Highlander (ish) style quickening mechanic

[Drakyrias]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

How often should observable changes occur? How many killings would that normally suggest? Those kinds of questions are what I'd start with.

Good question since this is actually from the non highlander source, which if anybody is curious is the Void City Novels.

The description in the novels is rather brief and only as a warning to an ancillary character as a warning between two immortals about the consequences for killing each other and is implied as a risk to any duel between immortals.

Though I believe it is also implied that with a strong enough will can resist the effects except with an extremely powerful 'quickening' (not the term in the book)

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

What about just using the corruption rules as written, give a fixed amount of of corruption per quickening and allow some kind of cleansing over time?

I didn't use the corruption system as written because I wanted it to be dynamic and respond to power differences between different immortals. Though thinking about it, I don't think my dark quickening does nearly what I want and should incorporate more as written corruption rules.

Originally Posted by Refplace

Will every PC be an immortal? If not you should charge a UB for this.
I would likely apply Meditation and time towards reducing Dark Quickening points.Mostly based on the TV series when McCloud went bad.

This is actually for a Supers game where I've mashed Marvel/DC into a custom universe and thrown my own twists in as well. (Namely using Void city vampires and Highlander/Void City Immortals).

Yes the PC in question has unusual background though.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Drakyrias

I didn't use the corruption system as written because I wanted it to be dynamic and respond to power differences between different immortals. Though thinking about it, I don't think my dark quickening does nearly what I want and should incorporate more as written corruption rules.

I would expect absorbing souls to be generally corrupting, and how big the guy's bank account was shouldn't really matter.

[Drakyrias]

Second Pass: again looking for feedback and suggestions to improve this:

Primary Sources: Highlander Quickenings, Void City Immortal soul absorption.

Base Quickening Roll: Will

Quickening Resource: Will+HT

After severing a head, compare the combatants quickening scores by subtracting the losers score from the victors, to achieve base quickening modifier. (lowest this base can be is 0, see Preying on the Weak for negative modifiers)

If successful, the immortal gains the memories and knowledge of the fallen combatant. The character will gain 5cp+1cp per 10cp the fallen immortal had in excess of the victor. (i.e a 500pt immortal killing a 750pt one will gain 30cp from a successful quickening.)

Advantages that add extra pts to a quickening: Magery, Supernatural talents, Psionic Talents add 1/5 the original value of the advantage.

Dark Quickenings: Failing a quickening roll can cause a Dark or corrupt quickening. Modifiers that penalize a quickening roll can cause it to fail and trigger a dark quickening. Dark quickening still gain all the benefits of a normal quickening but also carry the side effects of personality traits and possibly physical transformation. These effects can be mitigated by spending any pts gained by the quickening to pay off the dark quickening disadvantages.

Certain corrupting advantages and disadvantages apply negatives to a quickening roll depending on their severity, at gms discression (i.e. severe delusions -2, O.D.P. Canibalism -3, certain forms of black magic may be considered corrupting)

Preying on the Weak: If a victor triggers quickening against a target that would have been rendered to 3 or less on his own quickening roll if he'd won the match, apply a -5 for determining critical failure, and immediately consider the quickening dark.

If a Dark Quickening is triggered the character will gain 1pt in disadvantages per difference in Will+ any negative modifiers on the quickening. (I.e. If a dark quickening happens, and the victor had a will of 12 and the victim a will of 14, with a -3 penalty for sadism, the character now gains 5pts in disadvantages based on the fallen immortals personality and so is now Callous).

Critical Failure Dark Quickening: These disasters cause a whole sale alterations to the characters physiology, blending their appearances. This can be incredibly problematic to social advantages such as wealth (jobs), allies, contacts, etc.

Earning off Dark Quickening Corruption:

Meritorious Acts and Penance are both methods that are used to try and purge an immortal of a dark quickening. Only physical alterations can never be truly removed (without external intervention). Due to the long lives of immortals though, and the cost of consuming a soul of another so completely, characters only earn away 1 pt per week spent in isolation. Suitable gurus, may increase this rate, at GM discretion.


I got timed out twice trying to write this and lost it and am slightly sleep deprived at this point so no clue how much of my original thought actually made it through but please, feedback on this new system?

[Drakyrias]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I would expect absorbing souls to be generally corrupting, and how big the guy's bank account was shouldn't really matter.

Not sure what you mean by bank account?

[Flyndaran]

I think he's referencing how being very wealthy increases point total of characters. So using point totals as "power level" for quickening doesn't make much sense in Gurps.

[Drakyrias]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I think he's referencing how being very wealthy increases point total of characters. So using point totals as "power level" for quickening doesn't make much sense in Gurps.

Good point, open to ideas for a fix

[Flyndaran]

For combat focused quickenings, probably just counting skills and advantages geared toward that. More GM work, but I can't think of a simple way to compare characters for a nebulous concept like "power" or "level" in Gurps.

[Drakyrias]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

For combat focused quickenings, probably just counting skills and advantages geared toward that. More GM work, but I can't think of a simple way to compare characters for a nebulous concept like "power" or "level" in Gurps.

I think it might be simpler just to subtract any pts in wealth or gadget related advantages.

[Flyndaran]

If it works for you... I'd not be able to start down that path without continuing to essentially just "power" traits.