The following rules are my own creation, based on my interpretation of the Highlander milieu. These are the rules I use for my online GURPS Highlander game, run on RP-GAMERS.com. Since there have been three movies, a TV series, and three novels, with all the attendant inconsistencies (and questions that have never been completely answered, such as "Can an immortal regenerate a lost body part?", "Can all immortals breathe underwater?", "What happens if you take someone's head on Holy Ground?", etc.) these rules are meant to reflect MY version of Highlander. If you disagree with any of my assumptions (for instance, if you think immortals regenerate more slowly, 1 HT/minute, or if you think immortals can get drunk as easily as anyone else), then just change the rules accordingly.
GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Highlander is a registered trademark of Panzer/Davis Productions. Everything contained herein which is not attributable to either of the above copyright holders is © 1997, David Edelstein. This unofficial GURPS supplement may be distributed freely, so long as it is not altered and includes this notice. It may not be sold or made available on pay-for-access sites.
The illustrations in this document were done by Blue Moon Rising.
This is the basic package that all immortals have. It is provided to
demonstrate the game mechanics. However, these points are not counted in
the immortal's total for purposes of their value as a Patron, Ally or Enemy. A beginning immortal PC gets all these points for free. (Or rather, characters in a Highlander game should be allowed enough starting points to buy this package. Package Cost +100 points is the recommended PC starting value.)
Undying is an advantage from GURPS Compendium I. It is assumed to include Unaging and Immune to Disease. The disadvantage listed for Undying means that when an immortal is reduced to negative HT, he does have to begin making HT rolls to stay alive. If he fails the HT rolls, he "dies", becoming unconscious (and clinically dead if anyone examines the immortal), but will continue regenerating back to life.
If an immortal falls below -10 x HT Hit Points, or drowns or suffocates (as described in the Undying rules), he will "die", in the sense that the Resurrection advantage is triggered to bring the immortal back to life (costing 25 character points.)
The Rules of the Game affect all immortals, whether or not they voluntarily choose to play it (or even whether they are aware of it.) All immortals must choose either the basic Immortal Code of honor; Secret (cheater) (-10 points), if they do not follow the rules but have not yet been exposed as a cheater; or Reputation (other immortals), -4 (-10 points), if they have been exposed as a cheater.
Some immortals, generally the more benevolent ones, take the Code of Honor at a higher level (-15 points). These immortals follow even more restrictive codes of conduct, which generally include:
The additional -5 points for the extended Code of Honor are compensated by a +2 reaction from other immortals.
(Note: The follow rules apply in my campaign, which takes place over a period of centuries. If your campaign takes place during one particular time period, as in the Highlander TV series, then immortals can buy normal Reputations, etc.)
Immortals can gain Reputations among other immortals. Immortals are considered a "large group" for purposes of their Reputations among other immortals. (They aren't really a large group in number, but they span the globe and will be encountered over and over again throughout the centuries.)
For the sake of simplicity, it can be assumed that Immortal reputations have a Frequency roll of 7 or less, plus their Quickening Rating. Exceptions can be made for immortals who have become unusually noteworthy or remained unusually obscure. Add +3 to recognition rolls if the two immortals come from the same area (and thus would have heard about one another- two English immortals, or two Roman immortals, for instance), +1 if they are from the same region (European immortals, North African immortals), -5 if they are from separate regions that do have long-distance communication (such as checking to see whether a Roman immortal has heard of a Persian immortal, or nearly anywhere in the modern world), and -10 if they are from wholly unconnected regions (a North American immortal and an Asian immortal, prior to the 15th century, for instance.)
For the most part, a Reputation among immortals is the only one that will count (and thus be worth points), since all other Reputations (in mortal society) usually disappear within one generation.
Most immortals have a mentor, an elder immortal who teaches them the Rules and guides them early in their immortal life. A mentor is not usually bought as a Patron unless he continues to actively look after the pupil, which is rare. (Usually they will remain on good terms, but mentors don't expect their former students to come running to them for help forever afterwards.) Likewise, while immortals may be friends, they are rarely considered Allies, since immortals tend to be loners by nature, and don't often hang around with another of their kind for more than a couple of decades at most.
Only a very close and enduring relationship would justify buying another immortal as a Patron or Ally.
The point cost is determined as follows:
| Immortal Patron | Cost |
|---|---|
| The Patron is under 500 points: | 10 points |
| The Patron is 500-1000 points: | 15 points |
| The Patron is over 1000 points: | 20 points |
This assumes the Patron probably has an assortment of special abilities, high status and/or wealth, etc. by virtue of his great age. Only if the immortal Patron has very unusual resources (such as controlling a worldwide network of agents and safehouses, having set himself up as the ruling power of a nation over the course of generations, possessing truly unusual and powerful abilities, etc.) should the Patron cost an extra 5 or 10 points.
| Immortal Ally | Cost |
|---|---|
| Ally is built on less than 150 points: | The immortal is actually a Dependent (but immortals get no points for Dependents, as they continue in this state for no more than a hundred years.) |
| Ally is built on 151-300 points: | 5 points |
| Ally is built on 301-450 points: | 10 points |
| Ally is built on 451-600 points: | 15 points |
| Ally is built on 601-750 points: | 20 points |
| etc. |
As with mortal Allies, an immortal Ally who is more than 150 points over the PC is actually a Patron.
Like Allies and Patron, immortal enemies are usually the only ones that count long enough to put on an immortal's character sheet. The base value of an Enemy is as follows:
| Immortal Enemy | Cost |
|---|---|
| Enemy Immortal is built on 300 points or less: | -5 points |
| Enemy Immortal is built on 301-600 points: | -10 points |
| Enemy Immortal is built on 601-900 points: | -15 points |
| Enemy Immortal is built on over 900 points: | -20 points |
This rule is used in my own online campaign, which takes place over a period of centuries, and tracks the immortal PCs' progression from newly-reborn fledglings to elder immortals. If you are playing a campaign that takes place entirely in one time period, you may use the rules below as a guideline to determine how many points an immortal should have, according to his age. If you feel this gives immortals too many points just for having been alive a long time, reduce the points/year, or eliminate this rule entirely.
For "downtime", time passing in narrative form between adventures, immortals get points to represent their experiences and improvements over long periods of time. There is a point of diminishing returns, as the longer an immortal lives, the less there is for him to experience that he hasn't done already. Thus, the gap in skills between a 100 year-old immortal and a new fledgling is great, but the gap between a 400 year-old immortal and an 800 year-old immortal, twice as old, is much less.
It is recommended that the GM assign some, if not all, of the xp's given for chronological experience. The points should primarily go towards skills the immortal uses during that particular time period. Some points might be used to buy Advantages or increase Attributes (it is strongly recommended that the double-point cost for increasing Attributes after character creation be strictly enforced.)
Immortals whose point totals run into the hundreds can become obscenely powerful. The GM should make sure that all the points aren't being pumped into powerful Advantages, Quickening powers, combat skills, and the like. The reason for all these points being awarded is that it's assumed the immortal will acquire dozens of Area Knowledges, Languages, professional and craft skills, and so on. For a campaign with lower point totals and simpler bookkeeping, eliminate these points entirely, and only make immortals pay for skills they are using during the current time period.
| Years (since Immortality) | X.P.s/year | Point total of oldest Immortal in range |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100 | |
| 1-100 | x2 | 300 |
| 101-200 | x1.5 | 450 |
| 201-300 | x1 | 550 |
| 301-400 | x.5 | 600 |
| 401-1000 | x.25 | 750 |
| 1000+ | x.1 | +10 per additional 100 years |
Below is an estimate of how many points an NPC immortal will have, based on age. PCs should have more points, as they will have received roleplaying points as well. This chart also does not take into account Quickening Points....an active hunter will probably have quite a few more points as well.
| Age | Points |
|---|---|
| 0 | 100 |
| 100 | 300 |
| 200 | 450 |
| 300 | 550 |
| 400 | 600 |
| 500 | 625 |
| 600 | 650 |
| 700 | 675 |
| 800 | 700 |
| 900 | 725 |
| 1000 | 750 |
| 1100 | 760 |
| 1200 | 770 |
| 1500 | 800 |
| 2000 | 850 |
| 3000 | 950 |
| 4000 | 1050 |
| 5000 | 1150 |
If you want to give NPCs more points (to put them on a par with the PCs), rate them according to their activity level and aggression. Activity level is how much "adventuring" they do (i.e. do they settle down in one place and stay there for centuries, or travel and seek new experiences?). Aggression is basically a measure of how likely they are to get into fights (and thus how many Quickenings they will have had.)
| Activity Level | Add to X.P. total: |
|---|---|
| Sedentary | +2-20% (2d10) |
| Somewhat Active | +5-50% (5d10) |
| Very Active | +10-100% (10d10) |
| Aggression Level | Quickening Points |
|---|---|
| Pacifistic | 1-100 |
| Peaceful, avoids fights | Age x 1d100% |
| Average | Age x (2d6*10)% |
| Aggressive | Age x (3d6*10)% |
| Hunter | Age x (4d6*10)% |
| Maniac Hunter | Age x (6d6*10)% |
All immortals start with 1 Quickening Point. An immortal has a Quickening Rating equal to 1 per 100 Quickening Points or fraction thereof. This is based on how many Quickening Points the immortal ever earns, regardless of whether he spends them later.
| Quickening Points | Quickening Rating |
|---|---|
| 1-100 | 1 |
| 101-200 | 2 |
| 201-300 | 3 |
| 301-400 | 4 |
| 401-500 | 5 |
| etc |
Whenever an immortal kills another immortal, he gains Quickening Points based on a percentage of the victim's character point total. (Not counting the points from the immortal package, above.)
This percentage is equal to:
(10 * Victim's Quickening Rating)x1%
Slayer's Quickening Rating
(Maximum of 10%)
In other words, if you kill an immortal with a Quickening Rating equal to or greater than yours, you will get 10% of his character points as Quickening Points. If the victim had a lower Quickening rating, you will get a lower share of his points, in the same ratio.
Example: Ferdinand has a Quickening Rating of 4. He kills a 400-point immortal with a Quickening Rating of 5. He will gain 40 Quickening Points (10% of 400.) If that immortal had killed Ferdinand, who is a 300 point character, Ferdinand would have provided 24 points (8% of 300.) If Ferdinand killed a 100-point fledgling with a Quickening Rating of 1, he would get only 2 Quickening Points (2.5% of 100, rounded down.)
Rationale: The purpose of the above rule is primarily to discourage elder immortals from lopping off the heads of fledglings. They get less out of a young, inexperienced immortal. The more powerful one becomes, the more difficult it is to find "prey" that will give you the maximum Quickening benefit.
The formula above can easily be tweaked if you want to give more or less points for taking a head.
Quickening Points can be used in three ways;
Every Quickening Point an immortal earns should be added to a permanent tally, which determines the immortal's Quickening Rating. This tally is not reduced, even when the points are spent.
Some of the points an immortal absorbs can spent on skills, and even advantages and Attributes that the slain immortal had at a higher level than the victor. The number of points that may be so used is equal to 5 times the victor's Quickening Rating.
The GM should exercise his judgment in deciding what skills and advantages may be absorbed. It is not likely an immortal will be able to instantly acquire a Quickening power that he had no familiarity with, just because he killed an immortal who had that power. But the GM should allow "partial" purchases. For instance, an immortal might gain 5 points worth of Combat Reflexes from a slain immortal, which will provide no immediate benefit, but the immortal can spend 10 more points from other sources to gain the advantage.
Quickening Points may be expended to attempt to use Default Quickening Skills (i.e. spontaneous uses of powers that the immortal has not acquired by paying points for them.) They may also be used to boost an immortal's power level above his normal limits, and to improve any Quickening roll.
Every Quickening Power, below, lists a Quickening Point cost for attempting to use that power. This is the cost for using a Default Quickening power, or for attempting to use a known power at a level higher than what the immortal has bought it to.
Also, each point spent on a Quickening Roll (default or otherwise), gives a +2 to the roll.
Example: Ferdinand has the power Sword Quickening at level 1. He can use it at level 1 without spending Quickening Points (unless he wants to use them to improve his roll.) If he wishes to boost Sword Quickening to level 3, he must pay 2 Quickening Points for that use.
The Quickening gives an immortal a supernatural attunement to the universe. Critical moments can often be made to fall in the immortal's favor.
By spending 5 Quickening Points, the immortal can get a one-shot use of the Luck Advantage (i.e. choose any roll, and get the best of 3 rolls.)
By spending 25 Quickening Points, the immortal can get a one-shot use of the Super Luck Advantage; choose the exact roll on any die roll.
This use of the Quickening can also be applied to others' rolls (i.e. make an opponent take the worst of three rolls.)
Normally, if an immortal drowns or is so badly wounded that he must be Resurrected (taking over 10 * HT damage before he can regenerate it), it costs 25 character points. If an immortal has any unspent Quickening Points available, these are used up first before the immortal is charged character points.
There is a limit to how much Quickening any immortal can hold, before his personality begins to warp. Containing the psyches of dozens of other immortals can begin to have a deleterious effect on ones' own mental state.
Every time an immortal takes a head, he must roll a Contest between his Quickening Rating and Will. If the immortal's Quickening Rating wins, he gains a number of points in psychological Disadvantages, from the immortal he just killed, equal to his new Quickening Rating. If the immortal rolls a Critical Failure on hiher Will roll, he gains disadvantage points equal to the number of Quickening Points he just gained from the Quickening that triggered it!
Example: Ferdinand has a Quickening Rating of 6, and a Will of 12. After killing another immortal, he rolls a 6 against his Quickening Rating, while failing his Will roll. He absorbs 6 points in Mental Disadvantages from his slain foe. Suppose he gained 40 Quickening Points from this immortal. If he had rolled a Critical Failure on his Will roll, he would have acquired 40 points of Mental Disadvantages, causing a major personality change!
Immortals automatically sense other Immortals; they have a "Quickening Sense" that operates like any other sense for this purpose. The GM can require an IQ roll when the Immortal is distracted or might otherwise not notice the Buzz, but normally an Immortal should fail to notice another Immortal only on a Critical Failure, just as one would normally not need to make a Vision roll to see someone standing in front of you.
The Quickening Sense is not normally directional. When it goes off, you only know that there is another immortal in the vicinity. If another immortal enters your range, you must make a normal Quickening Sense roll to determine this.
If an immortal makes his Quickening Sense roll by 5 or more, he knows what general direction the sensation is coming from. On a Critical Success, the immortal will know exactly where it's coming from (if the other immortal is within line of sight, the sensing immortal can pick him out), and if the immortal is one he has met before, he will recognize the other immortal on a second IQ roll.
The maximum range is equal to 10 yards plus the sum of the two immortals' Quickening Ratings. (The more Quickening you have, the farther you can sense and be sensed.)
Example: Two immortals, one with a Quickening rating of 2, and one with a Quickening Rating of 8, would sense each other at a distance of 18 yards.
Immortals may buy Acute Quickening, at 2 points per +1, like any other Acute Sense. Alertness does add to the Quickening Sense roll.
Rationale: One of the points emphasized by the series and books, over and over again, is that immortals always sense each other simultaneously. While this may not always be true, I think the rules should generally reinforce this. Thus, I have avoided a rule like requiring a Quickening Sense roll to sense an immortal in the first place, or being able to detect someone from further away with a better perception roll, as this would lead to immortals quite often detecting an immortal that does not detect them.
No immortal may buy any Quickening power at a level greater than his Quickening Rating, or spend more than 10 times his Quickening Rating on any one power. Thus, an immortal must have a Quickening Rating of at least 5 to buy Quickened Healing.
Many Quickening powers can be used by default, if the immortal is willing to spend Quickening Points. The Quickening Points are spent whether or not the default roll succeeds. Immortals can spend Quickening Points to improve default rolls, at +2 per point spent
All Quickening powers require 1 second of Concentration to activate, unless otherwise indicated. If the power requires a skill roll, the roll is made at the end of the period of concentration. If the power is being used by default, then the Quickening Points are spent even on a failure. If it is not a default use of Quickening powers, then if there is normally a Fatigue cost associated with the power, the immortal only loses 1 Fatigue on a failed roll.
Quickening Skills are like Psionic Skills; they are all Mental/Hard, and Eidetic Memory provides no bonus. However, immortals get a bonus to all Quickening Skills equal to their Quickening Rating. This applies to default rolls also.
Rationale: With few exceptions, most of the powers below are my own hypotheses, or based on powers other people have suggested for immortals. Every version of GURPS Highlander I've seen has a different list of powers available to immortals, varying greatly in just how potent they are.
I designed my Quickening Powers based on several assumptions; (1) That Quickening Powers should be somewhat uncommon....many older immortals will have a level or two of a couple of special abilities, but not every immortal will have Quickening Powers, and an elder immortal can do just fine without any, especially the flashier ones. (2) That Quickening Powers should not be overwhelmingly powerful. Someone who spends 20 points on a Quickening Power might well be better off spending it on improving their primary weapon skill instead. None of these powers are instant duel-enders, except at high (costly) levels. (3) In accordance with the above two principals, Quickening Powers should be expensive, somewhat mysterious, and very limited in scope. These powers draw on the Super powers, Psi, and Magic rules, while not being identical to any of them, and generally being less efficient than all of them. (4 levels of Arcane, for instance, costs as much as the standard Invisibility power, but is much more limited.) Quickening Powers should not be like a shopping list immortals can pick from whenever they have some points to spend. I did not want immortals to be supers, psis, or mages who happen to be long-lived. (4) Certain powers seem to be usable by all immortals, even without training. Also, immortals need a rationale for wanting to accumulate Quickening Points. So even though Quickening Powers are expensive, they can also be used freely by anyone willing to expend a lot of Quickening Points.
Suggested options for your game if you don't like the results of these rules: (1) Eliminate default Quickening powers. (2) Eliminate Quickening Powers altogether. (3) Make them more expensive, or cheaper.
Note: This power is very similar to the power of the same name introduced in GURPS Mage. However, a few modifications have been made to better suit Highlander.
Arcane allows immortals to pass unnoticed among mortals, or "hide in plain sight". It is very useful for slipping away after duels that leave headless corpses lying around, as well as hiding four-foot swords under three-foot trench coats. Each level of Arcane automatically gives a +1 to Stealth skill, and to Holdout skill when concealing something on one's own person (including defaults). Additionally, the immortal can make himself difficult to notice. On a successful Arcane roll, mortals must make a Will roll, at a penalty equal to the immortal's Arcane level, to take notice of the immortal when not directly confronted by him, or to remember details about the immortal afterwards. The duration of this effect is one minute per point by which the roll was made. Mortals who are specifically looking for the immortal (or who are alert for anyone passing by, such as a guard), get a +3 to their Will roll. If the immortal is being very obvious (walking down the street carrying a huge greatsword, for instance), all spectators get a +3 to their Will rolls. (These two bonuses are cumulative- an immortal trying to sneak past a sentry, carrying obvious weapons, would give the sentry a +6 bonus to notice.) The immortal is not invisible, and will still be recorded by cameras and other machines. This power does not affect other immortals.
At level 2 and above, the immortal can "cloak" others with him. At level 2, the immortal can give the same Arcane benefits he gains himself to one other person who is within one yard. The number of people, and the allowable distance between them, increases by 1 for each additional level. So, level 4 Arcane would allow up to three other people to be "cloaked", at a distance of up to 3 yards.
At level 4, the immortal can become effectively invisible. The immortal can now purchase the Invisible Quickening skill. By activating this power, the immortal makes a Contest of Skills, the immortal's Invisibility skill versus the subject's Will. Immortals get a bonus equal to their Quickening Rating to their Will roll. Duration is equal to one second per point of initial success on the Invisibility roll. The immortal is still not invisible to machines.
At level 6, the immortal can actually "mute" his Quickening aura, so that other immortals cannot sense him coming as readily. Roll a Contest of Skill, the invisible immortal's Invisible Quickening vs. the other immortal's Quickening Sense + Quickening Rating. For each point by which the first immortal wins, divide the range of the Quickening Sense for other immortals, but not the "invisible" immortal.
Example: Ferdinand has Arcane/6, a Quickening Rating of 9, and Invisible Quickening-14 (net roll 23 or less.) He is trying to sneak up on another immortal with a Quickening Sense of 14 and a Quickening Rating of 3 (net roll 17 or less.) Ferdinand rolls a 6, and the other immortal rolls a 12. Ferdinand wins by 12, so while normally they would sense each other at 22 yards, the other immortal's range is divided by 12! Ferdinand will sense him at 22 yards, but the other immortal will not sense Ferdinand until he gets within 2 yards!
Both the Arcane and Invisible Quickening skills do work against animals, but animals roll against their best Sense, rather than Will; they are harder to fool.
Any immortal who has Arcane at level 1 or higher may buy the Invisibility Art skill as described in GURPS Martial Arts. (He must also have the prerequisites of Stealth and Hypnotism at 16+). Arcane substitutes for the Trained by a Master prerequisite.
This gives the immortal power over animals. Each level of Beast Quickening gives a +1 to animal reaction rolls towards the immortal, and a +1 on all Animal skills. Animal Empathy counts as 1 level of
Beast Quickening, and Beast-Kin counts as 3 levels; the bonuses to animal reaction rolls and skill rolls are cumulative. (This does not mean that buying 1 level of Beast Quickening
gives you Animal Empathy; Animal Empathy and Beast-Kin are effectively "bonus" levels of Beast Quickening, but they also have disadvantages attached, namely the prohibition against needlessly killing animals. If you have high levels of Beast Quickening, you can command them, even to the point of sending them to their deaths, but Animal Empathy or Beast-Kin would give you an aversion to doing so.
Default: An immortal can spend 1 Quickening Point per 2 hours of missed sleep to ignore the effects of sleep loss, and 1 Quickening Point per missed meal to postpone starvation effects. The immortal can spend 1 Quickening Point per day to postpone the effects of going without water. This cost increases to 3 Quickening Points per day in a hot climate, and 5 points per day in a desert.
This allows an immortal to slow or stop his metabolism. He can survive with less (or virtually no) food, water or sleep. Also, each level of Body Quickening gives +1 to the Body Control and Breath Control skills (and an immortal with Body Quickening can instinctively learn these skills.) Body Quickening can also be used as per the Metabolic Control advantage (GCI60); each level of Body Quickening is equal to 2 levels of Metabolic Control.
Level 1 is effectively Decreased Life Support (GCI52).
Default: Immortals without this power can spend 1 Quickening point per level, per minute, to take advantage of the power temporarily.
This power allows immortals to function without air.
This allows the immortal to cast his senses out and gather information by attuning himself to the Quickening. It functions something like ESP. Danger Sense is considered to be a function of this power. If an immortal does not have Danger Sense already, he must buy it first before he can buy Enhanced Quickening Sense. If using default Enhanced Quickening Sense and the immortal does not have Danger Sense, add 3 to the number of Quickening Points that must be spent.
The following powers may be used with Enhanced Quickening Sense:
The immortal can scry on well-known locations, with whom he has a psychic connection, at much greater ranges. Use the range table below.
For individuals, the roll is at a penalty as per the Telescan power; -8 if the immortal has never met the subject, -4 if he has met the subject once, 0 if he has met the subject several times, +1 if the subject is a casual acquaintance, +2 if the subject is someone the immortal knows well, +3 if the subject is a close friend or someone he has known for a long time (such as another immortal with whom he has had a rivalry for centuries), +5 if the subject is a family member or other intimate.
If the subject is an immortal, his Quickening Rating acts as a penalty to the roll. Danger Sense will alert the subject that someone is searching for him.
The range of all Enhanced Quickening Sense skills is based on the level (which corresponds to the Long Distance range penalties for spells);
Skill: Illusions (M/H), no default
This power allows the immortal to create illusions.
At level 1, the immortal can create a Simple Illusion, a single image no more than 1 hex in size per level of Power. The illusion only affects sight, and will be dispelled by the touch of any physical object. The illusion can move, but requires continual concentration from the immortal creating it. Complex movements will require an Illusions skill roll at -2 or more to maintain.
At level 2, the immortal can create a Complex Illusion which affects sight and sound. It does not automatically disappear if touched; it has DR 0 and HT 1.
At level 3, the immortal can create a Perfect Illusion which affects all the senses. A Perfect Illusion can move, speak, and so on without the immortal having to concentrate (though all movements and sounds must be "pre-programmed"; the illusion cannot think or react to external stimuli in any way.) A Perfect Illusion can be "disrupted" by objects passing through it, but it will not fade until the immortal turns it off (or the duration expires).
Additional levels of power increase the Range, Size and duration of illusions. Each level above three doubles the duration (so at level 4, an illusion lasts for 2 minutes per point by which the illusions skill roll was made, 4 minutes at level 5, 8 minutes at level 6, 16 minutes at level 7, half an hour at level 8, 1 hour at level 9, and so on.)
Mirror Image: Creating a mirror image of oneself (such as to confuse opponents during a fight) requires Level 2 Illusions. One mirror image can be created for each level of power. Mirror images will exactly duplicate the movements of the immortal, but do not require concentration to maintain.
Illusory Disguise: This can be a function of either a Simple Illusion, Complex Illusion, or Perfect Illusion. Laying a disguise on oneself requires a normal Illusions roll. Anyone spending time with the immortal, or who is examining the immortal for deceptions, may make a Contest of Skill, his perception roll vs. the immortal's Illusions or Disguise +3 skill, whichever is higher. All normal Disguise penalties apply (Illusions substitute for makeup and powder, hence the +3 bonus; they are not cumulative).
Prerequisite: Sword Quickening at equal level
This power allows the immortal to actually project lightning bolts; it is an improvement on the Sword Quickening ability, which must be purchased first. The lightning bolts do 1d damage per level; roll vs. Lightning skill to hit. On a critical failure, the immortal does the damage to himself as he fails to release the energy he has generated. The lightning may be blocked or dodged, but not parried. Metal armor has PD 0, DR 1.
Normally, the immortal must project the lightning bolt from a metal weapon. At level 2, the immortal may use a non-metal weapon to project the lightning bolt, at a -4 penalty to the roll, and another Lightning roll is required (at no penalty) or else the weapon takes the damage as well. At level 4, the immortal may project the lightning from his fingertips, at a -6 penalty to the roll. On any failure, he does the damage to himself. At level 6, the immortal may actually call a lightning bolt from the sky, or some other point, at a -8 to the roll.
See also Weather Quickening.
Prerequisite: Empathy
This is the power to affect the minds of other people. Any time a Mental Quickening power is used against another immortal, the immortal adds his Quickening Rating to his resistance. Range for all powers is equal to Power in hexes.
Before an immortal can buy Mental Quickening, he must buy the Empathy advantage. Using Mental Quickening powers on a default, without Empathy, adds 3 to the Quickening Point cost.
Besides basic commands, Domination can be used to, among other things, cause a victim to forget one fact, fall asleep, or suffer a sudden muscle spasm.
No Default:
At level 1, the immortal regenerates all wounds at 1 HT/turn, as per Instant Regeneration. Each added level adds 1 HT every other turn. Thus, the healing rate of an immortal is as follows:
Skill: Quickened Running (M/H), Default: IQ-6
Each level of Quickened Running increases the immortal's Move score (but not Speed) by 1 for the duration of the effect. Each 2 levels bought also gives a permanent +1 bonus to Running skill.
Skill: Quickened Speed (M/H), Default: IQ-8
Each level of Quickened Speed raises the immortal's Basic Speed (and Move) by one for the duration. If the immortal does not already have Combat Reflexes, he is treated as having that advantage for the duration of the effect. (If the immortal does already have Combat Reflexes, he gets no additional benefits.)
Each level of Quickened Strength raises the immortal's ST by one for the duration (it does not increase Fatigue or Hit Points.)
An immortal with Quickened Strength at level 2 or higher can learn and use the Immovable Stance and Power Blow cinematic skills, without having Trained by a Master.
Skill: Sword Quickening (M/H), default: IQ-6
The immortal can charge his weapon (must be a metal weapon) with energy, causing it to inflict more damage, and also decreasing the chances of breakage.
Besides the added damage, subtract the level of Sword Quickening from any roll against breaking (thus, even a rapier will not break when parrying a greatsword, with level 4 Sword Quickening or above.) If someone is deliberately trying to break the weapon, treat each level as 2 points of DR.
At level 2 and higher, the immortal may charge non-metal weapons, at a penalty of -4 to their roll.
This works like the Super-Advantage Altered Time Rate (GCI page 49), but with a limited duration and a Fatigue cost. The immortal can speed up time relative to himself.
This power allows an immortal to control the weather. Each level of power lets the immortal shift the weather one level on the Weather table, below.
If an immortal uses Weather Quickening to change the weather to Heavy Thunderstorms or worse (or if such weather already exists), he can summon lightning bolts to strike targets at will. This requires a roll against Lightning skill, at minus 8 (as well as other normal range and speed modifiers.) Damage is equal to 1d per level of Weather Quickening; Fatigue cost is 2 per level, for each Lightning bolt. However, if the immortal also has Lightning as a Quickening Power, then generating weather amenable to lightning strikes allows the use of the Lightning power at a reduced Fatigue cost; only 1 per level of power. (The roll to hit is still at minus 8 when used in this manner.)
By making a Wound Quickening roll, the immortal instantly regenerates a number of Hit Points equal to his level. This is a visible effect, as electrical discharges crackle around the regenerating wounds.
The following Super Advantages can also be purchased by immortals, as a function of their Quickening. These function exactly as described in GURPS Compendium I (or GURPS Supers), but the same limits apply as for Quickening Powers; an immortal cannot buy any power whose point cost is more than 10 times his Quickening Rating. There is no default ability with these powers unless otherwise specified.
Comments are appreciated. If you find any errors, feel free to contact me.
ARCANE (10 points per level)
Duration: 1 minute per point of success on Arcane, or 1 second per point of success on Invisible Quickening roll
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 1 per level
BEAST QUICKENING (5 points per level)
Duration: See below
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 1 per level
BODY QUICKENING (10 points per level)
Level 2 adds Reduced Sleep (GCI64).
Level 3 allows the immortal to choose either Doesn't Eat or Drink or Doesn't Sleep.
At level 4, the immortal does not need to eat, drink or sleep.
BREATH QUICKENING (10 points per level)
ENHANCED QUICKENING SENSE (5 points per level)
Prerequisite: Danger Sense
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 1 per level
Level Range Time
1 (5 points) 100 yards 1 day 2 (10 points) 1/2 mile 1 week 3 (15 points) 1 mile 1 month 4 (20 points) 3 miles 6 months 5 (25 points) 10 miles 3 years 6 (30 points) 50 miles 10 years 7 (35 points) 100 miles 100 years 8 (40 points) 300 miles 1,000 years 9 (45 points) 1,000 miles 3,000 years per additional level +1,000 miles +1,000 years
ILLUSIONS (15/25/35 points, +5 points per level thereafter)
Range: 1 yard per level
Duration: 1 minute per point by which Illusions skill roll was made, doubled for each level of Power
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 1 per level
LIGHTNING (10 points per level)
Skill: Lightning (M/H), Default: IQ-8 or Sword Quickening-4
Range: 10 yards per level
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 2 per level
MENTAL QUICKENING (10 points per level)
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 1 per level
QUICKENED HEALING (50 points for first level, 25 points per additional level)
Level Healing Rate
0 (0 points) 1 Hit Point every other turn 1 (50 points) 1 Hit Point per turn 2 (75 points) 3 Hit Points per 2 turns 3 (100 points) 2 Hit Points per turn 4 (125 points) 5 Hit Points per 2 turns etc
QUICKENED RUNNING (5 points per level)
Duration: 1 minute per point by which roll is made
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 1 per level
QUICKENED SPEED (10 points per level)
Duration: 1 second per point by which roll is made
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 1 per level
QUICKENED STRENGTH (5 points per level)
Duration: 1 second per point by which roll is made
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 1 per 2 levels
SWORD QUICKENING (10 points for first level, 5 points per additional level)
Duration: 1 round per point by which roll is made
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 1 per level
At level 4 and higher, the immortal may charge his bare hands or feet, at a penalty of -6 to his roll.
Level Damage Bonus
1 (10 points) +2 2 (15 points) +1d 3 (20 points) +1d+2 4 (25 points) +2d 5 (30 points) +2d+2 6 (35 points) +3d etc
TIME QUICKENING (50 points per level)
Skill: Time Quickening (M/VH), default: IQ-10
Duration: 1 round per point by which roll is made
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 5 per level
WEATHER QUICKENING (10 points per level)
Duration: 1 minute per point by which roll is made
Area: See chart below
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 2 per level
Weather Wind Strength Area
1 Totally Clear Wind <5 MPH 10 yards 2 Partly Cloudy Wind 5 MPH 100 yards 3 Cloudy Wind 10 MPH 1,000 yards 4 Cloudy, Drizzle or Light Snow Wind 15 MPH 1 mile 5 Steady Rain or Sleet Wind 20 MPH 2 miles 6 Hard Rain, Snow or Sleet Wind 25 MPH 5 miles 7 Deluge, Blizzard or Heavy Hail Wind 30 MPH 10 miles 8 Heavy Thunderstorms Wind 40 MPH 25 miles 9 Gail Force Winds Wind 50 MPH 50 miles 10 Hurricanes and Tornadoes Wind 75 MPH 100 miles 11+ +100 miles
WOUND QUICKENING (5 points per level)
Skill: Wound Quickening (M/H), default: IQ-4
Fatigue/Quickening Cost: 1 per level
