Nephilim (role-playing game)
Front cover of the Nephilim rulebook
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| Designer(s) | Fabrice Lamidey Sam Shirley Greg Stafford Frédéric Weil |
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| Publisher(s) | Chaosium |
| Publication date | 1992 1st ed (French) 1994 1st ed (English) |
| Genre(s) | Occult, Modern, Historical |
| System(s) | Basic Role-Playing |
Nephilim is a role-playing game about powerful elemental entities reincarnating into human beings. The players take the roles of these beings as they adapt to their newly symbiotic existence and learn the secrets hidden behind veils of obscurity and mysticism, seeking the path toward enlightenment, Agartha. The game contains much symbolism, primarily related to the Hermetic tradition.
The game was originally published in 1992 by the French company Multisim. The first edition used the Chaosium "Basic Role Playing" principles, and in 1994 was translated into English by Chaosium as well, with some additional research and writings by Kenneth Hite.
Since then, Nephilim had three other editions (all three in French, from Multisim/Mnémos) - the second edition was still akin to the BRP system while the third edition, Nephilim : La Révélation (The Revelation) uses a radically different, descriptor-based, system. It also introduces Ar-Kaïm and intuitive magic in the style of Mage: The Ascension (although based on elements and words instead of spheres). The fourth edition has its own unique system as well, using a scale ranging from 1 to 25 and difficulty multipliers to obtain percentages. Its core book as for the first two editions is centered on Nephilim.
Nephilim is a game based on the idea that since ancient times there have been spirits without bodies who, given the right circumstances can take over the body of a human and use it until it dies, then try to find another body. These spirits are the Nephilim.
Players get to choose one of five types of Nephilim. Within each of these types are different species of Nephilim. Each type of element or "Ka" has different strong points. Fire Nephilim (Pyrim) tend to be aggressive, Earth Nephilim (Faërim) are caretakers and healers, Air Nephilim (Éolim) are intellectuals, Water Nephilim (Hydrim) relate to change and movement and Moon Nephilim (Onirim) are secretive and manipulative. They are also defined by the major Arcana they choose to follow.
The spirit of the Nephilim takes over the body of a human and tries to gain the skills and knowledge the human has, while avoiding the Immortals' enemies. The Nephilim's ultimate goal is to attain Agharta, a form of spiritual illumination. Other races have a similar goal.
Nephilim can be set in any times from ancient Egypt to present day or the future.
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