Current thoughts on attributes, skills, and ka-elements

I'm still translating the 3rd edition, and my knowledge of the 4th and 5th editions is fragmentary, but I think I know enough of the rudiments to start thinking about my own rules revisions. The BRP rules aren't a good fit for Nephilim. So I've decided to devise a new system based on the French version, third edition and beyond.

Currently my ideas are like so:

  • The Nephilim's Ka, Personality Traits and Degenerations are treated as Characteristics and measured from 1-5 levels. Instead of numbers, Characteristics are described using adjectives and adverbs. E.g. Not Strong, Little Strong, Enough Strong, Strong, Very Strong. Each Characteristic has attached a pool of 0-10 "bullets" used to track progression: when the character accumulates 10 "bullets", then the "bullets" are erased and the Characteristic increases by 1 level, and vice versa. 
  • Instead of persistent Meta-Characteristics, each Ka has an associated “Approach” that must be deliberately activated. This applies a bonus to any applicable action, but at the risk of revealing the Metamorphosis or inflicting points of Khaiba or Narcosis. Selenim only have the single Black Moon Approach by default, but as compensation may curse mortals with an equivalent penalty. Metamorphosis and Imago Aspects may provide Approaches too, to compensate for low Ka values.
  • All Skills are noted at Profane, Apprentice, Companion or Master. This includes Occult Skills and Life Experiences. Each Skill has attached a pool of 0-5 points used to track progression. 1 point is required to raise a Skill from Profane to Apprentice, 3 points to raise from Apprentice to Companion, and 5 points to raise from Companion to Master.
  • Instead of a long list of mundane Skills, characters have Life Experiences instead that abstractly measure their capabilities. Each character has a Life Experience for each incarnation, including their current one. Each Life Experience consists of the incarnation era and that incarnation's profession: e.g. "Egyptian priestess in Thebes, 1350 BC."
  • In addition to Occult Skills and Life Experiences, characters also have various assets representing magical items, places, and other connections that have been retained across their incarnations into the present period of play.
  • Rather than subtracting Ka for each incarnation, players balance their choices at character creation by selecting an equal amount of flaws representing various hardships they encountered across history. So a PC may begin with Master level at every step of character creation, but each step has a corresponding flaw at Master level too.

The playable options would include Nephilim, Selenim and Ar-Kaïm. The same character creation steps are used for all three, but each is somewhat different. Character creation generally goes like so:

  1. Pick whether the PC is a Nephilim, Selenim, or Ar-Kaïm. This determines their magical aptitudes and handicaps.
  2. Sapience: note each step at the level of Apprentice, Companion, or Master. These don't need to be done in precise order.
    1. Initiation: Determine the character's Ka rating.
    2. Aspect: Select Personality Traits.
    3. Occult Path: Determine occult skills.
    4. Past: Determine involvement in the world and mundane skills.
  3. Falls: for each step of Sapience, select an equal amount of magical injuries and/or enemies in the occult world.
  4. Finishing touches: decide intrigues, stasis item, assets, current simulacrum, etc.

Each of the three families of Immortals has their own magical capabilities and handicaps.

  • Nephilim are the most numerous family, consisting of a human being merged with an elemental pentacle that grants them access to past lives and spellcasting. However, they are vulnerable to Orichalc and their existence is linked to their Stasis item.
  • Selenim are limited to the element of Black Moon, but have their own unique magic. They aren't sensitive to Orichalc, but they need to drain Solar-Ka from mortals and they cannot reincarnate as easily as Nephilim.
  • Ar-Kaïm can potentially cultivate all 8 Ka within themselves. They aren't sensitive to Orichalc, but their essence is unstable and they can only reincarnate within members of their first incarnation's bloodline.

I'm definitely going to revise this later, but I still find it helpful to put my thoughts in order. Hope you enjoyed!

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