Dungeons & Dragons Immortals Rules writte ten n by Dungeons Dungeons & Dragon Dragonss Immorta Immortals ls Rules Rules, writ Frank Mentzer, Mentzer, is a boxed a boxed set for set for the Dungeons & Drag ( ( ) fantasy role-playing game first published by ons D&D TSR in TSR in 1986 as an expansion to the Basic Set .
set also includes new powerful monsters, and suggestions for adventure scenarios.[5]
The set describes the history of Immortals within the game: once there were only three Immortals, who D&D game: discovered the multiverse, multiverse, and decided to give it order and purpose. purpose.[6] This This set set expan expands ds the D&D multiverse multiverse sys1 Publi Publica cati tion on histo history ry tem, with an an Astral Plane that permeates and connects the whole of the multiverse. [7] In addition to the Astral the Prime Material Plane, Plane, elemental The Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set was last revised in Plane, there are also the Prime planes, the Ethereal the Ethereal Planes Planes, , and many outer planes; these 1983 by Frank by Frank Mentzer as Dungeons & Dragons Set 1: mono-spatial atto-planes (about (about Between 1983 and and 1985, the system system was outer planes range from mono-spatial atto-planes Basic Rules . Between penta-spatial tera-planes (about 851 billion revi revised sed and expan expanded ded by Mentz Mentzer er as a serie seriess of five five 1/3” big) to penta-spatial tera-planes light-years big).[6] The set set provi provide dess notes notes for the Dungeon boxed sets, including: including: the Basic Rules (supporting (supporting char- light-years [1] Master Master (DM) concerning running Immortal campaigns, acter levels 1–3), Expe (supporting ng leve levels ls 4–14), 4–14), Expert rt Rule Rules s (supporti (supporting levels levels 15–25),[2] Master which cover the goals of Immortals and their place within Companion Rules (supporting including duties and responsibiliti responsibilities. es.[7] Rules (supporting levels 26–36), [3] and Immortals Rules Immortal society, including plays the role roless of the Immort Immortal als’ s’ super superio iors, rs, (supporting Immortals—characters Immortals—characters who had transcended The DM plays [7] [4] the the Hierarchs of each sphere. There are also sample levels). plots for Immortal adventures, and t wenty-two pages disThe Immortals Rules set contains contains two booklets: booklets: one is cussing monsters; this includes a range of demons of demons which which fifty-two pages long and the other is thirty-two pages. [5] [7] originally originally appeared in Eldritch Wizardry. The booklets, booklets, Player’s Player’s Guide Guide to Immortals Immortals and DM’s Guide to Immortals , were written by Frank Mentzer and edited by Anne by Anne Gray McCready, McCready, with cover artwork by Rece Recept ptiion Larry Elmore, Elmore, and interior illustrations by Elmore and 3 [4] Jeff Easley. Easley. Harold Johnson also Johnson also had a role in editing [6] and development. The Immortals Rules was was reviewed by Graeme Davis in issue No. 83 of White Dwarf magazine, who referred to this set as “the culmination of the D&D game game system”.[7] Davis found that this set is more like a different game 2 Cont Conteents than an extension of the old one, with significant changes in character progression, although he concluded that the Immortals Rules deals with player characters that have rules “are far pref preferable erable to the super-g super-gross ross Immortals rules successfully followed the courses laid out in the Master -stylee rules rules stretc stretch h that that coul could d have have happe happene ned” d” with with AD&D -styl attaining immortality..[7] This set adds a sysRules for attaining immortality such high level characters. [7] Davis found the set interesttem of power points; upon achieving immortality, charing, although he could not imagine actually actually playing it. He acters exchange all of their experience points for points for power commented, “There is a real feeling of having gone on points points at a rate rate of ten thousa thousand nd to one one.. Powe Powerr points points to greater things, and the considerable powers which the can be expe expende nded d to perma permane nentl ntly y enhanc enhancee attribute scores, Immortal Immortal charact character er commands commands are nicel nicely y offset offset by checks checks and form a magic a magic point system point system to fuel a character’s new and balances which the experienced DM can use to avoid avoid range of special abilities. Immortals advance in ranks in[7] critica criticall over-th over-the-top e-top-is -ism m in most circum circumstan stances ces.” .” Davis stead of levels; a character must keep a certain balance of conclu con cluded ded the revie review w by describi describing ng the set as: “Not an power points to maintain a rank, and must compete in the indispensable addition to the D&D stable, but an interOlympics to gain gain prom promoti otion on to the next next rank. rank.[7] The The comcomesting and well-thought-out one. Completists won't want bat and magic and magic systems systems are also expanded to take into acto miss it, and DMs of high-level mortal campaigns will count the new Immortal powers.[7] Each Immortal player player find some of the information it contains interesting.”[7] character has an abundance of powers, literally able to cast cast any any magic magic spel spelll in addi additio tion n to new new comb combat at abili abilitie ties. s.[6] Ken Rolston reviewed Rolston reviewed the Immortals Rules set set for Dragon The rules cover transhuman Immortal characters, their magazi magazine ne No. 127, 127, ref referring erring to it as “an ingeni ingenious ous,, powers, powers, artifacts, artifacts, and relationships relationships with other Immortals, original, and complex system of rules for playing gods”, and their ability to create personal “home planes”. [5] The which also “provides a rationale for travel travel and communi1
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cation among a limitless variety of alternate universes”.[6] He felt that the system was: “clever, complex, abstract, and powerful. It is also pretty demanding intellectually, with lots of neat metaphysical thought-puzzles”.[6] While he noted that the system is compatible with the D&D game, it was really a whole new game, with new statistics, attack and defense modes, and an entirely different set of motivations for characters. He criticized the lack of clarity in the presentation of the rules, and saw the additional levels of power for the player characters as: “a GM’s nightmare, with almost infinite opportunities for confusing interactions between spells and powers”.[6] He also felt the book’s handling of myths was “pretty bland”, calling it “the biggest weakness of the Immortals Set ", with “few psychological insights into D&D game divinities—nothing in the way of epic personalities, stories, and themes. Nor is there much of a sense of good and evil. The motivations of the Immortals are abstract rather than soul-stirring.”[6] He also criticized how the set was mechanics-oriented, not campaign-oriented, leaving it up to the DM to tailor the themes and myths to fit the campaign. Rolston concluded: “The D&D Immortals Set is really useful only for a very small audience. Few folk want to play gods, and fewer want to DM them.... On one hand, it is admirable for providing original concepts and mechanics worthy of Immortal PCs. On the other hand, it is disappointing in its failure to develop the alreadyestablished mechanics and traditions of gods and religions in fantasy campaigns.”[6] Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds , felt that “Play using the Immortals rules is so different from low-level D&D as to be almost another game entirely.” [5]
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References
[1] Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson [1974], edited by Frank Mentzer. Dungeons & Dragons Set 2: Expert Rules (TSR, 1983) [2] Mentzer, Frank. Dungeons & Dragons Set 3: Companion Rules (TSR, 1984) [3] Gygax, Gary, Frank Mentzer. Dungeons & Dragons Set 4: Master Rules (TSR, 1985) [4] Mentzer, Frank. Dungeons & Dragons Set 5: Immortals Rules (TSR, 1986) [5] Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guideto Role-Playing Games . Prometheus Books. p. 123. ISBN 0-87975-653-5. [6] Rolston, Ken (November 1987). “Role-playing Reviews”. Dragon (Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: TSR) (#127): 9. [7] Davis, Graeme (November 1986). “Open Box: Master Rules”. White Dwarf (review) (Games Workshop) (83): 4.
REFERENCES
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Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
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