I need feedback on game idea

[Dravion]

I was looking to write up a 'Highlander' style campaign setting. Pulling from all 5 movies and both tv series and maybe a few aspects from the cartoon. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for ideas that might work. Because what I have thus far, and it's only me spending a few spare seconds at work thinking this over.


You are in a clan in Scotland and the time period is about the 1400's. You are killed in front of your fellow clansmen and while awaiting to put you on the pyre you awaken. (Pretty much think the classic starting of Highlander) But where my thoughts will very is you are trained by three other immortals. And you disband for six centuries and get back together to search for "The Holy Grail" for immortals. (Pulling from the movie 'Highlander: The Source')

When you battle you can kill the person but unless you cut the person's head off you don't really kill them. Once a head comes off you gain all their abilities (ie: feats, skills and knowledge) But there will be one immortal that will have what is called the "Dark Quickening", where if you take that ones head you have to pretty much fight yourself to gain your sanity back.

I'm open for any and all suggestions on this idea. And when I get it all ironed out and wrote up I will post the full summary.

[ARMarcoux]

Sounds interesting. Combat would have to be the focus of the game though (as following the greater theme of the movies) and you might want to have a pregen for combat strikes to the neck for that 'just right' kill. I'm assuming the Dark Quickening is based on the role of the Guardian in The Source movie. As I understand the movie and Guardian he was the test and only a pure good person could truly overcome the temptation not to take his head. Maybe a resistance / saving throw to determine if they can resist from taking the Guardian's head instead of fighting themselves.

I would also be cautious about giving the characters every single power of the deceased (feats, abilities, etc). You might want to give bonuses to similar skills of the deceased and victor, increased HP or magic power (if you use this), or similar enhancements.

[Dravion]

As for the Dark Quickening, I was thinking of an episode of the tv show. But I do like the concept of The Guardian. I could probably work that a little better.

As for the powers of the deceased, that was when the player(s) would level up. And have them think that they were getting the power of the kill. When I would have all the stats for the npc that just got killed, and depending on the npc, if the pc is "older" or high level, he wouldn't get that much off the kill. He might get for example a +1 to his damage bonus while facing a person with a smaller build then the pc.

But like I said I'm open for any ideas...and will take them all under consideration.

[Dimthar]

A "Party" of Immortals sounds a little unlikely. In the case of the un-official Highlander the Gathering which runs on the storyteller system of the Old WoD. The idea of an Immortal PC was mostly as a support character for any of the other 3 main games (Vampire, Werewolf and Mage.

http://vampirerpg.free.fr/Rules/Highlander/

.

[tesral]

You are going to need non-immortal missions and encounters. Can't run a game on nothing but cutting heads off. After all, how many immortals are there? I would even step away form the idea of the quickening being required to level up.

As for system you might want to look at White Wolf. 600 year old immortals are going to be so much better at nearly anything than their mortal kin.

Things to decide:
-- How much of a challenge to the immortals are mortals? If they are intended to be as good, just not immortal you might want to cut back on the age of the immortals.
-- What is the state of the world, what era etc.?
-- What are they really after, and what do they have to get through to get it?
-- Is that going to be the sole focus of the game? Will you have side quests of interest?

[Dravion]

The mix would be for every 7 mortals there will be an immortal. There will be a criminal mastermind Immortal and the small group of friends (ie. Highlander: The Source) will try to stop him. Then they will try to locate the "Holy Grail" for Immortals called the source. I will probably pull a few older DND mods, just take out any monsters and put humans instead. I would think of running it d20 modern....with bouncing d20 past here and there. There would also be a group of mortals called the Watchers (like in the tv show) that would keep track of the kills and also help you think of a way of being the last.

[macleod76]

A "Party" of Immortals sounds a little unlikely. In the case of the un-official Highlander the Gathering which runs on the storyteller system of the Old WoD. The idea of an Immortal PC was mostly as a support character for any of the other 3 main games (Vampire, Werewolf and Mage.

http://vampirerpg.free.fr/Rules/Highlander/

.

I've used these rules to play a immortal in a WoD game.... it was years ago, but the rules work very well with the storyteller system.