How to Create 'Highlander' Immortal Swordsman Character?

Question

I'm currently building up to running a mixed World of Darkness campaign using the 20th edition rules as a base but with additional elements from previous books as required.

One of my players has asked to play a 'Highlander' style 'Immortal Swordsman' archetype and I'm wondering how to work this out.

The character could be designed as a Mage with suitable Life/Prime spheres and the 'Immortal' merit (saw it somewhere just can't remember where) but that feels slightly wrong as I'm thinking that such a character is in many ways quite weak, having only human characteristics, and, other than the ability to regenerate anything but a specific fatal wound, no magical talent at all.

Are any suitable rules already available that would cover this archetype of character? Especially covering regeneration like abilities would be helpful.

Answer 1

One of the first google hits: Highlander: The Gathering, often referred to as H:tG, is a net.supplement which incorporates Highlander-style Immortals into White Wolf's World of Darkness by Hank Driskill and John Gavigan¹.

The supplement contains rules for playing Highlander Immortals, including some of the effects of the quickening. It is well source from both the movies (there should have been only one!) and the TV series. There are some interpretations based on the ideas from the authors that you might disagree with but those are trivial to change.

I did play several games with Immortals in them and encounter no more issues than the general massive problems of mixing WoD supernatural creatures. It is a fairly small sample size, so is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

All in all, it does what it says on the tin and provides a rule set.

Note that it is not an official supplement: see the copyright declaration

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^{_{1: in case of link rot, the authors' names and the name of the supplement should be enough for finding either a cached or mirror copy.}}

Answer 2

Seems like you've already answered your own question (which is encouraged - if you do it as an answer). Things like Werewolf and Vampire are off the table as distinctly having too much monstrous baggage. The "I'm basically human" options are Mage and Hunter.

If you go Mage, then Prime/Life seems like the right answer as a main focus. Throw in some Time or Entropy for increased perceived skill with a sword, and maybe Matter for an actually better sword.

I'm not familiar enough with Hunters to have any suggestions here, with one exception. Hunters are basically violently opposed to any of the other groups, so getting them to cooperate will be nearly impossible.

Answer 3

Hunters Hunted II has one or two useful Numina powers that can give an edge to an otherwise low powered human. e.g. The Hedge Magic 'Path of Healing' allows a character to heal themself and others.

Ghouls and Revenants also has options for gaining access to limited vampiric powers as well as self healing. Renegade ghouls do sometimes hunt vampires for their blood rather than be slaves to the kindred.

It's all really down to how you want to interpret the rules into the story.