ADVENTURE: Lethe

This adventure is suitable for any group of PCs with a TARDIS or who are based in the future.

LETHE

This adventure is set on a world colonised by Earth. It is up to the games master to decide the exact period, with anything from the 30th to 52nd century being appropriate. The planet Lethe is isolated and so are unaffected by events in the rest of the universe.

Lethe serves as a refuge for the troubled souls within the Earth Empire. Named for one of the five rivers of Hades from Greek mythology it refers to the forgetfulness that would affect anyone who drank the water.

A medical procedure removes the subjects memories, while letting them retain their skills. If you are unable to live with your past you can come to Lethe and begin a new life, unburdened by who you were.

If your application is accepted, normally based on whether the subject is suitable for the procedure and if there is enough room on the colony, you are given a new identity and life on Lethe.

Things are simple of Lethe, the technology designed to emulate the 21st century. The only difference is that vehicles use anti-gravity for propulsion because it is better for the environment and entertainment technology is slightly more advanced, to keep the colonists entertained.

Colonists are forbidden from using space travel. By choosing to come to Lethe they are giving up their freedom to ever leave. The Earth Empire has an orbiting space station that enforces this law, as well as preventing unauthorised off-world visits.

It is from this space station that the memory removal procedure is performed. It is also the only place where records of the subjects previous life are kept. Authorised shuttle pilots transport the subjects to the surface of Lethe while they are recovering from their procedure. They awaken in their new homes, ready to begin their new life.

The majority of the colonists know why they are on Lethe, if not the reason. They understand that this was their decision and that something must have motivated them to make that choice. They are discouraged from trying to find out what that reason is.

While  most people volunteered there are a few who didn’t. Occasionally Earth Empire colonies will need to deal with political anarchists or trouble makers but don’t want to kill them. Rather than turning them into martyrs they are quietly abducted and sent to Lethe.

Very rarely criminals are sent to Lethe instead of prison. Only the most lenient colonies do this and only after it is established that the subjects crimes were due to factors in their life, rather than their personality. The hope is that once their memories are removed they can live a normal life on Lethe.

If you set this adventure during a time of war then former soldiers could be sent here to recover. Here the horrors of what they’ve seen or done won’t trouble them. This could be a way for the Earth Empire to fix these broken warriors.

You may wish to have characters that the PCs have previously encountered turn up on Lethe. The NPC won’t remember the PCs and this can lead to interesting interaction, especially if they had a strong connection, whether they were former friends or enemies.

The human mind is resilient and in truth the technology used only suppresses the memories, rather than actually removing them. To prevent them from returning colonists have regular visits to the hospital to maintain their treatment.

Recently Lethe has been suffering from a high suicide rate. This is troubling the authorities but they are yet to find the cause.

WHAT IS HAPPENING

Not everyone is happy that people can gain absolution on Lethe. Doctor Julian Cregg lost his wife and child in a hit and run accident. The killer was given a lenient sentence, exiled to Lethe.

Dr Cregg pulled some favours and was able to secure a position on the orbiting space station on Lethe, overseeing the mind wiping of subjects. He spent his time becoming familiar with the technology and studying the files of the colonists.

When he was ready Dr Cregg put his plan in motion. He under went the procedure himself, falsifying paperwork to have a newly arrived shuttle pilot transport himself down to Lethe. For his plan to work he had to make it appear that the procedure had gone wrong, as it occasionally did.

A medical examination would reveal that not only had his memories been removed, so had his skills. He had taken care to authorise the use of portable memory uploader. Fitted with this device he could upload the skills to perform simple tasks, just enough for him to be a janitor at one of the hospitals.

To most Julian would as a simple cleaner, shuffling through the hospital listening to instructions from the device. Without the device he’d have child-like intelligence. No one would suspect him.

What they didn’t know is that the memory uploader had a secret mission for Julian. It would upload a target every few days, giving him the necessary skills to complete his task. He was to capture his target and use modified technology to return their memories in one unbearable burst. Overwhelmed they’d kill themselves.

The hit and run driver was Julian’s first victim but there are many others he feels deserving of his attention. They are not necessarily criminals either. Those people who hurt others, emotionally or physically, men and women who shattered other peoples lives. All will receive a visit from Julian.

WHAT THE PCS CAN DO

This is a mystery story that requires PCs to do some investigation. The easiest way for time travellers to get involved is for them to materialise on the colony and witness a suicide.

It won’t take them long to learn the nature of the planet and hopefully they’ll decide to find out what is causing the suicides. They’ll need to be careful as the authorities will turn against them if they’re not supposed to be on the planet.

Those PCs who are native to the time period could be asked to investigate or they could be following the trail of a NPC that now resides on Lethe. This has the advantage of allowing the PCs access to the space station and a valid reason to go down to the planet.

Each of the victims recently went to the same hospital to receive their scheduled treatment. Julian’s memory uploader would activate in their proximity, tasking him with obtaining their current address and allow him to stalk his victims to their home.

The PCs could suspect that the medical staff are responsible. Julian should just be in the background, washing corridors or pushing trolleys of medical supplies. He would appear to be mentally handicapped, a very unlikely suspect.

Finding out the history of the victims requires access to the records held on the space station. If the PCs aren’t authorised this could be difficult. They could either smuggle themselves on board when a shuttle arrives with new arrivals or they could use their TARDIS.

While they find that each victim has a dark past this is not uncommon and they all came from different planets. What they will learn is that Dr Julian Cregg is missing from the station. Anyone who sees his photo and was present at the hospital has the chance of making the connection between the two.

It will then be case of getting back to Lethe before Cregg claims another victim. Checking the hospital records reveals that he has been accessing patient records and looking at the last file accessed will tell them where to go.

By the time they arrive Cregg already has his next victim tied up and is in the process of setting up the equipment to restore their memories. Confronting him the PCs witness how his personality shifts between the vengeful Cregg and the simple Julian who is frightened of the voice telling him to do bad things.

PCs can try to rescue his hostage, defeat Cregg or destroy his memory uploader. This should give something for every player in an average group to do. To make this more personal the victim could be an NPC from the PCs past.

Even if the victim does have his memories restored the PCs have the chance to help them cope with their past. With their support the victim won’t necessarily be driven to suicide.

Violent PCs might end up killing Cregg. They could even turn his own equipment against him, bombarding him with the memory of what he has done. Julian would be unable to cope with this and try to commit suicide.

If they destroy the memory uploader Julian will be free from the influence of Dr Cregg. The question will be what they do with him? Julian will forget what he has done and could go on to live a normal life. Some PCs might still want to see him punished.

Games masters who don’t want to focus just on investigating can have some of the PCs also deal with suicide attempts. A bus driver might decide to drive his hover-bus full of passengers crashing off a bridge, someone could threaten to jump off a building or jump underneath the rockets of a shuttle.

Each incident would require both action and roleplaying to prevent more people from dying. Each victim can provide clues to who is behind it, although the process gives them hazy memories of who performed the operation they can remember he called himself a doctor and that he was going to punish them for what they had done.

At the resolution of the adventure the PCs will have a chance to reflect on the nature of Lethe. Is it right that people should be able to forget what they’ve done. Should they be made to take account for what they’ve done or do people have the right to a second chance of life.

You might also like to have them uncover the fact that a small percentage of the colonists are there against their will, perhaps when they are going through colonist records on the space station. Would they try to expose this practice, even if it means shutting down Lethe and preventing others from finding solace?

For an added twist time travellers could encounter themselves on Lethe. Are these past or future versions of themselves? It could be that their memories were altered in the past or that something will happen in the future that they’ll want to forget.

It could also indicate that one of the enemies has them sent to Lethe against their will. In which case the current version of the PCs can help themselves escape and possibly even restore their memories.

ADVENTURE: Little Folk

Presented here is an adventure that should be suitable for pre-made or original characters with a TARDIS.

Little Folk

1370, Ireland

The TARDIS passes through a dimensional distortion as it materialises in a small house in Ireland. Emerging they find that they are only a few inches tall. In order to be restored by they must find the cause of the distortion and shut it down, allowing them to use the TARDIS to remateralise themselves to full height.

Getting around the house could be the first challenge. The rustic building should give the time travellers an idea of what time period they’re in. Feel free to have a house cat or angry insects provide some menace.

Not long after they’ve arrived and before they get themselves into to much trouble they are found by a little girl named Teagan who mistakes them for fairies. She asks them not to kill her like widow O’Shea.

If questioned she reveals that the faerie folk have been upset and taken to killing small animals and people on their own. People think it is because Thomas O’Maley stole their pot of gold.

Investigating Widow O’Shea’s house reveals miniature swords made of alien alloy. Her house is mess, tiny foot prints found in trails of flour. When O’Shea’s body was found it was revealed that most of her food had been eaten.

If they investigate Thomas O’Maley they will need to sneak into his house and avoid his cat. The pot of gold can create any substance, not just gold but also food and drink. If any of the PCs have been attempting to create a device to locate the dimensional distortion the pot could provide valuable components.

The discovery of the sword and the pot should confirm the presence of alien life and suggest that this is the source of the dimensional distortion. To find out more about the faeries they can either have Teagan ask around the village or see what she knows.

Either way they should learn that the faeries are rumoured to dwell by a stone circle on the edge of a nearby woods. Exploring this area is another chance for the characters to interact with the local wild life and overcome the challenges of the terrain.

Situated by the stone circle is a warren. Inside they encounter bestial faeries, able to fly on small wings. These faeries are quick to anger, biting and snarling. The only mercy is that they are so small they can’t do a lot of harm unless they attack on mass.

If Teagan is still with the time travellers she could come under attack, causing her to run away screaming. This will leave the PCs several hours walk from the village (at least with their little legs).

The faeries will attempt to capture the PCs to take before their king, curious about encountering other small humanoids The PCs might also decided to flee into the warren. All routes will lead to the kings throne room. 

Their faerie king is more sane and is happy to speak with someone who might understand his plight. The TARDIS allows the time travellers to understand his words. The king explains that the pot provided their food and kept them sane. Eating meat has driven his subjects mad. He feels terrible that they killed O’Shea while searching for food.

He says soon none of them will be fit to travel through the Golden gate, apparently where they came from. The King will allow them to see the Golden gate if they can return the pot. If not he will have no choice but to directly attack the village and take back their means of survival.

Thomas O’Maley is a drunk and can be frightened by the player characters. Let the players have fun with this. Thomas isn’t a threat and they have plenty of time to find suitable hiding places in his house to scare him.

Once he is gone they can have Teagan recover the pot. Taking it to the warren they can find the hole which O’Maley dug and return it to the faeries. The Golden Gate turns out to be the door to a small spaceship.

Let the PCs explore this wondrous alien ship, filled with glowing lights and beautiful music. It is more ethereal than advanced technology. It might be difficult to believe that the degenerate faeries crafted the ship.

Studying the technology they find that the ship encountered a meteor storm and was knocked off course. The landing damaged the device that was supposed to return the ship and the crew to normal size.

Using the pot, technology from the TARDIS and the PCs hard work the ship can be repaired. To add tension to this section Thomas O’Maley could whip the villagers into a frenzy, convincing them that they have to destroy the faeries. Luckily Teagan gets wind of this and gives them plenty of warning.

When the ship launches it will send out a pulse that will restore the TARDIS and everyone inside to their proper size. This won’t give the time traveller a lot of time. Either Teagan can rush them to the TARDIS, bring the time machine to them or they can launch with the faerie ship and parachute out into the ship ahead of the pulse.

Once restored to normal they can say farewell to Teagan and maybe even calm the villagers down. If you wish to extend the time traveller’s troubles the TARDIS could temporarily make them into giants.

Alternatively the PCs might simply sabotage the alien ship to shut down its Golden Gate. The faeries will be stranded but all they need to do is demateralise and when they rematerialise they’ll be back to normal.

If they take this route it is up to you whether they appear in the same time period or send them off to a new adventure. If you wish to show them the consequences of leaving the faeries trapped they could reappear some time later, after the bestial faeries burnt the village to the ground and chased away all the villagers.

Original Sin

Overview

In the late 30th century Adjudicators Roz Forrester and Chris Cwej have their hands full patrolling the Undercity on Earth, home to a variety of despised alien species. A series of murders and a wave of madness points towards recent arrivals, The Doctor and Bernice.

The Time Travellers have lost the TARDIS while following a warning of a great danger on Earth. Clearing their names and teaming up with Roz and Chris they find that there is corruption within the Adjudicators and an old enemy of the Doctor is behind the attacks.

This is another important book in the New Adventures range, introducing Roz and Chris. These new companions would last until nearly the end of the New Adventures range. Even though they shared a common background their personalities were very different.

Roz was much harder and by the books, with an ugly slice of xenophobia. Chris was much more relaxed, although a little naive. They dynamic they introduced helped revitalise the TARDIS crew relationships.

The story itself is a gripping science fiction story, with the Undercity being a very interesting setting. I enjoyed the details, especially the fad of ‘body bepple’, a form of body alteration that made Chris Cwej initially look like a giant teddy bear.

The revelation of the villain behind events in the book is handled well and harks back to the early days of Doctor Who. It shows that one of the advantages of the format is the ability to bring back even minor characters, without worrying if the same actor can be obtained.

Plot

The 30th century is an interesting setting for dystopian adventures on Earth. Over-crowding, displaced aliens victimised by the Earth Empire and genetic alterations as fashion. All watched over by the Adjudicators.

Whether you want to use this simply to show the cost of advancement in the future, have PCs stand up for aliens rights or mix a little bit of ‘Judge Dredd’ style law enforcement into your Doctor Who campaign this is the place to come.

The addition of Cwej and Roz is an example of introducing Doctor Who companions in pairs. This evident throughout the history of Doctor Who and it could be argued that this works very well to establish a steady dynamic between characters.

Of course Ian and Barbara are the original couple, being both teachers who were investigating the Doctor and Susan. Although Ben and Polly had less shared background they were from the same era and had just experienced the same adventure when they decided to board the TARDIS. Even in the modern day Amy and Rory were strong companions because of their shared past. 

The advantage is that when they are in intense and weird situations they have each other to comfort each other. Unlike the Doctor they’ll both know what the other person is going through and be able to cope with it together.

They also illustrate the importance of having player characters with different dispositions. Being able to react differently to the same situation isn’t disruptive, it encourages interesting roleplaying situations and offers new ideas and approaches that won’t occur if everyone thinks and acts the same way.

Rules

Adjudicator [Special Good Trait – Prerequisite: From mid-21^st century to 30th century

A character with this trait is a member of the Adjudicator guild, a police force that governs all of Earth Colonies during the mid to late 21^st century until the 30th century. It’s a difficult job, with many colonies wanting to establish their own laws and resenting the Earth Empire sending their own law men to pass judgement on what constitutes a crime.

Adjudicators are latter-day knights, travelling to the far regions of their kingdom, upholding justice and honour. New recruits are called squires and partnered with more experienced officers to teach them the ropes.

Being an Adjudicator means ensuring that the law is upheld where ever they go, no matter where they are in time or space.

Effects:

This trait costs 1 character point and 1 story point.

They receive a +2 to knowledge checks relating to planets within the Earth Empire in this time period and +3 to knowledge relating to the law during this era.

Being an Adjudicator in this time period gives the character authority and access to the legal system which is in place. Whether people respect them or not is another matter. A player can use a story point to positively affect peoples reactions or gain a story point by having them encounter those who are not happy with Adjudicators.

Regeneration Shift [Special Good Trait – Prerequisite: Time Lord]

In much the same way as some Time Lords can trigger and control their regenerations a character with this trait can temporarily alter their DNA.  They can even accurately impersonate the DNA of a target simply by standing in close proximity to them for a short time. Learning the DNA of a target is intuitive but difficult knowledge to retain, with no more than one target’s DNA being memorised at any one time. 

Outwardly the character retains their current appearance but advanced scans will read their altered DNA. This can be very useful when needing to pass security systems that use DNA scans.

Effects:

This trait costs 1 character point and 1 story point.

When they wish to use this trait the player makes a Resolve check  A ‘Yes but’ result indicates that they have succeeded in shifting their DNA  but have also taken on some of the targets traits. For example a Time Lord who shifts to Sontaran might become more warlike for a brief period.

A ‘Yes’ result indicates that they have succeeded in changing their DNA, although this lasts no longer than a single scene.  A‘Yes And’ result indicates that they can maintain their shifted DNA for an extended period. This can eliminate the need for further tests for several scenes.

A ‘No And’ result indicates that the Time Lord has triggered a full regeneration. They must immediately rest, seek medical assistance or retire to a TARDIS to prevent the transformation. If the regeneration does occur they may take on aspects of the species they were DNA shifting to.

Human Nature

Overview

After the events of the previous book ‘Sanctuary’ the Doctor decides to take a holiday from himself. Transformed into the very human Dr John Smith he begins teaching at an all boys school in 1914, Bernice watching over him as his ‘niece’.

Things take a turn for the worse when the shape-shifting Aubertides arrive, determined to find the hidden biodata pod that contains the Doctor’s Gallifreyian DNA. With the school turned into a battlefield Bernice must convince John Smith who he really is, even if it means giving up the love of his life, Joan Redfern.

This is the story that was successfully adapted for the television. Even if you’ve know the general story the book has enough differences to keep you interested. Another classic of the New Adventure range, almost everyone who read it was excited at the idea of an adaptation.

The book gives us more time to spend with Dr John Smith, letting us appreciate the sacrifices he makes in turning back into the Doctor. Here is a man who has to put his faith in his alter-ego, giving up his own identity in the hopes that the Doctor will make things better.

I found it interesting that the television version makes the Doctor more directly responsible for the deaths that occur at the school. In the novel he is unaware that the Aubertides are after him, making him almost completely blameless.

While making Martha a maid at the school, capitalising on how her race affected her social standing in that era, I do enjoy the use of Bernice in this version of events. She is recuperating after someone she loved died in the previous story, spending time painting.

When the Aubertides arrive she is more than capable of dealing with them. In comparison to Martha she has had plenty of experience with these types of situations, making her much more capable.

The Family of Blood were fine villains, particularly their habit of taking the bodies of people in the area, but the Aubertides are great. Shape-shifters with the ability to inherit the abilities of those they consume the power to regenerate would make them invincible. In potential future they would have used this power to wipe out the Time Lords.

They are incredibly ruthless, sealing off a large section of area surrounding the school and using nuclear weapons to achieve their goals. Some also possessed unusual talents and it is a shame that Aphasia’s killer balloon didn’t make it to the small screen.

One of the things that is missing from the books, and which was a huge part of the New Adventure mythos, are the Eternals. Here the Eternal Death makes good on her threat to claim John Smith in a neat twist that was missing from the televised episode.

This book also introduced the world to Wolsey the cat. The faithful feline spent most of his time exploring the TARDIS in subsequent novels, eventually leaving with Bernice in ‘The Dying Days’.

One final amusing part of this book is that an Aubertide pretends to be the 10th Doctor in order to gain Bernice’s trust. Ironic that it would be the incarnation of the Doctor who took part in the adaptation.

Plot

What do you do when something in another medium is adapted to the television series? Does that versions of events replace the original? Or is there a way for both things to be true?

You could cling to the differences, establishing that two very similar events happened to the Doctor. It is entirely possible that due to  the frequent loss of memory that the 8th Doctor suffered the 10th Doctor was unaware that this had all happened before.

We could also suppose that either the Time War or the Cracks in Time wiped out the events of the book from the web of time. The 10th Doctor led the Family of Blood there to fill a gap, in much the same way that the 8th Doctor and Romana made sure the events of ‘Shada’ occurred.

This is the perfect excuse to have adventures based around earlier Doctor Who adventures. Playing either a different incarnation of the Doctor or their original characters they must fill the gaps, possibly using their own fore-knowledge to their advantage or encountering unexpected twists.

You could see it as evidence that time is not as fixed as the Doctor suggests. In dire situations it could be possible to re-do an adventure, the TARDIS wiping out previous versions of events when it materialises. This could be akin to what occurs in ‘Father’s Day’ when the earlier versions of the Doctor and Rose vanish when the time line changes.

Changing a Time Lord PC into a human is simple enough to do within the rules. The character simply does not have access to his normal Time Lords traits, perhaps receiving some extra story points.

The influence of the Doctor’s DNA is so powerful that even being in proximity to the biodata pod that contains it is enough to give others Time Lord traits. This could be a good twist for an adventure, passing the role of Time Lord to another character, however briefly.

Just as in the television show Dr John Smith expresses his former life through creative pursuits. Here he writes books for children about an old man in a police box. These books might turn up in your own adventures. Particularly bright readers might realise that they are not reading works of fiction.

The Doctor leaves instructions for Bernice, just as he will for Martha, that include not allowing him to do anything impossible. Of course this is supposed to be a funny line but given the evidence of the series is that an element of truth to this?

In ‘The City of Death’ the Doctor and Romana, apparently fly (off screen) from the top of the Eiffel Tower, ‘Sky Pirates!’ suggests that the Doctor is more than he appears and ‘Death Comes to Time’ explicitly states that Time Lords have god-like powers they choose not to use.

Within the game this is reason enough to allow story points to be spent to allow Time Lord characters to do the impossible. It also suggests that a Time Lord, even one transformed into a human, could break reality is they aren’t paying attention.

Finally the Eternals (Time, Pain, Death and more) make bargains with select Time Lords who act as their champions. These deals always come with a high price, although loop holes can be found.

This can be an interesting part of the mythos to incorporate into the games. In particularly desperate situations a Time Lord character might bargain with an Eternal for a boon. Subsequent story arcs could then deal with how the PC is going to pay the Eternal back.

They may also encounter Time Lords who have chosen to be the champion of Death or Pain. This could give them great power and the PCs might only be able to defeat them if they make a bargain of their own or find a way to break their opponents contract by preventing him from fulfilling his side of the bargain.

SET PIECE

Overview

Cracks are appearing in time, threatening to cause all of existence to collapse! The Doctor, Ace and Bernice have little time to worry about that. They are hot on the trail of a rogue spaceship, called Ship, that intends to download the consciousness of every living being in the universe.

After letting themselves be captured by the Ship and its ant-like drones the time travellers become separated by the time rifts. With Ace trapped in ancient Egypt, Bernice in 18th century France and the Doctor in 19th century Paris they must fight to be reunited.

Meanwhile the Ship hunts the Doctor, wanting to learn the secret of time travel. To complicate matters Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart (last seen in ‘Transit’) is revealed as the cause of the time rifts and falls under Ships control.

This is a real milestone for the Virgin New Adventures, as it features Ace’s departure from the TARDIS (although she briefly returns for one more book). Ace was a character that had grown and changed during the series.

Just as in the television series sometimes all that can be said about a companion has been said. It was time for her to move on and fulfil the destiny that be hinted at in a deleted scene from ‘Silver Nemesis’ and the novelisation of ‘The Curse of Fenric.’

Ace is one of my favourite Doctor Who companions and I remember reading this eagerly to see how she would leave. Kate Orman does a great job with her final adventure, playing to the characters strengths.

Having her leave to fight her own battles, acting as her own version of Times Champion, felt right. We knew she’d still be having adventures and that she didn’t need to the Doctor to save her anymore, nor did he need her to protect him.

Now only the Doctor and the TARDIS were left as consistent link to the original series. This allowed the books to continue to forge their own path, giving them room to introduce new companions Roz and Cwej in ‘Original Sin.’

It is tempting to think that this story influenced the ‘Cracks in Time’ story arc from recent seasons of Doctor Who, but I’m sure it is just a coincidence. Still they are very similar, with their presence threating reality and their cause traced to a time travel machine.

The plot also has a strong resemblance to ‘Birthright’ with the characters trapped in separate time zones. This is a framework that I’d like to see in the current series and work brilliantly with Amy, Rory and the Doctor trying to co-ordinate efforts in three different time periods.

I think this book also gave us some good sections with the Doctor, who has had a tendency to be overshadowed by his companions or neutralised in the previous stories. I particularly like how he keeps escaping from confinement on Ship, only failing because he won’t hurt anyone.

Not only do I think it is clever to make escaping a core part of his capture I can’t help but imagine how his 35 escapes and eventual recaptures would have padded out a television story, something akin to ‘Frontier in Space’.

For these reasons and more ‘Set Piece’ is one of the important books to read from the Virgin New Adventures line.

Plot

This is an interesting case where two different plot threads combine together to create a greater threat by the end of the book. Initially the rifts in time are a background threat, mostly just used to disperse the main characters are to different locations.

The initial villain of the piece is Ship, another rogue AI. An example of how a single objective can be taken to far using machine logic. It is when it begins using the rifts to spread its influence that the two plots really work together.

Creating a plot in this format can help make a plot unpredictable. Even if the players work out where each plot is going they probably can’t guess what happen when they combine. The more plot threads woven together the more unpredictable things become.

The danger is that things can become confusing with to many elements combined together. This requires each plot to fit together naturally, without any loose ends. The more plot threads there are the smaller the scale of the individual threat or significance. It is only when they come together that they produce a strong spine for the adventure.

For example an adventure could have two plot threads. The first thread is that in a small town on Earth a cult is awakening a sleeping evil that once awakened will bond with the cultists to create a fearsome symbiotic monster.

The second plot thread is a covert alien invasion in the small town. They have already scheduled the take over the town. Unfortunately it occurs during the cults ceremony. The awakened evil will bond with the aliens, seeing them as stronger hosts.

Player characters can arrive in the town during the build up to these events. UFO sightings and supernatural goings on might seem like contradictions at first, surely only one plot can be occurring here?

By the time they find out that there are both cultists and aliens in the town it is too late. The possessed aliens are far more powerful than the human cultists would have been and now the whole world is in danger.

This could lead to a situation where the player characters have to persuade the remaining cultists (annoyed at being snubbed by their evil master) to work with the aliens (horrified that the majority of their soldiers have been turned into monsters) to end the threat. The weakened cultists and aliens can then be defeat or forced to surrender.

Splitting PCs into different time zones is a good way to create variety in both location and historical setting. It can also encourage players who hid in the background to step up and give it their all.

Care must be taken to give each player equal time. To encourage all the players to pay attention, even when the focus is not on them, the connection between time periods can be emphasised, showing how events in one era impact on everyone further up the timeline.

For example Ace leaves a piece of graphite in Ancient Egypt that allows Bernice in the 18th century to find the buried TARDIS. Time capsules, newspaper ads and involvement with historical events are a good way for time stranded PCs to communicate with each other.

In addition this book suggests that the TARDIS allows the Doctor and his companions to communicate subconsciously, even in different points in time. I would suggest that this is best done while the characters are sleeping, allowing them to arrange a conference in their dreams.

Not only does this allow information to be passed between characters but it strengthens the bond between them and emphasise that although they might be hundreds of years apart they share the same ‘now’.

Another way to link the time periods is by having NPCs who are in both periods. ‘Mawdryn Undead’ did this with the Brigadier but we also see it in ‘Set Piece’ with Bernice interacting with Baron Vivant Dominique Denon in 1798 only for Ace to met the same man in 1815.

For further adventures the time rifts still exist at the end of the book. This could lead to further invasions or a means for a group of PCs to travel without a TARDIS. It could be an excuse to run a Doctor Who/Primeval crossover campaign. 

PARASITE

Overview

The TARDIS materialises on the Artifact in the 26th century. The Artifact is immense hollow orb, populated by a variety of unpleasant alien-forms. The Artifact has only recently arrived in the Elysium system, which is contested by three different factions. It’s presence has only served to increase tensions as its gravitational distortions provide an opportunity to reach Earth.

On the surface of the Artifact the time travellers are separated. In addition to being menaced by the increasingly hostile life forms they meet two other visitors to the planet, Midnight and Mark Bannen, both of who have been mutated by the Artifact and gained a degree of symbiosis.

They learn that the Artifact is actually a space-faring lifeform and will soon lay eggs the size of planets. The resulting offspring will likely devastate the entire galaxy. The stakes are raised as the Doctor becomes comatose to prevent his mind being absorbed, Ace suffers radiation sickness and Bernice becomes infected with parasites.

With the Artifact about to give birth the time travellers must find their way back together to save themselves and the rest of the Elysium system.

There are distinct shades of ‘Lucifer Rising’ to this story. Both concern immense alien artifacts whose function is slowly discovered through the course of the story. Mark Bannen is even revealed to be the son of Alex Bannen from that very story.

The exploration of the Artifact and the encounters with the native life forms capture that same sense of wonder but do makes things very bleak. The elements of body horror and hopelessness threaten to overwhelm the reader at points.

Despite this I found the Parasite to be well written with a very tense storyline.

Plot

Parasite revolves around the idea of a planet sized living being. Later books introduced other living planets (notably ‘Grimm Reality’ and ‘The Crooked World’) so there is a very good chance a group of PCs might also encounter one.

Adventures based around planets like the Artifact will  require characters with good survival skills. Half of the challenge will be understanding the eco-system and recognising it for what it is.

This can be a real opportunity to create intriguing alien life forms for the player characters to encounter. Our own natural world is a great inspiration for this, with many creatures lurking in the dark corners of the Earth that appear to be like something out of science fiction already.

It is important to decide what the purpose of the adventure will be. If it is just about survival there must be something that keeps the TARDIS away from them, making the recovery of their time machine their ultimate goal.

The adventure could be focused on one or more factions attempting to exploit the living planet. Are the PCs trying to protect the world or the new arrivals?

The planet could be the villain of the piece. As in this story the planet could threaten the lives of billions unless the PCs can stop it. This raises ethical questions about destroying a species which is not truly evil, just destructive.

In the background is Elysium system, populated by the descendants of stranded colonists from Earth. The Artifact represents their first opportunity to get home for centuries, although each faction has a different motive for wishing to do so.

Exploring how cultures developed amongst colonists can be an interesting basis for an adventure. If those colonists still want to reach Earth and are close to achieving the goal the player characters could find themselves in the position to decide whether they succeed or not.

Do they decide that the colonists are worth helping? Are they noble with pure motives or do they wish to conquer and exact revenge for their abandonment.?

Falls The Shadows

Overview

The TARDIS lands in Shadowfell, Scotland in 1995, summoned by the mysterious Grey Man. Within the mansion are Gabriel and Tanith, personifications of pain and suffering, unwittingly unleashed by the owner of the house Professor Winterdawn.

Gabriel and Tanith plan to kill everyone in the universe, one by one, but have started by tormenting the souls of those who never existed. The Doctor and his companions soon find themselves tortured by Gabriel and Tanith, with Benny even being killed for a short time.

This is an extremely dark, and long (over 300 pages), story. The events in this story leave lasting scars putting doubt in the Doctor’s mind whether he should continue travelling with companions.

Some hate it for its dark tone and subject matter but I love it. The introduction of the Grey Man, his Cathedral and the consequence of time travelling had a powerful impact on me. Gabriel and Tanith were frightening opponents and led to some interesting exploration of how Ace and Bernice deal with violence.

This is an example of when the New Adventure series pushed the boundaries of what the could do, taking Dr Who into more mature territories. Read on those terms I think this book is very enjoyable.

Plot

The Grey Man, who summons the Doctor, is a member of a race that rose up 15 billion years ago. His people saw things in terms of duality, black & white, good  & evil. The Grey Man disagreed, believing that there had to be something in-between.

It is then that he adopted his current name and built the Cathedral. The Cathedral moved throughout space and time seeding the idea of ‘Grey’ (ideas that blurred the line between black and white) through symbols, concepts and artefacts.

This makes the Grey Man and his people extremely important in the mythology of the Dr Who universe. If the Grey Man is any indication they are extremely long lived, powerful and predate the Time Lords.

Were these people the source of the Black and White Guardians? What happened to the rest of his race? What influence did they have over the development of the rest of the universe?

It is unclear whether the concept of Grey would have occurred to other races if not for the influence of the Grey Man. It seems far fetched that no one would have developed any concepts other than duality if not for the ideas seeded by his Cathedral.

It is more likely that the idea of Duality is just more popular and easier to grasp. The Grey Man simply believed that his view of the universe was correct and took action to make it take hold.

Since the Cathedral has been seeding these ideas for billions of years it is very possible that PCs might encounter its influence. They could witness social upheaval on an alien world caused by the sudden appearance of symbols. Eventually the player characters could trace it back to the Cathedral.

It also raises the possibility that similar structures could also exist, seeding other concepts and ideas. What if the Master was able to control such Cathedral and brainwash the universe to worship him or an alien intelligence spread abhorrent thoughts that drove people mad or compelled them to carry out terrible acts?

Gabriel and Tanith come into existence due to an artefact seeded by the Cathedral, called the Metahedron. There could be countless other artefacts like this, either created by the Cathedral of buildings like it.

This is a way to introduce beings like Gabriel and Tanith into an adventure, giving them a focus point and a means of entry into our universe. PCs might have a chance to prevent this if they can locate such artefacts before someone activates them.

At the conclusion of the story the Cathedral is destroyed and for the first time in billions of years the Grey Man travels off to explore the universe. This is a very powerful character to remain loose in the series.

PCs could encounter him and try to find out what his current agenda is. He works equally as an ally or an opponent. He could easily take the place of a Time Lord PC in the group, representing a source of change in the universe without the Gallifreyan background.

In this story it is suggested that time travellers are directly responsible for wiping out potential timelines. Time solidifies around the TARDIS when it lands, reducing all possibilities into a single timeline.

In effect they are the spiders that weave the web of time. This is a concept explored in other books. In particular it is suggested that when the Time Lords created time travel they sent out TARDISES up and down the timeline to protect their position.

The concept that without time travel events would continually be in flux is fascinating. The only reason that there are the concepts of past, present and future is because there is a race that can travel those paths.

This does suggest that without time travel there wouldn’t be the need for parallel universes. Every possible universe would exist at the same time. The invention of time travel would have altered the fundamental nature of the universe.

The Doctor feels an extraordinary amount of guilt due to this information. He is directly responsible for wiping out billions of lives by creating a single timeline. Every time he was protecting historical events it was just so his people would find it easier to navigate through the vortex.

It is impossible to prove if this hypothesis is true or not, since the act of observation is exactly the problem. It might very well be that Gabriel and Tanith were simply drawing people from other parallel universes at the point of collapse.

Still, it is a concept that could be used in a campaign. There might be a way to modify a TARDIS so that it doesn’t solidify time. This would mean that PCs could visit the same date in the future and find something different each time.

‘Timeslip’ explored this idea, with the young protagonists going to alternative versions of the future. In one future the Earth was freezing and in another it was heating up.

This would work well if the PCs have a stable fixed point in time which they call home. Events they encounter during trips to the future aren’t fixed in stone, giving the characters a certain amount of self-determination.

Finally there is mention that Time Lords do go insane, something called the ‘Dark Design’. The suggestion is that Rassilon, Omega, Morbius and Borusa all suffered from this condition.

This could be a Time Lord PCs ‘Dark Secret’ and finding a cure could be an on-going goal for a character. The name could suggest that some Time Lords were designed to go mad. Who might have done this and why? Is this the price of their immortality?

Those Time Lords who did go insane were placed in institutions. This could be a good location for an adventure, with the PCs finding themselves surrounded by insane Time Lords. What would happen if one of the inmates stole their TARDIS?

One of these institutions might have a greater significance after the Time War. They could represent the last of the Time Lords, the reason that the Doctor didn’t ‘sense’ them being that their minds aren’t normal.

What would a Time Lord PC do to protect the last of his people. Would he still protect them, despite their condition? Would finding a cure be even more important, since it could mean that the race could continue?

“You didn’t always take me where I wanted to go.”

After you’ve decided on your basic plot for your adventure you might wonder just how you’re going to get the player characters involved. Week after week how do they get themselves caught up in events?

The series has taken many different approaches to this question. When the show started almost every episode began with the time travellers stepping out the TARDIS and into trouble.

Over the years we’ve seen the Doctor become more proficient with his piloting. Now he attempted to give his companions a guided a tour of the universe, although his attempts at tourism often ended in disaster.

Later we saw the Doctor actively pursue adventure. Some episodes and especially the books don’t show the TARDIS arriving, giving the main characters time to establish themselves into the setting.

Picking the right beginning is important for starting the adventure on the right foot. The following are some approaches you can take in your game.

Right Place, Right Time

PCs randomly arrive either during a crisis or just before. They are in the best position to deal with the situation. If this happens frequently player characters can begin to suspect that their TARDIS is deliberately taking them where they need to be.

‘The Tomb of the Cybermen’ is an example of this approach. The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive on Telos just as the Cybermen are awakened. Who knows what would have happened if they hadn’t been there?

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

The opposite of the above. The PCs aren’t in a position to prevent events, just survive. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are involved in important moments in history. It could just be that they are caught unawares of the local customs and actions of the culture.

This works best for historical adventures where the PCs aren’t supposed to interfere with the web of time. Many 1st Doctor stories fit into this category. ‘The Reign of Terror’ and ‘The Romans’ are good examples of this, with the time travellers main objective is to regroup and get back to the TARDIS.

Tourist

The PCs have selected their destination because of its beauty or interest. This applies equally to both locations and time periods. Whether it is witnessing the end of the world or relaxing in the Eye of Orion the PCs are essentially tourists.

This approach has become more popular in recent years. The 9th, 10th and 11th Doctor seem particularly keen on showing their companions the wonders of the universe, although even the 6th Doctor long sought a relaxing holiday in Blackpool.

The danger of this approach is that you can give the impression that they can’t ever relax if adventure finds them every time. Best to suggest that at least some of the time the PCs find time to relax, although this maybe between games.

‘New Earth’ is a good example of this. The Doctor and Rose are simply exploring the universe before they become involved in events at the hospital. ‘The Pandorica Opens’ also begins with the Doctor trying to show Amy a famed location, only to find a message from River Song.

Visiting

In this approach the PCs have selected their destination so they can visit an old friend. When and where they go will depend on the person they are meeting. This category covers social visits, rather than those occasions where they respond to requests for help.

The person they are visiting should have some involvement with the events of the adventure. These NPCs can help establish an immediate connection for the PCs, even if the character has only just been introduced in this adventure.

‘The Abominable Snowmen’ and the 2nd Doctor’s visit to UNIT in ‘The Five Doctors’ are examples of this. Rose visiting her mother and Mickey could also fall into this category since this is the motivation to return to the 21st century in several 9th and 10th Doctor stories.

Pulled Off Course

An outside force determines where the TARDIS materialises. The PCs may or may not be aware of this outside influence, especially if they aren’t skilled at piloting. This usually ties into the adventure and raises two important questions. Who has taken them off course and why?

This is good for creating tension and intrigue immediately. If used too frequently PCs may feel that they have no control of their lives. They will treat every location with suspicion and need little reason to want to leave.

‘The Mind Robbers’ and ‘Time and the Rani’ are both examples of this.

Investigation

The PCs have chosen their destination to solve a mystery. This could be a historical mystery, such as the fate of the Mary Celeste, an unsolved murder or the unexplained such as find out if the Loch Ness monster exists.

This is different from PCs stumbling on a mystery once they arrive. Here that is the whole reason they are there. They may have prepared for the investigation, gathering equipment and doing research before hand.

Taking this approach, especially if the players select the mystery to investigate, can make the PCs much more proactive.

The Doctor Who books are great examples of this, especially ‘The Pit’, where the plot revolves around finding out what happened to a missing planet. ‘Mindwarp’ also begins this way, with the Doctor investigating weapon smuggling.

Champion

The PCs have set their sights of conquering evil. Their destination will depend on where and when the opponent is. This could be when they are most vulnerable or when history says the PCs can strike.

This approach is ideal for combat focused characters who wish to take the fight to the enemy. For once they won’t be surprised when an old foe appears. For once they won’t be unprepared.

The 7th Doctor made this category his own. ‘The Curse of Fenric’ and ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’ are both good example of this but most of his episodes and books fit.

Distress Call

I’ve discussed this category in my coverage of ‘The Doctor’s Wife’. In short the PCs select their destination in order to respond to a cry for help. There are many examples of this and this approach builds instant anticipation about what they might be facing.

Maintenance & Recuperation

Sometimes the characters just need to take care of themselves and their TARDIS. Their destination will be picked either for the resources it offers them or because of its isolation. PCs might be hoping to find spare parts to fix the TARDIS, food supplies or medical treatments.

It can also serve to recover from the trauma of previous adventures. This is different from having a holiday, although it can take that form. The purpose is to take time to make themselves feel better, rather than enjoy their surroundings.

This approach can be taken after intense adventures or long campaign arcs. It gives the opportunity to reflect and recover from what has gone before.

The book form of ‘Human Nature’ is a perfect example of this. The Doctor transforms himself into a human because has been overwhelmed with the burden that comes with being a Time Lord and needs a break from himself.

FIRST FRONTIER

Overview

1957, New Mexico. Bernice wanted to see the early stages of mankind’s exploration of space but they arrive amidst a spate of UFO sightings. They soon find that the army have been infiltrated by the Tzun, able to merge their DNA with other species their hybrid agents have taken control.

They are aided by the Master, in return for technology that will rid him of both the Traken and Cheetah DNA that corrupts his body. In a tense confrontation Ace shoots the Master, triggering his regeneration into a new incarnation.

It always surprises me how late in the New Adventures run that ‘First Frontier’ occurs (it is the 30th book in the series). I think that is because it is pretty much the perfect model of the range.

Bernice and the adult Ace are at their best here. It features the return of an iconic villain, in the form of the Master and the 1950s setting is such a good fit you wonder why no one thought of it before. Even the cover is great, highlighting the three elements of the book (Ace in her battlesuit, a UFO and a 1950s car against a New Mexico landscape).

The Tzun are another fun addition to the Doctor Who universe. Coming in a variety of forms with their pilots, the S’Raph’, appearing like the typical ‘Grey’ aliens so popular in UFO mythology. Their habit of incorporating the DNA of conquered species makes me wonder if they influenced Toby Whithouse when he created the Krillitanes in ‘School Reunion’.

They turn up again in the later Past Adventure book ‘Mission: Impractical.’ There is also a very subtle reference to their invasion attempt in the ‘Short Trips: How The Doctor Changed My Life’ story ‘Swamp of Horrors (1957)-Viewing Notes’.

With the 1950s setting visited in ‘The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon’ and ‘Dreamland’ I’d like to see this adapted for television.

It could be argued that this is just another alien invasion story where the Master works with another race who he eventually betrays but it still feels like a good traditional Doctor Who story to me.

Plot

The Tzun are good for any UFO centred stories, especially if you want to have an adventure in the model of ‘The X-Files’. Their hybrids, the Ph’Sor, allow them to have secret agents, forming a conspiracy.

Although their Confederacy is destroyed in 2172 they exist for a larger period of time, over 20 thousand years in total. The Doctor has a past history of defeating them allowing many stories to be told of earlier conflicts or for new player characters to meet them.

There is no point in providing a write-up for the species since they can incorporate the traits of many different species. This allows a games master to adapt them to whatever environment they are found in. This makes them a very versatile species to use.

In many ways they are the organic version of the Borg from ‘Star Trek’. Their goal is to eventually incorporate every single species in the universe into the Tzun. Due to this they have a great respect for the races they conquer, since they are now part of their extended family.

The Master gains a lot from his alliance with the Tzun and gives as an insight into what can be achieved with sufficiently advanced technology. The most important thing, from the Master’s perspective, is that he is able to give himself a new regeneration cycle.

This is a major development as all previous indications were that only the Time Lords could grant this. Why else would the offer of  a new life cycle be so tempting to him in ‘The Five Doctors’.

It must be a closely guarded secret, since only the High Council seemed to be able to bestow this gift. It does makes sense, however, that a race like the Tzun, who have such mastery over DNA, might have discovered a clue to the process by studying the Master.

This raises the question of if the Master gained access to this technology? It would certainly be a powerful tool to bring other Time Lords to his side. We’ve seen that Time Lords can become desperate when they run out of regenerations and the Master, as his name implies, would love to have people enslave themselves for the chance of a new cycle.

Even the knowledge that another species can replicate this process is dangerous. In this story the Master destroys the Tzun mothership so they don’t take advantage of having his DNA but what if they were able to transmit the information to other fleets?

It is established that the Tzun can’t meld their DNA with a Time Lord but they might still keep an eye out for the species in the hope of examining their genetic structure. Time Lord player characters could find themselves captured for that very reason and have to prevent the race from learning the secret of regeneration.

The Master also uses their technology to summon his TARDIS. The knowledge that this can be done could be very useful to player characters. Such technology should be rare, after all the Doctor can’t use the Sanctuary Base to recover his TARDIS in ‘The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit.’ It does still give hope if the characters find themselves light years away from their TARDIS there might still be away to call it to them.

The Master escapes at the end of this story. It is is a shame that this particular incarnation isn’t seen again, to my knowledge, in the books. The Master does return in the 8th Doctor BBC books but in a different form.

Here the new Master still has his beard and moustache but is slightly taller and thinner than his earlier incarnation. He has the air of an aristocrat, dressed in his black tailcoat and jade cravat.

This gives the games master another version of the Master for the player characters to encounter. Perhaps this incarnation decided to avoid the Doctor for a while and set his sight on a different set of opponents.

Rules

There is more examples of the Doctor retroactively influencing the events of the adventure, in this case booking his companions and himself rooms at a motel. There may very well be players who wish to try a similar trick, making a mental note to go back in time to set things up for themselves.

I suggest that such actions should be done by spending Plot points. This should only be done by either a Time Lord or someone who has an accurate Time Machine. Minor actions, such as filling a fridge or booking rooms should just cost 1 plot point.

If they help at critical moments in the plot then the cost should be much higher. This makes it a much costly measure than simply trying to live in the moment and overcome the crisis at hand.

The upper limit of this should be the Time Lord physically coming back to help. For a player character to do something akin to what the Doctor does in ‘The Big Bang’, freeing himself from a trap so he can come back and free himself from a trap, should require a huge amount of plot points.

Rival time travellers should have the option of spending their own plot points to sabotage the tinkering of their player characters, leading to the scene from ‘The Curse of the Fatal Death’ or the end of ‘Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey’.

Strange England

Overview

The TARDIS crew arrive in what appears to be Victorian England. It soon becomes clear that something is amiss, with those residing in a country estate hunted by monsters and killer trees.

Ace stumbles upon a  hole in reality taking her to the real England, where she comes to the attention of the criminal Dr Rix. Captured Ace discovers Rix has a TARDIS control circuits in his basement.

This reveals the truth about the Strange England, it is an artificial environment, constructed by a dying Time Lord, Galah, in her TARDIS. The Doctor and his companions have destabilised its programming.

Learning of its existence Dr Rix and his criminal gang attempt to take control of the virtual world. Under his influence the realm becomes a virtual hell. The Doctor must team up with Galah to rid the TARDIS of this evil presence.

This is Doctor Who meets the holodeck from Star Trek: The Next Generation. It even has a holographic character, farmer Arthur, dissolving outside the influence of the TARDIS. Presented as a puzzle, much as ‘Conudrum’ does, working out the true nature of their environment is half the story.

I particularly enjoyed the Quark, a dark reflection of the Doctor. Dressed as a funeral director he was part of the TARDIS program, designed to eliminate errors. Believing the intruders to be a virus the monsters were designed to eliminate them.

Dr Rix provided real menace, the worst person in the world to gain power over a TARDIS. Often in Doctor Who it is the alien element that is preying on humanity, here we see that it can work the other way round.

The book itself provides a good horror based Doctor Who story, even if it lacks depth or development for the characters. By no means an essential read but certainly entertaining.

Plot

We learn a lot about the capabilities of a TARDIS. We’ve long known it can reconfigure its interior, as well as its exterior, and possesses a degree of intelligence. Here we find that it can create full blow virtual environment with self-aware holographic characters.

The recent series has shown some part of this, especially in ‘Let’s Kill Hitler’ which showed the TARDIS projecting a holographic image of Amelia Pond for the Doctor to interact with.

It could be interesting if a group of player characters had a similarly intricate interior to their TARDIS. Anyone who is skilled with the Architectural Configuration Program (ACP) can create a similar environment.

Might they have replica of characters home town? Would they fill it with past companions to give them advice? Given the fact that the interior of the TARDIS can be much bigger than its exterior could they create whole cities or planets using the ACP?

In a campaign without a Time Lord the TARDIS could be programmed with virtual pilots. Companions might be unaware that the Time Lord or Time Lords inside the TARDIS aren’t real, little suspecting the reason they never leave the time ship is because they would just fade away.

Such a TARDIS might be a relic from the Time War. The original crew, knowing that they were about to die transferring their minds into their ship. It now seeks out likely champions who can continue to protect time in Gallifreys absence.

A twist for a new campaign is if the player characters find out their their world isn’t real. They could question whether they are just part of the program or are they real, brought into the TARDIS and raised there for some reason? If they are holograms perhaps a wrist worn projector could allow them to explore outside the ship.

An adventure could be built around the player characters waking up in a strange environment. Investigating they find that they are still inside the TARDIS but someone has taken control of the ACP. Who is it and what do they want? Can the crew find their way to the central console room before the environment kills them?

This story also has a Time Lord cheat death by merging her mind with the TARDIS. In effect it becomes her body, transforming into living tissue. This can be a good escape clause for Time Lord characters who have run out of regenerations.

Unlike the 8th Doctor companion Compassion this doesn’t seem to give the Time Lord the ability to travel in space and time. The resulting person is effectively human and there is no suggestion that any of the TARDIS abilities remain.

This is therefore a huge sacrifice, costing the Time Lord both his nature and his time ship. Unless the group has more than one TARDIS this will likely mean that the Time Lord will be trapped in which ever period of time he is in.

Kind games masters may wish to allow the character to move a small group of people through the Time Vortex, although the process should be exhausting and inaccurate. A remnant of the chameleon circuit could let them change their appearance to better fit in with the native population.

Aside from this the Time Lord now only has one life and physically matches the species the TARDIS modelled itself on. This is their final life and they better make the most of it.

Rules

Introduced in this book is the idea that the Doctor would be aware if anything happened to his companions. This is touched upon in subsequent books and helps establish that there is a strong connection between the Doctor and his companions.

I felt that this could be modelled as a trait.

Companion Sense [Special Good Trait - Prerequisite: Time Lord]

A Time Lord shares his telepathic gift with his companions via his time ship. Over time this mental link allows him to subconsciously gain insight into their general location and general well being. If they move to another time period or planet he is aware of this change, if they become injured he feels their pain.

To check up on their status a Time Lord must concentrate, sorting through his own feelings and instincts to find the link to his companions. This ability only extends to companions who are currently travelling with him.

Effect:

This costs 2 character point.

The character is informed whenever there is a great change in the companions location or physical well being. This ability also gives them a +3 to any checks when trying to determine where the companion is or trying to establish their current mental and physical status.