Jotunblut Revisited

Most of the following was written by Sidhe16 at the Scion forum, who had great ideas about how to fix Jotunblut. This new Jotunblut functions as do most Pantheon-Specific Purviews, and has the same costs and requirements. Elements of the blood-bonding version of Jotunblut remain, for those who liked that theme. However, the dominant paradigm of the Purview has been shifted towards being half-giant, and thus able to mingle amongst their kind.

I edited his boons to better fit my campaign. In particular, I reigned in the bonus health levels it grants, clearly spelled out that the boosts to Strength and Stamina were dice (not dots) and put a cap on those boosts. I also fine-tuned the "growing" powers. Gods can now stand eye-to-eye (or nearly so) with Jotunheimers, but are still dwarfed by Surtr and Sinmore.


Heroic Stature
Jotunblut Level 1
Dicepool: N/A
Cost: None
Even at this most basic level the blood of the Giant shines through. The young Aesir are larger than most men and typically stronger and tougher. Aesir Scions with the blood of the Giants showing through their veins may purchase their mundane Strength and Stamina to one dot higher than normally allowed by their Legend.

In addition, they gain a single additional -4 health level. The penalty on that level is reduced via Epic Stamina as per the normal rules.

After achieving Godhood, if the Aesir purchases an avatar, their avatar can support an additional level of epic strength and epic stamina beyond what should be possible at the legend of their avatar. However, no Avatar may have the full value that the Gods pure form does, so this only applies to 2-dot or higher Avatar manifestations.


Giant among Men
Jotunblut Level 2
Dicepool:
Cost:
Whenever the Aesir Scion rolls a die pool based on Strength or Stamina, he or she gains +1 bonus die to the roll. This die is also calculated into derived statistics, such as Soak, carrying capacity, alcohol consumption, and the Feats of Strength chart.



Form of the Giant
Jotunblut Level 3
Dicepool: Appearance + Fortitude
Cost: 1 willpower + 3 Legend
By channeling his Giant ichors into his body the Scion grows noticeable amount, becoming half again as tall, and his bulk increasing many fold. He makes a roll of Appearance + Fortitude and may distribute these successes as additional bonus dice on rolls of strength and stamina equal in total to the number of successes gained. However, neither attribute may gain more bonus dice than the Scion's Legend Rating. These bonuses last for a single scene unless the Scion chooses to dismiss the power early. Your clothing and carried equipment grows to match your stature, but this gives no further bonuses and they revert to normal if separated from you by more than a few seconds or meters.

The benefits of this power stack with Giant Among Men/Demigods/Gods. If you had all those boons, the maximum number of bonus dice would be 5+Legend.


Gift of Blood
Jotunblut Level 4
Dicepool: N/A
Cost: 1 Lethal and 1 Legend
The demigods blood is now potent enough to be used by others in the same manner as the heartblood of a true Jotun. By conducting a short blood-sharing ritual (speed 8 should it come up in combat) you may bind a mortal or beast to you. They become somewhat gruff and prone to foul moods, but they are steadfastly loyal. Such a bond must be renewed a few times a year.

This allows the demigod to boost his allies, as well as enthrall mortals. Such a bound individual gains a number of bonus dice they can add to Strength or Stamina equal to 1/2 your Legend Rating at the time of imbuement. The difficulty of any rolls to keep their cool and control their temper raises by 2. In combat, they fly into a berserk fury, though beyond the affects listed above, this is mostly a thing of flavor and description.


Giant among Demigods
Jotunblut Level 5
Dicepool: N/A
Cost: None
The bonus dice from Giant Among Men are increased to a total of +3 to all rolls (and derived stats) of Strength or Stamina.

In addition, they gain a single additional -0 health level. This is in addition to the -4 Health level granted by the first level of Jotunblut, which now likewise becomes a -0 level regardless of your Epic Stamina.


Hounds of War
Jotunblut Level 6
Dicepool: N/A
Cost: 1 willpower + 5 Legend + 1 Lethal
The Demigod's blood is now potent enough to cause great physical changes in beasts which fate doesn't really watch over, meaning animals without Legend.

By feeding his ichors to such a beast, the Demigod infuses it with Giant traits. It grows to clearly impossible size, gaining the Nemean template with a starting Legend of 2 and its creator's virtues in place of the dark virtues a Nemean would normally have. It is also bound to the Scion as per the Gift of Blood.



Form of the Jotun
Jotunblut Level 7
Dicepool: N/A
Cost: 2 Legend per Action
By allowing his Giant heritage to burst through, the demigod gains an even greater refinement to his body. In the few seconds of activating this power, the Demigod increases even more in size, easily tripling his or her height. Against man-sized foes, this functions much as a higher-ground bonus, raising his DV (since his vitals are harder to reach) and lowering the DV of targets he faces in combat.

This power lasts for as many actions as he can afford the cost. You may activate it reflexively at the same time as you activate Form of the Giant, and maintaining it is a reflexive expenditure as well. While at maximum size, you apply your bonus dice from Form of the Giant to both attributes, instead of having to split them between the two. When you stop paying the higher Legend, you may choose to revert to mere Giant size, or to your mortal dimensions.



The Gift of Battle Eternal
Jotunblut Level 8
Dicepool: N/A
Cost: 1 willpower + 5 Legend + 1 Lethal
The God's blood functions much like that of a Cyclops, not merely augmenting those who drink of it, but wholly transforming them. A mortal, or near-mortal such as an Einherjar, who drinks the God's Divine Ichors is transformed into a full blooded Legend 3 giant. The bonus dice given by Gift of Blood instead become permanent bonus dots of mundane Strength and Stamina, and the giants maximum for those traits can be taken as high as 5+Legend. In addition, they gain two dots in Epic Strength and Epic Stamina, plus 2 knacks for each. It gains 8 dots of Norse or Dark virtues (the God's choice), though none can be taken above their new Legend Rating. You may chose to penalize their Intelligence by 1 if you wish, but it is not necessary and only a cruel god would do so.

The default assumption is that they become a "normal" giant, such as a hill giant, with no additional powers. However, a God with access to other purviews may have additional options if they spend a little XP. An alternate level two boon may be taken in the Water, Frost, or Fire Purviews that, when used simultaneous with this power will wield an Ice or Fire Giant. Other purviews and giant types are up to the GM.

This change is permanent and generally irreversible. The Giant will be a loyal servant as long as he lives, and as long as he doesn't listen too closely to the seductive words of the Titans.

This power does not prevent you from using Gifts of the Blood normally to make berserker thralls instead of giants.


Giant among Gods
Jotunblut Level 9
Dicepool: N/A
Cost: None
The bonus dice from Giant Among Men are increased to a total of +5 to all rolls (and derived stats) of Strength or Stamina. In addition, they gain one more -0 health level, bringing the total gained from this purview to 3.

When creating your physical body from your ichor (regardless of whether it's via Avatar or the regular Godly method) you may choose to have it manifest at your mundane height, or up to 1 foot taller for an extra Legend. That's one foot total, not one foot per legend. Such a body has an additional -0 health level, ramping the bonus up to 4 health levels.

If you do so raise it, the taller body is used also to determine the height you grow to via Form of the Giant and Form of the Jotun, granting and extra +6 inches and +3 feet in those forms, respectively.


The Truth In The Blood
Jotunblut Level 10
Dicepool: As per other levels
Cost: As per other levels
The God may take on a stature nearly rivaling that of the Jotun side of the family. When using Form of the Jotun, he may grow up to 10 times his normal size. Doing so follows the same rules and restrictions as that power, however instead of granting bonus dice, it grants bonus successes to both Strength and Stamina up to the lesser of your Legend Rating or the total on your Appearance + Fortitude roll. The higher ground benefits now extend when fighting against things the size of a "normal" giant or even something as large as a full-grown bull elephant.

In addition, your blood has the ability to break down bonds created by Eitr or Jotunblut, and return to human sized those who were made into Giants or Nemeans by means of Jotunblut (but not those who were born as such). Doing so costs the same as whatever level you are counteracting. If you use your blood to bond someone to you, they gain a bonus equivalent to 3 dots of Loyalty, and do not suffer the usual penalties to Intelligence or rolls to remain calm.

Lastly, The Truth In The Blood gives you one more health level, and allows you access to the second health level from Giant Among Gods regardless of your size, bringing the total maximum health bonus via this purview to +5 health levels all the time, all of the -0 variety.