The Master DMs book provides details on the Immortals, a major aspect of BECMI cosmology, representing a thematic departure from the gods of the AD&D multiverse.
Illustration by Terry Dykstra, from the D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991)
Once mortal themselves, these heroes of legend served the advancing of the multiverse, gaining powers and responsibilities beyond the realm of the living as their reward. Now Immortals, they subtly manipulate the events of the multiverse to advance their sphere of power. Their maneuverings create challenges and epic sagas to test the worth of mere mortals while furthering the Immortals’ own mysterious goals.
Each Immortal may serve only one sphere of power. The struggle for dominance between the spheres of power causes conflict in the campaign.
The Spheres of Power:
The Sphere of Matter - related to Earth, Law, favors Fighters. Opposed to Time’s efforts to cause change and provides Thought with existing order.
The Sphere of Energy - related to Fire, Chaos, favors Magic-Users. Opposed to Thought’s efforts to control it and seeks to transform Matter despite the ravages of Time.
The Sphere of Time - related to Water, Neutrality, favors Clerics. Opposed to Matter’s efforts to withstand change, causes a loss of Energy through time, and teaches Thought the lessons of history.
The Sphere of Thought - related to Air, favors Thieves. Opposes the chaotic excesses of Energy and attempts to manipulate the effects of Time to create order and form in Matter.
The Sphere of Entropy (or Death) - not related to an element. Seeks to destroy Matter, dissipate Energy, cause Time to stagnate, and stop new Thought.
The elemental principles of dominance and opposition.
Immortals in the Game:
An Immortal is a being who cannot die by earthly means. They do not need food, drink, or air. They easily manipulate the elements and magical energies while remaining almost totally immune to their effects.
An Immortal can be harmed only by a +5 or greater enchanted weapon or an artifact, and is immune to all mortal magic. Most Immortals can cast any mortal spell at will.
When an Immortal is damaged, he takes only the minimum damage possible. (for example, 6d6 + 3 dice of damage results in 9 points of damage.) An Immortal’s Anti-Magic field is 50% effective within 5 feet.
If an Immortal is slain outside his home plane, his essence returns to his Immortal home and forms a new Immortal body in a number of days equal to his Immortal hit points.
PC Immortality:
Human characters may begin their quest for immortality upon reaching the 30th level, while demi-humans require 1,000,000 experience points.
A path to immortality corresponding to one of the four spheres of power must be chosen, and an Immortal sponsor must be sought.
Discovering a path and seeking an immortal sponsor require additional adventuring. Achieving immortality will take most human characters to 36th level.
The Four Paths:
The four paths to immortality are:
The Path of the Polymath - the path to the Sphere of Matter, favors the fighter class.
The Path of the Paragon - the route to the Sphere of Energy, favors the magic-user class.
The Path of the Dynast - the route to the Sphere of Time, favors the cleric class.
The Path of the Epic Hero - the route to the Sphere of Thought, favors the thief class.
*the mini-adventure AC7 "The Spindle of Heaven" by Bruce Nesmith involves a brief adventure in which the PCs can learn details regarding one of the paths to immortality (the adventure involves the elemental plane of air, so the route to the Sphere of Thought, the Path of the Epic Hero, represents a logical choice) or details regarding the relevant artifact
Nesmith suggests follow-up adventures involving the other three elemental planes (earth, water and fire) to learn clues regarding the other paths to immortality.
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