TEXT: THE SCION
  HERO NAME
  REAL NAME 
  Look
  • ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
  • Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
  • stocky body, slender body, scrawny body, statuesque body, taut body
  • hand-me-down clothing, expensive clothing, uniform clothing, rebellious clothing, casual clothing
  • bright costume, parent’s costume, understated costume, makeshift costume, no costume
  Your Lineage
  You are the child of a true supervillain, someone with power and the will to use that power to 
  cause harm. Even though you strive to be different than them , you are what you are because of 
  them, in one way or another. Circle at least one option for each question below.
  What kind of villain are they? 
  deadly mercenary, master thief, fearsome destroyer, crusader, puppetmaster, grandiose tyrant
  What is your relationship with them like? 
  mostly strangers, actively adversarial, sadly opposed, ever-shifting, redemption/corruption, full of denial
  They have an array of abilities, assets, and strengths; what are some of them? (up to 3)
  superhuman martial prowess, dark sorcery, cosmic might, diabolical machines, endless minions, 
  unrivaled genius, powerful allies, arsenal of weapons and gadgets, supremely honed skills
  What abilities do you use to fight them? (up to 2)
  impressive martial prowess, magical aptitude, cosmic energies, machine control, regeneration, 
  electrokinesis, seismic waves, a powerful weapon or gadget, mastery of a single skillset
  Moment of Truth
  People have always tried to define you by your lineage. As if from the moment you were born, 
  you were meant to be some villain to be defeated. But...they’re right, aren’t they? That darkness is 
  in you. So right here, right now, you’re not fighting it—you’re embracing it. Both hero and villain, 
  and greater besides. You’re overcoming impossible odds in ways no hero would approve of, and 
  no villain could comprehend. Of course, after seeing what you can really do when you embrace 
  the whole of yourself, the rest of the world isn’t going to forget who you really are...
  Team Moves
  When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if you have earned their 
  respect. If you have, take Influence over them and mark potential. If you have not, give them 
  Influence over you and mark potential.
  When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them if they would defend you 
  against those who mistrust you. If they say yes, clear a condition and shift Savior up and any other 
  Label down. If they say no, mark a condition and shift Danger up and any other Label down. 
  POTENTIAL  >>>>❑    >>>>❑    >>>>❑    >>>>❑    >>>>❑   
  Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential. 
  Advancement 
  When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below. 
   
  ❑  Take another move from your playbook
   
  ❑  Take another move from your playbook
   
  ❑  Take a move from another playbook
   
  ❑  Take a move from another playbook
   
  ❑  Unlock your Moment of Truth
   
  ❑  Someone permanently loses Influence over you; 
  add +1 to a Label
   
  ❑  Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add 
  +1 to a Label 
   
  ❑  Take The Mask and a secret identity from the 
  Janus playbook
  When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below.
   
  ❑  Unlock your Moment of Truth after it’s been used 
  once 
   
  ❑  Change playbooks
   
  ❑  Take an adult move
   
  ❑  Take an adult move
   
  ❑  Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your 
  choice
   
  ❑  Retire from the life or become a paragon of the 
  city
  Other Moves 
  You’re the child of a true 
  villain. Not a creation, 
  not an acolyte—just their 
  friggin’ kid. And when anyone 
  who knows looks at you, all 
  they can see is your parent. 
  Like you don’t even matter. 
  Well, screw that. You’re out 
  to prove yourself as someone 
  different from them, and how 
  better to do that than to be 
  a superhero?   
  
  Labels
  (at character creation, add +1 wherever you choose)
  DANGER 
   -2  
   -1  
    0   
   +1  
   +2  
   +3
  FREAK 
   -2  
   -1  
    0   
   +1  
   +2  
   +3 
  SAVIOR 
   -2  
   -1  
    0   
   +1  
   +2  
   +3 
  SUPERIOR 
   -2  
   -1  
    0   
   +1  
   +2  
   +3 
  MUNDANE 
   -2  
   -1  
    0   
   +1  
   +2  
   +3 
  Conditions
   
  ❑ Afraid 
  (-2 to directly engage a threat)
   
  ❑ Angry 
  (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask) 
   
  ❑ Guilty 
  (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
   
  ❑ Hopeless (-2 to unleash your powers)
   
  ❑ Insecure (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence) 
  Backstory
  • Who is your supervillain parent?
  • Who told you about your parent’s true nature?
  • Why did you turn from your lineage to be a hero?
  • Who, outside of the team, helps you on your chosen path?
  • Why do you care about the team?
  Once you’ve finished your backstory, introduce your character to the other players, and then 
  determine what happened when your team first came together, the relationships between you and 
  your teammates, and who has Influence over you.
  When our team first came together...
  Someone important learned about my lineage and condemned us all. Who? Why?
  Relationships
  ____________________ is the only one who understands what I’m going through; I told them 
  which part of me I wished was more like my parent.
  My parent once fought and thrashed _____________________; I’ve got to find a way to make it 
  up to them.
  Influence
  This team may be the key to proving you’re different from your parent, but you don’t want to be 
  defined by your peers, either. Give Influence to 2 teammates.
  Scion Moves
  (You start with two)
   
  ❑  I’ll show them: When you defend someone 
  who doesn’t believe in you, you can always take 
  Influence over them, even on a miss.
   
  ❑  Changed sides:   When you mislead or trick an 
  enemy by pretending to be on their side, roll 
  + Danger. On a hit, they buy your charade for 
  now. On a 7-9, choose 1. On a 10+, choose 2.
  • You avoid having to provide concrete evidence
  • You create an opportunity
  • You expose a weakness or flaw
  On a miss, someone else watching comes to the 
  worst possible conclusion.
   
  ❑  They don’t deserve forgiveness:   When you 
  accuse an enemy of being irredeemable, you 
  can mark two conditions to take Influence over 
  you away from them. When you directly engage 
  someone who has no Influence over you, you can 
  always choose 1 additional option, even on a miss.
   
  ❑  Moldable:  When you pierce the mask of someone 
  whose respect you crave, you can always ask 
  “How could I gain Influence over you?”, even on a 
  miss. Take +1 ongoing to acting on the answer.
   
  ❑  All the best stuff:  You’ve compiled access to 
  caches of equipment and weaponry other supers 
  have hidden in the city. When you access a cache, 
  say whose cache it is. If it’s a hero’s, roll + Savior. 
  If it’s a villain’s, roll + Danger. On a hit, you find 
  a tool or intel useful to your situation; the GM will 
  detail. On a 7-9, you leave evidence that you’ve 
  been here. On a miss, you tripped an alarm and 
  they’re coming; prepare to explain yourself.
   
  ❑  White lies:  When you comfort or support 
  someone by telling them how they are your role 
  model as a hero, roll + Savior instead of + 
  Mundane. On any hit, if they open up to you, take 
  Influence over them.
  Respect
  Write down the names of at least two other characters whose respect you need to earn in order to 
  differentiate yourself from your parent. You may fill in new names whenever appropriate. 
  Your parent’s greatest enemy: _____________
   
  Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐ 
  Your parent’s greatest victim: _____________
   
  Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐
  Your personal idol: _____________________
   
  Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐
  The city’s greatest leader: ________________
   
  Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐
  The city’s greatest hero: _________________
   
  Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐
  The city’s biggest celebrity:  ______________
   
  Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐
  When you seek out one of the characters named above, roll + Savior. On a hit, you find them 
  where you expected to. On a 7-9, they’re juggling their own problems, and may not have time for 
  you. On a miss, when you find them, the situation is dire; the GM will tell you how.
  If you earn Influence over the characters listed above, instead you mark 1 Respect. If you lose 
  Influence over the characters listed above, you lose 1 Respect. If you lose 1 Respect and you have 
  none marked, you immediately mark a condition, GM’s choice.
  The first time you reach 4 Respect on an individual, take an advancement. 
  While you have 4 Respect on an individual: 
  • You can reject their Influence at a +3 (does not stack with the above). 
  • You take +1 to a Label of their choice. (record it next to their name)
  If you dip below 4 Respect on an individual, you lose those benefits.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Masks (PbtA)/Masks_Unbound_-_Scion_test.pdf