Revised Immie...Yeah, I know, there are lots of these out, but...
by
...Can't I have a little fun? I live in Kansas, for heaven's sake... :} Josh, at least, told me it's better than the one Chad found, cause I'm writing as a Highlander fan who happens to be a gamer; the other person wrote as a Rifts (power) gamer who happens to like just the first Highlander movie. Now, was my Joshy just being nice, or was my sweety actually being honest with me? I know some of you crazy ladies gotta be/have been gamers...and we're all HL experts! :}
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Immortal R.C.C.
Where the Immortals came from, no one knows. Even before the Rifts, the Immortals survived and fought. The oldest currently living is a mysterious Ancient called “Methos”, though he hasn’t actually been seen for almost a millennium, effectively becoming a myth. Even he doesn’t remember his early life, much less the origins of his race. In the old days, many Immortals were thought to be demons rising from the dead, often driven from their homes by superstitious villages. Others thought it a miracle their loved ones were healed. Still other Immortals were worshipped as gods. In later centuries, the Immortals hid themselves, and the Young Ones they found, away right after death, severing all connections from their old lives, and starting over again somewhere else.
An Immortal is usually found, an abandoned infant, and lives as any other Human. At some point in their life, whether it be battle, an accident, suicide, or murder, the Immortal dies—but reawakens 2D20 minutes later, depending on the method and amount of damage taken, and to where. In a sudden intake of air, the person awakens, amazed they are still alive. If they aren’t already being watched, it’s not long before they are found by another Immortal. If they’re lucky, the Elder will take them in and teach the fledgling what he needs to know in order to survive. There is only one way for an Immortal to die—their head must be severed from their body. When killed in this manner, a release of energy known as the Quickening washes over the nearest Immortal, most often the one who performed the beheading. The Quickening appears in a blue and white storm of lightning and mist, similar to ley line energy. The release of power causes 3D6 M.D.C. points of damage to the surrounding area.
The Elder will teach the Young One the Rules of the never ending Game all Immortals participate in, not because they want to, but because they are forced to. In the end times, only a few will remain, and they will battle to the last man (or woman). The winner receives the Prize; all the knowledge and power of every Immortal who ever lived (or rather, all those killed by their own; many Quickenings have been lost through the ages due to accidents or mortal interference) is given over to the victor, to rule the world as he/she sees fit. They could create a Golden Age or a never-ending Darkness. The end is called the Gathering, and it will change all of Earth forever. Throughout time, there have been numerous “Mini-Gatherings”, when few Immortals lived and fought furiously, believing the end was coming. The last documented period of a Mini-Gathering was in the late Twentieth Century, though many believe a Mini-Gathering was responsible, at least partially, for the coming of the Rifts—especially if an evil Immortal was the victor. The Watchers, mortals who secretly document the Immortals’ lives, have been debating the issue since the Great Cataclysm. The Watchers suspect that before the Rifts, Immortals made up less than 5% of the Human population; that number has now climbed to about 15%, as far as they can tell.
The rules of the Game are actually fairly simple:
Take the Young Ones in and teach them what you know. Teach them to use the sword, teach them how to defend themselves from those who would hunt them down and take their power. Never reveal someone’s Immortality before his or her time, and do not take it upon yourself to hasten his or her change.
*Do NOT interfere in an Immortal battle, do NOT assist a battle in any way, and do NOT accept help in a fight between yourself and another Immortal. A battle for the Quickening is between two Immortals only.
*Holy Ground is our only refuge. No battle, EVER, will be fought on Holy Ground. It is a haven, and a meeting place. Leave your battles at the edge of the sacred area.
*In the end, there can be only one.
Don’t lose your head.
The ones marked by an asterisk are those no one, not even the most evil and twisted, will ever break for any reason. Those of good alignment will refuse to harm anyone on Holy Ground, though most evil aligned characters believe it only extends to Immortals, and will gleefully kill any mortals. In fact, many Immortals have little regard for mortal life; from the uncaring killers to those who just don’t care one way or another. Others, however, believe it to be their duty to protect and guide Humanity, and now the D-Bees who have been displaced.
Immortals, out of centuries of habit, hide what they are from all mortals, and even many other immortal or long-lived beings. They know better than anyone else how prejudiced Humans can be, and take every precaution against discovery.
Note: Player characters are ALWAYS Young Immortals, under 50 years of age. The only way to play an older character is if they were entombed/trapped/imprisoned for X amount of years. Elders, considered anyone who has survived longer than 50 years but haven’t reached 1000 yet, can become highly skilled and powerful individuals, with several occupations under their belts. Ancients, any Immortal over 1000, are few and far between, but are powerful creatures with incredible amounts of life experience. Elders and Ancients are N.P.C.s only.
Alignment: Any.
Race Restriction: Human only. Found anywhere on Earth, and now several places throughout the Megaverse.
Attributes: All attributes are 3D6+1. If the total roll, including bonuses, is 16 or higher, roll an additional 1D6
Hit Points: PE attribute +1D6
S.D.C.: 60 plus those gained from O.C.C.s and physical skills.
M.D.C.: None, except for any armor worn.
Natural Armor Rating: None.
Horror Factor: None until their Immortality is revealed. 12 if seen resurrecting, 15 if seen in the midst of a Quickening storm.
Weight: Standard for Humans.
Height: Standard for Humans.
Age: Immortals stop aging at the time of First Death, whenever that is. The “youngest” known Immortal was Kenneth, an English 10-year-old who somehow managed to survive for almost 1000 years. The “oldest” known is Gabriel Brightner, a member of Reid’s Rangers who “died” fighting Vampires on his 75th birthday.
Gender: 60% are male, 40% female. For centuries, more males survived, due to the stereotypes that kept women in the home and off of the battlefields. Since the latter half of the Twentieth Century, however, more females have been surviving their first 50 years as Immortals.
Reproduction: As far as anyone knows, all Immortals are sterile. They are all found as abandoned infants, with no known method of reproducing. Their “parents” never tell some that they were adopted, so it comes as a shock to many. No one knows how or why the foundlings are Immortal.
Appearance: Entirely Human.
Combat Skills: Hand to Hand is typically Expert or Martial Arts. All Immortals learn how to use edged weapons, most commonly a sword, quickly.
Magic: Depends on O.C.C. Immortals themselves are considered very minor creatures of magic.
P.P.E. Base: PE+4D6. See the Special Abilities list for more details on how the Quickening affects the amount of P.P.E.
Psionics: Special.
I.S.P.: 1D6
Natural Abilities: Basically the same as any Human’s. See the Special Abilities list for specific Immortal characteristics.
O.C.C.s: Often warriors or mages, the Immortals can be any occupation they wish, except those that require augmentation. Crazies, Juicers, Borgs, etc., are unavailable.
Cybernetics: None. Due to the regenerative factor, any kind of implant is rejected.
Allies: Varies; Immortals tend to be more tolerant and less judgmental than most Humans, so get along with many factions. An Immortal can usually count on his Teacher for support and friendship.
Enemies: If the CS and NGR found out, they would likely hunt them down or use them, keeping a close eye on the Immortals at all times. Vampires and Necromancers are often annoyed by the fact Immortals are immune to transformation. Others hope to learn the secret of Immortality by experimentation.
Vulnerabilities: Immortals can be injured, and even temporarily killed, by anything that harms normal Humans. They will regain consciousness in 2D20 minutes. Only decapitation will truly and finally kill an Immortal.
Insanity: At time of death, roll percentile; 20% and below will require a roll on the random insanity tables.
Special Abilities and Characteristics of the Immortal R.C.C.:
1. R.C.C. Skills:
Note: All are in addition to any O.C.C. skills, and only if the character has been taken in and given instruction by an Elder. Immortals try to send their students into the world with the knowledge they need to survive in modern society.
Lore Immortal: this covers the Quickening, legends of famous immortals, and general knowledge of the gathering. 40%+5% per level.
W.P.: Sword, +1 ancient of choice and 1 modern of choice.
Hand to Hand: Expert, but can upgrade to Martial Arts/Assassin (depending on alignment) for one other skill, or Commando for two, or a Martial Art Form from Japan and/or Rifters for 3 other.
NPC Immortals older than 100yrs: Pick 9 skills from this list: Anthropology, Computer Hacking, Concealment, Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment, Disguise, Escape Artist, First Aid, Forgery, Holistic Medicine, Intelligence, Pick Locks, Pick Pockets, Pilot—one of choice, Prowl, Streetwise, Tracking, Wilderness Survival. They are also fluent and literate in 1D6 languages.
*Immortals are NOT limited in the types of skills they can choose. They have all the time in the Megaverse, so can learn skills that would normally be unavailable to them. The only restriction is the number of skills they can choose, defined by O.C.C., and of course those exclusive to other races. Also given a multitude of lifetimes, it is likely that immortals will choose to follow different paths during his or her existence. At any time after level 7, the character may choose another O.C.C. beginning at level 1. The O.C.C. must be appropriate to the Society the Immortal is in, as it is usually representing them moving on to a new life.
2. Total Recall: Events as well as written word. Most Immortals are unaware that this is in fact a psionic ability; they just remember their past with startling clarity, usually after a person, event, or thing has triggered the memory. No ISP cost.
3. Innate Hide P.P.E.: Always active, with no cost, and most Immortals don’t even realize it exists. It makes all Immortals appear to be normal, non-magical, non-psionic Humans, unless they are practitioners of magic; then only P.P.E. gained through the O.C.C. is visible. This ability does not, however, keep the Immortal’s energies from being drained. If an Immortal is “killed” by a Psi-Slayer, for example, the Slayer receives double the amount of P.P.E. as normal; the Immortal, however, still recovers unless decapitated. Apparent P.P.E. is determined by rolling 1D6.
4. Resistance: Naturally resistant to heat, cold, poisons/toxins/drugs, fatigue, hunger, and thirst. +4 to save, +1 at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, 15. The Immortal is also immune to any disease, though may suffer from mild colds every few decades.
5. Immune to transformation: Including but not limited to: metamorphosis potions/spells, transformation ritual, vampire transformation, petrification, turn to mist/stone/etc, growth/reduction spells/potions/powers, curses, wishes, or any other form of magic or supernatural ability. The only exception might be Nxla, the Harvester of Souls, who can steal one's very soul. Immortals, unlike most, only need a 4 to save against losing themselves to the Harvester himself; his minions are incapable of stealing Immortals’ souls (see Psyscape for more information on Nxla).
7. Sense Quickening: All Immortals can sense each other from a distance of 3D4 yards/meters. When coming into contact with an Ancient and/or powerful Immortal, they can be sensed 4D6 yards/meters away, and the feeling (or “Buzz” as it is commonly referred to) is much more intense.
8. Sense Holy Ground: All Immortals can automatically sense when they are within100 feet of safety. Holy Ground is blessed forever, and considered sacred no matter what faith is represented, from Indian burial grounds to Buddhist temples to Dragonwright churches.
9. Regeneration: As long as the head is still attached to the body, all damage will be healed. Minor wounds heal almost instantly; moderate to severe takes 10+1D10 minutes to heal. Life threatening wounds often result in temporary death, and takes 2D4 hours to heal, depending on the severity and location of the injury, as well as how it was dealt. Lost limbs and organs can take centuries to re-grow. A hot enough fire, or an explosion that rips the body apart (or completely obliterates it) may result in Final Death, since the head is likely to be separated from the neck. In these cases, there is a 25% chance of Final Death, with a 30% chance of gaining an insanity from the horrendous experience. Scarring, though rare, is possible. If the original “killing blow” was to the head/neck, then there is a 50% chance of scarring. Subsequent cuts to the neck, not quite deep enough to decapitate, have a 75% chance of scarring.
10. Breathe Underwater: Immortal lungs can process the oxygen in water. There is a brief time of disorientation and transition (-6 to initiative, -2 to all combat bonuses), but after that, the Immortal has no problem with breathing water. They do not, however, have any added swimming bonuses, and are still –2 to any combat bonuses, unless magically enhanced or in armor, etc.
11. P.P.E. and Quickenings: The Quickening fuels the Immortals, gives them life—and drives many to kill their fellows for the power and knowledge it promises. It is a measure of strength and age, and how many heads one has taken. Add 1D6 P.P.E. for every level of experience and for every 10 years alive. For beheading other Immortals: Gain 1D6 P.P.E. points for every 20 points they had. So, the Immortal had 200 P.P.E. points, and you roll a 4, you receive 40 points. Always round down. Add one of the victim’s skills at base level. Since the Coming of Rifts and the rebirth of magic, Immortal practitioners of magic are the most hunted, since their O.C.C.s give them more P.P.E.
12. Other Bonuses: +2 to save vs. all magic, +1 at levels 2, 6, 10, and 14. +5 to save vs. Horror factor, +1 at levels 3, 6, 9, and 12. +4 save vs. insanity, +1 at levels 4, 8, and 12. +3 to strike, parry, and dodge. +1 to initiative, +1 at levels 6 and 12.
Experience Tables: Like other Humans, the Immortals only use their O.C.C. tables.
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Whatcha think? I'm a total loon, right? Well, I am a MacMINT...ABD
Posted on Dec 7, 1999, 8:38 AM from IP address 208.18.80.216