WELCOME TO THE STORYPATH SYSTEM

Hello Onyx Path fans!

The evolution of the Storypath system is tied to our work on the Trinity Continuum, a world of hope, heroism,
and peril, and Scion, a world where the children of the old gods walk the earth.
Early on, we found that both new editions of these games had similar system needs, because their characters
are larger-than-life and fight in epic battles on a grand scale. We knew we needed a system that could accommo-
date everyday citizens on the street, superheroes soaring above skyscrapers, and gods of the sun and sky, but we
also wanted rules to help facilitate the connection between the player-characters, their organizations (Allegiances
for the Trinity Continuum and Pantheons for Scion), and their values.
To move forward, however, we needed to take a step back, because the first editions of the Trinity Continuum
and Scion used custom variants of the Storyteller System which powered Vampire: The Masquerade and
other classic White Wolf games. Despite the differences between those variants, however, at its core the Storyteller
System was designed chiefly as a horror game for creatures that could be effectively fought by human opponents.
In other words, the Storyteller System is great for vampires, but it didnt excel at portraying superheroesor gods!
To us, this meant that the stories of these action-adventure games were hindered by their original systems.
The Storypath System was designed as a new set of rules, inspired by the legacy of the Storyteller and Storytelling
Systems, in addition to other story-centric rules. The Storypath System keeps the focus on narrative, story-built play,
and action-adventure. It also draws inspiration from a number of other influences that focus on a cinematic high-oc-
tane action and storytelling, as well, to create a streamlined experience for epic stories.
Within these pages, youll find a preview of the rules and examples for both the Trinity Continuum and
Scion. We hope you enjoy the new Storypath System and are inspired to roll the dice and tell great stories!
Signed,
The Design Team

STORYPATH SYSTEM
OVERVIEW
The Storypath System uses ten-sided dice, and is de-
signed to be an action-heavy roleplaying game. The rules
facilitate a number of playing styles and in game elements
at the table including:
Action Gameplay: Storypath takes cues from action
movies to keep scenes moving quickly and preventing
them from getting bogged down.
Cinematic Pacing: Storypath divides sessions and
scenes into different units of time that support a
story moving at the speed of plot. Campaigns are
modeled similarly to a long-running television series,
using episodes, arcs, and seasons, to emphasize plot
and characters over minutia or real time competency.
Scaling: Storypath uses a comparative chart to mea-
sure general degrees of power between opponents.
Gods or superheroes can fight each other on mostly
equal ground, while mere mortals can do the same to
one another. Its only when the psychic superhuman
deals with your average beat cop that Scale comes
into play!
Bonding: Though the rules are designed to portray
individual characters, Storypath also uses group me-
chanics to create a collaborative storytelling role-play-
ing experience. The Bonds formed during character
creation and sessions bring new overarching mechan-
ics and collaborative themes into play based on char-
acter milestones.
Competence: The player-characters are assumed to
be competent in their area of specialization be it
research, combat, persuasion, or any other field of
human endeavor. Dice rolls arent always meant to
assume success or failure: theyre meant to determine
influence over the story and the degree to which the
character succeeds.
Enhanced Combat: Storypath combat uses ranged
bands, fields with terrain features, and the tools for
both active and supporting characters to contribute to
a fight. Combined, these techniques will keep fights
interesting even in extended conflicts and battles.
MODE S OF PLAY
Storypath actions belong to three general modes that
roughly map to Attributes, or ways characters interact with the
setting. Modes are schemas inspired by traits instead of rigid
categories, and are not meant to be internalized as hard and

2

fast rules. By design, different settings will inspire new modes
clustered around setting-specific special traits and systems.
The following schemas apply to most games powered by
the Storypath System, regardless of setting:
ACTION-ADVENTURE
(PHYSICAL-INSPIRED MODE)
Physical peril, violence, and round-by-round action.
This is the realm of punch-ups, car chases, and defusing
bombs with seconds to spare. These fast-paced scenes usu-
ally take place in real-time, with specialist rules covering
combat and dramatic movement.
PROCEDURALS
(MENTAL-INSPIRED MODE)
Deductions, careful research, and cunning preparation.
The focus is on solving problems by using information
gathered through clues and evidence or formulated plans.
These scenes take place as montages, skipping through
long stretches of work, and include specialist rules for in-
vestigation and crafting.
INTRIGUE (SOCIAL-INSPIRED MODE)
Interpersonal ties, relationships, and social manipula-
tion. These scenes include interrogations, infiltrating se-
cret social circles, and pursuing romantic ties. They blend
real-time conversation with stretches of skipped time,
and include specialist rules for persuasion and represent-
ing different personalities.
STORYPATH
SYSTEM BASICS
ATT RIBUTE S A N D ABI LITIE S
Attributes are divided into three Arenas: Mental,
Physical, and Social and three Approaches: Force,
Finesse, and Resilience for nine total Attributes.
Attributes reflect a characters most basic qualities to
define who they are. They might be smart, strong, graceful,
or self-assured. If other characters were asked to describe
that person in a few words, their responses would likely be
a reflection of their Attributes: they might say theyre clever
or clumsy, or that theyre a brusque but effective leader.
When paired with Skills, these traits determine the charac-
ters ability to overcome specific obstacles.
Dice pools are formed from pairing a Skill with an
Attribute. Skills describe a characters capabilities, either
from formal training or refining raw talent.
DIFFICU LTY
Any action that you actually roll for has a Difficulty,
even if its 0. This is the number of successes that you
must meet including any Enhancements to see if you
succeed. If you dont have successes left after meeting the
Difficulty, you fail.

THE CORE MECHANIC

You roll a dice pool of d10s: Skill + Attribute against a set Difficulty, which is the number of successes you must meet.
Each die that rolls an 8 or above is a success. If your dice roll scores one or more successes, you add bonus success-
es from any Enhancements from equipment or powers. You succeed on your action if the successes meet or exceed
the Difficulty, and fail if you dont. More successes than you need allow benefits called Stunts, and failing gains you
Consolation, a chance to affect the story anyway. If you score 0 successes rolling the dice and one or more of them show
a 1, you botch and fail especially badly, but earn more Momentum (a kind of Consolation) than for a failure.
Powerful entities, like demigods or superheroic novas, roll at a target number of 7 or above to get a success.

Example: You roll 6 dice as your pool against Difficulty 3

0 1 2 3 4 5 6
No Successes and if Insufficient Number of Successes Extra Successes
any die shows a 1, Successes needed. If you get this that add Stunts
then a botch occurs. with Consolation many, you succeed.

3
 ST UNTS to 12 shared Momentum at any one time, though their
Momentum pool starts out empty, and empties out again
Stunts are a way of rewarding success beyond the ba- at the end of each story Arc.
sics, allowing you to spend your extra successes to produce
You receive a point of Momentum whenever your char-
additional effects, like creating useful Enhancements or
acter suffers a failure or setback as the result of a Challenge
Complications for other characters. Theyre also used to
(a long-term condition on the character that provides dif-
narrate details to the scene that are beneficial to your char-
ficulties in their narrative), or if your dice roll fails and
acters and generated by your characters action. Perhaps
accept Momentum as your Consolation.
you successfully clamber over a wall and have time to cre-
ate a handhold for the friend fleeing directly behind you,
E D GE S
or confuse pursuit with a false trail.
Edges are unique quirks that offer a character a con-
FAI LU RE & CONS OLATION stant, passive benefit. They often provide an Enhancement
to certain actions, allow a character to by-
If a dice roll scores no successes, or the character can-
pass specific disadvantages, or repre-
not muster enough successes to overcome the difficulty
sent access to abilities or resources
even with Enhancements, the action fails. Simply put, you
the character would not otherwise
dont achieve whatever you were hoping to. You swing and
have.
miss, your charm falls flat, you draw a blank.
The specific results of failure depend on the S KI LL T RICKS
context, but it never ends in nothing hap-
pening. Instead, the Storyguide (or GM) Skill Tricks are applications of
moves the story onward by offering human ability that verge on the
a Consolation, a minor benefit that superhuman or, at least, the
doesnt exactly give them what they want, superhumanly reliable. Its
by advances the groups interests some- certainly possible to drive
how. If your character fails to earn enough backwards at top speed
successes to sneak into the white-collar crimi- through raging traffic
nals office after-hours, they might succeed at without so much as dent-
sneaking in, but accidentally trip the silent ing a wing-mirror, but
alarmgiving them only a few scant min- its not something even
utes to search. an expert can just accom-
plish on commandunless
Consolations cant substi-
theyve got a Skill Trick.
tute for actual success,
but might include Unlike Edges,
information Skill Tricks cost
leading the Momentum to ac-
character to an- tivate, and cover
other avenue of specific feats or
assault or completely differ- sequences the
ent aspect of the story, a minor sort of cool mo-
Enhancement offering a success to a future action, ments that make you go
or attracting a potentially-useful NPC. wow (or bullshit) when
you see them pulled off in
MOME NT UM an action movie. As such,
Perhaps the most common kind of Skill Tricks dont normally
Consolation is Momentum. This is a re- provide an Enhancement that
source that players spend to control the can be spent on anything in-
storys narrative pacing and help stead, they offer a free Stunt
out their characters with direct when used, representing the
dice-adders. By default, it is an specific trick in question.
out of character resource,
though some settings may claim
its the very real hand of destiny
at work. The players can have up

4
SCALE
Storypath games span back-alley brawls to dragon-riding
dogfights, often in the same adventure. Scale exists to handle
these extreme circumstances, representing entities or effects
on a different level than normal humans. A Might (Physical
Force Attribute) 1 weakling can struggle against a Might 5
bodybuilder, but theyre both ants in front of a T-Rex.
However, they are also exciting adventures where he-
roes overcome impossible odds. Scale is therefore kind to
important characters; a raging giant easily crushes build-
ings and faceless crowds, but our heroes can dart through
the chaos and face him on more even ground.
I N ITIATIVE
In action-adventure round-by-round conflicts, the ac-
tion can get pretty chaotic. Storypath uses an initiative sys-
tem thats a mix of traditional and collaborative means to
make sure everyone gets their chance in the spotlight.
At the start of the scene, you roll a dice pool of d10s with
the Skills and Attributes your character is using to react to the
situation. Each roll generates a turn slot for either a player or
Storyguide character, with the slots placed in order of which
achieved the most successes traits (and then Storyguides pref-
erence) break the tie if theres a draw. This is the initiative order.
The player character who achieved the most successes
occupies the first player turn slot, and acts within it. Once
the next slot comes up, the first player decides which of
their group-mates takes their turn, out of those who have
yet to act this round. And so on, with each player pick-
ing the next to go after his or her turn is finished. The
Storyguide does the same with their characters. This cycle
continues every round until no characters or turns remain,
at which point it resets and the player character whose turn
was last picks the next player to start the next round.
H EALT H
Damage in the Storypath System is represented by
two separate but related concepts: stress boxes, which mea-
sure accumulated strain from the conflict, and Injury
Complications, which represent actual injuries. Once all a
characters stress boxes are filled by damage, they are Taken
Out (maybe killed, maybe not), but a player can stop dam-
age from affecting their stress boxes by accepting Injury
Complications instead. These are effectively extra successes
added to the Difficulty; without buying off these Injury
Complications, the character cant attempt the action.
PAT H S
Paths represent pieces of a chronicle setting which char-
acters can interact with and be a part of. Paths are the orga-
nizations characters belong to, the societies they join, the
place they came from, or even a concept or setting topic that
relates to their character. Each Path is important not only to
a single character, but are built to give substance and mean-
ing to the entire chronicle, as well as a holistic sense to the
characters history beyond Edges, Skills, and Attributes.
In some cases, these are setting specific groups and or-
ganizations a character can be a part of; in others, these are
specific to a certain chronicle or group. Characters relate
to a Path through a short sentence or descriptive phrase,
which defines a fact and a relationship to the setting, like
Three-time Bare-Knuckle Boxing Champion or Biotech
Researcher for Orgotek.
Paths contain a number of standard elements:
Asset Skills/Specialties: When a character takes this
Path at character creation, they receive Specialties
of the players choice in the two listed Asset Skills.
More specific Paths (such as Allegiances) grant listed
Specialties particularly relevant to their groups.
Contacts, Mentors, and Allies: Characters on a Path
will have other characters who are useful acquaintanc-
es, acquired over the course of her life and work: a
colleague, a lover, or just someone to trade favors with.
Equipment: The character can gain access to any
equipment relevant to the Path (normally restricted
to common items; high-cost items or mean the char-
acter has to take a Challenge, as described below).
Access: Some locations in the setting might be re-
stricted for most characters, but if the characters
Path would grant them access such as someone
with A legacy New Yorks Finest as their Path
theyd be able to walk into the police station or a
cop bar anywhere in NYC with no questions asked or
alarms raised.
Narrative Advantage/Disadvantage: On a Stunt or once
per session, the player group can collaboratively bring in
an advantage that relates to a characters Path, or bring
in a disadvantage that will challenge the group (but will
provide Momentum and challenges to overcome).
EXAMPLE HEALTH TRACK
Vitality: 3
-1 -1 -2 -2 -4
5
 ACTION-ADVENTURE EXTEN DED EXAMPLE
A pair of psions (Alexis, a psychokinetic Legionnaire, and Javier, a Noran biokinetic), having been alerted of an
incursion of Chromatic vessels in the woods outside their colony, arrive on the scene. Between the densely-packed
woods in the early-morning fog, they see the bright flashes of light from a mob of Chromatics preparing to march on
the unsuspecting colony.
Once they spot the presence of the psions, the Chromatics quicken and charge menacingly. Since none of the char-
acters are using stealth to approach, they dont need to beat the perception rolls of the frog-like alien figures.
The psions exchange looks, knowing the threat they face could
have serious repercussions. The Storyguide asks her players
to roll for initiative. Alexis player gets four successes and
Javiers rolls three. The Storyguide rolls one pool for the
horde of Chromatics and only gets one success. The
players decide to go in the order the dice fell.
Alexis wastes no time and charges in
first. The mob is in Close Range al-
ready, so she moves to Engaged
on her action without requir-
ing a movement roll. She
rolls Close Combat + Might
(8 dice). She rolls 4 success-
es against the mobs Defense
(a type of Difficulty) of 1. Since the mob
is treated as one single group, Alexis player decides to
put all of her successes into damage, as mobs have a much
higher stress track than players but dont usually take Injury
Complications.
Javier shouts that hell try to gain ground and uses one of
his noetic powers to grow wings and talons, then his player
rolls his movement dice (a pool of Athletics + Dexterity) to
move past the Chromatic mob in a swoop. His player rolls a
Close Combat + Might to attack with a dice pool of 6. He
rolls 3 successes. The mob takes the damage once again as
Javier slashes with his talons and soars past.
Then, the alien mass surges forward and threatens to
consume both psions under its writhing, glowing mass. The
Storyguide rolls for the horde; its fairly dangerous, so the pool
is 8 dice. Its a good roll, turning up 5 successes, which she splits
between the two player characters. They each compare their
Defenses the higher of Close Combat or Dodge Defenses,
respectively. Alexis player has Defense 3; this is high enough
to avoid being hit, while Javiers player only has a Defense
1, missing the Difficulty of 2 by 1. The Chromatics pile
onto Alexis and try to pin her beneath their slick, slashing
weight, but she punches her way out of the dogpile and
leaps away from the attack, dazzled by their holograph-
ic displays but otherwise unharmed. Some Chromatics
manage to focus their displays into low-power lasers and
fire at Javiers wings, slowing his rapid approach but
not enough to stop it. (Minion enemies like this do not
typically cause injury to Hero-tier player characters
unless they grossly exceed their Defense, instead
causing a Complication. In this case, Javier is
slowed down by singed feathers.)

6
 The players decide that Alexis will go first again the next
round. The psions mount their second assault; Alexis reck-
lessly rapid-fires her gun. She chooses to Empty the Clip while
making an Aim attack action, which adds 2 extra successes to
her roll giving her a total of 5 successes against the Defense
of 1. The hail of shots tears through the Chromatics bodies.
Meanwhile, Javier decides to snatch one of these crea-
tures and drops it on its remaining fellows. Javiers player
asks the Storyguide how heavy the Chromatics are, and to-
gether they determine that the aliens about the size of a
large dog are light enough for him to pick up. His player
rolls Close Combat + Might and turns up 2 successes, which
gets +2 successes due to Scale amplified by her noetics
to be enough to take out the mob facing her as well. The
Chromatic drops like a stone, and they all collapse with a
satisfying thud. For a moment all is silent. The Storyguide
tells the players the way is clear, and the psions rush forward
to see what other surprises the Chromatic ships may hold.
INTRIGUE AN D
PROCEDURAL EXAMPLES
S O CIAL
Anaya is a special operative working for the Lightkeepers
tasked with stealing the explosive cores from bizarre new
Z-wave bombs being used by a mysterious new group of
terrorists. Unfortunately, theyre the terrorists well-kept
secret; only the inner circle seems to have any idea how
they function.
Resolved to find one, Anaya masquerades as a specialist
demolitions engineer and arranges a meeting with a prom-
inent cell leader who goes by the code name Twentynine
Eleven. With some luck and fast talking, soon shes taken
by Eleven to the makeshift lab where the Z-wave cores are
stored.
Anaya assesses Eleven over some small talk, so her
player makes a Empathy + Manipulation roll. She hopes
hell give her a moment alone, but if his Attitude (how he
feels about her) toward her is lower than Scope (how big
a favor shes asking) of that task, her suggestion will fail.
The Storyguide decides that Eleven considers leaving the
cores unguarded to be a Significant request, a Scope of 3
which means its pretty difficult.
Unfortunately, Anayas Empathy + Manipulation roll
assessment roll gets 2 successes, and since Eleven isnt try-
ing to hide his feelings theres no contested roll. While
hes pleased with her skills and offer to assist, his Attitude
(Trivial, or an Attitude of 1) isnt quite good enough. Since
it wont be easy to improve his Attitude further, she de-
cides to reduce the apparent Scope of the task, making it
seem like not such a big deal that the dangerous bomb cores
be left unguarded.
Anayas player makes a contested Persuasion + Presence
roll beats the Storyguides Empathy + Resolve, and he lends an
ear. She scores 4 successes to his 1, and by spending extra suc-
cesses equal to his Composure, she pulls off a Stunt to reduce
the Scope of the task. The player describes the countless other
dangerous and powerful Z-wave devices shes been privileged to
create and study. Soon hes flattered into adding his own cores
to that list and leaves her alone to study. Or so he thinks!
I NT RIGU E
Last night, Donatellos David bronze sculpture was stolen
from its place in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence.
Unfortunately, its desperately needed by Piotr Dorokin of the
Global Cartography Initiative to help locate a Renaissance
doomsday device. The device is set to go off during a solar eclipse
in two days, so time is of the essence. Piotr is able to recruit a col-
league, Allison Carbine, a little-known agent of Les Fantmes.
This investigation is a Complex Action, which means that
overall success depends on multiple rolls to represent differ-
ent intervals of the investigation. The Storyguide decides that
two core Clues (discrete information that drives story prog-
ress) are needed to crack the case. The time limit leaves only
two intervals before the eclipse, so our heroes split up.
Allison uses her Path Contacts as a thief to declare she knows
a black-market antiquities dealer who will talk, and interrogates
him. He reveals the black markets abuzz with stories about a rare
bronze statuette the first Clue. Since she uses her Contacts for
this, it doesnt require a roll, but Allisons player decides to roll
Persuasion + Presence anyway, in the hopes of getting an extra
success against a Difficulty of 2. Her player scores three successes,
and her player uses the third success to get an alternative clue
the dealer knows where a black-market auction is being held in
several days. Putting two and two together, she deduces David
may be at that auction.
During the same interval, Piotr hits the books and his
player makes a Humanities + Intellect roll. Unfortunately,
his library is thin on Renaissance secret societies, so he
lacks an Enhancement and 2 successes doesnt beat
the Difficulty of 3. He hasnt found a Clue, but as a
Consolation the Storyguide offers a 3D view of the statue
from a museum website this info wont help track the
sculpture down, but could provide an Enhancement later.
For their second interval, the team sneaks into the
auction house. Machados player makes a Subterfuge +
Cunning roll with a teamwork bonus. Four successes beats
the Difficulty of 3, and discovers the address of the person
trying to auction David, the second Clue, which concludes
the investigation. A spare success fuels a Stunt to notice
another detail the David thief was also going to auction
a signet ring owned by Donatello.
The thiefs door bursts open before the two can knock on
their approach, revealing him to be a Camparelli thug Piotr has
tangled with before. Perhaps theyre not the only ones looking
for the doomsday device...
7
 The Trinity Continuum is an action-adventure game
of heroes of all kinds and every time period imaginable.
Its a game about seeing something that needs doing and
doing it because if you dont do it, who will? The titular
Continuum is a collection of timestreams and alternate
universes stretching back into the barely-remembered past,
and flowing far into the distant future.
Talents are daredevils of extraordinary luck or skill,
the Indiana Jones or James Bonds of the world. Psions are
those gifted with the psychic aptitude to manipulate the
world to a precise degree. Novas are the stalwart few who
can control the very fundamental forces of nature a pow-
er which, if theyre not careful, will drive them mad with
aberrant lusts. These Inspired individuals, and more, rise
to the fore whenever heroes are in need. And the world is
always in need of heroes.
Every age has its heroes. Which will you be?
The Trinity Continuum consists of one central rule-
book which includes all the core rules, a modern day
setting, and rules for Talents and three main major era
books detailing important flashpoints in the Continuum.
Trinity Continuum: on describes a science-fiction set-
ting in 2122, where psions are on the rise to help lift hu-
manity to the stars and protect them from the return of
the Aberrants. Trinity Continuum: Aberrant contains a
more immediate near future superpowers setting in 2028
where novas have begun to appear all over the world.
Trinity Continuum: Adventure! uses low-powered ver-
sions of the three Inspired types to fulfill pulp archetypes
in an action-packed 1924. These arent the only eras that
will be explored; other eras along the Continuum will be
forthcoming.
The Trinity Continuum uses the Storypath System.
Additionally, this games rules will include:
8
Allegiances: A heaping handful of modern-day or-
ganizations to which a Talent may belong, from the
troubleshooters of 9, to the explorers of the Global
Cartography Initiative, to the virtuous thieves of Les
Fantmes. ons Allegiances are headlined by seven
Psi Orders, each specializing in a different Aptitude
of psychic power.
Gifts: Can you shoot a target from a mile away while
skydiving? Does traffic always tend to work in your
favor, but stymie your foes? Have your companions
thought you dead on more than one occasion only to
see you stumble home the next day with a great story
to tell? Gifts are the inexplicable abilities possessed
by Talents which manifest as extreme skill or incredi-
ble luck.
Dramatic Editing: Sometimes, even when the odds
are stacked to your advantage, things just refuse to go
your way. Maybe the guards are doing their rounds
early and are about to catch you breaking into a safe.
Maybe youve just fumbled and fallen off a cliff.
Dramatic Editing is what allows you, the player, to
briefly grab the reins from the Storyguide to explain
how youre going to get out of a jam. Suddenly a con-
venient vent above the safe door lets you quickly hide
from the guards, or an errant tree branch growing
out of the cliff grants you the means to save yourself.
Aptitudes: One of eight fields of Psi ability possessed
by psions, such as psychokinesis (remote movement),
telepathy (remote communication), biokinesis (re-
shaping your own body), electrokinesis (technolo-
gy and the electromagnetic spectrum), vitakinesis
(healing your body, or someone elses), teleportation
(remote movement, even across the galaxy), clairsen-
tience (remote sight and vision), and quantakinesis
(command of subtle quantum forces and probability).
 Scion is a game about gods, humanity, and everything
in between. Its a game about mythic deeds and the reasons
why people talk about those mythic deeds. Its also about
modernity - the World today is a very different place than
the anything our ancestors couldve conceived.
The ancient powers never fully went away. They wander
our roads and cities, mingling with the teeming masses of
humanity. You are one of their children, born to the magic
of yesterday and the promise of tomorrow.
The Primordial deities and savage Titans, dread fore-
bears of the gods, have escaped their eternal prisons to
wage war with the gods once more. Those battles in the
heavenly Overworlds of the gods have spilled over into our
World. Armed with weapons possessed of mighty powers,
the Scions, divine offspring of both god and man, stand
as humanitys only defense. But even the gods themselves
cannot stand united, as ancient rivalries spring forth once
more.
Will you rise to the heights of power through your her-
oism? Will you become more than just a pawn in a spiteful
divine game? What great events will mark your ascent to
godhood?
Scion Second Edition consists of four books which
define and expand the games setting, called the World,
and some of the godly pantheons defining that World.
The Scions children of the gods are granted a spark
of divinity from their parents, allowing them to climb in
power until they take their seats at the right hand of their
parents, the gods. The first two, Scion: Origin and Scion:
Hero, are corebooks containing the Storypath System, the
setting of the World, and how to make characters in the
World of Scion.
Scion Second Edition uses the Storypath System,
and Hero contains a number of additional mechanical
elements:
Divine Pantheons: Ten global pantheons, cultural
groupings of gods that act as parents and patrons for
Scions: the gods of the Algonquian, Aztec, Chinese,
Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Hindu, Irish, Japanese,
Norse, and Yoruba.
Supernatural Paths: Genesis, Calling, and Pantheon.
Scions are born, are created, are chosen by the gods,
and this Genesis act colors their entire life. Theyve
also got Callings, or aspirations towards the kind of
god they want to be such as a Warrior, a Lover, a
Healer that determine the supernatural gifts they
receive. Lastly, theyre born into or join a Pantheon,
the grand collection of gods with their own rivalries
and politics.
Purviews and Boons: Discrete elemental miracles
tied into the powers of the World, granting Scions
influence over their powers of their parents: fire, the
sea, the forge, thunder and the sky, and many others.
Knacks: An upgrade to the Skill Tricks of Mortals,
these allow Scions truly superhuman action hero
moves or suave dramatic powers that defy belief.
9
 TRINITY CONTINUUM
AN D SCION SYSTEM
VARIANTS
While the Trinity Continuum and Scion both use the
Storypath System, they each have their own proprietary
systems to interact with the setting. Featured here is a
sneak preview of two systems, the Dramatic Editing used by
the Talents of the Trinity Continuum and Relic Birthrights
for Scion.
DRAMATIC E DITI NG I N T H E
T RI N ITY CONTI N U UM
Whether its uncanny planning, tremendous luck, or
the hand of fate, characters with Inspiration have the abil-
ity to anticipate and seize opportunities that come their
way. This is, in part, because they create these opportuni-
ties. This system is meant to replicate the contrivance of
coincidence inherent to the heroic universe that lies at the
heart of the Trinity Continuum. It allows for the editing
of a scene in a dramatically relevant manner, so long as
the result doesnt contradict previously established details.
T H E TWIST
Dramatic Editing allows for the retconning of events
that have already transpired in the chronicle, casting them
in a new light and revealing actions or preparations taken
in a brief descriptive flashback. Most often, this comes in
the form of a twist or dramatic shift an appropriate mo-
ment where the character reveals their gun hidden under
the table, the small cache of passports for when their bud-
dy needs a quick exit, or the fact that the drunk they just
rolled for petty cash was in on the scam.
PARAMETE RS
Believability: Dramatic Editing can be used to generate
a plausible advantage within the scene, but it cant strain
the suspension of disbelief (at least, not without sufficient
expenditure of Inspiration). Its quite possible that the ma-
fioso duct taped two guns to the bottom of his favorite
table in his favorite restaurant; its equally unlikely he did
the same to office desk of a CEO in Mumbai.
Consistency: The edit cant overrule facts that have
been previously established in the setting or override
the effects of a dice roll that have already occurred. If
the Storyguide states that a supply locker is empty, the
10
character cant dramatically edit the scene to find a sup-
ply of ammunition. Dramatic editing also cant be used to
contradict or override anyone elses use of editing within
the scene.
Timeframe: Some edits have time limits to them, ac-
cording to the episodic nature of the series. These must
be adhered to!
Dramatic Shift: The edit must come at a moment of
need or appropriately dramatic moment (the twist), as de-
tailed above.
For more about the Storypath System, the Trinity
Continuum, and Scion, please visit www.theonyxpath.
com.
RELICS OF SCION
A revolver called Giantsbane, whose hammer is a small
fragment of Mjolnir. A classic GTO goat muscle car. A
ring with the algiz rune on it. The tools of the gods that
allow a Scion to access and channel their otherworldly
abilities are called relics. They provide their own motifs,
or methods of use, that allow a Scion to work miracles
through them.
Relics can:
Channel a Purview for the Scion, allowing them
to express miracles through the relics motifs (see
Purviews) rather than their parents. It might also
provide a small bonus to doing so. Giantsbane, be-
ing a massive gun, can only use Sky in the form of
shooting lightning, huge gusts of wind, and similarly
forceful exhalations, but it does these things especially
well.
Provide special Boons all their own, based on the
motifs of the relic. These Boons can be bought more
cheaply than the Scions own Boons, but only work
when they have the relic in their possession.
Remove the cost of an associated set of Knacks or
Boons. Alternately, they might allow the use of a
Knack with a different Ability or Calling.
Allow a special power, such as an enchanted gun pro-
viding infinite ammunition, a pair of headphones
allowing the Scion to remotely hear conversations, or
a tuning fork allowing the Scion to effortlessly mimic
any sound she hears. This might even be fairly mun-
dane, such as doubling the range on a bow, but in the
hands of a demigod they become even more mighty.
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