Immortal Packiage Deal

[tkdguy]

I'm a die-hard Highlander fan. I've created a Highlander campaign for HERO 4th Edition, and I started the translation into 5th Edition since I got the book, although I haven't worked on it for a while. I wven posted the stats for Duncan MacLeod (the TV series hero) on the web.

 

Here's my latest take on the immortal package deal. I used to put in a whole bunch of powers, but it led to too many cookie-cutter characters. Also, not all immortals have the same powers.

 

I therefore stripped the package deal down to its bare bones. Only the powers all immortals share are included. I've also listed powers individual immortals can have. Any comments would be helpful.

 

IMMORTAL PACKAGE DEAL

Cost Ability

5 Life Support: Does not age

10 Life Support: Immunity to all terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents

40 Regeneration: 1 BODY per Turn, resurrection (may be stopped by beheading), reduced endurance (0 END, +1/2), persistent (+1/2), self only (-1/2)

15 Does not bleed

7 Danger Sense, functions as a sense, out of combat, from Immortals/pre-Immortals only (-2)

5 Detect holy ground

2 KS: Other Immortals 11-

1 WF: Swords

15 Combat skill levels and/or martial arts maneuvers (choose)

3 Linguist

3 Traveler

20 20 points of area knowledge skills and/or languages

3 Fast Draw

3 Concealment

3 PS: Current occupation 12-

2 PS: Former occupation 11-

Disadvantage

-20 Hunted 14- by other Immortals (as powerful)

-15 Monitored 14- by the Watcher Society (as powerful, NCI)

-10 Hunted 8- by renegade Watchers (less powerful, NCI)

-5 Physical Limitation: Sterile

-10 Physical Limitation: Suffers from flashbacks

-30 Physical/Psychological Limitation: Cannot fight on holy ground

-15 Psychological Limitation: Must fight Immortal duels one-on-one

-25 Social Limitation: Secret - Immortal

7 Total Cost

 

Immortal Powers

Life Support: Breathe water. Active Cost: 5. Real Cost: 5.

 

Speed of the Stag: +1" Running (Base 7") Active Cost: 2. Real Cost: 2.

 

The Last: 3d6 Telepathy, takes full phase (-1/2). Active Cost: 15. Real Cost: 10.

 

Empower Weapon: 1d6 RKA, no range (-1/2), OAF melee weapon (-1), linked to weapon attack (-1/2). Active Cost: 15. Real Cost: 5.

 

The Voice: 7d6 Mind Control, 0 DCV Concentrate (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4), Eye Contact (-1/2). Active Cost: 35. Real Cost: 16.

 

Taking of the Darkness: Minor Transform 6d6 (remove negative emotions, heals back normally), Based on ECV (+1), Works against EGO, not BODY (+1/4), All or Nothing (-1/2), ½ DCV Concentrate (-1/4), Extra Time: Full Phase (-1/2), OAF Medicine Pouch (-1), Constant Gestures (-1/2), Constant Incantations (-1/2), Limited Target: Humans only (-1/2), No Range (-1/2). Active Cost: 135. Real Cost: 26.

 

The Power of Illusion: Sight and Hearing Group Images. Active Cost: 15. Real Cost: 15.

[NuSoardGraphite]

That whold "Speed of the Stag" thing is complete crap created by people trying to adapt Immortals to White Wolf's world of darkness game.

 

If you go by what Ramirez was trying to teach Conner in the original film, The Quickening seems to allow Immortals to commune with nature. They have an innate feel for the natural world and this is whats responsible for an Immortal's hyper-attuned senses. Apparently they can commune with nature and take on the aspect of a nearby animal...In the original film, there happened to be a Stag nearby and they were able to feel as the Stag felt...take on some of its abilities.

 

This should work for an immortal with any natural beast within his sensory range. Within reason of course (no taking off flying just because there are pigeons about) but things like taking on the Strength and Stamina of a bear, or the eyesight of an Eagle should be appropriate.

 

At least thats what I got from the conversation that Ramirez and Conner had in the film...

 

People need to learn to read in-between the lines sometimes.

 

But I hardly like being all negative. (note that the above wasn't a stab at your writeup, but at the individuals who created that whole "Speed of the Stag" thing years ago)

The rest of your write-up looks pretty damned good.

 

Hero would be the perfect game for a Highlander type campaign...especially the way Melee combat works in Hero, duels between immortals should be spectacular events.

[Derek Hiemforth]

I would probably make the Regen once per Minute rather than once per Turn. At once per Turn, a normal-sized immortal with 10 BODY could regenerate from 0 to full BODY in two minutes. I never got the impression that they healed quite that quickly.

 

You might also add "Not vs. Hits to Location 5" (or whatever you decide the neck location would be) to the Regen. This woud explain why Ramirez's cut on the Kurgan's neck never really healed, even though it didn't fully behead him.

 

Rather than buying Danger Sense, I'd be tempted to actually make the immortals' ability to sense each other a Disad instead. Distinctive Features, Not Concealable, Only With Unusual Senses (i.e., other immortals can sense them). The whole bit with their senses spinning when another immortal is nearby would just be the SFX of the Distinctive Feature kicking in.

 

I'd take the KS: Immortals, WF: Swords, Travler, Languages, etc. (all that stuff) out of the Package Deal. Those are all things that an immortal will learn over time if they want to survive, but they don't magically know all that stuff when they first discover their immortality. Sounds more to me like XP spent.

 

For the flashbacks Phys Lim... does this actually cause them problems in some way, or is it just a dramatic device of the show? I'd suspect the latter, and probably wouldn't make it a Disad.

 

I doubt the Social Limitation: Immortal is worth 25 points. It isn't threatened all that frequently, and it's not like the whole world would hunt any revealed immortal... most of the world doesn't even believe in immortals. I'd just make it the same as a Secret Identity. (Frequent, Major, 15 points).

Just my .02.

[tkdguy]

Interesting suggestions. Here's why I added said things.

 

Speed of the Stag: Despite my borrowing that name from the WOD write-ups, I originally gave the immortals +1" to running. That's because when I watched Highlander I thought I saw Connor almost catch up with the stag. I'll have to look at it again.

 

Regeneration: 1 BODY per minute seems reasonable. However, the immortals regenerated more quickly in the movies than in the series. Also there was a discussion in the online rpg whether or not immortals regrew lost limbs. The GM ruled that they would. However, our characters would return to life after 2 weeks or so (so we wouldn't have to create new characters all the time), so that was probably a gaming decision.

 

Flashbacks: That all depends on the game. Do they distract the immortals? Do the immortals space out? It's up to the GM.

 

All those skills: Sure, they can be dropped. I would keep WF: swords and some combat maneuvers, though. My package deal assumes the immortal was trained in combat by one of his elders. Concealment would be part of the training in modern times, though. Nobody goes around carrying swords anymore.

 

Secret ID: Could work. Depends on the time period. They would definitely be hunted in the Middle Ages. In modern times, they'd be considered freaks and shunned at best, hounded by paparazzi and the government at worst. And the police will know who to round up if they find someone without a head.

 

To keep costs down, you could include Normal Characteristic Maxima. Since I originally wrote this out for 4th Edition and I prefer heroic games to superheroic games, I left it out.

[altamaros]

Hi, prince of the Universe

 

Interesting work

 

My suggestions from my own notes about the thing:

 

Life Support

maybe you could take "expanded breath: no need to breath" but with the limitation it doesn't protect from gaz effects.

 

There's a contradiction between movies and series (and in the serie itself) :

Ernst Daimler ("Mortal sins") is trapped underwater for 40 years and claims he drowned and drowned again all the time he stayed there.

 

On the other hand, Kit O'Brady ("Double Eagle") said he survived to a shipwreck without problems, so do Duncan when he's thrown overboard ("Vendetta" the ep. with Benito Carbassa) off a ship.

 

Maybe you could also add "immunity to intense cold"

 

Regeneration

The healing is fine. althoug 1D6 Body per minute seems to be low (play test combats)

to simulate the ability to endure damage maybe you could use

 

Body +10

- Only to stave off point of death: -1/2

- goes off at first damage done to neck, only returns when full body is regenerated: -1

 

Immortal senses

Like Derek, i'm not fond of the Danger sense but i don't think it should be entirely a disadv : it's not clearly stated in the movie but in the serie,some immortals seem to feel their kin with more or less accuracy.

ex1 : meeting Mako/Duncan ("Under color of authority"): Duncan senses Mako long before Mako senses Duncan.

ex2 : David Keogh ("Obsession") seems to be able to evaluate the age of an immortal when he senses her. other immies cannot do that.

So the immortals should have the sense. The DF is IMHO already covered by the "hunted".

 

Detect other immortals

* sense

* ranged (or mental sense group)

* 360°

Some may have

* Discriminatory, Analyze

* Telescopic

* Targeting(?)

* etc...

 

Detect holy ground is a nice touch, i didn't think about that.

 

 

For the individual powers, see at the end.

 

The perks :

- "Money" seems to be popular among immies

- as well as "Deep cover"

- and contacts (at least one othe immortal)

 

Talents

- Simulate death

- maybe eidetic memory.

 

Skills

see accordingly to each individual but i would suggest a "personal history" power pool (no more than 10 Act points)

"Personal history"

10 power pool : [10 points]

7 control.

+ 0 phase to change: +1

- Restricted to "old" skills: -1/2 (or more)

3 INT roll to change (SFX : flashback)

Penalty levels : to hit neck locations

 

Disadvantages

ok for the hunted.

the psy lim "Must fight Immortal duels one-on-one" should be part of the bigger Psy. lim. :

 

Psy lim : "immortal code": (Common, Strong)

includes :

- "mortals must not know" (yeah, except loved ones)

- "Must fight Immortal duels one-on-one"

- "In the end there can be only one"

- "respect holy ground" (or can be a phy lim.).

- "if someone sees you die, get out by the back door".

 

I don't think the flashback are phy lim. they don't seem to impair anyone ever but in a couple of issues, immortals seem to be "haunted" by the immortals they killed before (K'oltec, Richie in "Haunted").

Physical limitation: "occasionally haunted by killed immortals": Uncommon, slight: 5 pts

 

As the first cut ot the neck is usually the last one (Kurgan is an exception) :

20 Vulnerability : killing attacks on neck: Body x2 (Common for an immie). (with the regular hit location multiple, it's Body x4 for damage to head now)

Ramirez just rolled a 2 Body on his damage roll IMHO and Kurgan may have more than 10 Body.

Due to this vulnerability the neck retains damage (see Kurgan and Kalas).

 

 

Individual powers:

Empower weapon (in the movies and the first ep of the serie)

Aid (Succor) HKA : 2D6 [10]

+ 0 END +1/2

- Only on edged weapon: -0

- Only if opponent is an immortal: -1/4

SFX: the sword releases sparks of electricity each time it strikes.

 

Kurgan's "I take a full wagon of bullets and i laugh"

Damage reduction, physical 50%

- Not for edged attacks to neck :-1/4

 

Cassandra & Kantos : "the Voice"

32 Mind control: 8D6

+ AVLD flash Defense (hearing): +3/4

+ 1/2 END: +1/4

- 1/2 DCV concentrate :-1/4

- Stops working if mentalist is stunned: -1/2

- not through mind link: -1/4

- doesn't provide mental awareness: -1/4

- Incantations: -1/4

 

Cassandra : "shriek"

12 darkness vs hearing group :

* non-targeting sense group [5]

* radius +5" [25]

- 0 DCV concentration througout: -1

- No range: -1/2

 

Cassandra & the Ermit : Prophecy

14 Claisentience (sight and sound) [30]

* Precognitive [20]

- Precognitive only: -1

- Vague: -1/2

- No conscious control: -1

 

Hermann Kuyler : "i love Absynth"

5 LS: Immunity: Absynth

 

Nefertiri: "i'm a three thousand year old egyptian mummy girl and i speak english"

(yes, it's a lame attempt to correct a bullshit but... )

20 Universal translator

 

Rebecca Horne : "Methuselah crystal"

All IAF, Independent:

LS: Immortality [complete: 5 pts]

LS: Immunity to diseases [10 pts]

LS: Immunity to poisons [10 pts]

Healing 1D6 Body

+ 0 END

+ Persistent

- Extra time: 1 turn.

Armor : 10 PD

+ IPE (sight group)+1/2

(SFX: the bearer just doesn't take the damage.)

 

total : 19 points

 

John Garrick : "Dreams"

24 Mind scan: 12D6.

- must achieve "invisible to target" and +10 effect: -1/2

- 0 DCV throughout: -1

27 Mental Illusions: 12D6

- 0 DCV throughout: -1

- Only through mind scan: -1/4

 

K'oltec : "taking the darkness"

roughly the same write up except a automatic side effect

"transform:healer to evil immortal".

 

Sean Burns : hypnosis:

22 Mental illusions 8D6

+ 1/2 END +1/4

- must achieve effect+10: -1/4

- eye contact required: -1/2

- 0 DCV concentration: -1/2

22 Mind control 8D6

+ 0 END: +1/2

- must achieve effect+10: -1/4

- eye contact required: -1/2

- 0 DCV concentration: -1/2

- linked w/mental illusions: -1/2

 

Kronos : "your tricks won't work on me"

10 Mental Defense +10

5 Flash Defense (hearing): 10

- Only vs sound-based mind control: -1

 

Cory Raines : "dynamite hurts"

40 Damage reduction: Energy 75%

- Body only: -1/2

[tkdguy]

The revised immie package

 

I redid the package based on your suggestions; thanks guys. Here it is:

 

Ability (cost)

Life Support: Does not age (5)

Life Support: Immunity to all terrestrial diseases and bio-warfare agents (10)

Regeneration: 1 BODY per Turn, resurrection (may be stopped by beheading), reduced endurance (0 END, +1/2), persistent (+1/2), self only (-1/2), not vs. neck wounds (-1/4) (34)

Does not bleed (15)

Danger Sense, functions as a sense, out of combat, from Immortals/pre-Immortals only (-2) (7)

Detect holy ground (5)

WF: Swords (1)

Combat skill levels and/or martial arts maneuvers (choose) (10)

Concealment (3)

PS: Chosen occupation 11- (2)

Disadvantage

Hunted 14- by other Immortals (as powerful) (-20)

Monitored 14- by the Watcher Society (as powerful, NCI) (-15)

Hunted 8- by renegade Watchers (less powerful, NCI) (-10)

Physical Limitation: Cannot fight on holy ground (-15)

Psychological Limitation: Must fight Immortal duels one-on-one (-15)

Social Limitation: Secret ID - Immortal (-15)

Total Cost: 2

 

As for the underwater breathing, I suggest gving it the -1/2 Limitation Costs Endurance throughout. That would resolve the inconsistencies of immortals drowning. I just watched "The Samurai," and Duncan had definitely drowned when he was shipwrecked in Japan.

 

Detect holy ground was added only because immortals always recognize holy ground. Adding it for game purposes makes sense.

 

I din't include Empower Weapon in this package, but it can be included too.

 

As for the other powers, some can be explained without powers, others are not exclusive to immies. I'd forgotten about the Dreams. I've got to include it in my work. I wrote up the Crystal too.

 

The Methuselah Stone

1. Immortality and immunity to disease, OAF (-1). Active Cost: 15. Real Cost: 8.

2. +5 overall OCV, OAF (-1). Active Cost: 40. Real Cost: 20.

3. +5 DCV, OAF (-1). Active Cost: 25. Real Cost: 13.

Total Active Cost: 80. Total Real Cost: 41.

 

As for concealing the swords while wearing only T shirts and jeans, the GM has to decide how that works. I once made a joke that immies had really deep...ummm...BACKSIDES! (Yeah, that's the word) to hide their swords.

 

And they never let me GM again.

[tkdguy]

I almost forgot: Cory Raines' dynamite stunt should go by two names.

1. "Can't you take a joke?" when he's blowing someone up.

2. "Hey! What's the big idea?" when he gets blown up.

[Derek Hiemforth]

Actually, here's the suggestion I really should have made earlier WRT the package deal. I'd suggest splitting it into a "Racial" package (things you innately have because you are physically an Immortal) and a "Cultural" package (things you learn or know from being in Immortal society).

[Wildcat]

Wow Lots of great stuff here guys. I did a 4th ed Immortal Hero write up (and I'll admit I borrowed heavily from the WoD one) but that was LONG ago, 6-7 yrs now, and I honsetly havn't gone back over it with 4th ed, or with my greater knowlage of Highlander since I've seen more now, and have the 1st season on DVD. So all this makes me want to go back and re-visit my Immortal Hero.

 

I didn't see any discution (maybe I missed it??) on the Quickening, and the taking of it from another Immortal... and how that translates into Hero. I did some work on that... I don't think it's the 'End-all Be-all' of how this should be done, but I'd love to see what we could come up with.

 

Please feel free to chk out my Immortal Hero at the following Link: http://www.geocities.com/vesbin/

Tell me what you think, and maybe together we can all hammer out a acceptable solution/Immortal Write up for Hero

 

WC

[NuSoardGraphite]

I checked it out.

 

Not bad, Wildcat! Thats pretty much how I would do it.

 

I was thinking myself that The Quickening could be represented via a VPP or Multipower and that the Immortals powers (such as Empower Weapon, Healing, "Speed of the Stag" etc) would draw off this pool.

 

Perhaps an Immortals ability to absorb the Quickening of another increases with time...thus, perhaps the Immortals ability to absorb Quickening can be represented via Transfer with the fade rate bought down to 1/year. This way, as long as the immortal keeps taking heads, he grows in power, but if he takes a siesta, he'll slowly get "rusty"

[Wildcat]

Originally posted by NuSoardGraphite

Perhaps an Immortals ability to absorb the Quickening of another increases with time...thus, perhaps the Immortals ability to absorb Quickening can be represented via Transfer with the fade rate bought down to 1/year. This way, as long as the immortal keeps taking heads, he grows in power, but if he takes a siesta, he'll slowly get "rusty"

 

Hmm That might be a better way to simulate the advancement... The Immortal could also buy up the VPP over the course of the year, so it won't fade... there by cementing some of the skills/power he did absorb... but I like that 'Getting Rusty' bit, because Methoes certainly was Rusty when he 1st started apearing on the show.

I was very unhappy with the Level system I created, but was a bit stuck back then(writers block I think), and workign on my own.

Parhaps we (all of us interested) could put our heads together and actualy revamp my Immortal Hero, and I could poste it (with Credit to all who helped) and then we might beable to kinda set a Standard for playing Immortals in the Hero system. Interested?

 

Let me know : Vesbin@cox.net

 

WC

[Killer Shrike]

I never really watched the TV show aside from an episode or two that I stumbled across on the rare occasions I actually turned on the TV, and in fact basically believe that the 1st movie should have been a stand alone. The rest of the installments just muddied and hack-jobbed a pretty decent concept to varying degrees IMO. In fact, Highlander is probably the best example I can think of for a movie concept bungled by avaricious nitwits trying to build a franchise.

 

 

Having said that, in my opinion it always seemed to me that each Immortal carried a quantity of energy, and this energy made the Immortals very hardy and resistant to death, but wasnt quite powerful enough to allow a missing head. Logically, it shouldnt really matter if an Immortal's head got popped by another Immortal, a mortal, or just via a freak accident. The energy is released and needs to go somewhere; I would conjecture that the next closest Immortal would absorb that energy upon thier death, which is consistent with why when 1 Immortal whacks another they get the energy (because they are, as a side effect of chopping thier heads off, the next closest Immortal). Also, this release of an Immortals energies seemed to be painful and to also have an Environmental effect (break all glass, haywire all mechanical equipment, levitate small objects briefly -- probably a campaign level phenomena rather than points spent by the characters).

 

Exrapolating from this, as a side effect/flavor aspect the personalities or imprints of each Immortal is attached to thier chunk of energy; most of the Immortals werent strong willed enough to make anything of it, but some stronger willed ones maintain some semblance of consciousness and could potentially haunt the Immortal that currently contained them, or if benign speak to them via thier inner voice (like Ramirez does to Connar after Connar accrues the Kurgan's balance of energy after the 1st movie).

 

 

It also seemed apparant from the 1st movie that the Immortals were very rare, and in some ways seemed representative of different peoples of man. You had The HIGHLANDER, The EGYPTIAN, The KURGAN, The POLE, etc. The later movies barfed that concept, and particularly the TV show

 

(I've always imagined the pitch for the TV show went something like this:

 

Jim - "OK, youve all seen the HIGHLANDER movie, with Sean Connery? No? OK, basically there are some Immortals that have been alive for hundreds of years, and they wander thru history chopping off each others heads, amid lots of artistically parralleled flashbacks. They believe that in the end there can 'be only one', which also makes for a good sound bite. Connery's character is an old Immortal, and he teaches that Tarzan/Greystoke guy how to use his Immortal powers back in kilt-era Scotland, and then gets killed by an 'EVIL' Immortal. The Tarzan guy swears revenge, and at the end of the movie fights the evil guy in a final sword duel in NYC. It was really popular with the geeky male demographic. OK? OK. So, here's the catch, we want to use the name HIGHLANDER for the recognition factor, but we cant get Christopher Lambert, the Tarzan guy who played the lead, to commit to a TV deal. So we figure, instead of CONNAR McCleod, we'll call the main character DUNCAN McCleod. Questions?"

 

Bob - "Hey Jim, I saw the Highlander...ahem...uh...my kids wanted to see it...but anyway what about the sword? We've got to have the sword -- Scottish clansmen wielding proto-Katanas is too fan-boy drooling kewl to pass up on!"

 

Jim - "Uh....good point Bob; we were just going to have him wielding the McCleod Clan Claymore Connar left behind in the 1st movie.....hmmm...I know, since Duncan is Connar's COUSIN, and since they are both so close (even though Connar had never heard of him before now), CONNAR will naturally give his good cousin his prized katana, borrowing it back on those occasions when he needs to make a sequel!"

 

Rick - "But Jim, how do you explain such an obviously contrived discontinuity?"

 

Jim - "Look Rick, continuity-shawinity; who cares about the continuity of schlock fantasy-fiction like this? The whole damn premise was nerfed at the end of the 1st movie, but that didnt stop the studios from making several follow on suck-tastic sequels, did it? And the fans went to see it regardless. If glossing over the total lack of any logical structure for a continuity is good enough for Hollywood, than its certainly good enough for a made-for-cable TV series!"

 

Bob - "Good point Jim; you are gawd damn brilliant, you know that? Every cent your parents poured into community college and mail-order film school was well spent!"

 

Jim - "Well thanx Bob, I agree with you that I rule, but afterall somebody has to -- in the end there can be only one you know!"

 

{forced chuckles ensue, then the whole concept team breaks for cocaine fixes in the executive wash room prior to signing the contracts})

 

Nevertheless, it seems to me that an Immortal that had absorbed a lot of energy was just better than other Immortals in some way. Ramirez noted on several occasions that the Kurgan was the most powerful (not the most skilled, but the most powerful) of the Immortals then living.

 

 

Im thinking the various Immortals via the HERO System might actually have thier individualistic Powers bought partially Independent (-0, only takable by nearest Immortal upon death); thus when 1 Immortal kills another he absorbs the 1 or more Immortal abilities possessed by the dearly beheaded. Killing someone like the Kurgan who had collected a lot of heads could result in a "KA-CHING!!!!!" effect of Immortal powers all in one go. Many of these Immortal abilities would be small characteristic raises and perception bonuses, and other minor 'enhancement' powers. It also seemed like some Immortals, once they had taken on a certain amount of power, gained additional greater powers. This would probably be handled as saving up enough points and the rp/balancing aspect of advancement is tied to hitting some goal, such as 20 Immortal powers per 'notable' power purchased.

 

 

As far as the aspect of the "Quickening" that allowed 1 Immortal to sense another, I would suggest that some (if not all) Immortals also buy Negative Skill Levels 0 END Persistent or an equivalent versus it. It seemed like some Immortals were better at hiding' themselves than others. Like young Connar was apparantly "broadcasting" as both Kurgan and Ramirez found him pretty easily. Also, Kurgan always seemed to be able to find connar at will before Connar noticed him, whereas Connar only seemed to notice Kurgan when he was right on top of him. The Pole seemed good at this too, though his appearance was brief. Some kind of Resisted roll or other means of "cloaking" seems in order. Perhaps a custom Talent for detecting and a custom Talent for disguising to make it standardized.

 

 

The other aspects of the Quickening could probably be done with a Susceptibility to being Quickened by a more powerful (ie more Immortal Powers) Immortal (it seemed to cause Immortals pain when Quickened by other more powerful Immortals -- which would also help explain why the Kurgan was so innimical to other Immortals; just being in his presense was painful), and an Aid or Succor to any Characteristic, 1 at a time, Self Only (for the self-buff effect).

 

As far as the Weapon Empowering, I gather that's some bit from WW? Probably to allow Immortals to do "aggravated damage"? Either way, in the movie this just seemed like a "kewl effect", more of an environmental side effect of two Immortals clashing energies. It didnt seem to benefit or harm either combatant, and seemed to get more severe the longer the fight went on, culminating in the final explosion when a head was finally severed.

 

IMHO, YMMV

[tkdguy]

Thanks, wildcat

 

I actually have seen your take on immortals a few years ago. For some reason, I forgot where it was listed, and none of the searches could find it. Anyway, I thought you did some great stuff there.

 

If anyone is interested, I can send my 4th Ed. take on the genre. I'm not done with 5th Ed. And it's too big to send all at once. Gotta be all the pics. Just email me at fairdell@hotmail.com Please say HERO in the title; all unidentified messages go to my junk mail folder, and I automatically delete anything I don't recognize without reading it. So please give me a signal that it isn't actually junk mail.

 

As for the Quickening, I suggested that the winner gets 5% of the loser's total point cost (round down) as experience.

The points should first go to gaining new skills the loser possessed, then improving skills the winner and loser both had. The rest could go to improving characteristics. The winner is weakened after the Quickening and functions at -3 to all actions for 3 Turns.

[Mark Rand]

Hi all,

I found this thread by accident and, since its something I've been looking for, decided to follow it.

I'm planning to have Immortals in the non-CU fifth edition Champions game I'm running. Since there are superheroes in the world, would the Society of Watchers tell the world about Immortals, and, possibly, publish the chronicles of some Immortals? Your comments and thoughts are requested.

Yours,

Mark Rand

[Kodiak]

More on immortals

 

Well I've always been a huge fan of the series ( and the first and last movie) but I'm not good enough or interested enough to remember all the episode titles. But a couple of points that I used when I added immortals to my current 5th Ed. campaign ( A mix of Dark Champions and Cyber Hero not very four color)

 

1) The Quickening. When it happes immediately afterwards the immortal is overwhelmed and almost passes out from it. This leaves them very vulnerable to another immortal. This was played up on a couple of occassions including the long running story thread with the four horsemen.

 

I created a susceptablity to quickening engergy and had it run for 3D6 stun for every segment. The quickening lasted for one segment per 50 character points in the immortal who was killed.

 

2) The Quickening does happen no matter how they are killed. In one episode there's an immortal who's mentally handicapped and Richie realizes he can't protect him forever. So he talks the "man" into laying his head on a railroad track as a train is coming but he moves far enough away so that he doesn't absorb the power as he doesn't want to be haunted by the memories. So it happens but it has some range. Just put a GM's fiat on it as to how far it is, whatever makes for a good story is always good. Somehow though if two immortals are close enough but one is the killer then it goes to THAT one. Again this is just part of the World Physics no other game explanation necessary.

 

3) Fighting on Holy Ground is definitely a Psych Lim not a Physical Lim. They showed in one episode what happens if an immortal is killed on holy ground. The quickening was massively multiplied and the killing immortal was destroyed as well not to mention trashing the cemetary completely AND registering as a massvie earthquake NOT localized. They showed a news report in the backgroup after the quickeing where a Reporter was talking about the unexplained earthquake somewhere in the 6-8 range on the Richter. There was a conversation going on the foreground but the second or third time I caught the end of that episode ( while waiting to see what was on next I'm not THAT obsessive) I realized that it was not just throw away.

 

4) There also needs to be some sort of long term side effect. There were several episodes where the talked about the Dark Quickening not sure if this is what was being refered to in some of the other posts.

 

5) I did the regen one point per 5 mins. And even regen'd death but not lost limbs. In at least one episode there was an immortal who'd lost an eye and it was permanent and in another thread someone who'd had a hand permanently maimed. I'd did the regen and healing limited so they did not recover from damange to hit locs 3-5 and not from edge or magic weapons. ( Figured this fit in with the general trend where Duncan was more susceptible to demons and magic user types throughout the show.)

 

6) Question on this one? Did anyone ever get the explanation about how there's more than one gathering and not all the immortals get compeled to attend every one? Methos (sp?) had been around through several and had won one, yet his other horseman weren't dead. So what's with that?

 

Okay I've added more than enough to the thread... Off I go and I'll keep watching to see what you all think.

 

In the end there can be only one

[tkdguy]

Watchers exposing the Game: I think this would be a violation of their oath. However, given the fact that they've already interfered with the Game so many times, anything is possible. However, immortals will be very angry about their cover being blown, and many of them will hunt down the Watchers. Immortals who already know about the Watchers sometimes hunt them down for spying on them. Jacob Galati hunted down Watchers in "Judgment Day" (Season 4 finale) and "One Minute to Midnight" (Season 5 premier).

 

Quickening: STUN damage seems good. I just considered a penalty to all actions to give the players a fighting chance. Immortal duels are usually kept secret, but the loser's buddy may be hiding somewhere near. Also, if a mortal or pre-immortal takes the head of an immortal, the Quickening goes to the nearest immortal in the area. That happened in "One Minute to Midnight" and in in the Raven episode "The Lauren Files" (don't quote me on the latter title; I may be wrong there).

 

Holy Ground: I originally made this a psychological limitation, but I changed it to a physical limitation to represent the immortals' conditioning against killing on holy ground; even mortals are safe from them there. I don't know which episode you are talking about, Kodiak, but I'll keep an eye out ofr it. Darius was killed on holy ground ("The Hunters" Season 1 finale), but his killers were mortal. Nothing unusual happened, as far as I remember. It's only when one immortal kills another on holy ground that stuff may occur. Dawson regaled Duncan with a rumor on "Little Tin God" (Season 5) that two immortals fought in a temple near Mt. Vesuvius, thus precitating the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Then again, Sanctuary was supposed to be on holy ground, and Jacob Kell took all those heads in Endgame.

 

I think there should be consequences to an immortal killing another in holy ground. If nothing else, other immortals could learn about the incident and hunt down the offender mercilessly. Not that Kell would care; he was just that powerful.

 

Multiple Gatherings: I think a roleplayer invented that one to explain the inconsistensies between the movies and the series. Davis/Panzer explained the movies and series as alternate universes. In the series universe, the Gathering takes place over the course of years, then got put on hold, so the series (and the franchise) could continue.

 

Wow, just when I thought this thread was already dead, it turned out to be immortal, like the franchise (the actors are mortal, but the franchise just won't die)! Maybe DOJ should contact Davis/Panzer and ge the rights to make Highlander HERO. Thunde Castle got the rights years ago. It made a card game, but bailed on the rpg.

[Mark Rand]

Hi all,

Good point, tkdguy. Thank you. How about this? Some real bad Immortal gets a group of thugs together, they take over a major sporting event, one that's broadcast, live, on national television. He then reveals the existance of Immortals to the public and challanges a heroic Immortal to come to where the event is within four hours and battle him. If he wins, everyone dies. If the hero wins, everyone's safe and the hero's identity is exposed. Either way, the secret's out and the intelligence agencies are now interested in Immortals.

Comment is invited.

Yours,

Mark Rand

[Celtic Cowboy]

Originally posted by tkdguy

Thunde Castle got the rights years ago. It made a card game, but bailed on the rpg.

 

The RPG from Thunder Castle made it as far as playtesting before the company gasped it's last breath. I've still got a copy of their playtesting stuff somewhere - wasn't bad, but a few things where stiff from what I remember but was better than the Legacy: War of Ages which was an interesting copy of the idea of immortals without using the Highlander license.

[Killer Shrike]

HERO Games stated policy is that they are not interested in liscences IIRC.

[Killer Shrike]

With this thread in mind, I dug up a copy of Highlander I with the extended scenes from my neglected collection of VCR tapes (which have no doubt felt ignored since I got a DVD player a couple of years ago).

 

When I was watching it, I noticed that the Kurgans "quickening" effect tended towards red and flame based rather than the blue lightening effect common to Ramirez and Connar.

 

When he fights Ramirez and demolishes the tower, when his weapon hits the walls there is a red flame effect, and when he offs Castigir, there are a number of red flaming explosions.

 

Anyone else notice this?

[Talon]

I'm a huge fan (as in, used to and maybe still do know the freakin thing by heart) of the first movie, but less than enthused about the rest of it. I watched the series for a while, but it generally wasn't quite good enough, and I got tired of the necessary changes and additions they had to keep making for it to make sense as a series.

 

Anyway, if I were going to run a Highlander game, I'd use the first movie alone as canon and make up the rest as I saw fit. My favorite idea from the If-Only campaign file is an alternate universe: the Kurgan, being a bastard, got the idea to ditch the one-on-one idea and start ganging up on immortals. Of course, the other immortals were forced to form their own groups to survive, Connor MacLeod heading one of the chief ones. At any rate, this delayed the Gathering at least into the present day, and gives a jolly good reason for the PCs to stick together as a bunch of immortals.

 

I've also run an immortal as a PC in a Dark Champions game -- oodles of fun. "Trapped in the skyscraper? No problem, I'll jump."

 

Lastly but certainly not least, I once ran a Western Hero one-shot which was (unknown to the players) a Highlander crossover. Despite being Highlander fans themselves, and knowing my obsession with the movie, the players somehow missed the clues (bright lights, leaves stripped off trees, followed by finding the main bad guy with his head cut off) until the very end, when they asked their immortal companion how he know so many weird people.

 

"There are many of us," he said, "but in the end, there can be only one." End of adventure.

 

I almost got beheaded myself for that one.

[tkdguy]

I actually have Legacy: War of Ages. It's kinda like World of Darkness Lite. But I like the fact that it's less convoluted than the Storyteller system. And all you have to do is use the right language, which Black Gate Publishing couldn't do.

 

I actually included a vulnerability to beheading. Watching reruns of the series, it does make sense. Somehow the writers forget it takes a powerful swing to take off a head in one blow, not a mere flick of a wrist. And let's not forget how some immortals were beheaded: with a rapier, two daggers used like a pair of scissors, and even a spear. A SPEAR??????

[tiger]

I always loved the movies and the series. Not something that traslates very easy for sure.

 

First, "Do Not Bleed": They do bleed and have done so in all the movies and TV, although if your using the bleeding optional rules then it may be a good thing to take. Don't know that bleeding ever caused them huge problems.

 

Regen: They can't regen limbs. Duncan cuts the arm off a immortal and he never grows it back.

 

I think skills, talents and perks for history shouldn't be in a package. Depending on how long they've been a immortal they may or may not have many.

 

The biggest problem I see is the absorbing of the knowledge of immortals that they kill. I think the VPP would be best, but something would need to be considered about what they can and can't know. One could also just consider the ability to know what they need instead of a set list too for that matter.

 

There should be something gained for taking heads but it need to be tempered not to unbalance the game at the same time.

 

Either way it culd be fun, although a campaign such as this I wuld think would run best for a small group. Let's face it you get a collection of immortals together and someone is losing a head

[tkdguy]

Just to clarify a few things:

 

1. Does not bleed: Yes, I know immortals bleed, but their bleeding stops before it significantly hinders them. That's why I included the does not bleed advantage. If your campaign does not use the bleeding rules, feel free to discard it.

 

2. Regeneration: Regrowing limbs now costs extra 5 points. I didn't include that in the cost, so immortals do not regrow lost limbs If you want that feature, pay extra. I suggest doing it the way "Blade of the Immortal" does it. The hero, Manji, cannot regrow limbs, but he can reattach them within a certain amount of time.

 

Skills: I included the PS because the character had to do something before he/she became immortal. I assume the immortal found a teacher who told him about the Game and trained him for combat; that's why I included WF: Swords and combat skills. You can ignore them if you wnat to paly a newly awakened immortal who hasn't found a teacher yet. Concealment is necessary in the modern world, where people normally don't go around with swords, and would be arrested if they did. If you set your game in an earlier era, it may not be necessary. Then again, only nobles and samurai could wear swords in feudal Japan, so the concealment skill may be necessary there.

 

I actually ran a Highlander campaign once. I hadn't played the HERO system enough to be comfortable GMing it, and nobody wanted to use the 2nd Ed. AD&D rules. So I used a long-forgotten system where my players could roleplay immortals. Or vampires. Or werewolves. Or ninjas, Shaolin priests, bionic men/women, psychics, or paranormal investigators. The campaign died out before the aliens invaded, but BOA (see my GI Joe thread) did make a couple of appearances.

 

But I digress. How do immortal players interact? It's up to the players. My players had their characters doing their own stuff and rarely interacted. I just ran separate scenarios for them simultaneously.

[Mark Rand]

Hi all,

For those of you who don't know, from reading previous posts of mine, I'll soon be starting a Champions campaign. In my world, the existance of Immortals has recently been exposed.

I'm not sure how it happened, but an idea I've come up with is that a Watcher is in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up dead. The police, or crime lab people, searching his residence for leads find his journal and any other items and let other federal agencies, including PRIMUS, know about Immortals. Somehow, the press finds out about Immortals. The intelligence and law enforcement communities are in an uproar over this news.

PRIMUS didn't leak the information and the late Watcher's Immortal didn't kill the Watcher.

Comments, suggestions and other methods of exposing the secret would be welcome.

Yours,

Mark Rand