Thoughts on a Gold Box Immortals campaign
by Frank MentzerIF you want to try running a Gold Box Immortals campaign, here's my best advice.
Pretend it's Science Fiction without the tech.
Recreate your fav plots from television, film, and books, deemphasizing the force-faceoff (which PCs either overpower OR are situationally prevented from doing) through skillful plot alteration.
Insert an immortal (Entropic) BigBad behind formerly mortal machinations.
(Sure, Mortals can have and use tech; that's their prideful failure, not trusting magical & immortals. You can overcome it, and maybe you can convert them. Hm...)
But remember, this is just 'Red Box' kiddie D&D (according to AD&D 1e/2e fans), the 'simple version'. (rofl)
Star Trek TOS (The Original Series), Season 2, "Mirror, Mirror"
Original: A transporter accident places Capt. Kirk's landing party in an alternate universe, where the Federation is a barbarically brutal empire. (You can insert 'asides'/flashbacks to the ongoing TOS story, step by step, providing a time constraint.)
Revised: You are sent to an obscure corner of one galaxy (instant teleport of course) to repair a Reality Rift. Something did this deliberately. Warning: Belligerent hostiles, possible Avatar damage from unusual devices.
REMEMBER: Alterations to the Prime are Forbidden. Minimize probability ripples, and do not alter existing cultures.
More Star Trek TOS -> D&D Immortals
(Standard constraints: Preserve the Prime and minimize mortal casualties.)
(Standard warning: Primitives who can disintegrate)
"Devil in the Dark"
Original: The Enterprise is sent to a mining colony that is being terrorized by a mysterious monster.
Revised: Genocide Alert. A unique life form will vanish unless you carefully intervene. Apply masquerade techniques, infiltrate, ensure life form continuity. Note: Horta has spellcasting ability and does not realize it.
"Operation: Annihilate!"
Original: The Enterprise crew attempts to stop a plague of amoeba-like creatures from possessing human hosts and spreading throughout the galaxy.
Revised: They are coming from a nearby metastasizing Protean. Force it to stop and depart. Proteans must learn that propagation within occupied regions is strictly prohibited. Remain strictly hidden from all humanoids.
Player Notes
Devil: You need to contact this Horta, protect her, and enlighten her to her innate potential for magic. Closed community, Trek people and local miners only. Figure out how to show up gracefully -- be creative -- and work up your pitch. They're trigger-happy; locals have minor pellet throwers but the visitors have disintegrators. (Buying a replacement Avatar will ruin your XP progress, so be careful.) You could probably hire a Notion to help; ask whoever's on deck in Thought.
Annihilate: Mortal proteans are always problematic. We can't live with 'em and we can't live without 'em, eh? Generally trainable idiots, pet-level, but they go into heat, and then it's on. Sigh. She's over the top, very irritable and swollen, around 150 HD, which means magic is right out, can't get through her aura. Expect pseudopod damage around 6d6, defend against it; routine stuff. Go herd a cow, shouldn't take long... unless those Trek people detect you. That can 'go nuclear', and they can Detect the bejeebus outta nearby space, so keep your dam' heads down!