4 DnD Tips from Star Trek TNG’s Seventh Worst Episode | TNG Masks (video)

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It has an IMDb rating of 5.8 and is entitled “Masks.” It originally aired on February 21, 1994, and is the 17th episode of the seventh and final season of The Next Generation.

The Enterprise encounters an 87-million-year-old rogue comet, which turns out to be a device that holds the history of an entire civilization. Commander Data is taken over by several individuals from the civilization, and the Enterprise begins to transform into a temple.

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If my memory serves, this episode was highly regarded when it first aired. Quite obviously, it has cratered in the opinion of fans since then, maybe based on some high-profile online reviews. The later seasons of TNG were rough, probably due to the cast and producers wanting to move on and do other film and TV work. A number of the writers from the last couple of seasons have gone on record as saying they were out of ideas and swamped because of the production of the feature film Star Trek: Generations. “Masks,” as the director correctly said, didn’t have a heart.

Dungeon Master Tip Number One: A Living Library

The concept of a device, whether technological or magical, holding the history of an entire civilization is excellent and we can use it in our D&D games. Now, it isn’t holding mere text. The device or object holds the actual essence of the history. It possesses Data and makes him speak as different people. It transforms its surroundings to recreate the civilization. In a D&D world, there could be a comet impact near a city that begins transforming it into a different culture. The transformation needs to be stopped, of course, and that’s where the player characters come in. The PCs could find the device in a temple and unwittingly activate it. The possibilities are endless.

Dungeon Master Tip Number Two: Populate the World

The Enterprise is practically devoid of people. There are a few extras here and there, but nothing like in the episodes from the earlier seasons. As dungeon masters, we must remember to have non-player characters around to make the world feel just a touch more real. I’m not talking about creating NPCs backstories or anything like that. Even just remembering NPCs in the description of towns and other places ups our games.

Dungeon Master Tip Number Three: Strong Payoffs

“Masks” has a weak payoff. Lackluster performances and low stakes mean when Captain Picard solves the puzzle at the climax, it’s not much of a moment. In fact, the ending is given away quite early, so when the climax arrives, it feels like Picard saves the day because Picard saves the day. You can compare this ending to the ending of “Elementary, Dear Data.” Both antagonists are talked out of their plans, but one ending feels real and one does not. We need strong payoffs in our D&D games. The players should feel like they have actually made a difference and their actions accomplished something. And we can do that with the help of…

Dungeon Master Tip Number Four: Consequences

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In “Masks,” we are supposed to believe the ship and crew are in danger, yet no crew members are injured even though the ship changes shape completely. There is no evacuation to other sections or reports of casualties. The episode ends and we move on, feeling like nothing was ever threatened. Also, the lack of a B storyline makes the episode feel hollow and that nothing hangs in the balance. Plus, improper character spotlighting means most of the main cast has nothing to do. Perhaps Doctor Crusher could have treated injuries and Troi could have helped evacuate crew members. Or maybe she could have turned into Masaka like was teased which would have given Marina Sirtis an opportunity to shine as the excellent actress she is. We have to make it clear to players that if their characters don’t act, something bad will happen. Now, we don’t have to make every campaign about saving the world, the ultimate stakes. We can have small stakes like making a delivery on time. However, the players need to know they will face a consequence if it is not delivered on time.

Four D&D tips from Star Trek TNG’s seventh worst episode.

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