Game Geeks #115 Scion: Companion by White Wolf

[SnivGrits]

Does that mean we can play the scion of Kim Jong Il? I want to sing in broken Engrish and force my foes to dance in drag...

[LordSathar]

I'd definately play an Elvis Scion, course he'd be the old elvis from Bubba Ho-Tep, but blah, lets face it, Greek/Roman and norse Mythology have been done to death.

[YourProfessor]

Couldn't they have used Slavic deities for the Russians and Gallic deities for the French?

[Shift1009]

Ichor

"EE-Core"

[shrektheterd]

ive just had an idea we are doing scion at my rp group so what i am going to do is be the scion of CHUCK NORRIS if i can have robin hood i can have chuck norris

[saladboy21]

I did not the like WWII stuff at all either, but it is like 1/6 of the book, and the other 5/6 were pretty good. I think a bit too much time was spent on 1/6 of the book. Past that, cool.

[RuleOf18Clans]

Thank you. With all the good pantheons out there, they never should have made these jokes up. They cheapened their work.

[sureshot73A]

Very unimpressed with this review. He mentions new powers yet gives no examples. Seems to like the pantheons yet for some odd reason biased towards the American Pantheon. Sure maybe in a modern setting they may not fit yet in a World War 2 type of setting they would fit in perfectly. Too much time wasted on stuff not revalent to the review. I wish he would be as critical of the Savage Worlds stufff as he is everything else because those reviews are totally unrecognizable from these recent ones.

[DeadWiegraf]

But you didnt mention the Devas at all.

[Kaliban]

Look, Elvis was not a scion or a god...grow up people. Clearly he was a Titan.

[Venefica82]

I like the concept with the new Gods. What is a God really? Perhaps they are personas that there have risen so much of a legend around they they have become a part of a society's collective soul. I like the idea of having modern icons as Gods, but I am not so sure the concept fit with Scion. This concept is a bit similar to Avatars in Unknown Armies, pepole who have become so joined with a archetype, for example the merchant, that they are not human any more and in reality is a personification

[ArchArturo]

Heh... Elvis Scion... Well, that would make a Vegas Scion campaign rather interesting.

[Vampir5]

If you think Scion is complicated, you should look at Exalted...

[MoltenPlastic]

Mythology, at its core, is the incarnation of a community's values in the shape of symbolic figures.

The Greeks didn't just worship Zeus and Hera, but also Heracles: a heroic figure not unlike Robin Hood.

The Romans didn't just pray to Mars and Minerva, but also to "Pietas": a goddess incarnating all that was good in Roman culture. Not unlike Uncle Sam.

Seen from this point of view, not only does the book make sense. But it shows a deep understanding of the true nature of mythology itself.

[KitFoxtrot]

The thing is, if the gods have been producing Scions for hundreds of years, who are the Scions when they rise to godhood? Do they just disappear? The fact that they developed into these 'alternate pantheons' actually makes a degree of sense.

I mean, considering it. When the PCs attain godhood, if they desire their own pantheon, it is possible -- so, what does this pantheon become? What is it named? And what do the gods do and look like?

[jesternario]

what do all those things mentioned in the American "Pantheon" have to do with mythology and deities!? and Scion of ROBIN HOOD!? Someone who knows the folks at White-Wolf personally should go and tell them that they really dropped the ball with this product.

[Serpientealada]

Amercia phanton shoul be the native american gods or leyends. It would be better and epic.

[MoltenPlastic]

Except for the fact that most Americans aren't really linked to Native American beliefs in any way.

[acm4bass]

Good job Kurt! If you have an American Pantheon, it should have been limited to either Native American beliefs, or perhaps wiccan or montheistic mythologies.

[Rune9510]

but yeah i thought that the world war 2 part was kinda stupid but i found the rest of the book very interesting.

the other actaul pantheon that is presented here, that kurt didn't mention is the devas, the hindu gods, which i think is actually pretty cool. they also lay out some rules for creating your own pantheon, their example was the ancient russian, and how to create a bunch of other stuff.

over all i have to say that it is a good piece and you should get it.

[vcdaniels]

Oh Jesus Christ! American Pantheon? Great. Now you can pit Jormundgandr and Izanami vs. Snake Eyes and Mighty Mouse. *facepalm*

[WayfinderX]

I agree that the American Pantheon thing is silly. It fails to grasp the whole "scion" point.

But we can take the American Pantheon idea to it's next logical extent. Comic Book Heroes and TV Show Heroes. You can have a Scion of not only Elvis, but of Superman, and Captain James T. Kirk! Those are very much American myths. I could see myself making a scion hero of Hoss Cartwright.

[dv8nation]

Yeah, I thought some of those Allies pantheons were kinda lame.

[OriginalNeomoon]

Folklore and legend go hand an hand with mythology Kurt. Come on, you should know this as a Social Studies teacher.

Although, I will admit that "scions" of classic characters of folklore is a bit off, and would have preferred to see more of an "American Gods" take on them. I.E. People believe in John Henry therefore John Henry exists.

[SamyueruHikage]

Kurt, if you get the chance, review Giest, please :).

[walt776]

French pantheon? Is their special power "surrendering"?

[brunodelabomba]

sick burn:p

[Darkwintre]

Wine making, looking chic, does arrogance count? Sorry that last one might be a bit unfair.

[Rune9510]

high five!

[BillionSix]

The sad thing is, they didn't even get their own power. They were lumped together with the Brits and the Soviets, called the Allied Pantheon, and given a blanket power called Civitas. I am not really a big fan of the WWII folklore gods.

[boymonkeyevil]

it's american gods by neil gaimen the RPG

[nutherefurlong]

Who did the cover art?

[BillionSix]

I notice you didn't mention the Hindu gods.

[gatoneko]

The would pretty much get a book of their own with as many gods and goddesses are in that pantheon.

I can kinda see the American Pantheon working since probably thousands of years from now they probably would be refered to as gods and goddesses by then.

[BillionSix]

No, I mean that the Hindu gods actually ARE in the companion, just that Kurt didn't mention them.

[gatoneko]

Ah. Didn't he say something about talking about the two he liked and the two he didn't like?

[BillionSix]

Wow! He hates the Hindu gods so much he couldn't bring himself to speak of them!!! Hindus must have kicked his dog!! (j/k)

[gatoneko]

Haha. favorite line I heard from the Bubble Boy. "Have you ever been bitchslapped by a six arm goddess."

[muthoslogoseidolon]

Soon: Scion: Pantheon of Wiegel ;)

[lordmonfort]

Kurt...I know I wasnt under the influence of any substance when I saw a copy of tour of darkness on your table...please tell me that review is still coming out. I am trying to sell my players on it and a review of it might make/break it.

[ArchArturo]

Hmmm, I haven't looked on it, but, is there a pantheon of native americans? Not the aztecs, but the apaches, the arapaho, the siux, and so on.

[ArchArturo]

I mean, In Scion, of course.

[BillionSix]

No, unfortunately. They would be cool, but I think there are probably too many different tribal myths to distill into one pantheon.