By R-
Revised from original material by Hank Driskill,
John Gavigan and Mark Antill
Calcutta, not so long ago…
“Please, sit down. Yes, I know that you have questions about what
is going on. I will do the best I can to answer your questions.
“I have been able to piece together what happened. The people
around you thought you were dead. They thought you had died with your husband.
They buried you both together. Yes? At some point not long after they closed
the stones over you, you woke up. You found yourself in a cold and dark place
next to a dead body. I know what that is like. Really, I do.
“So then you just drifted off, you fell asleep as it were.
“Until last week, when you woke up again. The tomb had cracked
open and you found yourself in this strange world that you do not recognize
that looks like it was laid over the one you come from. Believe me, I
understand that very well. So after that you came out of the tomb, only to have
a mob in Khulna try to stone you to death.
“No, this is not the after life. You did not fail your karma — at
least not the way you think you did. This is not a hell. Well, not technically
at any rate.
“You are alive. You breathe, you eat, you sweat, you sleep. You
are very alive. You are more alive than the people walking the street outside.
Yes, we are in Calcutta. You, and I, we are not like them. I know you do not
understand. This is a lot to absorb all at once. You can give it time.
“You have been given a legacy, a birth right. You and I are
special people. Before you ‘died’, you were just like other women. You would
grow old, get sick and...ah...bleed. The difference was this legacy in you. It
was like a spark or an ember.
“That ember blazed into a fire with your death.
The fire in you is called the Quickening. I have too. That is what you felt in
the market place before you saw me.
“Eh? Yes, all your wounds have healed quickly. That is part of
what the fire in you means. You heal quickly. You will never get sick. You will
never get old. You will be stronger, quicker and more alive than anyone else
around you. So, no the people in the market could not have killed you with the
stoning.
“Yes, I don’t have to worry about those things either.
“How old am I? That is very perceptive of you. Yes. I stopped
aging and I am much older than I look. I told you to call me Juan Mendoza. My
real name is Teopixquitletl. I am the last
High Priest the Feathered Serpent God from a vanished empire. I am more than
500 years old.
“Yes, we are very separate people. No, I have never worshipped
Allah. So why are we both like this?
“I have no idea. I wish I did know. I wish had a better answer for
you. It is the mystery of our existence. None of us knows why we are like this.
There are others of us. Not many, though. Immortals have always been few in
numbers.
“Yes, your right. There is a down side to this. In addition to
never growing old, you will never again...ahem...bleed. You cannot have
children. The choice was taken from all of us.
“More over, saying we are Immortal is over stating it. We can and
do die. If - for any reason - loose you head, you die. There is more. Immortals
kill each other - cut off each other’s heads - to take each other’s power. If
another Immortal cuts off you head, he gets your power. Yes, that is why I
carry this sword. Swords are probably the best weapon to use to cut off someone
head, if you know how to use one. Once, a long time ago, this sword belonged to
a Spaniard named Cortez
“Why didn’t I cut off your head? Well, for lack of a better term,
it would have been rude. Someone taught me the ways of life of Immortals. It is
only right I return the favor to the world. However, most Immortals you meet
will not be so kind. Most will simply want to kill you to take your power.
“What power do you have? Besides our healing and no longer aging,
as you take the power of other Immortals you will be able to run faster, be
stronger, heal even more quickly. Those are just some of our potential powers.
“Immortals battle each other. It is just the fact of our
existence. Someday, only one Immortal will be alive. This Immortal will have
all the power of all the Immortals who ever lived. This is ‘the Prize.’ No one
is certain exactly what the Prize is, but it means great power.
“Unfortunately, we are not alone on this world. There are other
supernatural beings. You will probably meet some of them sooner-or-later.
“There are vampires. There are werewolves and werecats. There are
sorcerers and shamans and people who practice a clockwork magic that only an
accountant could love. There are ghosts. There are strange creatures whose
souls are dreams. There are hunters who want all of the above - and that
includes you and me - to die. They all have their societies and groups. They
all have their own battles and causes. You may even work and fight among them.
But you will never really be a part of them. The way of the Immortal is the way
of the lonely warrior.
“The only thing all the supernatural beings have in common is the
belief that the end of the world is at hand. It means different things to each
of them. To us, to Immortals, it means we are now in the time of the Gathering.
The Gathering is when the last Immortals on Earth fight each other. The last
Immortals in the world kill each other off so that one of them will win the
Prize. You came out of you tomb in time for the Gathering. But do not worry too
much. I will help train you to defend your self.
“This is a lot to absorb all at once. Lets go shopping. Calcutta
has changed less than you might image sense your death. Along the way you can
ask me any question about the last 150 years - ah, yes, the English are long
gone - and about being an Immortal. We’ll pick you up a sword. In fact, I know
just the place run by this mortal death-cultist fellow.”
“You know, your smile, it reminds me of something. There is this
painting of Kali is Delhi. You smile just like her.
“Why are we Immortal? I told you, I do not know.
“Ah, why do I think we are Immortal? Because some god wants it
that way.”
***
“Highlander:
The Gathering - Revised Edition” is compiled from Hank Driskill and John
Gavigan’s “Highlander: The Gathering” and Mark Antill’s “The Highlander Players
Guide.” This net supplement would not be possible without their hard work.
This version brings together the best elements of the work of
these gentlemen into one sourcebook. It also places the supplement in step with
the Revised Edition books, both mechanically and thematically. This version is
somewhat darker than the previous versions.
If not to your taste, then your should bypass this supplement for
the originals. Their version may be found at
http://www.highlander.org/roleplaying/ Mark Antill’s Players guide can be found
at B.J. Zanzibar World of Darkness at
http://php.indiana.edu/~adashiel/wod/wod.html. The games are just that - games.
They are about fun and not about choking on anyone’s vision with which you
disagree. Anything else is a waste of time.
Thank you for your time and hope you enjoy the show.
R. - 2003.
“In the end,
there can be only one.”
– Ramirez, Highlander,
the Movie.
Once upon a time, there was an interesting movie.
This movie was about a Scotsman who could not – unless decapitated
– die. There were others like him. They killed each other. They became more
powerful amid a pyrotechnics display. It came down to the Scotsman and a
creature of evil.
The Scotsman won.
Because – in the end – there could be only one.
Several poor movies, a TV show and an animated series later, it
looked like there really should have only been one.
Maybe.
However, maybe there are other Immortals out there, fighting to
survive in a world of the darkest powers.
This book is an Internet supplement to the World of Darkness
published by White Wolf. Players may take on the role of an Immortal – battling
other Immortals until only one remains in the world entire.
Running a Chronicle where an Immortal is part of a group is a
challenge. Immortals are very powerful characters in the Storytelling system.
Their relative lack of vulnerabilities alone makes them dangerous.
To keep things balanced, a Storyteller should remember the
disadvantages to playing an Immortal. Most other supernatural groups possess powers
that an Immortal cannot match. Vampire disciplines and werewolf rage bestow
advantages that the Quickening does not match. The magic wielded by Mages is
very dangerous even if Immortals are largely immune to the effects of the Life
and Prime.
A
Storyteller should keep in mind the aims and desires of the various characters
in a group. The aims of a Garou are different from that of a Vampire. An
Immortal has but one aim – to survive to win the Prize. The only way to survive
and win the Prize is to take the Quickening of other Immortals. This
necessitates killing other Immortals. The Storyteller should make certain that
the Immortal character is part of the group for a reason. “Because it’s cool”
is not sufficient reason for an Immortal player character to aid the other
player characters.
It is best if the Immortal character has ties to other members of
the group. She might be “related” to a Garou. Alternatively, she might be the
ally of a Vampire or a Mage. What is important is that she is not just an add–on
but a part of the team.
It bears reiterating that the Immortals this book covers are only
included in a campaign at the Storytellers discretion. As a net supplement –
written and compiled by fans – it is arguably more voluntarily than the books
actually published by White Wolf.
Highlander–style Immortals fit reasonably well into the World of
Darkness. The movie “Highlander” is one of the inspirations for the World of
Darkness. It is contingent upon both the player of an Immortal and the
Storyteller to make certain the Immortal player character does not run rough
shod over the other player characters. The best games are product of mutual
effort for everyone’s enjoyment. By contrast, the best games are do not revolve
around one player and a vicarious quest for godhead.
This supplement assumes the players and character have access to
at least one of the main core books for the World of Darkness. These books
contain all necessary information about character creation, combat and rules
mechanics. This supplement is mostly useless with out at least one of them.
“A creature of legend...”
Nick, Highlander: The Raven
Immortals appear at random in the human population. There probably
have been less than 7,500 in all of human history. They are not born of humans
– they simply appear as infants. A childless couple finds one on their
doorstep. Another appears at an orphanage. Still another starts life as a
homeless street waif. The only thing in common is all Immortals start as babies
that appear to be only hours old. No one has ever been able to learn precisely
from where Immortals originate.
They live and age normally for a time. Then they die. After death
– usually violently and at their physical prime – they miraculously recover.
This begins their lives as Immortals. Immortals are sterile. They cannot have
children. They do not age. They do not get sick. They cannot carry a disease.
They cannot drown. No conventional injury will kill an Immortal. No matter how
severe the damage they always recover. The only way for them to die is by
decapitation.
The term Quickening refers to the life force of an Immortal – or
Eternal, as some of the greater spirits call them. It is the sum of all her
knowledge, power, strength and experience. It is a life force so strong that it
keeps the Immortal from aging and heals her wounds at an advanced–speed.
Quickening is for what Immortals fight. They fight to absorb their opponent’s
life force into themselves. This makes them more powerful.
A legend of the “Gathering” has traveled from mouth to mouth
through the ages. The remaining Immortals will feel an urge to travel to a
far–away land when their numbers grow small according to the legend. They will
fight until only one remains. The final survivor shall win he “Prize.” No one
knows exactly what is this “Prize.” However, it is goal of every Immortal. The
person who wins it could have the great and terrible powers.
Quickening is the power of an Immortal. This “life force” is the
Pattern of any living thing in the Storyteller system. This Pattern is more
tightly woven than with any other living being in Immortals. The Quickening is
also similar to Quintessence or the magical “raw power” that fuels Patterns. An
Immortal is nothing without their Quickening. It is what keeps them alive. The
total loss of Quickening occurs only upon death.
The
Immortal player and the chronicle Storyteller keep track of the “power” of the
Immortal player characters with an attribute called Quickening in the
Storyteller system. Quickening allows Immortals to perform superhuman feats in
a similar fashion to vampire disciplines, werewolf Gifts or a Mage’s spheres.
The more powerful she becomes the higher her Quickening rating.
“...if anyone kills with
the sword, with the sword he must be killed...”
–Book of Revelations, 13:10b
The only one way for an Immortal to gain Quickening is by fighting
and killing another Immortal. Time and experience alone do not make them more
powerful. This makes it more difficult for them to increase in power.
Their Quickening mingles in an electrical “lights–show” around
them when Immortals fight. The “lights–show” is in proportion to the power of
the two fighting. One wins the battle by removing the other’s head. She then
absorbs the Quickening of the loser.
When
an Immortal emerges victorious – slaying another – she absorbs all most all of
her opponent’s Quickening. The excess Quickening releases as raw power. Usually
– but not always – the released Quickening will find that the easiest way for
it to disperse is to transform into electricity. It disperses through
conducting materials in the vicinity. This results in massive overloads, which
cause the explosions, lightning, etc. associated with duels between Immortals.
The Immortals have only a few rules of engagement. Virtually all
Immortals follow them. These rules are each based around the gain and loss of
Quickening.
The first rule for Immortals is they never fight on holy ground.
No sane Immortal will violate this rule. They have too much to lose. Holy
ground can become a sanctuary for Immortals. It is a place where they retreat
when faced with an impossible opponent or simply grows world–weary.
The site itself is always the winner when two Immortals battle on
holy ground. Best case scenario: the site takes the loser’s and some of the
victors Quickening. Worst case scenario: there are stories of Immortals
vanishing while fighting upon holy ground – the sacred location having taken
“all” of their Quickening. This loss of power and knowledge is sufficient to
dissuade even the most vicious of enemies from attacking on holy ground.
The second of the two main rules is that the Immortals always
fight one on one. A pair of Immortals – with their centuries of experience
could work quite effectively together to whittle down the “surplus population.”
However, if two Immortals are present the Quickening transfers into the one who
actually took the dead Immortal’s head. They also take a fraction of their
ally’s. Hence, the rule “always fight one on one.”
These
are the only two real rules. Some Immortals will stop at nothing else to gain
Quickening – friends and loved ones are pawns in the battles. So are bystanders
who have nothing to do with the Gathering. No one is truly safe. The use of
non–Immortals in a fight, guns or other similar strategies is generally a
matter of ego and etiquette.
The once prophesy – and now fact–of–life – of the “Gathering” was
passed down for thousands of years. The Gathering is the name given to the time
when only a few Immortals remain. They would feel “an irresistible pull towards
a far–away land...to fight for the Prize.” It is their destiny to battle one
another until a single Immortal emerges victorious.
Immortals once believed the Gathering was a literal event. Now it
believed to be a metaphor. Immortals have not all gathered in one place to
battle each other. It s a matter of mystery and power. It is not an all day
karate–match. Immortals have not all gathered in – for example – Manhattan. It
is a process and not a single event. The Gathering is here and now and every
where you go.
The Immortals battle for “the Prize.” Normally they want it for
themselves. Rarely they simply want to keep it from falling into evil hands.
Mankind would suffer an “eternity of darkness” if the Prize went to an evil
Immortal.
What is “the Prize?” It is effectively indefinable in game
mechanics. The Immortal who gains it would be a terribly powerful being. The
word “god” might be appropriate. The films and series have been vague.
This much is for sure – the winner of the Prize would possess all
the Quickening from every Immortal who walked the earth. Millennia worth of
experience and knowledge from Immortals of every race and every era world would
be hers. She would rival the terrible vampire Antediluvians.
The
Gathering is similar to the Apocalypse for the Garou, or Gehenna for the
Kindred. Once, werewolves would say these things would never happen “in our
lifetime.” Many vampires have spent centuries believing Gehenna will never
happen. Immortals have never had either of these luxuries of disbelief. A
lifetime can last forever for Immortals. It matters little whether “the Prize”
is but a legend to an Immortal. She dies if she stops fighting.
The
theme of Highlander: The Gathering Revised is the Lonely Battle all Immortals
face. They drift from place to place. Try drift from people to people. Try
drift from war to war. They may even drift from supernatural click to
supernatural click. The only real constant in their existence is the solitude
of their quest for the Prize. There can be only one in the end – and one is the
loneliest number.
The
mood of Highlander: The Gathering Revised is one of mystery. No one really
knows from where Immortals originate – though some may theories. No one knows
exactly what will be “the Prize” – though most assume it to be great power. No
one knows what will happen after “the Prize” is won. Most other supernatural
beings know little about Immortals. Immortals know little about other
supernatural beings. Every one is in the dark to one degree or another. This is
part of why Immortals pursue the Gathering and the Prize with such vigor. The
conflict and the promise can help focus the mind away from the nagging mystery
that is their very existence.
Immortals do have enough of a pseudo–culture to have a handful of
terms that mean something to them even if they do not have societies in the
sense of groups like the Camarilla.
Eternal: “An Eternal one” is a term used by some other
supernatural beings to describe or name Immortals. Most of these other
supernatural beings usually only know enough about Immortals to misunderstand
them. Their use of the term is probably a corruption of the phrase “the Eternal
one” which is how Celestines and Incarnea refer to Immortals both singularly
and as a group.
Favored Weapon: A particular weapon that an Immortal uses with
their Quickening power to perform lethal feats. They cannot perform these
Quickening–powered feats with just any weapon.
First Death: The death that transforms an individual from
mortal to Immortal.
Game, The: The eternal war of Immortals. Only the final
stage is called the Gathering.
Gathering: The final days for Immortals. The time in which
the last Immortals in the world kill each other off until only one remains.
Holy Ground: Any graveyard, church, mosque, synagogue,
cathedral, burial ground, node, cairn or the like. Immortals may not fight
here.
Immortals: The subject of this net supplement. These
beings appear human but never age and recover from any wound but decapitation.
They kill each other for the Prize. This supplement refers to them as Immortals
as compared to vampires, which are immortal.
Prize: The power that the final surviving Immortal
will receive. Immortals believe it will be powers both vast and terrible.
Rules, The: Three rules by which Immortals live their
lives: Battle one–on–one; Never fight on holy ground; There can be only one in
the end.
Quickening: The vital life force of all Immortals. When one
Immortal kills another she take the Quickening – they very souls and life force
– of the one she has killed for her own.
“I am immortal,
I have inside me blood of kings...”
– Queen
It is appealing to run an Immortal. Immortals are powerful beings.
However, it can be more difficult to create and run an Immortal character than
any other. When you are generating a Mage, Garou or Vampire character, there
are plenty of traits – such as gifts, backgrounds, disciplines, spheres and so
on – with which to play. The mythos is already set out in the rulebook. The
entire thing is in a neat package for the player.
Immortals are different. Each one is unique. Their nature prohibits
the type of society that holds so much of the role–playing potential for Garou,
Mages and Kindred. Immortals have no Clans, Tribes or Traditions. They just are.
Another major difference between Immortals and other characters is
time. An Immortal may have discovered her heritage hundreds – or even thousands
– of years ago.
Vampire has already explored this subject in many ways. However,
to preserve game balance a player is encouraged to begin with a young vampire.
Elder vampires do not “adventure” with their younger brethren. They are
embroiled in the politics of the jihad. Mummies have also stopped being human.
Their souls and goals are not like those of the mortals around them.
The player must document the background of the character for an
Immortal character to be part of a chronicle. This should help to deter players
who wish to play an Immortal simply because they are powerful. Immortals are a
unique character class. It is vital for players and storytellers to remember
this fact.
The
player and the Storyteller must settle on the concept for the Immortal. Why has
the character survived? When were they born? Where have they been? Why have
they lived through over the centuries? A strong nature is best. Something that
drives them and makes them cling to life. Without the will to survive they will
lose their head.
An
Immortals only become “Immortal” – i.e. stop aging, etc – after the die for the
first time. They are simply human beings with no special powers or abilities
before this event. What was their life like during this time? More than
anything else, their “mortality” shapes them as an Immortal.
Storytellers
and players are encouraged to play through the characters first death at some
point. Supernatural powers will not normally detect any latent abilities in a
“to be” Immortal. However, some kind of ability to read the future may reveal
that something special is in store for her. She counts as a witness for vulgar
magic and is subject to the delirium and the fog before her first death.
Vampire introduced Personality Archetypes to help define personalities of
characters. This technique is part of the main games. It also applies to
Immortals.
Reluctant Immortal: You did not want eternal life. Yet, here you
are living eternally. You yearn for a small, circumscribed, safe little life,
ignorant of the greater things to which your eyes were open forcibly. A life
without having to watch over your shoulder for another sword–wielding maniac
looking for your head. You know you can never go back to being mortal. You do
not want to die. However, you cannot shake the yearning to be normal. Your
moods will often swing between denial and depression.
Gain
one permanent point of Willpower when you realize and accept the truth about
what you have become. This should occur only after long soul–searching and some
excellent role–playing. After this, choose another Nature.
Masquerader: You feel that life is complex enough for those
who only have one lifetime. It can dissolve into chaos if too many things from
the past all come home to roost at once for an Immortal. You leave as little
trace of yourself as possible to avoid this. You must not leave footprints in
the sands of time. Mortals are far better off never knowing that creatures like
you walk among them. This secrecy also protects you from the unwelcome
attention of other supernatural beings and your fellow Immortals.
Regain one Willpower point whenever you resolve a situation
without anyone finding out that you are more than just an ordinary mortal.
Immortals possess superhuman health. They are strong, quick,
intelligent and perceptive. They are usually fit, attractive and charismatic.
They are superior to the mortals in their attributes. Immortals take eight
primary, five secondary and four tertiary attribute points instead of the 7/5/3
split other supernatural being receive.
Immortals may increase
their attributes with time. However, an Immortals Quickening score – see
chapter three – determines her maximum attributes. This places the higher
levels of attributes and abilities within the reach of all player characters
although they will have to work to get it.
___
Quickening
Stat. Maximum
1-5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
9 9
10 10
___
Immortals start with 13 primary, nine secondary and five tertiary
abilities if they are less than 100–years old at character creation. age
modifies this – see the age background below. Fighting this to achieve “play
balance” is a wasted effort. The Storyteller is always final judge. If she does
not want a 2000 year old Immortal overpowering her game, then she should not allow
a 2000 year old Immortal at all. Allowing them but restricting them to 13/9/5
is unreasonable. As they age and win battles with other Immortals, their
maximum ability score – 5 for mortals – increases. This allows scores of 6+ for
various abilities. Players may choose abilities from nearly any of the games.
There are restrictions. It is unlikely that an Immortal would have the
primal–urge or rituals abilities from Werewolf.
This knowledge is hard to come by for those people not belonging
to the group in question. Namely, Immortals frequently have at least one dot
while vampires rarely have any dots.
l You know that
Immortals exists and a beheading them kills them.
ll You know of the Quickening, the Gathering
and the Prize.
lll You have heard of some of the more famous
Immortals.
llll You know of many Immortals, the deeds of
the more famous ones and a good chunk of Immortal “history.”
lllll You know who killed whom, where, when and
with what.
Possessed by: Immortals and Watchers.
Specialties:
Specific Immortal – i.e. Duncan McCloud, Methos, etc.
Note: Each known Immortal is assigned a specific Watcher whom
possess at leave a rating of four and is specialized in their subject. Example:
Joe Dawson possessed Lore – Immortal 4 with the specialization of Duncan
McCloed.
Immortals get 18 freebie
points to spend. This gives them more points than their fellow players to
balanced the fact they cannot raise their Quickening except through killing
other Immortals. Their very nature makes them hunted by their fellow Immortals
and outsiders to the established groups like the Traditions and the Garou.
___
Point Cost:
Quickening 7 points per dot
Attributes 5 points per dot
Abilities 2 points per dot
Willpower 1 point per dot
Background 1 point per dot
___
The
Quickening characteristic is the most important to an Immortal. It defines
their power. It is fundamentally useful in battles with other Immortals.
Beginning Immortals always begin with one Quickening. Spending freebie points
may increase this rating. However, it may not be any higher than five at
character creation.
Immortals begin the game with points in Backgrounds. The following
backgrounds are possibilities for Immortal characters. See Vampire: Revised Edition for explanations of allies, contacts,
fame, influence, resources and retainers. See Vampire Revised: Storytellers Handbook for age and military force.
Arcane, dream and library are in Mage
Revised. Immortal characters are discouraged from taking destiny as a
background as that would suggest they might be “destined” to win the Gathering
rather than winning it by their own virtues as a killing machine.
Arcane: Immortals tend to scatter headless bodies
around them. Yet, they do not draw much attention to this fact. Is it not also
strange how they manage to hide such large swords inside those long coats of
theirs? Hence the Arcane.
Age: You have – so far – survived the test of time
and the Gathering. A character takes Age at the discretion of the Storyteller.
*Note: One option to consider if the Storyteller has
concerns about game balance is the character might be very old. However, they
passed most of their existence in the dreamless death, see chapter three. This
– while arguably cheesy – still allows the Immortal to come from some lost
culture or ancient time without having the character unbalance the campaign.
Allies: Friends who help the character. They probably
know of her Immortality.
Dream: Your character may meditate and tap into the
universal mind. This may not be any higher than the player character’s
Quickening rating.
Contacts: The number of information sources the character
possesses.
Fame: The player character’s renown in the mortal
world.
Influence: The player character’s political power or social
sway in the mortal world.
Library: Your character has access to a great wealth of
information.
Mentor: An older Immortal who advises and may – to a certain extent –
look after the character. Storytellers should bear in mind that the mentor of
an Immortal character could be dead and their general potential as a plot
device.
l Mentor is less than a hundred years older
than you.
ll Mentor is between 100 and 300 years older
than you.
lll Mentor is between 300 and 600 years older
than you.
llll Mentor is between 600 and 1000 years older
than you.
lllll Mentor is
between 1000 and 1200 years older than you.
Military Force: You have some sway over a group of fighting
soldiers.
Resources: Wealth, belongings and monthly income.
Retainers: Servants, assistants or other loyal and
steadfast companions.
One
Immortal may be a paragon of virtue. Another is a twisted sociopath. One
Immortal might kill a dozen mortals just to have dinner – to say nothing of
revenge or acting on a hateful passion. Another never leaves holy ground due to
their ethical system. Immortals do possess a Humanity rating as reflection of
their ethical philosophy. Immortals do not have “virtues.” They are not subject
to frenzy unlike vampires. Immortals can “feel” – as part of their ability
sense quickening – each other’s relative humanity rating. This effects their
reaction to each other and helps to determine if they choose to battle each
other or not.
You
must purchase merits and flaws before you spend your freebie points. The rules
detailing merits and flaws and a complete list of merits and flaws are in Vampire Revised, Werewolf Revised and Mage
Revised. Here are some for Immortals.
Oblivious (6 pt Flaw): You are completely oblivious to the existence
of other supernatural beings in the World of Darkness. This is not just a
matter of not meeting any – you react as mortals do. You are subject to Fog,
Delirium and count as a witness for Vulgar magic. Further, you justify any
evidence presented to you. You cannot take any knowledge about other
supernatural beings from Immortals you have slain. Examples: A bloodless boy
was not left by a vampire, it was left by an Immortal who was trying to trick
people into thinking a vampire was responsible for the murder; mutilated bodies
in the wilderness were not left by werewolves by deeply deranged Immortal. The
only way to loose this flaw is to be presented by direct and incontrovertible
evidence. Note, that the spell that collapsed as a result of the efforts of
Duncan MacLeod, Cassandra and Juan Mendoza – see six – meant that almost three
out of four Immortals possessed this flaw.
Weak Persona (4 pt Flaw): Your persona is strong enough for normal
circumstances. However, when you are take another Immortals Quickening the
conflict is too much. No matter what their Quickening was you must test for
overpowering Quickening every time you kill another Immortal. You cannot take
this and iron will.
Distinctive Quickening (3
pt Flaw): Other
Immortals can tell who you are if they have ever met you before by the “feel”
of your Quickening as you get near.
Holy Ground Aversion (2 pt
Flaw): Similar to the painful
detection flaw below except it only applies to holy ground. The Immortal must
spend a willpower point to enter holy ground.
Hidden Quickening (7 pt
Merit): Although you can sense
them, other Immortals cannot sense you. They can still get your gifts if they
should become aware of you and kill you.
No Sense of Quickening (7
pt Flaw): You cannot
sense when other Immortals are nearby. You can still kill them and get the
Quickening experience. However, you just cannot “feel” them coming.
Painful Detection (3 pt
Flaw): The Immortal’s detect
Immortal and sense holy ground are accompanied by extreme pain. For example,
the pain of their first death, being kicked in the groin; etc. The player
character must make a stamina check vs. difficulty 6. The net failures are
subtracted from all actions until the character is off the holy ground or out
Immortals range.
Powerful Quickening (3 pt
Merit): You absorb more Quickening
when you kill another Immortal – less ‘leaks’ away. You receive 1.5 the normal
amount of Quickening experience points).
Quiet Quickening (3 pt Merit): Your Quickenings are short and quiet for some
reason. Windows do not break, cars do not explode and dogs do not run for
cover. For example, bright, holy light transfixes you for a minute or two;
animals gather around and look at you in wonder; gentle rain falls; etc.
Soft Touch (4 pt Merit): It is more difficult for other Immortals to
detect you. Immortals have to make a perception + Quickening rolls difficulty 7
or they will see you as simply mortal.
Strong Aura (5 pt Flaw): The Immortal radiates a particularly strong
aura which is automatically sensed by any supernatural creature possessing
Auspex or its equivalent. Unless the vampire/mage/etc is familiar with
Immortals the Immortals presence will be puzzling. They may cause trouble for
her at some point. A vampire that knows about Immortals will cause problems for
the character. They will want to know what the Immortal wants, who sent her,
etc. Princes in particular become grumpy when numerous decapitated bodies crop
up in their cities. Deduct 2 from the difficulties of all attempts to detect
you as a supernatural. This gives other Immortals advanced warning when you are
near.
Unfortunate Quickening (3
pt Flaw): Luck just is
not with you for some reason. Weird events occur which generally cause you some
damage any time you behead another Immortal and experience the Quickening. For
example, lightning strikes the stone staircase you are on and you plummet to
the ground, a survivalist nut with a Mac–10 uses you for target practice, a
fireworks factory is standing nearby and lights up, The cops hear the
sprinklers in the underground parking lot go off and come to investigate, you
lose your footing and fall into the river.
Special Quickening Power
(3–7 pt Merit): You have some
unique supernatural ability because of your Quickening. The cost of the power
varies with how potent it is. The rough equivalent of a first level of a
discipline or dift would be three. The equal of a second level would be four,
and so on, up to a fifth level, which would be would be seven. Using such
powers always requires a Quickening roll. Examples include animal control,
creating illusions and entering dreams. The power should always be in the
nature of the Quickening and of the character. Note, if an Immortal takes your
head, they may take your power on a successful Quickening roll. This makes you
a tempting target. The Storyteller is always the final arbitrator of all such
powers.
Friendly Watcher (5 pt
Merit): The Watcher and Immortal
are good friends – i.e. Duncan and Joe. However, the Watcher will still keep to
the rules. They will rarely give away information on other Immortals. However,
he may just drop the odd hint if someone is coming after you.
Ignorant (5 pt Flaw): You realize that somehow, you cannot die, age,
become sick, etc. However, nobody has educated you on what it means to be an
Immortal. You probably do not know that you will die if you lose your head. You
certainly do not know that a bunch of other Immortals exist who are out to kill
you and are well trained in swordsmanship. An Immortal with this flaw tends to
be young so no other Immortal has yet sought her out yet. Alternatively, she
might have the merit hidden Quickening. In this case she may be old but other
Immortals are not aware of her.
Immortal Enemy (1–5pt
Flaw): All Immortals have many
enemies; each other, the hunters, vampires, etc. However, a specific Immortal
out there looking for you for some
reason. It is likely that you two have fought before. Maybe you have killed
someone for whom she cared. This Immortal does not just have a grudge, she is
out there looking to do harm to you and those about whom you care. The value of
the flaw depends upon the age and power of the Immortal. Although she can still
be dangerous, a 1–point enemy is not a powerful as you. 2–points is an enemy of
about your age and power. Your enemy is older and more dangerous for more
points. For 5–points, she is likely to have no trouble at all slicing you up
should you fight face to face.
Immortal Friend (1–5pt
Merit): You have an Immortal
friend whom you can trust. This friend understands you predicament. They will
watch your back and will not take your head. The cost of the merit depends upon
the power of your comrade as with the flaw Immortal enemy. You can do little to
protect each other against the greatest threat to either of you – other
Immortals – since Immortals must fight one on one. This Merit may be taken
several times to represent several friends. The Storyteller should also
remember that even if the friends are less powerful than the player character,
the friends are not retainers or stooges. They are not always around. Two
Immortal friends may not meet each other for decades, even centuries.
Mummy Companion (5pt
Merit): You have a mummies as a
companion or close associate. Your relationship is one of relative equality.
You are both one of the few creatures that can understand each other. The
Reborn will help and advise you from time to time. However, they will expect
the same treatment in return. They are neither a constant companion nor a
source of free amulets or alchemical potions. In addition, recent events have
been complicated for mummies. The mummy may need help from the Immortal.
Too Friendly Watcher (7 pt
Merit): The Watcher will betray
other Immortals to you. This will risk the Watchers expelling him. Further, it
will may mean the other Watchers will try to “set up” your character in an
attempt to balance to books.
Rogue Watcher (5 pt Flaw): Your Watcher has turned Hunter. Think of having
a really diligent vampire hunter after you who knows your bank account, your
job, where you live, etc.
Sanctuary (4 pt Merit): You have access to a place of Holy Ground where
you can stay if necessary. Maybe the local priest is your friend, or you own property
built on an ancient burial sight. However, other supernatural entities may have
an interest in it if the location is a node or caern. You will not be safe from
them, while even if you are safe from Immortals there.
Neck Injury (2 pt Flaw): The Immortal has sustained an injury to their
throat at some point. This was likely a near decapitation by another Immortal.
She speaks in a grating voice with a nasty scar on her throat. All social rolls
suffer a penalty of two dice. The Immortal gets a bonus of two dice on
intimidation rolls.
The sword is the oldest weapon with which you could efficiently
decapitate someone. It is only within the last few hundred years that the gun
has been available. It remains difficult to decapitate someone with a gun.
There is no other practical weapon – aside from the battle–axe – which can
decapitate someone in a duel. An Immortal often has a weapon that she has used
for centuries. A sword is more than just a piece of steel to an Immortal. It
becomes an extension of their body, mind and soul. They keep it with them most
of the time. Describe your weapon in detail to flesh out your character. Try to
get hold of a weapons catalog. Noble Collection sells a variety of swords and
axes. Pick a weapon from the catalog. The player does not have to buy one. The
choice of a weapon helps define the Immortal.
On page 243 of Mage Revised and 210 of Werewolf Revised is a
reasonable list of weapons. A shorter list exists on page 214 in Vampire
Revised.
Immortals who had hedge magic before their “death” do not lose it
afterwards. She may also increase her hedge magic rating through standard
expenditure of experience points. hedge magic is more common among older
Immortals. They often come from a time when the practice was not a lost art.
An Immortal may try to power such abilities through their
Quickening rather than force of will. To do this, a Quickening roll is
required. The Immortal must score as many successes as the level of the power
they are trying to use. If she succeeds, the power works with no willpower
expenditure. If she fails, she spends the willpower as normal. If the roll
botches, the power automatically fails and the willpower point is lost. Any
normal attribute + ability roll must still be made and the required foci must
still be used.
If an Immortal with hedge magic is slain, the victor may take
points in it in the same manner as abilities. Immortals with such powers are
tempting targets.
“Hey, it’s a
kind of magic!”
– Connor, Highlander,
the Movie
Quickening
is the force that makes the Immortals “special.” It is the mystical energy
within them, making them Immortal and giving them their powers
Mention
will be made of rolling Quickening to perform some feat throughout the
discussion of the various powers. This behaves exactly as with Arete in Mage.
Against a difficulty of 6, roll a number of dice equal to your Quickening.
Count successes to find how much benefit the Immortal gained.
The powers listed below are mostly based on those demonstrated by
Immortals in the Highlander movies
and television series. Quickening powers are seldom showy.
Next to each power is a mark of what level of Quickening is
necessary to exhibit this power.
0/l Sense Quickening: Some Immortals – at the Storytellers discretion
– possess this ability before they suffer their first death. They automatically
get this ability once they have died for the first time.
An Immortal will sense another Immortal nearby with this automatic
ability. No specific information on the Immortal’s identity is given. Nor is
the location of the Immortal known. Merely that the Immortal is near. This will
wake a sleeping Immortal. When one Immortals senses another is at the Storyteller’s
discretion – she should pick a dramatic moment. Sensing holy ground requires no
roll.
This will let an Immortal get a vague sense of the others moral
integrity. This means one Immortal knows approximately the Humanity rating of
the other – i.e. very low, humane, saintly, etc. Such perception will effect
how Immortals react to each other.
l Breathe in Water: Immortals may survive indefinitely underwater
with this ability. They draw oxygen from the water. The Immortals is not
breathing water. Immortals do breathe and poison gas will affect them. Total
absence of air will reduce the Immortal to Incapacitated after a certain length
of time. She will not recover until she can breathe.
ll Empower Weapon: Electrical discharge accompanies the clash of
swords during a combat between Immortals. Immortals can infuse their favored
weapon with raw power using their Quickening. This means they to do more damage
and cause the discharges shown. Each success scored contributes additional
damage. An Immortal can empower any edged melee weapon that is “favored” – see
below. The extra damage done by empower weapon is aggravated. The normal damage
done by the weapon is not.
Example: Duncan swings his katana – difficulty 6,
Strength + 4 damage. He hits. He rolls 8 dice for damage at difficulty 6. He
rolls an additional 7 dice for his 7 Quickening – against difficulty 6 –
because his katana is empowered. Any successes scored on this roll count as
aggravated damage. The defender gets one soak roll against both damages and soaks
aggravated first.
ll Heal Self: The “normal” healing chart for Immortals is in chapter four. An
Immortal may choose to heal more quickly by using their Quickening. An Immortal
may heal a number of wound levels equal to the successes rolled by taking a
turn to roll Quickening. Heal self only works once per wound level – the rest
must heal normally. An Immortal must first heal to crippled if she is sent to
incapacitated – or beyond – before she has a chance to heal. She may then roll
her dice to heal self once awake. This ability will not heal aggravated wounds.
They must heal according to the chart.
Example: Richie gets in a fight with a group of gang
thugs. After finishing them off, he begins to recover from his wounds. Three
wounds (3/1/2 levels) for a total of six wound levels (crippled). He rolls his
Quickening of 2 over a period of three rounds. He heals one from the first
round, heals the second level the second turn but gets no successes in the
third wound. The remaining four wound levels must heal normally. Richie will
fully recover in little over a half–hour.
lll Empower Self: An Immortal may increase her physical attributes – using her
Quickening – by one for every success rolled. The effect lasts for an entire
scene. This typically done during challenges. An Immortal will feel weak, –1 to
dice pool, for a couple of hours or even longer after using empower self.
Example: Connor squares off with Fasil. The battle
begins. Connor rolls his Quickening of 7. He has four successes. He puts two
points into stamina and two in dexterity.
llll Speed of the Stag: Similar to empower self, an Immortal may use
her Quickening to increase her actions in a turn – much like the vampire
discipline celerity. Each success grants an extra action. The extra actions
last for the round. As with empower self, the Immortal will feel weak after
using this power.
lllll Ignore Wounds: The Immortal’s recuperative powers are to the point that she no
longer needs to spend time to heal at this level. One wound level is healed
each round, with no roll required – although an Immortal may still take a turn
to heal more, using the level 2 power heal self. An Immortal may heal
aggravated wounds as if they were normal wounds using Heal Self above at this
level.
Example: The Kurgan has defeated Ramirez. Ramirez had
one swing that nearly took the Kurgan’s head. This inflicts four normal wounds
and one aggravated. The four normal wound levels healed over the next four
rounds. The Kurgan takes a turn to heal the aggravated wound after the battle
is over.
The powers of Quickening above 5 are not fixed. Their nature
depends on the Immortal who develops them.
They
receive a primary power at the new levels when the Immortal reaches Quickening
levels above five. Characters may purchase additional powers at the same level.
These cost new level x6 experience points. They do not require standard
experience and Quickening experience. Roll Quickening if a roll is required.
These abilities are not available to starting characters. If
player characters wish to gain them, they attain these powers only through hard
work, time and effort. Even so, players should only use these if the campaign
is a high powered one.
Powers of nine and above are left to the discretion of the
Storyteller. Some suggestions include that Quickening counts as automatic –
rather than rolled – success against attempts to mentally subjugate an Immortal
with the mind, dominate, etc. They may be able to divide their Quickening score
and add it to any dice pool they must roll. In addition, do not forget
teleportation and flight.
Primary Power
lllll l Power Strike: A large electrical discharge occurs when the Immortal strikes
with her blade. This power functions as the empower weapon ability, except all of the damage done in the attack is
aggravated.
Additional Power
lllll l Sense of Quickening’s Form: The Immortal may sense the presence of other
supernatural beings close–at–hand with this superior version of the level one
power. It further allows the Immortal to sense the use of any supernatural
power. The more successes scored the more information in gained. One success
tells the Immortal the general type of creature – i.e., werecreature, vampire,
etc. Two successes tell the type of power – true magic, discipline, etc. Three
or more success reveals a specific detail – werewolf as compared to just a
shapeshifter. Four will reveals more specifics about what they are doing. Five
reveals whom – if they are in line–of–sight – is doing what.
Immortals cannot recognize
something they do not know of, or have not seen before. Recognizing a power is
not the same as knowing the power’s name. Immortals who score five successes
with this power can sense pre–Immortals if they are in the immediate vicinity.
lllll l Shield the Mind: The Immortal can protect his mind from any
outside interference. This includes mind control – i.e., dominate, obedience –
emotional control – i.e., presence, true fear – illusions, invisibility and
mind reading. In the case of illusions and invisibility, it will only work if
they are mental in nature. It would work against “physical illusions” – i.e. it
protects against chimestry, obfuscate or the mind sphere, but not a forces rote
that bends the light.
This requires a Quickening roll. Each success deducts from the
opponents. This roll comes in addition to any other resistance the player may
have. Note that the roll will only protect the Immortal.
lllll l Quickening Throe: The Immortal may use their Quickening to inflict
debilitating pain upon a target.
The player of the Immortal roles their Quickening rating against a
difficulty of six. For every success, the Immortal may cause one phantom level
of damage to a target entity. The Immortal must successfully touch or strike
the target with their hands or with a favored weapon. They target is allowed a
stamina roll and each success cancel one success the Immortal rolled. Powers
such as Fortitude do not apply.
Primary Power
lllll ll With Out Hunger: At this level, the Immortal no longer needs to
eat. She cannot die from hunger. However, she may choose to eat just for the
sensation of a pleasant meal.
Additional Powers
lllll ll Warriors Spirit: This power can allow an Immortal to enter the
Umbra. The Immortal makes a Quickening roll. With one success on the roll, a
door opens into an umbra. Which umbra – the dark umbra, the spirit umbra or the
high umbra – the Storyteller chooses. With three or more success, a door is
open to the umbra of the Immortals choosing. Each additional success after two
allows the Immortal to take one other being into the umbra, if she is in
physical contact with them. To leave the umbra, the Immortal must again make
this roll.
Example: Kane is in Japan. He wants to get to Manhattan
to kill Conner. He rolls his Quickening, getting four successes. These are
enough success for him to choose the high umbra. Once there, he overacts his
way to Manhattan.
Primary Power
lllll lll With Out Thirst: At this level, the Immortal no longer needs to
drink water. She cannot die from thirst. She may choose to drink just for the
sensation.
Additional Powers
lllll lll Swiftness of the Steel: By channeling his Quickening through the blade,
the Immortal becomes one with his weapon and a terrifying opponent. The
Immortal makes a Quickening roll. Providing she scores at least one success she
may add her Quickening to her dexterity + melee dice pool for the rest of the
scene. If she takes multiple actions in the turn – i.e., using Speed of the
Stag – the play may split the dice or add them to one action. Do not add them
to every action.
lllll lll Blur of Speed: The Immortal can react with amazing swiftness.
Add the Immortal’s Quickening to their initiative.
Primary Power
lllll llll Dreamless: At this level, the Immortal no longer needs to sleep. She will
not suffer any penalties due to exhaustion. Nor will she suffer any mental
problems due to a lack of dreaming.
lllll llll Fight the Tidal Wave: This allows the Immortal to slow kinetic energy
– namely, things in motion. The Immortal makes a standard Quickening roll. For
each success the Immortal may half both the force and speed of object in
motion. This includes – but is not limited to – trains planes, automobiles,
large engines, waterfalls and a moving individual. Each success cancels one
point of celerity. The effect lasts a turn.
Example: Ramirez and Connor find themselves trapped in a
room. Above them is a large fan that is both descending towards their heads and
picking up speed. Ramirez rolls and gets 8 success – the fan slows to a virtual
stand still.
Example: Methos is fighting a vampire. Bob the vampire
has four celerity points. Methos roles his Quickening. The Immortal gets five
successes. He has not only canceled all of Bob’s celerity and reduced Bob to
half speed for the turn.
Few Immortals would describe their favored weapon as simply a
piece of steel. Only rarely is there anything magical with the weapons.
However, some of the Immortal’s Quickening enters the sword when the Immortal
uses the empower weapon ability. This makes it more “real.” The sword is more
resistant to any supernatural powers when empowered. The Immortal may roll his
Quickening to resist any powers that affect the weapon – such as the matter
sphere or the heat metal gift.
Immortals may not do this with any bladed weapons they handle.
Immortals may only use the empower weapon ability only on a weapon chosen by
the player at the time of character creation. They may also use the favored
weapon of any Immortal they have killed. If Immortal looses their favored
weapon – the sword was broken or in some place where she cannot recover it –
then she should choose a new favored weapon. However, this costs 2 experience
points per Quickening dot.
Further, it is an Immortals favored weapons, they may hide the
sword under a garment one size smaller than would normally hide the weapon. The
use of Arcane as part of any ability to hide a sword only applies to favored
weapons.
Examples: Connor kills the Kurgan. He may now use
Kurgan’s sword as his own. He cannot purchase a machete at a hardware store and
empower it without first spending experience points. Connor’s sword is
shattered while battling Kane. He forges himself a new sword. Because he has a
Quickening of 8, this requires him to spend 16 experience points so that it is
his new favored weapon. Note, the forging is optional. Duncan can hide his long
katana – which normally can only be hidden under a trench coat – under a normal
jacket. He cannot do this with the machete he borrowed from Connor.
An
Immortal enters a coma–like state if – for whatever reason – they are buried
alive. This “dreamless death” is similar to a vampire’s torpor. The effect
happens at will. It is better to go to sleep than to go insane due to the
confinement if the Immortal cannot dig their way out of their grave. The effect
ends if the Immortal is unearthed or if something changes about their burial
and they can now dig themselves out of the grave.
“The First” is related to Immortal ability to sense one another.
It is also one of the curses on Immortal existence. An Immortal must make a
willpower roll – difficulty 5 – each time she senses another Immortal. Failure
means they must challenge the other
Immortal to a fight. Spending a point of temporary willpower defeats this
compulsion. This roll must be once a day for each Immortal they sense.
Example: Duncan and Amanda enjoy each other. However,
each morning they wake each must make a willpower roll in order to not challenge the other. One morning
Amanda fails. However, she spends a point of temporary willpower, so she does
not have to challenge Duncan. The two decide – sadly – to spend some time
apart.
Example: Richie meets Frank the Immortal for the first
time. Each makes a Willpower roll. Both fail. Largely out of a subconscious compulsion
they do battle. Richie wins. They never really had the chance to be friends.
The
sense quickening power connects to another power called the “Last.” The massive
amount of Quickening present in an Immortal means that they are able to “tune
in” to their surroundings. This effectively gives them a sixth sense. It is
similar to the danger sense merit from Vampire. This manifests itself in
several ways.
The Storyteller administrates this power. At appropriate times –
i.e. The Storyteller and not the player decides – the Storyteller should do a
Quickening roll. The Storyteller should reveal a certain amount of information
depending on the amount of successes the player receives. This power is an
unreliable one. It manifests itself irregularly and in strange ways. It
provides the Immortal character with a useful – yet erratic – source of
information. The Storyteller should use his discretion in the dispensing of
such information.
Alternately, the player can decide that his character is going to tune
in to a particular animal. In this way, he can feel what the animal feels. At
higher levels of Quickening – 6+ – she may be able to catch glimpses of what
the animal seeing and hearing. The animal must be nearby.
Example: MacLeod and Ramirez, on the lakeshore, “tune
in” to the stag’s life force.
Examples: The Kurgan guesses Connor’s name, though he had
never seen him before; Connor knows someone – Brenda – is following him. He
also knows of the gun and the tape recorder in Brenda’s apartment.
Absorbing the Quickening can have a profound affect upon the
victor of the duel if a very powerful Immortal was defeated. The accumulated
weight of centuries of memories and knowledge has a strong influence on his
killer.
This happens when an Immortal beheads an opponent whose willpower
and Quickening are both greater than her own. Roll the loser’s Quickening
resisted by the victor’s willpower – both at difficulty 6 when this happens. If
the surviving Immortal wins the roll – or it is a draw – nothing happens. If
she loses by one or two success then she has become overwhelmed with thoughts
and memories of the Immortal she has slain. She assumes the nature and humanity
rating of the defeated Immortal in this case. She can opt to spend a willpower
point and return to her previous nature and humanity rating for one scene.
However, she can only spend willpower that she before the nature and humanity
change – or that she gained while acting under her original nature – to do
this. It is a “Dark Quickening” when the Immortals nature changes to something
dark and destructive and their humanity drops if they were previously benign
and honorable.
She may resume her old nature and humanity rating once she spent
as many willpower points as her victim’s Quickening score. The nature and
humanity change are permanent if she runs out of willpower points that she can
spend to act under her original nature. The nature change is also permanent if
she loses the roll by three or more successes. The only way for her to regain
her old nature is through role–playing in this case. The expenditure of
experience points is the only way to regain humanity if the change is
permanent.
The player will be aware of the change in the nature and humanity
rating – and consequently the behavior – of her character. The player character
will not be aware that she is acting differently until someone actually points
it out to her. Alternately, she may perform an act so contrary to her old
nature and humanity that she cannot but help realize that something has
happened.
Example: Darius carved an empire out of humans,
vampires, magi and werewolves alike with his army of Immortals. However, when
he killed a good Immortal, his perceptive changed. He retired from combat and
took to a life of religious and spiritual contemplation.
Example: Duncan went through a very bad period where he
suffered from a dark Quickening. During this period he attempted to kill his
closest friends and displayed manic behavior. He only restored himself after
much hard work.
Immortals only increase Quickening by taking another Immortal’s
head. They gain the opponent’s level in Quickening x 3 in Quickening experience
when they have successfully killed their opponent. The player must spend these
equally with experience to increase the Immortal’s Quickening. It costs current
level x 5 to increase the Quickening rating as outlined in the experience
chart, see Chapter Four. The mystical power of an Immortal increases only in
this method to maintain game balance. For each point of Quickening the loser
had the victor also gains one point in ability. These ability points come from
the abilities of the loser. They go in abilities where the defeated Immortal
possessed a higher level than did the victor. The victor gains nothing if they
possess higher scores in all their abilities than did the loser.
Example: Frank Colt beheads Butra the assassin. He takes
Butra’s Quickening. Frank has a Quickening of 2. Butra had a Quickening of 3.
Frank gets 3x3 = 9 Quickening experience, which he uses with 9 “normal”
experience to increase his Quickening to 3 – which costs 15 points. He also
gains three points in abilities – one each in three areas where Butra had more
skill than Frank.
An Immortal may lose Quickening in two situations. The first
situation is if two Immortals attacks one Immortal. The second situation is if
Immortals are battling on holy ground. Either way the situation is similar to
the normal transfer of Quickening – but results in more than one “loser.”
The one who struck the killing blow will absorb all of the
Quickening from the experience if two Immortals fight a third and take his
head. This includes the loser’s power and one point of her partner’s. Thus, she
gains x3+1 in Quickening experience. Her partner loses one point in Quickening.
He dies from the experience if he only has one. The partner also loses one
point in an ability. This ability goes to the victor. The Storyteller picks
which ability. It has to be one in which the victor is inferior to his partner.
This loss of power and knowledge keeps even the friendliest of Immortals from
agreeing to be a partners.
Holy
ground is a similar situation. It always counts as the “victor” in any contest.
The player makes a Quickening roll in any such battle. The site gains all the
Quickening experience with no successes or even with a success. Further, the
winner of the battle loses one point of Quickening and one point in Ability.
The storyteller chooses the ability lost. The “victor” is utterly absorbed into
the site with a botch on the Quickening roll. This leaves the “defeated”
Immortal alive. No Immortal will fight on holy ground because they never win.
Clever Immortals seeking someone on holy ground force their target out or have
the ground unconsecrated somehow.
Example: If Frank had beheaded Butra the assassin on
holy ground, the site would gain all the Quickening experience. Further, Frank
would lose 1 Quickening – taking him to 1 – and 1 point in some ability. That
is even if he does not botch his Quickening roll. A single botch would make
Frank vanished as he was utterly absorbed by the holy ground.
Quickening is the life force of an Immortal. Only by removing his
head is his power taken. There are in other ways to remove someone’s power.
None of which will easily succeed against an Immortal.
Mages cannot use Prime effects to remove Quintessence from an
Immortal. Nor can Prime destroy an Immortal’s Quintessence. An Immortal’s
pattern is immutable. The Immortal gains his Quickening in automatic counter
magic successes to resist any Prime effect directed against her. The exception
is if an Immortal loses his head. A Mage with talent in Prime can in fact
become the “victor.” She could steal the loser’s Quickening as Quintessence –
one point of Quintessence per point of Quickening. She would gain a point of
the winner’s as well. The Mage rolls her Prime versus the winner’s Quickening
in a contested roll. The Mage gains no ability from the experience. However,
the “winner” still loses one point in some ability.
Their Quickening tightly binds an Immortal’s mind, spirit and
body. Although mind effects – the mind sphere, dominate or presence – may
affect the Immortal, no one can pull her mind from her body. Nor is it possible
to remove her spirit without the removal of her head. This roll is Automatic
and is not contested.
Example: Frank beheaded Butra the assassin in the
presence Hank the Mage, who has a 3 in his Prime sphere. Frank and Hank would
contest to see who actually absorbed Butra’s Quickening. If Hank won, he would
gain four points of Quintessence – three for Butra and one from Frank – while
Frank would lose 1 Quickening and 1 point in some ability if Frank lost.
True
Faith is not part of what a victorious Immortals takes from a defeated Immortal
along with his Quickening. It comes from belief, not knowledge. An Immortal who
possesses True Faith cannot use it as counter magic against any power from
which her Quickening protects her. She may use it normally for anything else.
Believing that they were restored to life to fulfill some holy cause some
Immortals develop True Faith after their first “death.” Faith has no effect on
an Immortal.
Immortals
are as good or bad as other individual. Some seek power in places best left
alone. Immortals may practice the black arts – see the Book of Madness and
Sorcerer Second Edition. Some practiced it before their death. However, they
cannot take demonic investments or become fomori.
An
Immortal who is lucky enough to get their hands on a talisman can use such an
item. She cannot use a fetish. She can use a talisman by rolling her
Quickening. The difficulty the items Arete rating. Any paradox gained goes to
the talisman. 10 or more paradox points accumulated will destroys the talisman.
Many believe only decapitation can kill an Immortal. However, that
is not completely true. An Immortal will perish with the destruction of her
body. Examples of this would include being at ground zero of a nuclear
explosion, pulpification in a car crusher or explosive decompression.
It is also possible for specific supernatural powers to destroy
them. Again it takes either something that totally wipes them out or a power
that somehow targets what they are. Immortals can soak bashing, lethal and
aggravated damage with their stamina. They heal non–aggravated damage at the
same rate, although heal self will heal two levels of bashing damage per
success rather than one. Treat stun damage in the same way if you are using the
World of Darkness: Combat rules.
It
is rare for an Immortal to take a wound that does not completely heal. However,
there are some circumstances. Wounds to the throat or neck will heal –
providing they do not decapitate the Immortal – but frequently leaves a scar of
some sort. It is possible for Aggravated wounds to leave a mark. An Immortal
will be left with a scar should be try to heal an Aggravated injury with
Quickening – rather than letting it heal normally – and botch his Quickening
roll. Further, a botched roll indicates it does not regrow in the case of
extreme damage like a severed limb.
Immortals are highly
resistant to any power that alters her body, whether the power is beneficial or
not. The Immortal gets her Quickening in automatic successes to resist such
powers. Remember also that she cannot be possessed. It is not possible to
remove her soul from her body.
An
Immortal’s aura appears quite bright. It is very close to her body. Immortals
also show electrical–type sparks in her aura. These flare brightly when a
Quickening power is used. Note that Immortals with Awareness 5+ can read auras.
Scent of the True Form: This will detect Immortals against a difficulty
of 7 – unless modified by any Arcane rating. She will know that the Immortal is
not human if the Garou succeeds. However, she will not recognize what it is,
unless she knows an Immortal’s “scent.”
Sense the Unnatural: This power will also detect Immortals. Again,
the Garou will need some experience of Immortals to know what she is sensing.
Sense Weaver: An Immortal’s static nature means that he will
usually be detectable with this Gift.
Fatal Flaw: Four or more successes on this Gift will reveal
an Immortal’s vulnerability to decapitation.
Mother’s Touch, Whelp Body,
Wither Limb, Open Wounds, Curse of Dionysis: The Immortal gets his Quickening as automatic successes to resist
each of these and similar Gifts.
Renew the Cycle: This awesome Gift will affect Immortals. The
Immortal dies if the Gift succeeds. Her Quickening soaks into the surroundings.
A nearby Mage with prime may try to take this power. No other Immortal can gain
it.
Scanning
with life or prime will reveal unusual facts about an Immortal. Her body locks
up her prime energies in interesting ways. Life patterns are not subject to age
and restore themselves at an accelerated rate. The Quickening protects against
entropy 4 targeted at the Immortal’s body as well.
Possession: This charm has no effect at all on Immortals.
Influence or suggestion charms effect Immortals normally.
Dominate: The power of possession and similar abilities
do not work on Immortals.
Blood Magic: Any blood magic involving removing or altering
the soul of an Immortal automatically fail. An Immortal’s Quickening counts as
automatic successes rolled against those rolled by the individual using blood
magic attempting to alter the Immortals physical form.
Obeah, Valaren: These disciplines will not remove an Immortal’s
soul from her body. Any attempt to do so simply fails. Quickening automatically
resists healing powers.
Quietus: The quietus powers that reduce a victim’s
physical attributes have their successes reduced by the Immortal’s Quickening.
Temporis: An Immortal’s Quickening counts as automatic
successes rolled against those rolled by the temporis user.
Vicissitude: An Immortal’s Quickening counts as automatic
successes rolled against those rolled by the vicissitude user. Each success after
that on the vicissitude roll is one health level of aggravated damage. An
Immortal’s body will begin to heal automatically.
Puppetry: Immortals are immune to this power.
“How do you
fight such a savage?”
“With heart, faith,
and steel...”
– Connor and Ramirez, Highlander, the Movie
This chapter details the special ways Immortals gain experience.
It also details the combat system for sword duels. Immortals are subject to the
basic system mechanics of the Storytelling system because this supplement
injects Immortals into the World of Darkness. These are contained in chapter
six of Vampire Revised, Mage Revised and Werewolf Revised.
Immortals gain experience
in the same method as other characters in the Storyteller system. Chapter three
of Vampire Revised, Mage Revised and Werewolf Revised detail the awarding and spending of experience
points. The chart below is essentiality the same as appears in those books.
____
Trait Costs
Abilities
current rating x 2
Attributes
current rating x 3
Background current rating x 3
Hedge Magic new
rating x 6
Humanity new
rating x 2
New Ability 3
New Hedge Magic 7
Quickening new
rating x 5*
Willpower current
rating
*Quickening can only be
increased by an equal split of Quickening Experience and “normal” experience
____
Immortals recover from
wounds more rapidly than mortals. Unlike other supernatural entities normal
fire – i.e. fire that is not magical in nature – does not cause Immortals
aggravated damage. Immortals heal using the following chart without the use of
Quickening as described in chapter three.
___
Healing:
Bruised One Round
Hurt One Minute
Injured Five Minutes
Wounded Thirty Minutes
Mauled One Hour
Crippled One Hour
Incapacitated One Hour
___
Combat is the
“fact–of–life” for an Immortal. You cannot run forever. Another Immortal will
find you if you try to hide. Only by killing fellow Immortals in combat can you
hope to survive and have any chance of winning the Prize.
Immortals sense each other
through the Quickening when they meet. They do not have to do battle – even
thought “the First” means they want to kill one another. It is the time of the
Gathering. It is their destiny to battle until only one remains. They have no
choice in the end.
It is desirable to play out duels between Immortals. Each
combatant should be able to choose different tactics, moves, etc. These duels
are often the climax of the story for the Immortal character. The Revised rules are better for fighting.
However, they still have handicaps when it comes to staging detailed sword
duels. Just running a simple combat sequence can be frustrating for the player
involved. The player is fighting to survive in these duels, to say nothing of
increasing her power. Using the following combat system when running a duel
between Immortals should help.
Combatants normally try to
be the first to attack in the hope of inflicting damage. Things may work
differently in sword combat. One combatant may attempt to surprise the other by
ambushing their opponent. This means attacking them before they have a chance
to draw their weapon. Use the normal rules for initiative and surprise in such
cases. The Quickening means Immortal are rarely able to surprise each other.
A turn is the time it takes one person to attack the other in
sword combat. This system splits sword combat up into a series of “bouts.” A
bout is a series of rounds, during which combat does not pause. Both players
roll for Initiative at the start of a round. Then they announce what will be
their actions. Sword combat is reactive – i.e. one person does not always know
what she is going to do until her opponent has acted. So the player with the
better initiative announces what they intend to do first.
If the player with the higher initiative decides to attack, her
opponent must either defend or dodge. The character with the higher initiative
may decide to do some other kind of action – i.e. leaping onto a table, hedge
magic, etc. Alternatively, they may decide to wait and wait for their opponent
to act. Combat has stopped if they do either of these things. They must begin
another bout.
A bout begins with both combatants facing each other, weapons at
the ready. It is up to the players themselves who actually initiates combat.
Both players make a standard Initiative roll once one of the combatants
announces they are attacking. The player with the higher initiative receives
the difference between their number of successes to their own dice pool.
Roll initiative is as normal after this initial round. The
character with the higher initiative gets to act first – presumably attacking –
and the other person must defend. Both players make their respective attack and
defense rolls and then that combat turn has ended. The combatants then roll
their initiative for the next round. The following modifiers apply:
n The use of the Quickening power Speed of the
Stag confers an extra three initiative dice upon the Immortal using it.
n The person who attacked during the last combat
turn gains an extra die to add to their Initiative roll for this round.
n If a combatant successfully repels an attack by
her opponent in the last turn – she received an equal or greater amount of
successes on her defense roll than her opponent got on his attack roll – she
gets an extra initiative die.
n They gain an extra initiative die for every
three successes by which a combatant’s attack/defense roll exceeds his
opponents roll.
This list of standard
sword–fighting maneuvers sprang from the rules for Klaive–duelling in the Werewolf Players Guide and the combat
rules in Vampire Revised. The list
divides maneuvers into two types, attacks and defense. Refer to chapter six of
the Revised books for the main combat
rules.
This list should only be a
guide to help Storytellers decide the types of rolls and difficulties applied
to various maneuvers.
Aimed Attack, Hands/Arms: A wounded result means the hand/arm is broken
and the limb is useless. The victim drops any weapons held in this hand. A
crippled result severs the limb. The limb must be recovered and held to the
wound while the Immortal regenerates to restore himself to at least mauled
level to reattach. The limb is unusable until it fully heals. Treat it as if it
has taken aggravated damage. The Immortal will have a scar thereafter that
shows where the limb was removed.
Traits: Dexterity + Melee
Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty +3/+2
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special
Aimed Attack, Head Wound: The purpose of this strike is to slash the
opponent’s head causing him to bleed. The blood will then obstruct his vision
in subsequent rounds adding +1 to the difficulties of his strikes on the
following turn. This lasts for one turn per health level done by the attack or as
long as it takes to heal the wound, which ever is less. Even if the wound is
healed, the blood does not instantly disappear so it has a minimum of one
turn’s effect.
Traits: Strength + Melee
Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty +2
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength –2
Aimed Attack, Legs: A wounded result means that the limb is broken;
the penalties to the dice pool apply to any activities requiring running. An
incapacitated result with a sharp weapon severs the limb. This has similar
results as severing a hand or arm, only the victim cannot walk, run, kick or
dance.
Traits: Dexterity + Melee
Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty +1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special
Aimed Attack,
Neck/Decapitation: This attack
requires a Perception + Melee versus a difficulty of your opponent’s Dex +
Dodge. You must reduce your opponent to one level past incapacitated to
decapitate.
Traits: Perception + Melee
Difficulty: Opp. Dex + Dodge
Accuracy: –1
Damage: Weapon.
Aimed Attack, Tendon Slice: Skilled warriors may attempt to slice the tendons
of a foe’s wrists and ankles. Doing this requires melee 4, dexterity 2 and a
bladed weapon. The tendons are cut if the victim receives two or more health
levels of damage. Wrists become useless, and a successful tendon slice to the
ankle can cripple a mortal opponent for life unless health care or magical aid
is rendered.
Traits: Dexterity + Melee
Difficulty: 8
Accuracy: –2
Damage: As weapon
Aimed Attack, Torso: The character will have the air knocked out of
his lungs – he is stunned for the turn – on a wounded result. His ribs are
broken – he must make a willpower roll with a difficulty of 8 each turn to keep
acting – on a mauled result. The spine is broken if the Immortal is attacked
from behind and the result is one more than needed to incapacitate. This
paralyzes his lower body until he regenerates to the crippled level in this
case.
Traits: Dexterity + Melee
Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty + 1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special
Feint: This move attempts to trick the opponet into
leaving an opening for attack. With a difficulty modifier of +3 the attacker
rolls manipulation + melee for his attack roll. This attack may only be dodged.
Traits: Manipulation + Melee
Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty + 3
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Weapon
Great Blow: The attacker commits themselves completely to a
devastating blow, but not a blow to decapitate their opponent. They roll as
normal attack roll with a +2 to difficulty. It is impossible to parry a great
blow. It is possible to dodge a great blow. The attack dice double if the
attack succeeds. However, the attacker’s difficulty for their initiative the
next turn is 5 rather than 4. They have
a +2 to all defense difficulties during the next turn also.
Traits: Strength + Melee
Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty +2
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Special
Jab: This quick strike serves to test an opponent’s
defenses.
Traits: Strength + Melee
Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty –1
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: Strength –1
Riposte: This maneuver may used after only after the one
who wishes to use it has successfully parried a blow. The target cannot dodge
this sort of attack. However, it is possible to parry. This attack may be
riposted if successfully parried.
Traits: Strength + Melee
Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty
Accuracy: +1
Damage: Weapon
Caught Steel: Roll strength + melee versus a difficulty of
your opponent’s dexterity + melee. You lock swords with him for a short
interval if successful. You struggle with him before your blades can be freed
during this period. He can do no damage this attack. You manage to put him
off–balance for the following turn if you receive more than three successes on
your roll. This adds one to the difficulty of his Initiative roll.
Traits: Strength + Melee
Difficulty: Opp. Dex + Melee
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: None – Special
Steel Wall: The warrior rolls as his attack roll dexterity
+ melee, difficulty 8. Add success on this roll to the number of parry dice he
has on any defense roll he makes during the turn. Any attempt made by an
attacker Brawl from the front will result in automatic damage on the attacker.
The warrior may attempt only parries in this turn.
Traits: Dexterity + Melee
Difficulty: 8
Accuracy: Normal
Damage: None
Damage is resolved as normal. The attacker rolls the damage dice
pool for that weapon, against a difficulty of six. Each success causes the
target to lose a health level. Rolling his stamina – difficulty 6 – the target
may attempt to soak. Each success subtracts from his successes from his
opponent’s roll.
Example: Connor is squaring off against the Kurgan. They
circle each other for a few moments. The Kurgan makes his first move – a normal
attack. Both players roll for initiative. Connor gets six successes. The Kurgan
gets five. The Kurgan make his attack roll – dex + melee – getting five
successes. Connor tries to parry the Kurgan’s attack. He makes his defense roll
– dex + melee plus an extra die, because he got more one more success on his
initiative roll than the Kurgan. Connor rolls five successes. He manages to
parry the Kurgan’s blade.
Both roll initiative for the next round. Both have an extra die to
add to their initiative pool, the Kurgan because he attacked last round and
Connor because he parried the Kurgan’s attack. The Kurgan gets four successes.
Connor wins the initiative with six success. This grants him two dice to add to
his dice pool. Connor decides to try a feint. He makes his roll – manipulation
+ melee plus his two initiative dice against a target number of nine – his
weapon’s normal difficulty plus three. He gets two successes. The Kurgan cannot
parry a feint so he tries to dodge. He gets five successes rolling dexterity +
dodge against a difficulty of six. Connor’s blade slices through thin air.
The third turn of their
sword fight starts. Both players roll for initiative. The Storyteller decides
that Connor will be slightly off–balance at the start of this turn because the
Kurgan’s dodge successes exceeded Connor’s attack successes by three – Connor
swung his sword through thin air. To reflect this Connor’s difficulty is five
instead of four. Connor decides that he needs to get working and thus uses his
Quickening to get the speed of the stag. In addition to the die he receives for
having attacked last turn, this gives him an extra three initiative dice. The
Kurgan rolls his wits + alertness and gets five successes. Connor follows suit
and gets seven successes. This means he has two dice to add to his dice pool.
He decides to try to disarm the Kurgan. He rolls dexterity + melee against a difficulty
of six – not forgetting his extra two dice – and gets a massive seven
successes. The Kurgan rolls dex + melee but can only manage three successes.
Connor flicks the Kurgan’s sword from his hand. And the crowd goes wild.
“Fighting to
survive, in a world with the darkest powers...”
–Queen
Immortals are different from other supernatural creatures in two
important ways. First – unlike the Kindred, Garou, Mages, et all – Immortals do
not have their own society. Immortals are “wildcards” in a world where groups
such as the Sabbat and the Technocracy vie for power. Secondly, all the other
creatures have some legends about where they come from and some idea of where
they are going. Immortals seemingly just exist. They do not know where they
come from. They do not know exactly what “the Prize” will entail. They are the
ultimate outsiders.
There are no groups of Immortals romping around. The were two
groups of Immortals at different times several thousand years ago. Both groups
came to a bad end (see chapter six). There should only be one Immortal player
character in a chronicle. The other player characters will presumably be one of
the other character types detailed in the main games, vampires, werewolves,
etc.
This brings up the topic of what the other characters know about
the Immortal character. It is reasonable to assume that few others know about
Immortals given that Immortals may be the rarest of all the supernatural
beings. It is also reasonable to assume that very few know that the way to kill
an Immortals is by decapitation. Fewer should know about the Gathering and the
Prize.
An Immortal’s aura resembles a Mage’s or a Changeling’s. They
store within them a large well of power. However, it quickly becomes obvious
that an Immortal does not have the powers of a Mage of Changeling. Few
Immortals reveal their true nature to people without a good reason. It is very
unlikely that she would reveal the only way to kill her.
Eternals
of great power no longer need to eat, drink or sleep. However, Immortals who do
not possess this level of power still need shelter and the other necessities of
life. Immortals do not have caerns, nodes or crypts. They normally live among
mortals. This means even deviant Immortals usually identify more with humans
than with other supernatural beings.
Immortals may amass huge amounts of wealth during their long
lives. They maintain the illusion that nothing is strange about them. It ca be
difficult to maintain this illusion.
They need to have a way of paying for their lifestyle on a
day–to–day basis if an Immortal has settled down. Professions that require
knowledge of the past, like a history professor, may attract Immortals.
Immortals’ supernatural abilities mean that they are practically perfect as
soldiers. Most Immortals have been involved in some war at some point in their
lives.
The results could be disastrous were an Immortal’s secret widely
exposed. Imagine what would happen were a company such as Development
Neogenetics Amalgamated to discover that Immortals exist. They would stop at
nothing in an attempt to discover the secret of Immortality. An Immortal
character must be careful to guard her secret and maintain the facade of
normality.
Immortals
may interact with the other supernatural beings in the World of Darkness.
Immortals have always been and shall always be the quintessential outsiders. No
group openly accepts Immortals. Some individual – however – might.
The
statement in italics are from various Immortals and are a reasonably good
barometer of Immortal opinions on other supernatural beings. Mechanic notes on
hybrids follow the dialogue.
“These days, now that the spell has collapsed, Immortals are
likely to encounter the vampires of any city they visit. Vampires feed off
mortals. Some Immortals try to protect mortals. Even if they do not, vampires
may mistake an Immortal for a mortal. This could prove to be a fatal mistake
for a vampire. Nevertheless, vampires are to Immortals what they are to all
living things – enemies.
“Kindred almost always seek
to destroy that which they are unable to control. Immortals seldom fit into
their schemes. However, as much as an Immortal can be an enemy, an Immortal may
also be an ally. It is possible that individual Immortals and vampires can
allies – but not friends, never friends. Unlike mortals, Immortals have
relatively little to fear from vampires. The vampire leader of the London
leeches has a pretty–boy Immortal that she uses as a gigolo. A powerful vampire
in Mexico City had an Immortal as a guard and advisor. Had.”
–Juan Mendoza
Any attempt to embrace an Immortal automatically fails. The
vampire that drank from the Immortal would have unusable blood in her system.
The Immortals blood would only occupy space in the vampire’s system – i.e. take
up Blood Pool space. The vampire may purge the useless blood by vomiting.
Vampires know by taste that it is not the blood of a mortal. A vampire
attempting to embrace an Immortal before the first time they died would trigger
her “death” and transformation into an Immortal. This has lead to confusion on
part of both vampires and Immortals in the past.
If they are yet mortal – before they died for the first time –
they may be blood bound as normal. They cannot be ghouled nor taught
disciplines. With their first death, the transformation to Immortal painfully
burns any vampire blood out of their system. It also destroys the blood bound.
“Immortals don’t usually to join the skinchangers. The
skinchangers battle what they consider unnatural and evil. This includes forces
of death, decay and corruption. Unfortunately, they count immortality as
something unnatural, evil and to be destroyed. The fact none of us asks for our
condition does not matter much. There are some exception, skinchangers forming
a bond with an Immortal, but those are kept very secret.”
–Cassandra Donan
Immortals
are never werewolves – or any other werecreature for that matter – and visa
versa. Nor can Immortals use any werecreature gift, rite or fetish. Immortals
are immune to the Delirium. To Garou Immortals are unnatural – despite the fact
that player character Immortals may follow in the hero mold of Duncan. It is
highly unlikely that werewolves and Immortals would “openly” be allies. However,
secretly is an another matter.
It is impossible for an Immortal to be a werewolf Kinfolk. Their
Kin must mate and have children. Immortals are all sterile even if they are
quite adept at copulation. However, an Immortal may hide among the Kinfolk.
“Immortals and Mages are
sometimes at cross–purposes. Mages often want an Immortal’s power. It would
help power their magic. There aren’t many Immortals who are comfortable
surrounded by people who could gain a lot of power by killing them. So
Immortals working with Mages lie – usually a lot.”
–Cassandra Donan
Mages – often like vampires – are distrustful of that which they
cannot control. Nevertheless, Immortals make useful allies. An Immortal’s
Avatar is Awakened when they first die. They cannot use the powers of true
magic. An Immortal who has not died yet cannot be Awakened in any manner except
through death. An Immortal does not count as a witness for vulgar magic.
“Immortals and Wraiths
rarely interact. Immortals inhabit the mundane world. Wraiths dwell in their
dark spirit world. It is impossible for any ghost to possess an Immortal.
However – to the spirits on the underworld – an Immortal stands out like a
glowing beacon.”
–Juan Mendoza
Immortals never become any kind of incorporeal undead. Those who
have had their Quickening stolen cannot become any kind of wraith or specter.
They have had their soul consumed by the Immortal who took their Quickening.
The spirits of Immortals who die but do not have their Quickening taken – i.e.
death by accidental decapitation – simply dissipate.
“The sidhe have formed
alliances with certain Immortals. The sidhe see some, often European, Immortals
as kindred spirits. Both Immortals and Changelings strive towards a destiny –
for Immortals it is to win the Prize, for the Sidhe is to return to their
mysterious home. This has been as much a failure as a success for both
parties.”
–Methos
Changelings
may not be Immortals and visa versa. At least they are not “immortal” in the
sense of the beings detailed by this supplement. The Changelings must abscond
with the soul of the human to do that. It is impossible to remove an Immortals
soul without decapitation.
Minions
of the Wyrm typically try to kill any Immortals they encounter. They are often
wildcards in the battles between Wyld, Weaver and Wyrm. As such, Wyrm minions
consider Eternals to be enemies. The evil spirits of madness and death that
create the fomori cannot possess Immortals. So Immortals cannot become fomori
or wield any or fomori powers or abilities. This applies even to an Immortal
who has not died yet.
“I don’t believe that any
single government agency knows that Immortals exist. Or government. However,
some different agencies or groups probably suspects that something is up. After
all, the FBI has a special cross–referenced set of files on all cases of death
by decapitation.”
–Duncan MacLeod
Immortals are more likely to run into trouble when dealing with
the police – particularly if they are murder suspects. An Immortal had better
make sure that his cover is unshakable if he comes under investigation by the
police or FBI.
“The old Inquisition – the
Inquisition of the middle mages and the Renaissance – did know about Immortals,
but they confused us with vampires. They did not know exactly how to kill an
Immortal. The Inquisition normally tried to burn us at the stake – their
favorite method of killing supernatural beings. Over the centuries – and with
the decline of the Inquisition itself – this knowledge was largely lost. They
are not the threat they once were.
–Methos
The
Watchers are a group that predates the Arcanum by millennia. They have spent
centuries–studying Immortals. Their purpose is to chronicle Immortal exploits.
They attempt to keep accurate records of all new Immortals; who has taken whose
head, etc. They also try to anticipate who will win the Prize. Watchers are
mortals. Their only distinguishing feature is a tattoo on their wrists, a
circle with the symbol of their order within. For a time a rogue element with
in the Watchers hunted and killed Immortals. This faction has largely
dissolved.
Do
not confuse these hunters with the late Watcher faction. These hunters are
essentially simple mortals. However, they display a variety of powers and
abilities they make them adept at killing supernatural creatures. This includes
Immortals. Generally, vampires and the like keep their attention. However, this
could change.
There are too few Immortals for any of the major powers – the
Camarilla, Sabbat, the Hierarchy, etc – to be aware of Immortal existence, even
after the collapse of the spell, let along have formed an official party policy
about them. However, certain individuals among the groups do know about Immortals. These individuals just reflect their
opinions and not the groups as a whole. They are none the less insightful.
Lady Anne Bowesley: “They are useful if you know how to use them. I
helped one keep track of other of his ilk. He posed as my ghoul. However, he
was so much more useful than any mere ghoul. You can kill a ghoul by shooting
it. Shooting him just got his attention. He and I had reached an equitable
agreement. Then some a Scottish eternal killed him.”
Jonas Albrecht: “I’ve been told that a genuine, full–blown
eternal sits on the Pentex Board of Directors and that he escaped when all the
other board members vanished. So now he runs the company by himself.
<Sigh> As if we don’t have enough enemies. <Resolved> Nothing is really ‘eternal.’ We’re going
to find out what it takes to kill them.”
“Sam Haine”: “Several years ago I came on this coven of
Twisters of Fate. They had some sort of Bygone creature that looked like a
person, but couldn’t die. The coven had gone Nephandi in everything but name.
They had been sacrificing him repeatedly. I tried to talk to him, but he hung
on them like so many abused people hang on their abusers. I went to get help
from some other Verbena. By the time we got back he had snapped and killed the
lot of them. I’m certain he’s still out there.”
Ramses: “The eternals seem to naturally have come by
what we have had to struggle, fight and sacrifice for. The trade off is they
battle each other. I worry about what will happen when only one of them left.”
“And he thought to himself
Memory is a stranger
History is for fools
And he cleaned his hand
In a pool of holy writing.”
–Roger Waters, Perfect Sense
Part I.
Hello Duncan,
I’m not certain why you asked me to do this – you already know it
– but after some thought on the matter I have taken the advice of Methos and
have composed this letter. It details Immortal history, although that is
overstating the matter.
The most striking things about our history is what it lacks. Any
other history will tell you from where and how – at least in theory – some
group originates. We Immortals have no such facts. We do not even have common
legends or theorizes.
Many thinkers, poets and philosophers say that humanity makes it
errors because it is young as a race. They are wrong. The clockwork magic of
accountants that is so in vogue these last two centuries suggests humans have
been a distinct species for more than 100,000 years. Even if they are wrong by
half, that is still a long time to keep making the same mistakes.
Pardon me for venting.
Humanity ostensibly appeared before the last Ice Age. The planet
supposedly cooled and ice covered much of the planet. When things began warming
up – about 40,000 years ago – humans moved up and out of Africa. About 7,500
years ago humans began getting civilized (it took them long enough) by doing
things like domesticating wolves into dogs, planting crops and building cities.
Only
then do Immortals appear. Sense that time, we have appeared frequently.
However, there are no accounts of Immortals who date to before this time.
Immortals would have been appearing for 100,000 years if we had always been
part of human existence. The oldest known Immortals only dance around the
5,000–year mark. This includes Methos. It is unlikely that 100,000 year–old
Immortals lived only to die. The ones who killed such an old one would know
their real age.
Something changed 7,500 some–odd years ago. We began to appear.
According to Methos, the oldest Immortals had no one to instruct
them on their nature. They had to discover the facts of Immortal existence by
trial and error. The discovery that one Immortal could take another's power –
his “Quickening” as it came to be called – apparently happened by accident.
The eldest among us discovered their way with no guidance. They
had no structure and no purpose. The conclusions they reached shaped them. They
taught us – or taught the Immortals who taught us – based on their discoveries
and conclusions. I cannot help but wonder if something was missed or left
unrealized.
Immortals have only really shaped human history a few times.
Certain Immortals are braggarts about how they pushed human events around like
a piece of furniture. They are full of shit.
The first time Immortals altered human history was probably in the
centuries between 2,500 and 1,500 BCE. During this period, four Immortals rode
together for centuries between the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea and the Persian
Gulf. They killed, raped, tortured and burned their way across lands, cities,
villages and centuries. Being Immortal, no one could stop them by killing them.
This happened so long ago that the knowledge about taking a Quickening had not
spread. What eventually broke up the horsemen was this very discovery.
None–the–less, they gouged a notch into the dark and murky legends of humans.
As a side note, all four of the horsemen survived until recent
years. (Again, I’m not certain why you asked me to tell you this, you where
there after all.) About eight years ago, their leader reassembled them with the
intent of butchering his way across Europe. He was quite mad. Three of the
horsemen died, including their leader. Methos is the only surviving horseman.
For a time, after the Horsemen first disbanded, Immortals did what
we have always done. They wandered, lived, fought each other and died. They let
the kings and lords all thrash themselves senseless in their endless wars.
Then an Immortal named Daryavahush found someway of making
Immortals band together. By this time, the Quickening, Gathering and the Prize
were matters of common knowledge. How he held an army of Immortals together is a mystery. He and his army were well
on their way to carving out an empire. Very few of their opponents – be they
vampires, shamans or what have you – knew how to kill an Immortal. His army was
perfect. They kept getting back up. Then Daryavahush reconsidered. He gave up
his army. Without his ability to hold it together, it disintegrated. The army
is partly responsible for the tales of the 10,000 demons in the Middle East
that lingered until King Solomon's time.
After Daryavahush's empire dissolved, we went back to what we
always do. Immortals wandered, lived, fought each other and died. They again
let the kings and lords thrash themselves senseless. As a side note, some
mortals took Daryavahush's name as almost a title. Later, it became “Darius.”
The Inquisition – what a show! – proved difficult for European
Immortals. The colonization of the Americas proved disastrous for First Nation
Immortals. We had made all the discoveries that our Occidental and Oriental
counter parts had.
With the new millennia, there are fewer of us than ever before. I
would guess between 24 and 48 Immortals worldwide.
In 1997 you battled and
defeated a powerful Mesopotamian demon that called itself Ahriman. At the time,
you and many other Immortals believed that to be the first encounter between an
Immortal and a supernatural being that was not also an Immortal.
In 1997, Cassandra and I,
separately, conducted rituals the same week you defeated Ahriman. She worked
magic from ruins in the Middle East to undo, as much as she could, what Ahriman
had done. I conducted a ritual from a temple in Central America to destroy some
ancient and potent illusions and tricks I had discovered. This happened the
same week that terrible typhoon hit Bangladesh and the odd red colored star
appeared.
It is likely that all of
these events – the rituals Cassandra and I conducted as well as your defeat of
Ahriman – interacted in a strange way, because something happened.
A potent spell that no one
knew existed, which affected the memory of people who interacted with
Immortals, collapsed.
Cassandra and I are
probably the two most mystically active Immortals currently alive. We have
discussed the matter and have reached these conclusions:
n The spell was created a long time ago, possible during the period
when Darius’s army marched.
n Apparently, this spell had prevented most Immortals (about three
out of five) from remembering – for any length of time – about the existence of
other super natural creatures, such as vampire, werewolves, mages and so forth.
n The spell did not eliminate the memories involving Immortals, it
altered them. People, vampires and Immortals would notice if they had suddenly
lost chunks of their memory. So their memories were altered and edited by this
spell.
n This is why Immortals and other super naturals included each
other in their plans only inconsistently.
n The spell never seemed to be universal as some Immortals,
Cassandra and myself included never entirely forgot about other creatures.
n I thinks Ahriman may have created the spell – perhaps some mage forced him to do so –
but Cassandra is not so certain. Neither of us have been able to determine a
reason why.
n If Immortals can now remember vampires, werewolves, et all, then
they can probably remember Immortals.
Now we find out selves in the next–to–last scene of the final act.
This is the end game. After 7,500 years, we still do not really know where we
come from. We still do not know why we are here. We still do not know what “the
Prize” will be or what will happen afterwards. All of our history leads to
where we are now. The Gathering is – like the end of the world – a process, not
an event.
I did not mean this to end so sourly. I apologize. I hope you find
Manhattan enlightening. It is a dangerous place. Watch your back.
Sincerely,
Juan Mendoza
The
Watchers are an ancient organization to keeping track of all Immortals. The
more important the Immortal the more Watcher attention she receives. All
Immortals have at least one Watcher agent keeping track of them. The major
contenders for the prize – i.e. Duncan, Connor, Methos, etc. – have several.
The official party line is that the Watchers do not interfere. However, they
have been some noted exception. One the one hand high ranking Watcher Joe
Dawson – now deceased – gave a considerable amount of information to Duncan
McLoed. On the other hand, James Horton – also deceased – killed a number of
Immortals. How the Watcher assigned to the Immortal player character respond is
up to the Storyteller. However, what kind of individual the Immortal is has a
strong influence. All Watchers are college educated. They often hold masters'
degrees if not doctorates. They take photographs, keep track of who the
Immortal fights so forth. The Watchers discover new Immortals when their
subjects train an Immortal or fight an Immortal that the Watchers have never
heard of before. Then the Watchers assign a new agent to this Immortal.
Agents may be of any race, creed or religion. After all, the
Immortals come in every race, creed and religion.
Character Creation: Attributes 7/5/4. Abilities 12/8/5, Backgrounds
6, Willpower 6.
Suggested Attributes: Str 2, Dex 3, Sta 2, Cha 2, Man 4, App 2, Per
4, Int 4, Wits 3.
Suggested Abilities: Alertness 2, Expression 1, Streetwise 1,
Subterfuge 1, Crafts – Photography 2, Firearms 1, Drive 2, Stealth 2, Survival
1, Academics 1, Computer 2, Enigmas 2, Investigation 3, Law 1, Linguistics 1,
Politics 1, Science 1.
Image: Whatever blends in best with the local
population. Each Watcher strives to be a face in the crowd.
Roleplaying Hints: Watchers take their job quite seriously. It can
be dangerous – Immortals react poorly to stalkers. They do try to maintain a
normal, social life though they are dedicated. The Watchers leadership
encourages this – it helps prevent the Watcher from developing a kind of hero
worship towards the Immortal they study. They are akin to highly educated
reporters or private detectives who are always on a case and always undercover.
This is the only know Immortal magic device. However, only a few
Immortals know it exists. Even they do not know all of its properties. When
whole it appears as a polished crystal sphere. The Biblical Methuselah created
the Stone according to legends. It predates the Great Flood if this is true.
It has two known properties. The first is to make a mortal who
possesses it Immortal. So long as they possess the Methuselah Stone they may
gain Quickening powers, do not age and have all the benefits and disadvantages
of Immortals. They revert to being a mortal and resume aging normally if they
loose possession of the Stone.
Secondly, Immortals no longer operate under the First – or the
compulsion to kill one another – if an they are in possession of the Stone.
This also applies to any other Immortals if they regularly work and interact
with the Immortal in possession of the Stone. Immortals may continue to kill
each other – they just no longer feel a psychological pressure to do so.
The first know appearance of the Methuselah Stone was
Daryavahush's use of it to build his Immortal army. This fact is virtually
unknown in Immortal circles. It appeared in the hands of an Immortal named
Rebecca much later. She shattered the Stone and gave a piece to each of her
students. Recently the Immortal Methos attempted to recover all the pieces of
the Stone. He wished to reassemble the Stone and use it to grant is mortal
lover Immortally. However, the pieces were lost in a river in France. The pieces
were missing when the river was searched.
R-: Revised Compilation, Quickening Throe, The First, Dreamless
Death, Favored Weapon, Prologue, Epilogue, History, Watchers, Methuselah Stone,
A Matter of Philosophy.
Hank Driskill and John Gavigan: Mummy Companion,
Taken from the version 2.1 of the rules and based on Merits and
Flaws from the Vampire sourcebooks.
Mark Antill: The Highalnder Players Guide.
Erik Nielsen: Powerful Quickening, Quiet Quickening, Soft Touch,
Unfortunate Quickening
LeeGarv: Weak Persona, Distinctive Quickening,
Marco: Bonding Blood, Endurance, Hidden Quickening
Charlesfreel: Holy Ground Aversion, Slow Healing, Strong Aura,
Supernatural Metabolism, Tasty Blood, “Thousand–Yard Stare”, Ignorant, Neck
Injury.
J. Clayton: No [Sense of] Quickening
The Livewire: Painful Detection, Friendly Watcher, Well Known
Watcher, Too Friendly Watcher.
Excerpts from sourcebooks: “Steel Wall,” “Head Wound” and “Jab”
are from the Werewolf Players Guide. “Tendon Slice” is from Changeling: the
Dreaming. The archetypes “Reluctant Immortal” and “Masquerader” are from Mummy
Second Edition.
The
use of the “Highlander” name in these rules is not a challenge to the rights to
the “Highlander” franchise, held by Rysher Entertainment. The use of the
“Highlander” name in these rules is not a challenge to the rights of Thunder
Castle Games, Inc. publisher of the “Official Highlander Trading Card Game” and
the “Official Highlander Role–Playing Game.” The inclusion of Immortals in the
“World of Darkness” is not a challenge to the rights of White Wolf Publishing.
This is a work of fan–fiction, written voluntarily for no material profit.