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Epic Appearance
Topic Started: Feb 22 2008, 09:06 PM (89 Views)
Doublehex
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Epic Appearance represents the extremes of both divine beauty and monstrous ugliness. The player must decide which aspect his character’s Epic Appearance represents, and it cannot change thereafter. In addition to its standard automatic successes, for every Epic Appearance dot a Scion has, his player is allowed one free retry per scene of a failed use of Presence in a social situation. That use of Presence must be appropriate to the nature of the Scion’s Epic Appearance, though. A divinely gorgeous Scion’s player can’t redo the character’s failed attempt to intimidate the leader of a mob of soccer hooligans. Likewise, a hideous Scion’s player can’t do over his character’s failed attempt to seduce an NFL cheerleader.

Also, a player cannot redo a failed activation of a Boon or Birthright item that requires the use of Presence. The second try applies only to direct social applications of that Ability.

Associated With: Amaterasu, Aphrodite, Apollo, Baldur, Erzulie, Freya, Hel*, Izanami*, Miclántecuhtli*, Raiden*, Sif, Tezcatlipoca, Tlaloc*, Tlazoltéotl (Note: Gods marked with an asterisk are known for being monstrously ugly, whereas the rest are considered especially attractive even among the Gods. A character need not take after his parent in this fashion, however. A Scion of Miclántecuhtli can have a divinely gorgeous Epic Appearance, or a Scion of Aphrodite can be a horror to behold. A Scion of an “average-looking” God can be either if he has Epic Appearance.)

EPIC APPEARANCE KNACKS

Center of Attention

Whether he’s Hugh Jackman on the set of The View or the Phantom of the Opera going unmasked at the masquerade ball, the Scion commands the attention of everyone in the room. This Knack is best used when making an important entrance, but it can also serve as a wonderful broad-spectrum distraction. The character walks into a room, the player spends a point of Legend, and all eyes in the room (as well as the eyes of people watching remotely via live security camera broadcast) turn the character’s way. For every Legend point spent, the character can hold everyone’s attention for a number of minutes equal to his Epic Appearance dots. The onlookers can carry on with what they’re doing and keep talking among themselves, but their attention remains fixed on the Scion.

Titanspawn and Scions can resist this Knack.

Come Hither

Some Scions are so beautiful you can’t help but be drawn to them, and a Scion with this Knack makes that compelling attraction inescapable. Whether she beckons across a crowded room, emails a picture of herself along with an invitation or sends a picture message from her
phone with the text caption “GYAOH,” the object of her desire makes all due haste to reach her. T

Scions whose Epic Appearance represents divine ugliness cannot use this Knack.

Dreadful Mien

Some Scions are so hideous that seeing them spurs the primitive centers of the human brain toward reckless flight. Most humans can clamp down on this instinctive response and remain in such Scions’ presence, but this Knack overrides that social nicety. People affected
by this Knack run away with self-preservation in mind, though, so they won’t sprint blindly into traffic or try to
swim across a shark tank to safety.

Scions whose Epic Appearance represents divine beauty cannot use this Knack.

Induce Incoherency

Some people are just so beautiful that others around them feel tongue-tied, and unable to speak, for fear of seeming clumsy and stupid in comparison. A Scion using this knack lets loose his most dazzling smile before speaking. All others present and socially interacting with the Scion are tongue-tied for a number of minutes. Though a tongue-tied character can still talk, he trips and stumbles over his words, and seems clumsy, shy and socially inept. This option is available to characters with Epic Appearance representing hideousness, but in this case onlookers find themselves tongue tied out of mute fascination and disconcertion with the character's hideousness.

King to Pauper

This Knack allows the Scion to use his knowledge of what about appearing otherwise unearthly beautiful, monstrous or ugly to such an extent that he can apply this talent in reverse appearing absolutely normal, making it possible to pass as a completely mundane human. For all mechanical purposes, the Scion using this knack is considered to have an Appearance score of 2, completely average, for the duration of a scene.

Lasting Impression

The Scion has an effect on a subject that’s slow to fade away. Thoughts of the Scion creep into the victim’s mind unbidden either to undermine his concentration or to uplift his spirit. A beautiful Scion can use her Epic Appearance to make a character feel good about himself,
granting him an extra Willpower point (which may exceed the character’s maximum) and an extra die on any Art, Athletics, Command, Craft or Integrity dice pools. A hideous Scion inflicts quite the opposite effect. The fear she instills robs her victim of a Willpower point that he cannot regain until the effect wears off. The Scion also unsettles him so deeply that he loses one die from all Academics, Awareness, Control, Politics or Presence dice pools.

Using this Knack last for 24 hours. The Scion can use the Knack on only one person at a time, and the target must be able to see her in person.

Look of Ages

Some Scions never seem to age, showing the wisdom of their years equally with the fluidity of youth. Never appearing too young or old for any occasion. Other people with Epic Perception may be able to determine the Scion’s actual age. Those without Epic Perception automatically fail. If the Scion acts in an overtly juvenile or mature manner, others will treat him accordingly. This Knack is permanent and always in effect.

Object of Desire / Object of Nightmare

With a brush of the hand or a light kiss, a Scion can work his way into an individual's psyche, penetrating their dreams and waking thoughts. A victim of this knack will become obsessed with the Scion, able to think of little else and driven to distraction by remembrance of his striking features. A Scion with this knack must touch his victim in order to use this knack, though the target must also be able to see the Scion. The knack is more effective with more intimate contact - a kiss is more effective than a light touch to the skin, for example. The victim of this power will find himself obsessing over the Scion.

If the Scion is beautiful, then the victim will find himself taken with lust and desire, wanting to touch and be with the Scion again. Depending on his personality, the victim may seek to please the Scion, or will obsess at home alone, or may even try to get the Scion's attention by force.

If the Scion is hideous, then the victim will find himself haunted by fear and revulsion, seeing the Scion's terrifying countenance whenever he closes his eyes, and feeling horrified by the thought of seeing the Scion again.

For a light touch of the skin, the duration is measured in minutes. For a prolonged touch, the effect lasts hours. For a quick kiss, the knack lasts days. For a passionate kiss, the effect lasts weeks. For full sexual or similarly intimate contact, the effect lasts months.

Seductive Beauty

A beautiful face and sexually attractive body are the basis of attraction. The Scion is naturally skilled at being seductive, and can use his divine nature to all but overwhelm the pathetic attempts of others to resist his advances. This Knack can only be taken by characters with divine beauty, not monstrous ugliness.

Serpent’s Gaze

The person whom she’s trying to affect locks eyes with her and is unable to look away. For combat purposes, the victim is
rendered Inactive until the Scion breaks eye contact. The Scion can still act.

This Knack works equally well whether the Scion’s Epic Appearance involves beauty or its opposite. Characters of lesser reputation are unable to break the Scion’s gaze on their own, but those with an equal or greater reputation are not so vulnerable. After the Scion using the Knack takes one full action, the equal- or higher-Legend victim may spend some time to negate the effect. In so doing, he remains immune to the effect

Terrible As The Dawn

Your dichotomous appearance renders you a living bisociation. Like Hel, Galadriel, or Dr Jeckyll, you can be riveting or horrific as you please. You are capable of transforming between the two as fits your whims. The default assumption is that you are beautiful or ugly, whichever you chose when you first took Epic Appearance. However, you also have another self-image that is superficially the opposite. The main benefit of this is that you can now freely take Epic Appearance knacks of both the beautiful or ugly varieties.

You must detail the other (previously hidden) appearance at the time you take this knack. Eye and skin color can change slightly, proportions and posture can alter, etc. However, it does not grant any other powers, and so your other form must still be human (unless you have some Boon that grants other options). The two versions of you are still thematically linked - average mortals wouldn’t recognize you, but legendary creatures and trained investigators could identify both versions as being the same.
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