We Could Be Immortals

A place to discuss game rules, homebrew systems and the like.
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ManOfLetters
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Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:12 pm

We Could Be Immortals

Post by ManOfLetters »

Got inspired for this idea after reading some of The Old Guard by Greg Rucka.

There's a crew of individuals who are immortal, from different eras/lives. Source? Unknown. Their immortality is triggered via an outside death (so if you fell down the basement stairs in fourth grade, c'est la vie; you're stuck as a 10-year-old). Other than not aging, and healing faster than normal folks, they're also able to sense "baby" immortals (i.e., immortals who have recently "sparked").

Unlike Highlander, they can't be killed via a specific method (such as decapitation or shot with a diamond bullet hand-forged by a blind left-handed man named Jeff). Theirs is more of a Jack Harkness-style resurrective immortality; they can die, they just can't STAY dead.

The catch? There's no set-in-stone number of "lives" they get when they become immortal. You might be able to come back another 20 times; you might only get one extra life. There's no way to tell. How would I go about reflecting this aspect, game mechanic-wise?
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Jack of Spades
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Re: We Could Be Immortals

Post by Jack of Spades »

I simply wouldn't. You're basically talking about mechanizing the point at which someone has to give up all their investment in a character they like and start over. That's not something I think should be governed by mechanics. When a player wants to drop a character, let them -- through death or by retiring to Tibet, as the player prefers.
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RainOnTheSun
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Re: We Could Be Immortals

Post by RainOnTheSun »

It does seem like a useful built-in way to replace characters, though.

"Hey, Frank died again, you wanna bring him back?"

"Nah, I think I'm about done with Frank. That was his last life."
ManOfLetters
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Re: We Could Be Immortals

Post by ManOfLetters »

Fair enough. Now, power-wise, I’ve got it pretty well thought out. Skill and Advantage-wise, what sort of “racial bonuses” would be best? I figure 2 ranks apiece of Expertise (history) and Close or Ranged Combat (player’s choice), and 4 ranks of a skill of the player’s choosing.

For Advantages, 2-3 ranks of Languages, and either Beginner’s Luck (older Methos types) or Jack of All Trades (those with about 4-7 centuries’ experience). Maybe a rank or 2 of wealth.
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