H I G H L A N D E R
T H E G A T H E R I N G F A T E

No on has ever known we were among you... Until now.

- Ramirez

ASPECTS

Your HIGH CONCEPT should contain the word "Immortal" and might include your age, for example "432 Year Old Immortal Highlander" (Duncan Macleod) or "Evil 3,000 Year Old Immortal Warlord" (Victor Kruger / The Kurgen).

Additionally, every Immortal possesses (or gains, if they're newly quickened) an additional Aspect representing their Sword. This is a weapon that is special to your character, a signature blade that they have grown accustomed to, and possibly even bonded with through the Quickening. You may not use this Aspect if you are not wielding your signature weapon. If you do not start with a Sword Aspect, you gain one after you take your first Quickening. You can change your Sword Aspect through decades of intense training, or taking the head of another Immortal with a weapon different than your Signature Sword.

It is suggested that your Sword Aspect includes one or two adjectives describing the weapon and the way you fight with it, it's culture of origin, and the type of blade, for instance: "Sleek and Agile Italian Rapier", "Ancient, Curved Persian Scimitar", "Elegant and Cunning Spanish King's Sword", or, of course, "Elegant, Legendary Dragon Hilt Katana".

If you just have to be different, and use an Axe or some other bladed weapon instead of a Sword, the Sword Aspect still covers that weapon; and we won't be over here judging you, I promise.

It's unfortunate; but also keep in mind, Immortals cannot produce children. They are all infertile. It has been suggested that this has something to do with the Quickening; but it's not exactly something that can be tested.

Quickening

Quickening is a measure of your Immortal's relative power, representative of their Life Essence, and the magic of existence. Your Quickening is equal to 1 + the number of Immortals you have killed in your lifetime. If you are not playing a newly quickened Immortal, you may determine the number of heads you've taken by making a Dueling Roll. This is how many Immortals you have personally slain. You might want to give a name and a brief description to these dead characters, as they might appear in Flashbacks (and if you don't do it, the GM will).

Note that this has nothing to do with your character's age. It is possible for an especially active but young Immortal to face a great number of others in combat, or for an exceptionally old Immortal to avoid conflict as best they can. Methos, the oldest known Immortal, is said to have extricated himself from the Game entirely, and refuses to duel.

SKILLS

In addition to the skills listed in the FATE Core System rulebook, Characters in Highlander also have access to the skills Dueling and Focus.

Dueling.

Dueling represents your character's proficiency in one-on-one combat with bladed weapons, especially in the context of Immortal conflicts with swords where the stakes are the Quickening itself. It encompasses not just the physical techniques, but also the mental discipline and strategy required to outmaneuver and outlast your opponent in a deadly contest of blades.

OVERCOME. Use Dueling to overcome challenges related to outmaneuvering an opponent in a sword fight, defending against an opponent's attacks, or maintaining focus and control in the midst of battle.

CREATE AN ADVANTAGE. When you're creating an Advantage with Dueling, you're Feinting and Parrying, Reading your Opponent, or using Psychological Warfare to get under their skin and force them to lower their guard.

ATTACK. While Fight covers all other aspects of close-in physical combat, Dueling is used to make physical attacks with a sword (or other bladed weapon) against an Immortal or other similarly armed opponent. You have to be in the same Zone as your opponent.

DEFEND. You use Dueling to defend against any other attack or create an advantage attempt made with Dueling, as well as pretty much any action where violently interposing your blade could prevent it from happening. You can't use this skill to defend against Shoot attacks.

Dueling Stunts

Master Duelist. Once per scene, you can spend a Fate Point to reroll a Dueling roll to attack or defend and choose the better result.
Counterstrike. When you succeed with style on a Defend action using Dueling, you can immediately make an Attack action against the same opponent without spending a Fate Point.
Deadly Riposte. When an opponent fails an Attack action against you using Dueling, you can spend a Fate Point to immediately make a free Attack action against them, using your Dueling skill.

Focus.

Focus is an Immortal's ability to harness and control the mystical energy known as the Quickening. This skill governs all aspects of Immortal "magic", including concealing weapons, enhancing physical capability, and sensing the presence of other beings. A high Focus Skill indicates a deep attunement to the Quickening and the ability to perform extraordinary feats that can turn the tide of battle or aid in evading detection.

Note, when you're carrying your sword in modern (or otherwise inappropriate for sword-fighting) attire, your weapon is considered to be hidden from casual view. This is an aspect of your Quickening, making you "seem normal" to those around you. If someone takes interest in your character, however, or is actively looking for weapons, Focus would be needed to maintain your secrecy.

All Immortals can sense the presence of one another through the Quickening. No roll is necessary for any Immortal in the same or an adjacent Zone. This also works for Holy Ground, though the sensation is triggered when the Immortal actually enters the consecrated Zone. In order to actively detect an Immortal farther away than one adjacent Zone, or to determine who the character is that is setting off your "Quickening Sense" requires a Focus roll.

OVERCOME. Use Focus to overcome challenges related to controlling your Quickening, such as maintaining the concealment of your sword, enhancing your physical abilities temporarily, or resisting the effects of a "Dark Quickening".

CREATE AN ADVANTAGE. When you're creating an Advantage with Focus, you're hiding your sword away to be drawn unexpectedly, sensing other Immortals or even mortal creatures, gaining a tactical edge in locating allies or foes, or temporarily enhancing your physical attributes through the Quickening.

ATTACK. Focus is not typically used for direct Attack.

DEFEND. You may use your Focus instead of Will to resist the corrupting influence of a Dark Quickening by using your Focus to maintain your sense of self and sanity.

Focus Stunts

Quickening Cloak. You can conceal your weapon so well using the Quickening that it is impossible to detect by normal means. Gain a +2 bonus to any roll to maintain this concealment against other Immortals.
Heightened Awareness. You can sense the presence of other Immortals in more distant Zones. Spend one Fate Point to gain a +2 bonus to Focus rolls made to locate other beings within Zones up to two steps from your own.
Preternatural Senses. The Quickening gives you an exceptional, often inexplicable understanding of you surroundings. Spend a Fate Point to have the GM tell you one hidden detail about the environment for each point of Quickening you possess.

HEALING AND RECOVERY

Immortals recover from physical injury faster than other characters.

While Stress recovers at the same rate for immortals as for anyone else (after about a minute to catch your breathe, remove all check marks in Stress boxes), Physical Consequences recover much faster than for mortals.

At the end of each scene, any Physical Consequence suffered by an immortal THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE THE IMMORTAL'S NECK is reduced by one step (Severe to Moderate to Mild). While the Overcome Action and wait times are still relevant for Mental Consequences, Immortals recover very quickly from physical damage, in addition to reducing the severity of the Consequence, the Immortal can rename it to reflect the healing that is taking place. For instance, "Chopped Off Hand (6)" could be reduced to "Raw but Regrowing Nub (4)" or even "Useless Dead Hand (4)" if you found your severed hand and reattached it. At the end of the scene after, "Useless Dead Hand (4)" might become "Numb Hand (2)".

If you sustain Stress and cannot negate it with Stress Blocks or Consequences (they're all filled up), and you are Taken Out of the Fight, you may appear to be dead; but - provided you don't lose your head - you will reawaken at the end of the scene, when your most severe physical consequence is reduced to Moderate, and you clear your Stress. If someone cuts your head off, you're done. Sorry.

It's funny to me that a game about Immortals might be the most deadly FATE campaign I've ever run.

DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD

If your consequence involves physical injury to your Neck, without outright killing you, it will not heal this quickly, regardless of the severity of the consequence, you must wait one whole scenario after the recovery action; and when you remove the consequence, you must gain the Neck Scar Extra, which automatically increases the severity of any physical stress or consequences that involve your neck by one.

THE GAME

When two Immortals clash in physical combat, only one can survive. A character who concedes one of these duels is likely to die when their opponent takes their head. When this happens - when one Immortal takes the Head of another, they also claim their opponent's Life Essence in a chaotic display of light, pressure, and electricity known as the Quickening.

Quickening is that life essence - a measure of an Immortal's Strength, Force of Will, Experience, and Knowledge. To determine your character's Quickening, see above. This number is important, because it determines the effects of the Quickening Exchange you experience when you take the head of another Immortal.

Taking another Immortal's Head is treated as a Milestone, and while it isn't the only Milestone you will encounter in the game, it does grant an automatic and immediate character advancement.

If the duel's victor possesses a Quickening Score that is higher than the opponent's by 5 or more, the victor gains a Minor Milestone.
If the Victor's Quickening is equal to the fallen Immortal's score (or within 4 above or below), the victor experiences a Significant Milestone.
If the Victor's Quickening is more than 5 points lower than the fallen's score, they experience a Major Milestone, but may also in danger of a Dark Quickening (see below).

QUICKENING MILESTONES

MINOR MILESTONE
As with other milestones, when an Immortal experience a Minor Milestone due to the Quickening, they may choose to do one (and only one) of the following.

Switch the rank values of any two skills, or replace one Average (+1) skill with any skill the loser possesses and the victor does not.
Exchange any single Stunt for one of their opponent's Stunts.
Purchase a new Stunt from their opponent's Stunts, provided they have the refresh to do so (you cannot drop below 1 Refresh).
Replace an aspect with, or incorporate, one character aspect from the Loser's Aspects, that isn't the High Aspect.

SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE
When an Immortal experiences a Significant Milestone due to the Quickening, they may (in addition to the benefits of a Minor Milestone) also gain both of the following:

One additional Skill Point, which you can spend to buy one of the loser's skills at Average (+1) or increase an existing skill by one rank.
If you have any sever consequences, you can rename them to begin the recovery process, if you haven't already.

MAJOR MILESTONE
If the Immortal experiences a Major Milestone as a result of the Quickening, they gain the benefits of a Significant Milestone (including the benefits of a Minor Milestone), and all of the following additional options:

If you have an Extreme Consequence, rename it to reflect that you've moved past its most debilitating effects. This allows you to take another Extreme Consequence in the future, if you desire.
Take an additional point of refresh, which allows you to immediately buy one of the loser's Stunts, or keep it in order to give yourself more Fate Points at the beginning of the session.
Advance the Skill Cap beyond the Campaign's current Skill cap, if you're able to, thus increasing the skill cap.
Rename your character's High Concept to be more in line with that of the fallen, if you desire.

DARK QUICKENING

If any of the losing Immortal's Aspects contain the words "Evil, Bad, Corrupt, Hateful, Heinous, Malevolent, Malicious, Nefarious, Villainous, Wicked" or similar adjective and their Quickening is 5 or more higher than the victor's, the victor must roll the higher of their Focus or Will against the Loser's Focus. If the Victor wins this roll, they are unaffected by their opponent's tainted soul. If they lose this roll, however, they suffer a Mental Consequence equal to the Shift. If this Consequence is 8 or more, one of their permanent Aspects (NOT High Concept or Trouble) is replaced by one of the fallen Immortal's aspects that contains the adjective that is synonymous with Evil (at the GM's discretion, they can just add the evil adjective to one of their own Aspects). If more than one of these aspects exists, the Player may decide which aspect they take on. The Player may change this Aspect, even reverting to its original, as normal, when they achieve a milestone.

THE RULES OF THE GAME

All immortals abide by a set of rules, generally passed down from Mentor to Student through the ages. These represent a Code of Conduct under which all Immortals conduct themselves. Even the most evil and depraved of Immortals recognize the benefits of adhering to at least the big three rules of the game.

There Can Be Only One

Immortals are told that they must fight until only one is left alive. In support of this is the legend of the Gathering, when the remaining Immortals will feel an irresistible pull toward a faraway land, to fight the final battles for the Prize.

The Sanctuary of Holy Ground

No Immortal may fight or take the head of another on consecrated ground. There is only one recorded instances of an immortal breaking this rule: Pompeii, AD 79, immediately preceding the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Every Immortal can sense when they pass into Holy Ground. Similar to the sensation of other Immortals. This concept of consecrated or holy ground goes beyond all notions of modern religion or belief. Maybe these religions build on top of sites anyone can sense is holy, maybe the concentration of belief makes the site holy; no one knows. But the effects of taking another Immortal's head on Holy Ground are very real.

Similar to attempting to share in the kill of another, Holy Ground steals from exposed Quickening. If one Immortal beheads another on Holy Ground, the Ground itself steals the kill. The level of Milestone gained by the Quickening is reduced by one; it is possible to gain nothing from the killing - the Life Essence of the loser lost forever. Additionally, the Victor must roll Focus or Will against the Loser's Focus. If they lose this roll, the victor gains a Consequence equal to the Shift, and their own Quickening is reduced by 1.

There's no written rule about it; but I suppose an Immortal whose Quickening were reduced to 0 would be made Mortal? I don't know. Seems like a lot of work for nothing.

One on One

Immortals must fight one on one. No two or more Immortals may attack another simultaneously, or interfere with an immortal duel that is under way.

While another tradition with the force of law, this rule also has real consequence behind it. If two Immortals are present in the same Zone when another dies, the two share in the kill. Unfortunately, this doesn't really do anything for the weaker of the two Immortals. The character with the highest Quickening gains the benefits from the kill, though the Milestone is reduced by one for each additional Immortal present (otherwise similar to fighting on Holy Ground). If fighting on Holy Ground, treat the Ground itself as an additional Immortal.

In addition, the Immortals present must roll opposed Focus or Will rolls against each other, with the winner of the roll stealing 1 Quickening from the loser of the roll (this is in addition to the normal effects of the Quickening). Again, if this abomination of a fight takes place on Holy Ground, the loser of the duel also rolls Focus. If the now headless Immortal wins this roll, the point of Quickening is lost to the ether, diminishing all and reducing the Prize. Each Immortal Present rolls against each other Immortal in the Zone at the time of the Quickening.

LESSER RULES

There are also a number of commonly understood and accepted rules and customs:

Immortals keep their challenges and affairs secret from the mortal world.
Immortals do not fight or discuss their business in public. The only exception may be within established relationships, as immortals sometimes share the truth of their existence with those who "need to know".
Immortals who "die" in public are expected to leave the area, effectively abandoning their life and identity in order to avoid contact with those who knew them.
Newly quickened Immortals are assumed a brief "grace period" in which they might receive training and protection from an elder Immortal. Though this rule might be ignored occasionally, it is accepted wisdom that the benefits of wisdom and experience bolster the Immortal community as a whole, "seasoning" the Quickening, as it were - and making it more beneficial to the one who eventually takes their head.

Many Immortals bind their own codes of ethics within the Rules, often issuing their challenges against those Immortals who have offended their personal morals in some way or fashion.

FLASHBACKS

Flashbacks play an important role in the Highlander media. The lives of the Immortals are long and arduous, and sometimes an Immortal forgets something they knew when they were younger. The memories of the Immortals are tricky things, however, and a Player or Game Master may call for a Flashback at any time during the course of the Adventure. When this happens, the Player in Question names at least one other Player Character or NPC that was present in their past, and the Stunt, Skill, or Aspect they wish to recall.

The Player plays themselves during the Flashback. Any other Player Characters that were present are also played by their respective players. If a Player Character isn't present, that Player takes on another role - that of an NPC Mortal or Immortal that isn't directly opposed to the Flashback Character. The GM sets the scene and location, and the group decides on two Big Issue Aspects for the Flashback.

In addition to these, the Flashback contains two other Aspects: Flashback, which reflects penalties that an Immortal may be subject to because they haven't always been as accomplished as they are now; and Keep Yourself Alive which may be invoked by any character still alive in the present, when the odds turn against them and their life is on the line.

When the Flashback is over, the Flashback Character may exchange any one Stunt or Skill for another of equal value (this includes swapping the values of Skills), or they may rewrite any one Aspect (that isn't their High Concept) to reflect the contents of the Flashback.

If appropriate, once the Flashback has completed, the GM may Compel the Flashback as though it were an Aspect, if the events of the Flashback have the appropriate bearing on the current Scene. Once the Scene ends, so to does any threat posed by the Flashback.

DEAR FRIENDS

When two Immortals come together, it's often going to end bloody. Often, but not always. Some Immortals have divorced themselves from the Game, some are just friendly. Sometimes - through the long line of your Immortal's lifetime - they've met other Immortals and the result wasn't a mindless battle from which one ends up about a foot shorter. Since you're going to be playing the Adventure with other Immortals, allied against a common threat, it's probably best to figure out how you know one another before we begin. Come up with a connection that binds your character to each of the other player characters in the group. You can choose from the list below or put your heads together and create your own ties that bind.

Former Mentor. One of the other heroes trained you in the ways of combat or survival, preparing you for the challenges of Immortality.
Friendly Rivalry. You and another hero have crossed paths numerous times over the centuries, sometimes as rivals vying for the same prize or reputation.
Rescuer. One of the heroes saved your life, forging a bond of gratitude and trust between you.
Shared Apprentice. Both of you trained under the same Immortal mentor, forming a bond through shared experience and teachings.
Ancient Alliance. Centuries (or however long) ago, you fought alongside one (or more) of the other heroes against a common enemy, establishing a deep camaraderie rooted in shared experience.
Secret Keeper. You share a hidden secret with another hero that could threaten you both if revealed. You'll have to come up with that secret together.
Cultural Connection. You both hail from the same cultural background or era, allowing for a shared understanding and fellowship against the challenges of Immortality.
Reluctant Allies. Despite initial distrust or animosity, circumstances forced you to work together, gradually building respect and a tentative alliance.
Lost Love. You were once deeply in love with another hero, but circumstances or conflicts separated you. The bond remains, despite the passage of time.
Recurring Adversaries. You and another hero have clashed repeatedly over differing ideologies or personal vendettas, yet there is an underlying respect for each other's skills.
Common Adversary. Both heroes have a history of conflicts with the same powerful Immortal enemy. This shared adversary has forced them to cooperate on several occasions, forging a bond through their mutual struggle against a common foe.

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