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This is my version of the Gallifreyan Template. I wanted to stay true to the Star Trek example. So, the things I kept in mind were:
* Templates are worth 50 Development Points
* This Template is for all Gallifreyans in general, not specifically Time Lords
* Use only cannon sources
* Keep it simple
The Advantage/Disadvantage descriptions will come later. As well as the Time Lord Overlay.
Gallifreyan Template
Attributes
Fitness 2 [5]
Coordination 2 [5]
Intellect 3 [6]
Perception +1
Presence 2 [6]
Willpower +1
Psi 1 [5]
Skills
Culture (Gallifreyan) 2 (3)
History (Gallifreyan) 1 (2)
Language
Gallifreyan 2
Projective Telepathy 1
Sciences, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
World Knowledge (Gallifrey) 1 (2)
Typical Advantages/Disadvantages
Organ Redundancy +2
Rapid Healing +1
Regeneration +3
Resistance (Radiation/Temperature) +2
Respiratory Bypass System +1
Pacifism (Self-Defense) -3
Gallifreyans
Gallifrey, the homeworld of the Gallifreyans, is located in the constellation of Kasterborus, 29,000 light years distant from Earth. The dominant lifeform on Gallifrey are the Gallifreyans and their society appears to have divided into three distinct classes. The ruling class are known as the Time Lords, who not only rule Gallifrey but also police the timeline. The most populous class are the average Gallifreyan citizens. The third class is a faction that has rebelled against Gallifreyan society, the Shobogans (or Outsiders).
Outwardly, Gallifreyans resemble humans, though there are physiological differences. All Gallifreyans share the same physiology, this includes two hearts, a respiratory bypass system, greater fortitude against temperature and radiation, telepathic ability, and total bodily regeneration among others.
Gallifreyan society is somewhat stale, and to a degree stagnant. The ruling class, the Time Lords, are divided further by the colleges they attended in order to achieve Time Lord status. The various colleges, such as Arcalians, Patrexes and Prydonians, are each controlled by a Cardinal. The Time Lords themselves are ruled by the High Council of the Time Lords. The High Council is headed by the President, who has ultimate power on Gallifrey. However, the President can be overruled by the High Council, if they are all in agreement. Also comprising the High Council is the Chancellor (the President's Secretary), the Cardinals (who head each of the Time Lord academies), and other various high-ranking officials. The Castellan is in charge of security in the Capitol, and commands the Chancellery Guards. To safeguard the Time Lords' interests, a covert arm of the High Council was created, the Celestial Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Not all Gallifreyans or Time Lords are content with their positions within Gallifreyan society. A number of these have turned their backs on their homeworld, these individuals are known as renegades to other Gallifreyans. Other Gallifreyan renegades have even turned their backs on Gallifreyan civilization and technology. They are known as the Shobogans and live in the wilds on Gallifrey.
The planet Gallifrey itself, for the most part, appears to be barren and wild. Only the Shobogans are known to reside on the surface. Most Gallifreyans safely reside inside their cities. The planet Gallifrey is protected by the transduction barriers, impenetrable force fields. However, despite it's defenses, Gallifrey has been invaded twice, once by the War Lords and once by the Vardans and the Sontarans. It has faced destruction at the hands of Omega and then later the Master.
Time Lord history has spanned millions of years and much has been forgotten. When the Time Lords discovered time travel, the stellar engineer Omega caused a supernova which collapsed into a black hole. This provided the Time Lords with the power they needed for time travel. Later, Rassilon brought the black hole to Gallifrey and locked it beneath the Panopticon the heart of the Capitol on Gallifrey, where it became known as the Eye of Harmony. The Eye of Harmony provides the Time Lords with the virtually inexhaustible supply of energy they need to master time travel.
Much of Time Lord history is forgotten or deliberately kept in secrecy. The early Time Lords were irresponsible with their powers and created the Death Zone. They scooped other beings or creatures from other times and places and forced them to fight in the Death Zone. Rassilon brought this practice to an end. After the war with the great vampires, and causing the destruction of Minyos, the Time Lords established a peaceful civilization and their strict policy of non intervention in the affairs of other races. The early Time Lords also created the Matrix, which became the repository of all their knowledge.
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What were my sources?
What sources didn’t I use? http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
95% of what you see above came from the TV series, the novels (both Virgin and BBC), and FASA’s Doctor Who RPG. I’ve seen all the TV adventures that are complete. I’ve read all but 10 of the Virgin New Adventures. I’ve also read all but 5 of the BBC Eighth Doctor novels. Lars Pierson’s “I Who” fills in the past and missing Doctor novels.
NOTE: I tended to ignore advantages that the Doctor demonstrated unless there was direct confirmation that they were “standard” Gallifreyan/Time Lord advantages.
Also does anyone have a way to justify low beginning skills (I’m trying to sorta keep to the heart of the Template standard) with the fact that Gallifreyan students are at least 70 years old? Should we just shrug and ignore it?
Oh and here’s something I forgot to add to the template. (Reaction +1) According to the Doctor (third?) Gallifreyan reactions are “a hundred times faster.” I think he was exaggerating but +1 seems reasonable.
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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Bytus said:
“The Advantage/Disadvantage descriptions will come later. As well as the Time Lord Overlay.”
A Time Lord overlay?
Duh! That’s the obvious way to do it! And I thought I knew ICON!
Bytus, this looks really good if all you’re interested in is the TV series.
Some minor comments and questions:
Bytus said:
“Willpower +1”
Where is it shown that Gallifreyans have strong wills? Most of them seem to be pushovers. Sure the Doctor has a strong will but I just figure that was a character thing, not a racial thing. Or am I misinterpreting things?
Bytus said:
“Gallifrey, the homeworld of the Gallifreyans, is located in the constellation of Kasterborus, 29,000 light years distant from Earth.”
This is the number from “Terror of the Autons,” however in “Doctor Who” (the Fox TV movie) the Doctor said Gallifrey was 250,000,000 light years away from Earth. Do you have a reason for choosing one number over the other? (I prefer the 29,000 light year number because it’s supported by several novels)
Bytus said:
“…Celestial Intelligence Agency (CIA).”
The Time Lord CIA stands for Celestial INTERVENTION Agency.
Bytus said:
“Only the Shobogans are known to reside on the surface.”
Shobogan appears to be more equivalent to vandal or hoodlum. The “Outsiders” live on the surface of Gallifrey. Shobogan appears in “The Deadly Assassin” as an off-hand comment from Spandrell. Outsiders is the term used by Rodan to describe Nesbin and his followers in “The Invasion of Time.”
Great "simple" template. You're history is well written - concise yet covers all the important stuff. Hope my comments help!
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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Well thankyou JT.
It's good to have a Doctor Who expert with us. Do keep fishing out any errors you find ... it's the only way to fix them.
OK ... The Willpower problem. I gave the them a +1 on willpower, because in the 'Brain of Morbius' story, the Doctor hinted at a battle of wills usually done back on Gallifrey. I don't remember the exact specifics of it, but Morbius and the Doctor battled wills together. Also other Time Lords are quite willful, the Master and the Rani have also displayed strong willed personas. Goth and the Doctor battled wills also in the Matrix in the 'Deadly Assassin.' This has left me with the impression that they are all stong willed ... usually.
As for Reaction +1, in the Fourth Doctor's first story 'Robot,' didn't he type up a REALLY quick message on the typewriter? Or was that just one of those things. Actually, I'm more incline to agree with you. I'd change my Template by adding Reaction +1 and removing Perception +1.
I had totally forgotten about the Movie when I typed up the description ... the movie also had the Doctor being half human. As for Gallifrey's location ... oops.
The CIA ... was a typo.
On Pay TV here, they are playing all of the complete Doctor Who stories. The next story is 'The Invasion of Time' ... I'll keep an eye out for the Shobogans.
The Gallifreyan Template was typed up in a hurry ... therefore there are errors. But at least we have you to fix all that.
I have tried to stay as close to cannon as I can. My intention is to help create an online Doctor Who RPG supplement. Some people feel very strongly about the whole cannon issue, so if I do incorporate noncannon things, then I'll put a footnote to indicate so. How does that sound?
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Here are some of the Time Lord Overlays I've been rushing to complete.
Again, I've used the Star Trek ICON system as a guide. So these Overlays are constructed with 54 Development Points.
An * means that the Skill is a primary Skill for that Overlay.
Time Lord
Once a Gallifreyan has graduated from one of the Time Lord Academies on Gallifrey, they join the Gallifreyan elite as a Time Lord. The Time Lords rule Gallifrey and police the timeline from damaging interference. Time Lord society is strict and somewhat ritualized. The Laws of Time and other obligations and restrictions, prevent the Time Lords from interfering in most events that occur throughout time and space. However, Time Lords do enter the field to correct unwarranted interference in the timeline, to observe, or to record historical events. The Time Lords have also been known to interfere on occasion.
Administration (Time Lord Bureaucracy) 1 (2)
Computer (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Culture (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Diplomacy (Temporal Affairs) 2 (3)*
Dodge 1
Espionage (Observation) 1 (2)
History (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Law (Laws of Time) 2 (3)*
Personal Equipment (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Science, Any (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Shipboard Systems (Temporal Systems) 1 (2)
Social Sciences (Historical Engineering) 2 (3)*
Time Sense 1
World Knowledge (choose Specialization) 1 (2)*
Rassilon Imprimatur +1
Code of Honor (Laws of Time) -4
Time Lord CIA Agent
The High Council of the Time Lords realized that their policy of strict non intervention could, in some circumstances, be a hindrance to their own interests and security. In an effort to balance this, the High Council formed a covert branch of Time Lords — the Celestial Intervention Agency. The CIA has greater autonomy than other Time Lords and are answerable only to the President and the High Council. For some time, the CIA have been suspected of improper judgment concerning the non intervention policy, as well as liberal interpretation of the Laws of Time. However, they appear to be able to meet all questions into their activities.
Administration (Time Lord Bureaucracy) 1 (2)
Computer (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Dodge 1
Energy Weapon (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Espionage (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
History (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Law (CIA Regulations) 2 (3)*
Personal Equipment (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Science, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Security (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Shipboard Systems (Temporal Systems) 1 (2)
Social Sciences (Historical Engineering) 1 (2)
Surveillance (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Time Sense 1
Unarmed Combat (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Rassilon Imprimatur +1
Code of Honor (CIA Regulations) -4
NOTE: As part of this Overlay, a CIA Agent is considered not to possess the Pacifism (Self Defense) -3 Disadvantage.
Time Lord Renegade
For reasons of their own, some Time Lords choose to rebel against the strict and rigid restrictions placed upon them. Some feel that intervention is necessary more often, others have their own secret agendas. Whatever their motivation, some Time Lords choose to leave Gallifrey and pursue their own interests. This decision is not without a price, never being able to return to Gallifrey, or to rely upon the assistance of the Time Lords if needed. Despite this, some Time Lords enjoy the freedom of roaming through time and space.
Athletics (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Computer (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Culture (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Diplomacy (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Dodge 1
Engineering, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
First Aid (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
History (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Law (Laws of Time) 1 (2)
Personal Equipment (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Science, Any (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Shipboard Systems (Temporal Systems) 2 (3)*
Social Sciences (Historical Engineering) 2 (3)*
Time Sense 1
World Knowledge (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Rassilon Imprimatur +1
Code of Honor (Laws of Time) -4
Time Lord Technician
It is generally accepted that the Time Lords possess superior technology, though not the most advanced species in the universe, they number among the highest. Great figures in Time Lord history, Omega and Rassilon among others, have advanced the Gallifreyan people to their current position. The Time Lords require specialized and innovative technicians, not only to create new technologies, but to maintain Gallifrey's technological dependence.
Administration (Time Lord Bureaucracy) 1 (2)
Athletics (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Computer (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Diplomacy (Temporal Affairs) 2 (3)
Dodge 1
Engineering, Any (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Engineering, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
History (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Law (Laws of Time) 1 (2)
Personal Equipment (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Science, Any (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Science, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Shipboard Systems (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Time Sense 1
Rassilon Imprimatur +1
Code of Honor (Laws of Time) -4
Time Lord Temporal Physicist
The universe is a big place. Within it there are a number of unexplained, natural and artificial, temporal, spacial, or dimensional phenomena. To help expand their knowledge and understanding, some Time Lords have dedicated themselves to seeking out and studying these phenomena.
Computer (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Dodge 1
Engineering, Theoretical (choose two Specializations) 2 (3) and (3)*
Engineering, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
History (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Knowledge (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Law (Laws of Time) 1 (2)
Personal Equipment (choose two Specializations) 2 (3) and (3)*
Physical Sciences (choose two Specializations) 2 (3) and (3)*
Science, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Shipboard Systems (Temporal Systems) 1 (2)
Space Sciences (choose Specialization) 2 (3)*
Time Sense 1
Rassilon Imprimatur +1
Code of Honor (Laws of Time) -4
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The game from “Brain of Morbius” is called Mindbending. The Doctor described it as Time Lord wrestling. They definitely emphasized the “power of the mind” when describing it. Maybe it should be an Intellect based roll?
The Master, the Doctor, and the Rani are all very unusual Time Lords. They obviously have high wills but then so did Hitler, Churchill.
The battle between Goth and the Doctor was determined by the amount of “Atron Energy” the two of them had. Atron energy is also used to power TARDISes, which are telepathic. The novels have stated several times that Atron energy is a measure of temporal/psionic ability.
Also in “The Five Doctors” Borusa says that the Coronet of Rassilon emphasizes “My will.” He used it to control the fifth Doctor.
I suppose these could be taken as indication of a willpower bonus. I assumed that these “will” and “power of the mind” references were based on psionic powers. But I could be wrong.
Bytus said:
“As for Reaction +1, in the Fourth Doctor's first story 'Robot,' didn't he type up a REALLY quick message on the typewriter?”
I completely forgot about that! But wouldn’t typing be a dexterity-based thing? Maybe they should have a +1 in both reaction and dexterity. Or maybe the “my reflexes are hundred times faster” thing really refers to dexterity. (the scriptwriters don’t tend to split hair the way gamers do) http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
Bytus said:
“…and removing Perception +1.”
The novels support the +1 Perception. The Doctor has stated that Gallifreyan hearing, sight, and smell is better then humans.
So does the movie (with all that half-human stuff) fit with your personal cannon?
There’s nothing wrong with your location I just thought you’d want to know about the other numbers that are out there. As a side note the novels can’t agree on weather Gallifrey is in the center of the Galaxy or the edge. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
On Pay TV here, they are playing all of the complete Doctor Who stories.
You lucky, lucky human! They haven’t shown it here since 1988.
Bytus said:
“But at least we have you to fix all that.”
Thank you very much!
Bytus said:
“I have tried to stay as close to cannon as I can.”
Whose cannon? BBC has no concept of cannon. They just don’t care. They’ve made the claim that the new Dr Who Audio Dramas are “official” - whatever that means. The only place you’ll find people who care about continuity in Doctor Who is among the fans and the writers of the novels. The novelists (most of them anyway) care much more about consistency then the TV producers ever did. That's what happens when the Fans get to control the series. Continuity becomes important.
And that’s why the novels are part of my personal cannon. They got the Dr. Who license but it’s “for the fans, by the fans.”
Bytus said:
“Some people feel very strongly about the whole cannon issue…”
That’s very true. It you want to appeal to the broadest range of Who fans then don’t spend too much time talking about the novel. On the other hand you might not want to contradict them either. Sort of a tight rope.
That’s why my website uses color-coding. Red for the TV series, Orange for the Novels and Audio Dramas, Green for the FASA RPG and so on. Readers can pick and chose what they want to read based on what fits in there own personal cannon.
Bytus said:
“So if I do incorporate noncannon things, then I'll put a footnote to indicate so. How does that sound?”
Or use different colored text. Anyway here are the things you might need to footnote from your first piece.
“Organ Redundancy +2”
According to the TV series they have 2 hearts. According to the novels they have multiples of almost all organs.
The TV series has never made it clear weather all Gallifreyans are Time Lords or not. This is a fan belief that didn’t become “official” until the novels.
Bytus said
“Time Lord history has spanned millions of years… ”
The duration of Time Lord history is somewhat vague…
12,000,000 years - The Image of Fendahl
10,000,000 years – Trial of a Time Lord
2,000,000 years – The Deadly Assassin
100,000 years – The Underworld
“many” thousands of years – The Three Doctors
Lance Parkin (author of A History of the Universe) uses the 2,000,000 years number consistently in his novel “The Infinity Doctors.” Since Parkin is the biggest continuity hound I know I uses his number in my website.
Bytus said:
“Later, Rassilon brought the black hole to Gallifrey…”
I don’t think there’s any direct TV evidence that the black hole Omega created was the same one captured by Rassilon. This is however supported by the novel “The Infinity Doctors”
Anyway hope this helps.
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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Concerning the Templates.
I’d call the first template Generic Time Lord, just to differentiate from the rest.
Bytus said:
“Time Lord Renegade...Code of Honor (Laws of Time) –4”
Why would a renegade have a Code of Honor to the laws of time? The Master tried to change established history in “The King’s Demons” and he’s a Renegade?
Bytus said:
“Time Lord Technician...
The Time Lords require specialized and innovative technicians, not only to create new technologies…”
In “The Deadly Assassin” and to a lesser extent “The Invasion of Time” there is the strong implication that Gallifreyan technological development is at a virtual standstill.
On the other hand the Doctor’s Type 40 TARDIS is considered outdated and obsolete. The Time Ring from “Genesis of the Daleks” is also a “new” invention.
The Novels are just as vague on this topic.
Looks pretty good darn good. If you wanted to be really detailed then you could use Romana’s states from the FASA RPG and the Time Lord RPG to get a baseline look at a Time Lord Graduate. On the other hand no one thinks that FASA or Time Lord is cannon. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
As a side note, I’m still planning to make states for various pieces of Gallifreyan equipment when I get time.
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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Well ... you've done it again JT.
The Templates and Overlays that I've put together, were indeed done in a hurry. So yes they certainly will contain some errors. In fact I was just reading them and found a few more. This is why you're so important, not that I'm using you ... hummm, I guess I am.
Anyway, when are you going to post your Templates and Overlays?
You're right with the Renegade Time Lord Overlay, Code of Honor should be taken away ... that means I'll have to readjust all the points again.
You have a site ... where is it?
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Use away! http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
I love Doctor Who and could talk about it all week long.
Though if you could stick a little something to the effect of “Thanks to JT for error continuity advice” in the completed “document” it would be nice. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
My site is at http://www.geocities.com/willbswift/
It’s a monster Gallifreyan time line with some nifty note in the “Gallifrey Stuff” section.
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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So come on ... when are you going to post some of your stuff JT? Star Trek or Doctor Who?
I noticed on your site that you have plans to.
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Sorry I completely forgot to answer the main question. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/frown.gif
I did post my Gallifreyan Template on 03-14-2001 in this thread. Though there are some minor changes I would make. The Time Lord advantages should be directly connected with a Time Lord overlay and there should probably be a +1 to dexterity.
You’ll notice that the advantages of my template push the character WAY over the traditional number of starting points. This seems reasonable to be for two reasons. First these advantages accurately represent what a Gallifreyan can do. Second (according to the novels) they’ve been genetically engineered and (according to the novel writer guide) have nanites to help them regenerate. This means that we can ignore any ideas about “all species templates are created/evolved equal.” Would the template for a genetic superman (like Kahn) be built on the same number of points at the template for a normal human?
I don’t have any Time Lord overlays. I think yours look fine so I doubt if I’ll bother making my own. I do plan to write up states for Gallifrey equipment at some point.
As for the Doctor Who RPG stuff on my site I’m thinking of posting my Time Lord character for the Doctor Who GURPS campaign I’m playing. When printed at 10-pt font his background was about 10 pages. I will probably put my Gallifrey Template (ICON version) up with the Gallifreyan Advantages/Disadvantages (ICON version) up too. I’m not sure when I’ll get to this though.
As for the Star Trek stuff on the website you’ll have to be patient. I hope to have it there in a month or two (though I’ve been saying that for almost a year now). It will be few pages of text on how the economy of the UFP affects the average man. Something more detailed than what LUG or Paramount has given us. It will also have a personal equipment list that will include every piece of personal equipment (that LUG gave states for) in all the LUG trek books. The list will include lots of gadgets from the TV series too. It will give the item name of the device, the replication cost, the manufacturing cost, the legality code, and the book and page number where detailed info can be found about this device. The Ultimate Big Bad Equipment List for Star Trek RPGing. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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Great work guys! I've been out of things for a bit, but I'm back. It's great to see all the new Doctor Who ICON stats.
I particularly like the social advantages listed to differentiate gallifreyans from Time Lords. I thought about that briefly during the original character creation, but I realized that those things would only extremely rarely come into play during the game because they would not be on Gallifrey. So, the characters in my game do not have to pay points for social advantages that will never come into play.
For example, if I was playing Fantasy ICON, one would have to pay points for noble rank. But in ICON Doctor Who, the late 14th century Italian (minor) nobleman does not have to pay points for this. If I was playing Star Trek, an admiral would have to pay points for their rank. But in ICON Doctor Who, an Earth Empire Admiral would not. This is similar to the GURPS meta-rule... if an advantage or disadvantage will never come up in your campaign, it counts for no points.
I still like seeing the new advantages and disadvantages! They look well thought out. And if you had a Gallifrey-centered campaign, they would be necessary.
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Regarding point cost... the argument has been made that as genetically altered beings, typical Gallifreyans should have more points. But this doesn't fit with what we've seen on the show. Sure, the Doctor and the Master are amazingly competent beings. But all the other Gallifreyans we've seen have spanned the whole spectrum of competence. We've had academic fools, incompetent technicians, overbureucratic judges. We've also had compent and coolheaded gallifreans like Andred, reasonable if impatient ones like the judge in "Trial of a Timlelord", cunning ones like Borusa. Drax seemed competent, if quirky (much like the Doctor, who has his share of Quirks). Azramael (spelling wrong, the guy whose planet was concured by the slugs in "Twin Dillemna") was competent enough to set up a well-runing society, but not as competent as the Doctor.
In short, Gallifreyans have been depicted on the show as having the same highs and lows of other races.
As for what point values the characters should have access to, I recommend taking some pointers from GURPS: it depends on how you want the feel of your campaign to be. For example, for a feel of "Normal humans thrust into the amazing Whoniverse" with characters like the schoolteachers Ian and Barbra, 100 points is probably right. For a feel of "highly skilled beings taking the initiative" - secret agents, spacefleet officers, Renissance inventors, and "ordinary" galiifreyans, I would suggest the Star Trek standard 125 points. They are people who take the fight to the enemy but are still struggling valiantly a little out of their depth, like the Brigadeer. For a touch of the cinematic feel, people who can match wits with the evils of the universe on an almost equal footing, such as junior Time Lords, or an exceptional person like Lytton, use 150 points.
My campaign is at the 150 point level. You still have to use economy to build a junior Time Lord. Companions are still believable but can take the iniative, and get things done. They have enough breathing room to not have to be too specialized.
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Diamond said:
“Great work guys! I've been out of things for a bit, but I'm back.”
I was wondering where you’d gotten to. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
Diamond said:
“I particularly like the social advantages listed to differentiate gallifreyans from Time Lords. I thought about that briefly during the original character creation, but I realized that those things would only extremely rarely come into play during the game because they would not be on Gallifrey. So, the characters in my game do not have to pay points for social advantages that will never come into play.”
The Time Lords have a fairly significant reputation thought time and space. The Daleks, Cyberman and several friendly races know of them (see the “Two Doctors”). Heck, given the UNIT thing the United Nations might know about them. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/wink.gif
It seems that Time Lord status might be worth at least a point. (or maybe it would be a disadvantage, even the friendly races don’t seem to like them much) http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
Diamond said:
“Regarding point cost... the argument has been made that as genetically altered beings, typical Gallifreyans should have more points. But this doesn't fit with what we've seen on the show. Sure, the Doctor and the Master are amazingly competent beings. But all the other Gallifreyans we've seen have spanned the whole spectrum of competence. We've had academic fools, incompetent technicians, overbureucratic judges . . . In short, Gallifreyans have been depicted on the show as having the same highs and lows of other races.”
I believe their ADVANTAGES should be able to go over “normal” limits. Their SKILLS and ATTRIBUTES (the major determiners of “competence”) should be at normal levels.
Also some of those Disadvantages will also have very big effect on game play (i.e. Agoraphobia: the fear of being outside!)
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
-
Now that I've had a chance to look more at what you have done, I have a few thoughts/questions. Namely:
(from Bytus's Gallifreyan template)
Organ Redundancy +2
Rapid Healing +1
Regeneration +3
I really like your use of the organ redundancy advantage. It solves a lot of problems elegantly. I prefer using existing ICON system mechanics than thinking up a new advantage. It also merges the novel info, and it has actual game effects (an extra level of damage if I recall the DS9 core book) rather than just, "uh, he has two hearts." Kudos.
Help out my memory... are there examples of Rapid healing (outside of regeneration)? Granted, the Doctor was always ready to jump up and run to the next adventure before his companions were ready, but I always attributed that to a good fitness (vitality) stat.
I respectfully suggest that your cost for regenerations is too low. I know you must have been hard-pressed to fit everything into 50 points (which is a very laudable goal, to make it fit with other racial templates). Regneration is an amazingly potent advantage, although this would depend on campaign style. I suppose if one was running a Gallifrey-based campaign where everyone had stazers, it would be different. On the other hand, maybe my cost it too high... after all, it's only occurred once in my campaign. But I want to squash munchkinism, as if any advantage can be abused that's it. Hrm, hrm.
Since it's quite well established that the ordinary non-adventuring Gallifreyan has never been outside, taking a hint from JT and having the package include Agoraphobia could help make Regenerations more costly and have the template still come out to 50DP.
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Regarding the mental combat, or test of wills between Doctor/Morbius, the two Doctors/Omega, and the Doctor/Goth:
My enterpretation of that was that it was a psionic struggle, and thus the stat in question would be Psi and not will. Of course, when defending from psi attack, the will stat can sometimes be substituted for the Psi score, as described in the core book under the Mind Shield skill.
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OK, here's what I worked on last night: Venusian Akido writeup!
Block: Establishes difficulty # for unarmed combat hand to hand attacks.
Throw: Difficulty 8, dmg 1+1d6, target prone (exactly as per Akido, Player's Handbook p74)
Disarm: Difficulty 9, acts precisely loke the same maneuver in Starfleet Martial Arts (Star Trek Core book, p. 112)
Recover: Difficulty 8. User tumbles and comes up to a standing position as an instantaneous action if ever knocked prone. Note that this can also be done by an Acrobatics (breakfall) check with difficulty 4, as described in the Player's Handbook.
Advanced Maneuvers:
Venusian NervePinch, Difficulty 10 damage [3+2d6] stun. Strength does not add to the damage done. This has the same game effects as the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, but a much higher target number. Because of the difficulty in hitting both sides of the neck at the same time, this maneuver is best done to finish off a previously-immobilized opponent.
Requirements: Dodge 2 (same as for Akido, as listed in the Player's Handbook)
Note: The doctor may well have spent 3exp to learn an special technique lowering the difficulty of the Throw attack to 7.
What did the chest paralyzig maneuver do? I can't remember it. Please remind me what happened when it was used on the show.
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Diamond said:
“Help out my memory... are there examples of Rapid healing (outside of regeneration)? Granted, the Doctor was always ready to jump up and run to the next adventure before his companions were ready, but I always attributed that to a good fitness (vitality) stat.”
The most obvious is the Healing Trance that he goes into in “Planet of the Daleks.” After being shot by some sort of ray gun (I don’t know the specifics) He went into a coma. This was followed by the (apparent) cessation of breathing and heart beat. His body temperature dropped to the point where frost formed on his body (inside the TARDIS!). A hour or so later he awoke in (apparently) perfect health!
Diamond said:
“….your cost for regenerations is too low ….. On the other hand, maybe my cost it too high... after all, it's only occurred once in my campaign. But I want to squash munchkinism, as if any advantage can be abused that's it. Hrm, hrm.”
The whole purpose of assigning points to characters is to assure that all the characters are “fair.” Points are basically just and anti-munchkin rule. If put the cost of regeneration (or any major advantage) too low it negates the whole purpose of assigning points.
For example I’m playing a GURPS Doctor Who game. I have a Time Lord character. His total point value ended up at 608 (In GURPS I gave Regeneration 275 pt cost), however I didn’t even add up my points until we’d played 2 adventures. My GM knows I’m not a munchkin so he doesn’t care how many points I have as long as my character is “true to the game.” With mature enough players, points don’t matter. However if were trying to make a Doctor Who game that anyone can play it had better be munchkin proof.
Diamond said:
“What did the chest paralyzig maneuver do? I can't remember it. Please remind me what happened when it was used on the show.”
The Doctor made a fist with two fingers sticking out (like the V for victory or scissors in “Rock-Paper-Scissors”). He the (with palm facing the floor) pressed the two extended fingers into the center of the chest of the victim. For some reason the victim would be instantly paralyzed. He would continue to stand in whatever position he was in when the fingers pressed against his chest. The Doctor usually kept fairly still himself (perhaps the force and angel is important?). I think the victim could move his eyes. The Doctor explained that the paralysis became permanent if it was held to long. (we’ve seen him use it for up to half a minute with out ill effects). Victims who are released (by the removal of the fingers) seem to have a slightly sore chest. Hope this helps! http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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The whole Rapid Healing question, was based on the Doctor's 'healing coma,' which he used a few times. Also several other miscellaneous references made mention of such things.
The willpower duels could have been psionic, but I don't think so. Perhaps they had elements of both.
The ICON System, to me, is a nice player friendly system ... quick to learn, easy to use. Keep things simple. That's why whenever I go to write something, I look for existing examples. So, with this in mind, when the question of Time Lord regeneration came up, I looked for an existing example. The only thing that matched closely was the Trill symbionts.
So, here we have a joined Trill, who could be killed or die naturally and have the symbiont removed to live on in a new host. When joined, the symbiont and Trill share their memories and join their personalities to become a new personality.
Effectively, the same character lives on, but with a new body and a new personality ... sound familiar?
The Trill don't have to pay any cost for the ability to receive a symbiont. Even after a Trill has joined with a symbiont, they don't pay any cost.
A joined Trill gain three Symbiont Skills per host, each Skill receives a bonus and is cheaper to improve.
With my Regeneration Advantage, I gave the Time Lords three Regeneration Skills ... and only three ... ever! They function just like the Symbiont Skills. However they do not accumulate. The cost of this Advantage is three Development Points, one point for each Regeneration Skill.
Interestingly, the Trill get all this and more ... free.
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I just wanted to say that I like what you guys are doing.
Dr Who was my first TV love, long before Star Trek. I have all of the FASA stuff, Timelord and dozens of reference books. I gave up on the New Adventures after a while, though.
You guys mentioned the audio tapes, but I was wondering if you got the Videos over in the US, such as 'Auton' and the Sontarran story and the Liz Shaw story (who's names I can't remember?
On the subject of regeneration: I wouldn't bother to give it a points cost. It is not a particularly useful attribute IMHO, and should not affect gameplay. Dr Who should not be a combat oriented game, but if the Timelord suffers fatal damage, the regeneration process should take him out of the rest of the scenario, anyway.
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Greg
"Calm may work for Locutus of Borg here, but I'm freaked and intend to stay that way."
Xander, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Prophecy Girl.
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I agree with you Mr. Smith.
I have been working on some more Doctor Who Templates. I've been looking for Human appearing species that would be suitable for a Template. At the moment, I have a short list:
Alzarian (Difficult with the E-Space situation)
Gallifreyan (Done)
Human (Done)
Minyan (Done)
Thal (Almost done)
If anyone can think of any other Human-like species that would make good player characters, let me know.
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NOTE: The following Human Template is the same as from the Star Trek Core Rulebooks. The only differences are the changes made for relevant time zone. Each character using any of the following Templates, must specify the character's original time zone. Languages, Culture, History and other Skills will all be dependent on this fact. For most characters originating from a primitive society, substitute Sciences, Any (choose Specialization) for Craft (choose Specialization).
Human Template
Attributes
Fitness 2 [5]
Coordination 2 [5]
Intellect 2 [5]
Presence 2 [5]
Willpower +1
Psi 0 [5]
Skills
Athletics (choose Specialization) 2 (3)
Culture (Human) 2 (3)
History (Human) 1 (2)
Language
Choose One Human Language 2
Sciences, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
World Knowledge (Earth or other homeworld) 1 (2)
Typical Advantages/Disadvantages
2 extra Courage Points
Human
Human history has been marked by war and bloodshed, exploration and expansion, invasion and defeat, great achievements, and high ideals. From their homeworld, Earth, Humans have had to overcome great adversity and social changes in order to begin exploring space. During their history, they have faced several attempts to destroy, invade or enslave them.
When they finally did venture into space, Humans quickly become a widespread, powerful and influential species. Spreading from system to system they formed the Alliance, a loose federation between Earth and its colonies. The Alliance made allies, such as the Draconians and the Cyrennic, and also made enemies, such as the Daleks and Cybermen. However, after numerous wars, the weaken Alliance eventually gave way to the Earth Empire in the 26th Century.
The Earth Empire grew rapidly and somewhat more ruthlessly than the Alliance. It eventually encompassed a great majority of the Milky Way galaxy, until the end of the 30th Century. Other species were crushed, exploited and enslaved by the Empire. Eventually, a series of revolutions severely damaged the Empire, at a time when the Earth was being battered by solar flares, these events led to the fall of the Empire.
The damage from the solar flares led to a new Ice Age on Earth. Eventually though, Humanity returned to its birthplace, Earth. After reestablishing themselves, they became a part of a new political force, the Federation. This new Federation was formed in the 32nd Century and had many different alien species as members. The Federation fought its fair share of wars with the Daleks and Galaxy 5 among others. By the 50th Century, the Federation had disbanded and new empires emerged.
Minyan Template
Attributes
Fitness 2 [5]
Coordination 2 [5]
Intellect 3 [5]
Presence 2 [5]
Willpower +1
Psi 0 [5]
Skills
Athletics (choose Specialization) 2 (3)
Culture (Minyan) 2 (3)
History (Minyan) 1 (2)
Language
Minyan 2
Sciences, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
World Knowledge (Minyos or Minyos II) 1 (2)
Typical Advantages/Disadvantages
Regeneration +3
Strong Will +2
Intolerant (Time Lords) -1
Minyans
At the edge of creation, on the far side of the universe, the planet Minyos once existed. An intelligent species of humanoids, the Minyans, began to develop. The Minyans are physiologically similar to Humans and began to develop in a similar way also. At approximately 100,000 BC, the planets Minyos and its inhabitants came to the attention of the Time Lords. The Lords of Time had developed both technologically and socially, to a point where they had begun to explore the universe around them. Deciding to help the Minyans, the Time Lords made first contact with them. Assisting the Minyans with social changes and teaching them science and the wonders of technology, they came to be worshiped as Gods by the Minyans. The Time Lords even shared the secret of bodily regeneration.
Learning quickly, the Minyans developed space travel and colonized a few nearby planets. However, although they were very intelligent, they were still quite aggressive. Advancing too fast, the Minyans did not have a sufficient enough time to evolve a more peaceful way of thought. After a few brief centuries, they drove away the Time Lord presence on Minyos. Their success at driving the Time Lords away was not enough. The Minyans began to fight and war among themselves. The Time Lords could see that the death of Minyos was soon at hand. The Time Lords retreated, reviewing what they had done and eventually implementing the non-intervention policy.
A few Minyans also foresaw the coming cataclysm. Using what resources they had available to them, they established a small colony on a nearby world they called Minyos II. They gathered genetic material of their species and launched it towards Minyos II. The ship, with the race banks, was lost. A rescue mission was launched, just prior to the destruction of the planet Minyos in a series of nuclear wars. After the successful search and rescue mission, at the end of the 20th Century, the Minyan race banks were retrieved. The rescue mission finally reached their destination, Minyos II, during the mid 24th Century.
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I did toy with the idea that it would be fun to play an Ice Warrior, Draconian, Silurian or Sea Devil, etc.
But such species are not really practical for a standard Doctor Who series. It wouldn't be too bad if the series was kept in one time zone.
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I will try to post the other Templates in the next few days.
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What I've got on the Minyans:
Possibly 100,000 years before the birth of the Doctor (depends on how you interpret the dialoge in the episode). Which would make it around 3.5 billion BC.
Definitly some time after Rassilon assumed power The Time Lords set themselves up as gods on the planet Minyos. Minyos was located on the far side the Mutters Stellian Spiral from Sol III) They force the Minyans to give up magic and superstition by having the Heliomancers cast out of their society.
Hundreds of years later (1200 years after the Time Lords captured the Eye of Harmony) The Mynians revolt, and kill most of the Gallifreyans on the planet Minyos. As a result of this President Pandak of the High Council of Gallifrey creates the Doctrine of Non-Intervention.
As a side note:
The Time Lord's failure with the Minyans lead to a massive sense of guilt, helplessness and fatalism on Gallifrey. They felt that they had lost their Golden Age and a revival was necessary. The
Gallifreyans began viewing Rassilon and Omega as near mythical figures. They came to believe that only strict adherence to the customs and traditions established by Rassilon could stop their society’s decay.
All of this included info from the TV episode, the Novelization of the episode, an few other novels, and FASA's RPG.
Hope this helps. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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Unfortunately, my resources are limited JT. This is also a reason why I stick to what's in the TV series.
But by all means add to whatever I post.
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When designing Templates for Doctor Who, they seem to be pretty straight forward. Create the basic Template and adjust a few Skills to match the relevant time zone. However, the Thals are a little different. During their history they have had three very distinct periods of change. They used to be violent and aggressive, then totally passive and peaceful, then on to a more average mix of the two. So the following Thal Template is divided into two: the Militant Thal and the Peaceful Thal, with notes for adjusting for an average future Thal.
Thal Template
Militant Thal
Attributes
Fitness 3 [5]
Coordination 2 [5]
Reaction +1
Intellect 2 [5]
Presence 2 [5]
Willpower +1
Psi 0 [5]
Skills
Athletics (choose Specialization) 2 (3)
Culture (Kaled) 2 (3)
(Thal) (3)
History (Thal) 1 (2)
Language
Thal 2
Science, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
World Knowledge (Skaro) 1 (2)
Typical Advantages/Disadvantages
1 Courage Point +5
Species Enemy (Kaleds) -3
Peaceful Thal
Attributes
Fitness 2 [5]
Coordination 2 [5]
Dexterity +1
Intellect 2 [5]
Presence 3 [5]
Psi 0 [5]
Skills
Artistic Expression (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Athletics (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Craft (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Culture (Thal) 2 (3)
History (Thal) 1 (2)
Language
Thal 2
Planetside Survival (Skaro) 1 (2)
World Knowledge (Skaro) 1 (2)
Typical Advantages/Disadvantages
1 Courage Point +5
Resistant (Radiation) +3
Sexy +2
Pacifism (Total Nonviolence) -5
Species Enemy (Daleks) -3
NOTE: When the Thals have developed and begun to explore space, make the following changes to the Template above:
Substitute Craft (choose Specialization) 1 (2) for Science, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Remove Planetside Survival (Skaro) 1 (2)
Add another Specialization to World Knowledge
Reduce Pacifism to (Self-Defense) -3
Thals
Intelligent life evolved relatively early on the planet Skaro. Two sentient species developed, the Thals and the Kaleds. Both species are humanoid and very similar to Humans. Around 6700 BC, a war breaks out on Skaro between the Thals and the Kaleds, a war that would last for a thousand years. Over this period of conflict, biological and nuclear weapons were used, this created mutations in both species. Such a prolonged war drew upon and exhausted the planet's natural resources. As the fighting continued, both the Thals and the Kaleds were forced to use more primitive weapons.
Around 5700 BC, the Kaleds were destroyed. However, their creations, the Daleks, lived on. Presumably, a second war was fought between the Thals and the Daleks. In 201 BC, this war came to an end when the Daleks used a neutron bomb that irradiated most of the planet. The Daleks retreat to their metal city and the Thals become peaceful farmers. During this time, the Thals evolved into a beautiful and peaceful species of blonde humanoids.
It is assumed that the Thals began space exploration, for in 2540 AD a group of Thals helped to defeat a Dalek army on the planet Spiridon. In 4500 AD, the Daleks returned to Skaro during the Dalek/Movellan war. Skaro was a desolate world, with no signs of indigenous life. It is assumed that the Thals eventually abandoned their homeworld Skaro or they could have been exterminated. Around 4660 AD, Davros and his Imperial Daleks steal the Hand of Omega, a stellar manipulator, and used it on Skaro's sun. The sun went supernova and destroyed the planet Skaro.
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This is my first attempt at writing up the description of a Doctor Who alien species. I've changed the Alien Template from the one presented in the Star Trek Core Rulebooks. I've chosen one of my favorite monsters from the series.
Zygons
Homeworld
The Zygon homeworld was an unnamed planet that was destroyed in a stellar explosion.
Home Region or Sovereign Territory
After the destruction of their homeworld, a large Zygon space fleet is roaming through space, looking for a new home. The Zygons have no homeworld or territory.
Suggested Attribute and Edge Ranges
Fitness 2 [5]
Strength +1
Vitality +1
Coordination 2 [5]
Intellect 3 [6]
Presence 2 [5]
Willpower +1
Psi 0 [5]
Special or Unique Skills
Athletics (Swimming) 2 (3)
Culture (Zygon) 2 (3)
History (Zygon) 1 (2)
Language
Zygon 2
Science, Any (choose Specialization) 1 (2)
World Knowledge (Homeworld or Other) 1 (2)
Traits Common to the Species
Amphibious +3
Toughness +2
Addiction (Skarasen lactic Milk) -3
Special or Unique Abilities
Being cephalopods, the Zygons are amphibious. They are fully adept in the water as they are on land. Their hides are quite tough, though they are not invulnerable.
Appearance
The Zygons appear to be upright and bipedal cephalopods, with mottled orange, red and green skin. They have no necks, as their large dome-like heads join directly with their shoulders. The Zygons have small sucker-like nodules that run along their limbs, down their chest, and along the sides and top of their heads. Their fingers also end with a small sucker nodule. Their deep-set eyes, and sibilant voices, give the Zygons a menacing appearance.
Description
The Zygon homeworld was destroyed from a stellar explosion, around the end of the 20th Century. As galactic refugees, the primary goal of the Zygons is to establish a new homeworld. They prefer terrestrial worlds with a warm but wet climate. After abandoning their homeworld, the Zygons took with them, in embryo form, Skarasens. A Skarasen is a huge, amphibious dinosaur-like creature, the lactic milk of which is required by the Zygons and would die without it.
Technology
Tech Level: 6
The Zygons use organic technology and are formidable bioengineers and cyberneticists. A Zygon spaceship is partly organic, its interior has an organic appearance and control interfaces which helps to illustrate this fact.
Zygon technology has developed such things as a body transference machine. This allows the Zygons to scan and record a subject's body print. Once recorded, that body print can be adopted by the Zygons for a complete physical disguise of any creature. The Zygons' new form only lasts a short while before they revert back to their original form.
Story Notes
Without a homeworld, the Zygons are vulnerable. They need to reestablish themselves and to raise a herd of Skarasen so they can survive. While they are refugees, the Zygons are desperate and may revert to any tactics to secure a new world.
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Bytus, if you're interested, there's LOTS of info on the biology, culture and history of the Zygons in the 8th Doctor BBC novel "The Body Snatchers."
Its a so-so novel (I give it a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10). It takes place in the late 1900s and brings back Litefoot (from the Talons of Weng-Chiang). However if you're a big Zygon fan you might want to check it out.
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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I have several more Templates and Overlays, as well as Aliens Templates to post. I just need a little time to finish them. Among them is my version of the Daleks. I have also revised the Aliens Template again.
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THE OGRON TEMPLATE:
Compiled by JT
ATTRIBUTES
Fitness 3 [6]
Coordination 2 [5]
Intellect 1 [4]
Perception -1
Presence 2 [5]
Empathy -1
Willpower +2
Psi 0 [5]
SKILLS
Culture (Ogron) 1(2)
Language
Ogron 2
Planetside Survival (Braah) 2(3)
Primitive Weapon (Club) 2(3)
Stealth (Hide) 1(2)
Unarmed Combat (Brawling) 3(4)
World Knowledge (Braah) 1(2)
TYPICAL ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES
High Pain Threshold (+2)
Patron (+1) (for slaves of the Daleks only)
Diminished Social Status (-2) (could be –3 for those that are slaves of the Daleks)
Physically Impaired (extreme difficulty communicating with most humanoids) (-1)
Gullible (-1)
OGRONS
BRAAH (or as the locals term it “Homeworld”)
System Name: Agamemnon System
Location: 0110011 by C2 or 3349-6784 (at the “edge” of the Milky Way) Several light years from the nearest trade rout.
Type: Terrestrial (larger then average)
Atmosphere: Oxygen/nitrogen (with greater than normal hydrogen ratios)
Gravity: Significantly greater than earth.
Notes: Ogron home world is a gray barren desolate place with little food and a harsh climate. It is inhabited by fierce giant lizards, which prey on the Ogrons.
OGRON BIOLOGY
Scientific Nomenclature:homo ogronalis
Common Name: Ogrons
Racial Slur: Oggies
Type: Simian humanoid ectomorphs
Average height: 2.2 meters
Eating habits: Carnivorous (though they do enjoy bananas)
Notes: Because of there home planets immense gravity the Ogrons evolved massive frames. Their Homeworld of Braah went through a series of “rapid” environmental (probably caused by the Time Lords and the Daleks) changes resulting in the Ogrons having traits of both primates and carnivores. Ogrons are tall and massive with a large brow ridge. Their bodies are covered with long thin brownish hair (like a very hairy human). Young Ogrons have a full head of hair but adults are bald on the top. They have (literally) very thick skulls. Ogrons use the diaphragm and chest cavities of their stomachs to communicate sub-sonically. In Ogron language vocal cords are primarily used to talk about rocks. Ogrons can actually be quite intelligent.
Genetically and intellectually Ogrons are “Blank Slates.” They are easy to modify via brainwashing, cybernetic implants, and genetic engineering. This makes them very popular with security agencies who sell customized Ogrons. Some examples include Pygmy Maiden Ogrons, and Ogron Lords.
In 2976 the Earth Empire creates and breeds Pygmy Ogrons who are very small. These Pygmy Maidens are sold as sex-slaves.
Ogron Lords are Ogrons who work for the Time Lords. They have the Rassilon Imprimatur and other genetic “modifications.”
OGRON HISTORY
The Ogrons never developed space travel. They were at Stone Age tech level when first discovered by the Daleks who had time-traveled back to 1855 AD. They found the Ogrons ideal for their purposes and many were sold into slavery. These Ogrons worship the “Metal Gods” (Daleks). The Earth Empire usually spare’s Ogrons during wars with the Daleks.
On September 14, 1972 a group of Ogrons and Daleks (from an alternate timeline) tried to destroy the world peace conference. Some Ogrons were left on earth. By 1996 AD there were Ogrons living on Earth.
Before 2172 the Daleks discover Time-Travel. A team of time traveling Daleks go back in time to 1855 and discover the planet Braah.
(On September 14, 2172 “Day of the Daleks” occurs)
(On April 22, 2380 “The Romance of Crime” occurs)
By the 2380’s Ogrons are used a servitors by 17 galactic races. These include Humans, Daleks, and the Time Lords. Many are trained to operate spacecraft and serve as butlers and soldiers. Many freed Ogron became mercenaries, charging low rates for a chance to kill. While killing an Ogron is against the law (they are sentient after all) they are the butt of many jokes (kinda like Polish people only a Polish person wont twist your arm of if they hear one.)
By 2540 AD the Daleks were at the height of there galactic power. Ogron servants were used extensively.
(On 2540 “Frontier in Space” occurs)
By 2976 AD the Earth Empire comes to the Ogron Homeworld and rename it Orestes. They make Orestes part of the Earth Empire. They begin mining the planet and kill all “The Monsters.” (The Ogrons Gods). They genetically engineer Pygmy Ogrons, which have no stomach cavities (and thus cant talk to other Ogrons very well). The Ogrons are so offended by this that they dig up all their old Dalek weapons and go to war with the Earth Empire. By 2980 Earth starts taking the war seriously but lacks the resources to do anything about it. In 2982 the Ogrons gain their independence from the Earth Empire (which had just fallen).
(On 3790 “Interference” occurs)
In 3986 Ogrons were still working as mercenaries.
(“Mission: Impractical” might have occurred in 3986)
OGRON CULTURE
Ogrons have a Stone Age culture and live in caves on Braah. They are quite intelligent (relative to there appearance) and poetic. In Ogron language vocal cords are primarily used to talk about rocks. Leather is clothing of choice. Ogrons can tell the difference between a Good Rock, and a Bad Rock (this is VERY important). The chief Ogron god is “The Monster” a 4 meter wide orange blob that eats the Giant Lizards. When one Ogron child dies from malnutrition (a common occurrence) the other children will eat the body. Ogrons will eat other sentients. Young male Ogrons are VERY gullible about other races (they all look the same). Ogrons who serve as slaves are known as Lost Boys and Lost Girls. They will never betray their leaders unless they themselves are betrayed. The Ogrons are terrified of the Giant Lizards that roam their Homeworld. They are similarly terrified of the Daleks.
EXAMPLES OF OGRON NAMES:
Mother of Nobody, Gjork, Lost Boy.
OGRON INSULT
You have mind of mud (TRANSLATION – Your mind is slimy, slippery, which drains out of your ears and makes a mess on the floor)
OGRONS BEHIND THE SCENES:
Ogrons are the ultimate “Gorilla” soldiers. The trick with an Ogron is to play the stereotype with flashes of rebellion. Ogrons can be exceptionally stupid on one matter and amazingly competent the nest. The intelligent poet caveman should set the tone. Properly played they will be great comedic characters. The pattern should go something like: stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, Brilliant, stupid. Your Ogron should have lots of skills in absurd things like wine tasting, oil painting, and 18th century earth history and US nuclear missile launch codes. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
EXPERIANCED OGRON MERCENARY
(Converted from FASA and Time Lord)
*Attributes
Fitness 5
Coordination 3
Intellect 2
Per -1
Presence 2
Empathy -1
Willpower +2
Psi 0
*Skills:
Energy Weapon (Nuronic Stun Gun or Disintegrator) 2(3)
First Aid (combat/trauma) 1(2)
Planetary Tactics (Small-Unit) 1(2)
Planet-side Survival (Desert) 3(4)
Primitive Weapon (Club) 3(4)
Search 3
Shipboard Systems (choose spec) 1(2)
Stealth (Hide) 2(3)
Unarmed Combat (Brawling) 5(6)
Vehicle Op (Ground) 1(2)
World Knowledge (Braah) 1(2)
Advantages:
High Pain Threshold (+2)
Patron (+1) (for slaves of the Daleks only)
Disadvantages:
Diminished Social Status (-2) (could be –3 for those that are slaves of the Daleks)
Physically Impaired (extreme difficulty communicating with most humanoids) (-1)
Gullible (-1)
NOTES: Ogron Mercenaries are often equipped with Nuronic Stun Gun (which can also kill) or Disintegrators.
Physically Impaired (extreme difficulty communicating with most humanoids) (-1)
Ogrons use the diaphragm and chest cavities of their stomachs to communicate sub-sonically. In Ogron language vocal cords are primarily used to talk about rocks. They use their diaphragm is used to convey complex ideas. This means that even though Ogrons can learn to speak English they have great difficulty conveying abstract ideas with spoken language. This makes them look much dumber than they are. As a result they have a –1 from all die rolls for verbal interaction.
There he is folks! What do you think?
QUESTION: Does a disadvantage like Gullible exist in LUG? If not I’ll have to make rules for it.
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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Very interesting work JT. You've added enough depth to the Ogrons to make them viable as PCs, which is a tough job! Is any of that is information from the novelizations/new adventures/etc?
I like your inclusion of diminished social status disadvantage. I would quibble over the Patron (+1) for being a Dalek slave. Absolutely, a worse status disadvantage is appropriate for those wretches. But Daleks do not act as patrons. Sure, they may give minimal care to useful tools so that they will remain useful. But patronage implies more than that: someone who will go out of their way for you or do favors for you. Daleks don't do that.
For my take on commonly encountered Ogron NPC thugs, http://bancroft.tripod.com/DWogrons.htm
Coming soon, for use in your Doctor Who, Star Trek or Pulp adventures encounter: Stats for various dinosaurs. I wrote them up two nights ago, but haven't had a chance to post them yet.
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My revised Venusian Akido maneuvers are available at the bottom of the page at http://bancroft.tripod.com/DWconversions.htm
It now includes JTs description of the paralization maneuver. I chose to enterpret the Doctor's claim that the paralysis would become permanent in the same way as his "We're in a state of temporal grace... violence is impossible here" statement. Misleading. A fast talk roll to avoid violence and yet achieve goals peacably.
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Tyranosaurus Rex - 8 ton pouncing hunter
Fitness 2 Strength +55
Coordination 3
Presence 9
Instinct 1 Ferocity +2
Resistance 45 + 2 armor
Bite 4 Damage 55+2d6
Stomp/tail swipe: 2 Damage 57+1d6
Triceratops - 8 ton grazing herbivore
Fitness 2 Strength +45
Coordination 2
Presence 6
Instinct 1
Resistance 40 + 12 armor for attacks from the front, + 4 armor from the sides or rear.
Horn 3 Dmg 45+3d6 +1 for every 10m/round charged.
Brontosaurus/Apatosaurus - 35 ton grazing herbivore
Fitness 2 Strength +70
Coordination 1
Presence 7
Instinct 1 Perception +2 that head atop the long neck can
see things coming from a long way away!
Resitance 60
Stomp/tail 2 Damage 62+1d6
Velociraptor 200kg hunter
Fitness 4 strength +2
Coordination 4
Presence 5
Instinct 3 ferocity +2
REsistance 6
Bite 3 damage 6+1d6
Claw slash 4 damage 6+2d6
Notes: Check your favorite resource or movie for descriptions and behavior. The large dinosaurs here are intended to reflect
the big, dumb, slow dinosaurs shown in "Invasion of the Dinosaurs." The velociraptor is a smarter, faster, more modern (and Jurassic-Park-like) enterpretation.
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Diamond said:
“Very interesting work JT. You've added enough depth to the Ogrons to make them viable as PCs, which is a tough job!”
Thank you very much. A friend of mine was interested in playing an Ogron for a GURPS Dr. Who campaign so I did some research. Though my friend eventually decided to be a human I thought the research could still prove useful. I’ll probably put it on my website eventually.
Diamond said:
“Is any of that is information from the novelizations/new adventures/etc?”
All the info (except for “OGRONS BEHIND THE SCENES”) I wrote up came from the episodes, novels/reference books/RPGs. I didn’t make any of it up.
Diamond said:
“I would quibble over the Patron (+1) for being a Dalek slave….”
I don’t like it either, but I was trying for the “50 pt” template, which is so central to ICON. Some Ogrons are mercenaries. They would have diminished status of –2 but the ones that are slaves of the Daleks would have –3. So I tried to “balance things” by giving the slaves a +1 patron. The more I think about the Patron thing the more I hate it. Any suggestions (or should I ignore the 50 pt rule)?
Diamond said:
“For my take on commonly encountered Ogron NPC thugs, http://bancroft.tripod.com/DWogrons.htm”
I looked at yours. Nicely done. I based all my states of the FASA and Time Lord RPGs. I made conversion numbers for them. (For FASA take the LEVEL of skill and multiply by .86) (For Time Lord Attributes multiply by .86 for skills add the attribute to the skill and multiply by .6).
Diamond said:
“My revised Venusian Akido maneuvers are available at the bottom of the page at http://bancroft.tripod.com/DWconversions.htm”
Cool.
Why is Venusian Paralysis have a difficulty of 12? That seems really high! The Doctor used it all the time and sometimes seemed almost casual about it. It shouldn’t be much harder (if you’ve got the skill and the advanced maneuver) then punching someone in the middle of the chest.
Also, why does this maneuver work only on humans? Presumably it also works on Venusians? I’d bet it would work on a Thal or maybe even a Gallifreyan IMHO.
By the way I fully support your difficulty for the Venusian Nerve Pinch.
Diamond said:
“It now includes JTs description of the paralization maneuver.”
Thank you! http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
One more thing – love the dinos!
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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I’VE GOT IT!!!! http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
I got FASA’s Cybermen supplement! It just came in the mail (only cost $20). I now have (to the best of my knowledge) a copy of all the FASA Doctor Who RPG books ever printed!!!
I feel just like Herman Zaroff from "Doctor Who and The Underwater Menace"...
“NOTHING IN ZE WORLD CAN SHTOP ME NOW!!! ”
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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Hi JT. Thanks for your criticism of the Venusian Akido. The reason I put the difficulty number so high was twofold. First, I couldn't remember ever seeing the Doctor do it, so I assumed it had to be rare. But I guess I could be wrong. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for it in the future, particularly when watching 3rd Doctor episodes. Although from PBS's schegule, that'll be a long time from now.
Second reason was game balance. Here we have a maneuver that takes the foe out of combat instantly. That's pretty major. Even the nerve pinch might not work if the target has a high enough resistance. However, I think I can go somewhat lower and still have game balance, I may have overreacted. I'd have a much better idea if I could see it in action.
Finally:
>why does this maneuver work only on humans? Presumably it also works on Venusians?
I made the assumption that the Venusians that the Doctor was referring to were human colonists of Venus. To me it just makes more sense. Granted it's possible that another intelligent humanoid race might have evolved in our solar system (although it's already crowded with Silurians, Fendalians, Mondasians and Ice Warriors!), but it is INEVITABLE that humans would have put at least some sort of colony on it during their space exploration period.
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I've got to try out your ratio for FASA->ICON conversion! As soon as I can borrow the FASA stuff again that is. Most of my stuff is FASA conversion, but I used a different, less rigorous system. I subtracted one or two points, depending on what looked right.
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Diamond said:
"Thanks for your criticism of the Venusian Aikido. The reason I put the difficulty number so high was twofold. First, I couldn't remember ever seeing the Doctor do it, so I assumed it had to be rare. But I guess I could be wrong."
I know he uses it in at least 2-3 stories. (It's been a long time since I watched the Third Doctor). It's definitely used and described in the first half of "Inferno."
Diamond said:
"I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for it in the future, particularly when watching 3rd Doctor episodes. Although from PBS's schegule, that'll be a long time from now."
Sigh....At least somebody can watch Doctor Who on TV. They haven't shown it here since the end of the 80s. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/frown.gif
Diamond said:
"Second reason was game balance. Here we have a maneuver that takes the foe out of combat instantly. That's pretty major. However, I think I can go somewhat lower and still have game balance, I may have overreacted."
It is a VERY effective maneuver, but I thought making it an advanced maneuver makes it nice and difficult. The Doctor claims that he is one of the few 2 armed beings to master the art. So Venusian Aikido is a rare specialization, and you need to know the advanced maneuver. If a players willing to sink that many points into the maneuver it seems only fair that he get some sort of return for it (IMHO). http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
Diamond said:
"I made the assumption that the Venusians that the Doctor was referring to were human colonists of Venus. To me it just makes more sense. Granted it's possible that another intelligent humanoid race might have evolved in our solar system (although it's already crowded with Silurians, Fendalians, Mondasians and Ice Warriors!), but it is INEVITABLE that humans would have put at least some sort of colony on it during their space exploration period."
In the TV series the Doctor mentions that Venusians have really big feet (far bigger than any human). He also mentions that he (the Doctor) is one of the few 2-armed beings to master Venusian Aikido. This seems to prove that Venusians are not human.
The Virgin Doctor Who Missing Adventure Venusian Lullaby tells you everything you could want to know about the Venusians (except there martial arts!). They don't look remotely human and there civilization died out about 3 billion years before the birth of Christ.
Diamond said:
"I've got to try out your ratio for FASA-ICON conversion! As soon as I can borrow the FASA stuff again that is."
I'm not really sure how well it will work. I just noticed that 6 is the highest LUG skill level and 7 is the highest FASA skill so found the number that translates one to the other. About 10 second worth of work really. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif
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Just remember, even though it’s a vacuum,
In space no one can hear you Clean.
-J.T.
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Thanks JT! I vaguely remember the 4-armed reference now.
