751 lines
36 KiB
Plaintext
751 lines
36 KiB
Plaintext
He is immortal.
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Born in the highlands 400 years ago.
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He is not alone.
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There are others like him;
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some good some evil.
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For centuries he has battled the forces of darkness
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with holy ground his only refuge.
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He cannot die unless you take his head and with it his power.
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In the end there can be only one.
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He is Conner McCloud the highlander.
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THE HIGHLANDER GUIDE
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FOR FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAMES
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Another Quality Guide
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Provided By
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Duncan McDier of the Clan McDier
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Preface
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In the Beginning...
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Becoming an Immortal
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The Guidance
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Requirements
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The Quickening
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The Immortal Code
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The Death of an Immortal
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the Gathering
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The Prize
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The Watchers
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The Role of an Immortal
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Anti Munchkin/Monty-Haul Tactics
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PREFACE
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This small guide is provided for those people who play fanatasy
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role-playing games and want to bring to the game information and rules
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based on the Highlander movies and television series. Although
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knowledge of Highlander is not necessary to play, it helps in
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explaining the style and flavor that is unique to Highlander.
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Also, Hank (DRISKILL@CS.UTAH.EDU) created a White Wolf system's
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World of Darkness supplement for Highlander. Some of the Highlander
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information presented in his supplement was used here to better
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describe the workings of the Highlander world.
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Hopefully you will enjoy this guide and I would be happy in
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hearing of and changes or additions you have made in your Highlander
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campaign.
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--- McDier
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IN THE BEGINNING...
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A being (or beings, power, or force) mightier than the gods
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created all planes of existence. This being realized that there would
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come a time when the gods would no longer exist as the powerful
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entities they are. Unfortunately, sentient beings whether good or evil
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without gods could not exist either for they would have no guidance.
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So, the being decided to create Immortals who will one day gather and
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fight to the death. In the end there can be only one and he or she
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shall be the ruler of the universe.
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Of course, a GM may not want to rid the universe of deities and
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make a supreme Immortal ruler. Variations as to the purpose of creating
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Immortals are:
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The Immortals are created as above, but they fight to become ruler
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of a planet, crystal sphere, or dimension instead of the entire
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universe.
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The Immortals are created so that the best Immortal may obtain
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deity status. Maybe to start a sphere of influence that is non-
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existent.
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Maybe an Immortal is to replace a lost or destroyed god. For
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example, a deity becomes destroyed. The deity's divinity is distributed
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amongst the Immortals. When one Immortal kills another, he gets that
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fragment of divinity and continues on. When the last Immortal is
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killed, the survivor is granted all the powers of the dead deity, the
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deity is "reincarnated" as through this Immortal. In this case, the
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majority of Immortals should tend to be the same gender, race, and
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alignment.
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BECOMING AN IMMORTAL
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Immortal Potential
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A person isn't born Immortal per se. A "potential" Immortal is
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born mortal and leads a normal life unaware of his great potential.
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Until he reaches "maturity" he is treated as any other mortal and can
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die like anyone else. It is impossible to tell a potential immortal
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from other mortals by any means. No magical method will work and even
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the gods will not or cannot tell. After maturity, the person is
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technically immortal, but is not aware of his power.
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Awareness of regeneration ability will of course happen whenever
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an injury occurs but it is hard to recognize except in sever instances.
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Coming back from the dead, so to speak, is a sure sign of great
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ability. But this doesn't explain WHY?
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Full awareness of being an Immortal and what it means typically
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comes about when another Immortal seeks him out and teaches him the
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ways of the Immortals (discussed later).
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Immortal Creation
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But who decides who has Immortal potential. The creation of
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Immortals is done through a variety of indirect means. A GM should
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decide which is best for his campaign.
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Deity Champion
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A deity may choose a champion and thus bestow Immortal status on
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him or her. The deity may select a potential Immortal at birth or
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choose a mature person and instantly render him an Immortal. Not all
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deities will want a champion Immortal (for example, the god of peace
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may not want a champion) but most will. After choosing a champion, the
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deity may not interfere in any way with the champion's life. Although
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he may be aware of being Immortal, the champion is unaware of being the
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deity's champion. Furthermore, the champion of a deity is not known by
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other deities and can never be learned (if you tried to tell a deity
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who another deity champion is he would know that you said something but
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not what you said).
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Remember that the great forces of evil will have their champions
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also.
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Exile
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On a different plane of existence there is a dictator of the
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planet Zeist called Katana. Whenever he captures enemies (usually
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rebels that are part of a holy underground) of his dictatorship, he
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banishes them (required by the clerics) to another dimension (i.e. the
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campaign plane of existence).
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Everybody sent from the other dimension is "born" into a new body,
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with vague memories of who they once were. Being from the different
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plane of existence, they become Immortals.
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This option is taken from the 2nd movie which is probably best
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forgotten.
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Random
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Always the easy way, a potential Immortal is randomly born and if
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he reaches majority he becomes an Immortal.
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Instead of instantly becoming Immortal upon maturity, the GM may
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opt to let the potential Immortal become an Immortal only after "death"
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(i.e. reaching negative hit points).
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Violent Death
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Immortals may be mortals who have died a violent death, but wake
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up a short time later, alive and unharmed.
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In game terms, after the initial "death" the Immortal wakes up
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after 1d6 rounds (or 1d6+6 hours for GMs who desire).
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Birthright
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Before a potential Immortal becomes an Immortal, he may reproduce.
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The children of a potential Immortal may become potential Immortals
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themselves.
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Killing an Immortal
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When a non-Immortal severs the head of an Immortal, he absorbs the
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Quickening of the slain Immortal as Immortals do. Unfortunately, he
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must make a saving throw vs. death magic to absorb the slain Immortal's
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Quickening. Failing the save causes death. If the first is successful,
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the mortal has to make another saving throw vs. death magic to
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withstand the shock of becoming immortal or die.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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THE GUIDANCE
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Upon reaching Immortal status, another Immortal will be drawn to
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the new Immortal to teach him or her. A nearby Immortal is compelled to
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seek out the new born Immortal if a save vs. magic is failed. The
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Immortal tends to be the same alignment as the one he seeks.
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Some unscrupulous Immortals kill off Immature Immortals before
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they can discover what they really are.
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REQUIREMENTS
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Ability Scores - Once a potential Immortal becomes an Immortal, he
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gains a +2 to Strength, +2 to Dexterity, and +2 to Constitution. Thus,
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pitiful potential Immortals will receive higher ability scores when
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they become Immortal.
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Armor Use - An Immortal tends not to use armor because armor seems to
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hamper his freedom. If an Immortal does wear armor, the armor will not
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provide any extra protection to the neck, i.e. a called shot to an
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armored neck is no different then a called shot to a bare neck, the
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head will come off just as easy.
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Class - An Immortal has experience in all classes. However, the
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Immortal must choose a "primary" class which tends to be the one he had
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as a potential Immortal. Once he becomes an Immortal, he also joins the
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fighter class. An Immortal gains experience by adventuring in his
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fighter class and primary class only as per multi-class rules. The
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Immortal is treated as a multi-classed character in respect to game
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rules.
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Experience gained in other classes occurs during the taking of the
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quickening of another Immortal. The character may use abilities of
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these classes as level dictates, if he wishes. Most tend not to do the
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rigorous training as a fighter.
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Note that Immortal clerics do not need to have a specific deity to
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gain clerical powers. Clerical powers come through the quickening and
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not patron deities.
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THE QUICKENING
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The quickening is the power within an Immortal. Its a different
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kind of magic. Its the power of the soul magnified. Its the life force
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of an Immortal. It is the sum of all his knowledge and power, and is
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what makes him different from the mortals around him. Quickening is
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what the Immortals fight for: when they fight, they fight to literally
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absorb their opponent's life force into themselves.
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Age - Once a potential Immortal becomes an Immortal, he doesn't
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physically or mentally age. This is a big problem for potential
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Immortals that died at a young age and find themselves to be children
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or teenage Immortals. A child Immortal typically doesn't survive long
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as he is an easy target for older, stronger Immortals. It is suggested
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that minimum age for an Immortal is equal to the ages of puberty
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(dependant on race).
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Breathe Water - With this ability, an Immortal may survive indefinitely
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underwater, drawing oxygen from the water. This is not the same as not
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breathing, It has been shown that Immortals do breathe, and that poison
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gas will affect them (although it cannot kill them).
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Empower Self - Using his Quickening, an Immortal may increase his
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physical attributes for one hour per day. The Immortal gets +1 for
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every five fighter levels that may be distributed as the player wants.
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Empower Weapon - Using their Quickening, an Immortal can infuse his
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weapon with power, causing them to do more damage, and also causing a
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showy electrical discharge. When using an edged weapon, an Immortal can
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charge the weapon which gives him a +1 to hit and a +1 to damage.
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Furthermore, a called shot to the neck (-3 to hit), will sever the
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opponent's head.
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Immortal Sensing - Only another Immortal can detect an Immortal's
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quickening. Whenever an Immortal is within 25 feet of another Immortal,
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he will sense the quickening of the Immortal, and know his general
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location (i.e. behind, in front of, etc). No specific information on
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the immortal's identity is given, nor is the location of the immortal
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known, merely that the immortal is near.
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This power also allows an Immortal to sense holy ground.
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Immunity - An Immortal is Immune to disease and curses.
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Instant death magic has no affect on the Immortal. Spells and
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psionics that damage or destroy the mind (Feeblemind, Phantasmal
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Killer, Mindwipe) are undone when the Immortal reaches negative hit
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points.
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An Immortal isn't Immune to poisons but poisons have little effect
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since any damage done by poison is quickly regenerated. The most an
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Immortal will feel from poison is a slight discomfort.
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Infertility - A hindrance to the quickening causes an Immortal to be
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infertile, i.e. unable to reproduce and have children.
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Mind Protection - An Immortal's mind, spirit, and body are tightly held
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by his Quickening. Although mind effects may affect the Immortal, his
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mind cannot be pulled from his body, nor may his spirit be removed
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without his head being removed first.
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Regeneration - An Immortal will begin to regenerate Immediately after
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being wounded. Each round, an Immortal will recover 1 hit point for
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every two levels until fully healed (GMs may adjust the regeneration
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rate to suit his needs). Immortals reduced to zero or fewer hit points
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fall to the ground, incapacitated but not slain. An incapacitated
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Immortal continues to regenerate and can get up once he gets positive
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hit points. After "waking-up" from "death", some Immortals feels some
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pain and discomfort. This manifests itself as a -1 penalty to Strength,
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Dexterity, and Constitution for every fighter level under 10. Immortals
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that are a 10th level fighter or more do not suffer such effects.
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For example, Rath is a 7th level fighter who is killed and wakes up
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as an Immortal. He will regenerate 2 hp per round. If he is ever struck
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down and then "wakes up", he suffers a -3 to Strength, Dexterity, and
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Constitution. Its lucky that Rath was a 7th fighter when he became an
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Immortal or he'd be really hard off.
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If an limb or body part is severed (with the exception of the
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head), it will not reattach themselves like they do on other
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regenerative creatures. A new body part will eventually grow as part of
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the regenerative process. It takes one hour to regenerate one cubic
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inch of lost body parts.
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Fire and acid damage can be regenerated like all other forms of
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damage.
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The exception to the regenerative powers is wounds to the neck and
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head. Wounds to the neck and head wounds are semi-permanent. They heal
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as a mortal's wounds would head but the wounds scar as a mortal's
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wounds.
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An Immortal does not suffer brain damage. Damage to the senses
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(sight, hearing, etc.) is up to the GM, but it suggested that no
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permanent harm can come to the sensory organs.
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Shared Soul - Two Immortals may become as one by combining souls. This
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allows the Immortals to communicate with one another; even if one has
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been killed. There is no real great benefit save for the eternal
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brotherhood created.
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Speed of the Stag - An Immortal may increase his actions in a turn. An
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Immortal gets one extra attack per turn.
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Also, an Immortal gets the Running non-weapon proficiency free.
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Magic Resistance - An Immortal has 3% magic resistance for every level
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since becoming Immortal.
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THE IMMORTAL CODE
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The Immortals have a code of contact. These rules are traditions
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with a basis in common sense. These rules are each based around
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Quickening, and the gaining and losing thereof. The Immortal Code is
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followed by all Immortals; even the most sinister. In is unknown what
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will happen if the code is violated for no Immortal has dared to
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violate them. It is just the way.
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Rule of Engagement - An Immortal must issue his challenge personally,
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he can not use others to fight in his stead. Furthermore, An Immortal
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may not send in followers to "soften up" an opponent.
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Most importantly, Immortals always fight one on one. Why is this?
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A pair of Immortals, with their centuries of experience, could work
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quite effectively together to whittle down the "surplus population", as
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it were. So why do they not team up?
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The answer to this riddle comes from the way Immortals fight. When
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they battle, the Quickening begins to flow between them, mingling and
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flowing around them. When one of them defeats the other, the Quickening
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flows into the nearest receptacle: because of the mixing, and the
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natural tendency of an Immortal's Quickening to return to him, his
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Quickening and that of his opponent flow into him.
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If two Immortals battle an enemy, only one of them (most likely
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the one who actually removed the head) will receive the Quickening from
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the battle. Not only will they receive their own Quickening, and that
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of the loser, but also a fraction of their ally's. This stealing of an
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ally's knowledge and power is not a pleasant thing for the ally, to say
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the least, and is therefore something that no Immortal desires. Hence,
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the rule "always fight one on one" has developed. Its mono el mono.
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Rule of Combat - An Immortal may only use an edged weapon or no weapons
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(i.e. hand-to-hand combat) in combat with another Immortal. Offensive
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magic (i.e. magic that is used as a direct attack like Fireball) is
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forbidden in combat with the exception of a magical weapon that might
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be possessed. An Immortal cannot wield magic with the intention of
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crippling the opponent and then taking the helpless Immortal's head.
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Holy Ground - An Immortal may not fight on holy ground. Nor will an
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Immortal disrespect holy ground in anyway. Holy ground is any place
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dedicated to any deity (neutral, evil, or good) or any religion. Even
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holy ground of a now dead religion is still a sacred place.
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An Immortal may not stay on holy ground to avoid a fight once the
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formal challenge is made. Some Immortals seek sanctuary on holy ground
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for a time to get away from it all, but spending eternity hiding out is
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not the way of the Immortals.
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If two Immortals do battle on holy ground, the site itself is
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always assumed to be the victor. When the victor takes the loser's
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head, the loser's Quickening flows into the site, as does a portion of
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the victor's as well. This loss of power and knowledge is sufficient to
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dissuade even the most vicious of enemies from attacking on holy
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ground.
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However, an Immortal's head has never been taken on holy ground.
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When an Immortal has engaged in combat and tries to take a head,
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supernatural forces have prevented this act. It is recommended that a
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GM follows this path and does not allow holy ground to be violated.
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THE DEATH OF AN IMMORTAL
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Immortals cannot die from any conventional injury: they will
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always recover, no matter how severe the damage. An Immortal can only
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be killed with the separation of his head from his body.
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When two Immortals fight, their Quickening is mingled into an
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electrical light show around them, in direct proportion to the power of
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the two. When one wins the battle (by removing the other's head), he
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absorbs the Quickening of the loser, gaining the loser's power and
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knowledge.
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When an Immortal emerges victorious, slaying another, he absorbs
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only a fraction of the energy flowing around them. The excess energy
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from the battle discharges into the environment, causing glass to
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shatter, electrical devices to explode, and in general making a mess.
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Note that mortals that view the transfer of the Quickening must
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make saving throw vs. spell or flee for 1d10 rounds in terror.
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In game terms, the Immortal gains 10 percentage of the other
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Immortals experience points. For example, if an Immortal kills another
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that has experience points of 50,000 Fighter and 25,000 Thief then the
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victorious Immortal gains 5,000 Fighter and 2,500 Thief experience
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points. Rather than this high-point system, GMs may opt to use hit
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dice/levels with the Immortal powers added in to calculate experience.
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As part of taking of the experience, the Immortal gains 1 or 2
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(GM's judgement) of his victim's non-weapon proficiencies.
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A non-Immortal can kill an Immortal through decapitation, but the
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Quickening is lost unless another Immortal is nearby unless the GM uses
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the "Killing an Immortal" rule for creation of an Immortal.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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THE GATHERING
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Immortals have a legend passed among them, that they will
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eventually feel a call to battle, and will be forced to fight one
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another until only one remains. This one will get "The Prize", some
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power that none of them know or understand. Down through the ages,
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awaiting the Gathering, Immortals fight, kill one another, and absorb
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each other's Quickening.
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Eventually, the GM must decide when the Gathering will occur. At
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least 500 years after the creation of the last Immortal should pass to
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give that Immortal time to prepare.
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The Gathering may be anywhere but it should be in a large area.
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Also, it is suggested that the area be a highly populated metropolis
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just to make it exciting.
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A few years before the Gathering, the Immortals will be drawn to
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the area where the Gathering will take place. No magic or force of any
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kind can prevent an Immortal from reaching the Gathering. Once there,
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the Immortals must fight each other to the death until only one is left
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alive.
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In the end, there can be only one and he shall get the prize.
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THE PRIZE
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Only one shall get the prize, and the prize is great indeed: Ruler
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of the universe. The Immortal is elevated to godhood status. Since the
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concept of Immortals was created for the sole purpose of creating one
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ruler of the universe, chances are all gods no longer exist. If GMs
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still have existing gods, then the Immortal becomes supreme ruler over
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them. Also, a variant prize as discussed "In the Beginning" section may
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be used instead.
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Part of the prize is the ability to know the thoughts of all
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creatures. This ability is key to being ruler for it gives power
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through knowledge.
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GMs should note that it's not really necessary to define the prize
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in game terms, since the Immortal who gains it will become in essence a
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god. The Highlander movie left it deliberately vague, and in keeping
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GMs may not wish to define the prize. Suffice it to say that an evil
|
|
Immortal gaining it would pose a danger to all.
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THE WATCHERS
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The Watchers 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 "normalcies". 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.
|
|
In recent years, a rogue branch of the Watchers has formed. This
|
|
group, fueled by paranoia, has 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.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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THE ROLE OF AN IMMORTAL
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|
What makes running an Immortal interesting is their humanity.
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|
Unlike other creatures who are immortal like undead, Immortals are
|
|
still the same in mind and soul.
|
|
Immortals deal with their "affliction" in different ways. Some
|
|
Immortals just try their best to live a normal life, and enjoy living
|
|
amongst the mortals. It is tough to deal with the pain of losing
|
|
friends and lovers, but most cope with it. Other Immortals enjoy their
|
|
life and love to take advantage of mortals at every opportunity. No
|
|
matter how an Immortal fits into society, he will always be reminded of
|
|
what he is.
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|
It should be noted that becoming an Immortal may have unusual
|
|
effects on a character, depending on personality. A character who has
|
|
difficulty relating to people may find it even harder to make friends
|
|
after becoming an Immortal. A devoted cleric or paladin who dies and
|
|
becomes an Immortal in service to a god might become more religious, or
|
|
less religious. As long as the Immortal's personality is based upon the
|
|
personality before death and deals with the "change of state", the
|
|
character should not be penalized.
|
|
What will change after becoming an Immortal is the character's
|
|
attitude. No longer is wealth and power important (as it is to most
|
|
characters). There is a greater purpose for existing and this purpose
|
|
is always a part of an Immortal. Whenever an Immortal might forgot who
|
|
he is, he finds that he is often reminded though the visit of another
|
|
Immortal, the death of a close person, the actions of those that know.
|
|
Dealing with being an Immortal is the biggest role of an Immortal and
|
|
this is what the role-playing experience should be about, not a
|
|
munchkining Monty-Haul hype trip.
|
|
There are a few things that a player might consider. An Immortal
|
|
should be moderately wealthy but not anything extreme that would draw
|
|
attention. Wealth is a comfort but not a driving force or way of life.
|
|
Edged weapons are the means of decapitation so an Immortal should
|
|
eventually learn the Broad Group for Blades and specialize in the ones
|
|
he prefers (these weapon proficiency rules are in The Complete
|
|
Fighter's Handbook). An Immortal tends to be skilled at non-weapon
|
|
combat and the player should spend weapon proficiencies on various
|
|
styles preferably those in the Oriental Adventures handbook (a great
|
|
source for martial arts). The martial arts rules presented are much
|
|
better than any other 2nd edition rule on non-weapon combat.
|
|
Sure a simple called shot to the neck can finish an Immortal, but
|
|
players and GMs alike should grasp the true feel of the Immortals.
|
|
Often in the duels fought in Highlander, the two fight until one loses
|
|
his weapon and is driven to the ground, agmitting defeat. It is rarely
|
|
a lucky shot that chops off the head, but more often a defeat of the
|
|
spirit. One of the failings in most RPG systems is that the combat
|
|
system lacks the detail that the Highlander movie shows in the duels
|
|
for Quickening (of course it's implied in most RPG combat that a lot of
|
|
thrusting, parrying, and summing up of an opponent happens in a round).
|
|
Hence, the GM and player is encouraged to embellish the combat greatly.
|
|
Combat between two Immortals will often be only a few dice rolls, but
|
|
the importance of the combat deserves as much attention as possible.
|
|
Remember that the character is fighting to increase his power, in a
|
|
battle where he has a decent chance of dying. The character is fighting
|
|
for his knowledge and power, pitting it against another to the death.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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|
|
ANTI MUNCHKIN/MONTY-HAUL TACTICS
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|
|
|
GMs should be aware that a Highlander campaign offers a lot of
|
|
opportunity for munchkinism and monty-haulism. After all, an Immortal
|
|
character is a powerful one, and power attracts "Munchkins" and "Monty
|
|
Haul" players.
|
|
It is fine to allow an Immortal to gather enough wealth to live a
|
|
decent life. But don't let it get out of control. How can a GM stop an
|
|
Immortal from becoming extremely wealthy? Well, hopefully the player
|
|
will get in character and realize all the problems wealth will cause.
|
|
First, the most wealthy people draw attention and an Immortal doesn't
|
|
need attention. People will start to notice that the Immortal doesn't
|
|
age or die. Also, other Immortals will take notice and come after him
|
|
more often. And there are always the same problems mortals have with
|
|
wealth. An Immortal should be content with having enough wealth to live
|
|
a good "normal" life.
|
|
A GM should consider the pre-Immortal period. Before a player
|
|
jumps into an Immortal character, he should have to develop the
|
|
character in a series of potential Immortal adventures. This allows the
|
|
character to develop as a character should. A developed character
|
|
improves role-playing and not munchkinism.
|
|
A GM can then move on to the awareness phase when another Immortal
|
|
seeks the character out and teaches him about the Immortals. This
|
|
provides more blueprints for role-playing rather than hack-n-slash
|
|
adventures. All of this pre-Immortal stuff should weed out the
|
|
munchkins quickly enough.
|
|
Eventually, the character will be an Immortal and this is when the
|
|
power might be to much for the player. This is when the GM can get
|
|
control by bringing in some tough NPC Immortals. However, the GM
|
|
shouldn't go crazy introducing NPC Immortals. Having a NPC Immortal
|
|
annoy the PC Immortal once in awhile is alright, but the GM should
|
|
avoid the Highlander's television show's "Immortal of the Week"
|
|
syndrome.
|
|
GMs should always remember that evil Immortals will stop at
|
|
nothing else to gain Quickening: friends and loved ones are often
|
|
pulled in as pawns in the battles, as are helpless innocents who have
|
|
nothing to do with the Gathering... no one is truly safe. An Immortal
|
|
PC can lose more than his head.
|
|
One of the best controls a GM has over a player is the
|
|
distribution of experience points. Experience should not be awarded
|
|
when Immortality is used as a safety net. For example, "Oh, well, it
|
|
doesn't matter what I do, I'll just come back to life in a little
|
|
while." Heroically holding off the hobgoblin tribe as they cross a
|
|
bridge, or "distracting" an angry red dragon should be awarded
|
|
experience, since the character is still risking death (by
|
|
decapitation). Immortality should be a privilege not a right.
|
|
Other Immortals are not the only problem of an Immortal. Many
|
|
mortals are superstitious and seeing an Immortal come back from the
|
|
dead can cause a lot of problems.
|
|
On the other hand, Immortals are not super heroes, just
|
|
human(oid)s who live a long time and have natural regeneration. After
|
|
all, trolls regenerate and undead are immortal to some extent. If
|
|
anything, an Immortal would seem like some freak half-breed. There is
|
|
always a non-Immortal somebody or something that can destroy an
|
|
Immortal.
|
|
What if some mortals become organized to rid the world of
|
|
Immortals (see THE WATCHERS). Covert organizations could monitor and
|
|
even slay Immortals that they thought were not acting in humanity's
|
|
best interest. Any of these groups would hold a grudge against
|
|
Immortals, and might even attempt to decapitate the Immortal.
|
|
Other beings would have unusual relationships with Immortals.
|
|
Ghouls and vampires would love to capture them, since an Immortal is an
|
|
unlimited food supply. Liches would view Immortal mages as potential
|
|
adversaries (immortal without a phylactery, physically almost as
|
|
powerful, and able to harness mortal allies). Elves who don't know the
|
|
Immortal would view him with suspicion: what did this person do to live
|
|
forever, and who has paid the price for their longevity? Of course,
|
|
elves who become friends with Immortals will have close
|
|
relationships -- as the centuries pass. Druids could have either a
|
|
positive or negative view of Immortals (either as something that
|
|
doesn't die, like and undead, or the counterbalance of all those who
|
|
died at birth).
|
|
Of course, there are always wizards, priests, and other people who
|
|
would love to study and experiment on an Immortal. After all, an
|
|
Immortals can do things without magic. Who wouldn't want to harness
|
|
such great power?
|
|
There are also a lot of things worse then death: being buried
|
|
alive, spending a life-sentence in jail, and always watching your head.
|
|
Remember, Immortals are closer to normal than not. Immortals still
|
|
have to make ability checks and proficiency checks to do unusual
|
|
things.
|
|
In then end, there is always the GM.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Major work on the guide was provided by: Brent The Phantom, Joe
|
|
Delisle, Ronald "Greymoon" Jones, Hank. Some information was provided
|
|
from discussions from: Badger, Mandragore the Wizard, Bruce, Grabbit
|
|
Wileucan.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
PROLOGUE
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Treatise on Immortality by Stephen Bonet presented to the Wizard's
|
|
Tribunal in the Common Year 585.
|
|
|
|
Greetings Fellow Mages!
|
|
|
|
As always, it is with great honor and privilege that I address you at
|
|
this Tribunal. My sodalis and I have come across a most curious breed
|
|
of man, and I would like to present our studies of this man for you to
|
|
enjoy:
|
|
|
|
His name is Guillaume, and he was born in the common year 2 to a farmer
|
|
and wife outside the Gnarley Forest. All of this information about him
|
|
has come from our explorations of his mind and body, for despite his
|
|
incredible powers he is but a man, albeit a very special kind of man.
|
|
|
|
Through his mind, we saw his death and rebirth: unlike the mummies of
|
|
the undead, however, he does not travel to a spirit realm and beg to
|
|
return, but rather his internal power somehow regenerates his form, no
|
|
matter how damaged it has become. This natural healing is rapid,
|
|
causing him to return from the most grievous of wounds to his full
|
|
health in scant hours.
|
|
|
|
We tested his mind's visions, and in fact his wounds heal remarkably
|
|
quickly. He cannot be drowned, for somehow his lungs draw air from the
|
|
water itself. He can be burned and damaged, but he heals so quickly
|
|
that the most heinous of wounds are little more than an annoyance to
|
|
him.
|
|
|
|
Through his mind, we likewise learned of others of his kind. A teacher,
|
|
who came to him and taught him the Rules, and others, who came to steal
|
|
his power for themselves.
|
|
|
|
Their kind have Rules, built up through centuries of conflict. The only
|
|
way to kill them is to remove their head from their shoulders,
|
|
separating their head from their heart (the two sources of life, as we
|
|
ourselves know). If this is done by another of their kind, the power
|
|
within them (which they refer to as their Quickening, or life) flows
|
|
into their killer, making him even more powerful. Their legends speak
|
|
of the Gathering, a time when all of their kind will battle, until only
|
|
one remains. That one, with all of their power as his own, will be like
|
|
unto a god.
|
|
|
|
How do we explain these beings? Quite easily, in fact. In theory, their
|
|
power is nothing less than raw energy from the energy planes, somehow
|
|
drawn to them from reality itself. As all living things have some faint
|
|
spark of positive or negative in them, these beings have a raging
|
|
flame, which gives them strength and power. This raw power is similar
|
|
to that of Avatars, yet in many ways different. Unfortunately, this
|
|
power cannot be detected. Not even the best magic can detect the power
|
|
so we are at a loss of knowing who has it and who doesn't. We don't
|
|
know if we can tap the energy from the subject and we have not yet
|
|
endeavored to remove his head ourselves, until we are certain we have
|
|
learned all we can from him.
|
|
|
|
Another Rule of their kind deals with Holy Ground, and the fact that
|
|
they cannot fight there. According to Guillaume, he can sense this
|
|
ground, much as he senses others of his kind when they draw near.
|
|
Through studying him and his memories, we have gained some information
|
|
as to this sensation. These connections to the Outer Planes are off
|
|
limits to them? Why is that? The answer lies in understanding their
|
|
battles.
|
|
|
|
When two of their kind fight, the energy within them begins to flow,
|
|
empowering them and their weapons, and literally filling the air around
|
|
them. When one loses, the winner draws his own energy back into
|
|
himself, as well as some of that belonging to his opponent... the rest,
|
|
with nowhere to go, wreaks havoc on the environment around them. This
|
|
energy he absorbs from his opponent carries with it a shadow of the
|
|
man's knowledge, indeed his very life... and in some cases, can
|
|
overshadow the life of the victor.
|
|
|
|
On a holy site, the energy from the loser flows not into the victor,
|
|
but into the Node itself. In this way, the victor not only gains
|
|
nothing, but in fact loses that energy of his which had mingled with
|
|
that of his opponent... a very pragmatic reason for the Rule they
|
|
follow.
|
|
|
|
There are many things about these beings still to be learned. They seem
|
|
as closely tied to energy as we ourselves, but at the same time seem to
|
|
be able to contain and harness this "Quickening" of theirs in other
|
|
ways. In some ways, they seem a living node to the energy planes: a
|
|
constant amount of Quickening within them, unused by their healing and
|
|
powers, and always the capacity for more. We will experiment more with
|
|
this subject, including channeling energy into him, to further explore
|
|
our theories.
|
|
|
|
Thank you for your patience, and good night.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|