Wits

Scions with Epic Wits are adapters, able to change gears in a snap, able to control split second reactions to grab an ally's arrow out of the air before it verges off target to hit Ares. They are expert drivers, from ships, to chariots, and have incredibly difficult minds to overwhelm, for the rapid speed at which they think and react to things makes it difficult to slip in and meddle with their thoughts and feelings.

These Knacks are taken from Gotham by Night and the lovely pair of John and Anne, along with Brent not Broken's Modern Mythos, and will hopefully be replaced in due course with a revised version of Epic Wits.

Snap to Violence Knacks

COBRA REFLEXES

Cost: 2 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Miscellaneous

Instant retaliation is the mark of this Scion, able to immediately return a blow they revived. When a Scion with this Knack is attacked unexpectedly, they may opt to pay two points of Legend to instantly retaliate against their assailant, and attack them at a Dodge DV of 0. They would have to have a weapon in hand to gain advantage of attacking with a weapon, though.

READY FOR ANYTHING

Cost: None

Dice Pool: None

Type: Persistent

Prerequisite: Cobra Reflexes

The quick draw is a skill practiced from everywhere from Feudal Japan to the Old West, and a Scion with this Knack is a master of it. Whenever they roll Join Battle, they may chose to take an item from their person and place it into their hand. This can be anything from a weapon, to a Channeling Relic.

Improvised Warrior Knacks

INGENIOUS IMPROVISER

Cost: None

Dice Pool: None

Type: Miscellaneous

In moments of panic, with the Scion disarmed and laying in nothing but a bloody parking lot, they may always find a weapon with this Knack. Once per Scene, a Scion with this Knack may pick up an improvised weapon, and double the number of dice it adds to their attack, the Scion able to act so quickly that their enemy can't defend against the unexpected item.

MASTER AT ARMS

Cost: 2 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Miscellaneous

Prerequisite: Ingenious Improviser

Warriors are skilled in defending themselves from others just for the fact that through their own mastery of combat, they can understand how they will be attacked. However, when facing a Scion with this Knack, things are different. By paying two points of Legend, the Scion may chose to attack by using their Epic Wits rather than one of their standard Attributes when they are using an improvised weapon.

ADAPTIVE FIGHTING

Cost: 1 - 3 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Miscellaneous

Prerequisite: Master at Arms

By fighting the same warrior a thousand times, one would learn all of their strengths, weaknesses, and entirely understand the dance of combat that the other uses. A Scion with this Knack, however, learns far faster than normal when they activate this Knack. When they fail an attack, they may chose to pay the cost (1 Legend at Epic Wits 1 - 5, 2 at 6 - 8, and 3 at 9 and up) in order to instantly understand where they failed, and be able to add their Epic Wits Autosuccesses as dice to their next attack as they adapt to their shortcomings.

Rapid Observation Knacks

INSTANT ASSESSMENT

Cost: 1 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Miscellaneous

Studied and long term observing can lead to many conclusions about other people. But, a Scion with this Knack can do this instantly. By paying the activation cost of this Knack, the Scion may instantly learn the number of Dots of Epic Strength and Epic Perception a target has, and their Block and Dodge DVs.

INSTANT INVESTIGATOR

Cost: 1 Legend

Dice Pool: Wits + Investigation

Type: Miscellaneous

Prerequisite: Instant Assessment

Investigating an area can take hours, picking apart a room, inch by inch, and finding clues and hints towards what conspired there. But, a Scion with this Knack can absent mindedly glance at a room, and learn what transpired there. By paying the cost, they may learn what occurred in the area. With a base requirement of one Success per day in the past the event occurred, each Threshold Success they learn the following in order. Firstly, they learn the basic idea of what conspired in the area, then they learn the number of people involved, and lastly, with three Threshold, a step by step understanding of what happened.

ETERNAL VIGILANCE

Cost: None

Dice Pool: None

Type: Persistent

Prerequisite: Instant Investigator

Subtle changes to one's environment can hint to an ambush, be it the reflections in the eyes of bystanders showing a man with a knife sneaking up behind the Scion, or all of the birds in a forest falling silent. Scions with this Knack may opt to use a Wits + Survival (when in the wilderness) or a Wits + Politics (when in an urban area) rather than the standard Perception + Awareness to detect an ambush.

PSYCHIC PROFILER

Cost: 1 Legend (if desired)

Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy (v.s Manipulation + Empathy)

Type: Miscellaneous

Prerequisite: Instant Investigator

With a deep understanding of people, and a mind moving so rapidly the world seems slow, a Scion with this Knack is able to glance at another person and learn a colossal amount about them. If they can overcome their target's passive Manipulation + Empathy resistance, they may learn the target's age, any addictions they have, any compulsions they may be under the sway of, if they have any kind of relationship with anyone in the Scene, if they are descended from the Divine, their calling, if they are hiding anything, and their highest Virtue if they possess one.

These results are all, ultimately, vague. But, if the Scion spends ten minutes of observation, and spends a point of Legend, they may ask the Storyteller specific questions about the results.

Many Skilled Knacks

JACK OF ALL TRADES

Cost: 1 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Miscellaneous

Making things up as they go along, rapidly figuring out the right and wrong way to do things by rapidly testing them and observing the reactions, a Scion who activates this Knack may rapidly fabricate expertise. She gains phantom dots equal to her Epic Wits in Animal Ken, Art, Athletics, Brawl, Larceny, Marksmanship, Melee, Stealth, or Thrown instead of her own dots. This benefit lasts for one action or multiple action.

TALENT MIRROR

Cost: 3 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Miscellaneous

Prerequisite: Jack of all Trades

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and a Scion who possesses this Knack is the pinnacle of this concept. By observing others, their enemies or allies, they can imitate them to garner similar ranges of ability as them for a short while. By paying the cost of this Knack, the Scion may imitate an action taken by another being at some point during the Scene, using the target's Attribute + Ability pool rather than their own. They are limited by their own Legend though, and they may not use a higher Epic Attribute than they possess Dots in Epic Wits. Furthermore, if the target was gaining bonuses to one of these values, the Scion using this Knack does not gain them.

This Knack may be used as many times per Scene as the Scion possesses Dots of Epic Wits.

Impossible Speed Knacks

OPENING GAMBIT

Cost: 1 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Reflexive

Nothing is as fast on the drop as a Scion with this Knack. Rather than rolling their Join Battle when it is called for, they may instead opt to pay one point of Legend to automatically go on Tick 0.

SELFLESS SPEED

Cost: None

Dice Pool: None

Type: Reflexive

Prerequisite: Opening Gambit

While some Scions are fast, too beautiful to harm, or just naturally neigh-unkillable, some do not have these defenses. A Scion with this Knack, however, can help their fellows who are frail young Divinities. When an ally in relatively close proximity is to be attacked, a Scion with this Knack may declare that they are going to take the hit, and the Scion can intervene in the blow somehow, having the attack placed against themselves rather than their ally, though they may do this only once per Tick, not able to save everyone.

BETWEEN THE TICKS

Cost: 3 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Reflexive

Prerequisite: Opening Gambit

The speed at which a Scion with Epic Wits can think puts others to shame. Their observations have more time than others, and for that, they will sometimes realize that they need to act right in that instant. With this Knack, a Scion may do just that. Once per Scene, a Scion can declare that they are using this Knack, and after they have paid the cost, they will go the next Tick, no matter normal Speeds and the normal order of combat.

UNCONQUERABLE CHALLENGE

Cost: 1 Legend

Dice Pool: Wits + Presence (v.s MDV)

Type: Reflexive

Prerequisite: Selfless Speed

Sometimes a Scion, even one as quick thinking as a Scion with Epic Wits, can't be everywhere. With this Knack, they may, though, try to protect other beings and items when they are too far to leap in the way of the blow. When an attack is declared against an object or a being, a Scion with this Knack may declare that they are using this Knack, and may instantly attempt to draw the ire of their target. This can be done audibly, visually, or in any way that will draw the target's attention, and the Scion must overwhelm their MDV with the activation roll of this Knack. If they are Successful, the attack is immediately redirected at the Scion.

Quick Tongue Knacks

OPENING SALVO

Cost: None

Dice Pool: Wits + Politics (v.s Wits + Politics)

Type: Miscellaneous

The perfect insult often comes a few hours later while standing in the shower, or as one drifts off to sleep. But, to Scions with this Knack, their minds are working so quickly, they may instantly slip a devastating, perfect quip into a conversation. Once per day, a Scion with this Knack may make a biting remark to another being, and may attempt to overcome their reflexive Wits + Politics resistance, and if the Scion overcomes their target, they instantly lose half their total Willpower Pool, but if the Scion fails to overcome the resistance, they instantly take the same penalty, as their attempts are brushed aside, and ignored.

SCATHING RETORT

Cost: 2 Legend

Dice Pool: Wits + Politics (v.s Wits + Politics)

Type: Reflexive

Prerequisite: Opening Salvo

Even more difficult than the perfect, biting, and cruel insult, is the perfect witty, but cutting retort to such an insult. But, once again, Scions with this Knack are able to instantly produce one of these responses. When they are insulted, as part of a Power, or mundanely, they may instantly pay the cost for this Knack, and have a contested Wits + Politics roll against their target. The loser of this roll instantly loses their entire Willpower Pool.

LAST WORD

Cost: 2 Legend and 1 Willpower (v.s MDV)

Dice Pool: Wits + Politics

Type: Reflexive

Prerequisite: Scathing Retort

When words begin to be slung, a Scion with this Knack can put a stop to it, even if they are entirely not involved with the trade of insults. When someone uses Opening Salvo, or Scathing Retort in the Scene, a Scion with this Knack, even if they are not the target, may use this Knack. They pay the cost, and attempt to overcome the MDV of their target with the activation roll of this Knack. If they are Successful, their target fails to be able to regenerate any Willpower lost to Epic Wits Knacks for one whole week.

Defensive Thinking Knacks

RABBIT REFLEXES

Cost: 1 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Reflexive

While other Scions instantly leap into combat when the hat drops, others can use this Knack. When the Scion is ambushed, they may chose to use this Knack, and keeps her full Dodge DV against the unexpected attack. She must spend her next action running away as quickly as possible, before she can reassess the situation and decide to return. This, of course, can provoke Loyalty, Valor, Courage, and some other Virtue rolls.

MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE

Cost: None

Dice Pool: None

Type: Persistent

Prerequisite: Rabbit Reflexes

A whirling dervish of unpredictable action, the Scion with this Knack is simply too fast and too crafty to be brought down by mere numbers alone. She can completely ignore any bonus used against her from the Assist action, whether she is weaving like a drunken monkey, or stepping sideways through the hail of a hundred arrows.

Social Thinking Knacks

SOCIAL CHAMELEON

Cost: None

Dice Pool: Wits + Politics

Type: Persistent

Sometimes the best place to hide is as a face in the crowd, though it is sometimes difficult to blend at the drop of a hat. A Scion with this Knack, however, is so quick thinking, they can pick up on thousands of social cues, and half-mentioned pieces of information, they can fake their way through almost any social interaction. As long as the Scion makes an effort to be perceived as part of a group, they may blend perfectly in, being seen by onlookers as part of the group. If someone is actively searching for someone who does not belong, a Scion with this Knack may defend with Wits + Politics.

PERFECT IMPOSTOR

Cost: 1 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Miscellaneous

Prerequisite: Social Chameleon

People tend to give more away than they realize, and a Scion with this Knack can take this unintentional information, and run with it. When a Scion with this Knack is out of their element in a social situation, at the court of Tara when someone just started talking about the Hero's Portion, at a masquerade party run by Belenos, or any social situation where they are not sure of the appropriate responses and actions to be taking, they may pay the cost of this Knack to instantly know what to do, and what not to do. This information is gained by observing others, and seeing what they are choosing to do, and not do.

DAMAGE CONTROL

Cost: 2 Legend

Dice Pool: Wits + Politics (v.s Perception + Politics)

Type: Reflexive

Prerequisite: Perfect Imposer

Sometimes one's friends are not quite as socially graceful as a Scion with this Knack, and may say something entirely inappropriate, either intentionally, or unintentionally. A Scion with this Knack may instantly notice when someone is about to say something that would be quite a bad idea, and may reflexively use this Knack to stomp on their foot, clamp a hand over their mouth, give them a death glare, or something else to shut them up. Upon doing so, they must roll Wits + Politics against the possible offended party's Perception + Politics. If they are Successful, the insulted party does not notice, but if they fail, the insulted party catches what was said, or was going to be said, and may respond accordingly.

Divine Driver Knacks

STUNT DRIVER

Cost: 1 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Reflexive

Rapid thoughts able to predict the sequence of events that are about to unfold, and how to alter them to prevent their passengers all dying horribly, a Scion with this Knack may reflexively use it when they are about to crash, or be struck by an outside force. When they do so, they may add their Autosuccesses from Epic Wits to the Soak DV of the vehicle they are in, as they take a sudden change in course to deflect the worst of the blow.

CHARIOTS OF FIRE

Cost: 2 Legend

Dice Pool: None

Type: Miscellaneous

Prerequisite: Stunt Driver

Knowing just how to squeeze the most speed out of their ride, a Scion with this Knack is a true speed devil on the road, sea, air, or any stranger mediums they are moving a vehicle through. By activating this Knack, they may increase their vehicle's Speed by 20% per Dot of Epic Wits they possess, able to give themselves truely insane speeds as they cut through the seas of Lir, or race across Hades to attempt to save slumbering Hypnos from other Scions attempting to assassinate him.