Cyronax
Explorer
Goodness. I am humbled. Thank you all.
For what it's worth, I do think the D&D fey could be used deftly, and with a fairly light touch, to create situations sort of like Cosmic Imps without turning players off.
For one, I think it's easier to stomach when the Imp doesn't actually do anything -directly- to the PC's, but rather manipulates the environment or other characters. Don't turn 'em into rabbits, turn the castle into a giant rabbit hole that they're now stuck in. That kind of thing. Then the 'cosmic imp' is really more of an environmental hazard, which is a legitimate Hero's Challenge, and they'll rise to the occasion.
Another thing would be to do something they actually did in Star Trek a few times, which is to make the Imp's interference kind of secondary. The PC's are here on a mission, and the Imp shows up and introduces a complication, then leaves. Maybe it switches their bodies around, or turns them blue, or in some way changes things so that the PC's have to change their plans to compensate...but otherwise doesn't mess with them. That again leaves them with agency....they can still do their quest, it's just trickier now.
Also, as others have very accurately pointed out, much will be forgiven by players who've had the opportunity to get catharsis. After a few scenarios with an Imp, the PC's will want...and likely deserve...some well-earned Imp-thwarting.
That's good advice. Fey would make the most sense actually.
One type of scenario I was actually thinking about as a fun use of a 'cosmic imp' was to do what Q did in some episode of STtNG -- transport them into a fairy tale or strange scenario. In one episode Q sent the Enterprise crew into the Robin hood story for instance.
