Players' Guide to Immortals: Character Advancement

A character's progress is measured by his or her Power Point (PP) total.  Levels of experience were used to describe mortal progress, and also apply to Immortals.  But in addition, an Immortal reaches a limit after a series of level gains.

The character can then progress further only after meeting certain additional requirements and passing a test.  Each grouping of levels, representing the period from one such limit to the next, is called the Immortal's rank.  Level and rank gains are not handled in the same manner.

I mocked up an AD&D 1e type version of the Immortals Rank Advancement Chart:

Adapted from the Immortals Rank Advancement Chart (Players' Guide to Immortals, pg. 29)

Level Advancement:

Level advancement is automatic upon reaching the PP totals given for each.  The reverse process is also automatic; permanent PP expenditures may cause a loss of one or more levels within a rank.

Fifth level is the upper limit within each rank.  Progression from there to the next rank is impossible until a certain procedure is completed.  Until that time, the character's PP total cannot exceed the amount given for fifth level.  Power in excess of this amount is immediately discarded if earned.

Rank Advancement:

An Immortal must satisfy two specific requirements to become eligible for rank advancement.  The first is a given amount of Power Points, listed above.  The second requirement is that each of the three scores comprising the Immortal’s Greater Talent must be at the maximum for the character's rank.

An Immortal can only rise to a new rank by defeating one or more peers in a competition for the honor.  This game, carefully designed by the Eternals to be a fair and well-rounded test of the abilities of all applicants, held publicly and enjoyed by all observers, is part of a series of games called an Olympics.

Each Sphere holds its own Olympic games, held at regular intervals determined by the Hierarch or Eternals of each Sphere.  The games are watched by most of the Immortals of the Sphere.  When a competitor's hit points reach zero, that Immortal's material form is slain.

The life force automatically returns to the Immortal's home plane.  Most defeated competitors immediately assume a new form and join the spectators.  When the number of remaining competitors equals the number of vacancies, the event ends.