31 Day Character Challenge 2024: 29 Scion

Today on the 31 Day Character Challenge I try on some divinity.

A couple years ago John Wick created the 31 Day Character Challenge. This is where you create a new character every day for a different RPG. You can watch his latest video here.

I thought this sounded fun and decided to give it a go this year. Today, I’m jumping into Scion designed by Justin Achilli, Alan Alexander, Kelley Barnes, Carl Bowen, Bill Bridges, John Chambers, Ken Cliffe, Ned Coker, Robert Fulkerson, Conrad Hubbard, Michael B. Lee, Matt Milberger, Peter Schaefer, James Stewart, Richard Thomas, Aaron Voss, and Andrew Watt.

In Scion you are playing the children of Gods. Your parents belong to one of several pantheons and you have gifts given you by your linage; think Percy Jackson. The basic back story for the game is that something has cut off the afterlife from the mortal world. Your characters are gathered by your parents and sent to solve the problem.

The rules use pools of ten-sided dice. When rolling to resolve a challenge you’ll collect your dice, roll them, and any 6–9 counts as a success with a 10 counting as two. The more difficult the action the more successes you’ll need. Any extra successes you get will make your action more impressive.

One of the other things I like about this game is that Gods and their children are fueled by belief. This means your progression in the game is fueled by fame. For your character to improve, people need to know what you did.

With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at Michigan Mike Brewer, of Michigan Mike’s Plumbing.

The first thing I’m going to choose is calling. This is what Mike does for a living. He’s a plumber. Mike runs one of the largest plumbing businesses in Southern Michigan. I’m basing him off of one of my favorite film characters. Bill Towner, Electrician & Adventurer from House 2: the Second Story played by John Ratzenberger.

Next, I choose Mike’s parent. I’m going to pick Tlazolteotl the Aztec goddess of Filth. She feels like a good fit for a plumber.

I then choose a nature or a way that informs how Mike will act in different situations. Mike is a Bravo. He’s a risk taker and thrill seeker. IT fits the idea of an adventuring plumber.

Now we jump to attributes. I need to decide which of the three groups is the most important, the second, and the one that is human average. The three groups are physical, social, and mental. Mike is a man of action, so I’ll go Physical as first set. His mother, Tlaz, tends toward attractive visages for herself and children; I’ll take social as Mike’s second set. This leaves mental for third. Each group has three attributes that start with one dot. I get eight more points to put in Physical divided between Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina. I’ll put two points in Strength going to a 3. Then divide the last six evenly between Dex and Stamina jumping them both to 4.

Social stats get six points to divide between Charisma, Manipulation, and Appearance. I’ll put one point in Charisma for a 2, two points in Manipulation for a 3, and three in appearance for a 4. Mike has a specific way he does things.

Finally, Mental gets four points. With these points going into Perception, Intelligence, and Wits. I’ll put two points in Wits and Intelligence to bring them both to a 3.

Next are abilities. These are the skills Mike uses to get through the day, work his job, and complete feats of daring do. Each god gives their progeny six abilities that they get bonuses to purchase later in the campaign. For Tlaz these are: Art, Craft, Empathy, Investigation, Medicine, and Politics. I’ve got thirty points to spend with no ability going above three. The six base skills will all get two points, except for Craft which will get three with a specialization in Plumbing. I’ll take two points in Athletics. I’ll take three points in Melee so Mike can fight with his best pipe wrench. Fortitude gets two points to be more durable. I’ll take three points in Awareness to be a bit more aware of what’s going on. Two points in Brawl for fighting. To round him out, I’ll use his last five points for Academics, Command, Occult, Larceny, and Survival.

I now get ten dots to spend on Birthrights and Boons. I’m going to spend two of those points for an animal companion. I have an alligator named Jake. I’ll spend two points on a club that has increased damage and accuracy, that is Mike’s Pipe Wrench. I’ll take 2 points in Epic Appearance to get bonuses when using it in rolls, this will give me automatic successes. It also gives me two Knacks I can use. I’ll take Center of Attention and Lasting Impression. I’ll take one dot in Epic Manipulation and the Knack God’s Honest. I’ll spend my last five points on Shaping and Echo Sounding to allow Mike the ability to influence the Earth itself.

As a descendant of the Aztec pantheon, I get four Virtues that I can spend points in: Conviction, Courage, Duty, and Loyalty. I get five points to spend with each virtue starting at one. I’ll add two to Loyalty and Courage. The final point will go into Duty.

There you go. That’s Mike.

Until next time, stay safe, be well, and be on the lookout for your basic interdimensional portal.