Immortal: The Invisible War (An Alternative Personality Role-Playing Experience)

This is the first edition of the game, which, out of the three editions, is my favorite. The system is amazing in its abilities and flexibility, the world is vast, going beyond even D & D when it comes to the sheer potential of the universe. You can literally pull together the most disparate parties, featuring vampires, normal every day people, D & D style mages, cyber punks and so on with little effort. Perhaps the only complaint with it is the mechanics (though I will say, I am working on a conversion to old World of Darkness for simplicity). The game has a history that spans 65 million years and covers all sorts of goodness like the rise of Immortals, their formal rulers, the Abzulim, the enemy they fight through the infinite nights. Add in the Mantles and the Dominions and you have every imaginable alternative history you could want at your fingertips. Characters and NPCs can range from average mortal to beings with globe spanning senses and earth shattering powers. Also, in relation to another review that was posted, you don't -have- to play yourself from a parallel universe. The system does allow for totally fictional characters. So...in summation, I have to say that the world/setting is definately a 5. The concepts in the game are also definately 5. For character playability and GM options it's also a 5. The only weakness of the game is the mechanics, which are easily scrubbed and cleaned if you want, so I'd have to put it as a 3. The rest of the game completely outshines this one problem, especially if your more a role player than a roll player.

This game has amazing flexibility, despite the complicated character creation. If you want to play a vampire, you can create a vampiric Immortal. If you want to play a werewolf, that's just far too easy. This is a game with rich environments, beautiful artwork, inspiring ideas and unique gameplay design. I highly recommend this to any experienced role-player. I have never yet found a game that has offered such amazing flexibility and unique design to both storytellers and players alike.

This product is truly a marvel. Not only is the writing well crafted, but the setting and systems are highly thought-provoking and enjoyable. Perhaps the truly unique game mechanics were the first edition's downfall, not to mention almost impossible to translate into, say, the d20 system, but I maintain that they were part of what made it so enjoyable. Ran Ackels created a world that genuinely feels like it has been inhabited for 65 million years; the artifacts and settings and plots manage not only to to balance three very difficult impressions (alien, hauntingly familiar and extremely old) but make them enjoyable. The character generation system is not completely unique, though rare: the players play themselves from the universe next door, which in this case means that they are immortals of at least 400 years of age (give or take a few decades) and quite likely much, much older. The process of character development is more a process of 'remembering', rather than building up from a baseline starting point. There are plenty of challenges for players and referees alike, even after the minor issues with terminology have been mastered. Overall, I was entraced by the book from the moment I saw the cover, and remain delighted by the possibilities that flow forth every time I open my copy. Come. Become more than what you think you are. Remember what you were... Reclaim your powers and your place... ...and transcend.