to screw up the Avatar’s
 +
day. His maliciousness is all intentional, even if only
 +
he thinks it’s funny. He won’t usually risk life and limb
 +
himself, but he doesn’t mind if his pranks could prove
 +
dangerous to the Avatar. Examples: The bully, the science
 +
nerd, the social outcast.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Unrequited Lover
 +
<pre>This person is too nervous or
 +
scared to admit he’s infatuated with the Avatar. He
 +
watches from the wings, hoping for a moment to show
 +
his love, but he rarely takes it when it comes. He’s too
 +
afraid of rejection, which would crush him. He might
 +
stalk the Avatar, spying from afar, and finally move to act
 +
only if the Avatar is in clear danger. Examples: The naïve
 +
poet, the best friend, the closet gay.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Victim
 +
<pre>The Fated is someone the Avatar has to save
 +
over and over again. Somehow, by intention or accident,
 +
he keeps getting into dangerous situations whence the
 +
Avatar is in the best position to extricate him. If the Avatar
 +
does not at least try to save him, Fate levies a Bane on
 +
him equal to the strength of the Fatebinding. At some
 +
future point of the Storyteller’s choosing (although it
 +
should be apropos to the context of the Fated’s death),
 +
the Avatar suffers a single, whopping dice penalty equal to
 +
the Bane’s strength on a prominent action. This penalty
 +
comes in addition to those imposed by mortal Reverence,
 +
as well as the loss of his ability to spend Legend for the
 +
scene. Examples: The intrepid
 +
reporter, the curious kid, the FBI mob witness.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;Weak Link
 +
<pre>The Fated appears to be a friendly role
 +
of a different sort, but when it comes time to deliver,
 +
he just doesn’t have what it takes. He’s got a glass jaw in
 +
combat, his speeches bore people to tears, his money’s
 +
no good... Examples: The self-proclaimed jack of all
 +
trades, the nervous rookie, the inveterate gambler.</pre>
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
 
 +
===== FATEBINDING OBJECTS AND PLACES =====
 +
<pre>Although people (or even animals) are more
 +
common targets for Fatebinding, it’s not unusual
 +
for an object or even a place to be Fatebound
 +
to a Avatar. These subjects can assume Fateful
 +
Roles similar to those mortals do. A wrench can
 +
become a Weak Link (breaking at the wrong
 +
time) or a Martyr (it stops a bullet for the Avatar,
 +
but is broken by doing so), while a place might
 +
cause Catastrophes or be a Balm to the Avatar.</pre>
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
==== MORTAL REVERENCE ====
 +
<pre>The Fated hold certain opinions and beliefs about the
 +
Avatar to whom they are Fatebound. This quality is called
 +
Reverence, and it can actually have an effect upon the
 +
Avatar’s abilities. There are basically two types of Reverence
 +
that mortals hold toward Avatars: They perceive them as
 +
heroes or villains. The logic behind the Reverence they
 +
hold for any given Avatar might have nothing to do with
 +
that Avatar’s actual character or deeds — the rhyme or reason
 +
behind a mortal’s beliefs doesn’t always have a discernible
 +
cause. One man’s hero is another’s villain, even if all the
 +
Avatar has ever tried to do is to help the person who sees
 +
him as an enemy. Even a friendly Fated can envision the
 +
Avatar as a villain but still play out his friendly role for him
 +
out of fear or hope of reward.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Of course, all mortals who encounter a Avatar
 +
probably come to some opinion of him, but only the
 +
opinions of the Fated that truly count as far as Fate itself
 +
is concerned. When they revere him as a hero or villain,
 +
it can alter his abilities, for good or ill.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>The Fated are not the only ones caught in a web of
 +
predestination—the Avatar to whom they are bound is
 +
likewise bound. Unlike a mortal Fated, the Avatar does
 +
not come under the spell of a particular role. He retains
 +
free will, at least as far as his decision-making goes, but
 +
his capabilities are affected by Fate. The odds of his
 +
actions change based upon how the Fated perceives
 +
him. In other words, he is drawn into the same script
 +
that the Fated is, but as the object of the mortal Fated’s
 +
own role, probabilities bend to help him live up to the
 +
mortal’s revered ideal of him, as hero or villain.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>The greater the Avatar’s Legend is, the more likely
 +
he is to suffer the drag of Fate upon his will and limbs.
 +
The Gods became even more prone to these chains,
 +
so much so that they decided to remove themselves
 +
from common interaction with humanity, lest they
 +
be changed far beyond their own desires, warped by
 +
mortal expectations and beliefs until they became
 +
unrecognizable to themselves. The pantheons, fearing
 +
this effect even within the Overworld, avoided other
 +
pantheons, fearing the hidden, subtle threads of Fate
 +
that trailed behind and often preceded them.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Over time and with repeated use of Divinity,
 +
Fatebinding can cause a Avatar to play out someone else’s
 +
goals rather than his own, making him essentially a slave
 +
to mortal desires. To avoid this degrading destiny, Avatars
 +
often shy from fame and prefer to remain incognito
 +
when moving among mortals.</pre>
 +
 
 +
;The bonds of Fate can affect a Avatar in the following ways:
 +
 
 +
● -- Whenever a Avatar lives up to the Reverence a Fated
 +
(who is currently under the spell of a particular role)
 +
holds for him, he gains a +1 bonus die for that action or
 +
the following action (whichever is most appropriate to the
 +
deed) per every two points of the Fatebinding’s strength
 +
(+1 at strengths 1 and 2, +2 at strengths 3 and 4, etc.).
 +
 
 +
● -- Whenever a Avatar acts in contradiction to the
 +
Reverence a Fated (who is currently under the spell of a
 +
particular role) holds for him, he suffers a -1 die penalty
 +
for that action or the following action (whichever is
 +
most appropriate to the deed) per every two points of
 +
the Fatebinding’s strength (-1 at strength 1 and 2, -2 at
 +
strengths 3 and 4, etc.).
 +
 
 +
● -- If a friendly Fated (Apprentice, Backup, Lover,
 +
etc.) is harmed and the Avatar might have been able to
 +
prevent it, but chose not to act, he loses the ability to spend
 +
Divinity points for the remainder of the scene. Even if
 +
the Avatar does not like the friendly Fated and wishes
 +
him ill, he is nonetheless drawn into the drama that
 +
Fate is weaving and is expected to play the role allotted
 +
him. If he does not, he suffers the consequences.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
● -- If, following a confrontation with the Avatar, a Fated
 +
foe (Nemesis, Rival, Trickster, etc.) escapes defeat by the
 +
Avatar’s hand, the Avatar loses one Willpower point. (If he
 +
currently has no Willpower points, there is no effect.)
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
=== FATEFUL AURA ===
 +
<pre>Even when a Avatar doesn’t actively use his Divinity,
 +
it can still bend probability to enact his story upon the
 +
World. Calamity follows him, making sure that he will
 +
live up to his Legend... or be destroyed by it.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Since the moment they become aware of their legacy,
 +
Avatars live without respite in “interesting times.” Great
 +
events happen around them, no matter how incognito
 +
or withdrawn they wish to be. They are like planets
 +
exerting the pull of gravity on all other stellar bodies.
 +
People are drawn into orbit around them through
 +
Fatebinding, and great happenings are likewise drawn
 +
to them like distant asteroids or comets, rocketing to
 +
their ends near to a Avatar’s path.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>Natural disasters and upheavals. Man-made calamities and
 +
war. Miraculous occurrences and impossible phenomena.
 +
All these and more seem to dog a Avatar’s footsteps or await
 +
him at the next crossroads. If something momentous can
 +
happen when a Avatar comes to town, it almost certainly will
 +
happen. Bank robbers plan a robbery and spontaneously
 +
decide to move up their schedule a day early, timing their
 +
strike just as a Avatar enters the bank. A titanspawn awakens
 +
from its ancient slumber under a lake just as a Avatar moves
 +
into his rented lake house for a relaxing weekend getaway.
 +
The island volcano, dormant for centuries, suddenly erupts
 +
just as a Avatar arrives to rescue a kidnapped heiress.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>This propensity to attract — or even generate —
 +
momentous events is called the Fateful Aura. An Avatar’s
 +
Divinity draws the attention of Fate, which then uses the
 +
Avatar as a protagonist in epic dramas of man vs. nature,
 +
man vs. supernature, man vs. the Gods, et cetera. The
 +
themes taught in high school English class come to life
 +
around the Avatar as real life-and-death conflicts.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>The great irony is that, in dealing with these events,
 +
Avatars most often wind up increasing their Divinity, which
 +
only further spawns new cycles of momentous events around
 +
them. Those mortals who know about Avatars are rarely
 +
happy to see them, for they know that something big—and
 +
dangerous—is surely soon to occur. Sometimes, if an Avatar’s
 +
Divinity is great enough (if his Divinity dots outnumber his
 +
Charisma), mortals might instinctively sense this and give a
 +
Scion the cold shoulder when he enters the local watering
 +
hole. They don’t know the stranger, but they somehow see
 +
"big trouble" written all over his face. A character with ALLURE
 +
might be able to counteract this effect, but only
 +
after he’s spoken to the locals and put their fears at ease. A
 +
character with REVELATION can either counteract or
 +
intensify the onlookers’ first impression based on whether
 +
the trait represents divine beauty or monstrous ugliness.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>In game terms, there are no hard rules for dealing with
 +
a Avatar’s Fateful Aura. An Avatar cycle, like the chronicles
 +
and campaigns of many roleplaying adventure games, is
 +
about a series of amazing coincidences that dog a group
 +
of individuals — the players’ characters — from week to
 +
week as they go about their lives. If this were real life,
 +
it would be beyond belief. Nobody runs into that much
 +
conflict with such regularity. But Avatars aren’t like mere
 +
mortals. The Fateful Aura is a means within the logic of
 +
the Avatar game universe to explain why these legendary
 +
events occur to the same people so often. They can’t
 +
help it — they can’t even avoid it. Greatness finds them
 +
whether they want it to or not.</pre>
 +
 
 +
<pre>The Fateful Aura is the Storyteller’s excuse for
 +
introducing what might otherwise seem like an entirely
 +
too-convenient plot device. Fate takes an active hand
 +
in Avatar, using such plot devices as tools in crafting
 +
story and meaning from events. So if it seems odd that
 +
something interesting is always ready to happen wherever
 +
the Avatar characters go, that’s just destiny.</pre>
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
 
 +
== '''OTHER WORLDLY REALMS''' ==
 
=== THE NINE REALMS ===
 
=== THE NINE REALMS ===
−
* :'''[[ASGARD]]''' -- ''Protected Realm and Home of the Norse Gods''
+
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
|'''Realm'''||'''Description'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[ALFHEIM]]'''|| ''Home of the Light Elves''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[ASGARD]]'''|| ''Protected Realm and Home of the Norse Gods''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[JOTUMHEIM]]'''|| ''Home of the Giants''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[MIDGARD]]'''|| ''The Middle Realm''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[NIFLHEIM]]'''|| ''Realm of Mists''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[NOTTHOLMAR]]'''|| ''Islands of Night''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[MUSPELHEIM]]'''|| ''Realm of Fire''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[VANAHEIMR]]'''|| ''Home of the Vanir''
 +
|}
  
−
=== OTHER WORLDS OF THE THEOI ===
+
=== REALMS OF THE THEOI ===
 
* :'''[[OLYMPUS]]''' -- ''Fortress home of the Olympian Gods''
 
* :'''[[OLYMPUS]]''' -- ''Fortress home of the Olympian Gods''
−
* :'''[[INFERIS]]''' -- ''The classical Underworld ruled by Hades''
+
* :'''[[AVERNUS]]''' -- ''The classical Underworld ruled by Hades''
 +
 
 +
=== OTHER WORLDS ===
 +
:~ [[Caer Ludein]] -- ''A Victorian London that Never Was''
 +
:~ [[DUBNOLISSOS]] -- ''A dread realm of Darkness and Fear''
 
----
 
----
 
<br>
 
<br>
Line 393: Line 1,569:
 
----
 
----
  
−
== '''PANTHEONS''' ==
+
== '''[[PANTHEONS]]''' ==
 
=== Celtic Pantheon ===
 
=== Celtic Pantheon ===
−
:~ '''[[Cruach]]'''
+
:~ '''[[CRUACH]]'''
−
:~ '''[[Déithe Eile]]'''
+
:~ '''[[NEMETONDEVOS]]'''
−
:~ '''[[Tuatha Dé Danann]]'''
+
:~ '''[[TUATHA DE DANANN]]'''
 
----
 
----
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
----
 
----
−
=== [[Greco-Roman Pantheon]] ===  
+
 
−
:~
+
== '''Egyptian Pantheon''' ==
 +
:~ '''[[PESEDJET]]''' --
 
----
 
----
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
----
 
----
 +
 +
=== Greco-Roman Pantheon ===
 +
:~ '''[[THEOI]]''' --
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
 
=== Germanic Pantheon ===
 
=== Germanic Pantheon ===
−
:~ '''[[Aesir]]'''
+
:~ '''[[AESIR]]'''
−
:~ '''[[Vanir]]'''
+
:~ '''[[VANIR]]'''
−
:~ '''[[Drittir]]'''
+
:~ '''[[DRITTIR]]'''
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
 
 +
== <span style="color:#ff0000;"> '''ANTAGONISTS''' ==
 +
=== ANTAGONISTIC TRAITS ===
 +
Antagonists are described using the following traits.
 +
 
 +
'''Attributes:''' The antagonist’s Attributes.
 +
 
 +
'''Virtues:''' The antagonist’s Virtues, if any. Only supernatural beings and creatures have Virtues. Many
 +
titanspawn possess their own Virtue set — Dark Virtues.
 +
 
 +
'''Abilities:''' The antagonist’s relevant Abilities and specialties (if any).
 +
 
 +
'''Initiative:''' Roll this many dice for the antagonist’s Initiative roll.
 +
 
 +
'''Attacks:''' These are the different ways the antagonist can attack a character. Each attack has its own
 +
Accuracy (in this context, the total of the relevant Attribute + Ability + Accuracy bonus, if any, of the
 +
attack), Damage (the number of bonus dice added to threshold successes in calculating the raw damage
 +
pool; most commonly the sum of antagonist’s Strength + attack’s Damage + 1), Parry DV (the Parry
 +
Defense Value of the antagonist when using this attack; close combat attacks only), Speed (the number of
 +
ticks the attack takes) and Range (the basic Range increment for a ranged attack; see “Ranged Weapons”
 +
on page 203). If an attack has the Piercing quality (see p. 203), that quality is noted with a “P” tag.
 +
 
 +
'''Soak:''' The antagonist’s bashing and lethal soak. Subtract these numbers from damage rolled for a
 +
successful attack. A creature with a soak of 6 lethal and 9 bashing would be described as having 6L/9B.
 +
Some antagonists even have a soak versus aggravated damage.
 +
 
 +
'''Health Levels:''' The antagonist’s health levels. The default for a human or humanoid creature is seven
 +
levels (-0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-4/Incap). Some antagonists have more or fewer health levels.
 +
 
 +
'''Defensive Value:''' The antagonist’s Dodge plus Dexterity.
 +
 
 +
'''Willpower:''' The antagonist’s Willpower rating.
 +
 
 +
'''Other Notes:''' Any weaknesses, special attacks or other relevant information.
 +
 
 +
=== MORTALS ===
 +
A young Avatar’s most common adversaries are likely to be mortals. She doesn’t yet have the power to flout mortal
 +
authority with impunity or even to reveal her holy might when, for example, a cop pulls her over for speeding. Show
 +
off your divine strength in front of the wrong people, and they won’t see a child of Zeus preparing to slay a monster,
 +
but more likely just some thug high on PCP. Security personnel guarding a private building or compound will not
 +
simply let a Avatar inside just after hours because she claims a dragon is hiding on the premises.
 +
 
 +
Other mortals might be peripherally aware of the Avatar’ nature, but probably misunderstand it. A devout
 +
fundamentalist minister might consider divine Powers to be signs of demonic possession, while a greedy corporate
 +
overlord or a government agent might consider them to be signs of some mutation to be harnessed, either for profit
 +
or for national security. Of course, still other mortals might be well aware of what your character is, as they are
 +
actively in the service of the Gods or even the Titans. Such mortals might be cultists in the service of some strange
 +
religion or thralls who have been enslaved and empowered by the blood of a titanspawn.
 +
 
 +
==== GENERIC MORTALS (FOLLOWERS • TO •••••, GUIDE • TO ••) ====
 +
The following template can be used for any adult mortal encountered by a Avatar, from a gas station attendant to
 +
a bank president to the lawyer who has come to bail the Avatar out of jail after a bit of monster-slaying gone wrong.
 +
Such mortals are almost never a serious threat to a Avatar on a one-to-one basis, but even a Avatar should be concerned about the proverbial torch-bearing mob. Similarly, your Avatar might want to hold off on smashing a group of innocent mortals seeking his blood because they’ve been mind-whammied into attacking by Aphrodite’s magic
 +
boobs or something similar. On the other hand, Titan cults typically consist of such mortals, so
 +
sometimes, smashing the guys is just fine.
 +
 +
'''Attributes:''' Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2;
 +
Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 2
 +
 
 +
'''Abilities:''' Academics 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Control 1, Fortitude 1, Marksmanship
 +
1, Science 1, Stealth 1.
 +
 
 +
(The aforementioned Abilities are fairly common among most adult
 +
mortals. Specific mortals often have significantly more Ability dots, and any competent
 +
professional has at least three dots in any Abilities essential to her job.)
 +
 
 +
'''Initiative:''' 4
 +
 
 +
;Attacks:
 +
:Clinch: Accuracy 3, Damage 3B, Parry DV —, Speed 6, P
 +
:Unarmed, Heavy: Accuracy 2, Damage 6B, Parry DV 0, Speed 5
 +
:Unarmed, Light: Accuracy 4, Damage 3B, Parry DV 2, Speed 4
 +
 
 +
'''Soak:''' 0L/2B
 +
 
 +
'''Health Levels:''' -0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-4/Incap
 +
 
 +
'''Defensive Value:''' 3
 +
 
 +
'''Willpower:''' 4
 +
 
 +
'''Other Notes:''' Generic mortals are almost always extras. Each dot of Followers is equivalent to
 +
10 generic mortals. A generic mortal with appropriate Abilities and influence might work as
 +
a one- or two-dot Guide. Such a Guide would most likely not be an extra.
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
 
 +
=== TITANS ===
 +
:~ '''[[TITANS OF THE AESIR]]'''
 +
 
 +
:~ '''[[TITANS OF THE THEOI]]'''
 +
 
 +
:~ '''[[TITANS OF THE NEMETONDEVOS]]'''
 +
:~ '''[[TITANS OF THE TUATHA DE DOMNANN]]'''
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
=== DARK DOMINIONS ===
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="color:#222; background-color:#FFFACD;" cellpadding="10"
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[CURSED BLOOD]]'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[]]'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[]]'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[]]'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[]]'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[]]'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[]]'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[]]'''
 +
|-
 +
|'''[[]]'''
 +
|}
 
----
 
----
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
----
 
----
−
=== [[Titans]] ===
+
 
−
:~
+
=== TITAN SPAWN ===
 +
The titanspawn are the greatest earthly enemies
 +
of the Scions. Formed directly by the power of their
 +
chthonic masters, some titanspawn are unique
 +
creatures, while others are members of hidden races
 +
of Titan-worshiping creatures. Scions with a bookish
 +
nature tend to categorize titanspawn into one of three
 +
general categories. ''Chimerae'' are amalgamations of
 +
different creatures into one horrific form. Scions have
 +
encountered a dazzling number of ''chimerae'', but most
 +
are unique creatures unable to breed easily. ''Giants'' are
 +
typically enormous humanoids fashioned from the
 +
power of the Titans out of the very elements, although
 +
some few are mundane creatures grown to incredible
 +
size. ''Giants'' are among the most common enemies of
 +
the Scions, typically providing muscle for more powerful
 +
or intelligent titanspawn. ''Minions'', on the other hand,
 +
are entire servitor races created by the Titans. ''Minions''
 +
exist in greater variety than giants do, and they often
 +
fulfill specific roles for their Titan creators to which
 +
the crude giants are ill suited. Some minions have far
 +
more autonomy than others. A significant number of
 +
Japanese ''tengu'' have rejected their titanspawn heritage
 +
to aid the Scions, and almost all of the ''dwarves'' swore
 +
allegiance to the Aesir after the destruction of their
 +
creator, Ymir.
 +
 
 +
While titanspawn are dangerous adversaries, a
 +
Scion who defeats one can receive a benefit much more
 +
tangible than simply the thrill of beating up a big, ugly
 +
monster. Just as the Gods took power from the Titans
 +
after defeating them and made it their own, Scions can
 +
take part of the chthonic energy that fuels a titanspawn
 +
and gain supernatural benefits from it. The exact nature
 +
of what power can be drawn from a particular titanspawn
 +
varies according to the creature. Each titanspawn
 +
described here is associated with a particular “trophy,”
 +
which a Scion can use for supernatural purposes.
 +
In some cases, the trophy yields an actual Birthright
 +
weapon or object that permits the Scion to use a Boon
 +
once he has spent the appropriate experience for it,
 +
such as the skin of the Nemean Lion did for Heracles.
 +
In other cases, a particular titanspawn’s corpse might
 +
yield some substance that gives the Scion a short-term
 +
supernatural benefit. Generally, the more powerful and
 +
unique a titanspawn is, the more potent and permanent
 +
the trophy is.
 +
----
 +
<br>
 +
----
 +
==== <span style="color:#ff0000;"> '''Dark Virtues''' ====
 +
Like Scions, titanspawn (or at least those titanspawn
 +
with some degree of intellect) have Virtues that govern
 +
their behavior. The titanspawn do not, however, have any
 +
of the Virtues associated with the Overworld pantheons.
 +
Instead, creatures who serve the Titans directly have
 +
Dark Virtues, which serve them in the same way that
 +
conventional Virtues serve the Scions. Each Dark Virtue
 +
drives the titanspawn to serve the Titans with greater
 +
devotion and to hate the Gods and their children with
 +
greater intensity. Not all titanspawn have Dark Virtues,
 +
though. Some titanspawn, most commonly renegade
 +
minions, have the Virtues of the pantheon with which
 +
they have become associated. Others are mindless beasts
 +
with no Virtues at all.
 +
 
 +
===== <span style="color:#ff0000;"> [[AMBITION]] =====
 +
To the titanspawn, love, family and friendship are
 +
alien concepts. Communal instincts are sins against
 +
one’s own self, the only being a titanspawn should
 +
ever care about. Titanspawn who espouse the Virtue of
 +
Ambition reserve their trust, support and devotion only
 +
for themselves and their own advancement. Even the
 +
Titans themselves are not truly worthy of the titanspawn
 +
loyalty except as a means to greater personal power.
 +
Everyone and everything that exists is merely a potential
 +
sacrifice on the altar of the titanspawn’s quest for glory.
 +
 
 +
'''Titanspawn use Ambition to:''' fight against an enemy
 +
who threatens one’s goals, defend a valuable pawn, risk
 +
danger or death in pursuit of advancement, stab a rival
 +
in the back.
 +
 
 +
'''A failed Ambition roll allows a titanspawn to:'''
 +
demonstrate compassion when doing so disadvantages
 +
him, refuse to take a risk that is outweighed by the
 +
potential rewards, refuse to usurp his superior’s authority
 +
when given the chance to do so.
 +
 
 +
'''Virtue Extremity:''' ''Overweening Arrogance.'' The
 +
titanspawn becomes so consumed by his own sense of
 +
superiority that he fails to see the limits of his power. He
 +
refuses to show any respect to all but the most dangerous
 +
of superiors, and he puts his own lust for power above
 +
the goals of his masters.
 +
 
 +
===== <span style="color:#ff0000;"> [[MALICE]] =====
 +
To the titanspawn, compassion is a form of madness
 +
unique to Gods and the pathetic humans who choose
 +
to emulate them. It is the natural desire of all thinking
 +
beings to revel in the fear that those beneath them show.
 +
Deliberate cruelty and even outright sadism are not
 +
deficiencies in one’s character, but rather evidence of
 +
one’s natural superiority. The weak enslave themselves,
 +
and suffering is the natural consequence of one’s own
 +
inferiority.
 +
 
 +
'''Titanspawn use Malice to:''' fight against any enemy,
 +
attack the innocent and helpless, interrogate and torture
 +
captives, intimidate others.
 +
 
 +
'''A failed Malice roll allows a titanspawn to:''' honor
 +
a truce, release a prisoner from captivity, administer a
 +
coup de grace on a fallen foe rather than toying with
 +
him, ignore any opportunity to torment a Scion.
 +
 
 +
'''Virtue Extremity:''' ''All-Consuming Hatred.'' The
 +
titanspawn’s contempt for all life exceeds all bounds
 +
of common sense. The titanspawn cannot ignore any
 +
opportunity to inflict suffering that comes his way,
 +
even when doing so diverts him from his true goals.
 +
A titanspawn in the grip of such a hatred would
 +
delay his enemy’s execution to pull the wings off a fly.
 +
Indeed, such a titanspawn might delay the execution
 +
indefinitely, stretching out his enemy’s torture as long as
 +
possible even though doing so increases the chance of
 +
his enemy’s rescue or escape.
 +
 
 +
===== <span style="color:#ff0000;"> [[RAPACITY]] =====
 +
The gratification of the senses and the satiation of
 +
hunger are the sole motives for action. That is the creed
 +
of the titanspawn ruled by Rapacity. Such a hunger
 +
need not be for food; indeed, it rarely is. Instead, the
 +
titanspawn might be driven by a lust for the flesh of
 +
nubile virgins or an insatiable avarice. What matters is
 +
that the titanspawn has found something that she must
 +
have at all costs or die in the attempt.
 +
 
 +
'''Titanspawn use Rapacity to:''' fight against anyone
 +
who seeks to end her depredations, overcome an enemy
 +
who defends the object of her desire, avenge herself
 +
against one who has robbed her of her prize.
 +
 
 +
'''A failed Rapacity roll allows a titanspawn to:''' give
 +
away a possession (especially one that is the object of
 +
the titanspawn’s obsession), resist bribery or blackmail
 +
attempts involving the object of her desire, ignore a
 +
chance to satisfy her desires when the reward outweighs
 +
the danger.
 +
 
 +
'''Virtue Extremity:''' ''Reckless Hunger.'' The titanspawn’s
 +
obsession overwhelms all capacity for rational self-interest. She will take any risk to secure the object of her
 +
desire and accede to any request by one who can provide
 +
her with what she wants.
 +
 
 +
===== <span style="color:#ff0000;"> [[ZEALOTRY]] =====
 +
All titanspawn draw their strength from the vast
 +
power of the Titans, but not all are grateful enough to
 +
risk their lives working to allow their masters access to
 +
the World, particularly when confronted by wrathful
 +
Scions. Such dangers are insignificant to those who
 +
cherish the Virtue of Zealotry. Filled with the unholy
 +
spirit of the Titans, these zealots serve their creators with
 +
an unquenchable religious fervor. When the chance to
 +
serve comes their way, such titanspawn serve with all
 +
their hearts and souls.
 +
 
 +
'''Titanspawn use Zealotry to:''' fight against the Gods
 +
and their Scions and allies, work toward their Titan’s
 +
goals, cling to life after a near-fatal encounter with their
 +
enemies.
 +
 
 +
'''A failed Zealotry roll allows a titanspawn to:''' ignore
 +
the chance to capture or kill a God or a Scion, ignore any
 +
command believed to come from their Titan, surrender
 +
even when confronted by a superior Scion force.
 +
 
 +
'''Virtue Extremity:''' ''Religious Mania.'' The titanspawn’s
 +
quasi-religious loyalty to the Titans evolves into full-
 +
blown religious mania. The titanspawn becomes so
 +
convinced in the inevitable victory of her chthonic
 +
master that she ignores obvious threats to the fruition
 +
of her plan, convinced that Fate itself is on her side.
 +
Whenever confronted with anyone showing disrespect
 +
to one or more Titans (or by the mere presence of a
 +
Scion challenging her authority), the titanspawn flies
 +
into a rage.
 
----
 
----
 
<br>
 
<br>
Line 420: Line 1,912:
 
----
 
----
  
−
== '''ANTAGONISTS''' ==
+
==== CREATURES ====
−
:* '''Banshee''' -- A Wailing Woman (Originally known as ''Ban Sidhe''...sounds the same.)
+
:~ '''[[Amazons]]''' -- Warrior women
−
:* '''Baobhan Sith''' -- A female vampire, not of Caine's brood.
+
:~ '''[[Banshees]]''' -- A Wailing Woman (Originally known as ''Ban Sidhe''...sounds the same.)
−
:* '''Berserkers''' -- Warriors who bind themselves to animal remains in order to fight with bestial fury. (Cults = Bear, Wolf & Wild Boar)
+
:~ '''Baobhan Sith''' -- A female vampire, not of Caine's brood.
−
:* '''Dracolich''' -- The Undead dragon {Sárkány}.
+
:~ '''[[Berserkers]]''' -- Warriors who bind themselves to animal remains in order to fight with bestial fury. (Cults = Bear, Wolf & Wild Boar)
−
:* '''Draugr''' -- Norse Undead
+
:~ '''[[Chimerae]]''' --
−
:* '''Ljósálfar''' --  
+
:~ '''Dracolich''' -- The Undead dragon {Sárkány}.
−
:* '''Panes''' -- Creatures of the forest with the heads and torsos of men, the legs and tails of goats, goatish faces and goat-horns.
+
:~ '''[[Draugr]]''' -- Norse Undead
−
:* '''Pitys''' -- A pine Nymph {Eirene}
+
:~ '''[[Fomorian (''Beautiful Ones'')]]''' --
−
:* '''Laestrygonians''' -- Man-eating giants
+
:~ '''[[Ljósálfar]]''' --
−
:* '''Spartae''' -- Malevolent spirit born from violence. Spartae are normally depicted as a skeletal being with some form of a weapon and military attire.
+
:~ '''[[Nemeans]]''' --
−
:* '''Valkyrie''' -- A host of female figures who choose those who may die in battle and those who may live. {Hrund}
+
:~ '''Panes''' -- Creatures of the forest with the heads and torsos of men, the legs and tails of goats, goatish faces and goat-horns.
−
:* '''Vanargand''' -- Monstrous wolves
+
:~ '''Pitys''' -- A pine Nymph {Eirene}
 +
:~ '''Laestrygonians''' -- Man-eating giants
 +
:~ '''Spartae''' -- Malevolent spirit born from violence. Spartae are normally depicted as a skeletal being with some form of a weapon and military attire.
 +
:~ '''[[UNDEAD]]''' -- Foul creatures that walk the razor’s edge between life and death.
 +
:~ '''[[Valkyrie]]''' -- A host of female figures who choose those who may die in battle and those who may live. {Hrund}
 +
:~ '''Vanargand''' -- Monstrous wolves
 
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== '''DIVINE STORIES''' ==
 
== '''DIVINE STORIES''' ==
−
* :[[Kindernacht]] (Out of Game: 10/19/19 -) {In Game: 10/30 - 11/1/0009}
+
 
−
* :[[The Wolf and the Dove]] (Out of Game: 10/19/19 -) {In Game: 10/22 - 10/19/0009}
 
 
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Latest revision as of 21:44, 8 May 2023

World of Darkness -- Pax Romana ~*~ DOMINIONS ~*~ PANTHEONS

Contents

In The Beginning

Creation.jpg

The Primordials

From Pantheon to Pantheon the story of creation varies greatly. Yet all share a common belief that at the beginning, Something stirred the universe into motion. What that something was remains a topic of hot debate between divine entities within each Pantheon. Wars have even started between the Pantheons over this subject and all now generally agree to disagree with the goal of avoiding pointless violence.

One thing all the Pantheons can agree on is the existence of primordial deities, like: Chaos, Darkness, Day, Earth, Light, Night, Sea, Sky, and the Underworld. Other potential primordial deities include: Fate (one or more), Life and Death, Time (or Eternity) and Love (or Misery). A few of the Pantheons include negative aspects of the previously mentioned primordial deities and can include personifications, animals or stranger things.



Creation: The First Age

At some point, after the the awakening of the Primordials, they procreated with one another and gave birth to the Elder Gods and the world as we know it. These amazing beings had few if any limitations and many represented unrestrained elemental forces. Some were intelligent after a fashion, but many were thoughtless entities who were ruled by their passions. During the first age, the Primordials and their children shaped creation to suit themselves, giving birth to the stars, separating landmasses from the sea, creating mountain ranges and giving birth to the origins of all life. Their battles and lovemaking created the world and universe as we know it now.



The Second Age

After unrecorded ages, the Elder Gods rebelled against their Primordial parents. From Pantheon to Pantheon the reasons for this the first War of the Gods vary and likely the true story may never be told, if indeed those who were present during the conflict and survived it, still remember. From the remnants that have come down to us through ages uncounted, the Elder Gods felt mistreated and or grew jealous of their progenitor's power and authority. The war was long and epic, but the Elder Gods ultimately won with the aid of a few turncoat Primordials. The fate of every Primordial remains a mystery, but the greater host were banished to a distant realm of suffering and imprisonment. This first true war did have casualties, and revealed to the Gods for the first time that they too could die at each other's hands or to divinely forged weapons. This sad truth led to a complete end to the hostilities and all the divine weapons were destroyed or hidden away leading to a golden age of peace and prosperity.



The Third (Silver) Age

The Elder Gods took dominion of the universe for themselves and partitioned the governance of the varying layers of reality between the strongest of them. Those original Dominions went to the leaders of the newly established Pantheons and lesser Dominions were handed out to each of the surviving deities as spoils of war. Of course the leaders of each Pantheon had their favorites and cronyism and nepotism were rampant, but the Elder Gods knew no better and in the celebratory mood which followed their victory they cared little. The leaders among the gods did not notice the disparity as they received the lion's share of the spoils and for an age all the gods were agreeable.

After the First War the various Pantheons drifted apart and most lost contact with each other. The third age was a silver age in that the Elder Gods perfected their parent's crude Dominions into lesser Powers that could be taught and traded. It was during this time that each Pantheon established for itself earthly abodes in places of of power that were often remote and difficult to reach. These Sanctuaries served as both communal gathering places and refuges against those few threats the early Pantheons would acknowledge.

With the fate of the universe settled and the First War over, the Elder Gods found room for love and relationships and in time to the birth of a third generation of Golden Gods. It was also during this age that humanity rose above the animal kingdom, but this event largely went unnoticed by the Elder Gods as they drew the fuel for their Dominions directly from the cosmic ether. During this time, mankind and the deities interacted infrequently, but mankind's need to imitate the divine and to worship the gods created a foundation for a later relationship.



The Second War of the Gods

The twilight of the Third Age began with the birth of a third generation of gods, the Golden Gods. These callow youths knew nothing of want or suffering and the world was their playground. Learning at the knees of the Elder Gods their parents, they were born to the Dominions and Powers and possessed a skill with them that surpassed their progenitors. Initially this created delight in the Elder Gods, but as time passed fear and resentment began to manifest.

Indeed the Golden Gods were not only virtuoso with the Dominions and their Powers, but they also found Humanity fascinating in a way the Elder Gods could not. Initially, the youthful gods just watched mankind, but in their playfulness and curiosity they began to interact directly with humanity who idolized them and offered them Worship and Sacrifice. During this time the Elder Gods began to bicker among themselves as families are wont to do. Their grievances ranged from genuine to the imagined and long festering resentments over the apportionment following the First War created deep divisions among them that could not easily be resolved.

What specifically began the Second War remains a mystery, some say it was triggered by a murder carried out with ancient divine weapons or that the hubris of the Elder Gods created Strife between the generations, or that someone within the Pantheons betrayed the Elder Gods by teaching the golden generation secrets that should have remained secret. In all likelihood, all of these things created an explosive situation that the gods failed to resolve in time. One theory above all others reappears in motifs across the bounds of all pantheons, that towards the end of the Third Age the Golden Gods were cut off from the quintessential divine fuel or Aether used by the Elder Gods and in their weakness they turned to the Worship and Sacrfice of mankind to fuel their divine Dominions.

What we know for certain is that one or more of the Golden Gods turned to the imprisoned Primordials for aid and released them in a bid to usurp their parent's place within the pantheons. Once released, the Primordials unleashed havoc on this this and all other worlds. A few of the more thoughtful Primordials sided with each of the younger generations of gods creating a three way struggle for the universe. The earth was laid waste and mankind in their hour of need prayed and offered up massive sacrifices to the Golden Gods granting them the fuel the youngest generation needed to battle their elders, but it also revealed to that their relationship with mankind was a symbiotic one. If the ravages of the Primordials were to extinguish humanity, it would also doom the younger deities to irrelevance or possibly oblivion.

Imperiled by this unwanted knowledge, the Golden Gods husbanded their followers, selected able leaders, struck alliances with key Primordials, unearthed ancient Divine Weapons, and banded together for an age to bring the cataclysmic Second War to a conclusive end. Once the war was over, the majority of the Primordials and the Elder Gods were again imprisoned, this time together and a handful of the loyal Primordials were made their jailers or allowed to wander free with the caveat that the Golden Gods were now the rulers of the universe. This situation did not suit everyone, but all those who dissented were likewise banished to the realm of imprisonment.

The new regime likewise partitioned control of the universe in similar fashion to their progenitors and reorganized their respective pantheons as they saw fit. With the advent of peace, the Golden Gods returned to their games and contests, entertaining themselves with their mortal followers and for the first time, begetting upon their mortal lovers semi-divine children, half human and half deity, the demigods were born.



The Fourth (Golden) Age

Like the gods that gave birth to it, the fourth age was a golden one. The gods and mankind freely intermingled and it was a time of great and terrible deeds. As a result of the Second War, the golden generation created new Dominions and Powers that they perfected in the fourth age. The fourth age saw the birth of organized religion and with the growth of mankind, its spread across the world. The Golden Gods looked upon this and were pleased.

During this time, the gods initiated many relationships with their mortal followers spawning a new kind of deity, the demigods. The demigods represented the golden generation's love for humanity and these half-breeds often acted as intermediaries between the divine pantheons and their mortal followers. Sadly the demigods were a symptom of a time when mortals were the playthings of the gods, who often took them as lovers willingly or no. Rape and incest were quite common among the golden generation in the fourth age and this unbridled passion often mirrored the Primordials in its destructiveness.

The fourth age also saw the gods moving among mankind and teaching them mundane versions of the Dominions and their Powers. Some of the gods did this more directly, like the gods of magic, while others helped mankind perfect their own arts and crafts. Mortals became surrogate children to the gods, loved, but not dangerous enough to be feared, humanity became pets to the golden generation. Likewise the the demigods became a safe alternative to more divine children, loyal and loving, but not powerful enough to threaten the established order, the demigods became the preference for gods who wanted progeny.

The presence of gods on earth, made the fourth age one of miracles, but also one of divine atrocities. Humanity's need to worship the divine would inevitably lead to mortal competitiveness and human hubris, pride would come before the fall. Great mortals and sometimes demigods would struggle and brag of their prowess in all the arts and crafts, quickly followed by divine retribution. It was an age of wonders and great terrors as the gods sought to ever increase their follower's numbers, first through miracles and then by intrigue, and followed by war. The proxy wars of mankind allowed the golden generation to compete with each other without the need for divine conflict, allowing mankind to pay the bloodly price instead.

It was also an age of divine justice when the gods acted upon the prayers of mortals who sought everything from justice, love, vengeance or wealth. And the gods found common cause with humanity against one another as well which often lead to more strife, suffering and warfare. Still, mankind perfected the science of religion and gave back to their gods a thousand fold, allowing the golden generation to create miracles that would inspire Legends.



The Heroic Age

The Age of Heroes was one of magnificent deeds, it saw the god's slow withdrawal from the world to replace direct divine intervention with influence peddling and indirect manipulations through dreams, omens, prophecies and revelations. Epic quests led demigods and heroic mortals to seek out unimaginable danger in the hope of fame, power or wealth, but what they created for themselves and those who would come after were legends. The birth of Legend created something new in the world or perhaps something just previously unseen by the gods, demigods who could ascend to true godhood and mortal heroes whose legendary spawned cults of their own and elevated them to the position of demigod.

Lengthy recitations, mostly genealogical poetry, created cycles of stories which followed the deeds of heroes and their relationships to one another and then extending to the relationships of heroic families. Epic sagas created a chain of divinity from the golden generation through demigods to the heroes of the age. The birth of hero cults both weakened and strengthened the gods by turns as they found themselves bound hand in hand with heroes in daily prays, oaths and during sacrifices. This revolution happened quite slowly at first and went unnoticed initially and once discovered, it could not be undone.

As the trend in gods creating demigods to be their progeny or to act as divine emissaries increased, the number of true new gods being born declined to nothing, seemingly overnight mortals began to deify their heroes and new heroes had a way of being raised up from the endless army of the dead. The fourth age gave birth to something else as well, monsters, the results of divine atrocities committed by the gods on individual mortals or entire races spawned obscene or profane creatures whose existence was curse to both themselves and the human settlements closest to their lairs. Demigods and heroes could gain legendary status if they could rid the people of these horrors and sometimes in the process they managed to offend one deity while amusing or pleasing another god. Each deed created a new legend which fed the cycle of myths which were no longer specifically about the gods and sometimes occurred despite their preferences.

The greatest demigods or heroes created powerful family lines which came to dominate the next age, blending legends with and inspiring new deeds both great and terrible to become history.



The Age of Empires

The current age of is one of empires.



So You Want to be a God?

"Being a god is being able to recognize within one’s self these things that are important, and then to strike the single note that brings them into alignment with everything else that exists. Then, beyond morals or logic or esthetics, one is wind or fire, the sea, the mountains, rain, the sun or the stars, the flight of an arrow, the end of a day, the clasp of love. One rules through one’s ruling passions. Those who look upon gods then say, without even knowing their names, ‘He is Fire. She is Dance. He is Destruction. She is Love.’ [...] they do not call themselves gods. Everyone else does, though, everyone who beholds them." — Roger Zelazny, Lord of Light



Lexicon

  • ATTRIBUTES: Attributes are a group of permanent traits that govern mental, physical and social interactions or challenges.
  • DIVINE ATTRIBUTES: Divine attributes are a group of nine permanent traits that mirror standard attributes, but they are supernatural in character and are considered Dominions.
  • DOMINIONS:
  • PROVINCES:
  • REVERIE: The sleep of the gods is not like that of man. In Reverie, gods commune with their disciples and receive prayers and sacrifices.



Character Creation

Avatar ~ Character Sheet
PANTHEONS



INNATE POWERS OF DIVINITY

Beatific Reward: The bestowal of divine powers upon mortal followers as a gift or in return for faithful service.
Benefit of Xenoglossy: Is the divine phenomenon in which a person is able to speak or write a language he or she could not have acquired by natural means.
Celestial Awareness: A sixth sense and divine ability to detect supernatural beings and forces at work in the nearby area.
Divine Immortality: All Avatars are immortal and un-aging, while their physical form can be destroyed, they cannot truly die unless slain by another divine being.
Imbue Divine Progeny: All Avatars can create divine progeny by mating with a mortal or another Avatar.
Immunity to Possession: As divine beings, Avatars are immune to acts of possession and mind control, which is not to say their minds cannot be influenced.
Orison Ken: All Avatars can hear pleas or prays offered to them, they can even detect when their names are spoken even in casual conversation regardless of distance.
Otherworldly Communication: Avatars can answer prayers or pleas directly with spoken words or visions, or indirectly with portents and signs.
Resistance to Lethal Damage: Avatars can soak lethal damage with Stamina, but need ENDURANCE to resist aggravated damage and even this divine attribute offers no protection against each Avatar's anathema.
Superior Healing: While Avatars do not have regeneration per se, they do heal far faster than mere mortals.

DIVINITY

Like the Gods who spawned them, Avatars are creatures born of divine legend whose deeds shape the World around them. Their actions defy the physical laws that bind ordinary mortals, and as they grow in power, their mythic weight distorts the very fabric of reality, causing waves of improbability that spawn wonders—and freakish disasters—wherever they go. Tumult and conflict surround them as the forces of Fate act against their power, until the physical realm can no longer contain them.

The Divinity trait measures a Avatar’s power, reflecting the favor of her divine parent and the glory of her epic deeds. As a Avatar’s Divinity grows, she gains access to greater Divine Attributes, Flairs and Powers, as well as the ability to perform fantastic stunts worthy of her name. But a Avatar’s divinity is a two-edged sword. As her energies increase, the forces of Fate act against her in corresponding strength, creating a vortex of conflicting influences that warp the laws of probability in increasingly fantastical ways.

Divinity is rated from 1 to 12. Avatars of Divinity 1 through Divinity 4 are considered heroes—an ethics- neutral term here meant to separate Avatars from mere mortals. Avatars of Divinity 5 through Divinity 8 are considered true demigods. Characters of Divinity 9 through Divinity 12 are themselves gods. An Avatar’s Divinity rating generates a pool of Divinity points equal to the character’s Divinity dots squared.

USING DIVINITY

As well as acting as a measure of a Avatar’s power, Divinity can be used during play in a number of different ways:

Legendary deeds: A character’s Divinity allows her to regularly perform amazing deeds that defy the laws of physics or probability. Once per story per dot the Avatar has of Divinity, the player may add a number of bonus successes equal to the character’s Divinity rating to any action. (An Avatar with Divinity 4 could add four bonus successes to any four actions during the course of a single story.) The player must spend one Legend point to access these bonus successes.

Rerolling an action: The player may spend one Divinity point to re-roll a failed action, even if the action resulted in a botch. This ability is most cost effective when used to re-roll exceptionally difficult actions or stunts. Only one re-roll may be attempted per failed action.

Defensive do-over: By spending one Divinity point, the player of an attacked character may retroactively increase his character’s DV against a successful attack by an amount equal to his (Athletics ÷ 2). The player can do so only after the attacker’s player makes his attack roll.

Using powerful Boons: Some Powers are so potent that they must be activated by spending points from a Avatar’s Divinity pool. See Chapter Five, pages 139-156 for more details.

Fueling magical spells: Magic, regardless of its origin, requires the expenditure of Divinity points for it to take effect. See Chapter Five, pages 153-155 for more details.

REGAINING DIVINITY



BIRTHRIGHTS

INTRODUCTION

The Gods do limit their involvement in the mortal realm, but they don’t send their children to war unarmed. A Avatar’s visitation by his or her divine parent invariably involves the bestowal of Birthrights—legendary servants, mentors or even creatures and relics of great power.

Possessing no Birthrights is a sure sign that a Avatar has not yet met her divine parent or guide — a status that tends to attract titanspawn for the purposes of recruitment or “preemptive disposal.” But for those Avatars who have already received a visitations, sages, beasts, armies and relics await.

GIFTS FROM THE GODS

Avatars begin the game with five dots of Birthrights, which can be divided among the Creatures, Followers, Guide and Relic traits. A player may purchase the same Birthright multiple times and assign differing amounts of dots to each, possessing several distinct relics or multiple legendary creatures, for example. No single trait usage can have a rating higher than five. By spending bonus points, a character could begin play with two five-dot creatures, for example, but not a single creature with a rating of 10. Regardless of how players choose to distribute their Birthright dots, they must do so judiciously. Additional Birthright traits can be acquired only through roleplaying, not the expenditure of experience points.

The use of a Birthright trait, in and of itself, never requires any dice rolling. Determining the results of, say, a consultation between a Avatar and his guide should be arbitrated by roleplaying instead. Dice rolls for actions involving Birthrights might still be necessary (using a relic weapon to attack an opponent, for example), but such rolls never involve dots of the Birthright trait directly.


CREATURES

The Creature Birthright represents a Avatar’s close tie to a creature of legend, usually provided by a divine parent as a mount or companion. A player has all of mundanity and literature (especially the stories of his character’s chosen pantheon) to draw upon when choosing a creature for his Avatar. This Birthright might represent a coatl, benu bird, crocodile, wolf, snake or other creature. With enough dots invested in this Birthright, a Avatar could have an even more impressive creature at her disposal, such as a kirin or a young dragon.

Although the line between animal and human intelligence is often blurred in the realms of legend, this trait typically represents creatures of roughly animal intelligence. For more intelligent beings (centaurs or tengu, for example), the Followers or Guide Birthrights are more appropriate.

The entities covered by the Creature Birthright are assumed to be quite loyal, though not necessarily to a suicidal degree. If a creature would die to protect its master, that will become clear through roleplaying. It’s not assumed merely by allocating dots to this Birthright. Communication is likewise not taken for granted. At the start of a cycle, Avatars and their pets might share a limited form of communication (a few simple commands), and they can expand on this limited repertoire as the cycle proceeds. The Creature Birthright does not endow an otherwise unintelligent creature with telepathy or the ability to discuss higher level concepts, though Avatars proficient in the Dominion of Beasts might have some advantages in this regard.

Note that the dot descriptions here are merely guidelines. A very powerful nekomata, for example, would certainly rate more than a single dot, while an infant dragon would cost less than five. Use the following descriptions as rules of thumb.

Trait Effects

● The creature is small, weak, somewhat fragile or perhaps entirely incorporeal — a weak nekomata, a monkey, a scarab, an owl or a raven, for example. Such creatures are useful for warning their owners of dangers and providing some limited reconnaissance, but little else.
●● The creature is a somewhat larger or more powerful mundane beast—tigers, wolves, boars, large birds of prey. Weak entities can also be included here—a serpopard, Stymphalian bird, or various and sundry nature spirits would fall into this category.
●●● The creature is a beast of modest power, such as a golem, coatl or a pegasus.
●●●● The creature is a more powerful one, such as the Taureau-Trois-Graines or a valkyrie horse.
●●●●● The creature is a unique beast of legend (such as Gullinbursti) or a particularly dangerous monster such as a kirin, a roc or a basilisk.


FOLLOWERS

Many heroes of legend stood at the forefront of mighty armies, and the Followers Birthright reflects that heritage.

This trait represents the number and quality of sentient beings who are extremely loyal to the Avatar — making allowances for the variety of “sentient” beings found in classical legend, of course. Followers might consist of a small cadre of human warriors or servants, though they can also be recruited from the denizens of the realms of legend, including zombies, spartoi and even more exotic folk. As a rule of thumb, a being with intelligence and communication abilities roughly comparable to or surpassing humans are covered by the Followers Birthright, while creatures of animal intelligence (or those with limited communication abilities) fall under the auspices of the Creature Birthright. Given the breadth of human legend, this is a fuzzy line at best—the Storyteller gets the final say.

Though the trait effects listed here all assume five followers, a Avatar isn’t limited to this number. A player can opt for a greater number of weaker followers. In essence, doing so amounts to purchasing the trait multiple times. Using the listed examples, a player might allocate five dots to the Followers trait to represent 25 hoplites, four dots to represent 10 myrmidons, and so forth.

Although a Avatar’s player purchases this trait at character creation, having the dots does not imply that the character will always have access to that number of followers. If a follower dies in battle, note this on the Avatar’s character sheet in the Birthrights section. Barring a trip to the Underworld (not out of the question, considering the milieu), the follower is lost to the Avatar forever, or until other events arbitrated through roleplaying give the Avatar access to new followers.

Trait Effects

● Five cops, hoplites or jaguar warriors.
●● Five zombies or berserks.
●●● Five spartoi, samurai or amazons.
●●●● Five myrmidons, einherjar or tengu.
●●●●● Five valkyries or shinobi.


GUIDE

In Greek legend, the heroes Achilles, Heracles, Jason, Aeneas, Asclepius and Peleus learned archery and the arts from the centaur Chiron—quite a list of students, considering that Chiron himself was the titanspawn child of Cronus. Military mentors, spiritual guides and other gifted advisors often figure prominently in legends from other parts of the World as well. Perhaps the ancient Gods find power in the form itself, because even in modern times, they are known to bless their children with guides.

Potential guides come in many forms: sagely mortals, fellow Avatars or even legendary beings. A Greek Avatar might visit a particular grove to commune with one of the “rural ghosts.” Japanese Avatars might do the same at remote Shinto shrines. Loa guides have the jarring habit of dispensing wisdom through convenient passersby, often at inopportune or embarrassing moments for their students.

Purchasing this trait is no guarantee that a Avatar’s guide will always be available to answer questions. Indeed, the most powerful and knowledgeable guides usually have the most distractions. Avatars with guides that can be reached through a relic (see “Relics and Other Birthrights,” p. 160) will usually find their mentors easier to communicate with.

In the same vein, no guide is unerringly accurate or completely honest about all subjects. They are characters with limitations and ambitions of their own. In general, however, a guide can be relied on to fulfill his archetypal role: sometimes confusing, sometimes preoccupied, but ultimately delivering a crucial education in the way of the hero.

Because the interaction between a Avatar and his divine parent is so fundamental to the game, the Guide Birthright cannot be used to define this relationship. A few Gods contact their children almost daily, some are complete absentees, but most fall somewhere in between. Regardless, an immortal mother or father is always more than just a guide (though Gods occasionally fulfill the guide role for Avatars who aren’t their children).

Trait Effects

● A wise mortal. The guide can offer useful advice about several aspects of mortal life (Ability specialties, the conduct of war, finances, etc.). Such guides might be knowledgeable in certain areas relating to the Gods—the mystic practices of their worshipers, unconfirmed accounts of titanspawn, and so forth—though they rarely have firsthand experience with Avatars or their divine parents. In fact, many guides at this level have no idea how or why a deity would select them to mentor their children.
●● A very wise and/or powerful mortal. The guide is either an extremely knowledgeable mortal—the World’s foremost expert in his or her chosen

field, for example—or one who wields wide influence. The more power guides possess, the less time they have to guide their charges. A guide at this level could also be one of the rare individuals who is aware of the struggle between the Gods and the Titans. Such guides often have direct experience with other Avatars or titanspawn.

●●● An experienced Avatar. The guide can offer considerable insight into all things semi-divine. She might know other Avatars from several pantheons, or even a few Gods. Many have experience fighting various strains of titanspawn. Unfortunately, Avatars mentoring Avatars can sometimes resemble the blind leading the blind. Even experienced Avatars sometimes misunderstand the inscrutable intrigues of their parents. Another drawback to having a Avatar for a mentor is that she’s often involved with her own heroic Band, leaving her less time to guide her pupil.
●●●● A legendary being. The guide could conceivably be any sort of creature or being. Many kami and loa serve in this capacity, as do the numerous nature spirits that crop up in Greek and Norse legend. Although they aren’t outright Gods, such creatures are particularly attuned to the workings of divinity. These guides often have considerable experience with titanspawn, and might even have a rudimentary knowledge of the Titans themselves. Such creatures typically have limited knowledge of the mortal World, however. Sirens know lots about sailors, for instance, but their knowledge of cars and stock exchanges is limited.
●●●●● A minor God or Goddess. The guide possesses considerable firsthand knowledge of the Overworld, the Underworld and destinations in between, though he is often preoccupied with his divine duties. Some Gods are notoriously cryptic or find it difficult to communicate with mortals. Such deities confound (inadvertently or otherwise) as often as they guide.


RELICS

Humans are creatures defined largely by their tools, and this relationship shows up time and time again in the legends they pass on. The tools of the Gods play a major role in defining Avatars as well. Relic, items of divine origin are always associated with one divine dominion or another; Avatars without the direct intervention of their divine parent can still learn new dominions through the acquisition of relics.

The Relic trait rating represents how many of the divine Purviews can be accessed through a single Relic. If a character has a particular Dominion, she may activate it as long as she has an appropriate Relic. The Wind’s Freedom Boon (see p. 146), for example, can be used if the Avatar possesses a relic of the Dominion of Sky — assuming, of course, that the character’s player purchased that of course, she has another relic that happens to cover that same Dominion).

Mere possession, however, is insufficient. The Avatar must also be able to use the item, which depends on the nature of the relic. Books must be read, swords must be wielded, bags of gris-gris must be opened and sprinkled. An Avatar who is unconscious, restrained by rope or chain, or has her sacred Relic buried deep inside a backpack and out of easy reach won’t usually be able to access her Relics or their associated Dominions.

An important caveat: A particular relic might allow an Avatar to use Dominions from a certain divine portfolio, but that doesn’t mean the Avatar now has access to every Dominion of that sphere. The character may use only those powers his player purchased at character creation or through the expenditure of experience points.

Trait Effects

● Access to one Dominion.
●● Access to two Dominion.
●●● Access to three Dominion.
●●●● Access to four Dominion.
●●●●● Access to five Dominion.


ALTERNATE BIRTHRIGHTS



DIVINE VIRTUES

The children of the Gods do not feel as mortals do. With the blood of their divine parent burning in their veins, Avatars are driven by passions both heroic and terrible. These passions, or Virtues, are what drive Avatars to perform their epic deeds. Sometimes, when their passions run away with them, it can lead to terrible tragedy as well, as many heroes of legend learned to their regret.

A character in Avatar begins the game with four Virtues, determined by the pantheon from which she descends. Like Attributes, each character automatically has one dot in each of her Virtues and can increase them further during the course of character creation. Virtues are rated from one to five dots, and a character can have high or low ratings in all of her Virtues.

THE BENEFITS OF VIRTUES

Virtues represent the core values of an Avatar, those deep-seated beliefs that propel her to perform deeds worthy of legend. It is the strength of a Avatar’s Virtues that drive her to take action, and when she channels her Willpower in service of her beliefs, she gains an increase in power and effectiveness.

Once per story per dot her character possesses in a particular Virtue, a player may spend a Willpower point to add a number of bonus dice equal to the Virtue rating to the character’s dice pool for actions that relate to that specific Virtue.

For example, a Norse Avatar with a rating of 3 in her Courage Virtue would gain three bonus dice for a combat-related dice roll by spending a Willpower point. She could gain these bonus dice up to three separate times during the same story. Performing a stunt that strongly reflects the values of a given Virtue can restore one use of this benefit.

Naturally, these benefits become more cost-effective as the Avatar’s Virtue ratings increase, but there are disadvantages to high Virtue ratings as well.

THE DISADVANTAGES OF VIRTUES

A high Virtue rating represents a Avatar’s deep commitment to the ideals of her divine parent. The deeper the commitment is, however, the harder it becomes for a Avatar to resist acting according to her beliefs, even when such action might be dangerous or unwise.

When a Avatar wishes to act in a way that runs counter to the tenets of one of her Virtues (or wishes to refrain from acting in line with one of her Virtues), the player may spend a point of Willpower to allow the character to do so. If he has no Willpower points to spend (or simply doesn’t want to spend Willpower), he must roll a number of dice equal to the character’s Virtue rating instead. If the Virtue roll generates even one success, the Avatar cannot resist behaving as her Virtue demands.

For example: Kachiko, a Avatar of Amaterasu, has a Valor rating of 5. She is badly wounded after a fight with a titanspawn, but now the monster’s minions have taken hostages from a nearby home and are attempting to escape. Kachiko is in no shape to fight, but her Valor demands that she act to protect the helpless. Kachiko’s player makes a Virtue roll to try to stay out of the fight. She rolls five dice and gets two successes. Despite her grievous injuries, she finds that she cannot live with the knowledge that she failed to do everything in her power to save the hostages from the cultists, so she prepares herself for what might be her last battle.

When a Avatar struggles against her Virtues, she is not only betraying herself but the expectations of her divine parent. Her blood seethes in her veins as she tries to act in a way that she knows is wrong. The stronger her beliefs are, the greater the pressure brought to bear against her becomes. If her resolve fails, she risks losing control of her actions, as she’s carried away in a storm of grief and remorse.

When a Avatar attempts to suppress one of her Virtues with a die roll and the resulting Virtue roll generates more successes than the character has points of temporary Willpower, the Avatar suffers a Virtue Extremity. Under the effects of a Virtue Extremity, the character takes the demands of her Virtue to potentially tragic lengths. See the individual Virtue descriptions for information on the duration and effects of each Virtue Extremity.

VIRTUE VERSUS NATURE

When choosing your character’s Nature, think carefully on how it will interact with the Virtues of the character’s pantheon. A Nature that is in opposition to the character’s Virtues can make for some interesting roleplaying opportunities, but it can also be frustrating.

A Survivor with the Virtue of Duty, however, has the potential for being an interesting character—a sort of reluctant hero who is driven to serve others even though he just wants to be left alone—but the dictates of the Nature and the Virtue are at cross-purposes. Either the character is going to require a lot of Virtue rolls as her rating increases, or she won’t get much Willpower back because she’s constantly acting against her Nature.

If that kind of internal conflict appeals to you, go for it. Otherwise, you might want to choose a Nature that complements your character’s Virtues.

VIRTUE DESCRIPTIONS



DOMINIONS

Introduction

The term dominion means the power or right of governing and controlling; sovereign authority. But with respect to deities, the term dominion comes to mean something similar, but different. Here dominion refers to sovereign authority over a given aspect of reality, such aspects cover a wide variety of material phenomena such as: animals, plants, rocks, geographic features such as mountains or rivers or other entities of the natural environment, including thunder, wind and shadows. The deity's divine authority allows him or her to command these diverse phenomena through their spiritual element and each deity's dominion over their chosen phenomena grants them nearly uncontested control of those phenomena.

Classifications

There are three classifications of dominions: common, pantheon, and sacerdotal. Common dominions are available to all deities regardless of their pantheon, sacred band or parentage, provided they are not anathema to the deity or violate that deity's taboo. Pantheon specific dominions are only available to deities who belong to a specific pantheon and cannot be taught to another deity outside the pantheon. Sacerdotal dominions are very specialized dominions that govern the more mysterious powers of the universe like: fate, magic, prophesy and sacrifice. Most deities with sacerdotal dominions are perceived as having a greater power over their progeny, sacred band or pantheon and as such, they are usually loath to teach these secret dominions to other deities regardless of their relationship.

Character Creation

At the point of character creation, players may take up to three Dominions, one gained from their Divine Progenitor, one gained from their Pantheon and one jointly learned in tandem with their Sacred Band. Those Dominions taken by the Sacred Band must be agreed upon by the group of players before hand.

Powers

Each dominion is further broken down into classifications of potency known as the lesser dominions and the greater dominions. Lesser dominions are available to demi-gods and lesser deities, while the greater dominions are only available to full-fledged gods. Within each delineation of the lesser or greater dominions, individual acts of dominion are called powers. For example, the first power within the Lesser Dominion of Beasts is Beast Speech which allows the deity in question to converse with most animals. Both lesser and greater dominions are broken down into five powers ascending from weakest to strongest, so the fifth and strongest power of a given lesser dominion would be slightly weaker than the first and weakest power of the greater dominion. Despite this arrangement, there is a considerable jump in potency between the lesser and greater dominions.

DOMINIONS (Celestial)

DARKNESS
MOON
STARS
SUN
TIME

DOMINIONS (Elemental)

EARTH
FIRE
FROST
SKY
WATER

DOMINIONS (Primal)

BEASTS
CHAOS
DEATH
FERTILITY
PASSION
SLEEP
WILD

DOMINIONS (Social)

ARTISTRY
CHANCE
DECEPTION
FORGE *
GUARDIANSHIP
HEALING *
JOURNEYS
JUSTICE
ORDER
PROSPERITY *
UNION
WAR *

DOMINIONS (Unusual)

LONGEVITY
WINE

Dominions by Pantheon

Dominions of the Aesir -- The Norse Gods
BLOD AF JOTUNNUM -- Secrets of the Aesir *
Dominions of the Dodekatheon -- The Olympian Gods
EPIKRATISI -- Mysteries of the Dodekatheon *
Dominions of the Tuatha -- The Celtic Gods
Enech -- The Worth of all Creatures *

Dominions Sacerdotal

FATE -- The powers of the Dominion of Fate, read and or alter the destiny of the individual upon which they are targeted.
MAGIC -- The Dominion of Magic is something of a catchall for a wide variety of powers that take the form of spell which aid their caster or injure their caster's target.
PROPHESY -- The powers of the Dominion of Prophesy are similar to the Dominion of Fate, but differ in that they predict what will happen, not what could happen.
SACRIFICE -- The Dominion of Sacrifice is a particularly unpleasant collection of powers that require the user to give up something or someone he cares about in return for power.



DIVINE ATTRIBUTES

DIVINE ATTRIBUTE LIST
MIGHT -- The Dominion of supernatural strength.
FINESSE -- A Dominion devoted to supernatural dexterity.
ENDURANCE -- Supernatural stamina is represented through this Dominion.
ALLURE -- This Dominion of supernatural charisma grants charm enough expect the forgiveness of your worst enemy or the love anyone to whom you speak.
SUPREMACY -- A Dominion of supernatural manipulation allows an Avatar to turn people into hand puppets.
REVELATION -- The Dominion of Revelation governs all aspects of appearance. Its wielders can be supernaturally beautiful, monstrously ugly or simply unseen.
APPREHENSION -- Far more than just a Dominion of preternatural senses, this divine attribute allows an Avatar to see the unseen, perceive omens, flashes of the future or see into other realms.
GENIUS -- Beyond mortal intelligence, genius allows Avatars superior computational skill, exceptional creativity in diverse endeavors to such a degree that they can advance human civilization.
CORUSCATION -- The Dominion of supernatural wits, those Avatars who have invested in this divine attribute can think at the speed of light, reacting to perceived threats far faster than their brethren.



Errata

Powers Prototype Page
Dominions Prototype Page



EXPERIENCE

EXPERIENCE AWARDS
Chapter Awards
Automatic -- One Point: Each player gets one point at the end of each chapter.
Heroism -- One Point: Gods are heroes by their very nature and provided that they uphold the basic values of heroism, they receive one point at the end of each chapter.
Learning -- One Point: If the player learned something of value during the course of the chapter then they receive one point at the end of chapter; extraordinary learning earns two points.
Roleplaying -- One Point: If the player carried off the role appropriately, believably and thoughtfully, they receive a single point; a truly inspired performance earns two points.
Teamwork -- One Point: Gods don't always work together, but when they do, the entire group receives an additional one point experience award.
Story Awards
Danger -- One Point: The characters survived against harsh odds and grave dangers.
Success -- One Point: The characters achieved all or part of the goals they set out to accomplish. Even minor victories can be rewarded if they pushed the game forward.
Wisdom -- One Point: The player, and thus the character, came up with a brilliant plan or even a spontaneous strategy that enabled the coterie to succeed when it would likely have failed otherwise.


EXPERIENCE COSTS
Trait Increase Cost
ABILITY rating x 2
ABILITY favored by divine Progenitor (rating x 2) – 1
ATTRIBUTE rating x 4
DIVINE ATTRIBUTE (associated with divine Progenitor) rating x 5
DIVINE ATTRIBUTE (not associated with divine Progenitor) rating x 7
DIVINITY rating x 8
DOMINION (Unrelated) rating x 7
DOMINIONS (Pantheon Specific) rating x 6
DOMINIONS (Pantheon Specific & Associated with divine Progenitor) rating x 5
DOMINIONS SACERDOTAL (associated with divine Progenitor) rating x 8
DOMINIONS SACERDOTAL (not associated with divine Progenitor) rating x 9
MOMENTUM (Momentum can never be rated higher than Divinity) rating X 10
New Trait Cost
ABILITY 3
DIVINE ATTRIBUTE (associated with divine Progenitor) 7
DIVINE ATTRIBUTE (not associated with divine Progenitor) rating x 8
DIVINE FLAIR 5
DOMINION (Unrelated) 10
DOMINIONS (Pantheon Specific) 9
DOMINIONS (Pantheon Specific & Associated with divine Progenitor) 8
DOMINIONS SACERDOTAL (associated with divine Progenitor) rating x 8
DOMINIONS SACERDOTAL (not associated with divine Progenitor) rating x 9



TABLES & CHARTS

~ Avatar: Feats of Strength Table
~ Avatar: Movement



COMBAT

ACTIONS

TAKING AIM

When she really needs to hit Achilles’ heel, or when she just has the leisure, your character can try to take aim. The player declares a target, which his character must be able to see. For each round spent aiming, the player adds one die to the attack his character unleashes upon that target, to a maximum of three. This bonus applies to only the next attack on the declared target, not on more than one roll or on any other target.


SITUATIONS

BEING PRONE

Characters can be knocked prone after an attack, fall prone in slippery circumstances or intentionally hit the deck. Being prone does the following: A prone character cannot take Move or Dash actions until she spends an action to rise . Prone characters gain a one die bonus (+1) against ranged attacks and explosives, this being the key reason for a character to throw herself prone. (This bonus does not apply to stupidity. Throwing oneself to the ground in the middle of the street doesn’t protect one from the sniper on the rooftop. Throwing oneself on a grenade offers no protection from it.)

Prone characters suffer a one die penalty (-1) to close-combat attacks and a two-die penalty (-2) to attacks and most other actions.



FATE

Even the Gods must bow to Fate. 

Whether it is called Destiny, Kismet, Karma, Judgment or the Way of Heaven, nothing in the universe can escape
it. Fate is the loom that weaves all elements of Creation into a unified whole. Even chaos has a place in its pattern,
and it often seems to some that destruction—Armageddon, Ragnarök, Apocalypse, the End of the Kali Yuga—is its
ultimate end point.
Or is it? Legends from around the World tell that Creation does not end, it only changes. The End of All leads
to the birth of the new, even if Gods such as Baldur are the only ones who live to see the new World. The Age of
the Titans gave way to the Age of the Gods, which gave way to the Age of Man. Is this current era, with the release
of the Titans, the beginning of yet another Age—the Age of Heroes—or it the last days of the old Age, leading to
an epic doom for Gods, men and heroes alike? Only the servants of Fate—the Moirae, the Norns the Morrigan
and others—might know. ''Might'' know, for they do not answer when asked these questions. They do not smile, but
neither do they frown. Perhaps the truth is to be determined not by their weaving, but by the deeds of heroes.

THE LOOM OF FATE

The most common metaphor for Fate is that of a loom from which the pattern of history—including mortals’
lives—is woven. The Greek Moirae, the three Fates, were called the “apportioners,” for they spun, measured and
cut the threads that make up mortal lives. But this brings us no closer to understanding just what Fate is and how
and why it operates as it does. Grasping the whole of Fate—or even many of its parts—is like trying to understand a
higher-dimensional object. Imagine if a two-dimensional line were conscious. It could not reasonably understand
a higher-dimensional object, such as a three-dimensional sphere. Trying to understand Fate is similar, for it is
intimately tied to time, the fourth dimension.
Some thinkers have posited what a three-dimensional being might look like from a fourth-dimensional
perspective: a single object, perhaps like a tube, with the being’s “birth” at one end and its “death” at the other,
with all the moments of its life in linear sequence down its middle. The tube curls back and forth throughout space,
weaving complex knots on top of places to which the being often returns.
In fact, it’d be much like a thread in a woven pattern, with the whole pattern only visible to those with fourth-
dimensional consciousness.
Or this thread might instead be envisioned as a serpent, such as the Titan known to the Greeks as Ananke, or “Necessity,”
who was birthed at the beginning of Time. In this view, history is not an inert thread that is set in place once it has been
woven, but a nest of wriggling, writhing snakes ever changing their positions—and continually changing both the past and future
as they do so. But such thinking leads to madness, so perhaps the loom analogy is easier to grasp for mortal minds.
Fate influences all, from Gods to mortals to even Titans. Understanding its manipulations is vital to predicting its ordained results.
Where does one begin? With the measure of all things: Man. While the Gods do not fully understand Fate, they know that it is somehow<br>
tied to mortals. Before they began interfering in the lives of these beings of clay, the Gods were relatively free of Fate’s invisible hand,
but now, their very essences are entwined with mortal expectations. Their forms rely on mortal beliefs to keep them coherent and free from merger
with their Titan parents. What is this amazing power that mortals have, of which they are entirely unaware?
In short, it’s Story. The human mind craves stories.It makes stories out of the chaos of events, carving order from randomness. Not simply order
characterized by reason and efficiency, but the loose, metaphorical, poetic order of the imagination, the unfettered free association of the mortal 
mind. “This happened, then that, and it ended like this...”
Mortal egos are tragically fragile, as paper boats bobbing on a huge sea of greater human consciousness — of unconsciousness, a vast realm of imagination
unknown to the waking mind. As Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and other 20th-century psychologists discovered, the human mind is often a puppet to its own hidden
influences, deeply buried instincts and repressed desires. Both Freud and Jung linked this vast region with divine legendry, for it seemed that here the Gods
still spoke to mortals, in dreams and visions welling up from within. Jung went further and posited that not only did each individual have his own unconscious 
region of the mind, but there was a collective unconscious shared by all members of the human race. This repository of ancient instincts was the source of the 
recurring motifs of classical legend, so similar the World over.
Jung did not realize how right he was, and not in the way he suspected. The Gods certainly still spoke to mortals now and then through dreams, or in actual
encounters that were only remembered later, uncovered through hypnosis or meditation. But deeper still, the collective unconscious itself guided the Gods,
ensnaring them in its story-making net. They had become interwoven with Fate, the vast, hidden collective psyche of all mortals.
In a universe born under the rule of Titans, mortals need to make the cosmos their own. They do so with their imagination, the collective expression of which is
Fate, and once someone gets caught in Fate’s story, she is no longer in full control of her destiny. The story of which she is now a part works to determine what
happens to her, even to the point of turning her decisions against her own desires and showing how actions that at first seemed to be expressions of free will were,
in the end, secret agents for Fate.
Fate is not a conscious agenda on the part of human beings, directed by them to make the World into what they want it to be. Indeed, what Fate demands and what
mortals want is often at odds, just as an individual’s unconscious instincts and emotions can war with his conscious reason. The question arises: Is Fate directed
by anybody? Nobody knows. Not Gods, not Titans, not the servants of Fate itself. Its ultimate reasons are beyond the scope of what any single mind can grasp, and
even the collective musings of the Gods has yet to yield any tangible clues. Fate transcends the known cosmos, as the third dimension transcends the second dimension.

FATE BINDING

An Avatar’s ''Divinity'' exerts a sort of gravity around which people, places and things might be drawn into orbit, turning them into a supporting cast or props
for his exploits and deeds. This doesn’t just happen by accident; the Avatar himself initiates it, though not directly. Whenever he draws upon his Divinity
to bend Fate for his benefit or to energize a Power, those affected by or witness to his action might be caught up in the strands of his epic life, for good
or ill. They become ''Fatebound'' to him, even if he doesn’t like it. He can’t control who or what is Fatebound to him—that’s up to the whim of Fate.
Fate is forging a story about the Avatar’s exploits, and probabilities (and people’s behavior) will be altered to fit the story. The Avatar still has free will, 
but those affected by his Divinity don’t. Fate moves them like chess pieces. They might consciously realize this and resent it, and even try to resist it, but
Fate gets its way in the end.
While a mortal might occasionally exert such an effect on others, it’s rare. A Avatar’s divine lineage and connection to the Overworld provides the metaphysical
force needed for him to stand out in the skein of destiny and draw others to him. As he treads the World, he inadvertently bends and tears the threads of others’
lives, sometimes getting tangled in them and pulling them with him on his forceful march through history.
The following conditions might cause a ''Fatebinding'' to occur:

● When a Avatar spends his Divinity points to alter the outcome of an action. 

The target of the action (or possibly a bystander who is affected by the outcome, such as
someone the Avatar saves by attacking the bystander’s oppressor) might become Fatebound.


The Storyteller—not the Avatar character’s player—secretly
rolls the Avatar’s Divinity as a dice pool. The difficulty for
any given scene begins at 5. If any character present in the
scene spends Divinity points and the resulting Fatebinding
roll yields at least one threshold success (that is, five or
more dice showing a 7 or higher, with 10s counting twice),
the difficulty for everyone on the scene drops to 4. The
same thing happens again the next time a Fatebinding roll
achieves a threshold success, this time reducing the difficulty
to 3. The difficulty can go no lower than 3.
If no Fatebinding roll equals or exceeds the difficulty,
no Fatebinding occurs. If any rolls do succeed, however,
one or more people (or things, or even the place in which
the action occurred) become Fatebound to the Divinity. The
Storyteller allocates the number of successful rolls between
the Fatebinding’s strength and the number of people it
affects. The Fatebound individual is called the Fated.
The Storyteller might deem that a given scene is
already weighted with the gravity of Fate. Perhaps the
Avatar’s rival has lured him to the scene of his mother’s
murder or the place where he first discovered his heritage.
In such places, pregnant with classic story motifs, the
Storyteller might begin the scene with a lower difficulty
for Fatebinding rolls.


"Example: Carla, a daughter of Hermes, spies an unconscious child lying on the train tracks at an intersection with a train is barreling right toward him. She launches forward, hoping to beat the train and snatch the child out of the way. The odds are against her, but she spends Divinity points to more than even them, giving her automatic successes. She saves the child and rolls to safety as the train rockets past, horn blaring."


"Since Carla spent Divinity points to alter the odds of an action, she has effectively challenged Fate. The Storyteller rolls her Divinity score of 3 as a dice pool and gets 7, 10, 10 — matching the difficulty of 5, since 10s count twice. Since there’s only one reasonable target here (the child she saved), the Storyteller assigns one point (for the number of successful rolls) to the strength of the Fatebinding. Doing so ensures the child’s connection to Carla for the rest of the day. (See the “The Pull of Destiny” sidebar.)"


● When an Avatar spends Divinity points to energize a Power or Flair. 

The Storyteller secretly rolls the Avatar’s Divinity score against difficulty 5. This difficulty 
does not change, as when a Avatar spends Divinity to alter the odds of an action; it is always rated 
at 5. The Storyteller divides the number of successful rolls between strength and the number of 
affected people, as described previously.


● When a Avatar uses magic spells. 

The target of the magic is automatically Fatebound to the magic’s caster with a strength of 1.


THE PULL OF DESTINY

The strength assigned to a particular Fatebinding is a measure of the range and duration of the bond.

FATEBINDING STRENGTH
Strength Effect
1 The Fated assumes his Fatebound Role (see “The Fated” for the odds of this occurring) only in the Scion’s presence and only for the next 24 hours at the most.
2 The Fated might assume his Fatebound Role when the Scion is within the same vicinity (a small town or city district). He is subject to the binding for one month.
3 The Fated might assume his Fatebound Role when the Scion is within the same region (a state or geological watershed). He is subject to the binding for one season (three months).
4 The Fated assumes his Fatebound Role for as long as the binding lasts (at least one year), no matter where the Scion is (or even if he is alive).
5 As with Strength 4, except the binding is permanent, although it is dissolved when the Fated dies (his ghost is no longer Fatebound).
6+ As with Strength 5, except that the binding lasts beyond death. The Fated ghost maintains its Fatebound Role even in the Underworld (although it can do very little to help or hinder the Scion from there).


THE FATED

The lives of the Fated are tied to the Avatar to whom
they are bound in ways both subtle and grand. The course
of everyday events brings them—seemingly coincidentally—
into contact with the Avatar again and again, no matter
how much distance they try to put between themselves
and the godling. Although the Fatebond’s strength
applies only within a certain range, the Fated are often
simply unable to travel outside that range for as long as
the binding is active. They might take a bus out of town,
only to wind up walking back in after the bus has broken
down. Their plane flight might be indefinitely delayed, or
they might find themselves on the “No Fly” list, but only
for as long as the Fatebinding has put them there.
Once a mortal has been Fatebound to a Avatar, he
assumes a certain role in relation to that Avatar’s exploits.
The Storyteller chooses the role based on the context in
which the Fatebinding occurred. Some examples are listed
below, but this is in no way an exhaustive list. Storytellers
are encouraged to create new roles as needed.
The Fated mortal is not always under the spell of this
role. He acts in accordance with it only under certain
conditions, as explained in the “The Pull of Destiny”
sidebar. When those conditions are at hand, the Storyteller
can assume that the Fated mortal will assume the role. If
he wants to add some variability to the matter, he can roll
the Avatar’s Divinity as a dice pool to see whether or not the
role is activated. The difficulty is usually 1, but if the stars
don’t feel aligned, he can raise it to make it more unlikely
that Fate will play a hand in the Fated’s behavior.
Once a Fatebound Role is active, the Fated mortal
behaves according to that role’s motivations rather than
his own (although they don’t necessarily always differ).
He believes that the role’s motivations are his own. He
is unaware that he is a puppet to Fate and believes he
is exerting his own will and desires. If the conditions
are right and the Avatar spends a Divinity point for any
reason, it might be enough excuse to activate the Fated’s
role, even if a great distance separates the two. 
It’s not just mortals who can become Fatebound to a
Avatar. Anyone can be Fatebound—a Avatar, a titanspawn,
a God. Unlike mortals, however, supernatural beings
don’t succumb to Fatebound Roles; they retain their free
will. Sort of. Odd “coincidences” still conspire to bring
such a being into the orbit of the Scion to whom she is
Fatebound, regardless of her own opinion on the matter.
At the Storyteller’s discretion, certain supernatural
creatures or beings might come under the effect of a
Fatebound Role, but Avatars and Gods never do.

FATEBOUND ROLES FOR MORTALS

(Note that while these roles are given handy titles for the Storyteller’s use, neither Scions nor the Fated use said titles in-setting.)


Apprentice
The Fated greatly respects the Avatar,
so much so that he wants to follow in his footsteps.
He models his own behavior and ideals on the Avatar’s
(as he understands them), sometimes to an annoying
degree. Examples: The fresh-faced kid, the guy with the
mid-life crisis, the over-achiever.
Backup
The Fated is ready and willing to aid the
Avatar if things get tough, though he might not be any
good at it. He might have the courage but lack the skill.
Nonetheless, he’ll follow the Avatar’s orders and do as
he’s told. Examples: The biker thug, the plucky boy/girl
scout, the courageous nerd.
Balm
The Fated is a balm for the Avatar’s raging
emotions. Something about him calms the Avatar and
makes him feel at peace. The Avatar might not know
why—he might even despise the idea—but, for whatever
reason, the person makes the Avatar comfortable enough
to let his guard down. Examples: The innocent little girl,
the granny, the plain-suited accountant.
Boon Companion
The Fated considers himself the
Avatar’s best friend. He’ll do whatever he can for the Avatar,
even if it means telling him what he doesn’t want to hear.
While the Avatar’s cold reception or harsh words might
hurt him, he won’t give up his friendship, no matter how
much it’s unwanted. What makes this different from
other friendly roles is that the Fated will travel with or
behind the Avatar, even if it means taking time off work
or quitting his job. Examples: The childhood friend, the
grateful hobo, the rescued suicide attempt.
Canary
The Fated is the proverbial canary in the
coal mine. If something bad is happening, it happens
to this guy first (thanks to Fate), serving as a possible
warning to the Avatar. Examples: The selfish jerk, the
materialistic fashion queen, the faceless janitor.
Catastrophe
The Fated always causes problems—big
problems—that the Avatar has to fix. He might not mean
to (he might be akin to the Jinx role), but he can’t seem to
help it. Or perhaps he does intend to do harm, and is now
further prodded by Fate. Maybe it’s as banal as accidentally
dumping toxic waste in the city’s water reservoir, as creepy
as setting houses on fire or as malicious as firing a shoulder-
mounted rocket into a teeming shopping mall. Regardless,
it’s always in a place or situation that somehow involves
the Avatar and is sure to make him leap into action (even if
it’s just to save his own skin). Examples: The fire bug, the
klutz, the bottom-line CEO.
Contrary
This Fated seems to be playing another
role than he actually is. The Storyteller should choose
his real role (such as Lover) and then his cover role, what
others think he is (Rival). At some point, when it’s most
advantageous or deleterious to the Avatar (depending on
the nature of the real role), the Fated will reveal his true
role. Examples: The two-faced scoundrel, the long-lost
friend, the embarrassed lover.
Fan
The Fated is the Avatar’s biggest fan. Unlike
those of certain other friendly roles, the Fated is content
to adore the Avatar from afar, and is extremely nervous
and giddy in his presence. If the strength of the bond is 
such that the role can be assumed when the Avatar is not
present, the fan works to convert others to the Avatar’s
fan club, even though most people refuse to believe
what he’s telling them. Examples: The sci-fi geek, the
sports fan, the gushing gossip columnist.
Herald
The Fated acts as a PR flack for the Avatar,
trumpeting his deeds and/or character to others. The
Fated isn’t necessarily obsessed with the Avatar himself;
he’s merely thinking tactically, like an ad exec. He’s
quite willing to bend the truth about the Avatar, if it
makes his “client” look better. Examples: The ad exec,
the inspirational coach, the influential society maven.
Jinx
The Fated is decidedly unlucky for the Avatar. If
he’s near, he’s sure to do something that will screw up the
Avatar’s plans, even if he’s utterly well intentioned. He might
try to fix the Avatar’s car, only to break it worse. He might call
911 to bring aid, only to give the police the impression that
the Avatar must be taken down. Examples: The overconfident
son-in-law, the know-it-all, the hapless stooge.
Lover
The Fated falls in love with the Avatar. The
Avatar rarely reciprocates the emotion, but he might use
it to his advantage (if he’s a cad). In fact, the Avatar’s
mortal parent might have been playing out such a role
when the divine parent came calling. The Fated will do
whatever she reasonably can to get the Avatar to love her
back. Examples: The rescued maiden, the besotted blue-
collar worker, the intrepid reporter.
Martyr
The Fated is ready to die for the Avatar.
Actually, he might want to die for the Avatar (if the
Fatebinding’s strength is 4 or higher) and will seek out a
way to do so. He might jump in front of a bullet meant
for the Avatar, trigger a deadly trap to warn the Avatar
of its presence, drink the poisoned draught before the
Avatar can... Examples: The miserable screw-up, the
distraught widower, the guilty turncoat.
Mentor
The Fated seeks to impart his wisdom to the
Avatar. This doesn’t mean his “wisdom” is worthwhile,
but he thinks it is. It is imperative to him to instruct the
Avatar in the proper way to do whatever it is the Avatar
is attempting to do. Examples: The autodidact, the
bookseller, the gamer.
Nemesis
The Fated has a vendetta against the
Avatar. He is Ahab, and the Avatar is his White Whale.
He might be foolish and headstrong, ready to jump the
Avatar when he next sees him, or crafty and patient,
concocting all manner of slow and complex plots against
him. His ultimate goal is the Avatar’s demise. Examples:
The foiled noble, the spurned lover, the jealous athlete.
Rival
The Fated can’t stand to see the Avatar succeed,
or he desires to prove himself the better of the two. He
is in competition with the Scion for fame, glory or some
more specific goal (acquiring a lost Boon) and won’t rest
until he can claim victory. The Rival doesn’t necessarily
seek the destruction of the Avatar or even hate him; he
simply wants to be the winner. Examples: The professional
peer, the greedy executive, the shamed ex-hero.
Patron
The Fated tries to help the Avatar economically,
by providing goods and services or cold hard cash. He
won’t volunteer money, but he will step in to help when
asked or when the Avatar is obviously in need (but might
be too proud to ask). He won’t go beyond his means,
but he will give what he’s reasonably capable of giving.
Examples: The dilettante, the heir, the Mafia captain.
Preacher
The Fated sees it as his mission to convert the
Avatar to his way of belief, whether it’s religion, politics or
a simple hatred of a rival whom he wants the Avatar to also
hate. He might simply use words and reasoned arguments,
backed up now and then by evidence, or he might concoct
situations that somehow prove his point. Said situations
might even be dangerous, such as arranging to have a rival
mob boss take out a hit on the Avatar just to prove the
man’s a crook. Examples: The fundamentalist zealot, the
newspaper editor, the disgraced investigator.
Traitor
The Fated is the Avatar’s best friend — until he
really needs him, at which point the Fated stabs him in the
back, either figuratively or literally. He might do it for profit or
simply because he’s come to hate the Avatar’s sanctimonious
speeches. For whatever reason, he really seeks the Avatar’s
downfall (although not necessarily his death). Examples:
The jealous half-sibling, the greedy crook, the spiteful fan.
Trickster
The Fated seeks to screw up the Avatar’s
day. His maliciousness is all intentional, even if only
he thinks it’s funny. He won’t usually risk life and limb
himself, but he doesn’t mind if his pranks could prove
dangerous to the Avatar. Examples: The bully, the science
nerd, the social outcast.
Unrequited Lover
This person is too nervous or
scared to admit he’s infatuated with the Avatar. He
watches from the wings, hoping for a moment to show
his love, but he rarely takes it when it comes. He’s too
afraid of rejection, which would crush him. He might
stalk the Avatar, spying from afar, and finally move to act
only if the Avatar is in clear danger. Examples: The naïve
poet, the best friend, the closet gay.
Victim
The Fated is someone the Avatar has to save
over and over again. Somehow, by intention or accident,
he keeps getting into dangerous situations whence the
Avatar is in the best position to extricate him. If the Avatar
does not at least try to save him, Fate levies a Bane on
him equal to the strength of the Fatebinding. At some
future point of the Storyteller’s choosing (although it
should be apropos to the context of the Fated’s death),
the Avatar suffers a single, whopping dice penalty equal to
the Bane’s strength on a prominent action. This penalty
comes in addition to those imposed by mortal Reverence,
as well as the loss of his ability to spend Legend for the
scene. Examples: The intrepid
reporter, the curious kid, the FBI mob witness.
Weak Link
The Fated appears to be a friendly role
of a different sort, but when it comes time to deliver,
he just doesn’t have what it takes. He’s got a glass jaw in
combat, his speeches bore people to tears, his money’s
no good... Examples: The self-proclaimed jack of all
trades, the nervous rookie, the inveterate gambler.


FATEBINDING OBJECTS AND PLACES
Although people (or even animals) are more
common targets for Fatebinding, it’s not unusual
for an object or even a place to be Fatebound
to a Avatar. These subjects can assume Fateful
Roles similar to those mortals do. A wrench can
become a Weak Link (breaking at the wrong
time) or a Martyr (it stops a bullet for the Avatar,
but is broken by doing so), while a place might
cause Catastrophes or be a Balm to the Avatar.


MORTAL REVERENCE

The Fated hold certain opinions and beliefs about the
Avatar to whom they are Fatebound. This quality is called
Reverence, and it can actually have an effect upon the
Avatar’s abilities. There are basically two types of Reverence
that mortals hold toward Avatars: They perceive them as
heroes or villains. The logic behind the Reverence they
hold for any given Avatar might have nothing to do with
that Avatar’s actual character or deeds — the rhyme or reason
behind a mortal’s beliefs doesn’t always have a discernible
cause. One man’s hero is another’s villain, even if all the
Avatar has ever tried to do is to help the person who sees
him as an enemy. Even a friendly Fated can envision the
Avatar as a villain but still play out his friendly role for him
out of fear or hope of reward.
Of course, all mortals who encounter a Avatar
probably come to some opinion of him, but only the
opinions of the Fated that truly count as far as Fate itself
is concerned. When they revere him as a hero or villain,
it can alter his abilities, for good or ill.
The Fated are not the only ones caught in a web of
predestination—the Avatar to whom they are bound is
likewise bound. Unlike a mortal Fated, the Avatar does
not come under the spell of a particular role. He retains
free will, at least as far as his decision-making goes, but
his capabilities are affected by Fate. The odds of his
actions change based upon how the Fated perceives
him. In other words, he is drawn into the same script
that the Fated is, but as the object of the mortal Fated’s
own role, probabilities bend to help him live up to the
mortal’s revered ideal of him, as hero or villain.
The greater the Avatar’s Legend is, the more likely
he is to suffer the drag of Fate upon his will and limbs.
The Gods became even more prone to these chains,
so much so that they decided to remove themselves
from common interaction with humanity, lest they
be changed far beyond their own desires, warped by
mortal expectations and beliefs until they became
unrecognizable to themselves. The pantheons, fearing
this effect even within the Overworld, avoided other
pantheons, fearing the hidden, subtle threads of Fate
that trailed behind and often preceded them.
Over time and with repeated use of Divinity,
Fatebinding can cause a Avatar to play out someone else’s
goals rather than his own, making him essentially a slave
to mortal desires. To avoid this degrading destiny, Avatars
often shy from fame and prefer to remain incognito
when moving among mortals.
The bonds of Fate can affect a Avatar in the following ways

● -- Whenever a Avatar lives up to the Reverence a Fated (who is currently under the spell of a particular role) holds for him, he gains a +1 bonus die for that action or the following action (whichever is most appropriate to the deed) per every two points of the Fatebinding’s strength (+1 at strengths 1 and 2, +2 at strengths 3 and 4, etc.).

● -- Whenever a Avatar acts in contradiction to the Reverence a Fated (who is currently under the spell of a particular role) holds for him, he suffers a -1 die penalty for that action or the following action (whichever is most appropriate to the deed) per every two points of the Fatebinding’s strength (-1 at strength 1 and 2, -2 at strengths 3 and 4, etc.).

● -- If a friendly Fated (Apprentice, Backup, Lover, etc.) is harmed and the Avatar might have been able to prevent it, but chose not to act, he loses the ability to spend Divinity points for the remainder of the scene. Even if the Avatar does not like the friendly Fated and wishes him ill, he is nonetheless drawn into the drama that Fate is weaving and is expected to play the role allotted him. If he does not, he suffers the consequences.


● -- If, following a confrontation with the Avatar, a Fated foe (Nemesis, Rival, Trickster, etc.) escapes defeat by the Avatar’s hand, the Avatar loses one Willpower point. (If he currently has no Willpower points, there is no effect.)


FATEFUL AURA

Even when a Avatar doesn’t actively use his Divinity,
it can still bend probability to enact his story upon the
World. Calamity follows him, making sure that he will
live up to his Legend... or be destroyed by it.
Since the moment they become aware of their legacy,
Avatars live without respite in “interesting times.” Great
events happen around them, no matter how incognito
or withdrawn they wish to be. They are like planets
exerting the pull of gravity on all other stellar bodies.
People are drawn into orbit around them through
Fatebinding, and great happenings are likewise drawn
to them like distant asteroids or comets, rocketing to
their ends near to a Avatar’s path.
Natural disasters and upheavals. Man-made calamities and
war. Miraculous occurrences and impossible phenomena.
All these and more seem to dog a Avatar’s footsteps or await
him at the next crossroads. If something momentous can
happen when a Avatar comes to town, it almost certainly will
happen. Bank robbers plan a robbery and spontaneously
decide to move up their schedule a day early, timing their
strike just as a Avatar enters the bank. A titanspawn awakens
from its ancient slumber under a lake just as a Avatar moves
into his rented lake house for a relaxing weekend getaway.
The island volcano, dormant for centuries, suddenly erupts
just as a Avatar arrives to rescue a kidnapped heiress.
This propensity to attract — or even generate —
momentous events is called the Fateful Aura. An Avatar’s
Divinity draws the attention of Fate, which then uses the
Avatar as a protagonist in epic dramas of man vs. nature,
man vs. supernature, man vs. the Gods, et cetera. The
themes taught in high school English class come to life
around the Avatar as real life-and-death conflicts.
The great irony is that, in dealing with these events,
Avatars most often wind up increasing their Divinity, which
only further spawns new cycles of momentous events around
them. Those mortals who know about Avatars are rarely
happy to see them, for they know that something big—and
dangerous—is surely soon to occur. Sometimes, if an Avatar’s
Divinity is great enough (if his Divinity dots outnumber his
Charisma), mortals might instinctively sense this and give a
Scion the cold shoulder when he enters the local watering
hole. They don’t know the stranger, but they somehow see
"big trouble" written all over his face. A character with ALLURE 
might be able to counteract this effect, but only
after he’s spoken to the locals and put their fears at ease. A
character with REVELATION can either counteract or
intensify the onlookers’ first impression based on whether
the trait represents divine beauty or monstrous ugliness.
In game terms, there are no hard rules for dealing with
a Avatar’s Fateful Aura. An Avatar cycle, like the chronicles
and campaigns of many roleplaying adventure games, is
about a series of amazing coincidences that dog a group
of individuals — the players’ characters — from week to
week as they go about their lives. If this were real life,
it would be beyond belief. Nobody runs into that much
conflict with such regularity. But Avatars aren’t like mere
mortals. The Fateful Aura is a means within the logic of
the Avatar game universe to explain why these legendary
events occur to the same people so often. They can’t
help it — they can’t even avoid it. Greatness finds them
whether they want it to or not.
The Fateful Aura is the Storyteller’s excuse for
introducing what might otherwise seem like an entirely
too-convenient plot device. Fate takes an active hand
in Avatar, using such plot devices as tools in crafting
story and meaning from events. So if it seems odd that
something interesting is always ready to happen wherever
the Avatar characters go, that’s just destiny.



OTHER WORLDLY REALMS

THE NINE REALMS

Realm Description
ALFHEIM Home of the Light Elves
ASGARD Protected Realm and Home of the Norse Gods
JOTUMHEIM Home of the Giants
MIDGARD The Middle Realm
NIFLHEIM Realm of Mists
NOTTHOLMAR Islands of Night
MUSPELHEIM Realm of Fire
VANAHEIMR Home of the Vanir

REALMS OF THE THEOI

  •  :OLYMPUS -- Fortress home of the Olympian Gods
  •  :AVERNUS -- The classical Underworld ruled by Hades

OTHER WORLDS

~ Caer Ludein -- A Victorian London that Never Was
~ DUBNOLISSOS -- A dread realm of Darkness and Fear



PANTHEONS

Celtic Pantheon

~ CRUACH
~ NEMETONDEVOS
~ TUATHA DE DANANN


Egyptian Pantheon

~ PESEDJET --


Greco-Roman Pantheon

~ THEOI --


Germanic Pantheon

~ AESIR
~ VANIR
~ DRITTIR


ANTAGONISTS

ANTAGONISTIC TRAITS

Antagonists are described using the following traits.

Attributes: The antagonist’s Attributes.

Virtues: The antagonist’s Virtues, if any. Only supernatural beings and creatures have Virtues. Many titanspawn possess their own Virtue set — Dark Virtues.

Abilities: The antagonist’s relevant Abilities and specialties (if any).

Initiative: Roll this many dice for the antagonist’s Initiative roll.

Attacks: These are the different ways the antagonist can attack a character. Each attack has its own Accuracy (in this context, the total of the relevant Attribute + Ability + Accuracy bonus, if any, of the attack), Damage (the number of bonus dice added to threshold successes in calculating the raw damage pool; most commonly the sum of antagonist’s Strength + attack’s Damage + 1), Parry DV (the Parry Defense Value of the antagonist when using this attack; close combat attacks only), Speed (the number of ticks the attack takes) and Range (the basic Range increment for a ranged attack; see “Ranged Weapons” on page 203). If an attack has the Piercing quality (see p. 203), that quality is noted with a “P” tag.

Soak: The antagonist’s bashing and lethal soak. Subtract these numbers from damage rolled for a successful attack. A creature with a soak of 6 lethal and 9 bashing would be described as having 6L/9B. Some antagonists even have a soak versus aggravated damage.

Health Levels: The antagonist’s health levels. The default for a human or humanoid creature is seven levels (-0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-4/Incap). Some antagonists have more or fewer health levels.

Defensive Value: The antagonist’s Dodge plus Dexterity.

Willpower: The antagonist’s Willpower rating.

Other Notes: Any weaknesses, special attacks or other relevant information.

MORTALS

A young Avatar’s most common adversaries are likely to be mortals. She doesn’t yet have the power to flout mortal authority with impunity or even to reveal her holy might when, for example, a cop pulls her over for speeding. Show off your divine strength in front of the wrong people, and they won’t see a child of Zeus preparing to slay a monster, but more likely just some thug high on PCP. Security personnel guarding a private building or compound will not simply let a Avatar inside just after hours because she claims a dragon is hiding on the premises.

Other mortals might be peripherally aware of the Avatar’ nature, but probably misunderstand it. A devout fundamentalist minister might consider divine Powers to be signs of demonic possession, while a greedy corporate overlord or a government agent might consider them to be signs of some mutation to be harnessed, either for profit or for national security. Of course, still other mortals might be well aware of what your character is, as they are actively in the service of the Gods or even the Titans. Such mortals might be cultists in the service of some strange religion or thralls who have been enslaved and empowered by the blood of a titanspawn.

GENERIC MORTALS (FOLLOWERS • TO •••••, GUIDE • TO ••)

The following template can be used for any adult mortal encountered by a Avatar, from a gas station attendant to a bank president to the lawyer who has come to bail the Avatar out of jail after a bit of monster-slaying gone wrong. Such mortals are almost never a serious threat to a Avatar on a one-to-one basis, but even a Avatar should be concerned about the proverbial torch-bearing mob. Similarly, your Avatar might want to hold off on smashing a group of innocent mortals seeking his blood because they’ve been mind-whammied into attacking by Aphrodite’s magic boobs or something similar. On the other hand, Titan cults typically consist of such mortals, so sometimes, smashing the guys is just fine.

Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2; Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 2

Abilities: Academics 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Control 1, Fortitude 1, Marksmanship 1, Science 1, Stealth 1.

(The aforementioned Abilities are fairly common among most adult mortals. Specific mortals often have significantly more Ability dots, and any competent professional has at least three dots in any Abilities essential to her job.)

Initiative: 4

Attacks
Clinch: Accuracy 3, Damage 3B, Parry DV —, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy: Accuracy 2, Damage 6B, Parry DV 0, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light: Accuracy 4, Damage 3B, Parry DV 2, Speed 4

Soak: 0L/2B

Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-4/Incap

Defensive Value: 3

Willpower: 4

Other Notes: Generic mortals are almost always extras. Each dot of Followers is equivalent to 10 generic mortals. A generic mortal with appropriate Abilities and influence might work as a one- or two-dot Guide. Such a Guide would most likely not be an extra.


TITANS

~ TITANS OF THE AESIR
~ TITANS OF THE THEOI
~ TITANS OF THE NEMETONDEVOS
~ TITANS OF THE TUATHA DE DOMNANN


DARK DOMINIONS

CURSED BLOOD
[[]]
[[]]
[[]]
[[]]
[[]]
[[]]
[[]]
[[]]


TITAN SPAWN

The titanspawn are the greatest earthly enemies of the Scions. Formed directly by the power of their chthonic masters, some titanspawn are unique creatures, while others are members of hidden races of Titan-worshiping creatures. Scions with a bookish nature tend to categorize titanspawn into one of three general categories. Chimerae are amalgamations of different creatures into one horrific form. Scions have encountered a dazzling number of chimerae, but most are unique creatures unable to breed easily. Giants are typically enormous humanoids fashioned from the power of the Titans out of the very elements, although some few are mundane creatures grown to incredible size. Giants are among the most common enemies of the Scions, typically providing muscle for more powerful or intelligent titanspawn. Minions, on the other hand, are entire servitor races created by the Titans. Minions exist in greater variety than giants do, and they often fulfill specific roles for their Titan creators to which the crude giants are ill suited. Some minions have far more autonomy than others. A significant number of Japanese tengu have rejected their titanspawn heritage to aid the Scions, and almost all of the dwarves swore allegiance to the Aesir after the destruction of their creator, Ymir.

While titanspawn are dangerous adversaries, a Scion who defeats one can receive a benefit much more tangible than simply the thrill of beating up a big, ugly monster. Just as the Gods took power from the Titans after defeating them and made it their own, Scions can take part of the chthonic energy that fuels a titanspawn and gain supernatural benefits from it. The exact nature of what power can be drawn from a particular titanspawn varies according to the creature. Each titanspawn described here is associated with a particular “trophy,” which a Scion can use for supernatural purposes. In some cases, the trophy yields an actual Birthright weapon or object that permits the Scion to use a Boon once he has spent the appropriate experience for it, such as the skin of the Nemean Lion did for Heracles. In other cases, a particular titanspawn’s corpse might yield some substance that gives the Scion a short-term supernatural benefit. Generally, the more powerful and unique a titanspawn is, the more potent and permanent the trophy is.


Dark Virtues

Like Scions, titanspawn (or at least those titanspawn with some degree of intellect) have Virtues that govern their behavior. The titanspawn do not, however, have any of the Virtues associated with the Overworld pantheons. Instead, creatures who serve the Titans directly have Dark Virtues, which serve them in the same way that conventional Virtues serve the Scions. Each Dark Virtue drives the titanspawn to serve the Titans with greater devotion and to hate the Gods and their children with greater intensity. Not all titanspawn have Dark Virtues, though. Some titanspawn, most commonly renegade minions, have the Virtues of the pantheon with which they have become associated. Others are mindless beasts with no Virtues at all.

AMBITION

To the titanspawn, love, family and friendship are alien concepts. Communal instincts are sins against one’s own self, the only being a titanspawn should ever care about. Titanspawn who espouse the Virtue of Ambition reserve their trust, support and devotion only for themselves and their own advancement. Even the Titans themselves are not truly worthy of the titanspawn loyalty except as a means to greater personal power. Everyone and everything that exists is merely a potential sacrifice on the altar of the titanspawn’s quest for glory.

Titanspawn use Ambition to: fight against an enemy who threatens one’s goals, defend a valuable pawn, risk danger or death in pursuit of advancement, stab a rival in the back.

A failed Ambition roll allows a titanspawn to: demonstrate compassion when doing so disadvantages him, refuse to take a risk that is outweighed by the potential rewards, refuse to usurp his superior’s authority when given the chance to do so.

Virtue Extremity: Overweening Arrogance. The titanspawn becomes so consumed by his own sense of superiority that he fails to see the limits of his power. He refuses to show any respect to all but the most dangerous of superiors, and he puts his own lust for power above the goals of his masters.

MALICE

To the titanspawn, compassion is a form of madness unique to Gods and the pathetic humans who choose to emulate them. It is the natural desire of all thinking beings to revel in the fear that those beneath them show. Deliberate cruelty and even outright sadism are not deficiencies in one’s character, but rather evidence of one’s natural superiority. The weak enslave themselves, and suffering is the natural consequence of one’s own inferiority.

Titanspawn use Malice to: fight against any enemy, attack the innocent and helpless, interrogate and torture captives, intimidate others.

A failed Malice roll allows a titanspawn to: honor a truce, release a prisoner from captivity, administer a coup de grace on a fallen foe rather than toying with him, ignore any opportunity to torment a Scion.

Virtue Extremity: All-Consuming Hatred. The titanspawn’s contempt for all life exceeds all bounds of common sense. The titanspawn cannot ignore any opportunity to inflict suffering that comes his way, even when doing so diverts him from his true goals. A titanspawn in the grip of such a hatred would delay his enemy’s execution to pull the wings off a fly. Indeed, such a titanspawn might delay the execution indefinitely, stretching out his enemy’s torture as long as possible even though doing so increases the chance of his enemy’s rescue or escape.

RAPACITY

The gratification of the senses and the satiation of hunger are the sole motives for action. That is the creed of the titanspawn ruled by Rapacity. Such a hunger need not be for food; indeed, it rarely is. Instead, the titanspawn might be driven by a lust for the flesh of nubile virgins or an insatiable avarice. What matters is that the titanspawn has found something that she must have at all costs or die in the attempt.

Titanspawn use Rapacity to: fight against anyone who seeks to end her depredations, overcome an enemy who defends the object of her desire, avenge herself against one who has robbed her of her prize.

A failed Rapacity roll allows a titanspawn to: give away a possession (especially one that is the object of the titanspawn’s obsession), resist bribery or blackmail attempts involving the object of her desire, ignore a chance to satisfy her desires when the reward outweighs the danger.

Virtue Extremity: Reckless Hunger. The titanspawn’s obsession overwhelms all capacity for rational self-interest. She will take any risk to secure the object of her desire and accede to any request by one who can provide her with what she wants.

ZEALOTRY

All titanspawn draw their strength from the vast power of the Titans, but not all are grateful enough to risk their lives working to allow their masters access to the World, particularly when confronted by wrathful Scions. Such dangers are insignificant to those who cherish the Virtue of Zealotry. Filled with the unholy spirit of the Titans, these zealots serve their creators with an unquenchable religious fervor. When the chance to serve comes their way, such titanspawn serve with all their hearts and souls.

Titanspawn use Zealotry to: fight against the Gods and their Scions and allies, work toward their Titan’s goals, cling to life after a near-fatal encounter with their enemies.

A failed Zealotry roll allows a titanspawn to: ignore the chance to capture or kill a God or a Scion, ignore any command believed to come from their Titan, surrender even when confronted by a superior Scion force.

Virtue Extremity: Religious Mania. The titanspawn’s quasi-religious loyalty to the Titans evolves into full- blown religious mania. The titanspawn becomes so convinced in the inevitable victory of her chthonic master that she ignores obvious threats to the fruition of her plan, convinced that Fate itself is on her side. Whenever confronted with anyone showing disrespect to one or more Titans (or by the mere presence of a Scion challenging her authority), the titanspawn flies into a rage.



CREATURES

~ Amazons -- Warrior women
~ Banshees -- A Wailing Woman (Originally known as Ban Sidhe...sounds the same.)
~ Baobhan Sith -- A female vampire, not of Caine's brood.
~ Berserkers -- Warriors who bind themselves to animal remains in order to fight with bestial fury. (Cults = Bear, Wolf & Wild Boar)
~ Chimerae --
~ Dracolich -- The Undead dragon {Sárkány}.
~ Draugr -- Norse Undead
~ Fomorian (''Beautiful Ones'') --
~ Ljósálfar --
~ Nemeans --
~ Panes -- Creatures of the forest with the heads and torsos of men, the legs and tails of goats, goatish faces and goat-horns.
~ Pitys -- A pine Nymph {Eirene}
~ Laestrygonians -- Man-eating giants
~ Spartae -- Malevolent spirit born from violence. Spartae are normally depicted as a skeletal being with some form of a weapon and military attire.
~ UNDEAD -- Foul creatures that walk the razor’s edge between life and death.
~ Valkyrie -- A host of female figures who choose those who may die in battle and those who may live. {Hrund}
~ Vanargand -- Monstrous wolves


DIVINE STORIES



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