Percy Jackson Universe

[Tanis Frey]

So, I am thinking about doing a game base on the Percy Jackson/Kane Chronicles/Magus Chase universe.

 

The players with the exception of one have never the hero system.  (Its been a few years myself.)

Hero - Standard

I would have the players not spend their full build points.  They would be allowed to discover powers in the middle of a game session, either ones that I have built or preapproved ones that they make.  For the most part the characters will be kids, 8-12 years old at start.

 

My question is what complications would there be for a demigod?  how would you make a complication for the fact that their powers would be ties to 1 Greek/Roman god?  (I think that they would get at minimum a watched by their own parent and maybe a hunted from another god.)

 

Yea i should set up templates for the following character types:

Greek/Roman types:

Demigod

Satyr/Faun

 

Egyptian Type

Magician - House of Life

Magician - Path of the Gods

 

Norse Types:

Einherjar

Valkyrie

 

[DShomshak]

Having Powers tied to a particular mythology -- whether a specific god, or a mythic tradition such as Egyptian magicians or Einherjar -- is a design limit players accept to participate in the campaign. *At most* it can be a Physical Complication, Infrequent and only Slightly impairing, in that it limits how characters can grow and develop new Powers. EG, "I want to spend my XP to get sneaky illusion Powers!" "Tough, you're a child of Ares. Sneaky you ain't. If you wanted to be a trickster with illusions, you should have written up a child of Hermes."

 

But players do get new ideas in the course of play, and saying, "No, you can't until you buy off or replace that Complication" is kind of sucky. I do not recommend it.

 

In the Scion game from White Wolf (or now, Onyx Path), which is effectively "Percy Jackson: the RPG," characters get a cost break on buying traits that echo the themes of their divine parents, but they are not actually barred from buying whatever Powers or other traits they want. You might offer some kind of cost break for sticking to a pre-chosen theme, or (conversely) a surcharge for going beyond it. Mostly, though, I would prefer urging players to keep the character themes in mind and not attempt any game-mechanics pressure to enforce it.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Tanis Frey]

On 8/26/2024 at 5:44 PM, DShomshak said:

Having Powers tied to a particular mythology -- whether a specific god, or a mythic tradition such as Egyptian magicians or Einherjar -- is a design limit players accept to participate in the campaign. *At most* it can be a Physical Complication, Infrequent and only Slightly impairing, in that it limits how characters can grow and develop new Powers. EG, "I want to spend my XP to get sneaky illusion Powers!" "Tough, you're a child of Ares. Sneaky you ain't. If you wanted to be a trickster with illusions, you should have written up a child of Hermes."

 

But players do get new ideas in the course of play, and saying, "No, you can't until you buy off or replace that Complication" is kind of sucky. I do not recommend it.

 

In the Scion game from White Wolf (or now, Onyx Path), which is effectively "Percy Jackson: the RPG," characters get a cost break on buying traits that echo the themes of their divine parents, but they are not actually barred from buying whatever Powers or other traits they want. You might offer some kind of cost break for sticking to a pre-chosen theme, or (conversely) a surcharge for going beyond it. Mostly, though, I would prefer urging players to keep the character themes in mind and not attempt any game-mechanics pressure to enforce it.

 

Dean Shomshak

Funny, I am playing in a Scion game with a different group.  I still prefer Hero system.

 

 

In the Percy Jackson second series called The Heros of Olympus, Piper, daughter of Aphrodite, learns magic via manipulating the mist.  So, I do plan to allow them to buy off theme powers, they just have to justify and not get a discount via that limit you mention.

[LoneWolf]

I would write up the full character ahead of time instead of adding power during the game.  You can still have them discover their powers during the game.  This is going to be a lot easier, and you will not slow down the game.  It also allows you to have a better idea of what they can do.  If you are printing character sheets give them a copy with what they have and print a new one for the next game if they discover any powers.

 

What complication if any to use is going to depend on what the deity in questions does in the campaign.  There may not be a common complication.  I would suggest looking at distinctive feature and social limitations if you do want to use a common complication.  If there is some way to determine they have powers that might be a distinctive feature.  If they keep their powers hidden that would be a secret ID.  I am not really familiar with the setting so not sure if those would be appropriate. 

 

I would avoid complications that only restrict what powers the character can buy.  That is more a function of the characters concept and should not be a complication.  If the character is limited in what powers they can use that might be different.  For example, a physical limitation that the character cannot use a specific type of magic that prevented the character from using magic items of that type would be fine, but not one that only prevented them from learning those type of spells.  This falls under the idea that a complication that does not limit the character is not worth any points.   
 

[Tanis Frey]

I am considering for only the Demigod PC, a custom advantage +1 for powers that are not in theme of their divine parent that they directly manifest.  As apposed to a power coming from a magic item.  
 

Percy, at times used Winged shoes of Hermes, stolen from Hermes by a son of Hermes and a ball cap of Invisible, a magical gift from Athena to her daughter, Annabeth Chase.

[Tanis Frey]

10 hours ago, LoneWolf said:

I would write up the full character ahead of time instead of adding power during the game.  You can still have them discover their powers during the game.  This is going to be a lot easier, and you will not slow down the game.  It also allows you to have a better idea of what they can do.  If you are printing character sheets give them a copy with what they have and print a new one for the next game if they discover any power.

 

I would probably have them do the abilities, skills, perks, and non mandatory compliments. And then talk with the player about what kind of powers and design initial set of powers.

[LoneWolf]

That is a good idea but do it before the game actually begins.  As a GM you want to know what your players characters are capable of in order to create a good adventure.  The last thing you want to do is to create a situation where the solution to the adventure is something the players do not have.  Almost as bad is when an ability a player has trivializes what was supposed to be a major challenge.  

 

I have seen games where the GM put crucial information on a secured computer and the players were supposed to hack into the computer to get the information.  The problem was that none of the characters had any skills with computers.  After everyone failed, we all sat around trying to figure out what to do.  In another game the players needed information that an NPC had, and the players were supposed to try and trick or bribe the NPC to get the information, but the telepath just read his mind and got the information. Both those situation created problems. In the first situation the game came to an abrupt halt.  In the second situation the GM was not fully prepared for the next step so had a hard time continuing. 
 

[Gauntlet]

4 hours ago, LoneWolf said:

I have seen games where the GM put crucial information on a secured computer and the players were supposed to hack into the computer to get the information.  The problem was that none of the characters had any skills with computers.  After everyone failed, we all sat around trying to figure out what to do.  In another game the players needed information that an NPC had, and the players were supposed to try and trick or bribe the NPC to get the information, but the telepath just read his mind and got the information. Both those situation created problems. In the first situation the game came to an abrupt halt.  In the second situation the GM was not fully prepared for the next step so had a hard time continuing. 

 

One thing that every GM has to be prepared for is characters not doing the planed items for his/her game. ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE CONTENCY PLANS READY.

 

It is not the players responsibility to always do things the way the GM has planned for them to do.

[Stanley Teriaca]

Anyone remember "Mystery Power"? Anyone?

 

Sounds to me that this would be a perfect game for that. Force players to leave 50 points (or more) undefined and defined them during play. Again, there are general things all demigod can do, stuff only they can do because of the blessing of there parents, and magical gift stuff (Winged Hi-Tops, Baseball Cap of Invisability, Badge of Ultimate Law, Mirror of Beauty, etc...) that any demigod can use if they can get there hands on it regardless of parents.