Guides +

A guide is both a character and a resource. This birthright is a representation of the skills that a scion has gained from and can draw from their guide. Although the lessons are often permanent, the guidance they have given will last a lifetime. The main benefit of a guide is not mechanical, but rather as a storytelling tool. The GM should feel encouraged to use the guide to give the player character advice, guidance and tips about how to survive and thrive in the World. They should also feel encouraged to play these guides as having their own wants and desires for the players which player characters have to consider.

Note that the dots invested in the Guide birthright are not a reflection of the power of the guide, but rather, they are a reflection about the amount of aid the Guide is willing to offer you. For example, Zeus being a 1-dot guide does not represent him being any less powerful but rather of him keeping the Scion at arm’s reach and giving them only limited power.

A guide provides the following abilities by default and is a 1-dot birthright. All guides have the following benefits:

• Guide Invocation: The Guide and their resources may be drawn upon by the Scion to aid them in their initiatives. The Guide functions as a Path, granting you two extra dice on your roll. Using the path twice in the same session results in the player gaining a new deed that must be accomplished by the Scion. Treat as if the Scion has compelled the fatebinding, however the Scion does not gain a Legend.
• Deus Ex Machina: The Scion can, once per arc, activate their ‘Deus Ex Machina’ (regardless of how many Guides they have). Only one Deus Ex Machina can be in effect at any given time. Whether by literal divine intervention, occult ritual, the fulfillment of a dire prophecy or some other method within the guide’s power, the scion gains the following:
  • The Scion is treated as having ‘Double-9’ for the remainder of the scene. This means that when they roll 9 they score two hits, in addition to 10.
  • The Scion can cast one Marvel or Boon without spending Legend. This does not count towards their maximum Marvels or Boons in a scene. The Purview and the Motif are based on the traditions, knowledge and abilities of the Guide. If the Guide would not normally grant a purview, it instead uses a Purview the scion normally has, but gains a free use of it, and may be a Boon that the Scion does not normally possess.

After the Deus Ex Machina has ended, treat the Scion as if the Fatebinding has been compelled, however they do not gain Legend.

• Guide Specialty: A single Specialization pertaining to the Guide’s field of expertise. This represents the guide’s advice and expertise being passed onto the player character.
• Guide Stunt: The Guide has taught the Scion how to use one unique stunt. By default, this is the ‘Share Guidance’ stunt below, however, you may choose an alternate unique stunt at your leisure.
  • Share Guidance (Variable Hits): Choose one action which your guide has provided you with training and expertise. You may spend hits to grant other characters +1 enhancement per hit towards this area of expertise for 1 turn.

Your guide can grant additional abilities. Each ability added increases the dot cost of the guide

• Calling Knack: The Guide can grant the ability to use a Heroic or Immortal knack from a Calling belonging to the Guide rather than the Scion. A heroic Knack increases the guide by 1-dot, and gaining an immortal knack increases the cost by 2 dots. This knack does not take one of the Scion’s Calling Dot Knack slots. The Scion can only gain either 2 heroic knacks or 1 immortal knack this way from any Guides they might have.
• Purview: the Scion gains a Purview belonging to the Guide. This ability is reserved for guides of a significant mystical nature, representing shared knowledge or secrets of the workings of the universe, or delegated power on behalf of a Divine being. This Purview comes with a Motif in accordance to the traditions and teachings of the guide, however you may still use your own Patheon Motif as well. This increases the guide by 2-dots, only one Purview can be granted per guide.
• Legendary Title: The Scion can invoke the guide to make use of their Legendary Title as though it were their own. This increases the cost by 1-dot.
• Unique Ability: This Guide can share secrets or grant powers. The cost to these unique knacks and abilities have a birthright cost similar to Relics.
• Relic & Followers: The guide can gift the Scion with Relics or followers. You can build these using the rules for other Birthrights, but their tie to the Guide means they are subject to the the effects of the Compel and Resolve of the Guide as a Fatebinding.

Guides as a Fatebinding

In Addition to their use as a Birthright, this Birthright also functions as a Fatebinding that can be Compelled or resolved. This does not count towards your maximum of simultaneous Fatebindings.

Compel

Gain one Legend, The Scion is issued a new task by the Guide to complete. This may be a task that the Guide sees as important for the Scion, or they simply see the Scion as a way of accomplishing their own agenda. The Player gains the “Paying Tribute” Condition. Until this condition is resolved, the player cannot Invoke the Guide, or receive

Resolve

The player and the Storyguide choose one of the following options when resolving this fatebinding:

• The Guide gives the Scion one last chance to redeem themselves. They issue a Failure Deed of epic proportions. If this Deed is not completed, choose one of the two options below:
• The Guide severs their relationship with the Scion, at least partially. Decrease the number of Birthright dots of this guide by one. This may result in the Scion losing abilities, however these may be regained by purchasing additional dots in this Guide using XP.
• The Guide is no longer fit to serve the Scion, or the Scion is no longer fit to be guided. Remove all dots of this birthright, and replace this fatebinding with another representing this new relationship between the Scion and the Guide. Your dots in this Birthright are returned to you after the end of the current arc. You can invest these in a new Birthright.

MENTEE (Tier 3 Only)

A variant of Guide in which the player character becomes the Guide rather than the Guided. This is a separate Birthright.

• Fatebinding: Choose one type of fatebinding associated with this Mentee. Apptrentice is suggested but not required. This fatebinding does not count towards your maximum fatebindings.

Quid pro Quo

Whenever the Fatebinding Role above is compelled, you gain 1 momentum in addition to the usual effects. If your character suffers additional harm or setbacks you gain additional momentum.

Assistance

Your Mentee is able to assist you on any task in which you take the lead. As long as they are in the scene, add Enhancement equal to the strength of this Birthright. This does not count towards the Teamwork maximum

Heros ex Machina

The Demigod can provide di vine intervention on her mentee’s behalf, just like her own guides can do for her. Once per arc, she may take a simple action and imbue 1 Legend to invest a measure of her power in her mentee, allowing that character to access one of her Boons and granting them +1 to one type of Scale; these effects last for a scene, during which the Demigod acts in all ways as though she were a Hero instead. In return, at the end of that scene, you immediately gain a number of divinity dice (p. 154) equal to this Birthright’s rating, regain the imbued Legend as normal, and regain one spent Legend point. For the rest of the episode, you may invoke the mentee’s Role Condition once per scene without counting it as that session’s one allowed Fatebinding invocation.