`There can be only one'
Prologue
"No one has ever known we were
among you... Until now..." - Ramirez
"Sit down, lad, and listen.
I know that you have many questions about what has happened to you, and,
probably about me as well...
"Aye, I know all about what
happened - the car crash, and how you were pronounced dead by the paramedics...
Multiple internal injuries, eh? Yeah, nasty. And the worst thing is lying
there, listening to them try to revive you, and eventually give up...
"And, next day, your wounds
are gone, as if they were never there, and you're walking around as if
nothing happened. You did the smart thing, running away like that... If
you'd stayed, they'd never have left you alone, running tests and such
stuff. As it is, you are officially dead. 'Tis better that way, son,
both for you and those you knew... You see, we're not like them. You were,
but you're not anymore. Yes, I know you don't understand! Just listen,
and be still! This is hard enough to explain without you interrupting every
second minute!
Before you 'died', you were
just like any other man... You could be wounded, you grew older every year,
you needed to go see the doctor when you were sick. Just like any normal
person. Except for one thing. You had inside you a spark of life bigger
and brighter that anyone else's. All that's changed now - when you 'died',
that spark burst into flame, and it's power and strength cured your wounds,
and brought you back to life. I know it sounds weird, but just trust me,
ok? Who else you gonna listen to?
The Quickening is the name given
to that flame that burns inside of you. It could be described as
your life force. Every living thing has this force inside of them, and
it ties them together, heals their wounds, keeps them alive. However, it
can be extinguished all too easily. When a man's life force dies, he dies
with it. When you were wounded in the car crash, your life force was pushed
down to no more than a tiny spark. Then it exploded, and grew, until it
was bigger than any mortal man's. A million times more powerful. So powerful
that it can heal wounds that would kill any mortal man. So powerful, it
could bring you back from the very brink of death.
Aye, I said 'mortal man', son.
Why? For the simple reason that you are not mortal anymore, son. Neither
am I. The same thing happened to me as happened to you - I was killed and
reawoke again.. Here, take this sword, and draw it across my arm. Go on!
Do it! Good and deep! Don't worry about me...
Now see this wound? What would you
normally do if you got a wound like this? Go to the hospital or some such
thing, and get stitches and a massive bandage. Am I right? Well, watch...
Already, the blood's stopped flowing. In a few minutes, it'll begin
to heal, and before the end of the day, you'd never know I'd been hurt
at all. Why? It's the Quickening! The same thing would happen if I got
shot, or if I was burnt. It works the same way with you as well! Your Quickening
healed the wounds you sustained in the car crash...
I don't know why it happens.
It just does... I'm not an expert - I'm just like you - I was living a
normal life, until I was killed in battle against a raiding party of Vikings.
Aye, Vikings, son... No, I'm not from Scandinavia, I'm from Ireland. I
was born at a place called Brugh na Boinne, near the Hill of Tara, in the
Kingdom of Midhe, in Ireland. I was taught all this, just as I am teaching
you, by a man called Liam Mac Dara... He was well over three thousand years
old by the time I met him.
Now? He's dead... Aye, I know I said
we're immortal, but there is one way we can die - If your head is removed
from your body, you'll die. Now, listen carefully, because this is the
most important part. You asked me why I carry a sword. I'll tell you. When
one immortal kills another, by beheading his opponent, the defeated immortal's
Quickening flows into the victor, and he become more powerful. All the
dead immortal's strength, power, knowledge and experience transfers itself
into the one who beheaded him. That's what happened to Liam Mac Dara. He
was killed in France, by a German immortal, who I killed two hundred years
ago.
Why'd I kill him? Well, partly to
avenge Liam's death, but there is also another reason. There is a legend,
passed down from mouth to mouth over the ages which tells of a time when
all living immortals will feel drawn to a particular place, to fight for
the Prize. We must fight until only two immortals remain. Then, they shall
duel for the Prize.
I don't know precisely what it is...
Some say that the winner of the Prize would become a God. Some say it would
mean the end of the world. One thing that is certain - the winner of the
Prize would have all of the immortal Quickening that ever existed, and
would be powerful beyond belief. He would have all the strength, knowledge
and experience of every immortal that ever lived. So, down through the
ages, immortals have been fighting each other, looking forward to the day
of the Gathering, when a few of us shall remain, and we'll come together
in one place to fight each other for the Prize. The time of the Gathering
draws near, and you must prepare yourself to fight other immortals, many
of whom will have hundreds of years experience.
How many of us? I don't know... Perhaps
one man in a million is born an immortal, perhaps even less. We come from
every race, creed, religion, and region. The Quickening doesn't seem to
discriminate between black, white, or, indeed, any other skin-color. I
have fought and killed immortals from Europe, China, and South America.
I have also fought other creatures
of legend.
We are not alone in being different
from mortal man in this dark world. There are other supernatural creatures,
who you shall meet in the course of your life. But there are others who
can live for as long as we can; the Kindred, for instance - Vampires, are
they, undead creatures who must drink the blood of mortals to survive.
They can live for many centuries. They do not age, but they can die from
normal wounds, even though they heal at an advanced rate. There are
Magus, who wield Magic, twisting reality with their incantations and spells.
There are Faeries, ghosts, Spirits and evil, horrible things from places
other than this Earth of ours. You may encounter them, as you travel, and
you must be prepared to combat them, and cleanse them from the face of
the planet. It is truly a Dark World we live in, with many secrets that
are hidden from mortal man. Of all these supernatural creatures, we are
the least common, and, some would say, the most powerful, as all the rest
can either grow old, or die normally. A two-thousand year old Vampire will
still die if you burn it, whereas I have heard of an immortal, who, accused
of being a witch, was burnt at the stake, and survived. Just remember
that, no matter how badly wounded you are, you will always totally recover,
without scars or permanent injury, but remember that if you are lying unconscious,
or unable to move, it can be very easy for someone to come along and take
your head. The only thing that will not heal totally is any part
of your body that is separated. If you lose a hand it is gone.
Though some believe it would grow back eventually. Therefore, if
your hand is chopped off try to get it or it may be gone forever.
"Ah, whisht, lad! So many questions!
You'll get your answers in time... You'll have to learn all you can
about this world, and the creatures you'll encounter. You'll have to learn
how to live without drawing attention to yourself. You'll have to learn
how to hide your immortality from normal people. I'll teach you everything
I can, and then I'll have to leave you. But the most important thing
you'll ever learn is how to fight. All immortals fight using swords, although
I met one who uses an axe. Aye, uses. He's still alive, and is my friend.
He saved me from a group of Hunters once. The Hunters are a group of mortals
who wish to kill us all off. They capture immortals and behead them, allowing
their Quickening to disperse into the ether.
"You'll have to learn how to
use a sword, for that is the only way you can defend yourself, and it's
the only way you can defeat other immortals. You can't cut a man's head
off with the barrel of a gun, you know. I was given this sword by Liam
Mac Dara. It is thousands of years old, crafted by blacksmith magicians
over five thousand years ago. It's a silver Celtic longsword, and is a
part of me. Get that bundle from over there. Bring it here, lad...
"This is an English Broadsword, crafted
from steel in the middle ages. I took it from an immortal I killed in London
almost a hundred years ago. Take it. It's yours. Make it part of
yourself, an extension of your body. And extra limb. When you do
that, it will become part of you to such an extent that your Quickening
will embrace it as part of you and make it stronger. Feel it's weight.
Swing it around a bit, get used to the feel of the blade... That's it...
"Before we start, there is one thing
I must tell you. We have certain traditions - laws, if you want to call
them that... No immortal will ever break them, for they are practical,
and have a sound reason for existing. The Golden Rule is this: We
must never fight on holy ground. If an immortal is beheaded on holy ground,
his Quickening will be drawn into the ground, and will be lost forever.
and holy ground means more than just churches and the like. Don't
worry, though. You'll be able to tell when you are standing on holy ground.
Much the same way as you'll be able to know other immortals. Remember you
were dizzy when you first saw me? I call that the Buzz, and it's something
that'll happen every time you meet an immortal. You're feeling it right
now, are you not, except that it's been suppressed because of the amount
of time we've spent together. Well, if another immortal came near
us, you'd get another buzz, and you'd know that there was one nearby.
"Well, enough talk! It's time
for you to learn something other than theory. Come on, let's teach
you the art of swordsmanship! Without it, you won't last long. Before long,
you'll have to face immortals with hundreds, even thousands of years experience.
To survive, you'll have to defeat them in battle. If you don't kill them,
they'll kill you. The Prize awaits one of us, and the Gathering draws near..."
Foreword
"With my sword and my head held high, Got to pass
the test first time..." -
Queen
Foreword to First Edition by Hank Driskill:
Ever since the introduction of the
World of Darkness, the idea of incorporating the immortals from the movie
Highlander has seemed not only interesting and appropriate, but almost
necessary. The world presented in Highlander (there should have been only
one) and the series closely mimics that of the Storyteller system: a world
slightly darker and more menacing than our own, with supernatural beings
wandering among us. In fact, the movie Highlander is listed as an inspiration
in the credits for the Storyteller games, so the introduction of these
characters seems vital.
Foreword to Second Edition by John Gavigan:
This is the revised and expanded edition
of Hank's original Highlander rules, including a combat system designed
to support complex sword duels. It is designed as a supplement to
White Wolf's World of Darkness series of games, and is compatible with
any of White Wolf's World of Darkness Storyteller games.
These rules are copyright of Hank Driskill and
John Gavigan. They are in the public domain and may be copied and distributed,
as long as our names remain here. The use of the "Highlander" name and
quotes from the film Highlander in these rules is not a challenge to the
ownership of the rights to the Highlander movie, nor of the ownership of
the rights to the Highlander television series by Rysher Entertainment.
Forward to my version just in case it ever goes anywhere
other than my own personal use. Billy Bossier
This edition is for my own personal
use in my World of Dimness. It is a combination of the parts I like
best in the other systems including my way of handling what the Quickening
and the Gathering are. As well as a few other quirks. The following
primary changes were made: I added a unique special gift that each
immortal has and that travels with the quickening. I limited the
time span of each Game (though the Immortals do not know it) Several
times during the series they have hinted that Immortals also have special
powers that are unique to each. Cainus as an example. The limiting
of the Game just adds the possibility that there are more than one Game
going on at the same time even if they don't know it.
Chapter One: Introduction
"In the end, there can be only one." - Ramirez
Being an Immortal means more than just
living forever. Immortals have a unique place in the world. They are seemingly
the only constant in an ever changing, adapting society. They are a living
link to the history of the human species. They are among us, but they are
forever alone, existing through the centuries sometimes only for a primitive
instinct that tells them they must survive . . . until the time of the
Gathering. Now, they are dying, killing each other off, one by one, in
pursuit of an undefined goal called the Prize. The Gathering is now, and
being an Immortal will never be the same again.
Becoming an Immortal shatters your
world into a thousand tiny pieces. Imagine that later today you are
killed. You are hit by a car, or you catch a stray bullet, or maybe you
just fall down the stairs. Whatever way it happens, there's a brief moment
of pain, fear, and surprise. Your entire life flashes before your
eyes, and then nothing. Everything goes black and that's it. Except
for you. You wake up from the blackness. Your head explodes and you see
someone hovering over you. He tells you that you can never see your family
and friends again, that you are dead and now you have to move on. He tells
you that you must learn to use a sword because strangers will be coming
to cut off your head. He tells you that you should be glad for the fires
burning in your head, because they will tell you when enemies are approaching
to kill you. He tells you that this is the end of time for your kind, and
you will spend the rest of your life in battle or on the run, until you
are either killed or until there is nobody left in the world like you.
And you only get told all of this if you're one of the lucky ones. So,
cast off all of your happy notions about playing an Immortal character.
This is the World of Darkness and if you think the real world is bad, wait
till you play the Game.
Immortals have existed almost as long
as humans. They are born from Human mothers and fathers, but something
makes them different. The spark of life in them is too strong to be extinguished
by all but the most violent blows. So, that's exactly what it's come down
to. The Immortals feel an invisible tug towards one another. They
know that they are in a conflict until only one remained. That one
Immortal would receive power beyond imagination. That power is called the
Prize, and the time of the Gathering is now. Immortals throughout the world
can feel an invisible force tugging them towards one another. Like the
countless immigrants of the last few centuries, Immortals pour into the
great melting pot, where all but one of them will meet with death. Is the
Prize even worth fighting for? The only thing you know is that it's all
going to happen. So many are gone already, and you don't know how much
longer you can resist the call to join them. The game has begun. It's winner
take all and there's no going back. This is the end.
Immortals seem to appear at random
from the human population. One in a million perhaps, maybe less. They are
born of humans, raised as human, and (to most) appear quite human. They
age, living a normal life, until they first are killed. Then, they miraculously
recover, and begin their lives as immortals. Immortals cannot have children.
They do not age, and do not get sick. They “die” from the same wounds that
would kill a mortal but they always recover (in the series, it was mentioned
that one immortal was burned at the stake, and recovered from it). The
only way for them to die is to have their head removed from their body.
Down through the ages, a legend has
been passed from mouth to mouth - that of the Prize. The legend says that
at a time when the number of immortals in the world grows small, the remaining
immortals shall feel an urge to travel to a far-away land, where they shall
fight until only one remains. The final survivor shall win the Prize.
No one knows exactly what this Prize is, but to win it is the goal of every
immortal, as it is assumed that the person who wins it would be, in effect,
a god.
The term Quickening refers to the
lifeforce of an immortal. It is the sum of all his knowledge and power,
all of his strength and experience. It is a life force so strong that it
keeps the immortal from aging and heals his wounds at an advanced-speed.
Quickening is what the immortals fight for: when they fight, they fight
to literally absorb their opponent's lifeforce into themselves, thus making
themselves more powerful.
Before we can discuss the creation
of immortals as characters, we must decide what Quickening means, and how
to represent it in the Storyteller system. It shall be discussed in depth
later on, but, for now, a simple explanation will suffice.
The Quickening
Every immortal can sense the Quickening
in
other immortals. The more powerful the Quickening the louder the
sound. Therefore, every immortal who has died the first death has
a Quickening rating of 1. The Quickening rating may only be increased
by killing other immortals. It rises swiftly at the beginning and
more slowly the higher Quickening the immortal has (see below gaining Quickening).
In the Storyteller system, we keep
track of the "power" of an immortal with an attribute called (surprisingly
enough) Quickening. Quickening allows immortals to perform superhuman
feats. The higher the immortal's Quickening, the more abilities he has
and the more powerful he becomes. Quickening is a "catch-all" attribute,
and has many powers associated with it, not all of which are related.
The Quickening Curse
No immortal can ever create children
from their own body not even before their first death. If they go
to a fertility specialist their body will appear completely normal they
simply will not be able to create a child.
The Quickening Powers
Anytime an immortal kills another they gain some aspects of the other through their Quickening. The Quickening is gained by the immortal who manages to remove the head of the other. However, not every piece of experience is transferred by the Quickening. This is so for two reasons. Number one, the Quickening of another Immortal is very hard to digest and so not only is power lost, it also hurts like hell. Number two, just because you kill someone doesn't mean you are ready to control her power. You must first have enough control over yourself before you can control the power of another.
1) Sense Quickening:
Very rarely an immortal can sense
the Quickening before they suffer the first death. However, an immortal's
Quickening is considered to be 0 until that time and they are infact difficult
to detect by other immortals (Quickening roll difficulty 8). Using
this ability, an immortal will sense another immortal nearby. No specific
information on the immortal's identity is given, nor is the location of
the immortal known, merely that the immortal is near. However, each
immortals Quickening is unique. Roll Perception + Immortal Lore (difficulty
depending on situation but generally high) to recognize the particular
immortal.
Sense Quickening also allows the immortal
to sense a Node ("holy ground"). Usually, no roll is needed for sensing
holy ground. Likewise, an immortal can sometimes sense other beings
with Awakened vitae within them although a Quickening roll is necessary
for this. Other beings with lifeforce within them includes: immortals
who have not suffered their first death, vampires, magus, spirits etc.
2) Healing
Immortals heal much faster and more
completely than ordinary humans. Non-aggravated damage heals at the
rate of one Health level per round (+1 Health Level/1 point of Quickening)
if the Immortal is at rest. If the character does not rest, one health
level will heal in five rounds (+1 Health Level/2 points of Quickening).
Aggravated damage heals at triple the amount of time for normal damage.
Aggravated damage is caused by anything
of supernatural origin, such as vampire fangs, magical spells, and werewolf
claws. Aggravated damage is also caused by particularly extreme damage
(getting cut by a chainsaw, being hit by superhot fire or acid are a few
examples of nonmagical aggravated damage). Silver does not cause aggravated
damage to an immortal. Any part of the immortal’s body that is separated
from the rest (ie a hand chopped off) regenerates at a rate of one year
per health level done. However, if the limb is reattached it heals
as if Aggravated damage.
If an Immortal is reduced in
health past incapacitated (and is not beheaded), he "dies." After five
rounds + 1 round per health level below zero of being dead, -1 round
per two dots in Quickening he can move up to incapacitated. After that
he heals as described above.
3) Arcane
This ability is the Immortal’s tendency
to be overlooked. It can be overwhelmed but part of the Immortal’s
nature causes this effect. Roll Quickening (difficulty 10) each time
Quickening rises if it is successful the Arcane rating goes up one.
Extra levels of Arcane may be purchased at the beginning of the game with
freebie points.
Immortals are inherently mysterious people. The
character with this rating tends to be overlooked. The Immortal’s
conquests tend to not show up. The sword stored isn’t visible unless
the call attention to it. Arcane is believed to be the tendency of
the Weaver to minimize the effect that supernaturals have upon the overall
pattern of the world that he is producing.
Each time the limelight would be gained
roll the Immortal’s Arcane + Magical. Difficulty decided by the situation.
A successful roll indicates that the world simply conspires to keep the
character hidden. Examples: killed someone in front of a reporter
with video tape (difficulty 20), killed someone on video tape (difficulty
15), carries a sword through airplane security (difficulty 15), carries
a sword (difficulty 10).
4) The Bonded Sword
An immortal may also bond to a particular
melee weapon. This bonding allows the immortal to make the weapon
incredibly strong. This bonding adds the Quickening rating x3 both
to the damage the sword does and to the damage the sword can take.
A bonding is assumed with a beginning character. A bonding costs
10 experience points + 1 per level of Quickening and takes approximately
a month of training with the weapon per point of Quickening (approximately
2 hours per day must be spent with the weapon, increasing the amount of
time spent with the weapon does not make the Bonding go quicker).
This does not mean the character cannot use other weapons but he may only
have one bonded weapon at a time.
5) Unique Quickening Gift
Each immortal has a psychic
power (see psychic gift creation system) from their Quickening.
This gift may be weak or strong may be developed (by spending points) or
may be completely unknown. Whenever an immortal is killed his gift
goes to his opponent as a potential gift that he can possess.
Most immortals have quite a few powers that they don’t know about due to
the nature. This gift is like a discipline power. It never
goes up in power except through increases in Quickening. These Quickening
gifts tend to begin as rather minor affairs and become reasonably powerful
the higher the character’s Quickening. (Examples: Richie’s
power is the ability to recover quicker from damage. He doesn’t heal
quicker he simply can keep moving and ignore damage longer, Canus could
talk to dogs, Duncan’s power appears to be the ability to occasionally
perform superhuman feats of strength and dexterity (ie probably costing
Willpower)). The character can only increase their primary power
through beginning freebie points. All others must be rolled at the
beginning of the game for each level.
Each time a character goes up in Quickening
roll Quickening difficulty 15 for each Quickening power (difficulty 10
for their primary power). A single success gives the character an
increase in power of that gift. Example Duncan kills Canus whose
special power is speaking to dogs. Because Duncan beheaded Canus
the new power becomes part of Duncan. However, the power given to
Duncan Awakens only because Duncan gained a point of Quickening and rolled.
Duncan failed rolls for several other powers but managed to increase his
own special gift Dex bonus to combat with that same Quickening roll.
There is no flub on this roll but no sort of points can be spent for automatic
successes.
To create a Quickening gift create
as if the character has a psychic gift at level 1. However, the gifts
will tend to be narrowly defined (see above). The character's initial
gift may be raised above level one with freebie points and may may
also increase known gifts as if increasing psychic gifts.
Gaining Quickening
Immortals can only increase Quickening
by taking another immortal's head. When they have successfully finished
their opponent, they gain the opponent's Quickening level x2 in "Quickening
IP". Immortals also gain 1 Quickening Improvement Point per 10 years
of life. These points can only be spent to raise Quickening level.
The character can raise multiple levels of Quickening in one head chopping
It costs Current Level x 6 to increase
Quickening. This is the only way to increase Quickening no other IP may
be used for this purpose.
For each dot in Quickening over 1
the player may choose a general special power (not the power level but
they can say that Ardvark talked to ardvarks). The storyteller chooses
others on the following chart. That is the highest known Quickening.
|
|
Gained |
|
|
|
|
| O |
|
occurs at first death |
10 + O |
|
|
| OO |
|
|
10 + OO |
|
|
| OOO |
|
|
10 + OOO |
|
|
| OOOO |
|
|
10 + OOOO |
|
|
| OOOOO |
|
|
10 + OOOOO |
|
|
| 5 + O |
|
|
15 + O |
|
|
| 5 + OO |
|
|
15 + OO |
|
|
| 5 + OOO |
|
|
15 + OOO |
|
|
| 5 + OOOO |
|
|
15 + OOOO |
|
|
| 5 + OOOOO |
|
|
15 + OOOOO |
|
|
IP Gained from Quickening
Another part of the Quickening comes
with each head taken. A part of who the person is killed comes with
it and with that comes some of the normal abilities of the character.
Therefore, each time a character takes
a head. The storyteller spends IP equal to the enemies quickening
x the points in the age background. The player has absolutely no
control over where those points are spent and in fact should not know where
those points are spent except in the most general terms and only when they
come up. (You know you can use a computer now because you sat down
and started playing with one and wrote a new operating system for a pc).
Look at the chart above for the actual
number of experience points. This chart is only used during beginning
character creation and to create enemies. This is not a chart to
add experience or gifts to a character after play begins.
DARK QUICKENING
Introduction
There is a very dark side to the Quickening.
Occasionally the character absorbs too much of the other person during
the Quickening. It is commonly called the Dark Quickening but could
as easily be called the Light Quickening (or the Slightly Dim Quickening
or heck even the Purple Quickening). Once the other personality
gains control of the character the only way to remove it is by defeating
it in battle within their own mind. However, the new personality
does not want to lose itself so it will not help this process along.
There have been three victim's a Dark
Quickening in the series Darius, Duncan, and the Shaman (unfortunately
I don't remember his name). When a Dark Quickening occurs take the
personality traits that most seperates the character from the person they
are fighting and add it to the one who defeats the other. Also, add
the defeated person's nature as the primary nature of the character.
Keeping Track Of The Darkness
The Dark Quickening is relatively rare
but frightens most immortals who believe in it. It happens when the
willpower and Quickening of the one defeated becomes more powerful than
the one who won the battle. To decide whether a Dark Quickening roll
is required add the character's current willpower and current Quickening
rating together. Do the same with the ememy defeated. If the
defeated enemy's Willpower + Quickening is more than half again (1 1/2
times round up) the character's willpower + Quickening a Dark Quickening
may occur.
Once this has occurred the character
enters a contest of wills. Both the character and the defeated roll
willpower (difficulty 10) if the defeated wins the contest of wills a Dark
Quickening occurs.
Example
John Renter is a 400 year old
immortal he has a current willpower rating of 2 and his quickening rating
is 2.
The Evil Baddy has a current willpower
rating of 4 and a Quickening rating of 4.
John having always been a little obsessed
with his sword defeats Evil. However, because Evil's Willpower +
Quickening rating of 8 is more than 1/2 again of John's four. John
rolls willpower difficulty 10 and Evil rolls his willpower difficulty 10.
Big surprise (you shouldn't have spent that willpower point John)
Evil wins and now John exchanges his nature of GoodyGoody for Evil's nature
of Sadist. He also takes Evil's personality trait of likes to torture
puppies (since John loves dogs) and rapes for fun (since John is a romantic
but not a rapist)
The Battle
"If your head comes away from your neck, it's over." - Ramirez
When two immortals fight, their Quickening is mingled into an electrical lightshow around them, in direct proportion to the power of the two. When one wins the battle (by removing the other's head), he absorbs the Quickening of the loser, gaining some of the loser's power and knowledge and, therefore, shows much of the motivation of the Game. The victor of a duel between immortals is whichever one has a head when the battle is over. That person then receives Quickening (see above) and experience (see above).
The exchange of Quickening looks like lightning shooting out of the headless corpse, into the other, into the ground, and into the air. This causes dice of damage equal to Quickening rating of opponent aggravated damage to everything within a ten-yard radius, Quickening rating dice -1d within a twenty-yard radius and Quickening rating dice -2d within a thirty-yard radius. Massive damage is inflicted on the Immortal victor, but the Quickening heals her almost instantly. Aggrevated damage heals as if normal damage during the Quickening.
The Rules
"Holy ground, Highlander! Remember what Ramirez taught you!" - Kurgan
The immortals have rules of engagement:
these rules are traditions, with a basis in common sense, and most immortals
follow them. These rules are each based around Quickening, and the gain
and loss thereof. These rules are enforced by the natural laws (or
supernatural laws) governing the Quickening.
The Golden Rule for immortals
is that they must never fight on holy ground. No sane immortal will
violate this rule, for they have too much to lose. Thus, holy ground can
become a haven or sanctuary for immortals; a place where they retreat when
faced with an impossible opponent. The reason for this rule has to do with
the flow of Quickening.
When two immortals battle on
holy ground, the site itself is always assumed to be the victor. When the
victor takes the loser's head, the loser's Quickening flows into the site.
This place of power then takes the new power and magnifies it by a random
amount 50xd10. This new Quickening is then spent as vitae and used
to create a magical effect with strong negative consequences (explosion,
fireball etc). Also any damage the immortal takes on holy ground
will not heal except very slowly (1 year per health level)This usually
sufficient to keep most opponents from fighting on holy ground. Especially
since nothing is gained and the Quickening is lost. Luckily, immortals
automatically sense whether they are standing on holy ground or not, as
they experience a sensation similar to the buzz they experience upon encountering
another immortal.
Holly ground is considered to be any
Caerns, Nodes, Fairy Mounds and Quintessence site as well as any longterm
regular site of holy ceremonies.
The second of the three rules is that
the immortals always fight one on one. Why is this? A pair of immortals,
with their centuries of experience, could work quite effectively together
to whittle down the "surplus population", as it were. Why do they not team
up? In the first episode of the series, Connor and Duncan (who are friends
and even Clansmen) refused to team up to battle the decidedly evil Slan
Quince...
The answer to this riddle comes from
the way the Quickening transfers itself upon it's release - If two immortals
are present, and there are no other factors involved (such as being on
holy ground), the Quickening will transfer into the person who actually
took the dead immortal's head. In one episode in the series, Duncan dueled
with another immortal, but Amanda stepped in at the last moment and took
the other immortal's head, thus gaining the Quickening. Thus, if
two immortals battle an enemy, only one of them will receive the Quickening
from the battle. Therefore, occasionally particularly trustworthy
sorts who also happen to be willing to break all the rules will team up
but immortals have a tendency to seek those out and kill them even
before they will a close personal enemy.
The third rule is that There Can Be Only One: Quickening attracts itself. If there are only two immortals left in the world and they just want to leave each other alone, they won't be able to. There will be so much Quickening concentrated in each individual that they will never be able to leave each other's presence. They may choose not to fight, but anybody who has ever spent an entire twenty-four hour period in another's company knows that this will not last long.
The rules technically apply only to matters concerning two or more Immortals. This leaves Immortals on holy ground open to attack by any number of non-Immortals. This also means that Immortals can use any tactics they choose when dealing with non-Immortal enemies. There are Immortals who feel that the rules restrict them from committing any violent act on holy ground, but that is strictly a matter of personal choice (although they may not see it that way if you break their rule). Immortals heal normally damage caused by other nonQuickening possessing beings on holy ground. The interaction between the two quickenings and holy ground appears to cause the slowed healing.
Combat Summary
An immortal may have a special weapon
melee weapon that is his. This weapon is a manifestation of his Quickening.
An immortal may only have one such weapon.
For each point of quickening
add 1 die to the damage roll of the weapon (note for other WoD effects
this extra damage counts as aggravated), add 2 to any rolls to decide whether
the sword is broken and add one to strength for purposes of parrying with
the sword.. This special weapon must be trained and fought with exclusively
for one month per point of Quickening. Whenever using this extra
ability sparks fly from the sword when struck. An immortal may choose not
to use the Quickening and normally does whenever fighting an immortal or
when simply practicing with a pupil.
The Gathering
"From the dawn of time we came,
moving silently down through the centuries, leading many secret lives.
Struggling to reach the time of the Gathering,
when the few who remain, will battle to the last." -
Ramirez
The legend of the Gathering has been passed down from immortal to immortal, through the ages. The Gathering is the name given to the time when but a few immortals remain. They shall feel "an irresistible pull towards a far-away land... To fight for the Prize." In this respect, immortals are doomed to fulfill a pre-determined role. It is their destiny to battle one another until a single immortal emerges victorious. According to the series, the time of the Gathering is upon us, and the Prize is waiting to be won.
The Prize
"I know! I know everything! I am everything!" - Connor
The immortals battle for "The Prize":
either for themselves, or to keep it from falling into evil hands. Mankind
would suffer an "eternity of darkness", as the movie said, if the Prize
came to an evil immortal.
The Prize exists. Almost all
immortals believe the Prize to be the ability to be godlike in power and
share their gift of immortality or chose to grow and die and bear children.
Anything else that an immortal has ever wished they could do has been added
to this list. All immortals except perhaps one who has already won
the prize believes there is only one Game.
If only it could be that simple.
The Game is in fact several Games going on simultaneously in a mishmash
where no one playing the Games even knows there is more than one. Each
Game includes 100 immortals that may come from all different timeperiods.
Each Game occurs for incredible spans of time for no reason except that
the last member of his Game may not yet be born.
Any who kills every single one
of the immortals in his Game gains access to all of the powers present
in those players. Any who wins the prize in their Game gains
every unique Quickening gift present in all those ever killed in their
game at power level six (See psychic gift system). They also gain
the ability to Awaken a mortal to immortality. This immortal will
be in a completely different Game and a new Game begins. However,
only an immortal who has gained the Prize can tell the difference in the
Games. Also one who wins the Prize does not feel drawn to other Quickening
though others may still feel drawn to his (his choice, however, since he
automatically gains the gifts of those others he kills at power level six
it does become a temptation). Any person who has won the prize is
still detectable as one who is Immortal and is still ageless.
Chapter Two: Character Generation
"I am immortal, I have inside me blood of kings..." - Queen
Storytellers should make it a condition
that, for an immortal character to be accepted as a character in a Chronicle,
their background and past should be at least summarily documented, and
their character should be developed. This will often deter players
who wish to play an immortal simply because he is immortal.
Immortals are a very unique
character class, due to their humanity: despite the centuries behind them,
they are still human... alone among the mortals, hidden, but still human
in mind and soul. This humanity makes them unique and interesting characters
to explore.
Suggested Character abilities (see basic
Talorian system)
Statistics 75
Skills 60 + Age background bonus
Backgrounds 7
Quickening
Gift you have 2 points to spend on it all others must come from freebie
points. See also the
Immortals gift creation
Figure Willpower
Quickening starts at 1 unless you take the predead flaw.
All other points of quickening must be paid for with freebie points.
Freebie points 15.
Character Creation Outline
Step One: Character Concept
Who are you?
Identify Concept: Who were you,
what have you become? Name your character. What was he originally called?
By what name does he currently go?
What was the name of the Immortal
who trained you to fight and in the rules?
When were you first born? When
did you first die and awaken to immortality?
What is your Quickening gift
Step Two: Select Statistics
What are your basic capabilities?
Step Three: Select Skills
What do you know?
These skills are also affected by the age
background as well as by Quickening rating.
Step Four: Select Advantages
The Quickening characteristic
is the most important to an immortal... it defines their power, and isvery
useful in battles with other immortals. Beginning immortals begin
with 1 Quickening; this may be increased by spending Freebie points, as
discussed below.
Choose Backgrounds:
May be limited by chronicle. The suggested limit is 5 (Each level
costs 7 points)
Choose Psychic
Gift: The power gained from the Quickening. Beginning gift must
be paid for as must all Awakened gifts. Create the gift with Giftedness
factor
Choose Merits
and Flaws: There are also some special to immortals
merits and flaws. The merits and flaws list is very long.
Step Five: Finishing Touches
Fill in the details.
Record base Quickening (bought
by spending freebie points)
Spend your 15 Freebie points
to raise any trait.
Abilities
The reason that characters do not
start with more ability dots has to do with forgetting old skills.
Think about your freshman year of college. How well do you remember
the skills you never used later. Therefore, there will be a cost
for keeping skills. That will be explained elsewhere.
The backgrounds text has all the backgrounds you need.
Age
Due to an immortal's Game older immortals have through
the ages built up ememies. Therefore, Immortals gain 2 enemies/dot
in Age. These enemies will come from all ages but will be a challenge
for the character. However, an immortal is automatically regains
willpower as if they had two dots less in age. These enemies come
from all different time periods.
Finishing Touches
Pseudonym
Every human lifetime or so, it is
necessary for an Immortal to change Identities to avoid having someone
in the human population noticing that the same person has been around for
several centuries. Your pseudonym is the name you are currently going by.
When you introduce yourself in mortal society this is the name you will
use. When introducing yourself to another Immortal you may use your real
name. If you have just died for the first time your pseudonym may
still be your real name.
Teacher
This is the name of the Immortal that
first found you and taught you everything you know about being an Immortal.
There is only room here for the Immortal's name. It is recommended that
you write a paragraph or so about that immortal or at least discuss her
history with the Storyteller when you are going over your own past. How
old was she when she found you? Did she treat you as a student or as a
servant? Was she open with information or did she keep you bound
to her with mystery? Is she still alive or has she lost her head? Have
you see her since or did you part for good? This is also a background
that affects how much knowledge the character gains from his teacher.
Birth
This is the date of your birth.
Becoming
This is the date you first died and
became Immortal. How old were you when this happened? How did those around
you react to this? How long was it before you were found by another Immortal?
Chapter Five: The World of Darkness
A New Immortal
No other supernatural creature may
be an immortal (except those that are essentially mortal ie magus, psychic).
However, if you want to add a dose of randomness to a game add in this
quirk.
Roll 3d10. If each of these
dice comes up a 10 then the character is an immortal. With all the
problem's inherent in not having a teacher. This is only an alternative
rule for other games. That means that the chance is 1 in 1000 but
there is still a chance (the chance is actually much higher than the actual
odds but is still really rare). In fact several adventures might
occur out of this accident of fate. This doesn't claim that the character
was never an immortal but that he never knew it.
The Side Effects of Quickening
Quickening is the lifeforce of an immortal,
and can only be removed by removing his head. In the World of Darkness,
there are many other ways to remove someone's power, none of which will
easily succeed against an immortal. Some examples include:
* Vampire’s gain extra sustenence from drinking the blood
of an immortal. Add one to Stamina Dexterity and Strength per three
points in Quickening. Note for this effect the vampire must drink
at least 4 blood points from the immortal. This does make them
popular targets of vampires who think they can survive.
* An immortal's mind, spirit, and body are tightly held
by their Quickening. Although mind effects ( Dominate, Presence, etc) may
affect the immortal, his mind cannot be pulled from his body, nor may his
spirit be removed without his head being removed first. This is not a contested
roll, this is automatic.
* An immortal's vitae may be drained from them through
the use of Vitae Thaumaturgy. For each point of Quickening the Immortal
possesses there is considered to be 10 extra points of vitae.
Most Magus view them as walking Vitae pools. An immortal Magus can
spend this vitae as normal. This vitae regenerates at a rate of 10
per day. An immortal cannot spend their original 10 vitae.
It is the source of their immortality and is locked into them except when
their head is removed. Predead immortals can spend their vitae as
normal and do not have the extra vitae
"Fighting to survive, in a world with the darkest powers..." - Queen
Immortals don't go around in groups,
for very obvious reasons. Therefore, there will normally only be a single
immortal player character in a Chronicle, and the other PCs will presumably
be one of the other character types detailed in the Storyteller games released
so far - Kindred, Werecreature, Magus, or Spirit. Immortals are relatively
rare beings but also they are the quietest about their existence.
Therefore, most supernatural creatures do not know about immortals and
when they do they tend to not know about the Prize nor do they necessarily
know the way to kill an immortal. An immortal's Aura generally appears
to be the aura of a Magus with a great deal of vitae stored.
Although immortals are, after all,
immortal, and don't necessarily need to eat, sleep, and so on, failure
to do so will result in them becoming weak, although they can never die
of hunger or exposure. However, hunger and cold make immortals as uncomfortable
as they do mortals, and therefore, it is desirable to have a roof over
one's head, and money, in order to make your life more comfortable. Most
Immortals prefer to live among mortals though occasionally a few immortals
will live together for a short time.
During their extended lifetimes, immortals
are likely to amass huge amounts of wealth. Immortals go to great deals
of effort to appear completely mortal. If for no other reason
than it makes it harder for other immortals to find you. However,
this can be difficult, and can involve having to leave worldly assets behind.
In the film, Connor used to leave his goods to children who had died whilst
very young, and "die", only to return after a suitable interval to assume
the identity of the dead person and claim their inheritance. This is probably
the best way of ensuring that an immortal doesn't have to give up whatever
worldly possessions he has earned when he has to move on, in order to prevent
his true nature being discovered. Doubtless, there are immortals who travel
around quite a bit, but it's likely that, after several centuries of travelling,
an immortal may wish to stay in one place for a while.
Obviously, if an immortal has
settled down in one place, they will need to have some way of paying for
their lifestyle on a day to day basis. Duncan, for instance, has extensive
stock holdings, but he is also an antique dealer, as Connor was. What better
job for a man who was alive when many antiques were new? Other professions
which require a knowledge of the past may also attract immortals, like
a history professor, for instance. Who better to describe the Civil War
than someone who was actually there? Immortals' supernatural abilities
mean that they are practically perfect as soldiers, or something similar.
What could be better than a soldier who isn't just simply unafraid of dying,
but is actually unable to die? Most immortals will no doubt have been involved
in some sort of conflict at some point in their lives, unless they actively
avoided it.
Were an immortal's secret to
become known, the results could be potentially disastrous. Imagine what
would happen were a company such as Development Neogenetics Amalgamated
or Pentex Inc. to discover that immortals exist - they would stop at nothing
in an attempt to discover the secret of immortality. Therefore, an immortal
character must be careful to guard his secret, and maintain the facade
of normality.
Antagonists
"How do you fight such a savage?" "With
heart, faith, and steel..." -
Connor, Ramirez
In this section we will discuss how Immortals are likely to interact with the other supernatural beings in the World of Darkness, as well as other individuals and organizations, such as the Inquisition.
Vampires:
Immortals are quite likely to run
up against the Kindred of any city they visit - Kindred feed off mortals,
while Immortals are more likely to try and protect them. Not only that
but Immortals make a really yummy snack (all immortals are considered to
have the potent blood disadvantage for no points)
However, as much as an immortal can
be a powerful enemy, they can also be a powerful ally. It is possible that
individual immortals and vampires can become friends and allies, for both
have one major trait in common - both have the potential to live for an
inordinate length of time. Both understand what it is like to live for
much longer than mortals. However, unlike many Kindred, Immortals are still
innately human, and the bestial nature of many Kindred will repel them.
Also the yummy snack aspect of the Immortal tends to make an immortal wary
of the vampire. Immortals cannot be Embraced and infact cannot have
their lifeforce completely removed.
Werecreatures
Immortals are more likely to
join the Children of Gaia instead of the Warriors of Gaia. The Children
find them facinating and respect their ability with battle. However,
they do consider the immortals to be generally sad creatures taken out
of the cycle of life. The Warriors fear the Prize and fear the power
behind the Quickening and often consider them as much an enemy as the other
supernaturals. Werecreature Caerns are considered to be holy ground
and are a safe haven for immortals. Werecreatures know more about
immortals than any other supernatural group. The immortals often
form friendly relationships with Children of Gaia and is actually the best
potential for an immortal in an established game.
Magus
Immortals and Magus don't mix particularly
well. Magus are simply too curious about what makes an immortal what
it is. However, some immortals have managed to become magus themselves
(though they almost never train another immortal). Nodes are considered
to be holy ground. Therefore, magus and immortals may find themselves
liking the same locations. This causes some difficulties.
Spirits
Immortals and Spirits have little
to do with one another. Though rarely a spirit and an immortal who
can view them will associate but these are likely simply individual friendships.
Immortals cannot become spirits if an immortal is killed it is forever
except through the Quickening. This causes many spirits to not begin
close friendships with ones who may be taken from them at any moment.
Fairies
Some believe that immortals are actually
fairies who have been left. Immortals don't know and its practically
impossible to get a straight answer out of a fairy. Fairies feel
no special bond to immortals nor do they feel any special hatred.
They are simply mortals that you can visit for a longer period nothing
else. Fairy mounds are considered to be holy ground. However,
an immortal that tries to kick out the fairies and refuses to follow their
rules can make themselves a dangerous and annoying enemy.
The Wyrm
Minions of the Wyrm, such as Fomori
and the others the wyrm has managed to corrupt. An immortal makes
a wonderful wyrm slave for their healing factors and immortality make the
twisting that occurs when most others join the Wyrm less extreme and take
longer. They are likely to attempt to subvert first but then they
will kill any immortal who gets in their way.
Governments
It is highly unlikely that the Government
knows, or even suspects that there are immortals out there, although there
may be a section of the FBI or some similar organization which is carrying
out an investigation into the possibility that there is a serial killer
going around, chopping people's heads off. Witnesses of Immortal duels
are likely to be given the same amount of credibility as the ex-Marine
was in the movie - ie. none at all. On the other hand, Immortals are likely
to have to tread carefully, and take extra care, when trying to hide their
immortality from individuals in government departments, and so on. However,
immortals are much more likely to run into trouble when trying to deal
with the police. Particularly if they are murder suspects, like Connor
was in the film. An immortal had better make sure that his cover is unshakable
if he comes under investigation by the police or FBI.
The Inquisition
The Inquisition is likely to have
encountered immortals during the Dark Ages, when they would have been considered
to be witches, or "in league with Lucifer", as Kate said. The punishment
for such heresy was burning at the stake, and at least one immortal in
the series has survived such an ordeal. It's very unlikely that the Inquisition
knows of the existence of Immortals. However, see the information on the
Watchers below.
The Watchers
The Watchers are a group which predates
the Arcanum, and, although they have links with the Arcanum, the Arcanum
proper is unaware of the existence of Immortals. The Watchers are. They
have spent centuries studying the immortals, chronicling their exploits,
but not interfering. They keep accurate records of all new immortals, who
has taken who's head, and (like the immortals themselves) wonder as to
who will gain the Prize, and what this Prize is. Watchers are mortals,
and are chosen for their "normalness". They don't stand out in a crowd,
they blend. They don't trigger the immortal's senses, and are trained to
observe. Their only distinguishing feature is a tattoo on their wrists,
a circle with a holy symbol of their order within. This allows them to
easily recognize one another, and to remind them of their mission.
The Watchers in the early 21st century phased out the use of the symbol
due to a leak in their organization.
The Hunters
In recent years, a rogue branch of
the Watchers has formed. This group has links with the Inquisition.
Fueled by paranoia, it's members have decided that they cannot wait and
hope that the immortal who gains the Prize is a good person. They actively
hunt and kill immortals, removing their heads and allowing their knowledge
and power to be lost to the Ether. In this way, they seek to stop
any immortal from achieving the power of the Prize. These "Hunters" view
immortals as the greatest danger ever to face mankind... both the Watchers
and the Hunters are detailed in the series, and some of the main characters
in the second season are members of these groups. Although the other supernatural
beings, are not mentioned most likely they would have a similar opinion
of other supernatural creatures.
Unique Immortal Merits and Flaws
No Sword: 3pt. Flaw
Taking this Flaw just means
that the Immortal does not start the game with a bonded weapon. Either
he has lost or broken it or just never had one. This in no way restricts
the character from bonding a weapon through the course of the game.
Two Swords: 2pt. Merit
The character starts the game
with two bonded weapons. This merit also assumes that the character
can always have two weapons it is simply a quirk of his personality.
No Teacher: 2pt. Flaw
Nobody ever taught you about
being an Immortal. You have no conception of what you are. You may think
you are cursed or a god. You have no clue about the rules and you probably
can't use a sword. If you aren't found by another Immortal soon you will
probably die.
No Buzz: 4pt. Flaw
In the same way a person can
be born blind, an Immortal can be born without the ability to sense Quickening.
Other Immortals can still sense you, but you cannot sense them. You can
be snuck up on like a normal human. Your only defense is that they don't
necessarily know this. You also cannot sense holy ground, so you must be
careful where you fight.
Pre-Dead -5 point flaw predead.
You have not been killed the
first time so they, therefore, you heal as a mortal and are not aware
that they are immortal so will avoid being killed or injured.
This is pretty much the sidekick flaw. Any character who takes
this flaw and then slashes their wrist will find themselves buying off
the flaw with IP 6/point in flaw All points must be spent to buy
of the flaw at storyteller's discretion.
Scarring: 1pt. Flaw
You heal as rapidly as any other
Immortal, but for some reason your tissue does not heal perfectly. Anytime
a normal person would be scarred, you are too.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 6: The
Watchers
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