DM's Guide to Immortals: The Campaign

Low-level Immortal PCs are repairmen. They're sent to the Prime (and everywhere else) to tidy up flaws and errors. Prime Directive: don't change anything Good, just fix things. You're immune to mortal magic and can trash anything... so don't. (Lots of luck; the adventures should try your patience and push you to the edge of the chasm of Last Resort.) What kind of repairs? Occasional abuse of immortal power by the Entropics, Elemental leaks & plumbing repairs, accidental intrusion by Big Dumb Things (save Greyhawk from a giant amoeba?), etc etc. Run with it. Start with Prime Plane settings (lots of controls and Hierarch-level supervision of your actions) and then move on to outlandish weird Other-Planar stuff. There are a zillion planets on the Prime; easy to try some alternate-earth and/or alternate-Greyhawk stuff.

Try it in one-offs but keep your wits sharp and watch for serious Interest in any given setting. When something really works, develop further and think campaign...

But here's the tough part. You can escalate the Maturity level of the game to problem-solving and negotiation and diplomacy, and that CAN be a lot of fun... but sometimes it's like the cartoon about vultures: "Patience my ass, I wanna KILL something!" So you need to build in some Release, some blow-off-steam... not as the Focus of the adventure but definitely there for the players to revert to oldstyle pre-immortal style. Have a good fight and then back to the core of the adventure.

Frank Mentzer, from Dragonsfoot (August 11, 2010)

Goals of the Immortals:

A single overall goal applies to all Immortal activities - the preservation of the Immortals themselves, and of their position of power in the multiverse.  All Immortals (including those of Entropy) strive for three lesser goals that contribute to this greater one, and work to further these goals in their own ways.  The following goals are listed in order of priority:

1. To maintain the existence and integrity of the Prime Plane and the creatures within it who, through their achievements, replenish the ranks of the Immortals.

2. To assist, protect, and develop the Sphere that one serves and other individuals, mortal or Immortal, who serve the same Sphere.

3. To explore and develop the multiverse

Existing Identities:

Many creatures around the world, human, demi-human, and monster, are actually Immortals.  Some are avatars, but most are Immortals who are responsible to maintain in long-term positions as observers of the Prime Plane and history.

The identities of these beings, the various details of their "natural" lives within society, usually belonged to true mortal beings who died.  Immortals call these characters Identities.

A single Identity may be used by many different Immortals over a period of time.  When one Immortal holds a long-term observer position, he or she may take a break by lending it to another for a special project, who returns it when the task is done.

By using an appropriate Identity, an Immortal may take the form of any character type of any level.  This is very helpful when most of the players have mortal characters, and one or two have Immortals but want to play in the same game. 

If handled properly, the other players may not even know that an Immortal is present!

Illustration by Terry Dykstra, from Wrath of the Immortals, Book One: Codex of the Immortals (1992)

Games With Both Mortals and Immortals:

Immortal activities on the Inner Planes are of two distinct types, Observation and Control.  An Observer's task is to gather information, avoiding interference.  A Controller's task is to cause specific changes through direct (though usually subtle) actions.

An Observer's task may be to study a given area, person, race, item, or some other topic, either broad or specific.  The Observer is usually required to assume a mortal form for the duration of the task.

Using the information they gain through observers, the Immortals take action to reach their goals.  Whenever such actions are best accomplished by a leader of men, or by some other creature that greatly influences the fate of human- or demi-humankind, those in the key positions who influence leaders are called Controllers.

Of special note here is the use of monster Identities, which are commonly used when the Immortals wish to present an adventurer or party with a specific and dangerous challenge.  This is actually a common practice when dealing with mortals who aspire to Immortality.  An Immortal, possibly even the mortal's sponsor, plays the role of a monster to be defeated.

An Immortal character's first experience with Observing is always carefully Observed by other Immortals.  Two or more members of the mortal party will thus be Immortals using Identities.  Other creatures and NPCs encountered during the adventure may also be Immortals.

Games for Immortals Only:

Explorations are common in the Prime, Ethereal, Astral, and Outer Planes.  No exploration of the Elemental Planes is needed, since those bounded planes hold few secrets.  They are entirely known and controlled by their respective Elemasters and elemental rulers.

Another type of game common to both mortal and Immortal play is the investigation.  Characters are asked to find more information about a specific situation, and usually to solve any problem presented thereby.

Many of the scenarios presented in the D&D Basic Set are again applicable, but on a much grander scale:

1. Investigate an Enemy Outpost

Beings hostile to the Immortals themselves could threaten the hierarchy, and may have an outpost hidden in the Astral or some Outer Plane.  Beings hostile to the human race, possibly from a distant galaxy, could begin to encroach on the home system.

2. Recover Ruins

Ancient remains, possibly of the Old Ones but definitely predating the Immortals, could be discovered anywhere.  A newly explored Outer Plane might require development and cleansing before use by the Immortals.

3. Destroy an Ancient Evil

Similar to the situation of an enemy outpost, this could involve a single creature or small group.  It may simply be a project of one or more Immortals of Entropy.

4. Fulfill a Quest

One or more Immortal PCs may be required to recover a valuable object or person, or perform some other service for a higher level Immortal.

5. Escape from Enemies

Immortals are very difficult creatures to trap, but it is possible.  At the start of the game, some item or creature (such as a brain collector) may have already captured the PCs, and they must find a way to escape.

6. Rescue Prisoners

Important mortals may be imprisoned in a way that defeats all mortal attempts at rescue.  The Immortals may decide to get involved.  Immortals may be trapped without means of escape (see 5.), and may require rescue.  Characters may be asked to find an Immortal who was lost in the Dimensional Vortex.

7. Find a Lost Race

In the course of general exploration, the characters may find a new race of creatures.  This type of game can be very challenging, as PCs must learn about the new race and decide how to handle them.  Are they a potential threat?  Should they be ignored or destroyed?  Or are they potential Immortals, to be protected at all costs?