Four D&D tips from Star Trek TNG’s fifth worst episode | TNG Angel One (video)

The episode in question is Season One, Episode 14, which aired on January 25th, 1988, and currently has an IMDb rating of 5.7. The title is Angel One. Searching for survivors of a spaceship crash leads the Enterprise to a planet ruled by women who keep men as second-class citizens. While Riker, Data, Troi, and Yar beam down to the surface, most of the Enterprise crew becomes infected with an illness.

This episode has been called out for being sexist. I’m not going to address that in this video. However, I will point you to the YouTube channel The Seventh Rule. They discuss this episode in depth. Plus, as a bonus, they interviewed Leonard Crofoot, who played Trent. The interview is outstanding.

Angel One is certainly lackluster, and it is not surprising to see it near the bottom of the episode list. Commander Riker should have been court-martialed when Picard read his report. Also, I don’t care if the elected leader of a planet is male or female; if they have a bed in their office, something is off.

Dungeon Master Tip Number One: Search for Survivors

Introducing a scenario where your players need to search for survivors is always a great story hook. Survivors mean some disaster happened, so you have drama right from the start. The added element that survivors could be in danger is also good. You have drama and urgency built right in. In the episode, the survivors are upsetting the planet’s whole society, placing their lives in danger.

Dungeon Master Tip Number Two: An Illness

In Angel One, an illness strikes the Enterprise crew. Illness also comes with built-in drama. It could also be a way to drive player engagement by having beloved NPCs fall ill or a disease sweep through a city. Star Trek Lore Dump: Angel One reviewers often note that the disease came from the holodeck, which makes no sense. However, the disease came from a planet called Quazulu VIII. Dr. Crusher mentions it in one quick line that often gets confused or overlooked.

Dungeon Master Tip Number Three: Embrace the Cliché

Searching for survivors and illnesses may seem overdone and a bit cliché. So what? If professional writers can use them, so can we. Cut yourself some slack. Every D&D session doesn’t have to be a groundbreaking masterpiece. Let’s have fun, and clichés can be fun.

Dungeon Master Tip Number Four: B Plots

It’s important to remember that the world doesn’t stop turning when the main characters are off doing their thing. The B-Plot in Angel One is, of course, the illness. The illness affects the ship while the Away Team is on the planet. In D&D, if your players have their characters return to a city after they have been gone, something should have changed. This doesn’t have to be big storylines (and shouldn’t be) or anything. Just remember the world keeps moving. Little details like that let your players know they are interacting with a vibrant world. Note: Plots work in TV shows, not in D&D and other RPGs. Just use the concept.

Four D&D tips from TNG’s fifth worst episode

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