IMMORTAL

THE GATHERING
5TH EDITION

AHOMEBREWSOURCEBOOKFOR
 Foreword
In this document, I have attempted to incorporate the 20th Anniversary Edition of Immortal: The Gathering
created by Outlander and many others into the updated setting introduced with the 5th Edition of Vampire:
The Masquerade. This incorporation involves both the rules changed in the new edition, but also the tone, feel
and spirit which were included in the latest instalment. This prompted me to go back to the first Highlander
films for some of the more tragic elements.
Immortal characters are hopefully less powerful than they were in earlier editions, in keeping with
the general lowering of power. They must also maintain their relationships with other people in order to
maintain their connection to the world and stave off isolation and ennui, in a manner reminiscent of vampires.
This takes the form of Desolation, Principles and Anchors. Many rules have also been stripped of complexity,
detail or specific numbers, in an attempt to emphasise the more narrative style of play embodied by v5.
In this way, playing an Immortal becomes a little more tragic than previous editions and harkens
back to the loneliness suffered by Connor MacLeod in the first Highlander film, and is in keeping with v5’s
attempt to avoid the Superheroes With Fangs take on Vampire: The Masquerade. Similarly, it also brings up
the timetable of the end of the world, making the Gathering an event and process happening right now with
the change of The First into the Urge to take heads.
A considerable amount of effort has gone into this, but even with that in mind, this remains only my
(re-)interpretation of the world of Highlander, the World of Darkness and the previous versions of the
Immortal rules. It only builds upon and in no way replaces the work of those who came before: Hank Driskill,
John Gavigan, Outlander and many others. Readers and players are encouraged to read the original
Highlander: The Gathering, Immortal: The Gathering 20th Anniversary Edition and associated fan works to
gain a greater appreciation for the history which went into this and the numerous ideas and creative writings,
which I have kept, tweaked or removed for this edition. Outlander is still updating the 20th Anniversary
Edition to this day, and it is obviously much better suited than this document for previous editions of the
rules.
At the time of writing, about 10 books have been released for the 5th Edition of Vampire: The
Masquerade, and no books for any other line which Immortals could learn or benefit from have been released,
either in terms of narrative or mechanical ideas. On top of that, the document you’re reading now is only the
first draft. As a result, this document should definitely be considered a temporary document. It is a
work-in-progress to an even greater degree than any fan work normally is and there are some mechanics which
I'm not entirely pleased with. Ideas and feedback are always welcome.
I hope you enjoy the ideas in this document and that you have fun playing an Immortal within the
World of Darkness.

- Alratan
 credits
adaptation from 20th anniversary edition, design & development -
Alratan on the World of Darkness 5th Edition Discord | Email: alratan (at) gmail (dot) com

original google doc template & tips - Eunomiac

images
cover page - Foggy Woodland - Pexels

loresheet separator symbols - Crossed Swords - Pixabay, Lightning Flash - Pixabay

clan macleod - Katana - Pixabay

the horsemen - Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Pixabay

the watchers - Watcher Symbol - Unknown Creator

back page - Sword in Snow - Pexels

This document is a fan-work and the author is not affiliated

with Paradox Interactive AB.

Portions of these materials are the copyrights and

trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB, and are used with
permission. All rights reserved. For more information
please visit worldofdarkness.com.

The use of the ‘Highlander’ name in these rules is not a challenge to the rights to the “Highlander” franchise,
created by Gregory Widen and owned by Davis-Panzer and/or Lionsgate Films, nor any other rights holders.
The use of the “Highlander” name in these rules is not a challenge to the rights of Thunder Castle Games, Inc.
publisher of the “Official Highlander Trading Card Game” and the “Official Highlander Role–Playing Game”,
nor any other Highlander media. The inclusion of Immortals in the “World of Darkness” is not a challenge to
the rights of Paradox Interactive, World of Darkness nor any other creator or rights owner. This is a work of
fan–fiction, written voluntarily and for no material profit.

acknowledgements from previous editions

immortal: the gathering 20th anniversary edition - Outlander
highlander: the gathering revised edition & prologue - R-
highlander: the gathering - Hank Driskill and John Gavigan
the highlander players guide - Mark Antill
assisting and playtesting - Mike, John, Brent, and SirDakkalot
feedback & suggestions - Hank Driskill and John Gavigan,Erik Nielsen, LeeGarv, Marco, Charlesfreel, J. Clayton, The Livewire
reluctant immortal archetype - World of Darkness: Mummy Second Edition

Last updated: 10/03/2021

 

Immortal: The Gathering 

5th Edition 
— by Alratan 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 

PROLOGUE 4  C
​ loak 22 
M
​ ythic 23 
INTRODUCTION 7 
Playing Immortals 7  BACKGROUNDS 25 
Storytelling for Immortals 7  F
​ ame 25 
H
​ aven 26 
WHAT IS AN IMMORTAL? 9 
I​ nfluence 26 
The Quickening 9 
L
​ oresheet 26 
Gaining Quickening 10 
M
​ ask 26 
The Rules 10 
M
​ awla 27 
The Gathering 11 
R
​ etainer 28 
The Prize 1​1 
S​ tatus 28 
The First Teacher 1​1 
Theme & Mood 12  WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER 29 
Desolation: The Crushing Weight of Loneliness 29 
Lexicon of the Lonely 13 
Principles 30 
CHARACTER CREATION 15  Convictions 31 
Quick Guide 16  Chronicle Tenets 31 
Core Character Concept 16  Anchors 32 
Your Mortal Life 16  M
​ ortals 32 
A
​ rchetypes 17  O
​ bjects 33 
C
​ hoose Your Traits 17  A
​ nimals 33 
D
​ etermine the Sea of Time 18  S​ upernaturals 33 
S​ elect Derived Traits 19  L
​ osing Anchors 34 
C
​ hoose Your Connections 19  G
​ aining Anchors 35 
SKILLS 21  C
​ ultivating Anchors 35 
New Specialties 21  T
​ ouchstones 35 
Variant Rule: New Skill - Immortal Lore 21  Desolation’s Wax & Wane 36 

ADVANTAGES 22  MORE LIVES THAN A CAT 37 

MERITS 22  Identities & Masks 37 
S​ ubstance Use 22  Stage of Life 38 
B
​ lood 22 

1 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

THE URGE 40  ​ I​ nsight 57 

Manifestation of the Urge 40  ​Verstehen 57 
C
​ ompulsion: Headhunting 41  Lesser Feats 58 
Temporary Urge Fluctuations 41  K
​ nit Wounds 58 
Benefits of the Urge 42  V
​ ital Surge 58 
Variant Rule: Urge Equals Desolation 42  P
​ owerful Strike 58 
R
​ estoration 58 
THE QUICKENING 43 
Greater Feats 59 
Zero Sum Game 43 
A
​ Kind of Magic 59 
Releasing and Absorbing Quickening 43 
E
​ erie Perception 60 
W
​ hat Happens During a Quickening? 43 
S​ ense Life 60 
M
​ ultiple Quickenings 44 
E
​ ternal Preservation 61 
A
​ bsorbing Quickening 44 
Q
​ uickening Throe 61 
Variant Rule: Absorbing Knowledge 44 
S​ hield Mind 62 
Effects of Taking Quickening 45 
S​ ummon Blade 62 
E
​ xperience 45 
A
​ bsorb Life 62 
U
​ rge Reduction 45 
N
​ umina 45  IMMORTALS IN THE  
Overwhelming Quickenings 46  WORLD OF DARKNESS 64 
D
​ ark and Light Quickenings 46  Hiding Among Mortals 64 
Losing Quickening 47  Immortals In Chronicles 65 
T
​ respassers 47  Immortals And... 65 
H
​ oly Ground 47  V
​ ampires 65 
​What is Holy Ground? 49  F
​ era 66 
D
​ eath Without a Quickening 49  M
​ ages 66 
W
​ raiths 66 
QUICKENING FEATS 50 
C
​ hangelings 67 
Twisting the Dial: Quickening Rating Limits 51 
S​ ervants of the Wyrm 67 
Fatigue 51 
T
​ he First Inquisition 67 
Basic Feats 51 
T
​ he Second Inquisition 67 
B
​ odily Stability 51 
T​he Fallen 68 
S​ ustenance 52 
R
​ eborn 68 
R
​ egeneration 53 
The Quickening & Other Abilities 68 
​Healing 53 
W
​ ellspring of Power 68 
R
​ egrowth 53 
N
​ umina 68 
​Revival 54 
M
​ agical Items 69 
​Dreamless Death 54 
D
​ ark Powers 69 
U
​ nity of Essence 54 
Supernatural Powers Versus The Quickening 70 
R
​ ecall 54 
V
​ ampiric Disciplines 70 
S​ ense Quickening 55 
W
​ erewolf Gifts 70 
E
​ mpower Blade 56 
T
​ rue Magic 71 
​Empowering A Blade 56 
​ ​Avatar Storm 71 
Variant Rule: Magical Weapons 57 
​Mage Spheres 71 
T
​ he Last 57 

2 
 

W
​ raith Arcanoi 71  Rival Immortals 82 
H
​ unters’ Edges 71  H
​ eadhunter 82 
D
​ emonic Powers 72 
THE WATCHERS 83 
​Demonic Lore 72 
The Hunters 84 
O
​ ther Abilities 72 
Sanctuary 84 
STORYTELLING FOR IMMORTALS 73  Origins of the Watchers 84 
Basics 73  A
​ ge 84 
At What Price Immortality? 73  P
​ urpose 84 
B
​ ecoming Immortal 74  R​elationships 85 
One World 75  T
​ rue Name 85 
K
​ indred 75  C
​ urrent State 85 
G
​ arou 76  Example Watchers 85 
M
​ ages 76  F
​ ield Watcher 85 
Telling a Chronicle 77  H
​ unter 85 
Conflict 78  EQUIPMENT 86 
Game, Gathering and Prize 79  Supernatural Equipment 86 
U
​ nknown 79  T
​ he Methusaleh’s Stone 86 
A
​ liens 79 
LORESHEETS 87 
A
​ ncient Curse 79 
Clan MacLeod 87 
D
​ efenders Against the Impergium 80 
The ​Horsemen 88 
E
​ lohim 80 
The Watchers 89 
T
​ he First Imbued 80 
N
​ ephilim 80  APPENDIX 91 
P
​ art of Reality 81  Foreword from 20th Anniversary Edition 91 
S​ hards of a Being 81   
U
​ nknowable 81 

Varying the Urge 82 

 

3 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Prologue 
 
 
“Please, sit down. Yes, I know that you have questions about what is going on. I will do the best I can to 
answer your questions.” 
 
“I have been able to piece together what happened. The people around you thought you were dead. They 
thought you had died with your husband. They buried you both together. Yes? At some point not long after 
they closed the stones over you, you woke up. You found yourself in a cold and dark place next to a dead 
body. I know what that is like. Really, I do.” 
 
“Then, you just drifted off to a form of sleep.” 
 
“Until last week, when you woke up again. The tomb had cracked open and you found yourself in this 
strange world that you do not recognize, but that looks like it was laid over the one you come from. Believe 
me, I understand that very well. After that you came out of the tomb, only to have a mob in Khulna try to 
stone you to death.” 
 
“No, this is not the afterlife. You did not fail to live a life of dharma — at least not the way you think you 
did. This is not Hell or even a Hell. Well, not technically at any rate.” 
 
“You are alive. You breathe, you eat, you sweat, you sleep. You are very alive. You are more alive than 
the people walking the street outside. Yes, we are in Calcutta. You and I, we are not like them. I know you do 
not understand. This is a lot to absorb all at once. You can give it time.” 
 
“You have been given a legacy, a birthright. You and I are special people. Before you suffered your first 
death, you were just like other women. You would grow old, get sick and, ah, bleed. The difference was this 
legacy in you. It was like a spark or an ember.” 
 
“That ember blazed into a fire with your death. The fire in you is called the Quickening. I have it too. 
That is what you felt in the market place before you saw me.” 
 
“Eh? Yes, all your wounds have healed quickly. That is part of what the fire in you means. You heal 
quickly. You will never get sick. You will never get old. You will be stronger, quicker and more alive than 
anyone else around you. So, no, the people in the market could not have killed you with the stoning.” 

4 
 PROLOGUE 

 
“Yes, I don’t have to worry about those things either.” 
 
“How old am I? That is very perceptive of you. Yes. I stopped aging and I am much older than I look. I 
told you to call me Juan Mendoza. My real name is Teopixquitletl. I am the last High Priest of the Feathered 
Serpent God from a long-vanished empire. I am more than 500 years old.” 
 
“Yes, we are very separate people. No, I have never worshipped Allah. Why are we both like this?” 
 
“I have no idea. I wish I did know. I wish that I had a better answer for you. It is the mystery of our 
existence. None of us knows why we are like this. There are others of us. Not many, though. Immortals have 
always been few in numbers.” 
 
“Yes, you are right; there is a downside to this. In addition to never growing old, you will never again, 
ahem, bleed. You cannot have children. The choice was taken from all of us.” 
 
“Moreover, saying we are Immortal is overstating it. We can and do die. If you - for any reason - lose 
your head, you die. There is more. We Immortals strive to kill each other in this way - cutting off each other’s 
heads - to take each other’s power. If another Immortal cuts off your head, he gets your power. Yes, that is 
why I carry this sword. Swords are probably the best weapon to use to cut off someone’s head, if you know 
how to use one. Once, a long time ago, this sword belonged to a Spaniard named Cortez.” 
 
“Why didn’t I cut off your head? Well, for lack of a better term, it would have been rude. Someone taught 
me the ways of life of Immortals. It is only right that I return the favor to the world. However, most 
Immortals you meet will not be so kind. Most will simply want to kill you to take your power.” 
 
“What power do you have? Besides our healing and freedom from aging, as you take the power of other 
Immortals you will be able to run faster, be stronger, heal even more quickly. Those are just some of our 
potential powers.” 
 
“Immortals battle each other. It is just the fact of our existence. Someday, only one Immortal will be alive. 
This Immortal will have all the power of all the Immortals who ever lived. This is The Prize. No one is 
certain exactly what the Prize is, but it must mean great power.” 
 
“Unfortunately, we are not alone in this world. There are other beings beyond humans. You will probably 
meet some of them sooner-or-later.” 

5 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

 
“There are vampires. There are werewolves and I’m even told that there are werecats. There are sorcerers 
and shamans and people who practice a clockwork magic that only an accountant could love. There are 
ghosts. There are strange creatures whose souls are dreams. There are hunters who want all of the above - 
and that includes you and me - to die. They all have their societies and groups. They all have their own 
battles and causes. You may even work and fight among them. But you will never really be a part of them. To 
be Immortal is, for the most part, to be alone.” 
 
“The only thing all of the supernatural beings have in common is that we all know that the end of the 
world is at hand. It means different things to all of us. To us, to Immortals, it means we are now in the time 
of the Gathering. The Gathering is when the last Immortals on Earth fight each other. The Gathering is when 
we all kill each other off so that one of us will win the Prize. You came out of your grave just in time for the 
Gathering. But do not worry too much, for I will train you to defend yourself.” 
 
“This is a lot to absorb all at once. Let's go shopping. Calcutta has changed less than you might imagine 
since your death. Along the way you can ask me any question about the last 150 years - ah, yes, the English 
are long gone - and about being an Immortal. We’ll pick up a sword for you. In fact, I know just the place run 
by this mortal death-cultist fellow. I’ll even teach you a little of how the local dialect has changed.” 
 
“You know, your smile... it reminds me of something. There is this painting of Kali in Delhi and you smile 
just like her.” 
 
“Why are we Immortal? I told you, I do not know.” 
 
“Ah, why do I think we are Immortal? Because some god wants it that way.” 
   

6 
 INTRODUCTION 

roughshod over the other player characters, either 

Introduction  mechanically or in terms of completely changing the 

 
nature of the game played.  
“In the end, there can be only one.”​ – Ramirez, 
An Immortal can go out during the day, blend into 
Highlander
mortal society and yet could one day wake up with a 
  
sudden desire to chase after the head of another of their 
nce upon a time, there was an interesting 
kind. This may not work well in a game where the other 
movie about a Scotsman who could not die 
players wish to play a dark game about their constant 
unless he was decapitated. There were 
Hunger and the gradual descent into becoming nothing 
others like him. They killed each other. 
but a Beast. 
They became more powerful amid a pyrotechnics display. 
As always, the best games are products of mutual 
It came down to the Scotsman and a man of evil. 
effort for everyone’s enjoyment. The best games do not 
The Scotsman won, because in the end there could be 
revolve around one player and their experience of 
only one.  
godhood. It should go without saying, but this goes for 
The movie was not a commercial success, but it 
the story, too. 
gained a cult following and several less good movies, 
This supplement assumes the players and Storyteller 
television shows, an animated series and other media 
have access to the Core Rulebook for ​Vampire: The 
later, some thought that there really should have been 
Masquerade ​5th Edition (referred to as just V
​ ampire: The 
only one. 
Masquerade f​ rom now on). This book contains all the 
Maybe, however, there are other Immortals out there, 
necessary information about character creation, combat 
fighting to survive in a World of Darkness. 
and rules mechanics and without it, this supplement will 
This work is a fan-supplement to the World of 
be fairly useless. It also tries to make as few assumptions 
Darkness originally published by White Wolf and now 
as possible about the reader’s knowledge of the 
owned by Paradox Interactive, particularly revolving 
Highlander media, although watching at least the first 
around the rules and setting laid out in ​Vampire: The 
film is recommended to understand the basics. 
Masquerade​ 5th Edition.  

Playing Immortals  Storytelling for Immortals 

Players may take on the role of an Immortal dueling 
It bears reiterating that the Immortals this book covers 
other Immortals and attempting to fit in with the world - 
should only be included in a chronicle at the Storytellers 
until only one remains. 
discretion. As a net supplement – written and compiled 
Running a chronicle where an Immortal is part of a 
by fans – it is even more voluntary and down to 
group is a challenge, as Immortals are very powerful 
judgement than the books actually published by the 
characters in the Storytelling system. This is most obvious 
official creators of V
​ ampire: The Masquerade ​and other 
when it comes to their vulnerabilities, which are far fewer 
games.  
than other player characters - particularly vampires, who 
That said, Highlander–style Immortals fit reasonably 
in the 5th Edition of the rules have a renewed focus on 
well into the World of Darkness; the movie ​Highlander i​ s 
managing their Hunger, to say nothing of the ability to go 
one of the inspirations for the World of Darkness and is 
out during the day. 
well worth a watch even for someone who has no interest 
To keep things balanced, a Storyteller should keep in 
in using one in a game.  
mind the disadvantages to playing an Immortal, most 
Nevertheless, having one in the chronicle places a 
notably that other supernatural player characters possess 
duty on both the Storyteller and the player themselves 
a range of powers which an Immortal cannot match. 
that the Immortal player character does not run 

7 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Vampiric Disciplines and, when more lines receive  for a reason and plays just as valuable and interesting a 
published updates to 5th Edition, a Werewolf’s Rage and  role in the group as any other character. “Because it’s 
Gifts will undoubtedly bestow advantages that the  cool” is not sufficient reason for an Immortal player 
Quickening can only copy in small amounts. Similarly,  character to aid the other player characters. It may be 
the power wielded by Mages is very dangerous and  best if the Immortal character has ties to other members 
versatile, even if Immortals are personally immune to the  of the group.  
effects of the Spheres of Life and Prime.  She might be “related” to a Garou - although as she 
A Storyteller should also consider the aims and  was a foundling, she cannot be Kinfolk. Alternatively, she 
desires of the various characters in a group. Just as the  might be the ally of a vampire or a mage, or she might 
aims of a Garou are different from that of a Kindred, an  just be a hired bodyguard. What is important is that she 
Immortal has but one aim – to survive long enough to  is not just an add–on but a part of the team, and a core 
win the Prize. The only way to survive and win the Prize  part of the story being told which everyone is happy with. 
is to take the Quickening of other Immortals, which  The last chapter of this document is solely dedicated 
means that they must eventually kill another Immortal.   to Storytelling Immortals, but this will make more sense 
All players should work with the Storyteller to make  if you are familiar with the rest of the document ◾ 
certain that the Immortal character is part of the group 
 

8 
 WHAT IS AN IMMORTAL? 

The Quickening 
death from any conventional injury; 

What is an  they will always recover, no matter 

how severe the damage. The only way  "The sensation you're feeling is the 

Immortal?  for them to permanently die is to 

have their head removed from their 
Quickening."​ – Ramirez, H
 
​ ighlander 

“A creature of legend...”​ – Nick,  body, or for their head and torso to  Without the Quickening, an 
Highlander: The Raven  be obliterated.  Immortal is nothing, and losing it 
  Down through the ages, a legend  means their permanent death. With a 
mmortals seem to appear at  has been passed from mouth to  Quickening, however, they are 
random amongst human  mouth - that of the "Prize". The  capable of more than any normal 
societies, with no particular  legend says that at a time when the  human. 
preference for location,  number of Immortals in the world  Quickening allows Immortals to 
ethnicity, culture or other factors.  grows small, the remaining immortals  perform superhuman feats in a 
They are thought to appear at a rate  shall feel an urge to travel to a  similar fashion to vampiric 
of one in a million people at most,  far-away land, where they shall fight  Disciplines, a werewolf’s Gifts, or a 
maybe even less. They are found as  until only one remains. The final  mage’s Spheres. A player keeps track 
orphans resembling the local  survivor shall win the Prize. No one  of the “power” of their Immortal 
population, are raised as human, and  knows exactly what this Prize is, but  character with a rating called 
appear as human to all observers  to win it is the underlying goal of  Quickening. The more powerful an 
except other Immortals.   every Immortal, as it is assumed that  Immortal becomes via the 
They age, living a normal life,  the person who wins it would be, in  Quickening, the higher her 
until they first die an unnatural  effect, a god.  Quickening rating. 
death. This death is a normal death  The term “Quickening” refers to  Significantly, the Quickening and 
suffered by all people, but not one  the life-force of an Immortal. It is the  the character’s nature as an Immortal 
caused by aging or other inevitable  sum of all his knowledge and power,  is normally very hard to detect, which 
breakdown of the body. Deaths from  all of his strength and experience. It is  is how they remain much more 
violence, poison, plague, accidents,  a life force so strong that it keeps the  hidden than other supernatural 
animal attacks and the like have all  Immortal from aging and heals his  creatures in the World of Darkness. 
been known to lead to Immortals, but  wounds at an advanced speed - it is  No mundane means to detect or 
different Immortals debate whether  what makes an Immortal immortal.  identify an Immortal are known to 
longer-term ailments, such as some  When two Immortals fight, they fight  exist (except for direct observation of 
cancers or genetic diseases, lead to  to literally absorb their opponent's  their power and healing) and even 
Immortals rising after their First  life force into themselves, thus  supernatural means are less successful 
Death. Violence - that is, murder and  increasing their own Quickening and  or potent than they normally are.  
other deliberate killings - are often  making themselves more powerful.  Any and all supernatural powers 
the cause of most Immortals’ First  Before we can discuss the creation  which would reveal the 
Death.  of Immortals as characters, we must  Quickening/Immortal status require 
Then, they miraculously recover,  discuss what Quickening means, and  a margin of at least 3 more than they 
and begin their lives as Immortals.   how to represent it in the Storyteller  normally would, or require a critical 
Immortals cannot have children,  system. The rules behind it will be  win. In an opposed role, this typically 
even prior to their First Death. They  discussed in depth later on, but a  means that the Immortal gains 2 
do not age, and do not get sick. They  simple explanation will suffice for  automatic successes to resist 
cannot drown, or suffer a permanent  now.   

9 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

detection of their Immortal nature  The only one way for an Immortal to  The second rule is: “A duel is 
and their Quickening.  gain Quickening is by fighting and  always between two.” Immortals 
For instance, the Auspex power  killing another Immortal. Time and  always fight one on one. A pair of 
Scry the Soul (​Vampire: The  experience alone do not make their  Immortals with their centuries of 
Masquerade​, p. 250) is normally  Quickening more potent, although it  experience could work quite 
opposed by a roll of Composure +  certainly makes them a more  effectively together to whittle down 
Subterfuge, with successes indicating  dangerous opponent. The Quickening  the “surplus population”. However, if 
the number of questions which may  of two Immortals mingles around  two Immortals are present the 
be asked. A user of Scry the Soul can  them when they fight, typically in  Quickening transfers into the one 
only find out if the Immortal is an  proportion to the power of the two  who actually took the dead 
Immortal and not a regular human if  fighting, and typically manifesting as  Immortal’s head, along with a 
they succeed with a margin of 3 or  irregular flashes of electricity.  fraction of their ally’s.  
more. With a margin of less than 3,  Inevitably, one wins the battle by  These are the only two real rules 
any questions about the supernatural  removing the other’s head.  and some Immortals will stop at 
status of the Immortal instead suggest  When an Immortal emerges  nothing else to gain Quickening. To 
that they are a normal human. A  victorious, slaying another, she  some, friends and loved ones are mere 
similar thing occurs with A Taste of  absorbs almost all of her opponent’s  pawns in the battles; are are 
Blood (​Vampire: The Masquerade,  Quickening. The excess Quickening  bystanders who have nothing to do 
pp. 272 - 273), which requires a  releases as raw power, which usually,  with the Gathering. No one is truly 
critical win in order to identify an  but not always, manifests as bursts of  safe. The use of non-Immortals in a 
Immortal as anything other than a  electricity. It disperses through  fight, guns, or other similar strategies 
normal human.  conducting materials in the vicinity,  is generally a matter of ego and 
Despite the difficulty in  resulting in massive overloads,  etiquette; with most choosing to use 
identifying the nature of an  explosions, lightning and exploding  their blades, and that is what they 
Immortal, their aura tends to  glass.  first reach for.  
manifest emotions quite clearly,  Immortals who shun their own 
meaning that the emotional state of  blade in favour of proxies or ranged 
The Rules 
the Immortal can be determined  weapons are typically looked down 
The Immortals have only a few rules 
more easily. This typically leads to a  upon by survivors and spectators. 
of engagement and almost all 
lesser margin being required to  They can expect that the same tools 
Immortals follow them. 
determine emotional states through  they used on their last opponent will 
Each of these rules are based 
such powers, so successfully Scrying  be used on themselves. An Immortal’s 
around the gain and loss of 
the Soul or using a similar power  First Teacher normally teaches to 
Quickening. The first rule for 
against an Immortal may gain that  fight with only a sword and nothing 
Immortals is: “Never fight on holy 
basic information without using up  else, since the duel should only be 
ground.” No sane Immortal will 
their available questions.  between two Immortals and it is 
violate this rule, as dire consequences 
expected that Immortals follow the 
are described for any who have ever 
Rules of the Game. Thus, most duels 
Gaining Quickening  done so. As a result, holy ground can 
are normally called out as a challenge. 
“...if anyone kills with the sword,  become a sanctuary for Immortals, a 
The last major rule, which is 
with the sword he must be killed...”​ –  place they can retreat to when faced 
more of a maxim than a rule proper, 
Book of Revelations​, 13:10b  with an impossible opponent, or 
is that in the end: “There can be only 
  simply when they grow world-weary. 
one.” Every Immortal except the final 

10 
 WHAT IS AN IMMORTAL? 

victor must die for the Gathering to  Gathering not as a specific event, but  and possibly even Caine of vampire 
conclude. What happens after that is  simply as an inevitability.   myth, or the Incarna or Celestines of 
a mystery.  With the growth in technological  mage and werewolf tales. 
surveillance, unified governments,  The films and series have been 
biometrics and related factors  sometimes vague and mostly 
The Gathering 
making hiding amongst normal  contradictory, leaving it up to the 
“When only a few of us are left, we 
people increasingly difficult, some  Storyteller to decide the nature of the 
will feel an irresistible pull towards a far 
believe that the Gathering may be  Prize. They may not need to entertain 
away land, to fight for The Prize.”​ - 
accelerating, lest Immortals be  the question and can leave the Prize 
Ramirez, H
​ ighlander 
discovered and the Game frozen  entirely mysterious, as no ultimate 
 
before it has a time to end.  victor may appear during a chronicle, 
The prophesied “Gathering” was a 
This growth in the urge to fight  just as Gehenna might never occur 
legend passed down for thousands of 
also seems to have coincided with a  during any given chronicle of 
years. The Gathering is the name 
reduction in new Immortals. Some  Vampire: The Masquerade​. 
given to the time when only a few 
widely travelled Immortals have  This much is likely known for 
Immortals remain. It is their destiny 
realised that they have not sensed a  sure, however: the winner of the Prize 
to battle one another until a single 
pre-Immortal whose age post-dates  would possess all the Quickening 
Immortal emerges victorious. 
the new millennium, and most  from almost every Immortal who 
For most of history, Immortals 
Immortals who suffer their First  walked the earth. Millennia upon 
believed that the Gathering was a 
Death now enter the Game in a time  millenia of experience and knowledge 
single, literal event, where all 
of great danger, even for the World of  from Immortals of every culture and 
Immortals would gather for one 
Darkness.  era would be hers.  
triumphant battle (or series of duels). 
 
As humanity approached the end of 
The Gathering is similar to the 
the second millenium of the common  The Prize 
Apocalypse for the Garou, or 
era, it was increasingly believed by  Immortals battle for something 
Gehenna for the Kindred. Once, 
most to be a metaphor: Immortals  known as “the Prize”. Many want it 
werewolves would say these things 
had not all gathered in one place to  for themselves, whilst many more 
would never happen in their lifetime. 
battle each other in an all-day karate  simply want to keep it from falling 
Many vampires have spent centuries 
match, or a few dangerous last nights  into evil hands, believing that 
believing Gehenna would never 
in Manhattan. Instead, it was  mankind would suffer an “eternity of 
happen at all. Immortals have never 
considered a process and not a lone  darkness” if the Prize went to an evil 
had either of these luxuries of 
event. The Gathering was thought to  Immortal. 
disbelief, for a lifetime can last 
be here and now and everywhere one  What is the Prize? Most believe 
forever for Immortals. It matters 
wanders.  that the Immortal who gains it could 
little whether the Prize is a legend, 
Since the turn of the millennium,  be a terribly powerful being. The 
myth or fairy tale to an Immortal, for 
however, many Immortals have begun  word ‘god’ might be appropriate. Or 
they die all the same if they stop 
to feel a pull not to a single location,  they could just regain their mortality 
fighting in the Game. 
but to each other. An urge to hunt  and end the cycle of Immortals 
down one’s fellow Immortals and take  forever. Or just for now. If the power 
their heads, something at once  of the Quickening was maintained,  The First Teacher 
instinctive and yet forced upon them.  perhaps the victor would rival, if not  By tradition, the First Teacher is the 
Immortals now think of the  exceed, the terrible Antediluvians  first Immortal which a new Immortal 

11 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

meets and who teaches them the  simply leaving them be, aimless in the  some may theorize. No-one knows 
traditions and rules of being an  world and without the knowledge of  exactly what the Prize will be, though 
Immortal. As Immortals are drawn to  what they are.   most assume it to be great power, and 
one another by some unknown means  Even those who have no interest  no-one knows what will happen next. 
it takes at most 50 years for a new  in teaching will rarely leave a new  Even most other supernatural beings 
Immortal to meet their First Teacher,  Immortal be - if they do not become  know little about Immortals.  
with the majority meeting another  the First Teacher themselves, they  For their part, most Immortals 
Immortal in less than 5 years after  will drag them to someone who will  also tend to know little about other 
their First Death through some quirk  be, or else kill them. An Immortal  supernatural beings. Everyone is in 
of fate. The First Teacher teaches the  who has never been taught of the  the dark to one degree or another. 
new Immortal about the Game, how  Game, the Prize and of the Rules is a  This is part of why Immortals pursue 
to fight with a sword and how to deal  liability to everyone - to say nothing  the Gathering and the Prize with 
with humans - including that when  of the even more lonely existence they  such vigor: the conflict and the 
you die in public, you play dead, leave  would face.  promise it represents can help focus 
the area, change your Identity and  Since the new millennium and  the mind, away from the nagging 
move on.  the increasing urge faced by all  mystery that is their very existence 
All Immortals, save the first ones,  Immortals, the tradition of the First  and the loneliness which otherwise 
whoever they were, had a First  Teacher has become somewhat  consumes them ◾ 
Teacher. It is a tradition passed down  frayed. First Teachers must now   
the line of almost all those who have  exercise great restraint with their 
come since, and is considered one of  pupils, or may require frequent long 
the lesser rules of the Game, to give  breaks in tutelage in order to avoid 
all Immortals a sporting chance. It is  temptation. 
called The Game and not The 
Slaughter, after all, so sportsman-like 
Theme & Mood 
conduct is expected. New Immortals 
The theme of I​ mmortal: The Gathering 
are normally excused of some slights 
is the lonely battle all Immortals face. 
until they meet their First Teacher. If 
They drift from place to place. They 
an Immortal manages to kill others 
drift from people to people. They 
without a First Teacher, they will 
drift from war to war. Some rare few 
often learn the basics of the Game 
may even drift from supernatural 
simply as a result of absorbing the 
clique to supernatural clique. The 
Quickening of their opponent and 
only real constants in their existence 
gaining some of their knowledge.  
is the solitude of their existence and 
Immortals who kill those who 
the quest for the Prize. There can be 
have recently experienced their First 
only one in the end, and one is the 
Death are often shunned by more 
loneliest number. 
civilised Immortals, as are those who 
The mood of I​ mmortal: The 
act even more cruelly and grant 
Gathering ​is one of mystery and 
pre-Immortals their First Death only 
loneliness, of being apart from 
to behead them shortly thereafter. 
humanity. No one really knows from 
Still, killing a young Immortal is 
where Immortals originate, though 
often considered better form than 

12 
 LEXICON OF THE LONELY 
 

Lexicon of the Lonely 

Immortals have enough of a pseudo–culture to have a handful of terms that mean something to them, even if they do 
not have fully fledged societies like the Camarilla or the Garou Nation. 
 
THE BUZZ: ​ a slang term for the  FIRST DEATH:​ the death that transforms  opportunist is considered a 
sensation of sensing another  an individual from mortal to  headhunter depends on who you ask. 
Immortal’s Quickening.   Immortal.   
    HOLY GROUND:​ any graveyard, church, 
DEATH:​ a state whereby the Immortal  FIRST LIFE:​ the Immortal’s life before  mosque, synagogue, cathedral, burial 
is inactive and in which their body is  their First Death, the one lived as a  ground, node, caern or the like. This 
mostly indistinguishable from a  mortal.  need not be a site of True Faith, 
normal mortal corpse and which    merely some faith or inherent magical 
normally results in the end of a being,  FIRST TEACHER:​ typically the first  power. Immortals may not fight on 
but which is only a minor incon-  experienced Immortal a new  holy ground without great risk. 
venience to an Immortal. Not to be  Immortal encounters, who teaches   
confused with the Last Death. See  them the Rules, what being an  IDENTITY:​ the sum of an Immortal’s 
Killed.  Immortal is about, and how to  persona, habits, apparent lifestyle, 
  survive.  friends and community. In modern 
ETERNAL (ONE):​ an “Eternal one” is a    days and nights, an Immortal’s 
term used by some other supernatural  THE GAME:​ the eternal conflict of  Identity invariably has an 
beings to describe or name  Immortals involving the taking of  accompanying Mask to give 
Immortals. Most of these other  heads and Quickening of their  themselves legal credibility. To an 
supernatural beings usually only  opponents. Only the final stage of the  Immortal, however, their Identity 
know enough about Immortals to  Game is called the Gathering.  encompasses so much more. Very old 
misunderstand them. Their use of the    Immortals may become so lost in 
term is probably a corruption of the  THE GATHERING:​ the final days for  their various Identities that they can 
phrase ‘Eternal One’, which is how  Immortals, thought to be upon them  slip from persona to persona without 
Celestines and Incarnae refer to  since the new millennium, in which  ever being sure of their true identity 
Immortals both singularly and as a  the last Immortals in the world take  or sense of self. 
group.   each other’s Quickening, until only   
  one remains.  ILLUSION: ​a term, not universally used 
EMPOWERED BLADE:​ a particularly    or accepted, for the act or state of 
favoured weapon that Immortals  HEADHUNTER:​ an Immortal who  others not knowing about Immortals, 
enhance with their Quickening to  actively engages in the Game and  either individual Immortals or the 
perform lethal feats. Immortals  seeks out other Immortals to fight in  existence of Immortals in general. 
cannot perform their Quickening-  order to take their Quickening. Some  Unlike the Masquerade, this can 
powered feats with just any weapon.  are honourable and seek out fair  apply to other supernaturals as well, 
  challenges (or at least engage in  particularly when it comes to 
FINAL DEATH:​ a term often used in the  honourable duels of skill), whereas  disguising that any specific individual 
company of vampires to refer to an  others will stop at nothing to defeat  is an Immortal. Immortals almost 
Immortal’s end. See L​ ast Death​.  their opponents. Whether a mere  always prefer to remain hidden. 

13 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Another key difference is that the  LAST DEATH:​ the last death an  unnatural one. They are utterly 
Illusion has no unified enforcement,  Immortal experiences, which causes  indistinguishable from other humans 
although Immortals will try to avoid  their Quickening to be absorbed by  to all except other Immortals. 
shattering the Illusion, except with  another, either due to beheading or   
some select loved ones. Individual  destruction of the body. This is  THE PRIZE:​ the vast power that the 
Immortals may step in if they happen  almost always accompanied by a  final surviving Immortal will receive 
to see other Immortals at risk of  Quickening event.  containing the sum of all 
ruining it for everyone, potentially    Quickenings of every Immortal who 
even helping them significantly to  LOST… HEAD:​ an Immortal who loses or  ever lived. 
avoid an issue, but there is no group  has lost their head is normally one   
of Immortals who actively attempt to  who has met their Last Death and lost  QUICKENING:​ i) The vital life force of 
maintain it. See ​Magic​.  their Quickening. See Last Death.  all Immortals. When one Immortal 
    kills another, she takes their 
IMMORTALS:​ the subject of this  MAGIC:​ despite what some might call  Quickening, their very soul and life 
supplement inspired by Highlander;  the advent of reason, science and  force, for her own. ii) The process or 
these beings appear human, but never  technology, Immortals, particularly  event as an Immortal’s Quickening 
age and are able to recover from any  in the West, increasingly lean on  (first definition) leaves their body, 
wound save decapitation. They kill  concepts loosely based on New Age  typically transferring to the nearest 
each other for the Prize. This  mysticism or modern occultism to  Immortal, manifesting as a significant 
supplement refers to Immortals with  disguise themselves. The term is  electrical storm (typically known as a​  
a proper noun, differentiated from  sometimes used by Immortals to  Quickening).  
vampires or mummies which may be  justify minor demonstrations of the   
effectively immortal, but are not  Quickening, or even just skills gained  THE RULES:​ three rules by which 
Immortals. See Eternal (One).  from long centuries of experience.  Immortals live their lives: Never fight 
  This is not to be confused with actual  on holy ground; A duel is always 
KILLED:​ a state resulting in the normal  magic, sorcery or hedge magic. See  between two; There can be only one.  
or medical death of the Immortal, but  Illusion.   
which does not deprive them of their    URGE:​ a sensation which drives 
head and is therefore not their Last  PRE-IMMORTAL:​ a seemingly normal  Immortals to seek out and duel 
Death. See Death.  human who will become an Immortal  others, even if they do not otherwise 
  should their First Death be an  care about the Game ◾ 
   

14 
 CHARACTER CREATION 
 

balance a player is encouraged to  to cling to. It can also liberate them, 

Character  begin with a young vampire. Elder 

vampires do not “adventure” with 
as all of the friends and connections 
they make are their own. 

Creation
 

their younger brethren. They are   

   
embroiled in the politics of the Jyhad. 
“I am immortal, I have inside me  Mummies have also stopped being  WHAT DO I DO AS A 
blood of kings...”​ – P
​ rinces of the  human to a degree too; their souls 
PLAYER OF AN 
Universe​,​ ​by Queen  and goals are not like those of the 
IMMORTAL CHARACTER 
  mortals around them. Immortals are  ■ Struggle against 
t may be appealing to play as  not like this at all, as they thrive in  Desolation; the constant 
an Immortal, for they are  human society even though they  gloom of separation from 
powerful beings, however, it  aren’t technically human, with the  human society 
can be more challenging to  goal of surviving The Game.  ■ Hide from or chase down 
create and play an Immortal  A player must document the  other Immortals to kill 
character than any other. When you  history and background of the  them and absorb their 
are generating a mage, werewolf, or  Quickening 
character for an Immortal to be part 
vampire character, there are plenty of  of a chronicle. This should help deter  ■ Build and break 
character traits to help set the scene:  players who wish to play an Immortal  relationships 
■ Hide from, fight, or seek to 
from Clans, Tribes and Traditions to  simply because they are powerful.  discredit the Second 
even larger Sects, down to specific  Nevertheless, Immortals are a unique  Inquisition 
Disciplines which flesh out the  class of character and it is vital for  ■ Resist or give in to the Urge 
character. The mythos is already set  players and Storytellers to remember  to kill other Immortals, 
out in the rulebook and the entire  that they are not interchangeable  even your friends 
thing is in a neat package for the  with others.  ■ Conceal your Immortality 
player.  from everyone around you 
All Immortals are foundlings - 
Immortals are different, for each  ■ Protect your Anchors from 
orphans with no known biological 
one is unique. Their nature prohibits  threats and from the truth 
parents, no ancestors and no family  of your identity 
the type of society that holds so much  except one which claims them. As a 
■ Attempt to gain power in 
of the roleplaying potential for  result, those who have parents and  the mortal world, or simply 
Garou, mages, and Kindred.  families are always adopted. Like any  peace and quiet 
Immortals have no Clans, Tribes, or  person who was adopted as a very  ■ Live alongside mortals or 
Traditions. They just live. Alone.  young child, they may or may not  other supernatural 
Another major difference  have known this about themselves  creatures in a shared Story 
between Immortals and other  ■ Try (and likely fail) to win 
before their First Death. After their 
characters is time, as an Immortal  the Prize by being the last 
instruction by their First Teacher, 
may have discovered her heritage  Immortal standing 
however, they will know this for a 
hundreds, or even thousands, of years  certainty, even if they try to reject it,   
ago, without necessarily becoming   
for all Immortals are foundlings and   
significantly more powerful or  have been for as long as there have 
inhuman in the process.  been Immortals. 
Vampire: The Masquerade​ has  This can serve to isolate 
already explored this subject in many  Immortals right from the beginning, 
ways. However, to preserve game  having no known parents or heritage 

15 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Quick Guide  Core Character Concept 

■ CHARACTER CONCEPT:  The player must settle on the concept for the Immortal. 
◻ Mortal life  When and where were they born? What were they like as 
◻ Personality  a mortal, before their First Death? Who was their First 
◻ Stage of life​: Rebirth, Stability, Subsidence,  Teacher? Why has the character survived? Where have 
Moratorium  they been? What have they lived through over the 
■ STARTING TRAITS:  centuries? What keeps them going? 
◻ Attributes ​- 1x4, 3x3, 4x2 and 1x1, like vampires  It is best to have in mind a strong nature, something 
◻ Skills ​- Balanced, Specialised or  which drives them and makes them cling to life. Without 
Jack-of-all-trades, like vampires  the will to survive, Immortals lose their head. 
◻ Advantages -​ 7 dots in Advantages & 2 dots in 
Flaws, like vampires 
Your Mortal Life 
■ SEA OF TIME​: 
An Immortal only becomes an Immortal – i.e. stops aging 
◻ Fresh -​ Quickening rating 1 
and gains the benefit of the Quickening – after they die 
◻ Young -​ Quickening rating 2, 15 XP 
for the first time. Their First Death need not be violent, 
◻ Respected -​ Quickening rating 3, 35 XP, 2 dots 
but no Immortal has ever become one through old age. 
in Advantages & 2 dots in Flaws 
They are simply human beings with no special powers or 
■ STAGE OF LIFE: 
abilities before this event.  
◻ Rebirth -​ Set Desolation Rating to 4; gain two 
What was your character like during this time? As 
temporary dots split amongst any Background; 
with a vampire, their mortal, human life shapes them as 
existing Anchors are likely objects; likely has 
an Immortal. Storytellers and players are encouraged to 
fewer Principles 
play through the character’s First Death and the resulting 
◻ Stability -​ Set Desolation Rating to 0; any 
revival at some point, just as a vampire player character 
Anchor possible 
may experience the Embrace.  
◻ Subsidence -​ Set Desolation Rating to 2; gain a 
Supernatural powers will not normally detect any 
temporary dot in a Background 
latent abilities in such a person, normally known as a 
◻ Moratorium ​- Set Desolation Rating to 6; gain 
pre-Immortal. Some prophetic abilities may reveal that 
three temporary dots split amongst any 
something special is in store for her, however, if not what. 
Background; existing Anchors are likely objects; 
Pre-Immortals count as a witness for vulgar magic (Mage: 
likely has fewer Principles 
The Ascension) and are subject to the Delirium 
◻ Determine ​Base Urge​ from D
​ esolation​ & 
(Werewolf: The Apocalypse) and the Fog (Wraith: The 
Quickening​ ratings 
Oblivion) before the First Death, but not once they 
■ CONNECTIONS TO THE WORLD: 
become a full Immortal. 
◻ Principles (​ may be influenced by stage of life) 
If you want more tools for humans which could be 
◻ Anchors (​ may be influenced by stage of life) 
useful for Immortals, including determining a Calling for 
◻ More detailed c​ haracter history 
during character creation, along with new and altered 
◻ Decide your character’s ​empowered blade 
Merits, Backgrounds, and Loresheets, please check out 
◻ Fill out the ​Relationship Map 
Fragile Mortality​, my document expanding upon mortal 
◻ Ambition 
player characters. 
◻ Desire ​(if appropriate to set before the first 
Session) 

16 
 CHARACTER CREATION 
 

terms, they are superior to the 

Archetypes  novelty seeker 
mortals in their Attributes. To begin 
Clans across various books within  You have all of eternity to try  with, though, they are just mortals, 
Vampire: The Masquerade​, mortals  new things. You have been or could  with the rest being earnt by 
within the ​v5 Companion​ and  be a therapist, a skydiver, a librarian,  experience. 
humans in ​Fragile Mortality​ have  an actor, a teacher and anything else  Immortals set their starting 
numerous archetypes described in  you could possibly desire. Everything,  Attributes in the same manner as 
their introductions. As mentioned,  every personality, every hobby and  Kindred: 
Immortals come from all ethnicities,  every profession is out there for the  ■ One Attribute at 4 dots 
countries, origins and creeds and can  tasting, the trying and the  ■ Three Attributes at 3 dots 
have all kinds of archetype or  experimenting.  ■ Four Attributes at 2 dots 
concept. That said, here are some  ■ One Attribute at 1 dot 
reluctant immortal 
suggestions for Immortal-specific  Just like vampires, Immortals may 
You did not want eternal life, yet 
Archetypes:  later increase their Attributes with 
here you are, living eternally. You 
experience. Also just like vampires, 
actor  yearn for a small, circumscribed, safe 
Immortals determine their Health 
You feel that life is complex enough  little life, ignorant of the greater 
from taking their Stamina and adding 
for those who only have one lifetime.  things to which your eyes were open 
three, and their Willpower by adding 
It can dissolve into chaos if too many  forcibly. A life without having to 
their Composure to their Resolve. 
things from the past all come home to  watch over your shoulder for another 
roost at once for an Immortal. You  sword– wielding maniac looking for  choose your skills 
leave as little trace of yourself as  your head. You know you can never  Immortals start with the same skill 
possible to avoid this. You must not  go back to being mortal. You do not  selection and distribution as 
leave footprints in the sands of time.  want to die. However, you cannot  Vampires at character creation. 
Mortals are far better off never  shake the yearning to be normal.  ■ jack of all trades:​One Skill at 
knowing that creatures like you walk  Your moods will often swing between  3; eight Skills at 2; ten Skills at 1 
among them. This secrecy also  denial and depression.  ■ balanced:​Three Skills at 3; five 
protects you from the unwelcome  Skills at 2; seven Skills at 1 
attention of other supernatural  Choose Your Traits  ■ specialist:​One Skill at 4; three 
beings and your fellow Immortals.  Skills at 3; three Skills at 2; three 
Immortals start with the same 
Attributes, Skills, and number of  Skills at 1 
delusional guru 
Advantages and Disadvantages as  ■ Add a free specialty to each of 
You are clearly above all other life. 
vampires (​Vampire: The Masquerade​,  Academics, Craft, Performance, 
Yes, there are other Immortals, but 
p.136).  and Science Skills if they have 
none measure up to your grandeur, 
dots, and then one more free 
your puissance, your beauty and your  set your attributes  specialty to any Skill 
wisdom. You should share yourself 
As Immortals age and increase the  At the Storyteller’s discretion, 
with followers, take from them what 
power of the Quickening, they  Immortals may also be able to choose 
you wish and make sure no other 
typically have superhuman health and  Skills from other supernatural 
Immortal threatens you or your 
are stronger, quicker and more  creatures as such rules are released, 
children. 
perceptive than the average human,  and may also have access to the 
   
and those which survive are often fit,  optional Immortal Lore, described 
attractive, and charismatic. In game  under Skills. 

17 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Lucky Immortals may avoid The Game and other 

set your advantages 
dangers for a time more easily than vampires, so at the 
Immortals begin the game with 7 dots in Advantages and  Storyteller’s discretion, an Immortal may play an older 
2 dots in Flaws, which may be chosen from the list in the  character than the Sea of Time would indicate, although 
Advantages section. Many of the Advantages from  the character’s statistics remain the same.  
Vampire: The Masquerade are available, whilst others are  As most games feature at most one Immortal player 
vampire-specific and unsuitable for Immortals. Many  character, players and Storytellers should bear in mind 
more are new for ​Immortal: The Gathering​. All of this is  the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Immortal 
covered in the later section.  when compared with other player characters before 
An Immortal may choose from any of the  deciding the Immortal’s age. A fresh Immortal has greater 
Backgrounds available to them, but are encouraged to  endurance than a fledgling vampire due to being 
choose ones appropriate to their stage of life.  nigh-unkillable, not experiencing Hunger, but is also less 
versatile due to lacking Discipline powers. 
Determine the Sea of Time  As Immortals and vampires become more powerful, 
The sea of time is particularly important for an Immortal  vampires are likely to become progressively more 
due to their long life. Aspects chosen during this step  dangerous and versatile than Immortals, overshadowing 
include their age and derived characteristics which come  them entirely in some situations. An Immortal’s 
with it, including Quickening, starting experience, bonus  progression is far less regular than a vampire’s, as it 
languages and Base Urge rating.  depends on the amount of Quickening they gain over 
time (although this is expected to be relatively low on a 
age  story-by-story basis).  
Together with your Storyteller and the other players,  An Immortal spends Experience with the same costs 
decide if you are:  as a vampire for Attributes, Skills, Specialties and 
■ FRESH.​ Suffered First Death since 2000  Advantages. Immortal characters are unable to gain 
◻ Character has a Quickening rating of 1  Humanity, Blood Potency, Disciplines, Thin-Blood 
■ YOUNG.​ Suffered First Death between 1920 and 2000  Alchemy Formulae, Blood Sorcery Rituals or Oblivion 
◻ Character has a Quickening rating of 2  Ceremonies - through experience or otherwise.  
◻ Character has the Quickening feat Knit Wounds  As discussed under Absorbing Quickening, 
◻ Player spends 30 experience points  Quickening rating cannot be increased with normal 
■ RESPECTED.​ Suffered First Death between 1620 and  experience points. 
1920 
numina 
◻ Character has a Quickening rating of 3 
◻ Character has the Quickening feats Knit  At the Storyteller’s discretion, an Immortal may have 
Wounds and Vital Surge  access to True Faith (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 222, 
◻ Player adds 2 points of Advantages  Fragile Mortality​, p. 40) or other Numina (e.g. from T
​ he 
◻ Player adds 2 points of Disadvantages  Hunters Hunter II (v20)​) if rules are available. You can 
◻ Player spends 50 experience points  also check out ​gfauxpas’ homebrew rules for Numina​ for 
You may also create a hybrid of this Sea of Time and the  a fan-made update to V5. An Immortal only has access to 
mortal character creation rules from ​Fragile Mortality​, by  the same Numina that they had an aptitude for in life, as 
giving Young and Respected characters a Calling, but  the Quickening grants no special access to such powers. 
reducing their experience points to 15 and 35, 
respectively. 

18 
 CHARACTER CREATION 
 

■ STABILITY.​ Any Anchor is 

Select Derived Traits  set urge rating 
possible. 
All Immortal characters have both a  ■ SUBSIDENCE.​ Any Anchor is 
determine stage of life  Base Urge and Temporary Urge  possible. 
Every Immortal moves between  rating, which can be calculated  ■ MORATORIUM.​ Existing Anchors 
various Identities and stages of life  during character creation. An  are likely objects or possibly 
over the course of their long  Immortal’s Base Urge rating is equal  animals; human Anchors not 
existence. When creating your  to their Desolation rating minus one  possible. 
Immortal character, select which  third of their Quickening rating, 
stage of life your Immortal’s Identity  rounded up. At character creation, an  write your history 
currently sits in.  Immortal has a Temporary Urge  If you have not already, flesh out the 
Depending on their stage of life,  rating equal to their Base Urge rating.  history and background of your 
Immortals may have varying levels of  character. Some of this will have 
other statistics, including base  occurred to you whilst selecting 
Choose Your 
Desolation rating, beginning Urge  Backgrounds and setting your 
rating and temporary Backgrounds  Connections  character concept, but now is the 
during the first story of the chronicle:  time to expand upon it. 
■ REBIRTH ​-Set Desolation rating to  choose starting principles 
4; gain two temporary dots split  A character may select from 0 to 3  choose your weapon 
amongst any Background  Principles. Starting Principles may be  The sword is the oldest weapon with 
existing Anchors are likely  influenced by the character’s stage of  which one Immortal could efficiently 
objects; likely have fewer  life:  decapitate another. It is only within 
Principles  ■ REBIRTH.​ Likely has fewer  the last few hundred years that the 
■ STABILITY -​ Set Desolation rating  Principles  gun has been available, and it remains 
to 0; any Anchor possible  ■ STABILITY.​ Any number of  difficult to decapitate someone with a 
■ SUBSIDENCE ​- Set Desolation  Principles is possible  gun. There is no other practical 
rating to 2; gain a temporary dot  ■ SUBSIDENCE.​ Likely has fewer  weapon, aside from perhaps a strong 
in any Background  Principles  axe, which can decapitate someone in 
■ MORATORIUM -​ Set Desolation  ■ MORATORIUM.​ Likely has fewer  a duel, and no other weapon can be 
rating to 6; gain three temporary  Principles  used as an Immortal’s empowered 
dots split amongst any  blade.  
choose starting anchors 
Background; existing Anchors  An Immortal’s preferred weapon 
A character may select from 0 to 3  has often been theirs since shortly 
are likely objects; likely have 
Anchors, or even some  after their First Death and might be 
fewer Principles 
proto-Anchors (people, animals or  centuries old. A sword is more than 
As discussed in the Stage of life 
objects which the Immortals are  just a piece of steel to an Immortal 
section, none of the bonuses or 
attempting to adopt as Anchors).  and becomes an extension of their 
penalties determined by the 
Starting Anchors may be influenced  body, mind, and soul. You are 
Immortal’s stage of life are 
by the character’s stage of life:  encouraged to describe your weapon 
permanent, and Stability is 
■ REBIRTH ​- Existing Anchors are 
recommended if you do not wish to  and how you acquired it in detail as 
likely objects, with animals  they represent an emotional 
have any additional complications at 
possible; proto-Anchors may be  attachment an Immortal will never 
character creation. 
human.  willingly part with. 

19 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

■ Who are the mortals in your life  existence which remind you of 
contribute to relationship map 
aside from your Anchors? Do  good times or your First Life 
In addition to any SPCs required by  you play an active part in any  which you could, at some point, 
Anchors or Backgrounds, players and  specific communities, societies  use as Anchors? 
Storytellers should work together to  or social groups?  
flesh out their Relationship Map  ■ What is your job or source of 
ambition and desire 
(​Vampire: The Masquerade​, pp. 142 -  income? Who are your important  Like vampires, Immortals have 
144) further in a similar manner to  co-workers?  Ambitions and Desires (​Vampire: 
any other player character. Topics  ■ What other Immortals have you  The Masquerade​, pp. 173 - 175). These 
they are encouraged to think about  met aside from your First  function in the same way and have 
include:  Teacher and any Mawali,  the same purpose, allowing the 
■ Who was your First Teacher?  Adversaries or Challengers and  Immortal to recover Willpower 
Are they still alive? What is or  what do you think of each other?  damage when achieved or worked 
was your relationship?  ■ What other objects have you  towards ◾ 
picked up over the course of your 
  

20 
 SKILLS 

Skills   

VARIANT RULE: 
NEW SKILL - IMMORTAL LORE 
New Specialties  Knowledge of Immortals is typically hard to 
The below new specialties are suggested for games  come by and occult studies cannot always 
involving Immortals:  replace this knowledge, even for an Immortal. 
■ Melee:​ Empowered Blade, Parry  This skill represents an additional skill which 
could be used to better differentiate between 
■ Survival:​ Hide Body 
Occult understanding and knowledge of 
■ Streetwise:​ Body Disposal 
Immortals. If used in the game, it will rarely be 
■ Subterfuge:​ Feign Death, Feign Ghouldom, Feign 
possessed by anyone who is not an Immortal. 
Undeath, Social Chameleon   
■ Finance:​ Structure Inheritance  • You know that Immortals exist and that a 
■ Occult:​ Immortals  beheading kills them. You may even know 
that the Quickening exists, of the Prize and of 
occult (immortals)  the Gathering. 
It is recommended that Occult skill tests relevant to  •• You know the name of a single famous 
Immortals are made much more difficult than other  Immortal. 
checks, particularly if the character does not have a  ••• You have heard of some of the more 
specialty in Immortals. Immortals are mysterious in the  famous Immortals. 
World of Darkness, even when compared with other  •••• You know of many Immortals, the 
supernatural creatures.   deeds of the more famous ones and have a 
On the other hand, if Immortals are the primary  good feeling for Immortals’ presence 
supernatural present in the game, Occult might only  throughout history. 
include knowledge of Immortals, in addition to some  ••••• You know who killed whom, where, 
hearth wisdom ◾  when, with what and why. 
     
Specialties:​ The Gathering, the Quickening, or 
specific Immortals, e.g. Connor MacLeod or The 
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse 

 
 
 

21 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

you have no heartbeat, have cold 

Advantages 
blood 
skin and could easily be mistaken 
Left to their own devices, many 
for a vampire by anyone who 
   Immortals may never realise that  knows what to look for. 
he following Advantages  their blood is of significant  At the Storyteller’s 
from V
​ ampire: The  importance, but any who encounter  discretion, you suffer a one-die 
Masquerade (​ pp. 179 -  vampires will quickly discover any  penalty to any social interactions 
194) and the ​v5  latent properties.  which would be made more 
Companion ​(p. 60) are available for    difficult due to these issues, such 
Immortal characters:  ■ Flaw: (•) Delicious Blood.​ Your  as seduction. 
■ LINGUISTICS​ - specific languages  blood relieves vampires of their   
and Flaw: (••) Illiterate  Hunger, unlike the blood of  ••••• Sanguine Geas.​ Your blood 
■ ARCHAIC​ - Archaic - Flaw: (••)  other immortals, and always has  can create Blood Bonds just like 
Archaic, Flaw: (•) Living in the  a Resonance (or even as  a vampire’s vitae, although you 
Past  Dyscrasia) relevant to your  may not create ghouls, nor 
■ LOOKS​ - Flaw: (•) Ugly, Flaw: (••)  mental state. It is also delicious  Embrace childer. 
Repulsive, Beautiful, Stunning  and potentially addictive. A  If you also have the Flaw: (•) 
■ - Flaw: (••) Living  vampire who feeds on you must 
PSYCHOLOGICAL​ Delicious Blood, any Kindred 
test their Willpower against a 
on the Edge  who taste your blood likely gain 
difficulty of half of your 
In addition to those merits and flaws,  a twisted sense of dependency 
Quickening rating, rounded up, 
Immortal characters may take any in  and desire for you as a 
plus the amount of Hunger 
this section during character creation  manifestation of the blood bond, 
slated when drinking from you. 
as normal, but it is also likely that  and you may end up lovingly 
A win indicates that your 
they may acquire them over the  chained to a pedestal, to be fed 
blood is only distinctly delicious, 
course of the chronicle, particularly  whilst a failure means that they  from for all eternity in elaborate 
after taking a Quickening.   are drawn to you, wanting to  rites of adoration and worship. 
feed from you again whenever 

Merits  they are hungry (which is most of 

the time) and outright compelled 
cloak 
Through some subtle manipulation of 
to drink your blood when they  your Quickening, you and your 
substance use 
are at Hunger 5. This addiction  actions blend into the background. 
Immortals cannot be addicted to 
fades after a month has passed,  Although this talent isn’t invisibility 
drugs within mortal’s blood, but may 
or the next time they reach  or even Obfuscation, it helps you 
suffer from their own addictions. 
Hunger 0 (including if they drain  blend in with crowds, blurs your 
 
you dry). Even once the  features on camera (through perfectly 
■ Flaw: (•) Substance Addiction. 
addiction fades, however, they  explainable glitches), and allows you 
You have a psychological - 
still know that you are delicious.  to slide in between the cracks of an 
although not physiological - 
■ Flaw: (•) Unbeating Heart.​ After  increasingly monitored world.  
addiction to a specific drug. You 
your First Death, your heart just  In a similar manner to a Mage 
lose one die from all dice pools if 
never started beating again.  (​Mage: The Awakening 20th 
you have not used your drug of 
Through the power of the  Anniversary Edition​, p. 305), you add 
choice within the last three days. 
Quickening, you can eat, drink,  your Cloak bonus as extra dice on all 
■    
have sex and perform other 
Stealth-related rolls, to rolls relating 
bodily functions normally, but 
to disguising yourself to conceal your 

22 
 ADVANTAGES 

identity (although not as a specific  will be noticed, although witnesses  difficulty of 1, as described under 
person). You also add your bonus as  will probably disagree about his exact  Cloak. 
extra difficulty for someone attempt-  description after the event has passed.  ■ Flaw: (••) Exposed.​ Your 
ing to perform some form of magical  The Cloak effect does not conceal  Quickening makes you stand out 
scrying against you to find you, or  particularly memorable features, but  in the crowd and people take 
when they do not already know you  may blur them somewhat. A large,  instinctive notice of you and 
are there.   purple-haired man with facial tattoos  your actions. Instead of gaining a 
Cloak bonus, your Cloak penalty 
This includes Auspex powers such  is going to get noticed, although folks 
is two, meaning that you gain a 
as Clairvoyance, or Spirit’s Touch  may disagree about the shade of 
two-dice penalty to all relevant 
when attempting to positively  purple or the patterns of his tattoos. 
checks or tests, or others 
identify you in a memory, but not  The one exception to this is an 
experience a decrease in 
directed powers such as Scry the Soul  Immortal’s Empowered Blade, which 
difficulty of 2, as described under 
or Telepathy (​Vampire: The  can be hidden or forgotten as a result 
Cloak. 
Masquerade​, pp. 248 - 252). It does,  of Cloak as if it was an otherwise 
however, impede people attempting  normal feature, as long as it is not  mythic merits and flaws 
to ascertain your Immortal nature  actively used or brandished.  The Quickening is a powerful force, 
using such powers, to an even greater  As discussed under Urge, Cloak  and whilst its powers normally 
degree than normal Immortals. For  may not always work against other  supplement an Immortal’s 
instance, in order to determine for a  Immortals.  capabilities, it is not unheard of for 
user of Scry the Soul to determine    some unpleasant side-effects to afflict 
that you are not a normal human,  •• Minor Cloak. ​Your Cloak  the eternal. 
they must succeed their check by a  bonus is one, meaning that you   
margin greater than two plus your  gain a one-die bonus to all  ■ Flaw: (•) Amnesia.​ From the 
Cloak bonus.  relevant checks or tests, or others  moment you woke from your 
Your opponents reduce their  suffer an increase in difficulty of  First Death, you had no memory 
Awareness, Investigation, Streetwise,  1, as described under Cloak.  of your First Life except perhaps 
Survival or other relevant dice pools  •••• Major Cloak. ​Your Cloak  a single name, face or image of 
by that same amount whenever they  bonus is two, meaning that you  your home. Whilst you have 
managed to create a new 
try to track you down specifically.  gain a two-dice bonus to all 
Identity, your first one is forever 
This benefit lasts for as long as you  relevant checks or tests, or others 
lost to you. If you are a younger 
remain inconspicuous. In combat,  suffer an increase in difficulty of 
Immortal born in a highly 
others can see you normally, although  2, as described under Cloak. 
developed, industrial nation, you 
videos or pictures of that fight may   
may be able to eventually piece 
be blurred or suffer minor visual or  ■ Flaw: (•) Distinctive.​ Your 
together the bare facts from 
auditory glitches or recording errors  Quickening makes you stand out 
public records, but if not, you 
which makes identifying you more  in the crowd and people take 
may never recover or know what 
difficult.   instinctive notice of you and 
you have lost.  
If you also benefit from a power  your actions. Instead of gaining a 
As a result of this Amnesia, 
resembling Obfuscate, you may add  Cloak bonus, your Cloak penalty 
people occasionally come out of 
your Cloak bonus to your Obfuscate  is one, meaning that you gain a 
the woodwork claiming to have 
one-die penalty to all relevant 
roll where appropriate.  known you and there is a limit to 
checks or tests, or others 
A Cloaked character who runs  how good any Mask can be, as 
experience a decrease in 
around shouting and being obvious  you do not know pitfalls, 

23 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

locations, topics, professions etc.  Willpower simply from resting  you sense the Quickening of 
to avoid when creating a new  or waking up every day, and  another Immortal is not a mere 
Identity.  being unable to actively use any  bell ringing in your mind, hairs 
You suffer a two-dice  Lesser or Greater Quickening  prickling at the back of your 
penalty on all rolls to avoid  feats.  neck or similar sensation, but is 
detection by someone who knew  Severe penalties for being  instead painful and uncomf- 
you from your First Life, and if  on holy ground you count as  ortable. The pseudo-sound of the 
an opposed test is not  being impaired on both Physical,  bell is loud, or unpleasantly 
appropriate, people aware of  Mentally and Social rolls,  high-pitched, the prickling at 
your first life gain a two-die  suffering a two-dice penalty to  your neck is like a nasty rash and 
bonus when attempting to track  all Attribute-based rolls, as well  any buzzing sensation feels like 
you down, in spite of any Mask.  as taking one point of Superficial  being stuck inside an industrial 
Note that this Flaw becomes  Willpower damage for every day  paint-mixer. When you sense 
less and less important for older  that you remain on the holy  another Immortal with the Sense 
Immortals. As an Immortal ages,  ground.  Quickening feat, you are 
this Flaw may cease being a  All penalties disappear  immediately Fatigued as if you 
mechanical Flaw rather than a  within one scene of leaving,  had previously failed a Focus 
simple character detail, and  although Willpower damage  Check for Quickening feats. This 
should be replaced by another  remains.  typically lasts for the remainder 
Flaw.  ■ Flaw: (•) Mortal Mind.​ Whilst  of the scene. 
■ Flaw: (•) Holy Ground Aversion.  the Quickening has enhanced  ■ Flaw: (•) Painful Taking.​ Whilst 
Holy Ground may provide  your body and sustains your life,  the taking of another Immortal’s 
sanctuary to you, but it is  it does nothing for your mental  Quickening is always painful, it 
unpleasant and uncomfortable.  fortitude. You do not gain the  is normally mixed in with an 
Even entering any holy ground is  normal automatic protections  ecstasy and sense of a rush of 
as difficult for you as entering a  against mental effects for being a  power, but for you this is absent. 
site of True Faith is for a  supernatural creature, e.g.  Instead, not only is it painful, 
vampire. You must test your  Compel (​Vampire: The  but jarring and uncomfortable, 
Willpower at a difficulty of at 3  Masquerade​, p. 256) and can only  with your body aching and not 
to enter holy ground (potentially  benefit from the Greater  responding correctly for some 
more if it is a site of True Faith).  Quickening feat Shield Mind by  time afterwards. After absorbing 
You may stay in the holy ground  spending a Willpower point. You  a Quickening, you do not restore 
for one day, plus an additional  also suffer from Delirium  any Health or Willpower damage 
day per margin of success, but  (​Werewolf: The Apocalypse​), Fog  and are considered Fatigued 
you still suffer mild penalties  (​Wraith: The Oblivion​), count as a  until you next have a significant 
whilst there and both mild and  Sleeper for the purposes of  rest, such as a peaceful night’s 
severe penalties if you exceed  magical effects (​Mage: The  sleep ◾ 
this time. If you fail, you may  Ascension​) and have the same 
still enter, but suffer both mild  Banality as if you were a human 
and severe penalties whilst there.   (​Changeling: The Dreaming​). 
Mild penalties for being on  Note that depending on the 
holy ground are being unable to  chronicle, this Flaw may not be 
voluntarily spend Willpower  appropriate or relevant. 
points (e.g. to re-roll dice), being  ■ Flaw: (•) Painful Sense.​ The 
unable to passively recover  sensation you experience when 

24 
 ADVANTAGES 

former comes with significant risk to the Illusion and the 

Backgrounds  latter can be difficult to maintain over time. If they do, 

they are likely tied to a particular Identity and not easily 
This section details slightly adjusted or additional rules  maintained over time. 
for some of these Backgrounds to better suit Immortal  In addition to those which are similar or identical to 
characters. Of the Backgrounds detailed in ​Vampire: The  those in V
​ ampire: The Masquerade​, some Backgrounds 
Masquerade​ (pp. 184 - 194), the following are available for  listed below are new for ​Immortal: The Gathering​ - 
Immortal characters:  although some of them are inspired by or altered versions 
  of those from V
​ ampire: The Masquerade o​ r the books 
■ ALLIES &
​ ​ENEMIES   from previous editions of World of Darkness games 
■ CONTACTS  Below are some new and modified Backgrounds for 
■ FAME​ & associated flaws  Immortals. Some, such as Haven or Retainer, simply have 
■ HAVEN​ & associated merits and flaws  slight modifications to suit Immortals, whereas others, 
■ INFLUENCE​ & associated flaws  such as Fame and Mask, have more substantial additions. 
■ MASK​ & Flaw: (•) Known Corpse 
fame 
■ MAWLA​ & A​ DVERSARY  
In addition to being able to take Fame amongst normal 
■ RESOURCES​ & Flaw: (•) Destitute 
mortals (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, pp. 186 - 187), 
■ RETAINER​ & S​ TALKER 
Immortals may also take a variant of the Fame 
■ STATUS​ & associated flaws 
background specifically for Immortals, Fame (Immortals) 
 
described below. 
It is worth bearing in mind that Immortals tend to be far 
 
more beholden to their Identities in mortal society, and 
Fame (Immortals).​ Your names and deeds are spoken of 
therefore to their Masks and the social power and 
by others Immortals with respect, if grudging. Whilst 
connections associated, than Kindred are. Kindred can 
Immortals do not have a community in any way 
keep control over the mortal world via blood bonds, 
approaching the numbers, communication or 
ghouls and Disciplines, whilst also remaining separate 
sophistication of pretty much any other supernatural 
from it due to not having the same physical or social 
creature of the World of Darkness, they live for a long 
needs. Immortals cannot. 
time, gossip when they meet and often have private 
Immortals will become quite peculiar if they were to 
historical projects to help them reminisce or recover lost 
spend years, decades or centuries without human 
possessions. 
companionship, and require the same physical sustenance 
The Storyteller may occasionally call on you to add 
and shelter as any human. As a result, the Backgrounds 
your Fame (Immortals) to a dice pool including a Social 
and social connections Immortals form are often 
Trait, just as vampires may use Status in their own 
intertwined with their current Identity and Mask and 
community, especially for first meetings between 
may be lost temporarily or permanently when they need 
Immortals or when trying to deter or intimidate 
to change to a new one. Friends (including Allies, 
Headhunters. In other cases, the Storyteller may allow 
Contacts and some Retainers) must be abandoned, Fame 
you to substitute your Fame for a Social Trait – but savvy 
in mortal society becomes a hindrance and Influence 
Immortals may notice that you’re skating by on Fame, 
becomes difficult to maintain due to people thinking that 
instead of properly using the Etiquette or Intimidation 
you are dead. Even Resources could be temporarily 
Skill, for example. 
unavailable if there is a complex or disputed inheritance. 
 
Whilst they are available, Immortals tend not to have 
much, if any, Fame or Influence in mortal spheres. The 

25 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

• Known.​ You’ve made your  merit, add one die to any dice  the Storyteller’s discretion. Those 
mark and your name might at  pool to resist theft of or damage  which deal with vampire-specific 
least give a casual opportunist  to precious objects (e.g. from  topics - such as granting Herd, 
pause for thought before  arson), including Anchors,  affecting Hunger or requiring a Clan 
challenging you to a duel.  objects you wish to be Anchors  - will always be unavailable, whereas 
•• R
​ espected.​ You have been  or simply mementos from past  those which simply relate to 
around for a while or have done  lives.  knowledge or connections may be 
something impressive or  •• H
​ oly Ground:​ Your Haven  judged by the Storyteller. Likewise, 
entertaining.  located upon or is itself holy  vampires may have access to some of 
••• ​Renowned.​ You’ve gained  ground, giving you (and any  the new loresheets at the end of this 
significant prestige amongst  Immortals there) all of the  document at the Storyteller’s 
Immortals, for good or ill. You  normal problems associated with  discretion. 
might be a feared headhunter, a  taking Quickening within your  Note that unlike Loresheets 
respected mediator, or have been  Haven. This can be a profound  presented so far in the Core 
a powerful King in a mortal  deterrent for Headhunters and  Rulebook or related books for 
realm.  opportunists.   Vampire: The Masquerade​, the 
•••• V
​ aunted.​ Your name and  Loresheet(s) in ​Immortal: The 
influence 
actions cast a large shadow and  Gathering ​include Flaws as part of 
every Immortal has heard at least  Immortals may take dots in the  them. Such Flaws may be taken as any 
one tale which gives them chills  Influence Background as normal, but  other Flaw at character creation or 
or makes them wish they had  for official organisations it often  during the chronicle, at the discretion 
your Quickening - either literally  indicates that their current Identity  of the Storyteller. 
or metaphorically.  possesses or possessed a rank or 
••••• ​Great.​ You are marked as  position of authority within the  mask 

one of the greatest of all  group in question.   Mask follows fundamentally the same 
Immortals alive, be it due to age,  For instance, if you have  rules for Immortals as it does for 
skill with a blade, powerful  Influence 1 (Police), you are likely to  Kindred, except that it is typically far 
Quickening or due to  be or have recently been a police  more important. Immortals almost 
significantly nudging mortal  Sergeant or similar rank as part of  always live amongst human society 
events.  your current Identity.  and require the Mask to function in 
In virtue of their long lives and  most heavily industrialised developed 
haven  ability to pick up many skills,  nations of the modern era, due to 
Below are two new Merits for the  Immortals often have an easier time  more efficient record-keeping and 
Haven background which are  acquiring these ranks, although they  more entrenched bureaucracy.  
available for Immortals. The Haven  have trended towards more  Many of an Immortal’s other 
background can be found in V
​ ampire:  consultative positions in recent years  Backgrounds (Allies, Contacts, Fame 
The Masquerade​, p. 188.  in order to keep their identities out  and Resources, possibly also Haven 
  of the public eye.  and Retainers), are typically 
• Gallery:​ You have a dedicated  specifically associated with an 
area to display and protect  loresheet 
Identity tied to a Mask and may be 
artifacts, keepsakes and relics  Immortals may have access to  lost if it needs to change. Immortals, 
from your past lives and  Loresheets presented in V
​ ampire:  especially experienced Immortals, 
Identities. For each dot of this  The Masquerade​ or other books at  normally have at least one ‘spare’ 

26 
 ADVANTAGES 

Mask, with an accompanying Identity  ■ Flaw: (••) Suspected Parahuman.  •A

​ weak Immortal, likely 
already prepared in case their current  Your biometrics, name, history,  between 0 and 100 years old. 
one dies unexpectedly. (See the  known associates, and aliases  •• A
​ respected Immortal, likely 
Identities section for more details.)  appear in several intelligence  between 100 and 300 years old. 
Unless they also have Flaw: (•) Known  agency databases, flagged as a  ••• ​A renowned Immortal, likely 
Corpse, an Immortal who lacks any  person of interest in numerous  between 300 and 600 years old. 
dots in Mask does not lack any  murders, break-ins, robberies or  ••••​A vaunted Immortal, likely 
classified crimes and situations. 
official record in society, but will  between 600 and 1,000 years old. 
The Second Inquisition is not 
instead have such a poor fake that it  ••••• A
​ great Immortal, likely 
certain what you are, but knows 
will not withstand official scrutiny.  1,000 years old or more. 
that there is something 
Immortals may not take Flaw: (••)   
supernatural about you, which 
Known Blankbody, but may take dots  As with Kindred, your Mawla rating 
puts the Illusion at great risk for 
in Mask as normal, as well as Zeroed,  could represent a small group of 
every Immortal. Cannot be taken 
Cobbler and Flaw: (•) Known Corpse.  at the same time as Flaw: (••)  Immortals, with such a group costing 
The normal rules for the Mask  Suspected Blankbody.  one dot more than the type of 
background can be found in V
​ ampire:  Immortals making up the group. e.g. a 
The Masquerade​, p. 190. In addition,  mawla  group of Mawali who are between 
further Flaws are available below:  This Background functions almost  300 - 600 years old would be a 
  identically to a Kindred’s Mawla,  four-dot Mawla.  
■ Flaw: (•) Person of Interest.​ Your  except that the Mawla or Mawali are  This is very rare, however, and 
(current Identity’s) name,  other Immortals rather than  typically represents a distant social 
appearance and the details of  vampires. The Mawla background can  circle, perhaps students of the same 
some of your aliases have been  be found in V
​ ampire: The  First Teacher. Multiple Immortals are 
flagged as being persons of  Masquerade​, pp. 192 - 193.  rarely in the same place as one 
interest in the murders of people  A Mawla is another Immortal  another since the turn of the 
left without heads around the  who may be an occasional friend, ally  millennium, and are very unlikely to 
country, or even worldwide. You  or mentor who, to a certain extent,  all come rushing to your physical aid 
are not necessarily their prime  looks after or aids you. Storytellers  at once. 
suspect, but you are clearly  should bear in mind that if not a   
involved with these crimes. 
Mawla, the First Teacher of an  adversary​You have upset or in 
■ Flaw: (••) Suspected Blankbody. 
Immortal character could be dead -  some manner caught the unpleasant 
Your biometrics, name, history, 
or antagonistic - and this gives them  attention of another Immortal who 
known associates, and aliases 
great potential as a plot device.  wishes you ill. Adversaries do not 
appear in several intelligence 
The suggested rating and age  typically wish to actively hunt you 
agency databases, flagged as a 
pairing below is just that: a  and take your Quickening, but are 
potential terrorist. Any 
suggestion based on expected  instead just trying to get petty 
inquisitor can read between the 
experience and power - either  revenge, engage in a 
lines and believe that you are a 
vampire - possibly a strange  personal or social. Immortals can vary  less-than-friendly “friendly rivalry” or 
greatly based on both Quickening,  have similar motivations. This could 
daywalking variant, thin-blooded 
still end in the Immortal’s Last Death, 
vampire or ghoul, depending on  age, intensity of their experience or 
but is more likely to lead to the 
their knowledge. Cannot be  current societal influence, so even a 
“death” of their current Identity or 
taken at the same time as Flaw:  very young Immortal could count as a 
the death of their friends. 
(•) Suspected Parahuman.  higher rating if appropriate. 

27 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Adversaries is the Flaw variant of  bunch of Kindred to all know and  always lost when an Identity is 
Mawla and count as being one dot  support an Immortal.  changed. The Retainers background 
greater than the equivalent dots in  A Mawla or Adversary who is a  may be found in V
​ ampire: The 
Mawla, so a two dot Adversary would  Kindred is likely to know that you are  Masquerade​, p. 194. 
be an Immortal between 300 and 600  Immortal, but is unlikely to have a 
status 
years old. Like Mawla, they can  deep understanding of what that 
You may not take Status amongst 
represent groups of lower- ranking  entails. If they are not aware that you 
Immortals as they do not have any 
Immortals at a rating of one dot  are an Immortal, then they either 
sophisticated or organised society to 
higher, so a group of Adversaries who  have not known you for very long and 
speak of. For a similar effect, Fame 
are between 300 and 600 years old  believe you are a useful human or 
(Immortals) is recommended instead. 
would be a three-dot Adversary.  believe that you are a Ghoul or Mage 
You may take the Status Flaw 
For Immortals, the Adversary  - both of which have their own 
variants (Flaw: (•) Suspect and Flaw: 
may represent a headhunter or  implications or consequences. 
(••) Shunned) as normal, however, 
challenger and not just someone who  Likewise, you may not know that 
and the rules for the Status 
wishes to cause your downfall  your Mawla is a vampire, although 
background and its flaws can be 
through indirect means.  you knowing their vampiric nature is 
found in ​Vampire: The Masquerade​, 
  far more likely than them knowing 
p. 194. 
vampiric mawla​At the Storyteller’s  your Immortal nature. You gain no 
At the Storyteller’s discretion, 
discretion, you may also take a  automatic insights into Kindred 
you may take Status amongst Kindred 
vampire as a Mawla, rather than  society, nor in-depth knowledge of 
another Immortal. As Kindred have  sects if you have somehow managed 
their powers or capabilities from this 
many powers beyond the capabilities  to inveigle your way in. This is likely 
Merit or Flaw, although it is possible 
of an Immortal, taking it requires a  to only be within a particular 
you know the very basics. 
sub-merit for your Mawla:  domain, however, rather than more 
At the Storyteller’s discretion, 
  widely, or may just be to the point 
Kindred may also take Immortals as a 
•• Kindred Mawla.​ Your Mawla  that you can imitate a long-lived 
Mawla, which would also require a 
is not another Immortal, but a  ghoul ◾ 
two-dot sub-merit, just as a vampire 
vampire. 
Mawla works for an Immortal. 
 
Remember that vampires typically 
You may also take a vampire as an 
know far less about Immortals than 
Adversary (although not a 
the reverse, which has interesting 
Challenger), which does not require 
implications and complications for 
this merit and is taken using the 
any dedicated Immortal Adversary of 
normal rules for Kindred Adversaries, 
a vampire. 
e.g. an Adversary who is an Elder 
would be a two-dot Flaw.  
retainer 
You are unlikely to have multiple 
Retainers and Stalkers for Immortals 
Kindred as Mawali as part of a single 
function much as they do for 
rating, particularly at the start of a 
Kindred, except that they cannot be 
chronicle. Kindred go through their 
ghouls. Unlike most other 
nights quite apart from Immortals 
mortal-related backgrounds, many 
and it would be highly unusual for a 
Retainers know what you are - at 
least at a basic level - and are not 

28 
 LIVING FOREVER 

Many more find nothing left in the mortal world 

Who Wants to   which interests them, and instead turn to the Game. 

Live Forever? 
Regardless of how an Immortal copes, this sensation 
of separation from normal humanity is represented by 
Desolation. 
  
nlike vampires, Immortals are actually alive 
and not a mere mockery of life, allowing  Desolation: The Crushing 
them to remain part of mortal society. They  Weight of Loneliness 
can have jobs, have friends, start a family, 
Desolation is a measure of the loss, loneliness and 
eat food, enjoy sex and see the Sun. This increased 
isolation all Immortals feel. Desolation rating waxes and 
closeness to humanity only serves to make the ways in 
wanes over the course of eternity, but unlike a vampire’s 
which they are separate from normal people all the more 
Humanity, it can oscillate wildly over the course of a 
devastating when they lose it.  
chronicle or even a single Story. 
As much as Immortals are part of human society, they 
Like Humanity, Desolation is measured on a scale of 1 
will never grow old and can never stay in one place. They 
to 10. A character’s starting Desolation depends on the 
are bound to always depart in the night, or fake their own 
life-stage of their Identity, with Immortals who are 
deaths before any suspicions fester. Indeed, any 
embedded into mortal society having low Desolation and 
Immortals who have somehow stayed in their first lives 
those who stand apart from it having high Desolation. 
are invariably convinced or forced away from this by 
An Immortal’s Desolation rating governs two factors: 
their First Teacher. Particularly in the modern days and 
their ability to interact with others and their Base Urge 
nights, one Immortal out-staying their welcome is a risk 
rating. Of course, even an Immortal with a low 
to the existence of all Immortals. 
Desolation rating might still find interacting with 
For older immortals, ennui also becomes a constant 
humans difficult simply based on their personality (like 
threat upon their days and nights. Once you have raised 
any other social creature) or due to the weight of their 
ten families, heard every variant of every kind of gossip, 
age making it hard for them to relate to the buzzwords, 
seen a sunset from every shore and been forced to fight 
topics and ideas of the day.  
deranged, sword-wielding psychopaths every time you let 
your guard down, what is the point of it all? What else is  desolation 0 - 5 
there to do?  Immortals with this level of Desolation are part of society 
Over time, this isolation and ennui takes its toll and,  as any human is, whether their society is a monastery in 
unsurpris- ingly, some manage it better than others. Some  the secluded British countryside, a bustling Indian city or 
throw themselves back into life at full-force, some spend  a simple life tending a farm. 
a lifetime as a hermit or monk in order to rejuvenate 
themselves and others find the most wildly different  desolation 6 - 7 
lifestyle from what they have done before and go into it  Immortals with this level of Desolation feel disconnected 
blindly. A rare few find some insight into the wider  from humans, either because of a recent or sudden change 
supernaturals of the World of Darkness and find a new  in Identity, a loss of Anchors or just a dissatisfaction with 
meaning there, either through higher learning,  the current life they are leading. 
conversation with spirits and other worlds or just the  ■ You suffer a one-die penalty on all social dice rolls 
ability to have conversations with others who are older  other than Intimidation and feigning death, 
than one tenth their age.   ghouldom or undeath, except with Immortals at an 
equal or higher Desolation rating, or with vampires 
who have a Humanity rating of 6 or lower. Unlike 

29 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

for vampires who have low Huma- nity ratings, this 

only relates to interpersonal connections, and not  Principles 
more abstract elements such as creating art -  Norms are defining characteristics, some would say 
although an Immortal with higher Desolation tends  requirements, of social interaction and activity in any 
to be drawn to melancholy or slightly more alien or  given society. A norm can be something as 
isolated topics.  straightforward as standing on a particular side on an 
escalator, to it being impolite to talk to a stranger on a 
desolation 8 - 9 
train.  
Humans can only hope they never grasp the levels of 
In an attempt to cling on to and blend into human 
detachment an Immortal at this level of Desolation feels. 
society, most Immortals take these norms and amplify 
Even if they might have been called a miserable bastard in 
them to the point of being Principles, which can help 
life, this has nothing on the level of distance this person 
them to stave off Desolation. The specific Principles an 
has from a normal mortal, to the point that inhuman 
Immortal adopts are a result of them attempting to fully 
creatures almost regard you as kin. 
embrace the present society they find themselves in or 
■ You suffer a two-die penalty on all social dice in a 
wish to represent. As a result, Principles can often be 
similar manner to Desolation 6 - 7, except that 
practical as much as moral. That said, the underlying 
vampires need to have a Humanity rating of 5 or 
morality or beliefs of the Immortal will typically colour 
lower in order for you to avoid a penalty. 
■ You also suffer a one-die penalty to all other dice  and shape the Principles they adopt (so long as they 
pools which are not directly related to your survival,  represent the society, culture or group accurately), unless 
to your Ambition or to active participation in the  they are true chameleons. 
Game. Spending a point of Willpower can negate  Each character begins with between zero and three 
this penalty for a scene.  Principles. Well-established characters typically have 
closer to three, but it is entirely possible to begin play 
desolation 10  with a character who feels quite apart from society and 
Immortals at this level of Desolation have left all human  does not have any Principles at present. Principles allow 
society behind, civilised or otherwise, and can seem  Immortals to lower their rating in Desolation by fulfilling 
positively inhuman, monstrous, creepy or even eerily  them, or cause them to gain rating by betraying them, 
pathetic to mortals who interact with them. Whilst they  making them a double-edged sword for any Immortal 
are not forever stuck like this, it will take an  who doesn’t fit in as much as they would like. 
extraordinary act, perseverance, or strength of will to  Examples of Principles include many example 
take part in society again.  Convictions from ​Vampire: The Masquerade (​ pp. 172 - 
■ You suffer a three-dice penalty on all social dice in a  173), as well as more societal norm-derived Principles: 
similar manner to Desolation 6 - 7, except that  ■ Always be polite. 
vampires need to have a Humanity rating of 4 or  ■ Support the patriarchy. 
lower in order for you to avoid a penalty.  ■ Freedom above all. 
■ You also suffer a two-dice penalty to all other dice  ■ Respect everyone equally. 
pools which are not directly related to your survival  ■ The government must be obeyed and respected. 
or to active participation in the Game, even if it is in  ■ The <Head of Government, State or Religion> is 
pursuit of your Ambition. Spending a point of  always right. 
Willpower can negate this penalty for a scene.  ■ Family comes first. 
■     ■ Respect and uphold the status and apparent values of 
<insert religion here>. 
■ The pursuit of wealth is the greatest goal. 

30 
 LIVING FOREVER 

■ The best life is an ascetic one.  stances, such as ‘Thou shalt not kill’, ‘Slavery is evil’ or 
■ To each according to their caste.  ‘Rob from the rich, give to the poor’. Even chronicle 
■ Obey your superior.  Tenets typically have moral elements, from ‘The guilty 
Continuously upholding Principles or exemplifying them  should suffer’ to ‘Never gaze into the abyss’.  
in extraordinary actions reduce Desolation (see  Some chronicle Tenets, however, along with the 
Desolation’s Wax and Wane, below). As they are so tied  Convictions of much older and more warped vampires, 
to Desolation, Principles are based on the society, culture  are more detached from conventional human morality, 
or group that the Immortal is currently embedding 
such as ‘Demand respect’ or ‘I am a god’. 
themselves in, or rather, the one which they are 
There are three core differences between a vampire’s 
attempting to pass off their current Identity as belonging 
Convictions and an Immortal’s Principles. The first is 
to. As can be seen in the list above, the Principles need 
that whilst a vampire’s Convictions typically represent a 
not be the ones which the player necessarily deems 
moral system to stave off the Beast, even if an inhuman 
admirable aspects of the group (although they can be), 
one, an Immortal’s Principles should represent the society 
just ones which represent the society well. A society 
normally has a great many relevant Principles which  which they are adopting an Identity within, warts and all. 
could be chosen to represent it, but the Immortal need  The second is that a Conviction must be paired with a 
only select up to three.  Touchstone, whereas a Principle does not have such a 
Note that if an Immortal adopts an Identity from one  pairing. Whilst Immortals also have Anchors (discussed 
society, culture or group and then travels or mixes with  below), these are mechanically un-related to Principles.  
another whilst still keeping that same Identity, they need  The third difference is whilst violating Convictions, 
not change their Principles. They often can and do so  Tenets or other acts can incur Stains on a vampire’s 
over time, however, potentially even  Humanity, an Immortal just has Desolation rating, 
mixing-and-matching as with any real life fusion of  without any modifiers such as Stains, and violating a 
cultures.  Principle always incurs a rise in Desolation. 
Immortals may replace Principles, lose Principles 
without replacing them, or pick up additional Principles  Chronicle Tenets 
if they have fewer than three, but this should be a gradual 
As with vampiric coteries, a group of Immortals who 
process, happening alongside narrative developments and 
travel together should adopt some chronicle Tenets 
with the involvement of the Storyteller. In order to 
(​Vampire: The Masquerade​, pp. 172 - 173), which act just 
change to or adopt a new Principle, Immortals will 
as Principles do.  
typically need to practice it, in the time-honoured 
In the more likely event that an Immortal travels with 
tradition of “fake it until you make it”. Aside from simply 
other supernatural creatures, such as a vampire coterie, 
enacting this via roleplay, this can often take the form of 
they should adopt the standards of the Coterie Tenets as 
social rolls, such as Performance (Acting) or Subterfuge 
if they were Principles, in addition to their 
(Social Chameleon). 
individually-chosen Principles. By banding together like 
this, the Immortal has the unenviable job of not only 
Convictions  trying to blend in with human culture, but also with the 
Principles and Convictions have already been discussed in  standards of the inhuman Kindred around her.  
some detail in V
​ ampire: The Masquerade​ (pp. 172 - 173),  As with a vampire’s Convictions, an Immortal’s 
but there are some subtle differences in theme. Vampires  Principles are much more important to them than the 
adopt Convictions which can mitigate Stains gained for  Tenets of the group. 
Tenets and can risk taking Stains if they violate them. 
Convictions are typically presented as being moral 

31 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Anchors cannot be other Player  who otherwise live nearby with 

Anchors  Characters or members of the Coterie  regular contact, a pet dog or a 
In order to remain connected with  or similar group that the Immortal is  beloved item cherished from a 
the human world and their own sense  an active member of. Those who  previous Identity which has 
of passion and excitement, Immortals  journey with the Immortals on  pride of place on the 
stay connected with Anchors - links  adventures, political machinations on  mantelpiece. 
to their old lives or companions to  behalf of undead horrors, missions for  ■ Link to Mortal Society.​ The 
their current ones.  Anchor must be a reminder or 
Gaia in the spirit world, deadly 
connection to (a) human society. 
Each Immortal begins with  daytime raids on slumbering 
A lone trucker, coma patient, 
between one and three Anchors.  vampires or similar activities are too 
wild dog or the very sword an 
Anchors can either be humans,  divorced from normal human society 
Immortal uses to kill other 
objects or, in rare circumstances, pets  to be suitable. 
Immortals cannot be Anchors, as 
or other animals, or even  Younger Immortals tend to have 
they are, either explicitly or 
supernatural anchors who are  more humans as Anchors, as do any  implicitly, not intertwined with 
connected to the mortal world. These  who are in the Stability phase of their  human society.  
should be added to the Relationship  Identity (i.e. they have many years to  Anchors cannot be involved 
Map and fleshed out so that the  go before they become suspiciously  in the Game as tools or active 
player and Storytellers know who (or  young, but have been around long  participants. Even an Anchor 
what) they are.   enough to make friends). Immortals  discussing immortality or the 
Anchors may also be the  who have just shed an Identity tend  Game on a frequent or deep 
characters behind a player’s  to have fewer Anchors and those they  basis could eventually cause 
Background dots, if they select them  do have are usually objects, and  them to stop being an Anchor. 
with experience points. e.g. a  physically isolated, introverted, shy or  Their absolute ignorance of 
character with two dots in Contact  asocial Immortals likewise tend to  immortality is not essential. 
may have that Contact be an Anchor.  stick to animals or objects.  For instance, an adopted 
Anchors may not relate to Flaws or  The major two requirements for  child might become an Anchor, 
negative Backgrounds (such as  and even if they figure out that 
Anchors are: 
you are Immortal over time and 
Stalkers), as they must retain a   
you talk about it, you need not 
friendly relationship with the  ■ Strong Relationship. ​The 
lose them as an Anchor. As long 
Immortal. Nor can they be Mawali or  Immortal must be in frequent, 
as you remain in frequent, close 
Retainers, as these are too aware of  pleasant and in-person contact 
and pleasant contact and do not 
Immortality and involved in the  with the Anchor (making long 
dwell on this, there will not be a 
Game, for Anchors must link  distance Anchors difficult). This 
problem. As they grow old and 
Immortals to normal human society.  need not be a deep contact each 
infirm, however, the disparity 
Each type of Anchor is as valid as  time, but it needs to be a 
may become too strong to 
any other (subject to the more  constant fixture of their life 
ignore. 
which they see often and 
detailed descriptions below), but it is 
regularly, and must have some  mortals 
normally easier to have intense 
opportunities for a deeper  Mortals tend to make the best 
experiences with humans, due to 
interaction. Good examples  Anchors for staving off Desolation, as 
their level of sapience and connection 
include friends who meet up 
to society, whilst objects are easier to  they are part of the human society an 
each week for drinks and a long 
preserve over a long period of time.   Immortal is attempting to remain 
chat, adopted children who have 
part of. Anchors are often good 
not yet flown from the nest or 

32 
 LIVING FOREVER 

friends that the Immortal has made  Anchors can even be extremely 
supernaturals 
in their present Identity or family  large objects, such as a house or ship, 
At the Storyteller’s discretion, 
that they have adopted or become a  but this might make it difficult to 
supernatural anchors are also a 
part of, but can also be colleagues,  carry between Identities. 
possibility, such as ghouls, vampires 
employees or other individuals which 
animals  and werewolves, as long as they are in 
they are slightly less emotionally close 
Animals can be a good mid-point  touch with the mortal and human 
to. People who were part of the 
between humans and objects, as they  worlds around them. Other 
Immortal’s First Life typically make 
can be kept between Identities as  Immortals and Pre-Immortals cannot 
terrible Anchors, continually 
they are highly unlikely to shatter the  become Anchors, as the sensation of 
reminding the Immortal of their 
Illusion or tell others that you are  the Quickening makes it impossible 
death and immortality.  
Immortal, whilst also offering more  to associate them with human life. 
objects  interaction than objects do. That  Older ghouls tend to be too 
Objects also make good Anchors, and  said, they do not typically live as long  distanced from society, to say nothing 
many older Immortals cart around a  as human Anchors and are certainly  of the peculiar personalities which 
small collection of artifacts kept from  less portable or survivable than  tend to develop after spending 
past lives, both as part of general  objects.  decades or centuries as a blood slave 
remembrance and hoarding, but also  Animals can only be Anchors if  to an inhuman master. Likewise, the 
ready to be used as Anchors if  they are reasonably social and  lower the Humanity rating of a 
needed. Objects which are Anchors  affectionate, and if the Immortal can  Kindred, or the more warped its 
must be part of a previous Identity,  bestow or assume some degree of  Convictions, the less likely it is to be 
including items from an Immortal’s  higher level intelligence - if not  a good or sustainable Anchor.  
first life, which remind them of  outright anthropomorphisation - of  Garou (​Werewolf: The Apocalypse​) 
pleasant aspects of that Identity’s  them. For this reason, pet dogs often  who are older and those less involved 
place in society, including reminding  make the best Anchors, although  in human society, such as Red Talons, 
them of other mortals they knew.  affectionate cats and horses can also  Silent Striders, along with Lupus or 
Object Anchors can be weapons  be good choices. Particularly good  Metis breeds, tend to make poor 
or other instruments of harm, but  animal handlers could even make  Anchors, if they can even be Anchors 
only if they are not used in the Game  wilder animals their Anchors, such as  at all. Young Homid Glass Walkers, 
and were part of an Identity’s society  big cats, wolves or elephants, but they  on the other hands, could make 
at the time. For instance, if an  may have to work in a zoo or isolated  plausible Anchors. The more a Garou 
Immortal spent some time as a  areas to get away with it, which  is part of human society and available 
soldier in one of their Identities or  would make it tricky for the Anchor  to interact with the Immortal, the 
past lives, a pistol or sword could be  to remind them of human society. On  better an Anchor they make. 
an Anchor if it reminds them of their  the other hand, snakes, lizards, frogs,  Mages (​Mage: The Ascension​) are 
time in the army and the camaraderie  ants, spiders and the like are not  also possible Anchors in theory, 
they shared. If they use that Anchor  suitable as Anchors.   however, they tend to be except- 
to fight or kill another Immortal,  It is recommended that players  ionally poor ones. Mages tend to be 
however, it is forever tainted with the  and Storytellers are mindful of the  quite separate from normal Sleepers, 
association to the Game and they can  effects of having a pet during their  especially those who spend a lot of 
no longer use it as an Anchor, and  adventures before selecting one as an  time in different realities. Even when 
can likely never make it their Anchor  Anchor.  they are not, by either their topics of 
again.      conversation or even mere presence 

33 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

and background activities, they tend  romantic break-up) or because  Anchors, often includes animal 
to continually remind Immortals of  an object Anchor no longer  Anchors and may or may not 
the Quickening and magic pervading  reminds them of pleasant things  include objects or supernaturals, 
them.   as they have begun to see old  depending on the circumstances. 
Changelings (​Changeling: The  memories in a new light. If an  Unless they have already 
Dreaming​) are worse still, continually  object Anchor is not kept visible  been cultivating an Anchor to 
avoiding the mortal world and  or in pride of place, this also  replace it with (see Gaining 
society. It is highly unlikely that a  counts - putting an Anchor in a  Anchors, below), deliberately 
Changeling could be an Anchor,  box or in an out of the way place  severing a connection with an 
although it may not be strictly  out of sight for a long period of  Anchor, including when 
impossible.   time will also cause it to be lost  changing Identity, causes the 
It is not even worth  as an Anchor.  Immortal to suffer a point of 
contemplating the other forms of  ■ Destroying the Anchor’s  Aggravated Willpower damage. 
supernaturals for the purposes of  innocence: T
​ he Anchor becomes  Severing an Anchor in this 
Anchors.  actively involved in the Game or  way requires an appropriate 
Immortals in general, whether  narrative reason and some level 
losing anchors 
they help with or are used to kill  of premeditation, and cannot 
Anchors can be lost in a myriad of  another Immortal, they become a  simply be done on a whim or to 
ways, but typically include:  frequent reminder of  avoid greater gains in Desolation. 
  Immortality - this could be due  e.g. if the player expects that the 
■ Death or destruction:​ An  to their own interest and  Anchor will be destroyed in a 
Anchor being destroyed  constant mention of the subject,  brutal fashion, they cannot 
naturally means it cannot serve  or due to their old physical/  preemptively sever the 
as one any longer.  apparent age making it difficult.  connection. 
■ Losing contact:​ The Immortal  Once an Anchor is lost due to   
not being in (in-person) contact  being a reminder of Immortality  Losing an Anchor should not be 
with the Anchor for a prolonged  or the Game, the Immortal may  taken lightly, so a single short story 
period, either in absolute time  never select it as an Anchor  where the character visits another 
(typically a full year) or during  again.  city is unlikely to cause a player to 
emotionally significant times  ■ Intentionally severing contact  lose an Anchor. That said, it should 
(typically between one and three  and connection: ​The connection  take active participation and effort 
Stories) - this includes losing an  to the Anchor is sharply severed,  on the part of the character to 
Anchor, either literally or in the  either fully or partly, as part of a  maintain the relationship. 
sense of losing track of them.  conscious choice by the  Note that this effort should 
■ Souring relationship:​ The  Immortal. The most likely cause  explicitly be on the part of the 
relationship with the Anchor  of this is when an Immortal has  character and not necessarily the 
sours, either because they are no  to change their Identity - doing  player. The player may not wish to 
longer on friendly terms for a  so means admitting that their  roleplay every interaction with the 
prolonged period (as with being  old life is gone, and in doing so  Anchor, and doing so may distract 
out of contact), because the  they sever their connections to  from the chronicle. As long as they 
relationship becomes actively  the Anchors which were tightly  are not forgotten about or become an 
antagonistic or the Anchor  bound to this Identity. This  afterthought, however, the player 
rejects the relationship (such as a  almost always includes all human 

34 
 LIVING FOREVER 

should be allowed to keep the  or those who wish to exchange an  Moreover, Anchors don’t embody 
Anchor(s).  object Anchor for a human one, may  a specific Conviction or Principle, 
choose to cultivate this Anchor  and therefore a character could have 
gaining anchors 
connection in advance of the actual  three Principles and no Anchors, or 
The Storyteller should allow for new  switching of Anchors.  three Anchors and no Principles or 
Anchors to be available whenever it is  Once an Immortal has sufficiently  anywhere in between - although both 
narratively appropriate, although  cultivated the new Anchor, they may  extremes would be undesirable for 
there is typically a period of  swap out the old Anchor for the new  the Immortal.  
mourning after one Anchor is lost  one without incurring any gain of  Additionally, the Immortal does 
and another is gained, typically either  Desolation rating. The transition  not have to have an opinion on the 
a full year of time or between one and  happens smoothly, typically in  state of the Anchor. Whereas a 
three Stories.  downtime between Stories, and has  vampire may wish to influence or 
Animal and object Anchors are  no other effects than the change in  control their Touchstones so that 
the easiest to gain. In the case of  Anchor itself. If a character changes  they do not change in a way that they 
animals, the player could simply buy,  Anchors very frequently, the  disapprove of, all an Immortal has to 
rescue, breed or otherwise obtain an  Storyteller may rule that they are  do is stay in frequent, in-person and 
animal - or they might even have the  unable to cultivate new Anchors for a  pleasant contact with the Anchor. If 
animal already, but simply start to  while, or that they begin to incur  the Anchor wishes to abandon their 
associate it more with human society  Aggravated Willpower damage or  faith, marry someone that the 
and imbue it with more importance.  even Desolation when they do so, as  Immortal disapproves of or resign 
Similarly, as objects must be from  the character lacks stability in their  from their job, this does not 
a previous Identity or life in order to  human connections.  necessarily have an impact on their 
be Anchors, the Immortal likely  Immortals may not begin  status as an Anchor, as long as the 
already has it in their possession  cultivating an old Anchor to be an  Immortal is able to maintain this 
before it is made an Anchor. As  Anchor once again until a full year or  contact. 
mentioned previously, older  between one and three Stories have  Finally, an Anchor coming to 
Immortals carry a veritable treasure  passed. If a current Anchor is lost  harm does not necessarily cause any 
trove of ancient artifacts from their  whilst a player is cultivating a new  problems for the Immortal, whereas a 
past lives, so will likely have access to  one, nothing changes about the  Touchstone becoming damaged could 
dozens of potential Anchors just  process - they still require the same  cause the vampire to gain Stains. If 
inside their living room.  amount of time, gain Desolation  the damage to the Anchor renders 
rating and experience any other  them unable to be a link to human 
cultivating anchors 
relevant effects.  society, however, such as by 
Cultivating a connection with a 
becoming a misanthropist hermit or 
potential Anchor means treating the  touchstones 
falling into a coma, this could cause 
would-be Anchor as if it is an Anchor  As with Principles and Convictions, 
the Anchor to be untenable. 
for a full year of time or between one  it is worth discussing the difference 
and three Stories, which means  between Anchors and Touchstones 
engaging in a relationship with it or  (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 173, 
putting it proudly on display.  pp. 239 - 240). Most obviously, and as 
Immortals who anticipate  discussed above, Touchstones always 
changing Anchors, such as those who  have to be people, whereas Anchors 
intend to change their Identity soon  do not. 

35 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

■ Exemplifying Principles: ​If you perform an action 

Desolation’s Wax   which extraordinarily exemplifies a Principle, 
& Wane  typically adhering to a Principle despite significant 
pressure to do otherwise, you may lose one dot level 
Unlike a vampire’s Humanity, Desolation moves up and 
of Desolation rating at the Storyteller’s discretion. If 
down relatively frequently over the course of an 
you violated another Principle in the course of 
Immortal’s individual and fake lives, to say nothing of 
following this one, this should be taken into account 
centuries. Left to their own devices, a peaceful and lucky 
when deciding if you should lose Desolation. 
Immortal may find their Desolation trending towards a 
■ Quiet Enjoyment of Anchors: ​Having frequent 
rating of 0, with only occasional spikes when they must 
contact with your Anchor for a long period of time is 
change or move on from an Identity. Unlucky Immortals 
a calming experience, beyond it merely staving off 
or those who lead far more violent lives, such as player 
Desolation. If you have a long period of particularly 
characters, may find themselves hovering at much higher 
strong and very frequent relations with your Anchor 
ratings due to the tumultuous nature of their adventures. 
free of significant stresses or problems, such as a 
Storytellers are encouraged to give their Immortal players 
prolonged honeymoon period or an involved and 
some measure of quiet time, even if during the downtime 
satisfying work project, you may lose one level of 
between Stories, to allow Immortal Player Characters to 
Desolation rating. This period of time is typically at 
settle to more bearable levels of Desolation. 
least a full year, but could even be between one and 
Equally, a steadily ramping up of Desolation or 
three Stories at the Storyteller’s discretion.  
sudden spikes of it coincide well with moments of danger 
Quiet enjoyment is much more typical with 
which may culminate Stories, so neither players nor 
human Anchors and to an extent animal Anchors, 
Storytellers should be afraid of letting the player 
but is also possible with object Anchors over a much 
characters experience the existential dread, isolation, 
longer timeframe (such as several years). It is very 
loneliness and other-ness that come with never dying and 
unlikely with supernatural Anchors due to the 
watching loved ones disappear time and time again. 
tumultuous and often dangerous (un)lives they lead. 
Whilst vampires may face Hunger every day, an Immortal 
■ Intense Experiences with Anchors:​ Some 
may only face the acute pain of Desolation rarely, so it 
particularly passionate or otherwise intense 
should be used strongly when it comes into force. 
experiences with an Anchor can also, on rare 
Gaining Desolation  occasions, cause you to lose one level or more of 
Immortals gain levels of Desolation rating in many ways,  Desolation rating. Examples of these may include the 
with the most typical ones listed below:  adoption of a new child or being welcomed into a 
  new family, the blossoming of true love or even the 
■ Upholding Principles:​ Being a long-standing member  unexpected survival of an Anchor against all odds. 
of the human society you are seeking to emulate and   
embed into reduces the Desolation felt. For every  When an Immortal loses Desolation rating, they heal a 
substantial period of time during which you  single point of Aggravated Willpower damage for every 
unfailingly follow all of your Principles (although not  level lost. If they are at 0 rating and would normally lose 
necessarily your Tenets), you lose one level of  Desolation rating due to their activities, they still heal 
Desolation rating. This period of time is typically a  Aggravated Willpower damage for the amount of dots of 
full year or between one and three Stories at the  Desolation rating that they would normally lose. If they 
Storyteller’s discretion, particularly if emotionally  have no damage to heal, then there is no additional effect. 
intense, taxing or providing significant temptation to 
betray a Principle. 

36 
 LIVING FOREVER 

Whereas a vampire may shed or put on a Mask with 

More Lives Than   relative ease and may even have several masks associated 
with different properties or companies, Immortals must 

a Cat  live in the world every day. The Identity they currently 
adopt will also be tied to a Mask, complete with fictional 
“​From the dawn of time we came; moving silently down  history, parents, family, working pattern, personality and 
through the centuries, living many secret lives...​” – Ramirez,  persona and every other detail the Immortal needs. This 
Highlander  goes beyond just fitting in legally, but appearing as a full 
  person in their own right, attracting no suspicion or 
An Immortal must live many lives, be many people,  alarm from people around them. 
cultivate many friends and Anchors, adopt many  Because of this, the external aspects of an Immortal 
Identities and learn to shed and flee them all at a  character, those tied to an Identity, may be in jeopardy 
moment’s notice. At various points, they may think of  when they must shed an Identity and adopt a new one. As 
themselves as blessed, cursed, or simply take everything  discussed under the Gaining Desolation, losing an 
for granted.  Identity invariable leads to losing Anchors. Losing an 
Regardless of their thoughts on the matter, very few  Identity may also lead to a loss in Backgrounds - both 
have shared their secret openly, shattered the Illusion and  Advantages and Flaws - related to the mortal world, such 
proclaimed themselves as Immortals for many to know.  as Allies, Contacts, Enemies, Fame, Infamy, Influence and 
Those who have done either did so in ancient times, or  Stalkers, but even Haven and Resources. 
only to a small cult or group who were selective to their  Whilst many are lost, some of these may be retained 
members.  legally - such as by inheriting the Haven or Resources, or 
Even when with loved ones, Immortals are not always  the Fame being passed on to a “long-lost twin” or child or 
free with the information. Whilst many do share their  other descendant who looks remarkably similar. Others 
secret with a child or lover, many more do not, instead  may be retained with a bit of convincing, such as Allies, 
moving on when the time has come. The secret is one  Contacts or Influence passing on due to the relevant 
which could upend their lives for years or even centuries  people honouring debts, or even by a bit of feigning a 
to come, along with that of all other Immortals around  faked death - the Immortal could let people in on the 
the world. In the modern centuries of nations with strong  “secret” that they didn’t really die, but had to fake their 
bureaucracy and record-keeping this is even more crucial,  death for some reason. Of course, this could also lead to 
with the technological strides of the past few decades  its own problems down the line. 
ramming this home without subtlety.  Finally, in cases where the Backgrounds or Flaws 
cannot be sensibly passed on, they may find new 
Identities & Masks  problems or possibilities emerging, leading to the 
In most highly developed, industrialised nations, an  experience points not being lost, but instead re-allocated, 
Immortal almost always has a Mask, and therefore should  as per the Gaining and Losing Advantages description in 
have dots in the Mask background, in order to allow  Vampire: The Masquerade​ (p. 180). 
them to safely blend in with the rest of society. Whereas  An experienced Immortal will often have at least one 
vampires may rely on mortal instruments to do things for  Mask ready in case of an emergency, which will likely 
them, Immortals stay a part of the world, and must have a  include the elements of an Identity that they will adopt 
Mask in order to do basic things like have a job, hold a  along with it. Some Immortals’ Identities are little more 
driving licence and rent or buy a place to live.  than Masks; their personality remains fundamentally the 
same regardless of their name. Sometimes this goes 
further still, with their assumed Identity’s entire life story 

37 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

keeping the same beats from one to the other, with the  may also have Flaw: Known Corpse if their last Identity 
only things changing being the dates or locations. Others  ended messily. 
try something different every time, so that each Identity   
is a chance to invent themselves anew.  ■ Immortals in Rebirth begin with a Desolation rating 
Regardless of how the Immortal prefers to do it, a  of 4. 
sudden crisis without a backup Mask may put them in  ■ Immortals in Rebirth have two temporary dots in 
jeopardy, whilst having spare Masks laying dormant may  Backgrounds which they can distribute amongst any 
also begin to raise suspicions if a particularly thorough  Background, as long as it is narratively appropriate. 
opponent investigates.  Such Backgrounds typically being inheritances from 
their past lives, or contingencies they put in place to 
help them settle down. This dot should be treated as 
Stage of Life 
any other temporary Background dots (​Vampire: 
When an Immortal character is created, the player should 
The Masquerade​, p. 180) and should be lost shortly 
choose the stage of life that their current Identity 
after settling into their Identity, typically during the 
occupies. Stages of life are an optional - but encouraged - 
first few Stories and as they lower their Desolation. 
part of character creation, meant to guide a player into 
■ Immortals in Rebirth may choose to be curating at 
creating an Immortal in medias res during their long, 
least one human or animal Anchor at the start of 
long life. If players do not wish to engage with these rules 
play. These proto-Anchors should be added to the 
or complications at character creation, it is recommended 
Relationship Map and fleshed out at the start of play, 
that they start in the Stability stage, which has no 
ready to become full Anchors within one and three 
mechanical impact other than setting Desolation to zero. 
Stories. Other Anchors of the Immortal are likely 
None of the bonuses or penalties determined by the 
objects, or possibly animals if they have been kept 
Immortal’s stage of life are permanent. 
(with appropriate paperwork) since their last 
rebirth  Identity. 
An Immortal in the stage of Rebirth has only recently 
stability 
created a new Identity, likely in the last year or two, or 
An Immortal in the stage of Stability is in the prime of 
even as recently as yesterday. They know the persona they 
their Identity’s life, having integrated fully into the 
are adopting, they have a history worked out and likely 
mortal world and found their Identity’s place in the 
have a Mask in place, but do not have many connections 
world.  
to mortal society. 
They have Principles and Anchors, typically human 
Immortals are likely to have Principles ready for this 
ones and almost certainly have a Mask if in a highly 
recently-adopted Identity and may have at most one 
developed, industrial nation. 
human Anchor.  
They may easily have any combination of Advantages, 
If they are in a highly developed industrial nation, 
having been embedded in mortal life for some time. 
they almost certainly have a Mask, but may not have a 
■ Immortals in Stability begin with a Desolation rating 
spare ready (yet). 
of 0. 
Immortals in Rebirth are unlikely to have dots in 
Allies, Enemies, Fame, Infamy, Influence or Stalkers,  subsidence 
unless the relationship has been inherited from their last  The stage of Subsidence is full of both joy and sorrow, for 
Identity. They may well have several dots in Resources if  they are still involved in the mortal life, but can see the 
they set themselves up to start well in their new life, but  time approaching when they must abandon it and may 
have recently experienced some loss. They try to make the 

38 
 LIVING FOREVER 

pleasures last and freeze their companions in their  Immortals in Moratorium should expect to shed and 
memory before they inevitably depart.  replace their current Mask quite soon, in order to assume 
They have Principles and Anchors, typically human  a new Identity, and may also have to work quite hard in 
ones, and almost certainly have a Mask if in a highly  order to shake off or ignore a Compulsion resulting from 
developed, industrial nation.  their high Temporary Urge rating. 
They may easily have any combination of Advantages,  Immortals in Moratorium are unlikely to have dots in 
having been embedded in mortal life for some time.  Allies, Enemies, Fame, Infamy or Influence, unless the 
  relationship has transferred despite the death of their last 
■ Immortals in Subsidence begin with a Desolation  Identity. They are very likely to have a Haven, and are 
rating of 2.  more likely than most other stages of life to have Flaw: 
■ Immortals in Subsidence have one temporary dot in  Known Corpse or Flaw: Stalker. 
a Background, which is typically reserved for a dot in   
Mask for the next Identity they will adopt (or  ■ Immortals in Moratorium begin with a Desolation 
persona in between Identities). This dot should be  rating of 6 and may not have human Anchors. 
treated as any other temporary Background dots  ■ Immortals in Moratorium have three temporary dots 
(Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 180) and should be  in Backgrounds which they can distribute amongst 
lost shortly after shedding their current Identity,  any Background, as long as it is narratively 
typically during the first few Stories and as they  appropriate. Such Backgrounds are normally those 
lower their Desolation.  they are preparing ready for their next Identity, 
spare Masks to help them manage the transition or 
moratorium 
favours they called in as part of their will. These 
During the stage of Moratorium, an Immortal has no  should be treated as any other temporary 
fixed Identity, having just abandoned an old one. They  Backgrounds (Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 180) and 
may have chosen to kill their last Identity, ending it in  should be lost shortly after settling into a new 
apparent natural causes or as part of an ‘accident’ or  Identity, typically during the first few Stories as they 
disaster. Or, they may have simply moved on and away,  lower their Desolation. 
abandoning their last Identity, having had no more ties to 
it. Their hand may also have been forced, due to an 
unexpected accident causing them to die or be severely 
injured rather publically. Finally, they may have 
experienced something in between, where they were 
suddenly forced to abandon their identity - such as by 
staging an accident - because questions were being asked 
or a rival was getting close. 
Regardless of the reason, the Immortal has not yet 
settled into a new Identity, has no lasting connection to 
their society and no human Anchors. If the player selects 
Principles, they are likely either ones they have adopted 
in preparation of an Identity which will use them, or as 
remnants from their last Identity. They may not choose 
any human Anchors and are unlikely to have animal 
Anchors. 

39 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

The Urge  Manifestation of the Urge 

An Immortal must test their Willpower with a 
“​We must fight until only one remains.​” – Ramirez, 
difficulty of their Temporary Urge rating when they: 
Highlander 
 
 
■ Sense another Immortal with Sense Quickening 
Every Immortal has a drive to seek out and kill others of 
■ Witness one Immortal absorbing another’s 
their kind. Whilst once this was only a vague sensation, 
Quickening 
with some bands of ancient Immortals able to live and 
■ Lose some of their own Quickening as a trespasser 
fight as a group for hundreds of years, in recent decades 
■ Discover that the Immortal which they had 
this has changed. Since the turn of the millenium, all 
previously sensed has yet to revive 
Immortals feel the Urge, a powerful force in the back of 
 
their mind which directs them to play the Game and seek 
An Immortal who is on holy ground when sensing or 
the Prize.  
being sensed by another does not trigger this test, 
Those who are more fervent in their belief that the 
meaning that holy ground truly is sanctuary from the 
Gathering is upon us believe that this Urge will only 
Urge. 
become worse over time. Others believe that it is cyclical, 
When rolling as a result of Sense Quickening, this 
and that once Immortals have been culled down to a 
must be done each time an Immortal encounters another, 
small number, the Urge will fade. 
even if they have only temporarily moved in and out of 
Mechanically, Urge is a tracker rating from 0 - 10 akin 
range. As two Immortals will sense each other at the same 
to Desolation or Humanity, except that it has a Base and 
time, normally both must roll their Temporary Urge. An 
a Temporary track. An Immortal’s Base Urge is equal to 
incapcaitated Immortal, or one experiencing the 
their Desolation rating minus one third of their 
dreamless death, need only roll when they recover or 
Quickening rating (rounded down). This Base Urge is 
revive. If two or more Immortals are sensed at the same 
recalculated immediately upon either rating changing. 
time, only one roll is needed. 
Their Temporary Urge varies even more widely over 
If the other Immortal sensed is actually a 
time, typically impacted by killing (or avoiding killing) 
pre-Immortal who has not experienced their First Death, 
other Immortals, but eventually levels out at the Base 
the difficulty is equal to only half their Temporary Urge 
Urge.  
rating (rounded down), but is otherwise treated in the 
More powerful Immortals have an easier time 
same way.  
resisting the Urge, but are also at a greater risk of being 
If the Immortal succeeds, they feel a slight drive or 
targeted by headhunters.  
nagging sensation that they should attempt to duel the 
As the years advance and the call of the Gathering 
other, but nothing that they cannot dismiss - for now. A 
becomes harder to ignore, the Base Urge rating of every 
win with a margin of less than three successes causes 
Immortal may rise - as it did at the turn of the second 
them to gain a point of Temporary Urge, to a maximum 
millenium. What becomes possible to ignore for most 
of 10. If it is already at 10, they must suffer a point of 
Immortals who blend into society now may one day 
Superficial Willpower damage. 
become undeniable. 
If they fail, they immediately gain a point of 
   
Temporary Urge, and the sensation is too great to ignore 
unless they use a point of Willpower to fight past it. If the 
other Immortal sensed was a full Immortal, this point is 
taken as Aggravated Willpower damage rather than the 
usual Superficial Willpower damage which accompanies 

40 
 LIVING FOREVER 

spending a point of Willpower, as the Urge is an  holy ground. They will also wait for the event of a 
incredible force to stand against. As a result, if the  Quickening to pass rather than charging into the 
character is impaired due to Willpower damage, they  after-effects, although whether they will wait for the 
cannot spend Willpower. This sensation can be  victorious Immortal to recover from the after-effects of a 
overridden just with a point of Superficial Willpower  Quickening is largely dependent on their personal code of 
damage if they sensed a Pre-Immortal.  ethics. 
If they fail a roll and do not or cannot spend  The Storyteller may also require those suffering from 
Willpower to fight past it, then they are immediately  a Headhunting Compulsion to make Willpower tests or 
driven to play the Game and challenge an Immortal,  to spend Willpower when faced with great temptation. 
gaining the Headhunting Compulsion.  For instance, if an Immortal with this Compulsion 
Finally, if an Immortal has not fought another  encounters an incapacitated Immortal outside of holy 
Immortal in a combat intended to take their head and  ground, they may be required to test or spend Willpower 
absorb their Quickening for a number of months (or  to resist immediately decapitating them.  
Stories, at the Storyteller’s discretion) equal to 10 minus  Unlike a vampire’s Compulsion (​Vampire: The 
their Temporary Urge rating, they will suffer a  Masquerade​, p. 208), which can only be relieved by 
Headhunting Compulsion for this reason as well.  meeting the condition of the Compulsion, a Headhunting 
Compulsion which results from not having hunted 
compulsion: headhunting 
recently enough can fade if the Immortal’s Temporary 
The Immortal retains control over their faculties, but  Urge drops below the relevant threshold. A Headhunting 
their greatest desire is now to take the Quickening of an  Compulsion resulting from failing a Willpower check, 
Immortal. Depending on their moral code or presence of  however, has no such easy escape. 
onlookers, they may challenge an Immortal to a duel 
immediately or try to get them in private before issuing a 
challenge. Until the Immortal has satisfied this  Temporary Urge Fluctuations 
Compulsion and fought an Immortal with the intention  Temporary Urge is typically reduced by killing another 
of taking their Quickening (whether successfully or not),  Immortal (see Absorbing Quickening), reducing 
they suffer a two-dice penalty to all dice rolls not related  Temporary Urge by twice the Quickening rating of the 
to accomplishing this goal.  slain Immortal. It is typically increased by failing to resist 
An enemy Immortal fleeing from the duel does not  the Urge firmly when sensing another Immortal (one 
satisfy this compulsion, but if the Immortal suffering  point), spectating a Quickening event (normally one 
from the Compulsion is killed or otherwise incapacitated  point) or by trespassing in a fight (normally three points). 
whilst attempting to satisfy it, the Compulsion will be  It can also be increased further by witnessing a 
lifted, and they will lose one level of Temporary Urge  Quickening event which carries emotional significance, 
rating due to their attempts. However, they may still  such as if they had strong feelings for the Immortal who 
suffer the Compulsion anew as soon as they revive if it  was just slain (whether love or hate), or if they greatly 
has still been too long since they hunted, or if they sense  dislike the victor. 
another Immortal when they revive and immediately fail  In addition, every thematically appropriate period of 
the test.  time - typically a month or a Story, at the Storyteller’s 
Note that even whilst experiencing this Compulsion,  discretion - an Immortal’s Temporary Urge rating 
Immortals are not compelled to violate the Rules, nor do  changes by one point to be closer to their Base Urge. e.g. 
they have any special suggestion that they should do so.  if their Temporary Urge is 7 and their Base Urge is 5, 
They will still likely duel one-on-one, are likely to avoid  their Temporary Urge will reduce by one to 6 after a 
shattering the Illusion and will not attempt to fight on  month; if their Temporary Urge was 7 and their Base 

41 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Urge 8, their Temporary Urge would increase by one to 8  Immortal with Major Cloak gains no benefit against an 
after a month.   Immortal with a Temporary Urge of 4. 
At the Storyteller’s discretion, particularly significant  An Immortal with 6 or more Temporary Urge may go 
or dramatic situations or events could affect Temporary  further, as the Quickening, the call of the Gathering and 
Urge in either direction. This could include tense  the force behind the Game grant them a supernatural 
stand-offs with a rival who gets away, or the serene  instinct for identifying and tracking other Immortals. At 
presence of a particularly wise monk using guided  a Temporary Urge rating of 6, an Immortal may not only 
meditation in a secluded mountain monastery with  pierce Cloaks as above, but even gains a bonus to their 
calming views. Whilst vampires may struggle with their  ability to identify and find any other Immortal as if all 
Beast every day, an Immortal may only face the Urge at  other Immortals have Flaw: (•) Distinctive. If a rival 
particular points in the chronicle. Equally, when  Immortal already has Flaw: (•) Distinctive, then they are 
Immortals do face the Urge, it is incredibly powerful.  instead considered to have Flaw: (••) Exposed against the 
Players and Storytellers are encouraged to ride this wave,  Immortal with the Urge. 
as it is one of the defining factors of Immortal existence.  At a Temporary Urge rating of 8, this extends to the 
  point that all other Immortals are considered to have 
 
Flaw: (••) Exposed against them. If another Immortal 
VARIANT RULE:   already has Flaw: (••) Exposed, this has no additional 
URGE EQUALS DESOLATION  effect, whilst Flaw: (•) Distinctive is effectively worsened 
Urge rating is equal to Desolation rating.  to Flaw: (••) Exposed. 
Desolation rating grants the same bonuses  At a Temporary Urge rating of 10, the Immortal can 
regarding hunting other Immortals as Urge (see  pierce any and all magical powers used by another 
below), but Urge does not have its own tracker or  Immortal to hide themselves. For instance, if another 
rating. This reduces the number of things to keep 
Immortal has powers resembling vampiric Obfuscation, 
track of, but removes some nuances about the 
the Immortal with Temporary Urge 10 can be considered 
nature of headhunting, the Gathering and the 
to have Sense the Unseen (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 
Game as a whole. It also means that Immortals 
will have a harder time resisting the Urge,  249) permanently active against them, with an effective 
particularly those with a higher Quickening  Auspex rating of 5 for relevant rolls. 
rating.  Note that Urge grants no particular bonus when in 
combat with another Immortal, nor when hunting any 
 
  other creature, nor does it affect social checks (which may 
be harmed by the high Desolation rating which often 
Benefits of the Urge  accompanies high Urge rating). The benefits from the 
Urge are simply a reflection of uncanny instincts, pattern 
Whilst the Urge forces Immortals to fight each other, it 
recognition, shifts of fate and unconscious low-level 
does have some slight bonuses when it comes to playing 
psychic abilities which an Immortal benefits from when 
the Game. An Immortal may pierce or ignore another 
attempting to pursue the Game, but does not affect 
Immortal’s dots in Cloak up to an amount equal to their 
beings or activities outside of the Game, nor make them 
Temporary Urge. As a result, an Immortal with the 
more likely to actually win the Game by defeating their 
Minor Cloak Merit effectively gains no benefit when 
opponents ◾ 
facing an Immortal with a Temporary Urge of 2, whilst an 
Immortal with Major Cloak is effectively reduced to 
Minor Cloak against that same Immortal. Similarly, an 

42 
 THE QUICKENING 

It is also possible that luck or an invisible force 

The Quickening  conspires to twist fate in the World of Darkness so that 

there is always an Immortal nearby when another loses 
“​It’s a kind of magic.​” - Connor MacLeod, ​Highlander 
their head, just as pre-Immortals and Immortals who 
 
have recently experienced their First Death tend to 
he Quickening is the force that makes the 
gravitate towards other Immortals (see Immortals in the 
Immortals more than just normal humans. It 
World of Darkness). The Storyteller is the ultimate 
is the mystical energy within them; that 
arbiter, although the Death without Quickening section 
which makes them Immortal and gives them 
can explain some plausible mechanical consequences. 
their powers. 
It is worth noting that if a Pre-Immortal’s First Death 
Rather confusingly, ‘a Quickening’ or ‘the 
is a result of something which would cause them to lose 
Quickening’ is also the term given to the process of 
their Quickening, that is precisely what happens, exactly 
transferring Quickening, including the electrical storm 
as if they had a Quickening Rating of 1. 
surrounding both the dead Immortal and the Immortal 
absorbing their Quickening. 
Releasing and Absorbing 
Zero Sum Game  Quickening 
Immortals can only increase Quickening by absorbing or 
what happens during a quickening? 
taking Quickening from another Immortal, which 
When an Immortal loses her head, a Quickening occurs - 
normally requires them to lose their head. An Immortal 
a terrifying, primal burst of power and electricity is 
can also meet their Last Death, and thereby lose their 
released and the victor absorbs the Quickening of the 
Quickening, by their head or torso being disintegrated. 
loser.  
This is typically accomplished by an extremely powerful 
This explosion of raw power is akin to a (sometimes 
explosion or acid, although some supernatural powers 
invisible) electrical storm; glass breaks, light bulbs 
may also mimic or create this effect. The specific 
illuminate until they burst, lightning erupts, and people 
mechanical effects of absorbing Quickening are described 
can die. Most things in the radius of the Quickening take 
in Absorbing Quickening. 
3 levels of Aggravated Health damage + Quickening 
By tradition, and by the Rules, killing another 
rating possessed by the loser before dying, striking 
Immortal is accomplished by a duel to the death where 
seemingly at random. An exceptionally lucky person 
the victor decapitates the loser. Aside from honourable 
could be standing almost adjacent and not be struck, but 
duels, mortals, accidents and luck can all contribute to an 
it is unlikely.  
Immortal dying their Last Death, with any close 
The main constant is that the body, clothing and 
Immortal absorbing the Quickening of one who is 
weapons of the victor and loser are not damaged by the 
decapitated. 
storm itself, nor are trespassers (described in Losing 
Immortals are not sure what happens if no other 
partial Quickening) who retain any levels of Quickening - 
Immortal is nearby when one meets their Last Death and 
although mere spectators (Immortal or not) may not be 
there is no-one to receive the Quickening, and there are 
so lucky. Trespassers who are destroyed by a Quickening 
no records which cast any light on it. It is possible that 
due to losing all of their Quickening rating are typically 
the Immortal just dies, or that the Quickening happens 
disintegrated by seemingly random bolts of lightning as 
and is just absorbed into the sky in a freak lightning 
part of this. 
storm, or that it travels to the closest holy ground or 
Those on the other side of walls might be safe from 
Immortal to be absorbed.  
the effect, but this should not be relied upon. As 

43 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Quickening often manifests as lightning, metal will help  less strong - they typically do not lose memories, but 
ground much of it, but can also conduct it.  certainly lose an indefinable part of themselves. 
The size is up to the Storyteller, but the typical radius  When absorbing Quickening, the victor gains 
of a Quickening should be a number of metres roughly  Quickening experience points (QXP) equal to the 
equal to the Quickening rating of the deceased, plus 5. e.g.  Quickening rating of the slain Immortal whose essence 
if an Immortal with a Quickening rating of 4 meets the  they have absorbed. This is all of their Quickening rating 
Last Death, the Quickening event around them will have  in the case of a loser, as well as one Quickening 
a radius of 9 metres. This light show could be visible at a  experience point per trespasser. QXP is tracked 
great distance and at the highest levels of Quickening  separately to normal experience, can only be gained from 
rating could result in significant areas of destruction.  killing other Immortals and absorbing their Quickening, 
As this happens, a light mist emerges from the body  and can only be spent on raising Quickening rating. It 
of the slain Immortal and moves over to the victor,  costs QXP equal to the new level squared to raise 
eventually merging with them. Any trespassers who lose  Quickening rating, and Quickening rating can only be 
Quickening rating will likewise have mist rising from  increased with QXP.  
their necks and heads which likewise merges with the   
 
victor. 
During the Quickening itself, the victor and any  VARIANT RULE:  
trespassers are frozen and unable to make any substantial  ABSORBING KNOWLEDGE 
acts, whilst energy and potentially lightning is conducted  Alongside gaining Quickening experience 
through them. The trespassers may speak guttural words  points, if the slain Immortal or trespassers have 
or stumble about slightly, whilst the victor herself will be  substantial experience in transferable Merits, 
frozen in a mix of ecstasy and pain, potentially even  Attributes, Skills or Specialties that the victor does 
not possess, absorbing an opponent’s 
raised into the air by a particularly powerful Quickening.  
Quickening also grants three experience points 
multiple quickenings  per dot of Quickening rating absorbed, which 
may be spent on Linguistics Merits, Attributes, 
Whilst exceedingly rare due to how uncommon 
Skills or Specialties the loser had. This tends to 
Immortals are, incidents where multiple Immortals are 
mean that older or more powerful Immortals do 
beheaded at once cause even more impressive 
not gain much, if any, experience from fallen 
Quickenings. If multiple Immortals meet their Last Death  foes who are weaker or younger than them. 
in close proximity and span of time, the Quickening  Victors against trespassers also gain these 
ratings of all dying Immortals are added together to  three experience points for every Quickening 
determine the radius and damage caused. In addition, if  rating absorbed, with the trespassers themselves 
there are multiple victors, the Quickening rating of all  potentially losing spare experience points, or 
slain Immortals is added together and then divided  even dots in Skills, as a result. 
Note that if this method is followed, Immortals 
equally amongst the victors, with the slayers of the more 
will experience bursts of experience irregularly, 
powerful Immortals gaining larger/spare shares if it 
which may not suit the chronicle, especially a 
cannot be divided evenly. 
mixed one. If duels are treated as an occasional 
or end-of-story climax, it can function as bonus 
absorbing quickening 
experience which might be delivered at 
Alongside a lightshow, when an Immortal takes another 
narratively appropriate moments anyway. Care 
Immortal’s head there is an exchange of power and  must be taken to not make other players of 
knowledge as the victor gains all of the memories and  non-Immortals feel left out - although balance 
knowledge of the loser. For trespassers, this is similar, but  between character types may not be a concern. 

44 
 THE QUICKENING 

 
  urge reduction 
As the new Quickening settles upon an Immortal when 
Effects of Taking Quickening  they kill another, they reduce their Temporary Urge 
rating by an amount equal to twice the Quickening of the 
experience 
slain Immortal, but not including any Quickening rating 
If the victor has enough QXP to gain a new level in 
gained from trespassers.  
Quickening rating, these points are spent immediately to 
If an Immortal did not manage to gain the 
increase their rating and gain a Quickening feat, else they 
Quickening from killing another, either because holy 
are added to the pool of points available.  
ground absorbed the Quickening or because they were a 
At the Storyteller’s discretion, the victor may also 
trespasser, they instead gain three points of Temporary 
immediately spend experience points on Attributes, 
Urge rating - or potentially more if the fight had 
Skills, Specialties, the Linguistics Merit, the Cloak Merit, 
particular emotional significance. Immortal spectators to 
eligible Quickening feats or other abilities possessed by 
a Quickening also gain a single point of Temporary Urge 
the slain (or trespassers), representing the knowledge, 
rating. Both trespassers and Spectators have the potential 
skill and power they took from their opponent. 
to gain more points if they had a particular emotional 
In some cases, this experience may also be spent on 
intensity towards the fight (e.g. wishing that the victor 
Allies, Contacts, Haven, Influence or Resources possessed 
had lost).  
by the loser, as they gain enough knowledge of their 
The victor in any Immortal duel who absorbs their 
personal life to understand their connections, hiding 
opponent always restores all of their Health damage as a 
places or bank account details. Any Backgrounds gained 
result of the Quickening. Unless they suffered an 
in this manner may not become available immediately, 
Overwhelming Quickening, they also heal a single level of 
likely taking some time (such as downtime between 
Aggravated Willpower damage. Trespassers, meanwhile, 
Stories) to fully pin down. 
suffer a level of Aggravated Willpower damage. 
Over time, players may wish to invest experience 
Both victors and trespassers are also Fatigued for the 
points in things which their defeated enemies were good 
remainder of the scene, or for the first few turns or 
at. In particular, an Immortal with a low Melee skill who 
minutes in the next scene if the Quickening was the final 
takes the Quickening of several others may find 
event of that scene. 
themselves becoming better at Melee without needing a 
teacher, simply by absorbing the talent of those they have  numina 
slain.  If a slain Immortal has access to Numina, special abilities 
Whilst the victor gains the knowledge of the loser, it  such as Hedge Magic or Psychic Phenomena (​The 
does not become integrated fully within their minds and  Hunters Hunted II (v20)​, pp. 70 - 85), the victor also has a 
is not as accessible as their own memories. They may  chance to spend experience on those at the Storyteller’s 
typically access the memories of any Immortal whose  discretion. Note that as no rules for such special abilities 
Quickening they have taken using Recall, and sometimes  have been released for the 5th Edition lines of World of 
snippets may occur to them unbidden at the discretion of  Darkness at the time of writing, aside from True Faith, 
the Storyteller, but it is normally present in the back of  how this could work is left to the Storyteller. 
their minds. Spending points on Knowledge Skills which  True Faith (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 222) or 
the loser had is a good way to simulate getting closer to  other abilities which require belief or personality states of 
any knowledge they had, if only at a general level rather  the Immortal are not transferred, except potentially in 
than necessarily remembering specific events.  the cases of an Overwhelming Quickening. 
   

45 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

(depending on margin of failure),  the scene, next scene or the 

Overwhelming  as the victor fights against the  Session, as the absorbed 
Quickenings  loser’s personality  Immortal attempts to make the 
■ Gaining a Compulsion (Vampire:  victor a mere vessel for their 
In a superficially similar manner to a 
The Masquerade, pp. 208 - 210),  Quickening 
vampire who commits diablerie 
although not a Hunger 
(​Vampire: The Masquerade​, pp. 234 -  dark and light quickenings 
Compulsion 
235), an Immortal may become 
■ Setting the Desolation rating of  There are many occasions where an 
overwhelmed by the one they have 
the victor to that of the slain  Immortal has slain a headhunter and 
slain, changing or even overwriting 
Immortal (which may be higher  has experienced what is termed a 
their personality entirely - or 
or lower)  ‘Dark Quickening’, where their 
fracturing them beyond recognition. 
■ Gaining or losing a point of  personality and outlook was 
When an Immortal takes 
Desolation  permanently warped to become more 
another’s Quickening, both 
■ Setting the Temporary Urge  like the loser’s, and they have shed 
Immortals make an opposed using 
rating to that of the slain  their old lives in order to become 
their undamaged Willpower plus 
Immortal  headhunters themselves. There is one 
their Quickening rating (using the 
■ Gaining or losing an additional  example of the opposite, where a 
statistics prior to death in the case of 
point of Temporary Urge rating  warlord slew a peaceful Immortal and 
the slain). 
(which may end up negating the  afterwards gave up the sword and 
Should the living Immortal 
Urge rating lost by slaying  adopted the life of a monk. 
succeed, they successfully integrate 
another Immortal)  There are even some whispers of 
the essence of the dead into their own 
■ Severing a connection with an  Immortals who slew their opponent 
mind, memories and Quickening. 
Anchor. The entity behind the  and then had their whole identity 
Should they succeed with a margin, 
Anchor still exists, but the  replaced by the one they killed, 
they may gain an experience point 
Immortal no longer considers it  becoming nothing more than a 
per margin of success at the 
an Anchor. This does not trigger  change of body for the one they 
Storyteller’s discretion, particularly if 
the normal rise in Desolation,  thought had been slain. 
the slain Immortal was older or had 
nor does it cause Aggravated  At the Storyteller’s discretion, 
significantly more experience than 
Willpower damage  more substantial personality shifts 
them. 
■ Gaining a Flaw possessed by the  may result from a Quickening than 
Should the living immortal fail on 
slain Immortal for the rest of the  those described above. This 
their test, the victor will suffer an 
scene, Session or story  particularly likely if the victor 
Overwhelming Quickening, which 
(depending on margin of failure),  experienced a high margin of failure 
causes consequences from the 
chosen from Linguistics,  or even a total failure, or if they lost 
following list, as determined by the 
Archaic, Substance Use, Cloak,  against an Immortal with a high 
Storyteller. The victor typically 
or Mythic Flaws  Quickening rating, high Willpower, 
experiences one consequence per 
■ Adopting the personality traits  True Faith or other significant 
margin of failure (including multiples 
of the slain Immortal for the  mental fortitude. 
of the same effect): 
remainder of the scene, next  Storytellers should be careful 
■ Aggravated Willpower damage 
scene or the Session, or even  when using permanent impacts of 
■ Becoming impaired on all 
becoming entirely possessed by  Overwhelming Quickening in game, 
Mental and Social rolls for the 
the personality of the slain  particularly imposing personality 
rest of the scene or Session 
Immortal for the remainder of  changes. Unlike diablerie, the taking 

46 
 THE QUICKENING 

of Quickening is a regular and  underlying intention, intelligence or 

trespassers 
intended occurrence within games of  sense of fairness behind it. Over 
If two or more Immortals fight a 
Immortal: The Gathering, and more  millennia, Immortals have learnt to 
third, then the one who struck the 
extreme outcomes to player  avoid any interference whatsoever to 
killing blow will absorb all of the 
characters should only happen with  avoid violating either the letter or the 
Quickening from the slain, but the 
the consent of the player.  spirit of the second rule, “A duel is 
Immortal’s co-combatant - or 
That said, Immortals inherently  always between two.” 
multiple co-combatants, if 
have a much higher ability ceiling  If any trespassers are present 
appropriate - will also lose 
than the expected vampire player  when a Quickening is absorbed, not 
Quickening rating. For simplicity, 
characters in the 5th Edition, as they  only does the victor absorb the 
these other co-combatants will be 
have no Generation holding them  entirety of the loser’s Quickening, but 
called “trespassers”. 
back. Overwhelming Quickenings  also one level of Quickening rating 
Another Immortal is considered a 
may be a way to narratively retire a  from each and every trespasser, which 
trespasser in a fight if they are very 
character who is exceeding the power  they correspondingly lose. This 
close at the time of death (at the 
levels of the chronicle, but this too  potentially locks trespassers out of 
discretion of the Storyteller, but 
should always be done with the  some Quickening feats they have 
typically within the radius of the slain 
player’s involvement.  learnt until they regain their power. 
Immortal’s Quickening event), or 
Trespassers also gain three points of 
have in any way directly interacted 
Temporary Urge and suffer a point 
Losing Quickening  with either combatant during the 
both of Aggravated Willpower and 
By far the most common way for an  fight. This can include more obvious 
Aggravated Health damage. 
Immortal to lose their Quickening is  actions such as stabbing one 
If a trespasser is reduced to zero 
in its entirety, by meeting their Last  combatant, or less overt things such 
Quickening rating by this, they suffer 
Death.  as helping one combatant up or 
their Last Death as surely and truly as 
More rarely, however, an  causing rubble to fall on one 
if their head were removed from their 
Immortal may lose some of their  combatant. 
body. Their Last Death normally 
Quickening in two other situations  Also for simplicity, Immortals 
manifests as lightning bolts from the 
outside of death. The first situation is  which are relatively nearby, but not 
Quickening striking their body, 
if an Immortal works with a second  considered trespassers, will be 
disintegrating them, or by the 
to jointly kill a third Immortal. The  referred to as “spectators”. 
ethereal mist of the Quickening rising 
second situation is if they kill another  How long after interfering a 
from their body and causing them to 
Immortal on holy ground, which  nearby Immortal is considered a 
fade away.  
mechanically is fairly similar.  trespasser and not merely a spectator 
If an Immortal is merely a 
Regardless of the method, the  is up to the judgement of the 
spectator, they are entirely unaffected 
situation is similar to the normal  Storyteller, as are the precise actions 
and do not affect the absorption of a 
transfer of Quickening, but results in  which determine them as a trespasser 
Quickening. 
more than one Immortal losing some  or how close the trespasser must be at 
of their Quickening, although only  the moment of Last Death.   holy ground 
the slain Immortal loses more than  Whilst the Storyteller should not  The rule ”Never fight on holy ground” 
one level of Quickening rating.  be malicious towards players, the  is a rule for good reason: should an 
    Quickening, the Game or some other  Immortal die on holy ground, the 
force which controls the flow of  Quickening of the dead Immortal 
Quickening seems to have some  (and some of any trespassers or even 

47 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

spectator Immortals on the holy  damage equal to their total  lose any Quickening rating nor suffer 
ground) is absorbed by the holy  Willpower, entirely impairing them  Willpower damage. Players and 
ground itself. Very few Immortals  mentally and socially. An Immortal  Storytellers alike should bear in mind 
know this, however, simply having  who merely deals enough Health  the slight intent and will behind the 
the rule drilled into them by their  damage to another Immortal that  Game, however, and somehow 
First Teacher. That said, all  they experience a normal, human  convincing another being to mind 
Immortals instinctively suspect that  death from which they can later  control you so that you can safely kill 
there must be some truth to such  revive instead suffers a single point of  another Immortal will not work. 
teachings, given that they are able to  Aggravated Willpower damage.  In addition, Immortals can still 
sense the holy ground itself (see Sense  Even if they do not kill each  fight mortals, vampires, werewolves, 
Quickening).  other, for every turn during which an  and other supernatural creatures on 
A Quickening on holy ground  Immortal fights another on holy  holy ground without any 
works very much like one with  ground, all involved Immortals take  complications. 
trespassers, except that the holy  one point of Superficial Willpower  In extreme cases - especially those 
ground itself always counts as the  damage. This might even include a  which involve particularly sacred 
victor in the case of every Immortal’s  social contest if it is particularly  ground, many participants, or an 
death, regardless of whether an  aggressive or includes attempts to  Immortal with a high Quickening 
Immortal actually makes the killing  provoke another into a fight then and  rating - more astonishing, potentially 
blow. This means that no-one gains  there, at the Storyteller’s discretion.  world-changing events are said to 
QXP or the associated memories or  As a result, everyone who fights  have resulted from an Immortal’s Last 
power.   on holy ground or is even simply  Death on holy ground. Rumours of 
In addition, all nearby Immortals  present at such a fight ends up losing.  such cataclysms are passed along by 
count as trespassers against the holy  Clever Immortals seeking  Immortals, and include tales of the 
ground for these purposes, including  someone on holy ground force their  eruption of Vesuvius and the 
the victor, actual trespassers and any  target out or have the ground  destruction of Pompeii, the Tunguska 
mere spectators who have the  unconsecrated somehow. Most,  event, an unusual storm off the coast 
misfortune of standing on the holy  however, refuse to be aggressive on  of England in 1703 which resulted in 
ground. This causes all such  such land - aside from dire rumours  the destruction of hundreds of Royal 
Immortals to lose a level of  (see below), very few Immortals have  Navy ships, the 1518 Dancing Plague 
Quickening rating as if they were  any idea what actually happens when  of Strasbourg, the 1556 Shaanxi 
normal trespassers, and even causes  they fight in holy ground and instead  earthquake, the Lost Colony of 
them to lose experience points if the  avoid the prospect entirely.  Roanoke, the sinking of Atlantis, the 
Absorbing Knowledge variant rule is  The only exception to these losses  many earthquakes of Antioch during 
being used. They also gain three  is a lack of free will. Being mind  Byzantine rule, the destruction of the 
points of Temporary Urge and suffer  controlled, possessed, compelled or  Library of Alexandria and many 
a point of each of Aggravated Health  otherwise forced through  more.  
and Willpower damage, as per normal  supernatural means to kill another  Finally, some Immortals - 
trespassers.   Immortal will still cause the dead  particularly those who were suffering 
Furthermore, any Immortal who  Immortal’s Quickening (and any  some form of supernatural 
decapitates another on holy ground  trespassers) to be absorbed by the  compulsion or mind control - have 
experiences a profound sense of  holy ground. The controlled  reported simply being unable to take 
dread, doom and weakness, causing  Immortal themselves, however, will  the head of another of their kind on 
them to suffer Aggravated Willpower  not count as a trespasser and will not  holy ground. Swords have shattered 

48 
 THE QUICKENING 

in mid air or struck true, but caused  A person with True Faith of 3 or  manner to a normal Quickening 
not even the slightest cut, or else  more (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p.  event. If losing this dot would reduce 
strange twists of fate have caused  222) may attempt to bless new holy  them to a Quickening rating of zero, 
ceilings to collapse around them,  ground through a religious ceremony,  then they meet their Last Death 
prematurely ending the fight.   and Mummies may also be able to  regardless, as their body seemingly 
Whatever happens in holy  create new holy ground (​Mummy: The  evaporates away.  
ground, it will surely not be forgotten  Resurrection​ or ​World of Darkness:  If their head is placed back on 
by any who experience it.   Mummy​).  their body before a number of weeks 
Some methods of defiling holy  have passed equal to the Immortal’s 
◾​What is Holy Ground?  ground do exist. These range from  undamaged Willpower, the head will 
The nature of holy ground varies  rites of (pseudo-)devil worship,  re-attach and they will eventually 
depending on the people who live or  sacrifices, murders or other profane  revive. Whilst the head remains 
lived there. It may be a church, a  activities. It can also be caused - at  severed, both head and body decay as 
graveyard, a mosque, a temple, a  least temporarily - by some Blood  if they were any normal, mortal body. 
shrine, the area under the branches of  Sorcery Rituals (​Vampire: The  One Immortal may do this for 
a calming tree or all manner of other  Masquerade​, p. 274) and almost all  another, but they must make a 
locations. The ultimate decision is up  Oblivion Ceremonies (​Cult of the  Willpower test against a difficulty of 
to the Storyteller, but is typically  Blood Gods​).  their Temporary Urge, or else take a 
influenced by the intensity of belief  Regardless, Immortals always  point of Aggravated Willpower 
and how wide-spread it is or was,  know if they are in holy ground or if  damage in order to resist immediately 
along with how recently the belief  it is nearby as a side-effect of the  decapitating them once they revive, 
was held.   Sense Quickening feat and can never  absorbing their Quickening as 
The more people who believe it  be tricked about this if they are of  normal. As with other Urge tests, this 
(which can include Immortals, but  sound mind.  test is not necessary if the head is 
does not include supernaturals who  reattached on holy ground. 
stand aside from mortal society,  death without a quickening 
Should an Immortal survive this 
particularly vampires), the more  As rare as it is, an Immortal who loses  ordeal, they gain a permanent scar 
recently they believed it and the more  their head when no other Immortal is  that takes hundreds of years to fade, 
fervent their belief, the more likely it  nearby (such as up to 500 metres  if ever ◾ 
is that a place is holy ground. Even  away) does not necessarily meet their   
those who lack the relevant faith may  Last Death.  
still have some latent belief in holy  If they suffer what should be their 
ground, particularly those who  Last Death with no other Immortal 
respect or fear other religions - this  nearby, but whilst they are on holy 
can include, for instance, the holy  ground, then there is no violent 
grounds of indigenous peoples who  Quickening event (i.e. lightning 
were (relatively) recently  storm), but a mist rises from their 
exterminated, or modern revivals of  neck and sinks into the ground as the 
neo-paganism. A site with a True  holy ground absorbs a single dot of 
Faith rating is always considered holy  Quickening rating. If this happens 
ground, as are nodes (​Mage: The  whilst not on holy ground, however, 
Awakening​) and caerns (​Werewolf: The  they still lose one dot in Quickening 
Apocalypse​).  rating, but it lashes out in a similar 

49 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Quickening Feats 
All Lesser feats are known immediately upon 
obtaining the prerequisite Quickening rating. Greater 
feats function in a similar manner to a vampire learning a 
  
Discipline power, in that when an Immortal gains a 
he powers of the Quickening are mostly based 
Quickening above 5 they immediately choose one power 
on those demonstrated by Immortals in the 
of the prerequisite Quickening rating or lower. 
Highlander movies and television series’. 
An Immortal may only activate one power which is 
Quickening feats are seldom obvious, showy 
Lesser or Greater at once (or per turn of conflict), except 
or otherwise discernable to onlookers. The Basic feats of 
for Powerful Strike, but may benefit from and use Basic 
the Quickening are possessed by all Immortals and work 
or passive powers at all times. 
passively, whilst all Lesser and Greater feats require a 
particular Quickening rating to learn and many require a 
Focus Check to use. 
 
 
 
quickening  Focus  dice pools  urge 
rating  Check  & bonus  reduction  powers 
1  1  0  0  Known:​ All Basic Feats 

2  1  1  0  Known:​ Knit Wounds  

3  2  1  1  Known:​ Vital Surge 

4  2  2  1  Known:​ Powerful Strike 

5  3  2  1  Known:​ Restoration 

6  3  3  2  A Kind of Magic, Eerie Perception, Sense Life 

7  4  3  2  Eternal Preservation, Quickening Throe, Shield Mind 

8  4  4  2  Summon Blade 

9  5  4  3  Absorb Life 

10  5  5  3   

 
 
 
Kindred’s Blood Surge, whilst also being able to 
 
use it with relative impunity.  
TWISTING THE DIAL:   That said, aiming for a soft limit of 5, 7 or 8 
LIMITS TO QUICKENING RATING  Quickening rating is recommended for most 
An Immortal becomes much less powerful as  games. A rating of 5 provides an Immortal with 
they grow in Quickening rating when compared  all Lesser feats and the ability to mimic a fresh 
with a Kindred gaining Blood Potency, but also  neonate’s Blood Surge frequently, 7 allows them 
suffers no weaknesses.  to be at a comparable level to a powerful 
There is no strict ceiling on Quickening rating  neonate and grants access to two very powerful 
for recommended play, although an Immortal  Greater feats and 8 allows them to imitate a 
with a Quickening Rating of 8 will have the same  potent ancillae in raw power, if not versatility. 
strength Vital Surge as a Blood Potency 5   
 

50 
 THE QUICKENING 

addition, failing a Quickening feat’s Focus Check always 

Fatigue  extends Fatigue for another scene. 
Many Advanced and Greater feats require a Focus Check 
in order to use them, which involves the Immortal rolling 
Basic Feats 
half of their Quickening rating, rounded up, in order to 
Nothing can remove an Immortal’s access to Basic feats 
activate the power. Note that this is one of the few 
except for the removal of the Quickening - which 
occasions in which their Quickening rating is rounded up 
permanently kills the Immortal anyway. Some powers - 
- on almost all other occasions, rolls of half-Quickening 
exceptionally rare and at the Storyteller’s purview - may 
will be rounded down. 
dampen or temporarily suppress the ability, but the 
As Quickening is a tracker, Willpower cannot be 
power of the Quickening should be understood as being 
spent to re-roll dice on rolls solely of the Quickening or 
as potent as the curse(s) levied upon Caine or akin to a 
half-Quickening rating, whether Focus Checks or some 
physical law of reality. 
other roll. If the roll is simply (half-)Quickening rating 
added to an Attribute, Willpower may be used as normal.   bodily stability 
As with Rouse Checks performed alongside another 
Immortals do not age or suffer any (additional) problems 
roll, it is recommended to use a different coloured dice 
from aging after their First Death. They remain in the 
for the dice used as part of a Focus Check - the author 
same state of aging as they were at that point, but unlike 
recommends grey, blue or something with garish 
vampires, can change weight, muscle mass, grow and cut 
lightning motifs.. 
hair and nails and experience other temporary changes 
A failure on a Focus Check causes the Immortal to be 
which any living human can undergo. A good rule of 
Fatigued for the immediately following scene. This means 
thumb is that changes which would be permanent for a 
that an Immortal who uses her Quickening feats in a fight 
human are not possible, but things that can be grown out, 
to the death is not at risk during the duel, but may find 
even over an extremely long time (like hair dye or a 
the aftermath difficult to escape from if there are more 
tattoo), take effect. 
enemies or onlookers nearby. 
When Immortals revive from death, they heal wounds 
Whilst an Immortal is Fatigued, they suffer a 
suffered and any other particular hardships their body 
two-dice penalty to all Physical pools for that scene, 
has undergone, but unlike vampires, do not restore their 
which is in addition to impairment or any other 
other qualities (such as hair length) to the same state as at 
penalties, and is also unable to use the Quickening feat 
their First Death. They are not trapped in or restored to 
Vital Surge.  
the same state as before their First Death, merely relieved 
A Fatigued and Physically impaired Immortal would 
of the harshness of aging, disease, degeneration, injury 
therefore suffer a four-dice penalty to relevant Physical 
and other ailments. An Immortal who is brutally tortured 
rolls from Fatigue and impairment. 
to death and has their hair shaved in the process would 
Fatigue also applies a two-dice penalty to Focus 
heal the physical wounds due to Regeneration or Revival, 
Checks, although an Immortal may always roll at least 
but would not regrow their hair any faster than a normal 
one die. Finally, a Fatigued Immortal must spend a 
human, nor recover from mental scars resulting from it. 
Willpower point in order to voluntarily make any Focus 
The one exception to wounds is that whilst most 
Check, e.g. to use a Quickening feat. 
wounds heal without any trace, particularly grievous neck 
An Immortal may only recover from Fatigue by not 
wounds typically cause a noticeable scar which can take 
engaging in any physically strenuous activity for the 
many decades or even centuries to heal, despite not 
scene, which means that any form of conflict or strong 
impacting them mechanically.  
exertion could prolong their Fatigue for another scene. In 

51 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Immortals do not suffer Health damage like ordinary  form as part of the revival process. Whether an Immortal 
mortals and most normally lethal sources of Health  is susceptible to non-damaging and voluntary physical 
damage cause Superficial damage. Notable examples are  transformations resulting from magic, such as or Profane 
that slashing and piercing weapons, firearms, Lethal Body  Hieros Gamos (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 285, or 
(​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 264) and Feral Weapons  Vampire: The Masquerade, Errata​, pp. 4 - 5), is up to the 
(​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 270) all deal Superficial  Storyteller. 
Health damage.  
sustenance 
Fire, the draining of their blood by a vampire, Fists of 
Caine (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 266) and any other  Immortals are basically human, both anatomically and 
supernatural effects which normally deal Aggravated  physiologically, even though their Quickening grants 
Health damage to supernatural creatures all deal  them advantages over normal mortals. They are normally 
Aggravated Health damage to Immortals. Any lightning  perfect specimens of health aside from any disabilities or 
or other electrical effects which would deal Aggravated  impairments they had before their First Death. They also 
Health damage is reduced to Superficial before being  have DNA, blood, and all other things humans normally 
applied to an Immortal, which also applies to damage  have. 
resulting from being too close to a Quickening.  Aside from their other powers, Immortals are barely 
Once an Immortal fills their Health tracker with  superhuman in day-to-day life. They tire, hunger, breathe, 
Aggravated Health damage, they are medically dead and  and actively avoid pain. They are affected by drugs and 
are incapacitated, entering the rules for Revival.  poisons, including alcohol or hazardous gases. 
Immortals suffer Willpower damage as normal, although  Poisons continue to affect Immortals as normal, 
they are resistant to magical effects which force  although they may be able to heal it with Advanced 
permanent insanity upon them, such as Dementation  Quickening feats. Immortals can become drunk or 
(​Vampire: The Masquerade​, pp. 256 - 257), suffering a  otherwise impaired from alcohol or other drugs, but they 
relevant Compulsion or other more temporary malady  cannot cause permanent damage to their internal organs. 
instead, as if a vampire or other supernatural.  They are immune to addiction based purely on physical 
Note that despite being unable to permanently die  dependency, but may suffer addictions from conditioning 
from it, Immortals still feel and dislike pain and will  or psychological effects. 
instinctively avoid it if possible, just like normal people.  Immortals are affected by temperature extremes just 
The longer one lives, however, the more fleeting  like a normal human, though if they die of hypothermia 
everything is and the less of a bother it becomes.  or heat stroke, they will eventually awaken again from 
Immortals are also immune to permanent bodily  their death unless they are fortunate enough to enter the 
changes such as from Fleshcrafting (​v5 Companion​, pp. 27  dreamless death. 
- 28), unless the user is somehow able to continuously  Despite this, they do not strictly need sustenance in 
deal so much damage that it constantly exceeds their  the same way a normal mortal does. Whilst they grow 
self-healing — a terrifying prospect. Immortals may still  hungry and can become weak from hunger, they will not 
apply temporary and voluntary magical changes to their  die from it, and there is a floor below which they will still 
form however, such as if they somehow learn to  feel great discomfort, but will not wither away entirely. 
Shapechange (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, pp. 270 - 271),  Likewise, they require less oxygen than a normal human, 
but they cannot ever be locked into a new form, nor  perhaps as low as 1% the normal intake, although they will 
change into a form without a head such as the form of  still instinctively breathe a normal amount.  
mist or a shadowy presence. Should they suffer enough  A peculiarity to this is that Immortals may survive 
damage to kill them whilst in this new form, the  indefinitely underwater, drawing oxygen from the water 
Quickening will force their bodies to revert to their true  in some unknown way. Note that Immortals do not 

52 
 THE QUICKENING 

breathe water as a fish does and this process is entirely  afterwards, at the discretion of the Bonded Immortal. In 
magical. If the waters are very deep, however, such as if it  addition, Immortals cannot become ghouls. 
is so deep that light cannot reach the Immortal, they will  Immortals gain no particular benefit to passive 
not gain enough oxygen and will drown as a normal  Willpower regeneration from being Immortal, healing 
human.  Superficial Willpower damage every day based on their 
Total absence of oxygen will cause the Immortal to be  Composure or Resolve in a similar manner to vampires, 
incapacitated as any other mortal, and after a certain  and relying on Ambitions, Desires and other narrative 
length of time they will enter the dreamless death. They  actions to recover Aggravated Willpower damage. 
will not recover until they can breathe once again.  Internal wounds, bruises and so on all simply appear 
Finally, the blood of an Immortal does not slake a  to heal at an accelerated rate, but the healing of external 
vampire’s Hunger unless they have Flaw: (•) Delicious  injuries, such as large wounds, are almost always 
Blood. Once ingested, an Immortal’s blood has such a  accompanied by slight bolts of electricity over the 
fleeting Resonance that it cannot be used for any  wounds’ opening as the Quickening knits everything 
purpose, no matter how strong the Immortal’s emotional  together. This is even more pronounced if the Immortal 
state actually is. Even draining an Immortal entirely will  uses any active feats to restore themselves to health, but is 
not restore a vampire’s Hunger, unless the Immortal  always obvious to anyone closely observing the process. 
possesses the aforementioned flaw. A vampire may still 
absorb Immortal blood normally, treating it as if they had  ◾ ​Regrowth 
a high Blood Potency and drank insufficient blood from a  Unless lost during or immediately prior to a death, 
single vessel to slake any Hunger.  Immortals cannot passively regrow lost body parts or 
limbs, except for internal organs which are loosely 
regeneration  necessary for the continuing life of the Immortal. For 
◾ ​Healing  instance, the lungs, kidney, spleen, heart, stomach and 
Immortals recover from wounds more rapidly than  skin will all re-grow, whilst an arm, eye or ear will not. 
mortals, restoring one point of Superficial Health damage  Somewhat bizarrely, the teeth will also regrow. All body 
per turn of combat (or after several seconds) when not  parts which would regrow normally also regrow after the 
Fatigued. In addition, they heal one point of Aggravated  First Death, even if they were lost during their first life. 
Health damage per (short) Scene, whether Fatigued or  An Immortal may re-attach a relatively newly severed 
not, which heals Superficial damage if no Aggravated  (within the last scene) body part by placing the body part 
Health damage remains.  next to the removed location, and waiting a single 
This healing extends to more than just obvious  turn/several seconds for it to reattach. If the Immortal 
wounds; diseases and forced changes to the body (such as  uses Knit Wounds, they may instead re-attach a body part 
surgery or magical powers) are all healed rapidly, before  which has been severed for a number of scenes equal to 
manifesting any serious effects (as discussed under Bodily  their Focus Check + 1. Unless Restoration is used, a scar 
Stability). Immortals cannot be carriers for disease.   normally results from any method of re-attaching or 
Similarly, whilst Immortals are superficially  re-growing a body part, which typically lasts several years.  
susceptible to the Blood Bond (​Vampire: The  A more common way to avoid this problem is to die 
Masquerade​, pp. 233 - 234), the Quickening will reject the  as soon as possible after losing a body part (within one 
changes (physical and magical) which vampiric vitae has  short scene), in which case it is considered a wound 
upon them. Each step towards or level of Blood Bond is  suffered during death and is healed like any other wound. 
considered a level of Aggravated Health damage for the  Likewise, body parts removed from an Immortal whilst 
purposes of healing (i.e. healing at a rate of one per short  they are medically dead are also regrown during the 
Scene), and can either be healed before actual damage or  Revival process. 

53 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

also suffer the dreamless death by being in an 

◾ ​Revival  exceptionally cold or warm place which would kill them 
If an Immortal dies, but does not suffer their Last Death,  rapidly after revival.  
they will eventually heal all wounds on their body (except  Simply being bound to a chair or trapped in a room is 
those discussed under Regrowth) and revive, coming back  not sufficient for them to enter this state, and only things 
to life. After revival they are indistinguishable from a  which mimic death, burial or other permanent and 
normal, living human again - including having all of their  irreversible entombment will count. 
Health levels restored.  Dreamless death is similar to a vampire’s torpor 
The time this takes varies (not only in game, but also  (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 223), in that the Immortal 
in the films and series in the H
​ ighlander​ universe). The  is inert and indisting- uishable from a corpse whilst in 
precise time is up to the Storyteller and is normally  this state. Unlike a normal death or vampire’s torpor, 
determined by dramatic necessity and/or to avoid the  they can and will awaken from this state immediately 
player having to sit out of the action for a long period of  upon their situation changing, rather than requiring 
time - it could take several scenes, or only one; a  rousing by another method or any additional 
character could revive whilst about to be subject to an  regeneration. 
autopsy or could mercifully take place after one has taken  Immortals enter this state with some level of 
place. Most Immortals learn to feign death fairly early on,  unconscious desire, although it is not an active decision. 
just in case they do wake up at the wrong moment.   The effect ends if the Immortal is unearthed, freed, gains 
One constant is that the First Death of a  access to oxygen or if something else changes about their 
Pre-Immortal always takes substantially longer than a  burial such that they can now free themselves. 
regular death to revive from, often requiring a day or two. 
Finally, the process of Revival burns away any Blood  unity of essence 
Bonds experienced by a Pre-Immortal, and prevents the  The Quickening is the lifeforce of an Immortal and only 
Embrace. Full Immortals are entirely immune to the  by removing her head is her power taken. There are no 
Embrace and the ghouling effects of vampiric vitae,  other ways to remove an Immortal’s power. Likewise, the 
although they still die from blood loss. Although  Quickening tightly binds an Immortal’s mind, spirit, and 
Pre-Immortals can be ghouls, their body could decay to  body. Her memories, spirit, and body are immutable 
an untenable state prior to their death if they run out of  Patterns, unable to be altered by magic, even if it is 
vitae, which could render them incapable of reviving as  beneficial to them.  
an Immortal.  Although most mind effects, such the Mind sphere 
Whilst there have long been rumours amongst  (​Mage: The Ascension​) and Disciplines such as Dominate or 
Immortal scholars of the occult regarding vampiric  Presence, may affect the Immortal, key exceptions are 
Immortals, these are clearly fanciful tales of nonsense and  that no one can pull her mind from her body, possess her 
fiction, with not a shred of truth to them. After all, if  body entirely nor erase or rewrite her memories. 
such a thing was possible, they would surely have been 
recall 
discovered. 
An Immortal perfectly remembers everything which has 
◾ ​Dreamless Death  happened to them since they first awoke after their First 
An Immortal enters a coma-like state known as the  Death, although any non- magical process which impairs 
‘dreamless death’ if they are buried alive, deprived  the formation of memories (such as alcohol) hinders them 
entirely of oxygen, submerged in deep water without  as any human. The Storyteller should allow perfect access 
hope of escape or tightly bound in some other way for a  to all notes the player makes, and, so long as it does not 
prolonged period of time. An unfortunate Immortal may  become a burden, should help them with prompts or 

54 
 THE QUICKENING 

reminders of things the player has forgotten, but the  localised around the Immortal’s head and neck. Sensing a 
character has not.  Quickening will always wake a sleeping Immortal no 
As noted, this has no effect prior to the First Death,  matter how deeply asleep they are, although any form of 
however. Older Immortals often experience a fading of  magical or medically- induced sleep may require a roll to 
these memories over time, to the point that true ancients  awaken at a reduced difficulty. Note that whilst medically 
can barely remember more than fleeting images, their  dead, incapacitated or experiencing the dreamless death, 
name or facts from their first life.  an Immortal does not sense Quickenings (or indeed, 
In addition, Immortals gain the memories of all  much of anything else), although they can be sensed by 
whose Quickening they fully absorb, although these  others. 
memories are not as clear as their own. An Immortal may  The initial sensing of an Immortal’s Quickening is 
undergo Memoriam (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, pp. 311 -  always distracting, potentially impairing the next action 
314) as if they were a vampire, but only for memories  or requiring a Composure + Subterfuge test to prevent 
possessed by or questions they wish to ask of the  others from noticing that something is wrong. Once 
memories of another Immortal whose Quickening they  sensed, they retain awareness of the presence of another 
have absorbed. This includes the Quickening of all they  as long as they stay within range. 
had in turn absorbed, and the ones before them, and so  When one Immortal senses another is at the 
on, growing progressively harder the further the target  Storyteller’s discretion and should likely happen at the 
memories are removed from them. Note that the First  best moment of dramatic tension, but is typically a 
Lives of other Immortals are at least as shrouded as their  distance measured in metres rather than hundreds of 
own and cannot be accessed in this fashion, nor any  metres. It should not allow an Immortal to be sneaked up 
other. Naturally, the contents and extent of these  upon by another, especially as two Immortals will always 
memories are down to the whims of the Storyteller, but  sense each other at the same time. This power triggers a 
the more ancient or supernaturally-intertwined an event,  test of the Urge, possibly forcing the Immortals into a 
the less likely anything relevant will be available.  fight. 
Pre-Immortals can also be sensed with this feat, but 
sense quickening 
they have a noticeably different sensation, such that an 
An Immortal can always sense when another Immortal or  Immortal is never in any doubt as to whether they are 
holy ground is nearby with this ability, with no roll  encountering an Immortal or a Pre-Immortal. Some 
required. No specific information on the other Immortal’s  Pre-Immortals possess this ability before they suffer their 
identity is given, nor is the location of the Immortal  first death at the Storytellers discretion. 
known, merely that the Immortal is near. They also do  Finally, an Immortal is also aware of when an 
not know if they are sensing multiple Immortals, or just  Immortal is slain and a Quickening event occurs within 
one (although they can typically assume the latter).  the same range at which they may sense another 
An Immortal always knows the extent of holy ground  Immortal. 
with this ability, however this is often rough - e.g. they  Like other Basic feats, the ability to Sense Quickening 
may know that the church is holy ground, but will only  is intrinsic to an Immortal, but as it relies on their own 
have a fuzzy idea of exactly what the boundaries are. That  awareness, attention and super- natural senses, it may be 
said, they will always be certain whether they are  possible to suppress, dampen or confuse the Immortal. It 
currently within holy ground or not.  may also be possible to cloak a Quickening via some 
This sensation manifests in a variety of ways, but  super- natural abilities, at the discretion of the 
when it comes to sensing another Immortal it is typically  Storyteller, although this should be limited to rare or 
a vibration, tensing, electrical buzzing sound or other  powerful powers. That said, the ability can never truly be 
intuitive sensation which defies specific senses, typically  taken from an Immortal, and they can never be tricked 

55 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

into breaking the Rules and fighting on holy ground or  additional points of Superficial Health damage equal to 
interfering in a one-on-one duel because of such powers.  half Quickening rating, rounded down. If using the Lesser 
feat Powerful Strike, this extra damage is not halved by 
empower blade 
vampires, Immortals or other supernatural creatures.  
Few Immortals would describe their favored weapon as  This ability is used passively with no cost, and is 
simply a piece of steel (or iron, or bronze), but it is very  typically only dampened when the Immortal is 
rare that there is anything magical inherent within it.  attempting to disguise their nature. When an empowered 
Over a period of association, however, an Immortal’s  blade strikes a particularly hard surface, or when two 
Quickening imbues their favoured blade, grounding it  empowered blades strike one another, electrical 
within reality, causing it to resist supernatural powers  discharges and sparks typically accompany the clash due 
and strike more truly than a weapon otherwise should.  to the visible manifestation of the Quickening. 
The Immortal may add his Quickening rating to any 
attempt to resist any supernatural powers which affect  ◾ ​Empowering A Blade 
the weapon, such as the Matter sphere (​Mage: The  An empowered weapon must be a melee, bladed, 
Ascension​), and it is effectively immune to lesser magical  slashing weapon such as a knife or sword, and must 
effects which attempt to destroy it such as the Shatter  typically be made out of metal or a similar material which 
power (​Cult of the Blood Gods​, p. 104). Difficulties to  is durable and can be made sharp. Weapons which are 
destroy an empowered blade or separate it from the  more non-bladed than bladed, such as axes or polearms, 
Immortal with magic (whether by teleportation or  are not eligible for empowerment, through some 
telekinesis) are always rolled at a higher difficulty.  peculiarity of the Game and/or the Quickening. 
Furthermore, an Immortal’s empowered weapon is  If an Immortal wishes to empower a new blade, 
somehow easier to hide from prying eyes, with the  typically because they have lost their old one or due to its 
Immortal gaining a two-dice bonus to any attempts to  destruction, then she should choose a new favored 
conceal it on their person, even if it should be obvious  weapon. Empowering a new blade does not involve any 
within a shorter coat or bag. In addition, it always  mystical practice, and happens almost entirely uncon- 
benefits from any bonuses associated with the Cloak  sciously, with an Immortal simply training with a weapon 
Merit if the Immortal possesses it, both in terms of being  over the course of a story or downtime in between Stories 
easier to hide in general, but also harder for onlookers to  in order to empower it. At the Storyteller’s discretion, 
remember specific features of it if they do notice it.  when an Immortal absorbs the Quickening of a slain 
An Immortal’s empowered blade is extremely  Immortal they may replace any currently empowered 
durable, and whilst it can lose its edge, it will wear more  blade with that of the one they have just slain. 
slowly than a normal weapon. It can survive being put  An Immortal may have a set of blades in some 
into temperatures where the weapon would normally  circumstances, with two weapons wielded together 
melt or shatter from freeze and can also withstand  counting as a single weapon at the discretion of the 
extreme punishment, such as being used to cleave through  Storyteller. If one is destroyed or lost, the remaining 
stone walls. The precise mechanics of this great  member of the set slowly loses its empowerment until 
survivability are normally narrative rather than having  another blade is added back into that set, which follows 
specific rules associated with them, and whilst it does not  the normal rule. 
make the weapon indestructible, it should be kept in 
mind by the Storyteller. 
In addition to these permanent benefits, Immortals 
can infuse their empowered blade with raw power using 
their Quickening. This causes successful attacks to cause 

56 
 THE QUICKENING 

  Examples of this feat include 

the last 
  being able to guess another 
The Quickening connects them with 
VARIANT RULE:  Immortal’s name without having met 
all living things, granting Immortals 
MAGICAL WEAPONS  them, havthat an enemy clan houses 
another feat called simply, “The Last”. 
An Immortal’s empowered  an Immortal who’s Quickening you 
This power effectively gives them a 
blade can be enchanted as a  want to take, being certain that 
sixth sense and psychic ability to feel 
Fetish, Talisman or Artifact by a  someone is following you, having an 
or know things about other beings 
Fera or mage (see relevant  insight that someone has a 
20th Anniversary Edition  which should be impossible. This 
debilitating or life-threatening illness 
books) and as the Quickening  manifests itself in two ways. 
or happening to find someone’s 
flows through them, their 
◾ ​Insight  hidden weapons or recording devices, 
powers are amplified. 
Whenever the Storyteller deems it  which they may use against you, in 
For Artifacts, the Immortal 
may use her Quickening to  appropriate, the player should make a  the first containers you decide to 
activate them. For a Talisman  roll with a dice pool of their entire  check. 
(​Mage: The Ascension​), add  Quickening rating to learn 
her Quickening rating to the  information about the feelings,  ◾ ​Verstehen 
Arête of the Talisman. Fetishes  thoughts, knowledge or status of  An Immortal may also decide to use 
(​Werewolf: The Apocalypse​)  living things around them, depending  The Last proactively to tune into how 
work in a similar way, but the  another creature feels, from the 
on the number of successes rolled.  
Immortal may add her  beating of their heart to the sweat on 
Once per story, an Immortal may 
Quickening rating to the item’s  their brow. Once per Story, the 
also actively use this feat to add their 
Gnosis rating if it would benefit 
entire Quickening rating to a roll to  Immortal may use this ability to 
the enchantment. 
discover, find or locate something in  either suppress the effects of their 
Any magical enchantment 
Desolation rating for an entire Scene 
on the empowered weapon  their surroundings, such as an 
counts as always having  Awareness, Insight or Investigation  as they feel the ebb and flow of 
access to a pool of  roll. If the Immortal somehow has an  human life around them, or to gain 
Quintessence equal to the  ability similar to the Auspex power  the benefit of a Dyscrasia (​Vampire: 
Immortal’s Quickening rating.  The Masquerade​, p. 230) related to 
Premonition (​Vampire: The 
This pool cannot be depleted,  the mood of people or animals 
Masquerade​, p. 249) and wishes to 
but neither can an amount  around them, as determined by the 
combine their active tapping of 
greater than this rating be 
insight from the Last with this feat,  Storyteller. 
used for a single action. 
An Immortal may also  they may use their entire Quickening 
destroy an enchantment on  rating for the power’s roll instead of 
her empowered blade by  only half of it (see A Kind of Magic) 
overloading it with the  or instead of a similarly relevant 
Quickening. They must roll  magical level. 
their Quickening against 
This feat is an unreliable one and 
Difficulty 3, removing a 
demonstrates itself irregularly and in 
success on the creation roll for 
strange ways, providing a useful, yet 
the Talisman or Fetish equal to 
the margin. This process takes  erratic, source of information. The 
one turn, plus one per success.  Storyteller should use their discretion 
in the dispensing of such information. 
 
 

57 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

■ System:​ In a similar manner to a  Immortals and similar 

vampire willing a Blood Surge  supernatural creatures. If their 
Lesser Feats 
(​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p.  blade is not empowered by them, 
As mentioned under Fatigue, all 
218), an Immortal may gain a  they insetad use the number of 
Lesser feats require a Focus Check in 
bonus to their dice pool for a  successes rolled on the Focus 
order to use, with the Immortal 
single roll equal to half of their  Check to determine the amount 
rolling half of their Quickening 
Quickening rating, rounded  of additional damage. 
rating, rounded up. At least one 
down.  Unlike other Lesser feats, a 
success is required to avoid gaining 
The number of successes on  single use of Powerful Strike 
Fatigue in the next Scene. Many 
a Focus Check for Vital Surge  does not prevent an Immortal 
Lesser feats also scale in effect based 
has no impact on the efficacy or  from using another Lesser or 
on the number of successes rolled as 
outcome of this feat, with even a  Greater feat in the same turn. 
part of the Focus Check.  
failed roll allowing the Immortal  ■ Duration:​ N/A 
knit wounds  to boost their die pool. 
restoration 
■ Acquired:​ Quickening rating 2  An Immortal cannot use 
Vital Surge whilst suffering the  ■ Acquired:​ Quickening rating 5 
 
effects of Fatigue.   
An Immortal may choose to heal 
■ Duration: ​N/A  The power of the Immortal’s 
more quickly than their passive 
Quickening is such that it can heal all 
Regeneration by focusing their 
powerful strike  damage dealt to them in all fights 
Quickening.  
■ Acquired:​ Quickening rating 4  which they walk away from. An 
■ System:​ The Immortal makes a 
  Immortal using Restoration 
Focus Check and may heal a 
An Immortal may choose to heal  concentrates on their body, willing it 
number of Superficial Health 
more quickly than their passive  to heal and be restored to its peak. 
damage levels equal to the 
Regeneration by focusing their  ■ System:​ The Immortal makes a 
number of successes rolled as 
Quickening. Careless swings of a  Focus Check and heals a number 
part of the Focus Check, in 
sword electrified by the Quickening  of levels of Aggravated Health 
addition to any passive healing 
have been known to topple walls and  damage equal to the number of 
they experience. Whilst this is an 
split concrete blocks, and electrical  successes rolled.   
active power of the Quickening 
outbursts are often seen at the point  If at full health, an Immortal 
and cannot be used alongside 
of impact.   can also use this ability to regrow 
another, it may be used alongside 
■ System:​ The Immortal makes  limbs or other lost body parts, or 
normal activities - including 
their Focus Check before making  to actively heal modifications 
during combat. 
an attack with a bladed weapon.  made by Fleshcrafting, as long as 
■ Duration: ​N/A 
If their weapon is their  they do not restore anything 
vital surge  empowered blade, the additional  which they did not have at the 
■ Acquired:​ Quickening rating 3  damage dealt by Empowered  time of their First Death. Each 
  Blade (half-Quickening rating,  substantial body part regrown is 
Backed by the Quickening, an  rounded down) is dealt as  considered to be a level of 
Immortal may push their body  Aggravated Health damage to  Aggravated Health damage for 
beyond the mortal limits of their  mortals, is dealt as Superficial  the purposes of success needed, 
human form.  damage after other damage has  such that a hand may require one 
been halved to vampires,  success, whilst a whole arm may 

58 
 THE QUICKENING 

require three, which could be  three at a rating of 8, four at a rating  Players and Storytellers should 
healed over several Scenes. The  of 9 and five at a rating of 10.  bear in mind that Quickening feats 
final determination is down to  which replicate the mechanical 
a kind of magic 
the Storyteller.   effects of other powers will likely feel 
Even the slightest use of this  ■ Prerequisite:​ Quickening rating  or appear different, as they are not 
feat is accompanied by electrical  6  based on monstrous vitae, but the 
surges around wounds or    Quickening.  
regrowing body parts, as the  An Immortal with this feat has  For instance, if a feat is taken 
Quickening manifests with  developed some kind of supernatural  which mimics the Level Two 
seemingly wild intensity.   ability typically associated with  Dominate power Dementation 
This feat may only be used  another creature. Upon choosing this  (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, pp. 256 - 
once per scene and cannot be  fear, the Immortal learns one power  257), it might manifest as a slow 
used whilst the Immortal is  from a vampiric Discipline (​Vampire:  pressure on the target’s mind as a 
suffering from Fatigue or  The Masquerade​, pp. 243 - 271), with  result of the Immortal focusing their 
engaged in any activity more  a level up to half of the Immortal’s  Quickening, sapping the victim’s 
strenuous than slow walking or  Quickening rating, rounded up.  determination and focus, rather than 
small talk.  Any power chosen must be  a bubbling of inner insanity. 
■ Duration: ​N/A  agreed with the Storyteller, and  ■ System:​ When using Greater 
should be in keeping with the nature  feats adopted from Discipline 
of the Quickening, the character in  powers, they must make a Focus 
Greater Powers  question and the chronicle.  Check as a Greater feat for each 
As mentioned under Fatigue, all  Immortals may not choose Discipline  Rouse Check called for by the 
Greater feats require a Focus Check  powers from Blood Sorcery, Oblivion  original Discipline power. e.g. 
in order to use, with the Immortal  or Thin-Blood Alchemy, nor any  Majesty (​Vampire: The 
rolling half of their Quickening  associated Rituals or Ceremonies.  Masquerade​, pp. 268 - 269) 
rating, rounded up. Unlike for Lesser  They may also not choose Mist Form  would require two Focus Checks. 
feats, a Focus Check for a Greater  (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 271),  A failure on either check 
feat requires at least two successes to  nor any other power which makes  Fatigues the Immortal in the 
avoid gaining Fatigue in the next  them incorporeal or otherwise means  following scene. If the Discipline 
scene. Many Greater feats also scale  that they no longer have a head which  power emulated does not require 
in effect based on the number of  can be removed from their body. The  a Rouse Check, however, then 
successes rolled as part of the Focus  Storyteller may require Amalgam or  the Immortal does not require 
Check.   other prerequisites to be taken, or  any Focus Check to use the feat. 
As long as the Immortal is not  may allow some feats of the  Willpower spent to allow the 
Fatigued, they may spend a point of  Quickening to function as  Immortal to use their entire 
Willpower to make their Focus  equivalents, or waive them entirely,  Quickening rating instead of 
Check for a Greater feat with their  at their discretion. For instance, a  halving it is applied to all 
entire Quickening pool, rather than  Storyteller may allow the Level Four  required Rouse Check, with half 
halving it.   Celerity power Unerring Aim  of the successes added to the 
A character may only have as  (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p. 254) to  successes of the power’s roll. 
many Greater feats as their  be taken simply due to The Last,  The Immortal also 
Quickening rating - 5 - that is, one at  instead of requiring a power  substitutes half of their 
a rating of 6, two at a rating of 7,  equivalent to Auspex 2.  Quickening rating, rounded 

59 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

down, for the Discipline rating  used again (e.g. to get a better  with examples including the 
called for in any check or  result) until the following scene.  rough number of living creatures 
comparison. For instance, if an  In a similar manner to  nearby, roughly what kind of 
Immortal with a Quickening  Heightened Senses, the user may  species they are (e.g. human, dog, 
rating of 7 emulated the Level  become overloaded in the case of  wolf), whereabouts they are, how 
One Presence Discipline power  extreme emotions, although not  far away they are, if any 
Awe (​Vampire: The Masquerade​,  physical stimulus. This feat  particular group has intense 
p. 267), they would add three  manifests as instinct, lucky  emotions, and so on.  
dice to their relevant rolls.   breaks or flashes of insight from  An Obfuscated individual 
This Greater feat may be  the Quickening, in a similar  may roll Wits + Obfuscate to 
taken more than once, each time  manner to The Last, rather than  avoid detection or inclusion in 
selecting a different power to  necessarily improving the  the answers given to the user. 
emulate.  Immortal’s sensory capabilities.  Vampires with high 
As additional 5th Edition  ■ Duration:​ Passive  Humanity (8+) may appear to be 
books come out, an Immortal  human, as do any benefitting 
sense life 
may be able to select other  from the Blush of Life (​Vampire: 
supernatural abilities, such as  ■ Prerequisite:​ Quickening rating  The Masquerade​, p. 218) and a 
Gifts (​Werewolf: The Apocalypse​),  6  Humanity greater than 3, 
at the discretion of the    including. Werewolves or other 
Storyteller.  The Immortal’s ability to sense  shapeshifters (including a 
Quickenings has been honed  vampire using shape-changing 
eerie perception  overtime, either due to practice or  powers if they have Blush of Life 
■ Prerequisite:​ Quickening rating  simply a quirk of the Quickening. If  active) will be detectable or 
6  they concentrate, they may now sense  understandable based on the 
  all life around them - or even voids in  form they are currently in, e.g. 
The Immortal’s perception and sense  the world which simply mimic life.  they would show up as wolves 
of the world around them grants  ■ System:​ The Immortal makes a  rather than as humans if changed 
them superhuman insight, to the  Focus Check, and then rolls their  into that form. 
point of uncomfortably psychic and  Resolve + Insight. Each success  On a critical win, the 
prescient instincts.  allows them to gain information  Immortal is able to pick out 
■ System:​ The Immortal makes  about the living creatures  Kindred using this feat, and can 
their Focus Check and then adds  nearby, including numbers,  detect that Kindred using Blush 
the number of successes to all  distance or even a rough  of Life are not human. Kindred 
rolls related to perception or  indication of their attitudes - if  noticed in this way feel distinctly 
understanding mental states and  any. This feat also provides  different, cold, and unpleasant, 
emotions (typically all  information about nearby  whether using Blush of Life or 
Awareness or Insight rolls) made  Immortals which have been  not. At the Storyteller’s 
that Scene. This may not be used  sensed via Sense Quickening,  discretion, they may also be able 
in conjunction with abilities  without the normal penalties to  to identify magic users, 
such as Heightened Senses  scrying information about them.  shapeshifters and even the active 
(​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p.  As a rough guide, each success  use of supernatural powers. 
218). Once a Focus Check for this  should allow the user to ask a  Note that this feat is never 
feat is made, the feat cannot be  single question of the Storyteller,  as specific as using a power such 

60 
 THE QUICKENING 

as Scry the Soul (​Vampire: The  suppress the ability (e.g. in order 
quickening throe 
Masquerade​, p. 250) against a  to enter the dreamless death). An 
■ Prerequisite:​ Quickening rating 
single individual, as there are  Immortal with this feat cannot 
7 
normally many forms of life  be poisoned or suffer any other 
 
around and the Immortal simply  kind of inflicted illness, nor can 
The Immortal forces tendrils of their 
gains rough indications of each.  they starve, nor can they suffer 
life force to assault another person 
Finally, an Immortal who  the Blood Bond even for a 
within their line of sight, afflicting 
possesses this feat also gains the  moment, and they do not even 
them with a pain felt deep into their 
passive ability to discern  need to do any form of exercise 
soul, should they have one, along with 
differences in the Quickening of  to maintain their physique. 
an excruciating headache. 
other Immortals, such that they  Immortals with this feat may 
■ Dice​ ​Pools:​ Resolve + Focus 
are able to tell different  have an easier time feigning 
Check vs Stamina + Resolve 
Immortals apart when Sense  death, ghouldom and undeath in 
■ System​: The user concentrates 
Quickening is triggered.  some situations, giving them a 
on an individual, making their 
Immortals with a high  one-dice bonus on such rolls, at 
Focus Checks and then rolling 
Desolation or Temporary Urge  the Storyteller’s discretion. 
Resolve, combining the successes 
rating may feel particularly  An Immortal may not 
from the Resolve roll with that 
uncomfortable, and those with a  realise that they have this feat 
of their highest Focus Check, 
high Quickening rating will  until they experience its effects. 
which is resisted by the subject’s 
trigger a stronger sensation.  An Immortal with this feat may 
Stamina + Resolve. A victim may 
■ Duration:​ N/A or Passive  still benefit from the dreamless 
substitute their Fortitude rating 
death if they have no hope of 
eternal preservation  or half of their Quickening 
escape and must also still rest in 
■ Prerequisite:​ Quickening rating  rating for either of these two 
some way in order to restore 
7  Attributes if they choose. For 
Willpower or recover from 
  each margin of success, the user 
Fatigue. 
The Immortal has moved beyond the  inflicts a point of Superficial 
An Immortal who gains this 
needs of mortals and more fully lives  Willpower damage to their 
feat and uses Restoration is also 
up to the epithet of ‘Eternal’. No  target, which is not halved before 
able to restore body parts which 
Focus Check is required to make use  being applied to the tracker. In 
they lost before their First 
of Eternal Preservation.  addition, if the attack was 
Death, or even never had in life, 
■ System​: If the Immortal does not  successful, the target must also 
as well as erasing any and all 
benefit from Toughness  make a test to resist a Terror 
scars entirely, becoming perfect 
(​Vampire: The Masquerade​, p.  Frenzy against a difficulty equal 
specimens of health. They may 
258), they gain half of their  to the margin of success. 
find difficulty in relating to some 
Quickening rating, rounded  On a critical win, the target 
human experiences as a result of 
down, in Health levels.   is Fatigued for the rest of the 
this feat, making it more difficult 
In addition, the Immortal  Scene, suffering a two-dice 
to reduce Desolation in some 
no longer requires sleep, food,  penalty to Physical rolls, as well 
circumstances, at the discretion 
water, or air, although they can  as a two-dice penalty to Focus 
of the Storyteller.  
still partake out of enjoyment,  Checks if they are an Immortal.  
■ Duration: ​Passive 
and are able to breathe perfectly  A victim is never under any 
■    
normally unless they deliberately  doubts as to who attacked them 

61 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

with this feat, even if they do not  This feat is reflexive and  They may substitute the 
know how it was done, typically  triggered automatically when an  successes rolled on the better of 
sensing a great malice from the  Immortal is affected, without  their two Focus Checks instead 
Immortal directed towards them.  requiring a Focus Check. The  of one of the Strength 
An Immortal must concentrate  benefits of this feat are not  contributions, but this must be 
hard to use this feat, acting as an  cumulative with any similar  declared before making the 
action within combat. Using this  abilities, e.g. Unswayable Mind.   Focus Check. This roll may have 
feat on holy ground may have  ■ Duration: ​Passive  a difficulty rating set by the 
unfortunate consequences.  Storyteller or be opposed by the 
summon blade 
■ Duration: ​N/A  current holder’s Strength + 
■ Prerequisite:​ Quickening rating  Athletics. This ability does not 
shield mind  8  give them any special ability to 
■ Prerequisite:​ Quickening rating    will their blade through solid 
7  The Immortal is never without their  objects, so a large object will 
  blade, able to pull it out of their  likely still restrict the flight of 
The Immortal can protect their mind  jacket pocket or from behind a  the weapon unless their 
from any outside interference with  dumpster, or even out of thin air.  successful roll allows them to 
the power of the Quickening.   This feat lets the Immortal store their  force a way through. A 
■ System:​ As if benefiting the  blade in a pocket dimension within  summoned weapon always 
Fortitude powers Unswayable  their Quickening and bring it out  follows a direct path, and always 
Mind (​Vampire: The  whenever they need it.   lands itself hilt-first in the 
Masquerade​, p. 258) and Fortify  ■ Dice Pools:​ None, Strength +  Immortal’s waiting hand. 
the Inner Facade (​Vampire: The  Athletics or Strength + Focus  Drawing an Empowered 
Masquerade​, p. 259), the  Check vs Strength + Athletics  Blade from elsewhere - or 
Immortal may always roll to  ■ System:​ The Immortal makes a  nowhere - does not require an 
resist mental effects, even if they  Focus Check and may call their  action, as the blade is already in 
would otherwise not be eligible  Empowered Blade from nowhere  their hand when they need it to 
to resist them. Where  or stowing it away similarly,  be, with the sheath likewise 
appropriate, they add half of  needing only to go through the  placed where it also must be. 
their Quickening rating,  motion of drawing or sheathing  This feat typically can’t be 
rounded down, to any rolls to  their weapon in the process.  blocked by opposing magic. 
resist, although this bonus is  The Immortal may also call  ■ Duration:​ N/A 
reduce by two dice if the  their Empowered Blade or its 
Immortal is suffering from  associated sheath to their hand  absorb life 
Fatigue. This includes mind  from a short distance, typically  ■ Prerequisite:​ Quickening rating 
control such as Dominate,  up to three times their  9 
emotional control such as  Quickening rating in   
Presence, mental illusions such as  yards/metres. If the weapon is  The Immortal is able to transform 
Obfuscate when it directly  sheathed, this sheath will also be  their Quickening to act like a magnet 
affects the Immortal and mind  pulled to the Immortal. If the  or gravity well regarding other 
or emotion-reading such as many  weapon is restrained in some  sources of magic or lifeforce. When 
powers under Auspex or even  way, they must roll Strength +  used, this feat looks similar to a 
Animalism.   Strength to free the weapon.  minor Quickening event, as if they 

62 
 THE QUICKENING 

had slain an exceptionally weak  Bane (​Vampire: The  showing signs of being struck by 
Immortal. Any lifeforce stolen  Masquerade​, p. 259) or similar  lightning or other lethal 
manifests as ghostly tendrils or bursts  powers.   electrical discharge.  
of lightning leaving the afflicted and  Each margin of success deals  If the Immortal simply 
entering the Immortal. Those who  a single level of Aggravated  chose to absorb lifeforce around 
die from this feat leave corpses with  Health damage, whilst also  them, then the effect is split 
no mark upon them, and medical  healing a point of Aggravated  amongst living creatures within 
examination is only able to determine  Health or Willpower damage of  several metres at the Storyteller’s 
that their bodies simply gave up and  the user, at the user’s discretion.  discretion, typically prioritising 
stopped working.  Vampires who are afflicted by  those closest to the user if there 
■ Dice Pools:​ Focus Check vs  this feat must also make a Rouse  are too many targets to damage 
Fortitude or half-Quickening  Check per point of Aggravated  all of them. In this case, the 
rating  damage dealt, and other  affected creatures may each 
■ System:​ The Immortal makes a  supernatural creatures may face a  make a separate roll to resist, but 
Focus Check and absorbs  similar trial as their essence is  must resist the entire Focus 
life-force and magical energy  stolen. An Immortal who suffers  Check of the Immortal to avoid 
from those around them, either  damage must make a Focus  damage. 
targeting a particular being or  Check with a difficulty equal to  When targeting a single 
just everyone around them,  the damage dealt to them in  creature, this feat may even be 
choosing the higher of their  order to avoid becoming  used against incorporeal 
Focus Checks to determine the  Fatigued immediately, although  creatures, such as vampires in a 
damage they deal. This cannot be  they can choose to suffer a level  mist-like form, or even ghosts. 
opposed by mere mortal  of Aggravated Willpower  An individual may only 
resistance; a character may roll  damage in order to defer being  suffer the effect of this feat once 
their Fortitude or half of their  Fatigued until the next Scene.  per full day and night, and an 
Quickening rating, rounded  If the Immortal targeted a  Immortal may only use this feat 
down, to resist, but does not  single creature, all of this damage  once per session. Using this feat 
benefit from normal Attributes  afflicts that one creature. If a  on holy ground may have 
such as Stamina or Resolve.  mortal is chosen as the lone  unfortunate consequences. 
Damage sustained from Steal  target, a margin of even one kills  ■ Duration:​ N/A ◾ 
Life may also be resisted by Defy  them outright, with their corpse 
 

63 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

To any experienced observer, however, it quickly 

Immortals in the  becomes obvious that an Immortal does not have the 
powers of such beings. That said, few Immortals reveal 

World of Darkness  their true nature to people without a good reason and it 
is particularly unlikely that she would reveal the only way 
“Fighting to survive, in a world with the darkest powers”​ –  to kill her. 
Princes of the Universe​,​ ​by Queen  Eternals of great power no longer need to eat, drink 
  or sleep. However, Immortals who do not possess this 
mmortals are different from other supernatural  level of power still need shelter and the other necessities 
creatures in two important ways. First, unlike  of life. Immortals do not have caerns, nodes, or crypts, 
Kindred, Garou, mages, etc., Immortals do not have  instead living amongst mortals in order to stave off 
their own society. They are wildcards in a world  Desolation. Even those Immortals who eschew human 
where groups such as the Anarchs, Camarilla and Sabbat  society and risk this sensation tend to live alone, perhaps 
vie for power.   with animals for company. This means that even deviant 
Second, all other creatures have some legends about  Immortals usually identify more with humans than with 
where they come from collectively, and they tend to  other supernatural beings. 
know their individual origins - birth, Embrace and so on.  As previously noted, a pre-Immortal is almost 
Immortals, on the other hand, are just here. They do not  entirely impossible to identify prior to their First Death, 
know where they come from. They do not know exactly  and they are therefore not at much risk of discovery. 
what the Prize will entail. They are the ultimate  Pre-Immortals and Immortals who have only recently 
outsiders, standing alone in the world.  suffered their First Death also tend to naturally gravitate 
Similarly, there are no groups of Immortals romping  towards any nearby Immortals, which makes their 
around - particularly in modern times. Whilst in the past  discovery by a First Teacher that much easier. This 
some Immortals did group together at various times, they  reduces the risk of discovery by other creatures even 
were always small bands who eventually met poor ends.   further, as a recently risen Immortal is unlikely to make a 
This section aims to explain the Immortal’s presence  wild blunder before they are found by a teacher. 
in the World of Darkness - both in the background and  Amongst the mortal world, Immortals may amass 
in-game.  huge amounts of wealth during their long lives, all whilst 
Aside from the sections regarding vampires, the  maintaining the Illusion and keeping up the front that 
descriptions of creatures and rules below are based on  nothing is strange about them. This can be difficult to 
understanding of the World of Darkness setting and rules from  maintain - particularly whilst changing Identities. 
the 20th Anniversary Edition and may not be valid or relevant  Immortals need to pay for their lifestyle on a day-to-day 
for any changes which occur as part of the shift to 5th Edition.  basis, and need some level of plausibility. Professions that 
require knowledge of the past, such as historians, teachers 
Hiding Among Mortals  and so on, often attract Immortals. Immortals’ 
As they can mix amongst humans with relative ease  supernatural abilities mean that they are practically 
compared with other supernatural creatures, many  perfect as soldiers, although doing so carries great risk.  
Immortals are fortunate enough to avoid notice. An  Nevertheless, most older Immortals have been 
Immortal’s aura, once detected, superficially resembles  involved in some war at some point in their lives. In 
that of a mage or fera, appearing bright, with the  recent times, savvy Immortals seek to become consultants 
Quickening manifesting as electrical pulses, particularly  or engage in similar work at arms length from scrutiny, 
for Immortals with more potent Quickenings.   which allows them to use their knowledge and experience 
without being exposed to the public eye. 

64 
 IMMORTALS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS 
 
 
It goes without saying that if an Immortal’s nature  so the players and Storytellers must work together to 
were ever exposed to the government or the world at  ensure that no unenjoyable friction results from the 
large, the results could be disastrous. One need only  inherent imbalance. 
imagine what would happen were a company such as 
Development Neogenetics Amalgamated to discover that 
Immortals And... 
Immortals exist, as they would stop at nothing in an 
Whilst Immortals may interact with the other 
attempt to discover the secret of immortality. Similarly, 
supernatural beings in the World of Darkness, they have 
the Second Inquisition would label them as a form of 
always been and shall always be the quintessential 
parahuman, a threat akin to a blankbody.  
outsiders. No group openly accepts Immortals. Some 
An Immortal character must be careful to guard her 
individuals might, however. 
secret and maintain the facade of normality, although this 
The statements below are from various Immortals 
may be difficult if in the company of those who are so 
and are a reasonably good barometer of an average 
exposed, such as vampires. 
Immortal’s opinion on other supernatural beings. 
Immortals are first-and-foremost individuals, however, so 
Immortals In Chronicles  these opinions can still vary greatly. Notes on the 
It is expected that there will be at most one Immortal  mechanics and rules of such crossovers follow the 
player character in a chronicle, even if the chronicle is set  dialogue, which should be understood as adding to any 
in an earlier age when the Urge is less of an all-powerful  previously discussed information (e.g. the section on 
sensation. The other player characters will presumably be  Quickening feats). 
one of the other character types detailed in the main 
vampires 
games - which at the time of writing is just vampires (for 
5th Edition, at least).  “Given enough time, all of us are likely to meet leeches 
This is not a requirement, but is an intended and  eventually, particularly if you’re a white knight or you can’t 
expected form of play. This brings up the topic of what  help but chase thrills. If you’re really unlucky, you won’t meet 
the other characters know about the Immortal character.  one under such friendly conditions. Maybe, like me, one’ll 
It is reasonable to assume that few others know about  mistake you for a normal human. Big mistake for that poor 
Immortals given that Immortals may be the rarest of all  suckhead. Unlike mortals, we ain’t got much to fear from most 
the supernatural beings other than true Mummies. It is  leeches. I learned later that it could have been worse for me if 
also reasonable to assume that very few know that the  it’d been some ancient fucker - they make the bad guys in 
way to kill an Immortal is by decapitation. Fewer still  vampire films look like wusses. Even if that don’t happen, I 
should know about the Gathering and the Prize. The  heard of some ancients who just hung around fancy nobles long 
suggested tweaks to Occult or the introduction of  enough in the old days and noticed that some people kept being 
Immortal Lore only emphasises this from a rules point of  there decade after decade, despite not having a Quickening.  
view.  “Leeches - or Kindred as they call themselves - almost 
Mechanically, Immortals have a much easier time  always want to control everything. Anything they can’t control, 
gaining power than some other beings in some respects,  they drain the life out of. As you can figure, we rarely fit nice 
as they have no restrictions over their Quickening - e.g.  into their schemes. While we can be enemies, we can also be 
vampires can only raise their Blood Potency to a  allies - at least for a bit. Not friends, though. Never friends. 
particular cap without lowering their Generation. On the  Sooner or later they all settle into part of the monsters they 
other hand, raising Quickening rating becomes  really are, and we’re too much like their food for them to ever 
progressively harder and harder over time, and they can  really not see us as a defective cow. 
gain far fewer powers than other supernatural creatures,   

65 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

“I’ve heard that an old bastard amongst the leeches in 

mages 
Britain used to keep one of us around to chat with for no damn 
reason. Word a few years ago was that a powerful one in  “Never trust a Mage. I’ve been around a long time and I’ve 
Mexico City had a loopy Immortal as a bodyguard and even  learnt lots of lessons, but this one is probably more important 
helped out when some headhunter came poking around. Had. I  than anything else. I’ll say it again so it sinks in: never trust a 
heard that bad things happened that way a few years ago - I  Mage. Or a magic user, or a sorcerer, or a witch or a high 
don’t know which side the Immortal was on and I’m quite  priest; whatever they are, whatever they call themselves, don’t 
happy not knowing. Come to think of it, London had some shit  trust any of them. 
go down with the leeches too. Hell of a coincidence. There’s no  “You want more? They want our Quickening to fuel their 
fucking way I’m going near either place any time soon.  magic. I don’t know about you, but I’m not comfortable being 
- “Frank East”  around people, and I use the term lightly, who could gain a lot 
of power by killing me. Yes, I know that’s the same for you and 
fera  me, but at least we have Rules. Plus, there’s just more honesty 
“Skinchangers, like werewolves, rarely take to our kind. The  about what we do. 
skinchangers battle what they consider unnatural and evil,  “If you have to be around mages, I have one more piece of 
which includes forces of death, decay, and corruption.  advice: lie. Lie about everything.” 
Unfortunately, they often count immortality alongside that, as  - Artakama 
all “natural” things die. The fact that none of us asks for our   
condition does not seem to matter much. There are some  Mages (​Mage: The Ascension​), not unlike vampires, are 
exceptions, skinchangers forming a bond with an Immortal, but  distrustful of that which they cannot control or 
those are kept very secret. If you ever find yourself around  understand - and Immortals are a great mystery. 
them or the ones they call kin, I recommend that you stay far  Nevertheless, if a mage can control their distrust or envy, 
away.”  they may find that Immortals make useful allies. An 
- Nikolaos of Thessaloniki  Immortal is not a Sleeper; they have no Avatar to 
  Awaken, and they cannot use the powers of true magick, 
Partly because of the Quickening, partly because of  even before their First Death. Immortals do not count as 
sterility and partly because they are all foundlings,  witnesses for vulgar magic unless they have Flaw: Mortal 
Immortals are never werewolves or any other kind of  Mind, although pre-Immortals do. 
Fera, nor are they ever Kinfolk (​Werewolf: The Apocalypse​). 
wraiths 
Immortals cannot use any Fera Gift or Rite, nor suffer 
from Delirium. To some Garou, Immortals are unnatural  “I don’t know about you, but most Immortals I’ve ever met 
and possible signs of the Wyrm’s corruption, despite the  inhabit the mundane world. Wraiths dwell in their dark spirit 
fact that player character Immortals may follow in the  world. The two don’t react all that much. 
vein of heroes rather than monsters. As a result,  “I know that it’s impossible for any ghost to possess an 
Immortals may face an uphill battle to become accepted.  Immortal, but I’m told that to the spirits of the Underworld we 
In private, however, things may be different,  stick out like a sore thumb - a glowing beacon. I met a 
especially in the times of the Apocalypse. Whatever  necromancer once–what? No, you can’t ask. As I was saying, I 
Immortals are, they seem to be better than Banes or other  met a necromancer once who said that they try to avoid us. 
direct servants of the Wyrm, and are invariably better  Apparently, we’re both useless and boring to them, and we get 
than vampires. An Immortal could attempt to hide  in the way.” 
among the Kinfolk due to their immunity to Delirium,  - Julius Laceria 
though such a deed is quite dangerous and foolish.   

66 
 IMMORTALS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS 
 
 
Immortals can never become any kind of incorporeal  Immortals cannot become fomori nor wield any fomori 
undead and those who have had their Quickening stolen  powers or abilities. This applies even to a pre-Immortal, 
cannot become any kind of wraith or specter (​Wraith: The  although this normally manifests in the pre-Immortal 
Oblivion​). Instead, their soul has been absorbed and  suffering their First Death as the fomori tries to possess 
consumed by the Immortal who took their Quickening.  them.  
The spirits of Immortals who die without their  Immortals make a potent enemy that fomori will try 
Quickening being taken – if such a thing ever happens –  to kill, which is the major cause of the few alliances 
simply dissipate.  between Immortals and fera which have be made. 
Moreover, their Quickening is such a pure expression 
the first inquisition 
of life force that their body rejects and is rejected by 
Oblivion and the Abyss. What happens should an  “The old Inquisition – the Inquisition of the middle ages and 
Immortal try to enter the Shadowlands directly is a  the Renaissance – did know about Immortals, but they often 
mystery.  confused us with vampires or their minions. Fortunately, they 
did not know how to kill us. The Inquisition normally tried to 
changelings  burn us at the stake, that being their favorite method of killing 
“The sidhe have formed alliances with certain Immortals. The  supernatural beings.  
sidhe see some Immortals, especially European ones, as kindred  “If you haven’t experienced this, I can assure you that this 
spirits. Both Immortals and Changelings strive towards a  is a most painful way to die, but as is the way of things for us, 
destiny – for Immortals it is to win the Prize, for the sidhe it is  time heals all wounds. Over the centuries – and with the 
to return to their mysterious home. This has been as much a  decline of the Inquisition itself – any knowledge the Inquisition 
failure as a success for both parties.”  may have gleaned on how to kill us is gone. They are not the 
- “Doctor Afzhal”  threat they once were.” 
  - Béatrice d'Arles 
Changelings (​Changeling: The Dreaming​) may not be   
Immortals and vice-versa - specifically, they are not  The various tendrils and branches of the Inquisition 
immortal in the sense of the beings detailed by this  which survive to the modern days and nights have no 
supplement. Changelings must abscond with the soul of  information on the Immortals. Some Immortals say they 
the human, and it is impossible to remove an Immortal’s  have encountered an Immortal priest who spoke with an 
soul without decapitation - even a pre-Immortal’s.  Irish accent and worked for the Inquisition, but if this is 
the case, it likely means that they have a friend amongst 
servants of the wyrm 
them should they be discovered. 
“Yes, I know of what you speak. A foul, corrupted beast whose 
stench was matched only by the horror I faced when I saw it. I  the second inquisition 
put it down and moved on. I suggest you do the same.”  “I don’t believe that any single government agency knows that 
- Jomo  Immortals exist. Or any government, for that matter. However, 
  some different agencies or groups probably suspect that 
Minions of the Wyrm (​Werewolf: The Apocalypse​) often try  something is up. After all, the FBI has a special 
to kill Immortals, although some rare Immortals who  cross–referenced set of files on all cases of death by 
have let themselves be consumed by Desolation have  decapitation.” 
advanced the Wyrm’s cause tremendously. Nevertheless,    - Isabella Lopez Quiñones 
they are often wildcards in the battles between the Triat.    
The evil spirits of madness and death that create the 
fomori cannot possess Immortals and therefore, 

67 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

“I’ll tell you what I learnt from the first Inquisition: it may  correspondence with him since, but I still do not know what to 
start out as just a few, but the numbers build and build. Watch  expect from one letter to the next.” 
your head.”  - Béatrice d'Arles 
- Artakama   
  Perhaps the only supernatural creature more rare than 
Due to the Game, Immortals are likely to run into trouble  Immortals, Mummies (​Mummy: The Resurrection ​or ​World 
when dealing with the police. As databases become more  of Darkness: Mummy​) see Immortals as allies in a world 
and more interlinked, it may only be a matter of time  gone mad - if they know about them at all, that is. Most 
before any Immortal is uncovered in the modern world.  ancient Immortals and Reborn who meet each other 
An Immortal had better make sure that their cover is  under polite circumstances can get along much better 
unshakable if they come under investigation by any  than Immortals and any other group; they share notes 
branch of the police or any intelligence organisation.   and may even work together. Other times, the two go 
As for independent hunters, Immortals are too rare  their own ways, never actually knowing that the other is a 
and disparate to be noticed by those who seek out things  supernatural as long-lived as themselves. 
which go bump in the night. Many of these hunters are 
simply mortals who have seen too much. Some, however, 
The Quickening & Other 
display a variety of powers and abilities that make them 
adept at killing supernatural creatures (​Hunter: The  Abilities 
Reckoning​) - which might include Immortals. Generally, 
wellspring of power 
vampires, ghosts and the like occupy their attention due 
to their greater numbers and typically larger amounts of  An Immortal is a wellspring of Quintessence according to 
harm caused to normal people.  mages, similar to that of a Node. By merely touching, 
physically or metaphysically, an object, spell, etc., an 
the fallen  Immortal can channel his Quickening through it to give 
Immortals have not run into the Fallen (​Demon: The  it Quintessence, making an activation roll and risking 
Fallen​) in great numbers, as these demons are relatively  Fatigue as if activating a Greater feat.  
new to the world. The few demons who have encountered  Each success feeds the target one point of 
Immortals have split opinions on their nature. One  Quintessence or one point of mana from the Mana 
faction speaks of them being the Malhim of the old days,  background. One success may be used to substitute the 
fighting with a great ferocity. The others call them a  Willpower cost of a spell instead. A mage may absorb this 
magical anomaly that was created by the Shattering.   Quintessence with the use of the Prime Sphere. This 
Either way, the Infernal Courts avoid the Eternals,  power cannot be taken from them forcefully so long as 
especially the more Ancient ones, though some Fallen  their head is still attached to their body. 
propose allying with the Immortals that are more 
numina 
accepting of other supernaturals. 
For their part, the few Immortals who encounter any  Immortals may access True Faith if they have a 
demon will either not realise it, or will dispatch it  sufficiently devout belief, and may even access other 
quickly.  Numina, such as Hedge Magic or Psychic powers, 
although this is rare and occurs at about the same rate 
reborn  that it does amongst normal humans. Hedge Magic is 
“I have only met one of the Reborn, which I assume is true of  much more common among older Immortals, as they 
you as well. I heard of him via some friends of mine, let’s say,  often come from a time when the practice was not yet a 
and he was a good conversation partner. I have kept in  lost art. 

68 
 IMMORTALS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS 
 
 
Typically, an Immortal discovers that they are able to 
magical items 
access Numina prior to their First Death, only rarely 
An Immortal who is lucky enough to get their hands on a 
discovering afterwards that they have special abilities. If 
Talisman, Artifact or Relic can use such an item as 
an Immortal does have access to Numina, she may 
normal. They may also use a Fetish as normal, but may 
advance it through the expenditure of experience points 
require the use of a Willpower roll to force the spirit to 
as normal (at least, once there are rules published).  
listen if it refuses to cooperate. She can use a Talisman or 
As described under Absorbing Quickening, if an 
Artifact by rolling her Quickening as if it was Arête 
Immortal with Numina is slain, the victor may take 
being used by a Mage, or can use its own Arête if a 
points in it in the same manner as if they had learnt it 
Talisman. Any paradox is accrued as normal, and can 
themselves (except for True Faith, which still requires 
bottle up or explode out instantly as if they are a mage. 
devout belief). As a result, Immortals with such powers 
An Immortal may also go into Quiet. 
are tempting targets - if powerful and terrifying 
opponents. Aside from this direct route, advancing  dark powers 
Numina as an Immortal is quite difficult. Like humans,  Immortals are as good or bad as other individuals and 
they must find some way of learning it, such as books or a  some seek power in places best left alone. Immortals may 
teacher, or else resort to intense practice.  practice the black arts and some practiced it before their 
True Faith normally has no effect on an Immortal. If  death. However, Immortals cannot take demonic 
they have 8 or more Desolation, they may be vulnerable  investments, nor become fomori. 
to some effects of True Faith at the discretion of the 
Storyteller. 
   
 

69 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

■ Oblivion:​ Any necromancy involving removing or 

Supernatural Powers Versus   altering the soul of an Immortal automatically fails, 
whilst abilities which foresee their death invariably 
The Quickening 
lead to unclear results.  
The disclaimer at the beginning of the chapter bears  ■ Protean:​ Fleshcrafting can be applied to an 
repeating here: the descriptions of creatures and rules  Immortal, but can be healed by the Immortal’s 
below are based on understanding of the World of  healing as normal, which means that it typically does 
Darkness setting and rules from the 20th Anniversary  not last long. 
Edition and may not be valid or relevant for any changes  ■ Blood Sorcery:​ There are no known wards against 
which occur as part of the shift to 5th Edition.  Immortals. 
As discussed under Bodily Stability, an Immortal is 
highly resistant to any power that alters their body,  werewolf gifts 
whether the power is beneficial or not. Any power that  ■ Scent of the True Form:​ This Gift will detect 
affects them in this way will typically fail automatically.  Immortals with a moderate difficulty, although the 
Due to Unity of essence, an Immortal may also not be  Immortal’s Cloak bonus (or penalty) will apply. Even 
possessed and it is not possible to remove their soul from  if the Garou succeeds, she will know that the 
their body, nor memories from their mind.   Immortal is not human, but she will not recognize 
Whenever an Immortal actively uses a Lesser or  what it is unless she has knowingly smelled the scent 
Greater feat, any sort of power that detects magic can  of a few Immortals. 
detect the Immortal’s activity without the normal  ■ Sense the Unnatural:​ This Gift will also detect 
difficulties of identifying an Immortal. Healing powers  Immortals, but suffers moderate difficulties for 
are typically more difficult to detect, as they are such  identifying Immortals as any other power does. 
integral parts of an Immortal’s being and Quickening, but  Again, the Garou will need some experience of 
they are not impossible to detect. Simple observation of  Immortals to know what she is sensing. 
intense healing with any form of heightened senses is  ■ Sense Weaver/Wyrm:​ An Immortal’s may be 
likely to be quite easy, though, due to the lightning over  detectable with this Gift depending on their 
any closing wounds.  Desolation - at the lowest levels of Desolation they 
may seem to be a creature of the Weaver, whilst at 
vampiric disciplines  higher levels (possibly 8-9 and definitely at 10) they 
Many of these powers’ effects are discussed elsewhere, but  may be picked up as a creature of the Wyrm, at the 
for clarity:  Storyteller’s discretion. As with other powers, 
■ Auspex:​ Possession has no effect at all on Immortals,  Immortals should be hard to detect as Immortals as 
and other powers of scrying such as Scry the Soul or  normal. Whether either of these labels is accurate is 
Clairvoyance may have greater difficulty, particularly  another matter. 
if the Immortal has dots in the Cloak Merit. Valeren  ■ Fatal Flaw:​ Success on this Gift will reveal that the 
(​v5 Companion​, p. 25) can be used on Immortals  Immortal cannot die, although a critical win will 
normally, whilst Unburden the Bestial Soul has no  reveal that there is a way to permanently kill them, 
effect.  but not how.  
■ Dominate & Presence:​ The power of possession and  ■ Mother’s Touch​,​ Whelp Body​, ​Wither Limb​,​ Open 
similar abilities do not work on Immortals, nor do  Wounds​, ​Curse of Dionysus:​ The Immortal 
powers which remove or change their memories.  automatically resists these Gifts. 
Commands and suggestions affect Immortals  ■ Renew the Cycle:​ This awesome Gift will affect 
normally.  Immortals as it does with Mummies, causing the 

70 
 IMMORTALS IN THE WORLD OF DARKNESS 
 
 
Immortal to fall ‘dead’, or perhaps into a dreamless  don’t see it or even feel a breeze, only those that can be 
death, for a number of months equal to 10 -  affected by the storm are affected by it, apparently. 
Quickening rating, to a minimum of 1 month.  So, does an Immortal feel the effects of the storm? 
No, but they can fully see it if someone else is being 
true magic 
affected by it. If a mage without Storm Warden crosses 
At a basic level, the Quickening is a “life force” within the  over with an Immortal, an Immortal will see the storm’s 
Pattern of any living creature in the Storyteller system.  effect and feel the winds, but won’t take any damage from 
This Pattern is more tightly woven in Immortals than in  them. If an Immortal were to cross over with a Fera, they 
any other living being and is what makes them special.  would not even see the storm, and certainly not feel it. 
The Quickening is also similar to Quintessence or the 
magical “raw power” that fuels Patterns.   ◾ Mage Spheres 
Mages cannot use Prime effects to remove  Scanning with Life or Prime will reveal unusual facts 
Quintessence from an Immortal, nor can Prime destroy  about an Immortal; her body locks up her Prime energies 
an Immortal’s Quintessence. Similarly, an Immortal’s  in interesting ways, and generates Quintessence like a 
Pattern is immutable.  rating 10 Node, yet releases none of this unless channeling 
The exception to all of this is if an Immortal loses his  the Quickening. Life Patterns are not subject to age and 
head. A mage with Prime 3 can attempt to become the  restore themselves at an accelerated rate. The Quickening 
victor if an Immortal is slain nearby, stealing the loser’s  protects against Entropy 4, along with most uses of the 
Quickening as Quintessence and gaining 100 points of  Life Sphere that target the Immortal’s body. No amount 
Quintessence per level of Quickening rating.   of magic seems to be able to alter their body. 
If a mage is close enough to a Quickening event and  An Immortal is also unable to gain more Quickening 
wishes to steal the Quickening of a slain Immortal from  from Quintessence - in fact, the Quickening is a unique 
the actual victor, they may roll their Prime versus the  form of Quintessence. It is possible for a Prime Master to 
winner’s Quickening rating or Willpower, whichever is  tap an Immortal as a Node with a rating equal to their 
higher, in a contested roll. The mage gains no experience  Quickening rating, and this bleed off still has a finite 
points of any kind from absorbing a Quickening. If the  amount that can be tapped per normal duration. 
mage does win, the normal victor gains nothing - the 
Quickening is stolen from them. A mage who is able to  wraith arcanoi 
absorb Quickening from a loser also absorbs the  ■ Puppetry:​ Immortals are immune to this power. 
Quickening of any trespassers. 
hunters’ edges 
A mage is never able to steal Quickening on holy 
The Second Sight of a Hunter and their Edges work on 
ground, including at a node; holy ground always absorbs 
Immortals to a degree. An Immortal counts as a Human 
Quickening for itself. 
for Second Sight and Edges as long as he has less than 8 
◾ Avatar Storm  Desolation, except whilst they use Advanced or Greater 
While the Quickening is a lot like Quintessence,  feats. If he does not, he shows up on Second Sight as 
Immortals are not affected by the Avatar Storm when  appropriate, and is hurt like a supernatural by Edges.  
they cross the Gauntlet or Veil, at least, not entirely.  An Immortal’s weakness is never revealed through 
When a mage crosses over they feel the full effects of  Edges or Second Sight; they just appear as not being 
the Avatar Storm based on their Arête and permanent  human, with a spark of lightning about them. Pinpoint 
paradox in damage unless they have the Storm Warden  reveals only character flaws of an Immortal which might 
merit. Storm Wardens, however, don’t even see the storm  be used against them. It is very rare that an Immortal is 
per the ​Mage Storyteller Companion (Revised)​. As they  permanently killed by an Imbued. 

71 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

■ Lore of Humanity:​ This cannot remove or change the 

demonic powers 
memories of an Immortal. 
Demons may also attempt to absorb the Quickening of a  ■ Lore of Longing: ​This cannot affect an Immortal’s 
slain Immortal like the energy of a Demon, but uses  perception. 
Quickening rating in the place of Faith, and Desolation  ■ Lore of Transfiguration: ​This cannot affect an 
rating in the place of Torment. If the Demon succeeds,  Immortal’s body due to Bodily Stability. 
they gain half the Immortal’s Desolation as permanent  ■ Lore of the Forge:​ An Immortal uses his Quickening 
Torment, rounded down. This provides a Demon with a  instead of Faith to fuel an item enchanted by this 
high chance of power but at a hefty cost. They also gain 1  Lore. If the item is their empowered blade, the 
permanent Torment simply for attempting the act.  weapon is attuned at no cost. This means that a 
Malefactor could be a great friend to an Immortal. A 
◾ Demonic Lore 
number of successes equal to three times the 
Demonic magics are not encumbered by an Immortal’s 
Immortal’s Quickening rating is required to shape 
Quickening as much as other magics, though it does offer 
their empowered blade. 
her some form of protection. An Immortal counts as a 
■ Lore of Awakening: ​This fails utterly on an 
Demon for all Lore uses against them, since they are not 
Immortal beyond level 2. 
mortal, though they may still not be possessed. 
■ Lore of Flesh:​ As with effects such as Vicissitude, an  other abilities 
Immortal can be afflicted by flesh alterations, but  For any unlisted powers, the Storyteller should: 
will naturally and passively heal them.  ■ Refer to the Bodily Stability, Regeneration, Unity of 
■ Lore of Death:​ This Lore is always healed at a rate of  essence and Recall elements of Quickening feats 
the Immortal’s normal healing. The Immortal will  ■ Assume that the Immortal would react as a Mummy 
always rise again from this power so long as their  would 
head remains attached.  ■ Use their judgement 
■ Lore of Spirit:​ An Immortal releases no spirit when   
they die except for the Quickening, and their soul  Immortals are resistant to a lot of things as a result of the 
may not be torn from their body, so this is of limited  Quickening. Immortal bodies heal from and cannot be 
use on one.  changed by foreign magics. Their pattern is 
■ Pillar of Faith:​ This does not work on Immortals, as  unchangeable, meaning that removing or altering their 
they cannot harness the power of Faith as a weapon  soul or memories is impossible ◾ 
nor be directly harmed by it, for they are not actually 
Demons. 
 

72 
 STORYTELLING FOR IMMORTALS 

story your group wishes to tell. Most 

Storytelling  importantly, do not let yourself be 

pushed into including Immortals if it 
At What Price 
Immortality? 
For  does not suit the kind of story you 
and the rest of your players wish to 
Each of the World of Darkness lines 
has their own theme. ​Vampire: The 

Immortals  play. 
This section is meant to aid you 
Masquerade ​is about slowly becoming 
a monster and being overtaken by the 
“​Fairy tales are more than true: not  in your quest for a good story, and 
Beast. ​Werewolf: The Apocalypse i​ s 
because they tell us that dragons exist,  prepare you for dealing with an 
about fighting a war you’ve already 
but because they tell us that dragons can  Immortal in the World of Darkness. 
lost in a steadily decaying world. 
be beaten.​” ― Neil Gaiman  It is important to read the chronicles 
Mage: The Ascension i​ s about doing the 
  section from ​Vampire: The 
impossible in the hopes of a better 
his section is intended for  Masquerade​ (pp. 337 - 368) to start 
future. 
Storytellers. Whilst it  with, as without actually knowing 
The theme of Immortals is laid 
does not contain spoilers  about the World of Darkness, this 
out right in the first chapter of this 
per se ​- a Storyteller is the  chapter will be of limited use. In 
document: loneliness. An Immortal 
arbiter of what goes on in the  addition, any Storyteller section from 
cannot die or age, everyone they 
background of the chronicle, after all  one of the 20th Anniversary Edition 
know will slowly begin to wither 
- it may still give you too much  books could also help, as well as the 
away and crumble to dust, the only 
information about the background  several Storyteller-specific books 
people like them want to kill you and 
workings of their story. If you do not  from earlier editions.  
absorb their soul, and they have no 
intend to act as a Storyteller for a  On top of that, many fan 
idea where they come from. I​ mmortal: 
chronicle involving Immortals, you  communities - from the 
The Gathering ​is about trying to 
may not wish to read this section and  WhiteWolfRPG​ and ​vtm​ subreddits 
survive the insanity that comes about 
can instead safely skip to the  to the official World of Darkness and 
from the rigors of time against the 
Appendix.  Unofficial World of Darkness 5th 
backdrop of mystery and a struggle 
Edition Discords to the Onyx Path 
for survival. 
Basics  Publishing forums - can be invaluable 
Vampire: The Masquerade​’s 
resources for Storytelling, although 
Being a Storyteller for the World of  background theme is in some way 
they are not substitutes for doing 
Darkness is not always easy. This is  similar, particularly as emphasised in 
your own work. 
particularly true for any game with  5th Edition. The players’ characters 
Finally, also bear in mind that the 
multiple kinds of supernatural  slowly turn into inhuman monsters as 
canon of the Highlander franchise 
creatures, which is likely to be the  their Touchstones die, Humanity 
itself is entirely malleable for your 
case for a Chronicle featuring  fades and they require more and 
stories and Chronicles. This 
Immortals. The most important  more human death to avoid the 
document assumes that the first film 
things to remember are that there is  gnawing Hunger which follows them 
and much of the content of the series 
no one way to play and that the rules  from night to night.  
happens roughly as was portrayed, 
presented in this supplement are  At the same time, Immortal is the 
except that the Gathering never 
designed to aid you, not restrict you.  opposite in many ways, for most 
actually happened, but you are free to 
Even more than with an official  Immortals are very human in their 
chop, change and ignore as much of 
supplement, feel free to change the  day-to-day lives. Whilst vampires 
this as suits.   
rules and themes to better suit the  almost inevitably degenerate over 

73 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

time, Immortals do not. Whilst    encouraged to continue this spirit 

vampires lose their connections to  These answers that will help  and make Immortals more than just 
what kept them human, Immortals  define and flesh out the character for  superheroes with swords. 
are constantly generating new ones as  the story and make them more than 
becoming immortal 
they continue to experience.   just a character sheet.  
Instead, the break from humanity  Character development is an  While it’s all fine and dandy to start a 
comes in acute moments of conflict:  important facet of a story, for  character off as an Immortal, 
when an Immortal has to disguise  without it any story would be rather  sometimes it can be fun to start from 
their nature after slinking away from  dull, but it is particularly important  the bottom and work up, with the 
something incredible, when they  in ​Immortal: The Gathering​. A human  player creating a character as a 
must stand their ground against  might make a horrific mistake and  pre-Immortal. This can be a lot of fun 
another who appeared with no  have to deal with the consequences  if the player wishes to roleplay 
warning and challenged them to a  for a few decades. Meanwhile, an  coming to terms with being Immortal 
duel, or when they must walk away  Immortal might kill someone amidst  and if the other members of the 
from the most recent life and Identity  their many lifetimes and have to deal  group are similarly starting as newer 
they have lived so that humans do not  with a vengeful Immortal hunting  characters in their world.  
find out about their true nature.  him for 2,000 years or simply be  The Immortal must also find or 
Significantly, of course, they have a  chased by the memory of it for the  be found by a First Teacher (if they 
day-to-day life.  same time due to their perfect recall.  are so lucky, in the modern nights of 
When a player makes an  Choices are something an Immortal  the Gathering), experience their first 
Immortal character, it is a good idea  must learn to take with appropriate  duel, their first Quickening and all 
for the Storyteller to ask many  gravity. Players are expected to make  kinds of other dangerous and 
questions about the Immortal’s  sure their character sheet reflects  wondrous events. Such an 
beliefs.   their character’s decisions and what  introduction might work particularly 
■ What drives them to continue  they have learnt from those decisions.  well for someone who is not overly 
living every day?  Regardless, it is important to look  familiar with Highlander in any of its 
■ What is the value of a human  out for players’ motives when they  incarnations. 
life?  choose to play an Immortal, and this  It is important when the player 
■ How do they cope with the  can include those prone to  makes their character that they 
inevitable deaths they cause (of  power-gaming. Like any other  remember their character is 
other Immortals, if no-one else)?   character, Immortals should not be  exceptional, but not impossibly so. 
■ How much are they willing to  fully-formed heroes at the end of  Almost no humans have sword 
sacrifice for a normal person?   their adventures: the chronicle they  training in the modern world - even 
■ What do they think of the Prize?  now play should be the adventure  in the modern World of Darkness - 
■ What is the nature of a man?  they later look back on (should they  and therefore they may have 
■ What did they think of their  survive), not merely a footnote  little-to-no skill in Melee, particularly 
First Teacher?  resting against their far more exciting  without explanation. Being found by 
■ What do they find most difficult  years.  their prospective First Teacher before 
about the life they lead now  Finally, just as the 5th Edition of  their First Death could always help 
compared to their First Life?  Vampire: The Masquerade​ has  side step this if it is too great a 
■ What losses still haunt them?  attempted to reduce the “superheroes  problem. That said, is it more fun 
■ What happy memories do they  with fangs” ethos which was played  starting off as a character who has 
cling to?  with in previous editions, players are 

74 
 STORYTELLING FOR IMMORTALS 

everything they want, or growing into  are expected to fall eventually, yet not  Beast. The vampires and the 
it through a story?   all of them are inhuman.   Immortal are likely to eventually 
This theme repeats itself in the  Fledglings and neonates are  come into conflict, and conflict - 
many game lines, such as a mortal  typically humane; at least most of the  when enjoyed by all - makes for a 
prior to their Embrace or a hunter  time. They’re young and still  good story. 
prior to their Imbuing (​Hunter: The  impressionable to the world they’ve  If one were to think in terms of 
Reckoning​).  been thrust into. Their sire might  stereotypes, an Immortal would make 
teach them about the world, but only  for an excellent replacement for a 
through experience will they learn  Brujah or Gangrel in a coterie that 
One World 
what the world is truly like. A kind  lacks one, acting as a physical 
Unlike most other lines of World of 
older Immortal would be a good  combatant for them due to their 
Darkness, I​ mmortal: The Gathering ​is 
influence upon a vampire, acting as a  incredible survivability. A member of 
not truly designed to be played with 
surrogate-First Teacher for a single or  any clan might even hire them in such 
several Immortals. Instead, it is 
even a coterie of vampires. They  a capacity, as it would give them an 
intended to be merged with another 
could guide the initiates through the  incredible edge over any who mistake 
setting to add another flavour to the 
world with their experience, acting as  them for a mere ghoul. 
world. This section will talk about 
an ally and confidante outside of  It is worth bearing in mind that 
the three major lines: ​Vampire: The 
vampire society.   the daytime can become a problem 
Masquerade​, W
​ erewolf: The Apocalypse​, 
Alternatively, an Immortal’s First  for any game where an Immortal 
and M
​ age: The Ascension​, and how 
Death could have happened recently,  character runs with vampires. The 
Immortal characters might change 
possibly because of a vampire, and  player of an Immortal character must 
those games and worlds. 
they are instead playing a (fellow)  recognise that most of the activities 
It likely goes without saying, but 
student to the coterie, all of them  they carry out will likely happen 
the sections on Werewolves and 
figuring out what’s going on together.  during night-time, lest the other 
Mages are largely unchanged from the 
If paired with Thin-Blooded  players be left to twiddle their 
iteration of this supplement written 
vampires, the themes of an Immortal  thumbs. That said, if the Storyteller is 
for the 20th Anniversary Editions of 
may become even more pronounced,  prepared to split the group for some 
their respective lines. That said, they 
with the Duskborn lacking any clear  Scenes or play somewhat loose with 
are still helpful and instructive, even 
mentors or sympathetic ear amongst  Scenes which are played 
for someone Storytelling a game 
Kindred, whilst also knowing almost  consecutively, but actually quite 
within the context of ​Vampire: The 
nothing of what is going on - a dark  disconnected in time, this need not 
Masquerade​. 
mirror to any modern Immortal.  be a problem.  
kindred  There are many ways that an  Vignettes can also help with this 
When considered intently, vampires  Immortal can come into a coterie of  situation to let the Immortal see the 
are a contradiction. They are born of  vampires, but there’s one very  Sun every so often, as solo Scenes are 
humans, yet they feed on humans,  important thing to remember:  to be expected during such sessions. 
control humans, and they are  Immortals are closer to humans than  Finally, even if no actively-roleplayed 
normally destroyed by - and greatly  vampires. They will generally be a  Scenes occur during the day, the 
afraid of - humans. In every sense of  very human influence upon vampires,  Immortal can still make great use of 
the word, they are parasites upon all  acting as a counter-balance to the  their freedom by describing the 
humans and humanity itself. In the  influence of ancient monsters who  actions they take over the course of it, 
World of Darkness, the protagonists  force them into depravity to further  giving the coterie an edge over their 
the Jyhad, to say nothing of their own  solely nocturnal rivals. 

75 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

Regardless of how an Immortal  must face the Gathering and strive 

garou 
found themself running with a pack  for the Prize, and werewolves must 
The chosen warriors of Gaia can  of Garou, the Elders - should they  protect their people against an 
appear to be quite fickle beasts,  come to know of it - would keep a  unconquerable foe. They both believe 
choosing to fight a war they believe is  sharp eye on them as they’ve more  in dueling and honour, but in 
already lost and which they may, in  than likely never heard of their kind.  different ways. That said, a duel 
fact, have had a great hand in losing.  The Immortal must be tested -  between an Elder Garou and an 
Werewolves vary on their opinion of  frequently - to make sure that they  experienced Immortal would be a 
humans too. Some see them as a flock  speak the truth, remain free of  spectacle for all to watch and enjoy - 
of sheep that they need to protect  corruption and are not secretly in  or fear. 
and keep culled, others see them as  league with the Wyrm. An Immortal 
actual people that should be allowed  in such a situation may find this more 
mages 
to do what they want, whilst others  difficult than it seems, as they must  Mages are the closest to Immortals of 
think back to the Impergium and  still be a part of human society to  all the three supernaturals mentioned 
believe that all problems would be  avoid Desolation, and high  in this section, mostly because they 
solved if human society as it currently  Desolation may lead them to trigger  all live relatively normal lives until 
exists were wiped out.  alarm bells amongst their pack.  they Awaken. An Immortal may 
Regardless of what they think,  Equally, if their new Immortal friend  never Awaken as a Mage, although 
werewolves are united against the  one day woke up to declare that they  they may become a sorcerer/hedge 
Wyrm and its minions, which is  simply had to go over to the next  magician in rare circumstances. Most 
something an Immortal could quite  town to kill a complete stranger for  mages would see an Immortal as some 
easily get behind and support should  no good reason, the pack may be less  enigma that needs to be solved, which 
they learn of it. How an Immortal  than sympathetic.  might be of great assistance to some 
meets a group of shapeshifters is  All of this aside, an Immortal  young Immortal who is prepared to 
another matter and likely requires  would be a potent ally to a pack of  take the risk. 
careful planning or agreement ahead  werewolves. First of all, they would  Mages and Immortals can meet in 
of time.   appear as being a mere human to  almost any number of ways, from just 
Perhaps the Immortal just  spirits and Black Spiral Dancers.  simply walking in on the Immortal 
happened to see a werewolf attack  They are not harmed by silver, are  using their powers in a duel and the 
some minion of the Wyrm and, not  able to take unbelievable punishment  mage detecting it as a spell, to an 
experiencing the Delirium, chooses to  (even amongst Garou) and could be  Immortal seeing the mage cast his 
draw their sword to smite the clearly  treated as a canary in a coal mine for  spell and be unphased. Technocrats 
evil beast. Perhaps an Immortal was  all kinds of dangerous situations. For  and Traditional mages would both 
captured by forces of the Wrm before  the Immortal, a variety of potent  make potent allies for an Immortal, 
their First Death and is sacrificed for  fetishes and other such magical  being able to enchant or modify the 
a Bane, only to find that they stand  objects could be gifted to them for  material of their blade to be more 
back up some time later. Perhaps, in a  their service - let alone fighting to  potent, giving them armor, artifacts 
similar situation, a werewolf killed  ensure that the world around them  and knowledge they can use, and in 
them whilst they were possessed and  does not collapse before they could  general providing all manner of 
is amazed to see them rise back up  even claim the Prize.  backup against any who hunt them. 
afterwards, seemingly free of any  Werewolves and Immortals have  Mages from the Order of Hermes 
smell or sense of the Wyrm’s taint.   many similarities, in that they have  would more than likely jump at the 
an unavoidable burden. Immortals  opportunity to have an Immortal 

76 
 STORYTELLING FOR IMMORTALS 

sorcerer as an apprentice. Such  particularly striking, but there are  It is also necessary to keep in 
knowledge would never be lost or  disadvantages to playing an Immortal  mind the aims and desires of the 
decay as long as the Immortal  when compared with a vampire,  various characters in a group. The 
remains alive and they would make a  werewolf or mage.   aims of a Fera, for example, are 
potent, useful and terrifying ally.  All three possess a wide range of  different from that of a vampire. A 
Conversely, a mage who receives an  powers which an Immortal cannot  Garou may wish to increase her 
ancient Immortal as a mentor could  match. Many Disciplines and Gifts  Renown by combating the Wyrm, 
gain a potent leg up.  bestow advantages in a wide variety  while the vampire might want to 
Other Traditions would take a  of situations, physical, social and  extend his power and influence.  
variety of approaches to an Immortal,  mental, and the Magick wielded by  An Immortal may have one 
with some just seeing them as a glitch  mages is obviously unparalleled in the  underlying aim - to win the Prize - or 
in the universal machine, while others  breadth and depth of its application.  they may simply wish to survive for as 
see them as some angel or demon sent  If the game ends up in very  long as possible and pretend at an 
by God. The specifics would vary  high-powered situations, which the  idyllic life. In either case, the only 
from mage to mage.  5th Edition of ​Vampire: The  sure way to accomplish these is to kill 
On the other hand, Technocrats  Masquerade ​is already not designed to  other Immortals and take their 
would likely see the Immortal as  deal with, these differences could be  Quickening. The players and 
being one of three possibilities. First  quite striking.  Storyteller should always work 
one would be the next step in human  In some situations, The Last can  together to make sure that there is a 
evolution, something that Iteration X  significantly smooth out some of  reason for the Immortal character's 
and the Progenitors would invest a  these differences, and the Storyteller  presence in the group, and for the 
great amount of resources to study  should actively be thinking about  group to work together.  
and research. The second would be  what an Immortal may sense through  Mages and the Fera may have 
that the Immortal is an anomaly that  the Last throughout a Session, Story  teamed up to thwart the 
needs to be destroyed. The third  and chronicle if there are concerns  Technocracy's plans, as it is in both 
would be that the Immortal is a  about player characters feeling useful.  their interests, but a player with an 
potential tool to be used and  Be aware that over-reliance on a  Immortal character could quickly 
controlled.   Storyteller’s dictations to a player  discover that she is just riding along 
Despite these suggestions,  may still strip them of their agency  in this situation, with her character 
opinions of mages can vary wildly,  and feeling of their own contribution.  not fulfilling a role in the group in 
and all kinds of stances can be taken  That said, consider the various  terms of distinct powers or 
to allow for a smooth integration of  instances in ​Highlander​ where an  capabilities, whether narratively or 
mage and Immortal player characters.  Immortal knew something he really  socially. It is important to ensure that 
shouldn't have - Connor finding  the actions of the group as a whole 
Brenda's gun and tape recorder,  don't conflict with the aims of any of 
Telling a Chronicle 
Kurgan knowing that, "There is one  its individual members and that they 
Telling a chronicle with a group 
among them named Connor,” Connor  collectively weave an interesting 
which includes an Immortal is 
sensing Rachel's presence and asking  story. 
something of a challenge. Physically, 
what she was looking at and so on.  If the group struggles for 
Immortals are among the most 
This uncanny and impossible  connections, an out might be if the 
powerful and durable characters in 
knowledge is not unreasonable for an  Immortal character has inherent ties 
the Storytelling system. At higher 
Immortal.  to other members of the group, 
Quickening ratings this can be 
instead of just being a tag-along. She 

77 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

might be a distant (adopted) relative  ■ One Immortal mixed with  on can make for very cinematic fight 
to any of their group - perhaps  several humans, whose players  scenes. 
looking after descendants of relatives  may have to play several  Equally, as you might want these 
until they eventually culminated in  characters over time as their  fights to feel emotional and 
the First Change, Awakening or  characters die  character-driven as much as 
Embrace of one of the other player  ■ Several Immortals in a story  rules-driven, the normal rules for 
characters.   before the Urge became  conflict laid out in ​Vampire: The 
Keeping the mood and theme will  prevalent  Masquerade (​ pp. 123 - 125) can do just 
also require a careful balance, as the  ■ A historically varied chronicle  fine with appropriate narration of the 
Immortal does not suffer from  where each story is set in a  action by players and Storytellers. 
Hunger or Rage and therefore has a  different time period, which can  You should choose whichever system 
completely different (and less  blend any of the above game  works for you and your group, but if 
commonly felt) set of things to worry  styles  combat is a frequent occurrence in 
about, especially when interacting  ■ A solo game for a single  your chronicle, Immortal duels 
with mortals. Do not feel the need to  Immortal, in the modern days  should carry a little extra weight than 
fight this, for an Immortal’s loneliness  and nights or possibly over  a normal skirmish. 
is their own theme, and whilst at first  different time periods, which can  A rule worth bearing in mind for 
it might be nice to avoid the  likewise blend the above game  duels between Immortals is that 
problems which others face, they can  styles  combatants in close combat are able 
never truly belong nor understand    to parry or counter opponents attacks 
what their fellows are going through.  If setting a chronicle partly or wholly  using their combat skill, typically 
On the other hand, one could run  in a different time period, I  Melee, instead of relying solely on 
an Immortal-centric Chronicle,  recommend checking out my ​v5:  dodging with their Athletics skill to 
which would make for a very  Dark Ages Fan Supplement​ for some  avoid damage. 
different experience. Some possible  rule variants which may come in  In keeping with the more 
styles of game include:  handy.  complex and mechanically-driven 
■ One Immortal mixed with other  combat rules of earlier editions, 
creatures of a single type, e.g. an  Immortal: The Gathering 20th 
Conflict 
Immortal amongst a vampire  Anniversary Edition h
​ ad a healthy 
Duels between Immortals are likely 
coterie - the default assumption  section describing specific rules and 
to be set pieces or climaxes of any 
in this supplementAn entirely  combat maneuvers for combat 
Immortal player character’s arc 
mixed group, with a variety of  between Immortals. 
within any appropriate Story. As a 
supernatural creatures - a more  If you wish to implement a far 
result, the Additional Conflict 
difficult option, particularly  more rules-heavy combat for 
Options (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, 
until other supplements in 5th  Immortal duels, these can be found 
pp. 296 - 296) are recommended 
Edition are released  on pp. 32 - 36 of I​ mmortal: The 
reading for such fights. Making use of 
Gathering 20th Anniversary Edition​. 
advances, manoeuvres, blocks and so 
 
 

78 
 STORYTELLING FOR IMMORTALS 

Game, Gathering and Prize  aliens 

"Okay, now let me just see if I can get this straight. You come 
In the Introduction to this document, you may have read 
from another planet, and you're mortal there, but you're 
that the Game, the Gathering and the Prize are 
immortal here until you kill all the guys from there, who have 
mysterious and unknown things out in the world. This is 
come here, and then you're mortal here, unless you go back 
true for characters, as no-one in the World of Darkness 
there, or some more guys from there came here, in which case 
knows what is going on, but is also true within the canon 
you become immortal here, again." 
of Highlander media, which has also been deliberately 
- Virginia Madsen, ​Highlander II: The 
vague, as well as contradictory. 
Quickening 
For the Storyteller this is both liberating and 
 
overwhelming, as there may not be a lot to go on. This 
No, seriously. This was the idea behind the second 
section will outline a few possible variants to explain the 
Highlander film. If you use it in your game, no-one will 
nature of the Game which you can use or discard as you 
judge you. Probably. If you want to know more, check out 
will, but hopefully provides some inspiration. A brief 
the W
​ ikipedia article​. 
framework which can help with any ideas or concepts for 
■ Source:​ The power of aliens from the planet Zeist 
the truth behind it all is: 
■ Origins:​ Rebels against General Katana who are sent 
■ Source of the Quickening:​ Where did the 
to Earth over time 
Quickening, and therefore immortality and 
■ The Game:​ Some kind of quirk of fate or prison 
Immortals, come from?  
sentence 
■ Origin of individual Immortals: ​Where do individual 
■ The Gathering:​ The aliens are all prisoners fated to 
Immortals come from - are they spawn, born or 
kill each other 
simply pop into existence from nowhere? 
■ The Prize:​ Mortality and a loss of power, but with 
■ Reason for the Game:​ Why are Immortals able to 
the knowledge of all Immortals 
take each others’ heads and absorb their Quickening? 
Why do they sense each other? What is special about  ancient curse 
holy ground?  Immortals came about much like the vampiric myth of 
■ Reason for the Gathering:​ Why do Immortals feel  Caine, in that they were cursed long ago. As Immortals 
the Urge? What has changed since the turn of the  are foundlings, this is unlikely to be a single person or 
millenium?  descendant, but maybe it was a single family, tribe, clan 
■ Nature of the Prize:​ Is it mortality, godhood or  or whole kingdom who were all cursed - maybe due to 
something in between? Is there one?  committing the crime of kinslaying. The curse could state 
that one day, each member of the cursed society would be 
unknown 
reborn into a new body, doomed to kill their own people 
Don’t feel that you need to come up with an explanation - 
until there are none left. 
the Game, Gathering and all the core themes continue 
In this case, the loneliness Immortals feel in their long 
regardless of whether you know what the ultimate reason 
existence is an intentional consequence of them having 
is. Even if you come up with one, it might never come up 
killed their people in their first true life, and they are 
in the Chronicle, so there are probably better things to 
forever doomed to repeat and suffer their kinslaying 
put that effort into. This is the default assumption for a 
ways. There is no Prize except being released from the 
typical game and will work perfectly well. 
curse, and the victor retains all of the memories of the 
 
slain Immortals, but none of the Quickening, which fades 
    away and waits to be reborn for the next Game. 

79 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

  Prize, just a constant cycle of death, with the Prize being 

■ Source:​ A curse laid upon an ancient people  something Immortals made up to console themselves 
containing all of their power  with.  
■ Origins:​ Spawned into the world by the curse  ■ Source:​ Elohim and angelic essence 
■ The Game:​ A facsimile of kinslaying repeating for  ■ Origins:​ Spawned into the world as Elohim succumb 
millenia  to despair, separated from God 
■ The Gathering:​ The curse reaching fruition (for this  ■ The Game:​ A cruel aspect of the mortal world 
round)  twisting the intuition of angels 
■ The Prize:​ Mortality and freedom from the curse  ■ The Gathering:​ A consequence of the cosmic turmoil 
since the Great Maelstrom and Week of Nightmares, 
defenders against the impergium 
culminating in no Elohim being left to fall 
In mortal prehistory, the Garou culled the human  ■ The Prize:​ The culmination of all Quickening 
population in a process and time known to the Garou as 
the Impergium (​Werewolf: The Apocalypse​). In an attempt  the first imbued 
to save themselves from this menace, some of the greatest  In H
​ unter: The Reckoning​, the Messengers have appeared to 
mages (or simple sorcerers) took a fragment of power  many mortals and Imbued them with many powers. The 
from all living humans. This forever weakened humanity’s  Immortals are simply a failed experiment Messengers 
latent magical potential, but bound this stolen power to  made in this process, created by a rogue Messenger who 
just a few, to serve as eternal defenders against the raging  still continues to attempt this process into the modern 
aggressors. The Impergium is long since over and none  days and nights. 
remain to tell the Immortals their task.  ■ Source:​ The Messengers 
■ Source:​ Taken from the latent magical power of all  ■ Origins: ​A rogue Messenger who creates more 
humans  Immortals 
■ Origins:​ A manifestation of a spell meant to spread  ■ The Game:​ A mistake in the Imbuing which causes a 
defenders amongst humanity  drive to kill each other, not creatures of darkness 
■ The Game:​ Stripped of any guidance, Immortals’  ■ The Gathering:​ A point of critical mass where there 
drive to kill the enemy has mutated  are too many Immortals in the world, or a result of 
■ The Gathering: T
​ he original casters did not envisage  the rogue Messenger being discovered and stopped 
such a populous world, nor so many Immortals, and  ■ The Prize:​ Nothing, the culmination of all 
they must cull their own numbers to preserve their  Quickening or perhaps becoming a Messenger 
power 
nephilim 
■ The Prize:​ Nothing - it was all a self-inflicted con 
In D
​ emon: The Fallen​, the Nephilim, offspring of demons 
elohim  and human women, are long thought to have been killed. 
In D
​ emon: The Fallen​, no trace has been found of Elohim,  Immortals are the descendants of Nephilim, each being a 
angels who directly serve God, for a long, long time.  foundling as their parents do not dare risk discovery. The 
Elohim have long fallen to despair after the disappearance  Game is simply the form which their demonic nature 
of God and they eventually fall in a very different way to  takes - a desire to kill and claim the power of their 
the Fallen, crashing to the world in the form of  relatives. There is no Prize, just a constant cycle of death. 
foundlings. Once here, the corrupting nature of the  The true Nephilim have finally died, which is why no 
mortal world is constantly in conflict with their angelic  more will be born, and the Prize is merely the 
nature and they try to find their brothers and sisters, only  accumulation of Quickening - which is significant in its 
to be driven to killing instead of reunion. There is no  own right. 

80 
 STORYTELLING FOR IMMORTALS 

  Perhaps this being was an ancient vampire of the Second 

■ Source: ​The power of the Nephilim  or Third Generation, or a spirit such as a Celestine, of 
■ Origins:​ Each new Immortal is left by a Nephilim or  power similar to Helios and Luna, or simply fragments of 
descendants to find their own way  the Wyrm which escaped its binding (​Werewolf: The 
■ The Game:​ An innate, quasi-demonic urge  Apocalypse​).  
■ The Gathering:​ The result of the death of the  ■ Source:​ The essence of an ancient, godlike being who 
Nephilim causing the urge to reach a crescendo  was shattered 
■ The Prize:​ The culmination of all Quickening, as  ■ Origins:​ Bubbles of the being’s essence emerging in 
well as the power and knowledge of ancient  the world at random 
Nephilim themselves  ■ The Game:​ An instinctive attempt by shards of the 
being to reunite 
part of reality 
■ The Gathering: T
​ he last shards now walk the earth 
The Immortals and their power are nothing directed, but  and the time of rebirth is night 
simply a consequence of some latent energy of reality  ■ The Prize:​ Assumption of the power and nature of 
spontaneously coalescing as humans. Perhaps there are -  the original being, or perhaps being entirely 
or were - Immortals of other creatures.  overtaken by the mind of the ancient creature born 
■ Source: ​Background energy in the world  anew 
■ Origins:​ Spontaneous coalescing of energy 
■ The Game:​ A law of reality, like magnetism  unknowable 
■ The Gathering:​ A consequence of the steadily  Immortals originate from a previous incarnation of the 
mounting cosmic forces building to the Apocalypse,  universe, or as a consequence of such an astonishingly 
Gehenna or other world-ending or world-changing  great power that the rules and apparently lines of 
event(s)  causation of reality were changed. As a result, the nature 
■ The Prize:​ The culmination of all Quickening  of the Quickening, the Game and the Gathering are 
completely unknowable, with the Prize potentially 
shards of a being 
causing a shift in reality to meet whatever new 
In ancient times, a powerful being was shattered into  consequence comes about. 
almost uncountable pieces, and these fragments seek to 
reunite themselves in the only way they know how. 
 

81 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

World of Darkness and think that 

Varying the Urge  Rival Immortals  any ally to the undead cannot 
For some games it may be  Rival Immortals may find themselves  possibly be left to win the Game. 
appropriate to make the Urge less  at a substantial disadvantage when  As a complete alternative, 
strong, particularly the further back  facing a player character’s Immortal  perhaps this is fine: all other 
in history one goes. Perhaps prior to  and the rest of the players. If the  Immortals cower in their wake and 
the turn of the millennium, Base Urge  player character fights honourable  avoid the area, letting the player 
was equal to Half-Desolation - Half  duels, this can play well into the same  become a ruler of their desolate 
of Quickening rating, making it still  sense of loneliness and isolation  wasteland, eventually doomed to face 
present, but trivial for even young  which pervades their character’s lives:  the Urge. Or maybe they succeed all 
Immortals to ignore.   in the end, there can be only one.   the way along, winning the Game 
Perhaps everyone’s Base Urge is  On the other hand, if an  through means which all other 
always 0, so Temporary Urge always  Immortal makes use of allies in duels  Immortals have avoided - perhaps for 
steadily declines.   or even the early moments of a  good reason. Whatever theme works 
Or, perhaps pushing past the  Story’s conflict, to say nothing of  well for your chronicle is the right 
Urge only requires a point of  making use of supernatural comrades,  option, but the default assumption is 
Superficial Willpower as with normal  the Storyteller may wish to take steps  that any Immortal who breaks the 
points spent, or a check against  to remind them why duels are  Rules will end up facing some kind of 
sensing Immortals only needs to be  normally fought between two. They  repercussion until they see the error 
taken every week, or perhaps  may gain a reputation and find a  of their ways - or lose their own head. 
Temporary Urge can never rise above  stream of headhunters coming after 
Base Urge.  them - too many or too rapidly for  headhunter 
However it is done, if the impact  their allies to help - or simply very  As all Immortals are different, a 
of Urge is reduced, Desolation  potent ones who they are unequipped  headhunter may have all manner of 
becomes the main focus of the game  to face. Their enemies may behave as  tricks at their disposal, from mortal 
and Immortals can be much more  a vampire does, destroying their  resources, to a skill in firearms, to 
simply undying humans who can  Identity and stripping them of  simply being the best tracker around. 
choose to take heads, with no  resources before finally coming in for  Immortal Headhunters should always 
background pressure.   the duel.   be characters in their own right, 
On the other hand, if the  Or, perhaps the Immortals which  however minor. 
Gathering approaches even more  come after them have allies or  Standard Dice Pools:​ Physical 7, 
rapidly, maybe only a quarter of  minions of their own, such as an  Social 5, Mental 5 
Quickening counts to avoid the Urge,  entire mercenary or paramilitary  Secondary Attributes​: Health 7, 
or it stops resisting it entirely. Or  group. Perhaps they will leak  Willpower 7 
maybe Base Urge just ratchets up  information that the player character  Exceptional Dice Pools:​ Melee 8, 
every year, or Temporary Urge  associates with blankbodies, leaving  Stealth 7, Subterfuge 7, Immortal 
doesn’t decline when a head has been  co-opted members of the Second  Lore/Occult 6 
taken - or even increases, or  Inquisition to handle that part of the  Equipment:​ Broadsword (+3 damage, 
Quickening rating has no effect on  equation.  Empowered Blade), Knife (+2 
Desolation, forcing Immortals to play  If any Watcher catches on, the  damage) 
The Game as mortal companionship  Immortal may quickly find  Notable Traits:​ Quickening Rating 4 
is increasingly lost to them.  themselves finding rogue Watchers or 
hunters who know about the wider 

82 
 STORYTELLING FOR IMMORTALS 

situations. On the other hand, James  world, along with many parties with a 

The  Horton came to believe that 

Immortals were a blight of evil upon 
vested interest in hiding anything 
unusual. Regardless of how the new 

Watchers  the world, went rogue and formed a 

sub-group of Watchers called the 
Immortal is discovered, a new 
Chronicle is opened, a new agent 
"​For as long as your kind's been  Hunters, resulting in the death of a  assigned and a ‘new’ Immortal 
around, we've been watching. We  number of Immortals.   followed. 
observe, we record, but we never  The nature, appearance,  In the background, a 
interfere. Too much of man's history has  background and opinions possessed  sophisticated bureaucracy exists to 
been lost. When you get through all of  by the Watcher assigned to the  maintain all of this: spotting good 
life's crap, the only thing that matters is  Immortal player character is up to  candidates when young, maintaining 
the truth. We want the truth about  the Storyteller. That said, what kind  the archives of Watcher Chronicles, 
immortals to survive - not a bunch of old  of individual the Immortal is  researching and investigating leads 
wives' tales.​" - Joe Dawson,  undoubtedly has a strong influence,  into Immortals whose Watcher 
Highlander: The Series​, ​Season 2,  especially if the agent has any choice  Chronicles are vague and whose 
Episode 1 - The Watchers  in their subject. Some shared aspects  whereabouts are unknown, and 
  are that all Watchers are college- or  maintaining the normal mortal 
The Watchers, introduced in  university-educated, often holding  operations necessary. The Watchers 
Highlander: The Series​, are an  Masters' degrees and/or Doctorates,  are quite wealthy, with significant 
ancient organization dedicated to  especially in history, mythology,  assets passed down over the centuries 
keeping track of all Immortals. The  anthropology and related humanities.  and likely give a salary or stipend to 
more important the Immortal (and  All watchers have a tattoo of the  individuals, but most Watchers still 
the more Fame (Immortals) they  Watchers’ symbol on the inner side of  maintain their own businesses or day 
have), the more Watcher attention  one wrist.  jobs to serve as a plausible cover.  
she receives. All Immortals have a  Field agents take photographs,  Depending on the kind of story 
Chronicle dedicated to them, with at  keep track of who the Immortal  you wish to tell and the feel of your 
least one agent keeping track of them.  fights and so forth, all to be added to  chronicle, the Watchers need not 
Major contenders for the prize, due  the Watcher Chronicle of the  appear in your stories at all. They add 
to great skill, number of heads taken  Immortal to which they are assigned.  another layer of mortal complication, 
or fame amongst Immortals, have  They invariably have Occult or  particularly for a larger group who 
more than one. In most cases where  Immortal Lore with a rating of at  already has a number of SPCs in the 
an Immortal is active out in the  least two dots, and a Speciality in  form of Touchstones, Allies, 
world, the assigned agent is a field  their assigned subject.  Contacts, Mawla, Retainers, 
agent, having to follow them around  Watchers typically discover new  Adversaries, Challengers, Enemies 
and keep tabs on them - and who  Immortals when their subjects  and Stalkers, let alone the other 
they kill.  become the First Teacher of another,  characters of the story such as sires, 
The official party line is that the  or when they fight an Immortal who  broodmates or just acquaintances. In 
Watchers do not interfere, but there  was previously unknown. Sometimes  addition, the Watchers exist mainly 
have been some noted exceptions. In  researchers are able to independently  in this appendix and in the series, 
the series, high-ranking Watcher Joe  discover one based on miraculous  which potential players may not be as 
Dawson gave a considerable amount  recoveries or similar events, but in  aware of as they might have been 
of information to Duncan MacLeod  the World of Darkness, there is a lot  twenty years ago. 
to help him out of dangerous  of bizarre activity going on in the 

83 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

As the Watchers need not impact  ethos could be summed up by saying  ■ 4,100 years - Gilgamesh was the 
the actions of your Immortal player  that, “There must always be two.”  first Immortal recorded or 
character at all, and almost certainly  This group maintained a sanctuary  witnessed  
won’t affect other players, care must  for Immortals who wished to seek  ■ 2,500 - 4,000 years - The Four 
be taken that they don’t take the  peace and escape the Game. If none  Horsemen of the Apocalypse are 
limelight if that’s not what you want.  volunteered, then some would be  the earliest records, or the early 
kidnapped to ensure that there are  accounts of the first Immortals 
some in the sanctuary at all times.  in India were recorded by some 
The Hunters 
In the World of Darkness, this  as avatars, and by others as 
The existence of Watchers inevitably 
concept could be retained in a  Immortals 
leads to those called Hunters, rogue 
sanctuary (or several) built on holy  ■ 3,000 years - The long-lived 
or ex-Watchers who wish to eliminate 
ground, where a few Immortals lie in  peoples of the Old Testament 
Immortals, either just particular 
a dreamless death, entombed in  were the first Immortals 
individuals or the group as a whole. 
concrete under a bunker and under  recorded and witnessed  
Whilst Watchers are driven by the 
constant supervision. As long as this  ■ 2,000 years - An Immortal 
truth, Hunters see the real danger 
sanctuary - or these sanctuaries -  around Judea was the first 
which Immortals pose and wish to 
remain undisturbed, the Game can  Immortal they recorded or 
make sure that no evil Immortal wins 
never be won.  witnessed  
the Prize. Of course, an easy way to 
■ 1,800 years - Qin Shi Huang, 
accomplish this is to make sure that 
First Emperor of China, was the 
no Immortal wins the Prize at all by  Origins of the 
first Immortal recorded  
eliminating every Immortal whilst  Watchers   
there are no others around to take 
The origins of the Watchers is never 
their Quickening.  purpose 
really explained in H
​ ighlander: The 
Hunters may be a useful foil in  Observe Immortals and record 
Series​, and even the name may just be  ■
any Chronicle, especially if humans’  the truth 
a nickname rather than the official 
collective ignorance is taken for  ■ Ensure sure that only a good 
name of any organisation. Just as was 
granted or the Immortal player  Immortal wins 
done above for Immortals and the 
character becomes a successful  Ensure sure that a prophesied 
Game in general, this section suggests  ■
headhunter. Should a Hunter become  hero wins 
a few origins, purposes and present 
attached to the Second Inquisition or  ■ Prevent anyone winning 
day incarnations to help with ideas. 
even become allies with a  ■ Created by an Immortal to keep 
The below ideas can easily be 
supernatural foe, there could be  track of enemies 
combined, especially if the Watchers 
significant danger in store for the  ■ Created by an Immortal to log 
changed over the years, died out and 
Immortal and their comrades who sit  their own deeds 
were reformed many times or formed 
in the crosshair.  ■ To catalogue immortals 
from the combination of numerous 
ancestor organisations. Alternatively,  ■ To catalogue immortals by 
another supernatural creature 
Sanctuary  it could just be one more mystery. 
 
In H
​ ighlander: Endgame​, a further 
age 
sub-group of Watchers were 
■ 5,000 years - Osiris was the first 
introduced who wish to ensure that 
Immortal that they (thought that 
the Game never wins, but by a 
they) recorded   
different method to Hunters. This 

84 
 STORYTELLING FOR IMMORTALS 

subjects. Moreover, each Watcher in 

relationships  hunter 
the field strives to be nothing more 
■ Some Watchers previously split  Most hunters come from the ranks of 
than a face in the crowd when 
off to join, help form or infiltrate  observing their subject, wearing  field agents, but some were recruited 
the Arcanum  specifically from the military or 
nothing noteworthy. 
■ The Watchers are completely  police to give them the edge. Whilst 
Watchers take their job quite 
ignorant of anything other than  observing their targets they are 
seriously as it can be dangerous – 
Immortals, with vampires,  inconspicuous, but whilst on the hunt 
Immortals react quite poorly to 
mummies and others sometimes  they will be noticeably armed and 
stalkers. They try to maintain a 
being mistaken for Immortals  armoured. Note that these statistics 
normal, social life despite their 
■ Some Watchers take part in the  are for proper hunters - any 
dedication, which is encouraged by 
Second Inquisition  mercenaries they hire will use the 
the leadership of the organisation as 
statistics similar to a Police Detective, 
it helps prevent the Watcher from 
true name  Gangster or Inquisitor Delta 
developing a kind of hero worship, 
■ Alexandria Society  (​Vampire: The Masquerade​, pp. 371 - 
envy or overly-invested hatred 
■ Chroniclers of Sumer  372). 
towards the Immortal they study. 
■ Fourth Research Group  Standard Dice Pools​: Physical 5, 
They are akin to a cross between 
■ Students of Thoth  Social 3, Mental 5 
academics and highly educated 
■ Witnesses of Xianyang  Secondary Attributes:​ Health 6, 
reporters or private detectives, who 
Willpower 6 
current state  are always on a case and always 
Exceptional Dice Pools:​ Academics 6, 
■ There are no Watchers - they  undercover. 
Firearms 6, Occult 5 / Immortal Lore 
don’t exist in this chronicle/your  Standard Dice Pools: P
​ hysical 3, 
6, Stealth 5, Streetwise 5 
vision of the World of Darkness  Social 3, Mental 5 
Equipment:​ Medium pistol (+2 
■ They once existed, but went into  Secondary Attributes:​ Health 5, 
damage), Assault rifle (+3 damage) or 
disarray at some point in the  Willpower 5 
Shotgun (+4 damage, close range), 
past, perhaps a result of the  Exceptional Dice Pools:​ Academics 6, 
Combat knife (+2 damage), Kevlar 
events connected to the Week of  Occult 5, Occult (Assigned 
jacket (4 armor), flash-bang grenades, 
Nightmares or the events of the  Immortal)/ Immortal Lore 7 
personal radio, tranquilizers, first aid 
Highlander films or series, if  (Assigned Immortal), Stealth 5, 
kit. 
considered canon for your world  Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 4 
Notable Traits:​ As most hunters are 
■ They still exist, but have become  Equipment:​ Notebook, laptop 
from the ranks of the Watchers, they 
splintered due to ideological  computer, microphone or tape 
know all of the limitations and 
disputes  recorder, digital camera. 
powers of typical Immortals and 
■ They exist exactly as described in  Notable Traits:​ Each field agent will 
should not be caught by surprise by 
this section, but may have  have a Speciality in their subject, as 
any Basic or Lesser feats. Whilst they 
forgotten their own origins  they have studied their assigned 
are experienced with hunting 
Immortal’s chronicle in great detail. 
Immortals, they are not a full 
They will likely be familiar with their 
Example Watchers  habits, routine, personality, 
paramilitary force and will quickly 
retreat to live another day if faced 
Identities, Masks, Backgrounds and 
field watcher  with another armed force. 
so forth.  
Watchers are typically of any race, 
   
creed or religion - just like their 

85 
IMMORTAL: THE GATHERING 

rather than strictly mechanical ones,  have all the benefits and 

Equipment  should be brought to the fore.  disadvantages of Immortals with a 

Quickening. They revert to being a 
The default equipment rules in 
mortal and resume aging normally if 
Vampire: The Masquerade​ (p. 304)  Supernatural 
they lose possession of the Stone. 
should suffice for Immortals. Like  Equipment  What happens to any Quickenings 
vampires, Immortals do not benefit 
Almost no magical items or  absorbed once the mortal loses the 
from body armour. As for weapons, 
equipment specific to Immortals are  Stone is a complete mystery. 
broadswords (+3 damage) are 
recorded, with the only known  Secondly, Immortals who possess 
probably right for most weapons, and 
exception described below. If you  the Stone do not feel any effects of 
should be considered the traditional 
wish to create more items in your  the Urge for as long as they have it in 
weapon of choice for Immortals. 
world, it is of course your chronicle,  their possession and are completely 
Short swords (+2 damage) may be 
but bear in mind that Immortals are  immune to any Headhunting 
very advantageous for close quarters 
rare, unknown to and relatively  Compulsions. Moreover, this 
or for hiding in a crowd, or just for 
ignorant of other supernatural  resistance also applies to any other 
those ancient Immortals who grew up 
creatures. Those with magical  Immortals who regularly interact 
when they were all that was available. 
craftsmanship will be even rarer still.  with the Immortal in possession of 
Finally, claymores and other 
the Stone. This does not prevent 
two-handed swords (+4 damage) are  the methusaleh’s stone 
Immortals from killing each other, 
more deadly, but almost impossible  The only known magical item  absorbing Quickenings and 
to hide, even with Major Cloak.   associated with Immortals, only a few  experiencing a rise and fall of Base or 
The damage dealt by a weapon  know it exists and even those few do  Temporary Urge, but they are simply 
may often only be a small effect when  not know all of its properties. When 
immune to the effects and 
compared with the margin of success  whole, it appears as a polished crystal 
consequences of the Urge. In addition 
or supernatural power, but the choice  sphere, but when unassembled, it is 
to any strict mechanics, Immortals 
of weapon says a lot about the  just a bunch of jagged crystals which  affected by this power of the Stone 
Immortal in question - and the  stick together. According to legends,  should not feel nor need to roleplay 
player’s priorities.  the Biblical Methuselah created the  any external temptation or pressure 
Storytellers are encouraged not to  stone, but its actual origins are a 
to take Quickening ◾ 
give their players overly elaborate,  complete guess. The Watchers’ 
complex or powerful weapon rules as  records claim that in the first 
it could distract from the more  appearance of the Methuselah Stone, 
narrative-driven style in the modern  it was used to build a small army of 
edition, whilst also risking significant  Immortals, although the truth of the 
power creep. Immortals can already  matter and its current location is a 
deal great damage thanks to Powerful  mystery. 
Strike, to say nothing of any other  The Stone has two known 
Discipline powers which can be  properties. The first is to make a 
duplicated at higher Quickening, so  mortal who possesses it an Immortal 
extra bonuses are not necessary.  with a Quickening rating starting at 
These mechanical aspects should not  1; so long as they possess the 
be the focus, and the weighing up of  Methuselah Stone they may gain 
narrative pros and cons for weapons,  Quickening feats, do not age and 

86 
 l​ ​o​ ​r​ ​e​ ​s​ ​h​ ​e​ ​e​ ​t​ 

c​ ​l​ ​a​ ​n m​ ​a​ ​c​ ​l​ ​e​ ​o​ ​d 

 
 
 

 
clan from the Scottish Highlands, Clan MacLeod found 
and raised two notable Immortals: Connor and Duncan. 
Despite their youth, being born in the Sixteenth 
Century, they have made their mark on the Game and 
most Immortals alive today have heard of them.  
Most famously, Connor defeated a powerful Immortal known only 
as the Kurgan, who had been assumed by many to be the main 
contender for the Prize prior to his Last Death. For a long time, Duncan 
was thought to be less dangerous than his clansman, but his honourable conduct throughout the centuries brought him 
admirers and adversaries alike. 
 

 
 
⬤​ Ride Pleats:​ You have met at least  called, you lose this merit and any  damage equal to the highest of either 
one of the MacLeods before, possibly  Advantages or XP are refunded.  Composure or Resolve. 
even on friendly terms, and can lean       
on this association to get you out of  ​⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ​Camaraderie:​ You have  ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ​Kin:​ The MacLeods 
sticky situations. You may mention  heard of the many tales of the  consider you a kin, perhaps due to 
either Connor or Duncan MacLeod to  MacLeods’ kinship and meetings with  having one of them as a First Teacher, 
gain a one-die bonus for the purposes  each other and other Immortals.  having saved one of them at great 
of relevant Social checks with  Once per Story you may ignore any  peril, having also had Connor’s 
Immortals, primarily ones related to  effects associated with Temporary  teacher, Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos 
coercing your way out of a fight or  Urge for an entire scene, as you  Ramírez. The MacLeods are rarely in 
intimidating them to back down. You  remember that camaraderie is  the same place at the same time, 
may do this once per Story without  possible even in the darkest hour. This  especially since the turn of the 
any issue, but doing so more often  includes both negative effects such  millennium, but are both formidable 
may cause word to get back to the  as having to roll Willpower when  and resolute allies. They are the 
two MacLeods of what you are doing.  Sensing another Immortal and being  equivalent of a five-dot Mawla 
  temporarily immune to the effects of  (​•••••​) encompassing both 
⬤ ⬤​ Oath:​ One of the MacLeods  the Headhunting Compulsion, but  MacLeods, except that you cannot 
owes you a favour, likely for helping  also means you do not gain the ability  call upon the help of both within the 
them out of a tight spot during a  to see through Cloak or magical  same story.  
previous life. This grants you the  obscurity of Immortals.  Connor will likely only come to 
equivalent of a Minor Boon from one     your aid in the case of the worst of 
of the MacLeods, which can be  ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ​Fight On:​ The struggles of  peril - although he is more involved in 
called in at any time. As they are  the MacLeods are legendary, from  the Game and may even come 
amongst the most dangerous  their expulsion from their own mortal  proactively if he has heard of a 
swordsmen who walk the Earth, even  clans to their efforts against the  headhunter near you. Duncan, on the 
a minor boon could still be an  greatest of foes. Their fortitude inspires  other hand, will come to your aid 
incredible favour indeed, as most  you, and once per story you may heal  under less dire circumstances, but has 
activities which would be a mortal  either a single level of Aggravated 
a firm moral code which makes him 
danger to a lesser Immortal would not  Willpower damage, or a number of 
unlikely to lend a hand if he feels that 
be for them. Once this favour is  levels of Superficial Willpower 
you are not in the right. 

87 
 l​ ​o​ ​r​ ​e​ ​s​ ​h​ ​e​ ​e​ ​t​ 

t​ ​h​ ​e h​ ​o​ ​r​ ​s​ ​e​ ​m​ ​e​ ​n 

 
 
 

 
nbeknownst to most, mortals and Immortals alike, the Biblical 
figures of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were inspired by - 
or incarnated by, depending on one’s beliefs - a group of four 
Immortals who banded together during the Bronze Age and 
rampaged across Europe, the Middle-East and Africa. Whilst this group 
eventually evaporated, their impact upon the world at the time cannot be 
understated. Although many have tried to live up to their legacy, none have ever 
succeeded. 
In the time of the Gathering, records and memories of this legacy have begun 
to resurface, and the more determined and pragmatic of headhunters have even 
begun to consider a temporary alliance to dwindle the number of opponents. 
 

 
 
⬤​ Tales of Carnage:​ You have  their brutality. Once per story you may  problem or just ask him to spin you a 
studied enough stories of the Four  ask your Storyteller a question or for  yarn - or share with you his insights on 
Horsemen to be able to recount some  advice about a plan, tactic or  beer. With the Gathering upon you, 
of their legendary deeds, whether  strategy which you are considering.  this will more likely be a phone call or 
apocryphal or real. When telling such  They should answer this truthfully and  a meeting in an extremely crowded 
a tale, which may take several  helpfully, and may even reveal secret  area than a personal meeting. 
minutes, you may tie in a moral,  information as a result of the latent 
  
parable or comparison to an  psychic abilities and luck granted to 
⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ​Comes a Horseman:​ The 
on-going challenge facing you or  you by the Quickening. 
Gathering is nigh, and what better 
your listeners. For the rest of the    
way to ensure your own victory than 
Scene, you gain a one-die bonus to  ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ​Death:​ You have learnt the 
to ensure that the Horsemen ride 
Intimidate any listener by making  truth of the last remaining Horsemen, 
anew? Whether you have simply 
comparison to deeds described in  Death, and know that he is in fact 
heard too many legends, recovered 
your story.  Methos, the eldest of all Immortals - 
the sword of Caspian, Kronos or Silas 
   and you have even met him. Whilst 
or have taken the Quickening of 
⬤ ⬤​ Survivor:​ You have learnt  he now spends his life quietly, in an 
someone who once survived an 
important lessons about living a life of  unassuming persona, and as firmly 
encounter with them, you are sure 
constant bloodshed, whether from  away from the Game as possible in 
that your destiny is to reform the 
your own life, your First Teacher or the  order to stay alive for yet another 
Horsemen - and it seems that the 
Quickening of your opponents. You  5,000 years, his mind remains sharp. 
Game agrees. Fate and even the 
gain a one-die bonus for any dice  He enjoys can tell stories no other 
Game itself seems to twist itself 
pool to evade or escape surveillance  living being is likely to have heard, is a 
around you in order to help you finish 
or enemies, which is additive to any  brilliant strategist and likely has 
the Gathering, although what form 
bonus from a Haven’s dots in Postern.  familiarity with every supernatural 
this takes is up to the Storyteller.  
   creature in the World of Darkness.  
⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ​Cunning Strategy:​ The Four  Once per story you may arrange 
Horsemen were known, in their time at  to chat with the old man and either 
least, for their cunning as much as  pick his brain about a particular 

88 
 l​ ​o​ ​r​ ​e​ ​s​ ​h​ ​e​ ​e​ ​t​ 

t​ ​h​ ​e w​ ​a​ ​t​ ​c​ ​h​ ​e​ ​r​ ​s 

 
 
 

 
shadowy historians, stalkers, a secret society and a 
library of chronicles, the Watchers observe, catalogue 
and chronicle all Immortals they encounter. They keep 
vast stores of knowledge about every one they have ever 
encountered, driven by varying mixes of curiosity, obsession and envy. 
Chasing information on immortality all across the world, every 
Immortals, is almost certainly be under scrutiny and will have been for 
some time - perhaps from the earliest days following their First Death, 
but almost certainly since they were spotted with their First Teacher.  
Watchers maintain a chronicle on almost every individual Immortal 
and whilst they are typically unknown and invisible to their subjects, 
they are only mortal - only human. And to err is human. 
Some dots of this Loresheet relate to relationships which may be better left 
unknown to the player or at least the player character. The Storyteller should work with the player of an Immortal character who 
takes merits from this Loresheet to strike the right balance between knowing what they are signing up for, whilst keeping some 
characters shrouded in mystery at character creation. 
 

 
 
⬤​ Ignorance is not Bliss:​ Through  but only regarding Immortal matters,  ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ​Speculative Chronicle: 
careful observation - or interrogation -  and you may not request such aid.  Despite their vast libraries and skilled 
you have learned of the Watchers,  You will find it exceptionally difficult - if  operatives, the Watchers do not know 
their ​modus operandi ​and the  not impossible - to proactively draw  your identity and do not have a field 
information they record, although you  information out of them, assuming you  agent trailing you. It is likely that they 
do not know your current Watcher.  know them, and they will never betray  know that someone exists, perhaps 
This might give you leads to chase  the oaths they took to preserve their  piecing together unexplained 
down, a useful distraction to throw at  organisation or its secrecy. You may  Immortal deaths, but they do not 
an antagonist or it might end up  know or even be friends with the  have enough information to pin it to 
leading the entire Chronicle to  Watcher, but are highly unlikely to  you specifically. If you have a high 
uncovering the mysteries of the  know who or what they are without  Fame (Immortals), they will likely have 
Watchers themselves.  the relevant merit.   a chronicle under a mythical name or 
   Once per story, you may gain  pseudonym, but the details will be 
⬤ ⬤​ Sympathetic Watcher:​ Your  two successes to a long-term  spurious guesswork. You are unlikely to 
Watcher is somewhat friendly or  Investigation or Streetwise test or  realise this without the relevant merit, 
sympathetic towards you, and may  Project to find information about  and are simply very lucky. 
tip you off if a notorious Headhunter  another Immortal who has hostile    
comes to town, or even lend direct  intent, or two dice to notice danger  ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ​Biased Invigilator:​ Your 
aid in maintaining your current  within your Haven. The information  Watcher is very friendly towards you 
Identity/Mask if other mortals suspect  may come from scraps of paper left  and is actively involved in your life, 
something peculiar is happening. Your  on a doorstep, anonymous phone  perhaps even rooting for you to win 
Watcher may treated as equivalent  calls or similar sources.    the Game. They are the equivalent of 
to a two-dot Contact (​••​), in that  a four-dot Contact (​••••​) with 
they will provide information to you,  specific knowledge of you and your 

89 
 l​ ​o​ ​r​ ​e​ ​s​ ​h​ ​e​ ​e​ ​t​ 

t​ ​h​ ​e w​ ​a​ ​t​ ​c​ ​h​ ​e​ ​r​ ​s 

   

 
  
life, the Watchers, any other Immortals  ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ​Wolf Amongst Sheep:  particular Immortal or Immortal- 
who reside near you and any  You have successfully infiltrated the  related topic and they will answer to 
Immortals which prominently feature  Watchers, to the point that you have  the best of their knowledge. Likewise, 
in your history. They in turn have  their tattoo on your wrist (temporarily)  you should expect to be given a task 
contacts of their own, including from  and are a researcher assigned to  by the Watchers once per story, 
amongst Watchers.  dormant or speculative chronicles.  which may include finding an old 
You are likely to be acquainted  You talk regularly with your colleagues  artifact, journal, checking in on a 
with your Watcher and may even  and even peruse the chronicles of  missing Watcher, filing an update on 
know what they are - if not the full  other Immortals on occasion. You 
a chronicle which you have been 
details of what that means. Your  may even gain access to your own 
assigned to or even tailing another 
Watcher is unlikely to reveal details of  chronicle so that you can hide some 
Immortal whilst their Watcher is 
the Watchers as a whole, but may do  details under the guise of peer review, 
out-of-action. 
so in an emergency if doing so would  or be the steward of it, if it is a 
This Lore may be taken without 
save your head. They will not betray  speculative chronicle, although 
interfering too much will blow your  other merits from this Loresheet, but 
the Watchers, and asking them to do 
cover.   the Storyteller is encouraged to make 
so will jeopardise your relationship. 
Once per story, you may  the interaction - or lack of it - flavour 
They may occasionally ask for favours 
contact other Watchers for  how this merit works within the story. 
in return. 
information on the movements of a 
  
 

 
  
The Flaws in this section may be taken as normal Flaws  ⬛​ ​Flaw: (​⬤ ⬤​) Nothing is Hidden:​ A Watcher has 
during character creation at the discretion of the  decided that you are not worthy of winning the Game 
Storyteller. The antagonistic Watchers described in this  and will stop at very little to ensure that the Prize is never 
Flaws will not shatter the Illusion, nor betray the Watchers  yours. This takes one of two forms:  
as a whole and they are unlikely to know of other 
■ Rogue.​ The Watcher who hates you is your own and 
supernatural creatures. 
you cannot count on anything about you remaining 
 
secret or safe. Opponents will frequently be led to 
⬛​ ​Flaw: (​⬤​) The Walls Have Ears:​ Your Watcher does  convenient information about you and once per 
not like you to such an extent that they will cause  story the Storyteller should consider that one human 
occasional difficulties for you in your regular life or let  or Immortal opponent has access to relevant 
things slip to those who mean you ill. These effects can  information or resources, equivalent to them having a 
lead to negative impacts on other Backgrounds or your  three-dot Contact who specialises in you. 
relationships. Examples of how this may harm you include: 
■ Hunter.​ An (ex-)Watcher wants you killed away from 
■ Your Haven becoming Compromised towards a 
other Immortals in order for your Quickening to be 
specific Enemy or Adversary for a story 
forever lost, which may be due to a personal 
■ Two dots of Resources being temporarily unavailable 
vendetta or simply poor luck to land in their crosshairs. 
due to leaks of dodgy financial dealings 
You gain a three-dot Enemy (​•••​) in the form of a 
■ One of your Anchors becoming distant and unwilling 
group of Hunters, or a Hunter and a group of 
to continue speaking with you due to rumours or 
mercenaries, who know about Immortals -— and you 
evidence reaching them that implicates you in a 
in particular.  
crime 

90 
  

Appendix  
Foreword from 20th Anniversary Edition 
Highlander: The Gathering was written back in 1993 and is one of the most loved fan supplements. 
Unfortunately for us, some 20 years have passed since edition 2.5 was made. With the rise of the 20th 
anniversary editions of Vampire, Werewolf, and Mage, I thought it would be a good idea to redo the rules for 
modern times. 
Some of the things changed in this are the virtues system. Originally Immortals didn't have virtues 
like humans, however with the creation of new editions of Vampire, this changed, Immortal didn't. So, I have 
introduced the concept of Dark Quickening, which functions similarly to Torment from Demon, but transfers 
between Immortals after a death. This has added a sense of morality that is well known to the World of 
Darkness, and now Immortals are not excluded from this. 
While writing this I tried to preserve as much as the original concepts (and wonderful text) as 
possible, and to clear up some things about Immortals. I also choose to ignore the bad Highlander movies, and 
to keep the good fluff in check, while preserving the original game's concepts. This means the game's 
Immortals are slightly different than the ones in series and movies. Deal with it; we can’t get everything we 
want. 
"​Immortal: The Gathering 20th Anniversary Edition​” is compiled from Hank Driskill and John 
Gavigan’s “​Highlander: The Gathering​” and Mark Antill’s “​The Highlander Player’s Guide​", and R's Revised 
Edition. This net supplement would not be possible without their hard work. 
This version brings together the best elements of the work of these gentlemen into one sourcebook. 
It also places the supplement in step with the 20th Anniversary Edition books, both mechanically and 
thematically. This version is somewhat darker than the previous versions. 
Thank you and enjoy.  
 
- Outlander 

91 
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE

AHOMEBREWSOURCEBOOKFOR