Doctor Who RPG - Gamemaster's Companion

G A M E M A S T E R ’ S C O M PA N I O N
C credits
Writing: Morgan Davie, Mark Lawford,
Andrew Peregrine, Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
and Nathaniel Torson.
Editing: Andrew Kenrick
Cover: Paul Bourne
Graphic Design and Layout: Paul Bourne
Creative Director: Jon Hodgson
Publisher: Dominic McDowall
Special thanks: Ross McGlinchey and the BBC
team for all their help.
The Doctor Who Roleplaying Game uses the

Vortex system, designed by David F. Chapman.
Published by Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd

Suite D3 Unit 4 Gemini House, Hargreaves Road,
Groundwell Industrial Estate, Swindon, SN25 5AZ, UK.
(UK reg. no.6036414).
Find out more about us and our games at

www.cubicle7.co.uk
© Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd. 2016
BBC, DOCTOR WHO (word marks, logos and devices),

TARDIS, DALEKS, CYBERMAN and K-9 (word
marks and devices) are trade marks of the British
Broadcasting Corporation and are used under licence.
BBC logo © BBC 1996. Doctor Who logo © BBC 2009.
Dalek image © BBC/ Terry Nation 1963. Cyberman
image © BBC/Kit Pedler/Gerry Davis 1966. K-9 image
© BBC/Bob Baker/Dave Martin 1977.
.
Printed by: Standartu, Spaustuve
www.standart.lt, Vilnius, Lithuania.
C contents
Introduction 4 Running Games, Campaigns The Kraken 119
and Stock Footage 73 The Yatsoshiro 120
Running Games 74 Characters 120
starting Out 5 Framing Scenes 74 Prologue 124
How to Set Up a New Game 6 Describing Things 76 Act I: The Kraken Wakes 125
Overall Concept 7 Responding to the Players 80 1. Arrival in the Debris Column 125
Creating Characters 11 Pacing 81 2. The Privateers 127
Quick-start Concepts 16 Dealing with Time Travel 82 3. Sudden Impact 128
Getting Things Back on Track 83 4. The Missing Pod 129
Campaigns 86 5. Here we are Again 130
Adventures 19 Character Arcs 86 6. The Cliffhanger 130
The Many Hats of the Gamemaster 20 Plot Arcs 88 Act II: The Bodysnatchers 131
The Plot 21 Foreshadowing 89 1. The Chase 131
The Three-Act Structure 22 Changing Characters 91 2. Defeating the Slime 132
Act I - The Beginning 23 Killing Characters 92 3. Restarting the Engines 133
Act II - Rising Action 24 Big Finales 93 4. Escape the Debris Column 134
Act III - The Finale 26 Stock Footage 95 Act III: The Maw 135
Setting the Stage 27 People 95 1. The Crash of the Yatsoshiro 135
Lights, Camera, Action! 30 Places 99 2. The Kraken Attacks 135
Random Adventure Generator 30 Planets 101 Aftermath 136
Themes 30 Impossible Places 105 The Bellagio Imbroglio 137
The Adversary 42 Adventure Synopsis 137
Objectives 44 Getting There 139
Location 45 Death in Toytown, Casanova and the Bellagios 140
The Grip of the Kraken and Juggling the Cast 141
THE BELLAGIO IMBROGLIO 106 The Bellagio Stone 142
Villains and Making Death Comes to Toytown 107 The Adventure Begins 143
Monsters 48 Adventure Synopsis 107 The Rest of the Adventure 146
Villains 49 Hamilton’s Toys and Games 107 Important Locations 146
The Seed of Evil 49 The Nestene Consciousness 107 How to Run the Rest of
Power Base 51 The Players’ Characters 107 the Adventure 147
Villains and Story Points 53 1. Valley of the Dolls 108 List of Events 147
Making Monsters 56 2. The Toys Come to Life 110 What They All Did Next 148
Initial Inspiration 56 3. Edgar Hamilton 111 Wrapping Up 155
Making it Memorable 59 4. Escaping the Toy Shop 112 Aftermath 156
Dealing with Monsters 61 5. Saving Samuel 114 Optional Variation: Aliens
6. Tracking the Signal 115 Among Us 156
7. The March of the Chairs 116
Settings 63 8. Lair of the Nestene 116
Coming up with a Concept 64 Aftermath 118 index 157
Setting Toolkit and Checklist 69 The Grip of the Kraken 119
Introducing the Setting 72 Adventure Synopsis 119
doctor who roleplaying game
Introduction
‘Hello.
Anyway, why don’t we stop and have a nice little chat
where I tell you all my plans and you can
work out a way to stop me,
I don’t think.’
All of time and space, everywhere and everywhen. From stopping a Cybermen invasion in the heart of
London to venturing inside a Dalek and (almost) everything in between, the Doctor’s been there and done
that. But when it comes to writing and running your own adventures, where do you even begin? This is
where the Gamemaster’s Companion comes in.
The Gamemaster’s Companion is an invaluable resource to help you run the Doctor Who Roleplaying Game,
offering advice on telling stories in the style of the Doctor’s adventures. It’s a veritable toolbox of tips, tricks
and techniques that you can use in your own games, picking and choosing which ones you want to try out.
You’ll be using flashbacks, starting games in media res and ending your next session with a killer cliffhanger
before you know it!
The first part of the Gamemaster’s Companion is divided into five chapters.
Chapter One offers advice on starting a new game, from setting concept to creating characters and putting
the group together. Chapter Two is about planning an adventure, from plot to pacing, finishing off with the
Introduction
mother of all random adventure generators. Chapter Three is all about the bad guys, offering advice on how
to create a truly memorable villain and some special rules for making them truly threatening. It also takes a
look at that staple of Doctor Who adventures, the monsters, particularly focused on how to make your own.
Chapter Four provides a toolkit for bringing the setting to life, helping you to create a vivid location for your
adventure to unfold in. Chapter Five delves into the nitty-gritty of how you go about running an adventure,
from describing things to bringing things back on track when they go somewhat… awry. This chapter also
zooms out to look at the bigger picture, helping you link all of your adventures into a campaign. Finally, it is
loaded with what we’re terming ‘stock footage’ – that is to say, ready-made characters and locations that you
can dip into when you’re in tight spot.
The second part of the book contains three complete adventures, each of which showcases some of the
techniques and tips explained earlier in the book, letting you put all you’ve learned so far into practice.
Death Comes to Toytown starts the game in the middle of the action in a fantastical location; the characters
have been transformed into toys, trapped in a toy shop filled with otherwordly foes. Who’s done it and what
do they want with the characters’ real bodies?
The Grip of the Kraken sees the TARDIS becalmed in space about a powerless starship, drifting towards a
mysterious asteroid belt and into the maw of a new monster – the Kraken.
The Bellagio Imbrolio is a sandbox-style adventure, pitching the characters into the political intrigue of
18th-century Venice with a cast of NPCs all pulling the story towards a different agenda. Who will the
characters choose to help and what will the outcome be?
Finally, a note of caution. If you’re a player; while there’s nothing inherently spoiler-y about this sourcebook’s
contents, reading it will be something akin to working out how the magician performs all his tricks. So
while we won’t come out and say “players, stop reading now!”, reading it might take away some of the
mystery of your game. Alternatively, it might just inspire you to run your own game!
ED 4
T
OU
NG
RTI
STA

STARTING OUT
‘‘So, all of time and space, everything that ever some people who stumble into a rogue TARDIS”, try
Starting Out
happened or ever will. Where do you want to start?’ “I think the game should be about some people from
different periods of Earth’s history who stumble into
Starting a new game of the Doctor Who Roleplaying a mysterious TARDIS and are yanked out of their
Game? Let’s work out the best set-up for you and own times. They keep getting dragged into exciting
your friends. adventures throughout time and space, all while
trying to figure out the secrets of the TARDIS”.
C hOW TO sET UP A nEW gAME Warning! Don’t fall so in love with your idea that you
Here’s the thing: the game set-up you choose needs can’t bear to change it! No game concept entirely
support from the whole group. You need a thumbs survives contact with player creativity!
up from everyone, even if it isn’t their first choice. As
Gamemaster, making sure of this is your job; this is a You don’t need to stop at one idea, but you don’t want
game where the Gamemaster calls a lot of the shots, to share more than three or four at once. Beyond that
and the players will expect the same here. you’ll be presenting the players with so many options
that it will be hard to make a good decision.
So this is how you do it:
Now the second step: talking it through. Get the
• You tell them your best idea. players together (or send out group emails, whatever
• Then you talk about it. works) and tell them you want their help deciding the
concept for the game. Describe your idea to them,
First up, think about game ideas that you get excited but – and this is important – present it as a starting
about. After all, you’ll be putting more work into point, not something set in stone.
this than any of the players. Choose a concept that
really catches your imagination. Think about how Invite suggestions, counter ideas, modifications,
to describe it to your players. You want the players whatever they come up with. Talk it out. Many times,
to see why your idea will make for a really exciting the group will be happy to go with your suggestion, but
game that they’ll love to play. Adding a bit of detail even then see if you can get at least one suggestion
can help: instead of “I think the game should be about from each player for a change or addition to the
D
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6
The GAMEMASTER’s COMPANION
concept. The more the game reflects the interests of groups will give it a try the first time they play – but,
everyone, the more likely it is to deliver an amazing of course, there are other ways to play.
experience in play.
Potential Pitfalls: Even though this is the classic
approach, it has its problems. First, it requires
The Correct way to Start committed players. Say you have a large group
There is no correct way to start. No, that’s wrong: but because of work or family commitments, you
there are lots of correct ways to start. You can do it never know who will make it to any particular
like this: game session. The classic set-up won’t be a great
fit, because there’s only so many times you can make
• Step One: Decide on a concept. excuses as to why one of the team sits out the
• Step Two: Choose characters to fit. adventure in the TARDIS before it starts to
• Step Three: Work out your starting point. feel fake.
Or like this: There are also some balance concerns

with this model. The Time Lord and the
• Step One: Decide on some characters. human companions are mechanically
• Step Two: Develop a concept to fit. balanced by Story Points, but despite this
• Step Three: Discuss issues like canon. it can be easy for a dominant player to use
their Time Lord character to grab a lot of
Or this: time in the spotlight, or to direct the course
of the whole game, at the expense of other
• Step One: Have a big rambling discussion about players. Some groups prefer a more equal
all the different aspects of a new concept until arrangement: is yours one of them?
something starts feeling right.
• Step Two: Play!
• Step Three: Discuss how it went and make Earth Team Investigating
changes to improve things. Strange Events
This is also a fairly easy model to get your
Or maybe this: head around. UNIT has been doing this for
decades, and Torchwood for over a century.
• Step One: Decide something. There’s a group with a headquarters. There’s
• Step Two: Decide something else. someone more-or-less in charge who likes
• Step Three: Change the first something for a to get out in the thick of things. They hear
better idea. about the latest unusual event and head out to
inspect it and, if there’s trouble, to deal with it.
In other words, don’t hesitate to do things in whatever
order feels right. Test the waters, try a few options – UNIT and Torchwood are organised agencies, but
the method that works best for your group might not this set-up also works for amateur investigators
be obvious until you try it. who like to stick their noses into the strange
things they hear about. If they’re lucky, they
might even have an alien computer in their attic.
C oVERALL cONCEPT
What is your game idea about? Who are the This is a great model for a flexible procedural
characters and what are they doing? This is the big- game. The exact group of players can change from
picture concept, and it gives you some important week to week and it won’t cause any problems.
information. The drive to investigate means it’s easy to get
the group off on a new adventure. And you don’t
need to come up with a new alien planet every
Time Lord plus Humans Exploring time, because the setting will stay the same!
Time and Space
Everyone knows how this one works: a Time Lord Potential Pitfalls: When you have an organisation
with a TARDIS takes a few human companions on you have a chain of command, and when you have
the adventure of a lifetime. It reliably delivers fun a chain of command you have players forced to
times and gives you a stable set-up for continuing take orders. Even worse, you often have players
adventures. This is the classic concept, and most forced to take orders from other players. For
DE 7
some groups this won’t be a problem, but in others, long. When that happens, you’ll either change the
this will be a huge minus to their experience. If you concept into something new, or start winding up
decide on a small agency where people are expected the game. This can actually be a really good thing,
to take the initiative, and you this problem mostly as players might find it very satisfying to go from
goes away. helpless victims of circumstance to travellers in
control of their own fates, but it’s worth knowing
Starting Out
If the group aren’t in a formal organisation, but are what you’re getting yourself into. This set-up also
just curious amateurs, then the main problem is that shares the problem of player commitment. If you
of protecting themselves. If any given set of villains have an irregular player or two, then it will be quite
can portray the group as criminals, then that might hard to keep continuity from one game session to
be the end of their careers and the game right then the next.
and there – they won’t have UNIT or Torchwood
advising police not to press charges.
High Concept
“You know what would be an awesome idea? If we
Accidental Wanderers play…”
Just because they’re travelling through space and
time doesn’t mean they know how to steer. Perhaps • “…Sontarans who were infected with human
their travel is entirely accidental. Your game can be emotions by the Doctor, and now we’re chasing
about a group of people who stumble into a situation him through time and space to make him put us
they don’t understand. Perhaps they crawled back like we were before!”
through a wardrobe and ended up in a strange new • “…the bridge crew of one of those time-travelling
world, with no clear idea of how to get home, and the shape-changing robots, only instead of enforcing
controls to the wardrobe are extremely confusing… justice we’re tracking down the Key to Time!”
• “…a band of thieves plotting the biggest heists
This can be a handy one for a Gamemaster, because in all of time and space, and we decide on the
it means the players entrust you with deciding where Daleks as our first target!”
they go from week to week. You decide if it’s Roman • “…members of a cross-time flower delivery
Britain now, ancient Mesopotamia next, then the service, and we’re constantly competing with a
year 3 million. They go along for the ride. rival cross-time flower delivery service!”
• “…people whose lives got messed up by aliens
Potential Pitfalls: While hopping from random place but they blame the Doctor and want to put him on
to random place can be fun for a while, many groups trial, so they investigate everything mysterious
will want some control over their destiny before too in case he’s involved!”
ED 8
• “…ordinary people who wake up in a world can start anywhere in time or space, with any sort of
where all of time is mashed together and who characters. In fact, there are so many choices, it can
try to work out what went wrong so they can put be a challenge to even get started! Here are some
things right!” good options to start you off…
When someone says “You know what would be an

awesome idea?” you’re dealing with a high concept. The TARDIS Crew
These ideas are unique and distinctive. The concept You take on the roles of your favourite TARDIS crew. Be
by itself should be enough to get everyone interested. the Doctor, Clara and Danny! Or be the Doctor, Amy
A high-concept game can be one of the most and Rory! Or be the Doctor, Martha and Jack! Or be
memorable experiences you’ll have at a tabletop: you the Doctor, Rose and Mickey! Those character sheets
know your game will be unlike every other game out appear in the various books for a reason, after all.
there, and you have an amazing opportunity to get
wildly creative together! These ideas are always a bit Some groups will be happy to use a non-standard
odd, though, so it is extra important to make sure crew: the Doctor, Donna and Amy, for example. You
everyone likes the idea and wants to play. can come up with a clever explanation, or just shrug
your shoulders and go for it, whatever feels right to
Potential Pitfalls: Unsurprisingly there are lots of you.
things that can go wrong with this sort of game. High
concepts are never sure things. Sometimes an idea A good option if the players…
that you’re all excited by and committed to can still
fall over when you sit down to play it. • Love the iconic characters.
• Have the right number of people.
When you’re talking about high concepts, two big • Want to start playing right away.
things to consider are longevity (will the adventures • Won’t argue over who gets to play who.
keep coming, or will they dry up pretty quickly?) and
equity (will all the players share in the fun, or will Avoid this option if the players…
some characters get more attention than others?).
• Enjoy arguing about the merits of the characters
(you’ll never get anything done!).
What Sort of Characters do we Play? • Want to use their own creativity.
In most other roleplaying games, the starting • Don’t all know the characters.
concept is clear enough that everyone pretty much • Can get a bit worried about canon (see pg. 10).
lands on the same page: you’re all fantasy heroes
who like looting dungeons for treasure, or you’re all
1920s occult investigators, or whatever. This game is
not like that. A new Doctor Who Roleplaying Game
DE 9
Other Familiar Characters Get everyone to pick one of these characters, come
The Doctor has encountered many other interesting up with a way to bring them together, and begin! You
folk through his travels, and many of them would can also mix-and-match these characters with an
make great people to adventure with. There’s various established TARDIS crew, adding them in as extras
UNIT brigadiers and scientific advisers, a cat burglar, to fill out a game table.
a Silurian and a Sontaran in Victorian London, the
Doctor’s vat-grown ‘daughter’, Wilfred’s grey-haired A good option if the players…
alliance, maybe even funny-forehead Adam after he
grows up a bit. • Love the huge world surrounding the Doctor’s
travels.
• Have favourite characters who they want to see
more.
• Aren’t confident creating new characters from
scratch.
Avoid this option if the group…
• See the Doctor as the centre of the story.

• Want to invent their own characters.
• Want to go off completely in their own direction.
Something Entirely New

Who could forget the adventures of the Adjudicator
and her companions Mikael and Sondra! Or that
Relationship to ‘Canon’
Starting Out
Here’s something else you’ll want to talk about in advance – or, at least, fairly early on. How does your
game fit in with the known adventures of the Doctor and his friends? If you play a game with the Doctor,
Mickey and Rose, and Mickey sacrifices himself saving Rose from the Daleks – well, that isn’t what
happened in the adventures everyone knows. Mickey ends up in Pete’s World, then comes back to save
the universe, and ends up married to Martha. Right?
At some point you and the group are going to have to pick an option. Best to talk about it early, even if you
don’t make a firm decision right away.
• Not a problem! We’re not using the Doctor and chums, so we don’t need to worry about whether
our adventures match up to the story everyone knows. Besides, the Doctor’s adventures do seem
to contradict each other anyway from time to time, so if we do end up incompatible with something,
well, so what?
• We’re on our own! As soon as we sit down to play, we’re off into a tangent universe where anything
can happen. Time can be rewritten, Rigsy can keep the chronolock instead of Clara, the Doctor can
die battling the Silence, Donna can turn right instead of left…
• We’ll fit in the gaps! We’ll play with the understanding that our game will slot neatly in between two
of the Doctor’s escapades, like a missing adventure. We’ll all try and avoid invalidating the future
adventures of our characters. And if we do end up breaking our expected future, we’ll see if there’s
a way to put things back together again. (I mean, Rory keeps coming back to life after dying, right?)
You can play many games without this decision mattering terribly much, but some players will care a
whole lot about it. So talk about it in advance!
ED 10
memorable pair of time travellers, Theta Gamma

and Miss Collins! And of course, everyone is awed by C Creating Characters
the incredible escapades of Hugh Sonic and the Dub In many groups, everyone’s happy to leave problems
Stepsisters! like concept and canon to the Gamemaster. However,
there is one part of game set-up where everyone
You haven’t heard of these people, because they wants a piece: character creation.
don’t exist. By creating a brand-new group of time-
travelling adventurers, you can find something that Coming up with the characters who will be your main
perfectly fits your players and goals. focus when you sit down to play is, unsurprisingly,
somewhat important. It is an incredibly good idea
You might also want to split the difference of familiar to get the entire group talking about everyone’s
and new, by creating a brand-new future Doctor and characters, rather than sending everyone off to
their companions. invent their own characters in isolation then present
them to the others as “finished!” If you want the
A good option if the group… characters to make sense as an ensemble in a game,
then develop them together as a group.
• Is eagerly creative.
• Doesn’t want to be constrained by established
characters. Who are the Characters?
• Doesn’t mind bending around canon. The overall concept and other decisions provide big-
picture options of the sorts of characters available.
Avoid this option if the group… Have a chat with the group about the specific
characters that you need for the concept to work.
• Want to play the Doctor and companions; that is For example, if you’re going with a classic approach,
the name of the game after all. someone will need to be the Doctor, and one or more
• Don’t have confidence in their own creativity. people to be his companions. If you’re a UNIT squad,
• Are impatient to get started. you’ll need someone to be the officer in charge, and
DE 11
perhaps a scientific advisor, and a reliable sergeant It’s also possible to have a mixed set-up. Perhaps
who knows how to set explosives, and so on. Also, two characters are work colleagues and friends,
try to ensure each character has a role to play that schoolteachers, say. Perhaps two other characters
makes them special. In other words – don’t create are family, perhaps a grandfather and granddaughter.
two characters who both have the same job. Giving These two pairs are then forced together by
everyone a distinct niche means that everyone will circumstance and get to know each other as they
get their own moments to shine in the adventures to embark on a series of adventures. That might work.
come. Some examples:
• Talking to people.
• Punching people in the chin.
• Sneaking around and investigating.
• Playing with gadgets.
• Understanding time, space, the universe and
everything.
• Anything else that you expect to come up in
adventures.
Work towards everyone having an idea, even a

loosely defined one. As Gamemaster, you should
help things along. Feel free to make suggestions
about character possibilities. If you spot that a player
seems interested in an idea, ask them about it. Watch
for when players respond to the group’s ideas, and
encourage exploration. Playing through the Meeting
You might want to play through how the characters
Note that some groups might want to start with all meet, or you might decide to have that happen
character ideas and work upwards from there to find ‘off-screen’ before you begin. Which way will suit
Starting Out
a concept which fits. This can be tricky, especially your group?

if two players have their hearts set on playing
characters that seem to belong in contradictory • Hello! Nice to meet you! In this approach, the
concepts. Or if two players both want to be the characters don’t know each other at all when
Doctor! As always, as Gamemaster it ultimately falls you start. Their first interactions will happen
to you to make suggestions and get the conversation as part of the game. This is neat because the
going to sort these issues out. players learn things at the same time as their
characters. The catch is ensuring there’s a
reason for these new acquaintances to stick
How do the Characters End up together. Maybe they’ve been assigned to work
Together? together; maybe they’re about to fall through a
So, how did these characters come together as a time portal together and will have to rely on each
group? other to survive. If you can’t think of a way to do
this, then it might be better to use the second
Your concept might answer this question: a UNIT option. (You can always flashback to their first
squad is together because they’re a UNIT squad, for meeting later on…)
example. But even here, a chat can be useful. A newly
assembled squad of recruits from civilian services is • Here we go again! In this approach, the
a different sort of thing to a tight-knit squad of career characters already know each other when you
soldiers with years of experience firing five rounds first sit down to play. You can even start right in the
rapid at chaps with wings. Most groups will fit into middle of the action, in a pitched battle with the
one of these three options: Cybermen or running away from Robespierre’s
men. The great advantage is getting right into
• They are family or old friends. the fun without worrying about the details yet.
• They are working together on a project or as Yes, things will be confusing to start with, but
part of an organisation. if everyone just goes for it then things will fall
• They are acquaintances or strangers who are into place later on. This option is also great if the
forced together by circumstance. reason your characters get together is complex
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or full of coincidence – nothing ever quite goes While all this detail work is being done, it’s a great
to plan when you play things out, so it’s far safer opportunity for you as Gamemaster to talk one-to-
to keep that detail in flashbacks only! one with each player. Make sure you understand
why they’re excited to play this character. You’ll get
inspiration from their ideas!
What are their Skills and Traits?
Now it’s time to get those character sheets filled
in. Everyone should start choosing skills and traits What Stuff do They Have?
based on their character concepts. You can skip this question if the answer is ‘ordinary
things’. If the group concept is to be university
Everyone should keep talking as they go. Hearing students, then just assume everyone has university-
everyone else making decisions will help players student-type gear, and move on. Problem solved.
narrow down their own ideas. Keep those special
roles in mind, and watch out for any signs of overlap But some concepts need a little more care. If the
between characters. group is a UNIT squad, then presumably they’ll have
weapons of some kind. A Torchwood scientific unit
Watch out for combinations that will instantly cause might have strange and interesting gadgets. And any
trouble during play! If one player chooses the Outcast concept that has the characters travelling through
trait, explaining that they are a compulsive thief, and time and space requires them to have a time machine!
another takes the By the Book trait, announcing
themselves as determined to uphold the law, then Individual characters can negotiate with the
you’re headed for trouble in play. Gamemaster to have Gadgets that suit their situation,
but a shared conversation can decide what equipment
On the other hand, you could try to set up some is normal for this group. If there are any Gadgets or
combinations that will lead to a fun character dynamic. vehicles that will be important to everyone, like an
If one character is Cowardly and another is Brave, then alien supercomputer hidden inside an attic wall, now
there’s probably going to be some bickering down the is the time to scope them out.
line, but likely the fun sort of bickering. An Eccentric
who keeps wandering off would be well-matched by a As Gamemaster, you must have a strong role in this
friend with a Sense of Direction and Keen Senses who discussion. It is a good idea to be cautious about
can track them down. what you allow. At this stage you’re just making
DE 13
guesses about the potential impact of different kinds you as Gamemaster because it gives you some great
of gear, so try to hold back on firm approvals until story ideas that you know will grab player attention.
the game has started and your guesses become a bit And it helps the players, because it ensures they get
more educated. stories that suit their interests, and it helps them
define and enjoy the characters they’ve invented.
As part of this process you must decide if there’s any
Story Point cost from the Gadgets, and whose Story These story ideas might end up being just small
Point total it counts against. Split the total among parts of upcoming adventures, but they could also
multiple characters if the Gadget will genuinely be become huge ongoing themes. As a small example,
shared, but usually you should designate one owner Clara’s player might come up with “Holds down a
and count it against their total. job as a school teacher in between adventures in
the TARDIS”. Playing through the drama as she
juggles her work responsibilities with time with the
Doctor might not be the focus of the game, but it is a
powerful way to define Clara’s character.
As a larger example, consider Amy’s player, who

suggested a problem of “grows up while waiting for
the Doctor, and he returns on her wedding night”.
And then throws in “mysterious connection to a
crack in the wall”, just to make things a bit more
complicated!
Starting Out
Remember also that if the game concept relies on

a time travel device, then that device is ‘free’ – it
doesn’t count against anyone’s Story Points.
Character Hooks and Plots

Finally, once you have your characters laid out, you
can think about tying them into the concept as tightly
as you can. This is where you add a bit of detail to the
characters.
Start with personal goals. Encourage the players

to come up with powerful personal goals that they
can chase hard during the game. Pay attention to
the goals they come up with – when gametime rolls
around, you’ll want to give them every opportunity to
pursue these.
Then, ask the players to think about their connection

to the concept. Is there something about the
character’s personality that makes them suited to Some players might feel a bit strange coming up with
adventure? If the chance to go home and relax came, their own problems like this. Isn’t that sort of thing
what would hold them back? Characters shouldn’t the Gamemaster’s job? You can assure them that
start with the Unadventurous trait! once they’ve made their suggestion, it does fall to
you to make it happen. They should consider it part
Finally, as an optional extra, ask every player to come of the character creation process: the character isn’t
up with a problem for themselves. They can devise a quite finished until you know the first big problem
plot complication that suits their character. This helps they’re going to face.
ED 14
Getting from Here to Then
Most Doctor Who Roleplaying Game concepts rely on the characters being able to move through time
and space. How can this be accomplished? Here are a few suggestions:
• A TARDIS: The Doctor’s, or any other example – there are probably a few battered and bruised
TARDIS capsules lying abandoned in the wake of the Time War.
• An alternative TARDIS: Many attempts have been made to copy TARDIS technology, from the
SIDRAT of the War Lords to the Dalek time machines and the hidden timeships of the Silence.
Few of these attempts end well, but they might just work well enough for your group to have some
adventures.
• A Vortex Manipulator: As used by 51st century Time Agents, these complex devices are highly
prized by any species with a technology level high enough to understand their power.
• A Time Ring: Also Gallifreyan technology, but much more limited in power and scope, there might
well be a few of these hanging about in odd corners of the universe.
• Time Corridors: Daleks mastered this technology, but it’s out in the wild now. Not a vehicle as
such, rather a shortcut through time. They usually require conduits at each end.
• A Mysterious Old House: It sits on a country road, overgrown and abandoned, all its windows
boarded up. You go inside, and when you step out again you’re somewhere else. The house is a
crossroads, existing in countless spaces and times all at once. But how do you control where you
end up when you go outside?
• Advanced UNIT Technology: They’ve dealt with a few time invasions, and if they can get their hands
on a burnt-out TARDIS they might be able to rig something up that can send a team through time
and space!
• Weeping Angels: A tame Weeping Angel, hurling the characters back through time and slipping
along with them. Can it be trusted? Of course not. It helps when it must, and for the rest of the time
it stands in the corner with hands over its eyes, and it waits…
DE
15
emptive destruction – or for use as hostages

C Quick-start Concepts against the Doctor himself.
Grab one of these ideas and get a new and different • There are secrets behind the provenance of their
game up and running fast! time vehicle. Are they exploring the Time Vortex
in an evil TARDIS?
Follow in the Footsteps What the Gamemaster will need to do:

The Doctor has cast a long shadow across the
universe. A traveller through time and space, • Come up with situations that challenge the
standing up for the weak and the vulnerable, staring characters to be like the Doctor – and tempt them
down the powerful and cracking jokes as he does so. off the path.
Wouldn’t you like to be like that? • Develop adventures, but also encourage
the players to suggest their own goals and
In this concept, the players take on characters who destinations.
have been inspired by the Doctor to emulate his • Think about the ramifications of time travel and
adventures. They find or build a time machine, and watch out for paradoxes and other wibbly-wobbly
set off to explore the universe and stand up against timey-wimey stuff…
tyranny along the way. Of course, it’s not going to be
as easy as all that…
Sometimes they Come Back
The Doctor has met a lot of people on his travels, and
a scarily high number of those people died shortly
after meeting him. But for a small number of these
people, death was not the end. They wake up, alive
and well, in an unfamiliar building on a windswept
coast. The building is full of conduits leading to
other times and places, but the technology is old and
unreliable. Where are they? How did they get here?
Starting Out
Why are they alive?
Fits well with:
• Both familiar and original characters.

• Characters who start out as friends.
• Reliable players who will turn up every week!
Twists to consider:
• “We are the Time Lords now!” Without the Fits well with:
Doctor’s fierce integrity, can the new time
travellers resist the temptations that come with • Familiar characters who died in one of the
power over space and time? Doctor’s adventures.
• The Doctor makes it look simple, but inexpert • Characters who start out as strangers.
travel through time leaves a trail of havoc, • A flexible group of players who like mysteries.
paradox and broken realities. Are these amateurs
causing more problems than they solve? Twists to consider:
• The exploits of the group draw the attention of
some of the Doctor’s most fearsome enemies. • There is a pattern to the places on the other side
Without warning they become targets for pre- of the portals – every one leads to a fixed point
D
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16
in time that must be preserved. But why would a crucial mission along death-trapped timestreams
someone build time portals only to the places and under the folding husks of spent planets. Then
that should be left alone? the Vortex convulses around them, and they are
• They all remember dying. They remember what pushed out of the main warzone, into a tentacle of
it felt like. But here they are, apparently alive. bent time that extends far from the war.
How can this be? Did some force pluck them
from the timestream just in time and repair their Somehow, they have arrived in the world after the
bodies? Or are they dead, and they just don’t Time War, where Gallifrey and the Time Lords were
realise it yet? trapped. It is unclear how they can get back. One
• Where are they, anyway? Why are there no signs thing they do know, however: they didn’t arrive here
of any other people, anywhere? What will they alone. Some of the most dangerous weapons of the
find if they start walking along the coast? Time Lords – or of the Enemy – were also caught
• And what does it mean when they find a battered up in the convulsion and spat out into a universe
blue police box, silent and impenetrable, in the unprepared for their power. And then there are
dusty corner of the abandoned basement? rumours about one other Time Lord who made it
out of the war: the Doctor…
What the Gamemaster will need to do:
Fits well with:
• Dynamically present a series of unfolding
mysteries, slowly revealing answers that pose • Brand-new characters who are Time Lords.
deeper questions. • Characters who start out in a well-defined team.
• Work out the truth behind these mysteries, or at • Groups who like to choose their own goals and
least a possible explanation for them that can be go after them.
modified as the game goes on.
• Decide the destinations of the portals and prepare Twists to consider:
adventures behind each one.
• The characters arrive with some other Time
Lords who are of a more militaristic bent, and
Fight the Time War who immediately set about establishing a
The Time War is now! A war party of Time Lords military rule of their new reality. Do they become
struggles for victory. In the thick of battle they run tyrants who the characters must oppose?
DE 17
• As the characters learn more about the progress • A mix of characters, perhaps including aliens, but
of the Time War, they discover just how vicious none of whom are Time Lords.
and wicked the Time Lords became. How far have
they already fallen? Do they want to try to save a Twists to consider:
Gallifrey that would commit such atrocities?
• If there is a way back into the Time War, and a • The TARDIS starts returning to places the Doctor
chance to change how that war ended, will any of has already been, a week or a decade or a century
the characters take it? Especially if it becomes after the Doctor’s visit. The characters have to deal
clear that it’s a one-way trip? with the unfinished business from, or unintended
consequences of, the Doctor’s adventures.
What the Gamemaster will need to do: • The Doctor may not be in evidence, but something
very strange is happening in the depths of
• Expect the first few adventures to revolve around the TARDIS – as you go further in, the walls
the characters making sense of what happened themselves seem to decay into a strange Gothic
to them and trying to get back to the war. After nightmare, and whispers can be heard always
a few adventures it will be clear they are stuck, around the next corner…
and more settled wandering and exploring can • Across a number of adventures it becomes clear
begin, but until then the characters will be that the TARDIS has a mission in mind and these
pushing strongly for their goals. characters, out of all of space and time, are the
• Think about how time travel works, particularly only ones who can succeed. What is the mission?
around the thorny issue of the Time War. Some And why is it up to them?
of the Doctor’s statements suggest that this
group’s escape should have been impossible.
You don’t need to come up with a thousand-
word essay explaining how it works, just get
yourself ready for the characters trying all
manner of tricky things as they respond to their
circumstances.
Starting Out
• Come up with a series of mind-bending

Gallifreyan time weapons, and decide where
each has ended up and what havoc it is causing
in its new resting place.
Chosen by the Box

One afternoon, the Box comes for you. It materialises
with a wheezing, groaning sound in the corner of your
bedroom, and its blue doors swing open. Inside there
is a miraculous and strange new world. And then the
doors close, and the central column starts moving,
and the blue box sets off again… In this concept, the
characters are all chosen by the Doctor’s TARDIS. It
welcomes them into its corridors and teaches them
how to fly through time and space. They then embark
on a series of adventures, some chosen by the TARDIS
and others by their own initiative. And throughout it
all, the TARDIS remains silent on a very important What the Gamemaster will need to do:
question: where is the Doctor?
• Work hard to make this TARDIS feel like the
Fits well with: Doctor’s TARDIS, even in the absence of the
Doctor himself.
• Groups who want the iconic elements of the • Look at the Doctor’s adventures and think of
Doctor’s adventures, but don’t want to play as the ‘sequels’ that would make good adventures for
Doctor. your game.
• Original characters who may or may not know • Work out what has happened to the Doctor and
each other at the start. what the TARDIS is up to.
ED 18
es
ntur
ve
Ad

Adventures
‘Oh, this is my own fault. I like adventures as much you can imagine, living, dead or fictional, without
Adventures
as the next man, if the next man is a man who likes worrying about set budgets, expensive special effects,
adventures.’ actor’s fees or casting problems. Want the late, great
Sir Ralph Richardson to play the Time Lord mentor
Writing and running an adventure for the Doctor in your story? He’s always available and will never
Who Roleplaying Game, may seem daunting at first. charge you a penny.
The truth of the matter is that, although producing
a cracking Doctor Who session is very similar to
writing and producing an episode of a real-life The Gamemaster as Writer
television series, the actual work involved is quite This will be your main ‘pre-production’ role when
minimal. Let’s look at it from the perspective of the creating an adventure for the game. You must come
typical production studio staff. up with the story, the characters and the general
plotline for the players to interact with. Unlike a
normal writer, however, you don’t have to write a
45-page script with extensive scenes complete with
C The Many Hats of dialogue. On the contrary, you only need to prepare
the Gamemaster a basic plotline, some short scene descriptions, and
come up with characters. The vast majority of the
The Gamemaster as Producer story will come from the interaction between you and
The first and most important role you will take on the players!
is that of producer. In television terms, this person
organises and assigns tasks, handles budgets
and keeps the whole process moving smoothly. As The Gamemaster as Director
Gamemaster, you will be doing this when you run the It is the director’s job to keep the story moving,
game, keeping track of how the story is progressing give the actors clues on how to play the scene, and
and making on the spot rulings about various game dictate the action as it occurs. The director also has
mechanical elements. Unlike an actual producer, a hand in casting the guest stars and minor roles.
however, your budget and influence is limitless! You Like a director, the Gamemaster sets the scene
can set a story anywhere, anywhen and with anyone for the players during the game and answers any
ED 20
questions they might have about the environment And good Adversaries are not hard to come up with.
their characters are interacting with. You also ‘cast’ From major baddies like Daleks and Cybermen, to
the NPCs, giving them attributes, traits and possibly more uncommon species like the Dominators or the
even Story Points, and then having them enter and Boneless, all the way up to beings of almost godlike
exit the scene as needed. power like the Eternals or the Celestial Toymaker,
there is no shortage of adversarial conflict in the
Doctor’s universe. The Doctor Sourcebooks are very
The Gamemaster as Actor handy in this regard and will provide you with villains
Finally, the Gamemaster needs to be an actor, and aliens (and villainous aliens) enough for years
playing the roles of all the non-player characters, of continuous campaign play.
giving them a voice and a life so that the players may
interact with them. Now, this doesn’t mean you have Should you desire something new and interesting,
to adopt a funny accent or produce scenery-chewing like maybe an evil mastermind to act as Moriarty
dialogue, if that sort of thing makes you feel a wee to the players’ Holmes, we have a system for
bit strange. You can, instead, relay the gist of the creating powerful, unique villains, with a
conversation to the players with whatever verbal well defined set of abilities, resources and
clues might be needed to tell them that the NPC is motivations, on pg. 49.
shifty, ill or possibly an alien in disguise. Or, if you
prefer, you can indulge your inner thespian and give Keep in mind when selecting an Adversary
full expression to the NPCs. that you aren’t limited to one. Imagine the
players getting caught between a small
war between the Daleks and the Cybermen
C The Plot over the possession of the inhabitants of
First things first: you need a good plot. As we a primitive world (who see them both as
mentioned earlier, you don’t need a fully fleshed out gods, have picked sides, and started a war
story treatment here, you just need the following of their own).
elements…
Another good use of multiple Adversaries is to have
the main Adversary or Adversaries turn out to be
The Theme pawns in the game of another, hidden Adversary.
This is the main focus of the adventure, the driving Once the players figure out who the real instigator
force behind all the action. If, when running the is, they might even be able to turn the pawns
adventure, you ever become stuck for an idea on how against their master (who might literally be the
to proceed, you should always remember to return to Master, who often uses other species to do his
the Theme as quickly and directly as possible. dirty work).
A selection of themes drawn from the adventures of

the Doctor are provided starting on pg. 30, but the Objects and Objectives
general rule of thumb is that you should be able to If an adventure has an Adversary it will almost
encompass a theme in a few words, like “Invasion”, certainly have an Objective that Adversary is
“Technology Gone Wrong” or even something trying to meet or an Object they are trying to
specific like “The Massacre”. You might even work procure. There is a wide selection of ideas for
the Theme into the title, like The Massacre of St both on pgs. 42 and 44.
Bartholomew’s Eve.
Even without an Adversary, an Object might
be the focus of your adventure, depending on
The Adversary the Theme. A powerful artefact that needs to
Not all adventures need an Adversary; in fact many be removed before it can harm an ignorant
of the Doctor’s adventures are instigated by natural population or alter the timeline is a perfect
environmental forces or innocents tampering with example of this.
forces that they don’t understand. These types of
adventures can be fun in their own right and provide Normally, Objectives are adversarial in
a nice diversion from the ‘monster of the week’, but nature, as the players will typically determine
true Adversaries, beings who actively work against their own goals to pursue in play, but there
and resist the players’ characters, can make an are plenty of instances where the Doctor
adventure much more memorable. has been given an Objective and forced to
DE 21
achieve it for reasons not necessarily his own. He’s The number of Locations is up to you, but it is best
been used as a messenger to deliver artefacts to to limit it to half a dozen or so at most (including
mutants on Solos, hijacked mid-transmat to stop the smaller scenes and Sets within a single Location).
genesis of the Daleks and ordered to quest for the This keeps the players from wandering too widely
Key To Time under the threat of nothing happening and losing track of the story due to being presented
to him. with too many options.
Location and Setting The Plot Synopsis

Once we know the who and the what, we need to After you have the general Theme, any potential
know the where and, most importantly for a game Adversaries, Objectives and Locations sorted out, it’s
about time travel, the when. time to write your Plot Synopsis. At this point, brevity
is important and your synopsis shouldn’t take up any
Think both small and large when coming up with a more space than a quick television listing; a paragraph
setting. You want to give the impression of an alien at most. Don’t sweat the details at this point; we’re just
world with its own climate, its own ecology and trying to get a basic idea down so the development of
biology, its own history and culture, but at the same the adventure runs a bit more smoothly.
time keep in mind the needs of the adventure. There’s
no point in coming up with the history and geography For example, the Doctor lands on a mysterious island
of the Five Moons of Zoltar if the whole adventure paradise populated by bronze-skinned natives who
takes place in a cave, a mine and an isolated outpost worship a one-eyed god: the Cyclops. Unfortunately
on Moon 4. Come up with a handful of key Locations for the Time Lord, the servitors of the Cyclops are
(ideally, ones that show off different aspects of none other than a group of Daleks who crashlanded
the setting), then break them down into Sets. For here in a DARDIS 50 years before and have ordered
instance, a spaceship can be a single Location that is the villagers to bring the time travellers to them for
made up of a number of Sets, like the airlock, the lab, sacrifice!
the command deck, the engine room and any other
areas that are important to the story (we’ll discuss
C The Three-Act Structure
Adventures
the breakdown of Locations into Sets on pg. 27).

The entire adventure can be set within that single Writing a cracking adventure that moves along at a
Location or it might jump between that one, a small good pace and doesn’t bog down too much or take
asteroid base and Galileo’s study. too long to unravel is a lot like writing a script and,
ED 22
for your first few adventures, you will find it helpful to For example, the Doctor and Amy are exploring a
stick to the well-worn and time-tested format of the museum when he finds a starship home box with
Three-Act Structure. ancient Gallifreyan burned into it. He translates it and
finds that it says “Hello Sweetie.” He quickly returns
This structure gives you a pretty handy set of to the TARDIS, hooks up the box, dematerialises and
‘beats,’ clearly identifiable moments of change rematerialises just in time to catch River Song falling
in direction. It also helps you to break down the out of an airlock. Before he can even ask her what’s
story into manageable chunks so that you don’t get going on, she tells him to “Follow that ship!”
overwhelmed with the ‘big picture.’ In most cases, a
good Gamemaster with an outline of the act structure
along with a couple of ideas for Sets and NPCs can
largely wing an entire adventure.
In this section, we’ll show you how to build that

structure and, more importantly, how to make it work
for a non-linear medium like a roleplaying game.
Alternative Prologues
Some adventures start out, not with the
Doctor and his companions, but with NPCs
who get involved in the situation before the
time travellers arrive. This trick can be used
(sparingly) as a variation on the Prologue, with
Act I – The Beginning the players taking the roles of NPCs for a scene
In Act I, the characters are introduced to the or two before the game proper starts.
adventure setting and take their first steps into the
wider storyline. There are typically three parts to this The important thing to remember is not to
act. provide too many spoilers as the NPCs move
through the Prologue. This can be easily done
Prologue by ratcheting up the tension but, when the big
Every good Doctor Who adventure starts off with reveal is made, the scene cuts away to the title
an introduction known as a Prologue. This is a sequence without you actually describing what
short scene in which the characters interact with they saw or how they met their doom. If they
each other and possibly other NPCs before being survive, these NPCs can be brought back later
presented with the ‘hook’ that leads them into the on in the adventure. A prologue of this sort is
adventure proper. an excellent way of introducing the cast of an
adventure in a dramatic way.
The Doctor might be showing Amy the fun of
weightlessness when a massive ship hoves into view,
walking with Clara through an alien marketplace in The Set-up
which she wanders off and encounters a runaway After the Prologue, it is time to introduce the
child, or the whole adventure might start off in the characters into the adventure and start them
middle of the pursuit of a runaway Chula Ambulance. investigating and interacting with NPCs. At this point
Whatever the case, let the players interact with each you should have a limited number of Sets for them
other and the locals a bit, establishing their current to explore and a general idea of who and what they’ll
situation and getting into character, before hooking meet. Let them wander a bit, get their bearings and
them and moving them on to the next bit… find a few clues, but while you can provide a bit of
DE 23
menace, nothing in this section of the adventure set goal isn’t inherently bad if used delicately and in
should be life-threatening. Give the players time to a manner that leaves the characters’ free will intact,
get comfortable before you drop the floor out from but it takes a keen eye to know when it should be
under them. used and when it shouldn’t. It is a far better idea to
insert a few Hooks into your adventure.
In this part of Act I, introduce the key NPCs and plot
elements. Allocate one scene per NPC if you can, or A good Hook is something that will strongly entice
else have a way of introducing all the NPCs clearly the players to keep moving forward of their own free
and concisely. will. It might play on their natural curiosity, provide
some positive incentive or threaten their characters
For example, The Impossible Planet is a great in some way (in which case its less of a Hook and
example of how to introduce all the elements of a more of a Prod… ). The trick is knowing your players
complex story quickly. The Doctor and Rose arrive and the particular things that push their gaming “Go”
at the Sanctuary Base and have a hair-raising buttons. Does one player really like mysteries? Then
encounter with the Ood (Prologue), then meet the give them a puzzle to solve! If one character always
crew (the Set-up). Captain Zachary Cross Flane talks to children, then put a crying child in their path.
quickly introduces each member of the crew, giving
them a name, a title and associating each of them A much more direct method to hook characters
with a section of the base. That one scene tells the instead of players is to provide instances where
players about the situation, the supporting cast and their Bad Traits come into play. Have a character
the location, and also gives them several mysteries who is Insatiably Curious? You should provide at
to investigate. least one Hook that presents them with an open
door into a restricted area or a box that contains
something so bizarre that they have been ordered
not to look inside it. Does one of them have an
Obsession? Throw a Hook related to that Obsession
into the Prologue. That should get them jumping
into the adventure feet first and dragging everyone
Adventures
else along with them. Codes of Conduct, Phobias,

Dependencies, Obligations, even seemingly benign
traits like Argumentative or By the Book, can all
make good Hooks that can be used to move players
in the right direction.
The Ending Beat

Act I ends with a single trigger that rapidly and
dramatically advances the story and sends the players
into Act II. This could be a vital clue, the revelation of
the villain’s identity or some sort of danger or force
that thrusts them deeper into the plot against their
will. Note that the Ending Beat doesn’t always have
to be related to the players’ direct actions and can be
a timed event, or simply activated whenever you feel
the time is right for the plot to advance.
The Hook For example, in The Impossible Planet, the Ending

The best adventures are ones where the players drive Beat of Act I is the discovery that the TARDIS has
the story through the decisions and actions of their fallen into the depths of the planet and cannot be
characters. An adventure where the Doctor arrives on retrieved.
a strange planet and gets hunted by invading aliens is
one thing, but it’s not as exciting and involving as one
where the Doctor arrives on a strange planet, learns Act II – Rising Action
about the approaching invasion, and decides to Act I is relatively leisurely but Act II sees the action
single-handedly stop it. To bring your players into the ramping up and building to the climax of Act III with
story, though, you need to hook them with interesting all sorts of serious threats cropping up. Within this
things to investigate. Nudging the players towards a Act the villain becomes aware of the characters and
D
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24
starts to actively resist them. As a result, NPCs will Before each game session starts, consider the way
often be killed or even turn on the players as the the story is going or might go based upon what you
plans of the enemy come to fruition. know about your players, and jot down at least three
Bang elements (roughly one per Act) that will push
Development the players back towards the action.
In Act I, you established the setting of the adventure
and a selection of NPCs and Sets. Now we’ll develop Examples include a sudden radio call for help, a
the story further by altering some of the existing mass attack by the enemy designed to drive them
Sets and NPCs, and introducing new ones for the back to a previous location, an easily discovered
players to explore. Many of these changes will alter but extremely difficult or dangerous to attain clue
the characters’ behaviour and plans, so you must be that detours them to another part of the scene map
ready to react to the ingenuity of the players as they re- altogether (likely as part of an Ending Beat to move
experience old encounters or explore new locations. the story along) or an early implementation of the Act
II Turning Point to get them back on track.
Side Trips and Bangs
Quite often, the players will do unexpected things you You don’t have to fire off a Bang if you don’t want
haven’t prepared for. They’ll come up with brilliant to – sometimes, what you come up with on the spot
plans, they’ll make crazy assumptions and chase in response to unexpected action by the players is
after the wrong clues, and they’ll get into arguments better than what you prepared. The point of Bangs
and dangers you didn’t think were possible. We’ll is to shake things up in a way that fits with your
return to the topic of improvisational gaming when it prepared material.
comes to actually Running Games (see Chapter Five,
pg. 74), but right now, let’s talk about ways to plan for For example, the players have wandered far off
the unplannable. track as a result of misreading a previous clue. The
Gamemaster has prepared for this and tells them
First, plan less! In Act I, you can expect the players that they can see a strange, sinister fellow following
to stick to your pre-planned scenes and Sets. You them and speaking into his collar while touching his
know the opening scene and the scenes that are ear. The players come up with a plan to catch him but
immediately connected to that, so you can predict the whole thing turns into an exciting chase which
with a fair degree of accuracy what the players will just so happens to lead them to the first scene of the
do. By Act II, though, the possibilities multiply. next act…
This is where we abandon the subtlety of Hooks and The Turning Point
trade them in for Bangs. A Bang element should be In Act II, introduce something that throws the players
direct, dramatic and designed to immediately catch a curve ball. A major disaster that must be averted,
the players off guard and put them on their toes. an attack on the good guys by a massive force
DE 25
of bad guys or the ever-popular ‘allies who turn out Confrontation and Climax
to be traitors’ gambit are all excellent examples of The threat is blazingly apparent at this point and the
events that will quicken the pace of the story and characters rush to confront the Adversary directly
keep the players on their toes. or bring their plans to final ruin. Reveal at least one
Set devoted to the Adversary’s main lair by the end
You might even create a sub-plot that, while not of Act II. Seed a few ways for the players to defeat
directly involved with the main story, is none-the-less the Adversary or solve the problem, but don’t restrict
critical to the players’ success. A good example of this yourself to those pre-planned solutions. If the
is using a character’s Adversary trait to add another players find a different solution, run with that.
enemy into the already-high-stakes situation. A Time
Lord who is a Wanted Renegade, for example, might For example, the Doctor and UNIT, having identified
suddenly find themselves dodging CIA agents as well the location of the Nestene Consciousness, assault
as trying to foil the Daleks. Channing’s plastics factory. The Doctor must stop
the Duplicate General Scobie and fight his way to the
For example, Mels regenerates in Hitler’s office, breeding chamber to confront Channing and destroy
revealing herself to be River Song! After gleefully the quickly growing Nestene.
examining her new body she turns a gun on the
Doctor and says “Now, let’s get down to business!”
Adventures
The Denouement
Once the Adversary is defeated and the threat is
largely over, it’s time for the characters to say
The Ending Beat goodbye. They may have to set something right
Like Act I, some dramatic element leads the players before they go, like towing the Earth back to the solar
into the final act. Typically this is the big reveal of system, and this might provide one last bit of action
the Adversary’s master plan, the capture of the before the adventure ends, but you should have some
characters who face total annihilation or the world appropriate way for them to exit the scene, with fond
being brought to its knees as the Adversary’s plans farewells, a joke or just slipping quietly away.
come to full fruition.
It may not seem important, but getting this ending
For example, Think Tank has been defeated, but their right is as important as getting the prologue right, so
killer Robot is now at large, thanks to the Brigadier spend some thought on a few potential endings and
and a shot from a disintegrator gun. The Doctor must how you might wrap them up.
find a way to defeat it while the UNIT troops hold it
at bay. For example, after defeating the villainous Weng
Chiang, the Doctor strolls across London with Jago
and Litefoot, munching on muffins as they try to
Act III: The Finale explain tea etiquette to Leela. Once they reach
Once your adventure reaches Act III, all further action the TARDIS, the Doctor bids them farewell. As
needs to bring it to a close quickly and dramatically. the TARDIS dematerialises, Litefoot declares “It’s
The players are either close to defeating the villain or impossible!” and Jago exclaims “Good trick that! I
one step away from doing so, so don’t let them dilly- venture even the Great Li H’sen Chang himself would
dally. There are two parts to Act III. have appreciated it!”
ED 26
Description
C Setting the Stage When designing your Sets, the first thing you should
Once you have a general idea of how your story is do is get an image of it in your mind and then write
going to play out, it’s time to start building the Sets down some notes so you can describe it to your
in which the action will take place. As you build your players later. You should describe what it looks like
Sets, populate them with assets, like NPCs and and possibly even what it sounds and smells like.
props, and then note them down on an ever-growing Little details like “paint peeling off the wall” will
scene map that organises them into a structure your further help to pepper your description and make the
characters can explore. set come alive in the players’ minds.
If you’re feeling particularly artistic, you might even

The Set draw a map of the location, particularly if it has a lot
A Set is a single important location in the adventure. of smaller areas of interest, like the rooms in a house
It can be a single building or area, like a small house, or the various tents in a UNIT encampment. If you
warehouse or an ancient barrow, or it might be an like to use miniatures in your games, you might even
important part of a larger structure, like the Doctor’s mark out the map in ‘Areas’ for movement purposes.
lab in UNIT HQ. There’s a longer discussion of setting
and culture on pg. 64, but right now, we’re just For example, the UNIT Camp is set up in a clearing
interested in how the story fits together. You can add in the woods a mile off the main road. It comprises
detail later. several canvas tents in the typical military olive drab.
There are two tents with guards and one tent with an
open front that appears to be the temporary HQ for
the camp. The whole affair has a very earthy smell to
it that mixes with the heady aroma of diesel fuel from
the military vehicles parked all about.
Multi-Set Locations
Very large structures, like UNIT HQ, the lair of a
resourceful villain or a medieval village, should
be treated as one large Location split into a series
of smaller Sets. Note that not every room, boot
CORRIDORS. ENDLESS CORRIDORS…

An essential part of any large Location in Doctor Who is the ubiquitous
Corridor Set. This should be a single Set that serves as the connecting
hub for several other Sets (and could alternatively be called ‘Tangled
Woods’ or ‘Twisting Caverns’). Under normal circumstances, if a
character knows their way around, they can get to any connected Set
via the Corridor Set easily enough (assuming the connection between
Sets hasn’t been cut off by blast doors, cave-ins or whatnot). If the
characters are unfamiliar with the location, then they must make an
Awareness + Survival roll to try and find their way. On a failure, they end
up randomly popping out of the Corridor set into one of the other Sets
connected to it on the map (randomise which or just pick one). Once a
character has found their way to one connected Set, however, they no
longer need to make this test to get to that Set.
Chases in a Corridor work like normal chases, except the difficulty of hitting a character in the twisting
corridors means that, so long as they stay more than one Area ahead, they cannot be hit by ranged
fire. On the downside, they must always test to see if they exit where they intend, even if they’ve been
to every connected Set before. And if there are enemies coming from that location as well? They might
dive back in the corridors again, but this time, all the enemies move one Area closer…
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cupboard and water-closet in the place needs a Set assumes the players will definitely do a particular
dedicated to it, only the more important bits that thing – leave room for improvisation, unexpected
players are likely to explore or that are important to decisions and wild dice rolls.
the story, like a jail cell (which the players might end
up in) or the villain’s laboratory (where the players
might find evidence of his diabolical plan). ‘Actors’
These are the primary NPCs that will be taking part
For example, Nerva Beacon, a large space station in the adventure. They deserve full write-ups and
orbiting another Location, the planet Voga, is the a set of Story Points of their own. They include any
target of the Cybermen. We need the following Sets: non-player character who is not necessarily fixed
the Bridge, the Ready Room, the Docking Bay, the to a single Location (although a sentient computer
Transmat Room, Kellner’s Cabin and some Corridors. might just be) and can move about freely and interact
Everything else is cut off by sealed bulkheads or with the characters intelligently.
unimportant (like any other cabin besides Kellner’s).
Extras
Scenes Along with the major NPC’s that will populate your
Sets are locations in space – but you also need to adventure, there will also be a variety of low-level
think about events in time. Scenes are pre-planned NPCs that serve basic functions but do not, as such,
events that either anticipate the actions of the contribute much to the overall adventure, or exist
players, or that are triggered by external events and only to be bumped off early on in Act I or II. They do
the actions of non-player characters. For example, not typically leave their assigned areas, unless they
if an alien monster attacks when the characters are soldiers or the like.
explore a crashed starship, that’s a Scene whose
timing depends on the players. A Scene where the Extras should be built with full attributes, possibly
alien monster breaks out of the crashed spaceship with one or two traits, but with no Story Points.
and attacks an innocent victim can be run whenever
the Gamemaster wants. As a rule, do not use the normal damage rules
Adventures
for Extras. Any attack that damages an Extra

While you should plan for Scenes in your adventure, (after armour, cover and the like) takes them out
don’t be surprised if they don’t happen exactly the immediately. The characters may attempt to save
way you envision them. Never design a Scene that them and get them on their feet again, but only a
ED 28
Fantastic Success with a relevant skill (Medicine, Props

Technology or similar) will restore them to full Note one or more useful items lying around the
working order, otherwise they may live, but they Set that might be used in interesting ways by the
won’t be active for the rest of the adventure. players. For example, in an adventure featuring
classic Cybermen, you could leave a gold pen lying
on a desk in an office; or in a Victorian house being
used by Daleks as a time travel point, you could leave
GUEST STARS a pot of ink that might be thrown at an eyestalk (“MY
The Doctor Who Roleplaying Game tends to VISION IS IMPAIRED! I CANNOT SEE!”). They don’t
work best with three or fewer players taking on all have to be that specific, and you’ll be surprised
the role of a Time Lord and his crew. More than what inventive players will do with the odd vase,
that and the TARDIS gets a bit crowded. But cricket ball, random collection of kitchen detritus
that doesn’t mean you can’t have a full roster or junkyard scrap. Just give them something to grab
of six players or even more. hold of and use.
It doesn’t have to be definitive either: always leave

room for a player to ask “is there a fireaxe in this
room” or whatever, even if you make them spend a
Story Point before you’ll answer yes.
Extra players may take on the role of Guest

Stars, characters who happen into the
adventure at the same time as the TARDIS
crew or are part of the adventure from the very
beginning. In an adventure set on a spaceship,
for instance, the other players could take on
the roles of the ship’s crew, like the captain,
security officer and chief engineer. All you The Scene Map
need to do is create the characters before the Once you’ve got your Sets and Scenes together, it’s
adventure, give the players a write up on the time to arrange them into a Scene Map. Starting with
background as known by that character, and Act I, draw a circle for every Set in that Act and then
run the game as normal. connect them to each other using lines in whatever
fashion you find logical. Larger, multi-location Sets
The biggest advantage for a Guest Star is that can be represented by a larger circle containing a
they get to take on a different role every time series of smaller, internal Sets.
they play. If a companion’s player gets tired of
playing a companion or their character leaves For a Set that will change over the course of several
the game, they can swap places with a Guest scenes, you could also draw a set of smaller circles
Star player, who creates a new companion to just beneath it. During the game you mark these as
take their place on the TARDIS. Equally, should the characters visit that particular Set to keep track
a Time Lord regenerate, one of the Guest of it for purposes of description.
Star players can take on the new incarnation,
allowing the Time Lord to really change! Connections between Sets are vague distances
relative to what they connect to. A connection
So you see, along with providing for a larger between a lab and an armoury in UNIT HQ, for
group of players, Guest Stars can also add a lot instance, might only be a few minutes’ walk, while
of variation and flexibility to your Doctor Who the line connecting UNIT HQ to the encampment
campaign. outside the Auto Plastics factory might require some
form of transport if you want to get there before the
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29
adventure ends! You should make a notation next to

the connecting line in cases where this sort of timing
will be important. Random Theme Generator
D6 D6 Theme
Connections are meant to guide the players from one
scene to another, but, for the most part, if the players 1 1 Alien Menace
know where they’re going and can get there without 2 Alter History
impediment, just let them arrive at their destination
without any real fuss. They exist mainly to show the 3 Ancient Power
relative positioning between Sets and the only time 4 Chase
the players should be forced to really follow them is if 5 Disaster
they are unfamiliar with the area they are exploring.
6 Exploitation
2 1 Historical Adventure
C Lights, Camera, Action! 2 Infection
Once you have all your pre-production work done,
and your players have gathered to take their parts in 3 Intrigue
your new adventure, it’s time to put on your director’s 4 Invasion
hat. For the novice Gamemaster, running an adventure
might seem like a mind-blowing task to take on, but 5 Mad Scientist
if you keep the following pointers in mind, you’ll find 6 Mistaken Identity
your games will run a great deal more smoothly than 3 1 Parallel or Pocket Universe
you’d expect. In time, you might even be able to run
an entire adventure with a single page of scribbled 2 Raid
notes and roughly drawn maps. Very experienced 3 Revenge
Gamemasters can run whole adventures on the fly,
4 Rightful Rulers
using only on a single simple plotline they rolled up
15 minutes before, improvising the rest based on the 5 Survival
Adventures
actions and responses of the players during the game! 6 Technology Gone Wrong
4 1 Temporal Anomaly
Don’t worry though – we’ll cover how to run an
adventure far more in Chapter Five: Running 2 Things From Dimension X
Adventures, Campaigns and Stock Footage (see pg. 3 Traitor
74).
4 War
5 World Gone Mad
C Random
Adventure Generator 6 The X Doctors
The final section of this chapter is packed with loads 5 1-2 Roll again and Double the
of tables, allowing you to randomise almost every number of Adversaries.
aspect of the adventure. They’re a great help if you’re 3-4 Roll Again and Double the
stuck for an idea, or just after a little inspiration. Just Number of Locations.
grab some dice and roll up the Doctor’s next great
5-6 Roll Again and Double
adventure!
the Number of Objects or
Objectives.
C Themes 6 Plots Within Plots
The following Themes cover many of the different
plotlines that have taken centre stage in the Doctor’s
adventures and should serve as examples to fire off Alien Menace
your imagination. Choose one or roll on the table An alien or group of aliens have ended up in the
below. Once you have a Theme, fill in the specifics LOCATION and are either stranded or looking to achieve
by replacing the capitalised text items, with an an OBJECTIVE. Regardless of why they are at the
appropriate entry from their respective sections. location, the aliens’ attitudes towards the natives might
ADVERSARIES, for example, should be chosen from range from scared to hostile (or some combination of
The Adversary section on pg. 42. the two). You can choose their attitude or roll a die:
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Example Adventures: The Time Meddler, Day of the

Daleks, Turn Left.
Alien Attitude
1 The aliens are hostile.
2 The aliens seek peace, but are unable Ancient Power
to due to lack of communication or Whatever the Doctor’s companions and allies might
native perceptions of hostility. think of him, there are things greater than even he.
Things of terrible power and terrible evil. During the
3-4 The aliens are scared and will defend early aeons of the universe, many of these things were
themselves if they think that the defeated and imprisoned, or placed themselves into a
natives are threatening them. voluntary torpor, to await the time when others would,
5-6 The aliens are surviving as best they by accident or design, set them free. This adventure
can, even at the cost of the natives. assumes that this has either happened or is about to
happen thanks to (choose or roll a single die):
You could use known aliens, like Daleks or Cybermen,

but this type of adventure works best when it involves
a previously unknown species created using the rules
LIBERATORS
in the Doctor Who Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook 1 The players’ characters. Oops.
or All the Strange, Strange Creatures Volume 1. 2 A natural disaster
The alien doesn’t have to be intelligent, and could 3 An ADVERSARY.

represent some sort of animal life-form, like space 4-5 Curious innocents
dingoes, that are on the planet simply by chance or 6 Servants of the Ancient Power
due to some hunting instinct. It doesn’t even have to
be from another planet, and creatures from the inky
depths of the oceans or hibernating lizard-people
from the age of the dinosaurs would also fit this The Ancient Power itself cannot be stopped by
Theme. conventional means and requires some special
method of banishment or destruction that will
Example Adventures: The Dominators, The Hungry have to be researched but could include any of the
Earth, Flatline. following (choose or roll a single die):
Alter History
A time-travelling ADVERSARY is trying to alter the
history of a specific LOCATION, which is likely some
turning point in history or at least has some personal
significance to the Adversary.
There are many reasons why they might be seeking

to alter the timeline, but if you’re stuck for specifics,
roll a single die to see what they want:
Reason for Altering History ANCIENT POWER WEAKNESS

1-2 Conquest. 1-2 An OBJECT.
3 To conform the future to their vision. 3-4 An ancient device or formula.
4 To right a perceived wrong. 5-6 Using the Ancient Power’s own
5 To alter time back to their original, weapons against them.
erased timeline.
6 Some other random OBJECTIVE.
Example Adventures: The Daemons, The Satan Pit,
The Rings of Akhaten.
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Chase Disaster
Considering the sorts of trouble the typical time All planets face environmental chaos, from
traveller gets into, it won’t take long for them to earthquakes to volcanic eruptions to massive
acquire some very powerful enemies. And sometimes asteroid strikes that cause worldwide chaos. The
they interfere so often one particular ADVERSARY Earth itself has had its entire surface licked clean of
will decide to chase them across space, and possibly life by solar flares at least three times in its history.
time itself, in order to put an end to their interfering And then there are the unnatural environmental
ways. It isn’t always revenge that drives a chase, disasters caused by ignorant civilisations whose
however, and there are other reasons for hounding technology outpaces their common sense and
the players. Choose or roll one die to see what the morality and threatens to wipe them out before they
hunters are after: learn any better.
In this story, a LOCATION is threatened with

destruction by some environmental catastrophe.
DRIVE TO PURSUE Choose one or roll one die on the list below:
1-2 Sweet, sweet revenge.
3-4 An OBJECT possessed by the hunted.
5-6 To capture the hunted for some reason ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER TYPE
(to acquire their knowledge, steal their 1-2 Planetary (earthquake, volcano, etc.)
body, etc.).
3-4 Stellar (asteroid, gamma ray burst,
etc.).
Choose or roll one die to see who they’re actually 5-6 Artificial (nuclear chaos, pollution,
after: etc.).
The cause of the disaster may not always be what

THE HUNTED
Adventures
you think. Even man-made disasters might have a

1-2 The players’ characters. natural instigator (an earthquake that breaches a
3 An NPC. nuclear reactor, for instance). Choose one or roll a
single die below:
4 A ship.
5-6 A group (like UNIT) or an entire race.
ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER CAUSE
A variation on the Chase is a Race, in which all of the 1 Nature.
NPC’s are racing to gain an OBJECT or OBJECTIVE 2-3 Greedy, power-hungry or mad people.
first.
4 An ADVERSARY.
Example Adventures: The Chase, Delta and the 5-6 It’s a side-effect of some other
Bannermen, Human Nature. phenomenon.
Example Adventures: The Green Death, The Fires of

Pompeii, In the Forest of the Night.
Exploitation
The universe is replete with woeful tales of abuse
and exploitation by unscrupulous individuals
or organisations. From the predations of the
Intergalactic Mining Corporation to the slave trade
in Ood, many of the Doctor’s adventures revolve
around ending such exploitation. The OBJECTIVE of
exploitation can be extremely varied as well as the
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LOCATION. The driving force behind the exploitation Typically, the characters or some NPC will come in
can also vary. Choose or roll one die below to contact with the infection by exposure to one of the
determine one: following (choose or roll a die):
FORCE BEHIND THE EXPLOITATION SOURCE OF INFECTION

1-2 ADVERSARY. 1-2 A LOCATION.
3-4 A corporation or special interest 3-4 An OBJECT.
group. 5-6 An ADVERSARY.
5-6 An alien race.
If it is an Adversary, they may be the creator of the

Example Adventures: Colony in Space, Planet of the virus, in which case they have some other motive
Ood, The Beast Below. for the infection (roll for another Theme and treat
Infection as the sub-plot). They may equally be a
carrier of the infection, as the Master was when he
Historical Adventure was infected by the savage world of the Cheetah
Sometimes, the Doctor and his companions visit the People. In such case, their goal is likely finding a
past and have adventures that are totally devoid of cure and they may even form an alliance with the
interstellar marauders or temporal menaces and characters for as long as it takes to find that cure
simply revolve around the people, places and events (typically turning on their allies to steal the cure and
of that era. Roll another Theme to serve as the main hold the world to ransom immediately thereafter).
plot, but try to choose only those in which the locals,
objectives and adversaries can easily be drawn from
the historical period in question, re-rolling those
results that do not.
Example Adventures: The Aztecs, The Highlanders,

Black Orchid.
A virus or parasite on its own is usually unintelligent,

seeking only to reproduce and survive, not resisting
the characters in any direct way. Determining the
ultimate OBJECTIVE for the infection will help you to
determine whether or not it is possibly intelligent
One final note: this Theme could easily be used

Infection not only for living viruses, but computer or other
Space is dangerous and often unpredictable, but non-organic infections, as well as your classic
not nearly as dangerous and chaotic as the average daemonic possession scenario. After all, what else
biosphere. For every intelligent species there are is a possessing entity if not a highly evolved form of
millions upon billions of viral and parasitic life- parasite?
forms, some of whom have an intelligence all their
own, as the Doctor found out on Titan Base in the Example Adventures: The Invisible Enemy, The
51st century! Empty Child, Last Christmas.
DE 33
Intrigue A twist on this theme is to have the Intrigue instigated

The characters are caught in a power struggle by another, outside party with a goal of their own (roll
between ADVERSARY 1 and ADVERSARY 2, involving another Theme and treat the Intrigue as a sub-plot).
betrayal, assassination and political subterfuge. This Adversary should only be revealed in the last act
While many intrigues have long and sordid histories of the adventure.
with shifting goals, this particular one is aimed at
acquiring something of specific interest to both Example Adventures: Frontier in Space, The
parties. You can choose one or roll a die: Androids of Tara, The Zygon Invasion.
GOAL OF INTRIGUE Invasion

An ADVERSARY is invading a LOCATION. It is
1-2 A coveted OBJECT. typically a full force military action, with the players’
3-4 An important LOCATION. characters working to prevent the establishment of
a ‘beachhead,’ but it can be something more subtle,
5-6 Some emotional desire, like love, like the slow takeover of a government with plastic
revenge or power for the sake of duplicates. The OBJECTIVE of the invasion varies from
power. invader to invader and target to target.
When planning an Invasion adventure, it often helps

The characters are probably going to spend the to roll up a few more Themes to act as ‘sub-plots’ for
first part of the adventure trying to figure out who the main invasion, especially for those that rely on
is on the side of right and deserving of their help, stealth. These sub-plots will represent stratagems
while avoiding the wrath of both sides and protecting and ploys that the attacker will be using to weaken
innocent bystanders in the middle. You can decide the defender before the main invasion and give the
who is in the right or determine it randomly. players some sort of goal to achieve outside of ‘blow
’em up real good,’ which is not a very Doctor-like
In any case, open warfare should be an act of last solution.
Adventures
resort and most of the action in this type of story will

develop from more subtle means, like disinformation For those moments when the players must deal with
campaigns meant to discredit the enemy in the the massed military might of the enemy, the UNIT:
eyes of their peers, sabotage of business interests, Defending the Earth sourcebook is the one-stop
kidnapping the odd family member or the occasional supplement for all of your mass combat and military
assassination attempt. invasion needs.
ED 34
Example Adventures: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, Example Adventures: The Seeds of Doom, The
The Sontaran Stratagem, Death in Heaven. Lazarus Experiment, Sleep No More.
Mad Scientists Mistaken Identity

A brilliant scientist or group of scientists have The characters are mistaken for (choose one of the
acquired, modified or designed an OBJECT that will following or roll one die):
irrevocably change a LOCATION. These scientists
can be motivated by a number of reasons. Choose a
motivation or roll a die:
WHO ARE YOU?
1 A lost family member.
MAD SCIENCE MOTIVATIONS 2-3 An important personage.
1-2 To better the world (although they are 4-5 A member of some important group.
misguided in their intentions). 6 A god.
3-4 For the sake of knowledge at any cost.
5-6 A specific OBJECTIVE. Roll another Theme to serve as the main plot for the
adventure.
The characters can go along with the

misunderstanding and try to get to the bottom of the
main plot, or they might try to explain the error. Even
if they do explain, the other parties involved might
not be willing to listen or accept their protestations
(not at first, anyway) and might even try to capture or
kill them, especially if the character is a dead ringer
for someone that is particularly evil!
Example Adventures: The Aztecs, The Enemy of the

World, The Face of Evil.
Parallel or Pocket Universe

The characters have been thrown outside of their
home universe and into a pocket dimension or
Occasionally, mad scientists will be working on their parallel timeline. There can be any number of
own as their experiments are often considered too reasons for this happening, but in this case it is
unorthodox, dangerous or even heretical to gain because of (choose or roll a die):
sponsorship from their peers or government, but
more often, they are backed by corrupt governments,
private investors with loose morals or possibly even PARALLEL OR POCKET
an alien force (disguised or not) with designs on the
end product that even the scientists don’t suspect.
TRAVEL AGENT
You can choose or roll a die: 1-2 A bizarre natural phenomena.
3 Equipment malfunction.
4-5 A powerful entity.
MAD SCIENCE BACKERS 6 An ADVERSARY.
1-2 Corrupt government officials.
3-4 Greedy investors.
The number and types of universes are many and
5 An ADVERSARY. varied as well, but can be summed up in the following
6 The scientists are independent. choices (choose or roll one Die):
DE 35
Whatever the case, you should roll a second Theme

to serve as a sub-plot to keep them busy until they
ALTERNATE UNIVERSES can return to their proper universe by:
1-2 Pocket Dimension
3-4 Alternative Universe
5-6 Parallel Timeline TICKET HOME
1-2 Exploiting some natural phenomenon
to pull them back where they belong.
Pocket Dimensions are small, self-contained 3-4 Finding and using a specific OBJECT.
universes with limited space and, often, unusual
physical laws and highly unusual creatures. The 5-6 Getting help from an ADVERSARY, who
Land of Fiction, the Celestial Toyroom and House’s is friendly in this universe.
dimension were all pocket dimensions.
Alternative Universes are very similar to our own Example Adventures: Inferno, Rise of the Cybermen,
except in certain particulars. The anti-matter The Wedding of River Song.
universe of Omega is made up of anti-matter, for
instance, whereas E-Space has negative coordinates
in relation to ours. Raid
An ADVERSARY attacks a single LOCATION to
acquire a specific OBJECTIVE. Raids may be part of a
larger goal, and make great sub-plots for an Invasion
Theme, but if this is the main plot for the adventure,
the raiders will return to wherever they came from
once they have what they’re looking for. Whether they
leave anyone alive when they do is largely dependent
on the Adversary involved.
Adventures
Every decision made in our universe springs off a

Parallel Timeline that can be visited and is often
both remarkably similar yet strangely different The action is almost always entirely contained within
from our own. In some cases, like the parallel a single location and these sorts of adventures
timeline the Doctor was thrown into when working typically turn into ‘Base under Siege’ stories in which
on the Inferno drilling project, everything might be the characters are trapped with the defenders and
a mirror image, with jack-booted thugs replacing are doing everything they can to help drive off the
friendly UNIT regulars and a fascist government attackers.
in place of the democratic UK. In other cases,
like Pete’s World, the people and places may be A neat twist on this Theme is to have the characters
the same, but the world itself is now filled with take the role of raiders, either on their own or in
advanced zeppelins and cybernetic technology, and concert with others, to try and achieve the objective.
a character’s dead dad is alive (and a millionaire) And not all raids need necessarily be military ones,
but the character no longer exists! either. An archaeological team investigating the
ED 36
Tomb of the Cybermen on Telos is technically raiding Rightful Rulers

it for archaeological information (and possibly Exiles seek to regain their rightful inheritance and
technological secrets as well). force out or destroy the ones who have stolen or kept
them from it for so long. The target of the exiles is
Example Adventures: The Ark in Space, Under the (choose or roll a die):
Lake, The Girl Who Died.
Revenge LOST BIRTHRIGHT

An ADVERSARY is looking for revenge and is willing 1 An OBJECT.
to do anything to make the other party pay for some 2 A specific LOCATION.
past transgression. The target of this hatred can be
(choose one or roll a die): 3 A country.
4 A planet.
5 An interstellar empire.
TARGET FOR REVENGE 6 A group of people or gene-banks.
1 Another ADVERSARY.
2 A specific individual.
Whatever the target is, it is firmly in the possession
3-4 The players’ characters. of one or more enemies who will keep it from the
5 A group (UNIT, the United States exiles at any cost. These enemies are (choose or roll
government etc.). a die):
6 An entire species or race.
ENEMIES OF THE EXILES

The characters can be the target of revenge schemes 1-2 An ADVERSARY.
even if this is their first adventure, as events from
3-4 A rival tribe or clan of their race.
their past and events in the future are fair game. The
Doctor has, on more than one occasion, fled from 5-6 A former subject race.
unknown enemies howling for his head, enemies
that he hasn’t even met yet.
Whatever the target, the ultimate goal is the death

or imprisonment the subject, usually after some The term ‘Rightful Rulers’ doesn’t necessarily imply
form of torture or humiliation. Such Revenge plots that this title is deserving and many times the side
are rarely straightforward, however, and you should of right may not be so clear to the players. This is
choose or roll up another Theme being used by the especially true in cases where the current holders
villain to snag the target and set them up for their of the birthright are former subjects and the exiles
eventual downfall. have been overthrown for abusing their power.
Example Adventures: The Deadly Assassin, The Example Adventures: The Web Planet, The
Caves of Androzani, The Name of the Doctor. Silurians, The Hand of Fear.
DE 37
Survival
A race or species has been driven to the edge of
extinction and reduced to primitivism or near-
OUT OF CONTROL TECH
primitivism due to some disaster. Typically, by the 1 An AI, robots or androids.
time the players arrive on the scene this state of 2 A new energy source.
affairs has been going on for quite some time, leaving
the species desperate for assistance if they are going 3 A biological creation (monster, virus,
to survive. Their level of primitivism varies (choose clones, revived dinosaurs, etc.).
one or roll a die): 4 Species enhancement (genetic.
cybernetic, chemical, etc.)
5 Experimental physics (dimensional
LEVEL OF PRIMITIVISM gates, singularity generators, etc.)
1-2 They shun technology as sorcery or the 6 Temporal Experiments.
cause of their downfall .
3-4 Technology is the domain of religious
elite and even they treat it with
mysticism.
5-6 They understand the technology, but
it is broken, rationed or incapable of
saving them without outside help.
The exact reason the survivors have been reduced to

their current state is (choose or roll a die):
Adventures
Technology can go wrong on its own or be corrupted

CAUSE OF THE DOWNFALL by outside forces. The source of corruption in this
1-2 An ADVERSARY. case is (choose or roll a die):
3-4 A natural disaster.
5-6 Their own negligence or devolution.
CAUSE OF CORRUPTION
1 An ADVERSARY.
In the case of an Adversary being the cause of 2 Emergent (or existing) self-awareness.
the downfall, the foe may still be at large and the
survivors may be hiding from them to avoid final 3 An unforeseen problem with the
extinction. You should roll up another Theme to serve technology.
as the reason the Adversary attacked and remains in 4 Greedy backers cutting corners.
the Location. 5 Warning signs and problems were
ignored.
Example Adventures: Colony in Space, Frontios,
Utopia. 6 Interaction with some other
phenomenon.
Technology Gone Wrong

This Theme covers any adventure where man’s The technology will start off affecting a specific
ability to advance technology outpaces his ability LOCATION (although it might expand outwards from
to control it. Outside of the obvious out of control there) and, in the case of intelligent or self-aware
robots and revolutionary sources of free energy technology gone wrong, may have a particular
that turn out to have terrible consequences, it also OBJECTIVE.
covers technology that dehumanises or enslaves
humanity, like Lumic’s EarPods and the Cybermen. Example Adventures: The War Machines, Robots of
The technology is (choose or roll a die): Death, The Rebel Flesh.
ED 38
Temporal Anomaly Sometimes temporal anomalies are a side-effect

The characters find themselves in the middle of that draws the characters into a greater plot. You
a dangerous temporal anomaly. The following can roll a new Theme that must be handled before
temporal phenomena are described in detail in the temporal anomaly may be resolved, if this is the
The Time Traveller’s Companion, but if you don’t case.
have that book, a sample adventure is given as an
example for each: Example Adventures: Father’s Day, The Pandorica
Opens, The Girl Who Waited.
TEMPORAL ANOMALIES Things From Dimension X

1 Chronic Hysteresis (Meglos) Slimy, crawly, tentacled or just plain creepy Things-
2 Time Rift (The Unquiet Dead, Boom Man-Was-Not-Meant-To-Know, gain access to this
Town) dimension with help from (choose or roll a Die):
3 Time Spur (Father’s Day)
4 Time Eddy (Invasion of the Dinosaurs) THE KEY TO THE
5 Skipped Time Track (The Space DIMENSIONAL GATEWAY
Museum)
1 An ADVERSARY.
6 Pan-Dimensional Cross Rip (The
2 Blasphemous cultists.
Pandorica Opens, The Big Bang)
3 A scientific experiment gone wrong.
4 Innocents uncovering the past.
Temporal anomalies are largely unnatural 5 The Stars are Right…
occurrences and are typically instigated by some
powerful external (or internal as the case may be) 6 The players’ characters. Oops.
force, such as (choose or roll a die):
Creatures from other dimensions have desires

and appetites that are largely alien to those of us
EXTERNAL CAUSE who live in normal, Euclidean universes. As such,
1 An ADVERSARY. the following are only approximations of their true
2 Ill-advised experiments. intentions, from the perspective of the characters’
limited understanding of their actions during the
3 Malfunctioning time equipment. adventure.
4 A natural phenomenon.
5 Two time machines colliding.
6 The players’ characters. Oops. WHAT DO THEY WANT?
1 An OBJECT.
2 Worship.
3 To devour (souls, the stars, etc.).
4 Entertainment or playthings.
5 To satisfy their scientific curiosity.
6 To conquer or destroy the universe.
The scope of the intrusion into this dimension will

be largely determined by the goal determined
above. They might be happy with a single LOCATION
if they simply plan to devour anything that comes
nearby, but the destruction of the universe might
require them to open a number of breaches into
DE 39
our universe that cross space and time (i.e. multiple

Locations). That’s up to you. Whatever the case, this
is not a threat that can be dealt with by using simple
THE GATE
weapons. You might blow away a tentacle here, or 1-2 An actual swirly tear in space-time.
knock out a cultist there, but the intrusion cannot be 3-4 A literal, physical gate.
stopped with violence alone. The entity can only be
stopped by (choose or roll a die): 5-6 A living being (alive or dead).
Example Adventures: Planet of Evil, Snakedance,

STOPPING THE ENTITY Flatline.
1 Entering the other dimension and
facing the entity in its own realm (a
sanity taxing experience). Traitor
2 A mass psychic show of faith. Someone who seems to be helping the characters
is actually working against them for reasons of their
3 An OBJECT that will appease or repel own. This is actually more of a sub-plot than a theme
the entity. on its own, so roll up another Theme to serve as the
4 Replacing something that was taken main plot.
from the other dimension.
5 Closing the gate(s) between universes. This could be an ally or even another character if they
are being coerced, duplicated or mind-controlled,
6 A major sacrifice (a human life, a Time but if it is another player’s character, make sure you
Lord’s incarnation, etc.). pull them aside before the game. Let them know
the circumstances behind their betrayal and, more
importantly, make sure they are comfortable with
In the case of gates between dimensions, they need playing the traitor and capable of doing so without
not be obvious swirly openings torn into the fabric of being too obvious about it.
Adventures
space-time (although there is nothing that says they

couldn’t be) and they may come in a variety of forms Example Adventurers: Invasion of the Dinosaurs,
such as (choose or roll a die): Mawdryn Undead, Remembrance of the Daleks.
ED 40
War
The characters are caught in the middle of a
major military conflict between ADVERSARY 1 and
ADVERSARY 2. Wars are common enough in history
that it shouldn’t be difficult to find a reason for two
(or more) sides to fight. In this case the war is being
fought over (choose or roll a die):
DECLARATION OF WAR
1 Territory
2 A LOCATION.
3-4 An OBJECT or OBJECTIVE.
5 Social, religious or philosophical
reasons. World Gone Mad
Something has so upset the fabric of the universe,
6 Economic reasons.
and the changes have so reverberated up and down
the timeline, that the world the characters know
is now a bizarre amalgam of lost empires, famous
While war itself has no innocents, there is typically historical personalities, dinosaurs, zeppelins and
a clear aggressor in the conflict (choose or or roll a other strange contradictory and anachronistic
die): nonsense. This is not an alternate timeline, more
of a complete and utter rearrangement of what was
by a massive rupture in space-time, likely caused by
massive interference in fixed events by:
THE AGGRESSOR
1-2 ADVERSARY 1.
3-4 ADVERSARY 2. World Gone mad
5 Both are equally to blame. 1-2 An ADVERSARY.
6 The whole thing has actually been 3-4 A temporal accident.
secretly instigated by ADVERSARY 3.
5-6 The players’ characters. Mega-Oops!
The characters must determine the best course

of action, avoiding the wrath of both sides while The only way to fix a World Gone Mad is to go back
protecting the innocent. The characters may decide and undo whatever caused it to happen in the first
to have a go at stopping the war or just trying to place. This is unlikely to be easy, as the power behind
escape with their skins intact. something that can change a fixed point in the
first place would be immense and require a major
Another option is to set the action during a war that sacrifice of some sort or another to resolve, possibly
cannot or should not be stopped (like World War I that of a companion or the Time Lord’s life, or even a
or II). In this case, you should restrict the action to reboot of the entire universe!
a very specific location, object or objective within a
smaller front of that war or roll another Theme to Example Adventures: The Big Bang, The Wedding
serve as a major sub-plot within the larger backdrop of River Song.
of the war. A battle over a crashed flying saucer
in the Ardennes during WWII would make for an
interesting adventure, for example, especially as the The ‘X’ Doctors
characters will have their hands full trying to keep Multiple instances of one of the characters team up.
the technology out of the hands of both sides! This is rarely the goal of the adventure itself – roll up
another Theme to find out why they need to team up,
Example Adventures: The Armageddon Factor, The or what has caused them to all end up in the same
Doctor’s Daughter, Into the Dalek. place at the same time.
DE 41
Crossing an individual timeline with itself is no small Black Guardian’s manipulations of the events within
feat and will typically involve a concerted effort on them through his agents, but they all formed a story
the part of a time-aware entity of great power, like arc centred around the Black Guardian’s quest for
a Time Lord or the Daleks. It can sometimes happen vengeance.
as a result of technical malfunctions or powerful
universal forces interacting in highly unusual ways, Example Adventures: The Key to Time, Bad Wolf,
but typically there is intelligence behind such an The Impossible Astronaut.
anomaly.
Example Adventures: The Three Doctors, The Five C THE ADVERSARY

Doctors, The Day of the Doctor. Adversaries can come in many different forms,
but for the purposes of choosing one or more for
an adventure, we have classified them into three
categories: Famous Adversaries, those the Doctor
has faced during his millennia of travel through time
and space; Custom Adversaries, new alien species
or human foes created specifically for the adventure;
and Arch-Villains, specific individuals with abilities
and resources enough to make them a thorn in the
characters’ sides for a whole campaign and who are
possibly linked to one of the characters through the
Adversary Bad Trait.
If you can’t decide which category to choose from,

Plots within Plots roll on the table below:
Sometimes, there are a lot of little plots going on
within the larger storyline. Roll a die: this is the
number of Themes that must be generated for this
Totally Random Adversary
Adventures
adventure. Choose one to be the main Theme; the

rest are sub-plots. D6 D6 Table
1-3 1 The First Doctor
Each of the sub-plots should be connected to a
particular LOCATION or OBJECT. 2 The Second Doctor
3 The Third Doctor
For example, in The Keys of Marinus, for instance,
4 The Fourth Doctor
the main Theme is a Raid (the Voord attack on the
Conscience of Marinus). Five additional sub-plots 5 The Fifth Doctor
are at work too. To activate the Conscience and repel 6 The Sixth Doctor
the attackers, the Doctor and his companions must
involve themselves in the local affairs of five different 4-6 1 The Seventh Doctor
civilisations, each with its own particular Theme to 2 The Eighth Doctor
solve before the keys can be returned. 3 The Ninth Doctor
Alternatively, you could use this Theme to generate 4 The Tenth Doctor
a multi-adventure story arc (see pg. 88) where the 5 The Eleventh Doctor
main Theme is only connected to the sub-plots by the
6 The Twelfth Doctor
fact that the characters are at the centre of it.
For example, the Doctor found himself the target

of Revenge by the Black Guardian, but the evil Famous Adversaries
being’s machinations where obscured by the plight The following tables contain a wide variety of
of Mawdryn and his people (a Mad Scientists sub- Adversaries from the Doctor’s adventures. They are
plot), the paradox of the starship Terminus (the grouped based on the incarnation of the Doctor and
Infection sub-plot), and a race across space with the this will allow you to select creatures appropriate for
Eternals (a Chase sub-plot). None of these smaller the style of a particular era. You can choose an era,
stories had any relation to each other outside of the or roll one up randomly as you see fit.
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1 The First Doctor 4 The Fourth Doctor 7 The Seventh Doctor

D6 D6 ADVERSARY D6 D6 ADVERSARY D6 D6 ADVERSARY
1-3 1 Cybermen 1-3 1 Cybermen 1-3 1 Avalonians
2 Daleks 2 Daleks 2 Bannermen
3 Drahvins 3 Humans 3 Bio-Mechanoid
4 Human 4 Movellans 4 Cybermen
5 Mechanoids 5 Nimon 5 Haemovores
6 Monoids 6 Robots 6 Human
4-6 1 Moroks 4-6 1 Rutans 4-6 1 Humans
2 Humans 2 Sontarans 2 Imperial Daleks
3 Renegade Time Lord 3 Humans 3 Cheetah People
4 Sensorites 4 The Master (or Arch-Villain) 4 Renegade Daleks
5 The Celestial Toymaker 5 Wirrn 5 Renegade Time Lord
6 Voord 6 Zygons 6 Tetraps
2 The Second Doctor 5 The Fifth Doctor 8 The Eighth Doctor

D6 D6 ADVERSARY D6 D6 ADVERSARY D6 ADVERSARY
1-3 1 Chameleons 1-3 1 Cybermen 1 The Master
2 Cybermen 2 Davros & The Daleks 2 Daleks
3 Daleks 3 Eternals and/or 3 Humans
4 Human Black Guardian 4 Ice Warriors
5 Ice Warriors 4 Humans 5 Cybermen
6 Krotons 5 Humans 6 Time Lords
4-6 1 Macra 6 Renegade Time Lord
2 Master of the Land of Fiction 4-6 1 Silurian & Sea Devils 9 The Ninth Doctor
3 Humans 2 Terileptils D6 ADVERSARY
4 The Dominators 3 Humans 1 Daleks
5 The Great Intelligence/Yeti 4 The Malus 2 Gelth
6 Time Lord 5 The Master (or Arch-Villain) 3 Humans
6 Tractators 4 Jagrafess
3 The Third Doctor 5 Nestene Consciousness
D6 D6 ADVERSARY
6 The Sixth Doctor & Autons
D6 D6 ADVERSARY 6 Raxacoricofallapatorians
1-3 1 Daleks (with Ogrons)
2 Draconians 1-3 1 Androgums
3 Humans 2 Cybermen
4 Humans 3 Davros & The Daleks
5 Ice Warriors 4 Giant Gastropods
6 Nestene Consciousness 5 Humans

& Autons 6 Humans
4-6 1 Sea Devils 4-6 1 Mentors
2 Humans 2 Renegade Time Lords
3 Humans 3 Robot
4 Silurians 4 Sontarans
5 Sontarans 5 The Rani
6 The Master 6 Third Zone Scientists
DE 43
10 The Tenth Doctor C Objectives

Adversaries will typically have some sort of
D6 D6 ADVERSARY motivation behind their machinations and we’ve
1-3 1 The Master listed the most common ones below. Choose or roll
randomly:
2 Carrionites
3 Cybermen
4 Daleks
5 Graske
Random Objectives
6 Humans D6 D6 Objective type
4-6 1 Judoon 1-3 1 Biological
2 Macra
2 Destruction
3 Pyroviles
3 Energy
4 Sontarans
5 Sycorax 4 Knowledge
6 Weeping Angels 5 Relic
6 Mineral
11 The Eleventh Doctor
4-6 1 Sacred Object
D6 D6 ADVERSARY
2 Slaves
1-3 1 Atraxi
2 Cybermen
3 Technology – Bio-Tech
3 Daleks 4 Technology – Temporal
4 Humans 5 Technology – Weapons
5 Minotaur 6 Worldly Power and Glory
Adventures
6 Order of the Headless

4-6 1 Saturnynians
2 Silurians Biological
3 The Dream Lord The Adversary is looking for some sort of
4 The Great Intelligence/ living material or whole organisms for food,
Snowmen/Whispermen experimentation, breeding or other purposes. It
5 The Silence might be a drug or other resource extracted from the
6 Weeping Angels organism – perhaps even a source of immortality!
12 The Twelfth Doctor Destruction

The Objective is the destruction of something,
D6 D6 ADVERSARY someone or some race. The motivation can vary from
1-3 1 Missy revenge, to bigotry to pure unadulterated hatred of
2 The Boneless all other living things.
3 Davros/Colony Sarff
4 Daleks Energy
The Location holds some form of specialised energy
5 Clockwork Robots
that the Adversary needs. You should choose an
6 The Mire
energy source that is rare for the time and place in
4-6 1 Me question.
2 Zygons
3 Dream Crabs Knowledge
4 Cybermen The target possesses some form of specialised
knowledge that the Adversary wants or needs.
5 Robot Knights
This could be anything from the general (scientific
6 Time Lords
knowledge) to the very specific (the hiding place of
an ancient enemy).
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Relic
Some device or object that the Adversary needs to C Location
complete their plan. It could be anything from an Locations represent one or more connected ‘Sets.’
extremely specialist piece of tech to a ‘magic’ sword It could be as small as a single Set, like a hermit’s
to the Key to Time. Whatever it is, the Adversary’s cave in the desert, or it might consist of a half dozen
future plans will fail without it. of more, like the important areas inside a UNIT base.
For more information on fleshing out Locations, see
Mineral pg. 63.
The Adversary wants to strip the mineral wealth of
the Location. They might just want a specific rare Roll on the following table to find the general location
ore (like taranium) that can only be found at the and then move to the specific tables to generate any
adventure site or they might want to turn the whole specifics:
planet into fuel.
Sacred Object
An object of religious significance to the Adversary
Locations
is located in the adventure location. The Adversary D6 D6 Location
might be fanatically seeking to retrieve it, or they
1-2 1 The Americas
may equally be planning to destroy it or exploit it
somehow. 2 The United Kingdom
3 Europe
Slaves
4 Africa
The Adversary wants to enslave the Location’s
population. The type of slavery varies, although most 5 Asia
races, like the Daleks, use them for hard labour. 6 Earth – Remote Places
The Adversary’s strengths and weaknesses should (Antarctic, Under the Sea, Lost
determine whether they are simply raiders looking World, etc.)
to pick up a small number of chattels or a major
invasion force looking to take the entire population, 3-4 1 Sol System (Venus, Mars, etc.)
while any special powers or traits possessed by the 2 Primitive World
local population might determine why they’re being 3 Alien World
taken as slaves.
4 High-tech Alien World
Technology 5 Adversary’s Home World
The Adversary is looking for a technological item, to
6 Gallifrey
use or retro engineer.
5 1 Asteroid Base
Bio-Tech: The Objective is some form of biological 2 Planetary Base
technology, like a genetically modified creature or
psychic amplifiers. 3 Orbital Base
4 Deep Space Station
Temporal Tech: The Adversary wants to possess 5 Starship
the means to time travel, either stolen from the
Location or the characters’ own TARDIS (in which 6 Generation Ship
case, they have probably set a trap to lure or bring 6 1 Ground or Underwater Vehicle
the characters to the location).
2 Artificial World (Ringworld,
Dyson Sphere, etc.)
Weapons Tech: The Adversary is seeking some
awesomely destructive weapons technology held at 3 Hyperspace
the Location. 4 E-Space
5 Outside Time and Space (Void,
Worldly Power and Glory
Land of Fiction, etc.)
Pure unadulterated power is the goal. The Adversary
plans to achieve this through political, military or 6 Bizarre (Inside a living creature,
economic means. Possibly all three. Flatland, etc.)
DE 45
Each Location will be set in a specific Time Zone. If

you don’t have a particular time period in mind and
don’t mind an adventure that can potentially jump a
External Sets
number of Time Zones, you can roll on the following D6 D6 set
table once for each Location:
1 1 Battlefield
2 Beach
When 3 Castle/Palatial Home

4 Caverns/Mines
D6 D6 Time Zone
5 Church/Monastery/Temple
1-2 1 Early Universe
6 Circus/Carnival
2 Mesozoic Era
2 1 Factory/Workhouse
3 Stone Age
2 Forest/Jungle
4 The Bronze Age
3 Garden
5 The Iron Age
4 Government Building
6 The Dark Ages
5 Graveyard/Tomb
3-4 1 The Renaissance
6 Hospital/Asylum
2 The Colonial Period
3 1 Hotel
3 The Victorian Era
2 Lake/Sea
4 Early 20th Century
3 Library
5 Mid 20th Century
4 Menagerie/Zoo
6 Late 20th Century
5 Military Base/Bunker
5-6 1 21st-23rd Centuries
Adventures
6 Museum
2 24th-31st Centuries
4 1 Natural Oddity (Elephant’s
3 32nd-41st Centuries
Graveyard, Psychic Grove, etc.)
4 42nd-50th Centuries
2 News Agency
5 51st Century
3 Office
6 Far Future to the End of Time
4 Park
5 Factory/Power Plant
6 Prison
5 1 Project Site
2 Pub/Tavern
3 Recording Studios
4 Research Facilities
5 Rock Quarry
6 Ruins
6 1 School/University
2 Sewers
3 Cinema/Theatre
Choose or roll up a few Sets for the Location. Only Sets 4 Tower Block
where important things happen need to be detailed, 5 Underwater Habitat/Base
so don’t feel you have to generate the entire interior of 6 Village/Town/Colony
a spaceship, just the bits relevant to the story. Roll D6
times if you’re not sure how many to generate.
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Internal Sets
D6 D6 set
1-3 1 Attic
2 Bathroom
3 Bedroom
4 Cellar
5 Corridors (see pg. 27)
6 Dining Area
4-6 1 Kitchen
2 Living Area
3 Office/Study
4 Secret Chamber
5 Specialised Room (Library, Lab, Unusual sets
Observatory, Solarium, etc.)
D6 D6 sets
6 Yard/Field/Greenhouse
1-3 1 Antimatter Realm
2 Continual Event Transmuter
3 Gallifreyan Death Zone
4 Hyper-Condensed Cloud
5 Inside a Computer/Video Game
6 Inside the Mind
4-6 1 Inside the TARDIS
2 Labyrinth
3 Mortuary
4 Pocket Dimension
Military/Starship Interiors 5 Space-Time Rift

6 Inside the Matrix
D6 D6 set
1-3 1 Armoury/Equipment
2 Bridge/Command Centre
3 Corridors (see pg. 27)
4 Docking Bay/Inner Ward
5 Engineering
6 Holding Cell/Dungeon
4-6 1 Infirmary/Sickbay
2 Lab/Research
3 Living Area
4 Private Quarters
5 Storage Hold/Warehouse
6 Vehicle Bay
DE
47
e rs
d
an Monst
lainsking
Vi l Ma

Villains
‘Compassion, Doctor. It has always been your plans for universal conquest, every evil act he has
greatest indulgence. Let this be my final victory. Let ever done has been motivated from an early age by
me hear you say it, just once. Compassion is wrong.’ the madness caused by the ever-present sound of
drums. A madness his own people, in their hour of
Villains are as close as the Gamemaster gets to desperation, had inflicted upon him as a child. While
having their own character in the game. Just as the Master was still culpable for his crimes, how
players get to lavish attention on their characters’ much more responsible were the Time Lords for the
quirks and traits, and have fun roleplaying them, actions of this madman who would go on to threaten
you should make your villains special. Make your not only Gallifrey itself, but the entire universe, on
villains awesome, make them charming, make them numerous occasions.
terrifying. Make the galaxy tremble before them…
but always remember that they’re born to lose.
For a Greater Good
When making a villain, first ask why they’re a villain. ‘[She is] hope. Hope in this endless, bitter war.’
Few people consider themselves to be the bad ‘What war? Against who?’
guy, unless they’ve already been kicked around by ‘Against you, Doctor.’
the universe and want revenge. Most ‘villains’ are
actually the heroes of their own stories, and it’s the If you asked this villain why they chose the side of
players’ characters who are the misguided meddling wrong over right, they would look at you as though
fools who are trying to stop the villain from doing you were stupid. In their mind, they are not the
something wonderful and heroic. Then again, there ‘bad guy.’ They are doing what they do for a greater
are some people who get up in the morning, put on purpose, for the benefit of all.
their space jackboots and their dark helmets, and
set out to conquer the universe because its there. They may be arrogant, self-appointed judges
of what is and isn’t right, beings with a warped
sense of morality, or (worst of all) short-
C The Seed of Evil sighted crusaders and do-gooders whose good
At some point in their life, the villain made a decision intentions never seem to take the ‘big picture’
to turn away from the light and forge a path towards into account. Whatever the case, they do not
darkness and damnation. Why would any sane being realise or acknowledge the tragic results of
do this? their actions, discounting them as either small,
unfortunate mistakes or necessary sacrifices in
their pursuit of a greater good.
Chaos Incarnate
‘They took me there, into the dark. I looked into Time, Because they wear a mantle of virtue wrought by an
old man. And I heard it, calling to me … Drums. The unshakeable faith in the purity of their goal, they are
never-ending drums…’ often strong-willed or commanding personalities,
possibly with a group of devoted followers who share
At some point in their life, due to some traumatic their vision.
experience or experiment gone awry, the villain’s
mind simply snapped and any concern for morality
or order was shed like the discarded pupae case of a Knowledge at all Costs
mad butterfly. From that point on, the villain became ‘To hold in my hand a capsule that contains such
dedicated to chaos and turmoil, finding pleasure in power, to know that life and death on such a scale
the dismantling of order and civilisation and watching was my choice. To know that the tiny pressure on
them burn. my thumb, enough to break the glass, would end
everything. Yes, I would do it! That power would set
While they may or may not bear their madness me up above the gods. And through the Daleks, I
openly for all to see, the chaotic villain is often hard shall have that power!’
to defeat simply for the reason that they are utterly
unpredictable. They can seem totally hell bent on For this villain, some event in their past has
a particular goal one moment, only to abandon it proven that the only truly worthy goal in life is
the next. The Master is an excellent example. He the pursuit of some type of knowledge, and they will
wasn’t born evil. His long rivalry with the Doctor, his not rest until they have acquired it.
DE 49
This knowledge could be something very specific, offend them, the villain will not rest until vengeance
like the identity and location of the being or race that is theirs. And even after they accomplish that goal,
destroyed their family or home, or the secret to time they will probably find another to turn their flaming
travel so that they can go back and prevent some hatred towards, typically any who stood in the way
very personal tragedy. It could equally be something of their original target (which almost invariably
very general, like scientific knowledge that will move includes the players’ characters).
the universe out of the dark ignorance of superstition
and morality (which made the villain a pariah) and
into the pure light of scientific reason (which will
make the villain a hero).
Whatever the knowledge this villain seeks, they are

willing to rip the universe apart to find it and they
have few qualms about destroying people, worlds
or even whole galaxies in their quest for ultimate
understanding. Because of this complete and utter
lack of moral concern or compassion, this type of
villain is often found on the fringes of society. They
are often outcasts of peculiar disposition and are very
likely plagued by enemies of a very personal nature
who can often be counted on to aid the characters in
trying to stop the villain’s machinations.
Love and Vengeance

‘I was sacrificed to that supernova. I generated those
forces, and for what? To be blown out of existence into
this black hole of antimatter? My brothers became
Villains and Making Monsters
Time Lords, but I was abandoned and forgotten!’

‘No, not forgotten. All my life I’ve known of you and
honoured you as our greatest hero.’
‘A hero? I should have been a god!’
Possibly the two most ancient and powerful emotional

drives any sentient being can possess are undying
attraction and undying hatred. Often, when the love
is unrequited or stolen, the two are combined into Power Corrupts
a powerful force that can make even the most sane ‘The skies of this entire world are mine. My family
being into a destructive monster who would see tamed them, and now I own them.’
the universe end rather than let the source of their
distress go unpunished. While all seek, in some way, to exert their will upon
others, they typically only seek or use power in order
In the case of love, the villain has a deep and abiding to achieve some particular, overriding goal that
attraction to or affection for some person, place or is important to them. This villain, however, has no
idea, and seeks to possess it or protect it at any cost. particularly strong drives or goals outside of the
That person could be a paramour, but they could acquisition of power for its own sake. Many power-
easily be a family member, a great leader or a race hungry villains start out as victims of some form
of people. A place might be their home, their country of oppression from which they eventually escape,
or even a planet, and many a person has been willing vowing to never be in a position where others have
to die for an idea like national pride or religion. control over them again. Others are simply greedy
beyond belief, having been raised the spoiled scion
In the case of vengeance, the villain seeks to avenge of a rich family or born with an deep emotional and
themselves on a person, place or idea. Whether they spiritual emptiness that drives them to possess
seek to kill a particular adversary or trap them in everything. Still others come to the conclusion that
eternal torment, destroy the home world of their as money gets spent, love is fleeting, and knowledge
racial enemy or eradicate a religion whose views and vengeance are only within the grasp of those
ED 50
with the resources to achieve them, the only truly

worthwhile goal is total control. Victories, Monologues
Whatever their origin, the typical power-hungry and Death Scenes
villain is one of the more cunning of the villain types, When creating your villain, think about these
with a chess master’s grasp of power dynamics three situations and consider how your villain
and political manoeuvring coupled with a complete would behave in each of them. These might
willingness to sacrifice anything, be it physical never actually come up in the game, but they’ll
comfort, ‘loved’ ones, even control over major assets, give you a feel for how your villain would act –
if the end result is greater personal power. and if they do come to pass, that’s a bonus!
Victory! What’s your villain’s ultimate end goal?

Monstrous Nature What would satisfy them? They look out the
‘Evil? Your evil is my good. I am Sutekh the Destroyer. window and say “my work is complete”; what’s
Where I tread I leave nothing but dust and darkness. outside that window? A conquered Earth? A
I find that good.’ galaxy in flames? The Citadel of the Time Lords,
ablaze?
Monologue: So, the villain captures the

characters, ties them up and… what? Do they
try to convince them of the rightness of their
cause? Do they mock the characters for daring
to defy them? Make the characters watch as the
villain activates their doomsday weapon? Clone
them and send their duplicates off to take down
Earth’s defences from within? What would your
villain say if they were in a position of complete
power over the players’ characters?
Death Scene: What’s a fitting end for your villain?

What would be a satisfying way for them to get
their just desserts? Imagine their ignominious
defeat, with all their grand schemes crashing
around their ears – how do they react? What’s
Some villains are the product of utterly alien cultures. the best way for your villain to lose everything?
They don’t easily fit into human conceptions of good
and evil, because they cannot be good. A creature
that feeds on the life force of whole civilisations,
for example, can’t be redeemed. It can’t even be
negotiated with – it has to feed, and it’s going to feed
unless the characters stop it. It is a thing of inhuman
horror.
Building a Villain
Major villains – renegade Time Lords,
crazed alien conquerors, mad scientists, evil
computers, ancient evils from beyond time
and space and so on – are mechanically built
on around 40 Character Points, 20 Skill Points, C Power Base
and 10 Story Points. More mundane villains like Every villain has characteristics or resources from
misguided bureaucrats or inventors should be which they habitually draw their power from. This
built like Henchmen (see pg. 52), but have 8-10 could be great intelligence, physical superiority, vast
Story Points instead. armies, great wealth or any number of other potential
sources which they will always use to complete their
DE 51
plans and oppose the characters. What does your An alien invader commands from the bridge of a
villain possess? gargantuan warship.
• If anyone starts shooting in here, maybe they’ll

Lairs and Bases hit a vital console.
A particularly resource-rich villain may have a lair • A big viewscreen so the invader can threaten the
or base of operations from which they operate. United Nations in high definition.
Some of these are secret, like Madame Kovarian’s • Launch controls for the doomsday weapon, right
base on Demon’s Run, while others sit in plain sight, next to the self-destruct.
like the Global Chemicals factory or International • A transmat for quick escape from an exploding
Electromatics. The characters must sneak into the ship.
villain’s lair to foil their plans – and, of course, any
characters who get captured are imprisoned in the Remember to use the villain’s base and resources
villain’s base. They can then break out, sneak around, in the scenario. If the villain’s base is in a medieval
learn vital bits of plot, get captured again… castle, then the characters should be crawling
though secret passages in the dungeons or laying
siege to the walls. If the villain sets up camp in an
industrial plant, then whatever they make in that
factory should be part of the scenario in some way,
either as a key clue or just a bit of background detail.
Minions
Some villains work alone, but others have followers,
servants or soldiers working for them. Other villains
– especially the Master – dupe others into becoming
their minions, or make dangerous alliances with
alien invaders. Minions are the villain’s spies and
agents, their tools and their disposable cannon

fodder. Minions come in three flavours:
Make sure that the base reflects the personality of

the villain, and think of 3-4 things that can happen in
the base during the game, especially during action
scenes. For example:
A small-minded bureaucrat has a base that’s a

warren of offices and cubicles.
• Lots of computers to hack, and documents to

steal.
• Desks to hide under as guards go past.
• Disrupt the villain’s filing system, and they break
down.
• Everything’s regimented and organised – so if
you steal the right ID card, no one questions you!
Henchmen
A mad scientist has a laboratory filled with blinking The Henchman is the villain’s right-hand being
lights, bubbling test tubes, and humming computers. when it comes to getting things done. A Henchman
is unique, and if one is killed or captured, they are
• Captured characters get used as experimental unavailable for the rest of the adventure.
subjects.
• A little Jiggery-Pokery can build a Gadget out of Henchmen are built on 30 Character Points, 18 Skill
all these spare parts. Points and 3-5 Story Points. Henchmen almost always
• You should never let the Doctor push all those have attributes and skills that counterbalance the
buttons! villain’s weaknesses. So, a villain who is physically
ED 52
feeble might have a henchman who is a big tough

fighter; a villain who is a monstrous warmonger
gets a Henchman who is a brilliant-but-misguided
Traitors, Slaves and
scientist, forced to carry out the warmonger’s mad Unreliable Allies
plan for conquest. If the villain has more than one Often, it’s not the Doctor who finally stops the
Henchman, you can decide if they are ranked or carry villain – someone else strike the final blow,
equal authority. even if the Doctor set the dominoes in motion.
Maybe the villain’s ambitious Henchman
Elites betrays his master, or the Doctor shows the
Elites are a group of specialist soldiers, scientists, Henchman that the villain was tricking her all
infiltrators or similar that handle very specific and this time. Slaves can break their chains (or
complex jobs for the villain, like a group of black ops their hypnotic control or their programming)
soldiers, a group of temporal scientists or a group of and rise up against their tormentor. Allies
duplicates of key authority figures. There are usually can turn on each other, especially if one
a number of NPCs in the Elite cadre equal to the faction learns their former ‘friends’ never
villain’s Presence. intended to fulfil their end of the bargain.
Build a single character using 24 Character Points, The characters may be able to convince a
15 Skill Points and 1-3 Story Points. All the Elites will villain’s minions to turn on their master. To do
share those stats. so, they first need to find a good reason for the
minion to switch sides – maybe the minion has
Functionaries a trait like Enslaved, Obsession, Owes Favour
Functionaries are a mob of worker drones who fulfil or Code of Conduct that the characters can
a number of tasks, but none of them particularly exploit to get inside the minion’s head
well. When they aren’t performing perfunctory tasks, (and if the minion doesn’t have a trait
they are often sent in force to overwhelm the villain’s like that, maybe they can create one,
enemies. There are a number of Functionaries in a either by spending some Story Points
group equal to the villain’s Presence x3. or by winning a social conflict with
the minion).
After that, they need to make a

Presence + Convince roll at an
appropriate moment; the difficulty
depends on how loyal the minion
is and how dangerous it will be
for them to switch sides, but is
usually between 18 and 24.
C Villains and
Story Points
Knowing when and where a villain
will use their Story Points to counter
the characters can be tricky. After all,
you are running the game to allow the
players to be the heroes of their own story
and frustrating their plans with the use of
Functionaries are considered to have a 3 in every deus ex machina that seemingly favours the
Attribute and 3 Skill Points spread amongst whatever bad guy can be a source of great irritation for
skills it is that they are tasked to do. A group of them. That, however, is the point.
plumbers might have some points in Craft with a
specialisation in Plumbing, while a band of cultists For a villain to be more than another ‘monster-
might have Fighting 2 and Convince 1, and a group of-the-week’ they need to be more of a thorn in
of soldiers might have Fighting 1, Marksman 1 and the character’s sides, to be a source for emotive
Transport 1. response, someone that just makes them want to
DE 53
scream “We’re going to get that fiend if it’s the last The Rule of a Third
thing we do!” As laid out in Chapter Two: Adventures (see pg. 22),
any good adventure will have three acts: the intro,
There are two basic things you need to consider the development and the finale. To make sure that
when using a villain’s Story Points: the finale is sufficiently exciting and doesn’t resolve
itself too easily, you should always keep at least 1/3rd
of the villain’s Story Points in reserve for the last act.
You are Omniscient, the Villain is Not.
When it comes to the story and everything that will Also, in keeping with the advice above about not
happen in it, you are pretty much the god of the game overly-frustrating players, a villain should spend no
universe and know everything that is going on. The more than a 1/3rd of their Story Points in any single
villain, however, is not (except in cases where the act. If they do, then each player should receive a
villain really is omniscient, ). Story Point at the end of the act to represent random
opportunities arising from the villain over-tipping
This simply means it is alright for a villain to know their hands.
that the characters are visiting the lab to find a secret
antidote to their poison, but they should have some
trait (Friends in particular, but some other traits
might apply) or should have to spend their dwindling
supply of precious Story Points to do so. In effect,
a villain can interrupt and foil the players’ plans
with miraculous efficiency, but they will weaken
themselves in the process.
Uses for Story Points

So, with those caveats in mind, what might a villain
do with all their Story Points?
First, they can do all the usual things that a monster

does with Story Points:
• Buy extra dice (1 Story Point = 2 extra dice, 2

Story Points = 3 extra dice, 3 Story Points = 4
The corollary to this, of course, is that, to avoid the extra dice).
players up and quitting out of frustration, sometimes • Reduce failure by one or more success levels.
you should throw them a bone. Remember to use • Restore lost attributes.
the villain’s Bad Traits to colour their interference • Change the story.
so that, even if they throw a few Story Points at the • There are also a few special tricks only available
players, the players can react with Story Points of to Villains.
their own. A villain with the Adversary trait who is
too blatant in their interference, for example, might
draw another enemy into the adventure. Allow the Oh No You Don’t!
players to bring that trait in when they’ve had just So, one of the players just spent a load of Story
about enough with the judicious use of a Story Point Points to change the story or charge up a Gadget.
– and possibly give them a discount for doing so if the You think the villain hadn’t prepared for that? If the
timing is particularly appropriate. villain spends an equal number of Story Points, they
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get to counter whatever change the player just made. and the Master spends some Story Points to turn
The Gamemaster describes how the villain blocks or Docherty into a minion after they leave…
overcomes any change to the story. The players can’t
do the same by spending more Story Points – they’ll
have to come up with a new plan. So, You Escaped…
Some villains always escape. A villain can spend a
Story Point to flee the scene – and if it’s the
Get After Them! last scene of an adventure, they can even
By spending a Story Point, the villain can dispatch escape certain death! If the villain uses this
a Henchman, a squad of Elites or a bunch of option, they flee with their metaphorical
Functionaries to wherever the characters are. tails between their legs – they don’t get
(1 Story Point sends a single Henchman, the to take anyone or anything with them,
villain’s Presence in Elites or their Presence x3 in they lose any bases or minions they
Functionaries, so spending 2 Story Points gets any have, and they don’t get to come back to
two of the three, or a double-strength set of Elites the scene after they escape. Spending
or Functionaries). The villain has to know where the that Story Point keeps the villain alive
characters are in order to send in the bad guys. to try again another day, nothing more.
The characters have just enough time to escape Maybe the villain runs to an escape pod,
before the bad guys arrive – unless the Villain wants or activates an Emergency Temporal Shift.
to spend another 3 Story Points, in which case the Maybe they die but come back as a clone,
bad guys get there quickly enough to catch the or get resurrected by a cult of followers.
characters, capturing or trapping them! Maybe they just escape out the back door.
Maybe their escape is never explained –
but they got out alive, and can engage in
Someone’s Been Playing A Long Game more villainous plans in future!
As a more cunning stratagem, the villain can have
agents in place already. At a cost of 1 Story Point for
a Functionary, 2 for an Elite and 3 for a Henchman,
the villain can reveal that some minor character in M is for Minions
the background of a scene was actually one of their If a villain has minions, remember that they
Minions all along. Say the Doctor and companions have Story Points as well! Not only does that
have just arrived at UNIT HQ to help the Brigadier allow them to escape from sticky situations,
deal with the latest threat to world security. The villain but if they survive until the finale, the villain
spends a Story Point, and one of the UNIT guards may use them as a reserve Story Point
sneaks away and reports back to his superiors, “the pool, draining any they have left to fulfil
Doctor has arrived!” the villain’s goals. Yes, this may lead to
their demise, but they are only minions,
Unless the villain is known for being especially after all, and many a loyal Henchman
sneaky or having lots of spies (or shapeshifters or has found themselves left high and dry
something else equally sinister), only do this once by a master who is perfectly willing to
per game session. sacrifice them for some small advantage
against their enemies.
Once per adventure, the villain can also use this to
‘turn’ a non-player character. The villain picks some The villain may even use a minion’s Story
contact, ally or friend of the players’ characters, ideally Points to exceed the 1/3rd Rule (see pg.
someone they don’t expect, and spends at least 2 54) without giving the characters extra
Story Points (more if the target is especially powerful, Story Points in return! Only the villain’s
skilled or dangerous). That non-player character points count towards the 1/3rd Rule.
either turns to the villain’s side, or retroactively has
always been a secret spy for the Villain. Villains being villains, this does not
work the other way around, and a villain
A great example of this is Professor Docherty in Last may never directly give their own Story
of the Time Lords – the characters go in search of Points to their minions, not even to
an expert who has the Science and Technology skills keep them alive.
needed to help them understand the Toclafane,
DE 55
Making Monsters
‘Imagine the weight I will have to lift; the monsters a way to stop the monster, or is the monster
I created, the people they killed.’ misunderstood and the real problem is
communicating with the monster?

In his travels, the Doctor has encountered all sorts • An invading army, like the Daleks or the
of incredible creatures and aliens, many of whom Sontarans? Why are they invading? Do they have
wanted to kill or eat him. This section is all about a cunning plan, or do they just use brute force?
making your own alien monsters. A lot of this advice Who are their enemies?
also applies to nice aliens, the sort you can sit down • Sinister minions for your villains, just like the
and have a cup of tea with, but for the most part, Headless Monks served Madame Kovarian?
we’re talking about the ones who want to kill or Why are these minions serving the villain? What
eat you. Or kill and then eat you. Or, if you’re really makes them good soldiers?
unlucky, eat you then kill you…
You could start with physical appearance, drawing
inspiration from nature, from other monsters, or
C Initial Inspiration from your own nightmares.
Where do you start? There are lots of ways to
approach the making of a monster. You might start • What would a tree be like if it could walk and talk?
with the role the creature will play in your adventure, The Forest of Cheem and the Androzani Trees
and then go from there. Ask yourself questions to both explore this concept in different ways. What
flesh out the monster’s concept. Do you want: about a jellyfish, or a mushroom, or an ocean?
• Take a classic movie monster like a zombie,
• A dangerous, unstoppable monster that kills and explain all its supernatural traits like
people, like the Vashta Nerada. Why can’t these infecting others with a bite, rising from the dead
monsters be stopped? Are they immune to and shambling slowly after its prey with alien
conventional weapons? Who are they attacking? science. The Great Vampires encountered by
How do the characters survive long enough to the Fourth Doctor and the Saturynians fought
have an adventure? by the Eleventh Doctor both play with legends
• A monster that’s a puzzle to be solved, like of vampires, and of course the Doctor has also
the Krafayis that menaced Vincent Van Gogh? encountered werewolves and ghosts. What
What’s the puzzle? Is the problem finding out about gargoyles? Or dragons?
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56
• Ugly, slimy grubs turn into beautiful butterflies. • In the Time Vortex itself? What sort of creature
What would an intelligent species that could exist in the vortex? Are they godlike,
underwent a transformation like that be like? mythological entities like the Chronovores or the
Real-world creatures, especially insects, are as Weeping Angels? Or are they the time-travelling
weird as any alien. What about a species where equivalent of dust mites or leeches, feeding off
males and females are radically different in size the Artron energy of passing time machines, or do
and appearance? Or what about two intelligent they lay eggs in the past timestreams of victims?
species, where one is a parasite that lives on the
other?
You could think about the environment, and how it Starting with a Trait
affects the creatures that live there. What sort of You can start from the other end, with the rules!
aliens might you encounter: Pick a trait like Cyborg, Psychic or Obsession
and build a monster around that!
• On an icy planet? Do they have fur or blubber to
protect them from the cold, or do they steal heat
from each other, like vampires drink blood? You could start with how you want the monster to
• Deep underground? Maybe the creatures have behave, and then develop its concept based on how
huge eyes to see in the dark, or no eyes and they the players are going to interact with it?
see by echolocation or by following the vibrations
in the stone. Can they burrow through rock, or • Is it going to chase the characters? How does
maybe they’re partially out of phase with normal the monster move? Does it scuttle on too many
matter so they can swim through stone! legs? Does it slither? Fly? Teleport? Walk
• In the corona of a star? How do they protect through walls? Maybe it can only exist in the
themselves from the heat and radiation? Do they green sunshine from the planet’s weird sun, and
have super-science? Maybe you could look at can’t go indoors or exist at night? How does it
human cultures that live in harsh environments hunt the characters? Can it smell them? Sense
like deserts, and create nomads of the stellar their technology? Taste their fear?
wastes? Or are these creatures patterns of gas • Is it going to stop the characters getting
or plasma or energy instead of solid matter? somewhere? How does it stop them? Why is it
• In a radioactive wasteland? Are they mutated stopping them? Was it created to be a guardian,
by the radiation, or have they some way of or does it just happen to make its lair right on top
protecting themselves? Maybe they feed on of that ancient tomb? Can it stop the characters
radiation! Or maybe they’re left-over weapons from using the TARDIS or some other gadget to
from the war. get past?
DE 57
• Is it the cause of a mystery for them to brought to life; the Wire made televisions into face-
investigate? What clues does the monster leave sucking soul traps; and the Great Intelligence put
behind? How do the characters find it? How do something nasty in the WiFi.
they stop it?
• Look for things that are everywhere, but
You could start with a superstition, or a story about a forgettable and ordinary. Houses are everywhere.
place, or a legend. Walk down a suburban street, and there are
houses all around you, all the same. What if
• “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back” – so one of them is just this big slimy carnivorous
what’s in the cracks? Maybe something ghastly snail-thing that learned to camouflage itself. It’s
lives under the pavements of a ruined city, and if wearing a shell of plaster, but underneath it’s
you attract its attention, it’ll rise up and eat you… alive and hungry…
• Two words: Space Leprechauns. They’re small • The monster might hide behind everyday things.
and green and can mess with the flow of time. There’s a thing living in the sewers. A huge alien
That’s where legends of fairyland come from – monster, with long snaky tentacles. It can reach
they can slow down your personal timestream up into our world through storm drains and
so that while a day passes for you, a hundred manholes – toilets, even – to grab its victims and
years pass for those outside the time bubble. drag them down into the darkness. Listen for
• There are lots of legends of sea monsters and the scraping noise in the night as it pushes the
serpents – what’s at the root of them? Better yet manhole cover aside…
– there are lots of legends about people being • The monster might use an everyday object to
swallowed by sea monsters, and getting trapped control its prey. Cybermen in Pete’s World,
in their stomachs. There’s your opening scene for example, used EarPods to take control of
right there: the TARDIS gets swallowed by a their victims. What’s ubiquitous these days?
giant sea serpent! How about social networking? The monster
becomes your friend online, then takes you
You could start with an everyday object, and turn it over from the inside until all that’s left is your
into a monster. The Autons are shop window dummies online presence?
Monsters vs. Aliens

If a creature is only going to show up in a single adventure, then you don’t
need to worry too much about how it fits into a wider context. For example,
take the Toclafane. We know everything we need to know about these flying
balls of terror for the purposes of The Sound of Drums: they’re made from
the last humans who tried to get to Utopia (so they can be stopped by fixing
the paradox), they’re vulnerable to electricity (so the characters can bring
one down) and they’re nearly unstoppable (making them great minions for
the Master). That’s enough for that one adventure.
However, if an alien makes a repeat appearance, then it’s time to start

thinking about that creature’s society, culture, lifecycle and so on.
For example, if the characters returned to the End of Time and met
the Toclafane on their home ground, what would the Toclafane be like? Are they all crazy, childlike
murderers? Did the Master create those flying life-support pods, or did they turn themselves into
disembodied heads?
The Ood are a great example of this sort of evolution. They start off as slaves just waiting to get turned
into minions for the Beast. In later adventures (like Planet of the Ood), their origins and culture are
explored. Each bit of Ood-lore gets revealed gradually, as it is needed.
The lesson to take from all this is: be lazy. Don’t create an elaborate backstory or culture for a creature
unless it’s necessary for the adventure. Only create what you need immediately.
ED 58
You could even start with nothing more than a single Appearance
memorable image. Roleplaying games are a verbal medium. You can
show the players pictures and draw sketch maps
• A slug that steals your skeleton, leaving only a and use miniature figures, but the core of the game
loose skin-bag of organs and flesh behind. is a conversation between players and Gamemaster.
• A stalker that exists five seconds ahead of you in So, when you describe your monster, it needs to have
time, so all you ever hear are the echoes of its some quirk or aspect that you can get across in a
footsteps. verbal description. Imagine you’re on the witness
• A monster that’s made of eyes. stand in a court room, and the prosecutor asks you
• A thing that lives under your bed. to describe what you saw – what would you say about
• An invisible monster – all you can see are its your monster?
teeth just before it eats you.
Think about big, obvious traits, like unusual physical
features, strange smells or sounds, or an effect
C Making it Memorable on the environment. Maybe the presence of the
The best monsters aren’t necessary the biggest, monster causes all nearby lights to get dimmer.
or the nastiest, or the most powerful; they’re the Maybe the creature has a huge hammer-hand, or
ones the players remember. Making your monsters a single glowing eye. You can also go for traits that
interesting and scary and weird is the best way aren’t immediately obvious until they’re revealed –
to create stories that linger with the players who remember the Eknodines that attacked Leadworth
experience them. (well, Upper Leadworth) in Amy’s Choice? They
looked totally human until they opened their mouths
to reveal eyeballs-on-stalks.
Aspects of appearance to think about:
• Eyes: Glowing, missing, injured, on stalks.

• Hands: Clawed, extra fingers, extra joints,
mouths or eyes in the palms, cybernetic.
• Teeth: Sharpened, fangs, dripping with venom,
in weird places.
• Skin: Slimy, flaking, metallic, sloughs off like a
lizard.
• Clothing: Oddly human (a monster in a
business suit is much weirder than a monster
in a spacesuit), heavily armoured, bones and
trophies from fallen foes.
• Cuffs and Collars: For monsters that appear
human, but aren’t, pay attention to the places
that are almost-but-not-quite hidden by clothing.
The One-Line Summary

Take your idea for the monster and summarise
it in a single sentence. You don’t need to sum up
everything about the monster in this one phrase, but
nailing the concept down in just one line forces you
to concentrate on what the monster is really about.
So, the Cybermen are emotionless cyborgs who

turn humans into more Cybermen. Daleks are
hate-filled xenophobic mutants in armoured shells.
Weeping Angels turn to stone when you look at
them. The Family of Blood are a family of short-lived
shapeshifters who hunger for a Time Lord’s lives.
DE 59
Making it Scary it does speak. Give the monster a distinct sound,

Or intimidating, or weird, or funny – whatever voice or speech pattern. Everyone knows the DAL-
emotional reaction you’re going for with this monster. EK VOICE, WITH ITS BARE-LY SU-PRESS-ED RAGE.
Sontarans, for example, aren’t that scary, but they are Other monsters might buzz, or gurgle, or whisper.
dangerous foes, worthy of respect. Some monsters Others have a distinctive speech pattern (“Chan-like
can provoke a whole range of emotions. Cybermen, this-tho!”) or a particular obsession (Sontarans talk
for example, can be terrifying, intimidating or tragic about military tactics and conquest all the time!).
depending on how you use them.
Maybe your monster doesn’t speak at all. The
Remember, you’re going to have to convey this Headless Monks don’t speak – they just intone the
emotion through verbal description, and verbal attack prayer, and that makes them terrifying.
description is slower and more subjective than
actually seeing the monster. Some things just don’t
work very well in verbal descriptions – a monster
that suddenly jumps out and goes “rrraagh” may be
shocking on television (or in person), but if you’re just
sitting there describing it, it’s not half as surprising.
Try going for creepy horror instead; the sort of

monsters that get scarier the more you think about
them. The Weeping Angels, for example, get scarier
when you realise that any statue could be an Angel. A
Slitheen suddenly chasing you through the corridors
of Downing Street is a fun action scene, but a Slitheen
prisoner talking to you about the horrible fate that
awaits her if you bring her home for execution – that Shadow of the Monster
stays with you. Another great way to make a monster scary and
distinct is to have a clue or sign that tells the players
Look for things that the players can’t anticipate. the monster is nearby. This foreshadows the monster,
A monster that rips its victims apart is alarming; giving the players a chance to feel dread and fear
a monster that bites you once, then drains your without jumping straight into an action scene. The
life energy away over the next few hours is scary distinctive silhouette of a Dalek, the tally marks up
because the players have a chance to realise they’re your arm to remind you that you saw a Silent, the extra
in trouble. shadow of a Vashta Nerada swarm, the eggy whiff
of a Slitheen – OK, maybe not the last one, but the
Another great technique is to think about how the principle remains. Giving the players a sign to look for
monster kills its victims – and what clues it leaves can effectively raise tension in the adventure.
behind. Daleks exterminate, leaving a blasted
corpse. Cybermen upgrade or delete, leaving a Some classic signs:
fried victim or nothing but bloodstains and left-over
chunks of meat. Vashta Nerada reduce their prey to • Leave evidence of the monster’s attacks! This
skeletons. The Minotaur made its victims worship it ties back to the idea of giving the monster
before consuming them. A distinctive killing method a distinctive way of killing people. Just as
goes a long way – especially if the characters find a two pin-pricks in the neck scream “there’s a
victim of the monster long before they encounter the vampire out there”, and a discarded skin-suit
monster itself! Imagine finding the body of a space suggests a Slitheen, having the monster leave
traveller who’s had her blood removed and replaced some particular clue that it recently killed here
with mercury. Who did that? What did that? Why can scare the players. Imagine a monster that
did they do that? Those questions will occupy the vomits acid on its victims! What do the player
players’ minds throughout the adventure until they characters do when they find a patch of partially
find the answers. dissolved goo outside the TARDIS door – and
then realise that the door was unlocked…
Communication • The monster might create changes in the

We’ll return to this topic in more detail below, but environment. Running water signalled the
think about how your monster speaks – assuming approach of the Flood on Mars; snowfall heralded
ED 60
the arrival of the Great Intelligence; the tolling of

the Cloister Bell might warn of impending Reaper C Dealing with Monsters
attacks. The presence of the Beast caused It’s easy to get carried away when designing a
hallucinations; the Ambassadors of Death were monster, and forget how it’s going to be used in the
radioactive and so could be detected by a Geiger game. A race of alien monsters that communicate
counter. A high-tech alien might cause radio telepathically and fly spaceships that look like a
static or scramble computer systems nearby. cross between a Gothic cathedral and a wasp
may sound cool, but how will they work in the
• If the alien has the Infection trait or some other game? The best thing to do is to take the list
way to alter or possess its victims, then the slow of actions in an action round – talking, moving,
progression of the infection will keep reminding doing, and fighting – and making sure that there’s
the players of the danger they are in. Look at something interesting to do with the monsters in
how the victims of the Minotaur slowly lose their most of them.
will to resist, which makes the Minotaur more
and more scary even when it is not present.
Talking
• Try giving the alien a distinct sound or noise. As we said earlier, roleplaying games are a
The stomp of a Cyberman, the tick-tock of a conversation, and the best monsters are ones who
Clockwork Robot, the hiss of a Silurian – all can talk back to the characters. Can your monster
tell the players what they’re facing. Imagine a communicate? Monsters that don’t talk can be
situation where the players are investigating spookier and more mysterious; monsters that
a mystery, and they meet a young girl who do speak can match wits with the players. The
has psychic powers. She saw the villain of the Weeping Angels would be much less sinister if they
adventure; it was dark, so she can’t describe spoke directly; the Family of Blood wouldn’t be half
his face, but all she remembers is telepathically as nasty without Son of Mine’s wonderful delivery
‘hearing’, over and over, the sound of drums. of threats. One clever compromise for especially
alien aliens is to have someone or something else
do the talking for them. The Weeping Angels, for
Memorable Monster example, stole the mind and voice of Private Bob
to speak for them, while the Jagrafess had the
Checklist Editor as a figurehead and Dorium Maldovar
• What’s the core concept? Boil the monster explained the Headless Monks. An alien
down to a short description. might have a telepathic connection to a
• What does the monster look like? Give it victim, or take over a computer system.
one really distinct feature! Alternatively, you can have some expert
• How does the monster scare people? on hand who knows about the monsters and
Make sure there’s an easy way to tell who’s can predict their behaviour.
responsible!
• What does the monster sound like? Find a
way to portray that to the players! Moving
• What’s the clue that signals the monster Or, usually, running away! In an adventure,
is nearby? the characters are almost certainly going to
encounter the monster one or two times before
they finally defeat it. It’s a classic pattern – first,
the initial encounter; then, the monster shows
how dangerous it really is by defeating the first
attempt to stop it; and then the characters build
on what they’ve learned and finally save the day.
However, for that to work, the characters need
to be able to escape the monster in encounters
#1 and #2!
So, how do the characters escape the monster?

Can they just run away? (There’s a reason
many monsters are slow!) Is there somewhere
the monster won’t go? Does something drive
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the monster temporarily away? If you can, avoid adventure, and then see what clever solutions the
situations where some third party shows up to save players come up with. Remember, while it’s great
the characters from the monster – you can do that fun to make new monsters – in the end, the Doctor’s
once in a while, but in general, the players should be the scariest monster of them all, because he’s the
the ones to save themselves! one the monsters fear!
Doing Interactive Monster

Fighting’s always the option of last resort in the
Doctor Who Roleplaying Game. Monsters are almost Checklist
always better at it than the characters are, and lots • How do the players talk to the monster?
of monsters are immune to weapons anyway! The • How do the players run from the monster?
Doctor’s known for clever solutions and cunning • How do the players do things related to the
plans, not his big guns or his two-fisted fighting monster?
(Venusian aikido and duelling with his spoon aside). • How do the players fight the monster?
Make sure there are things to do other than directly • How do the players stop the monster?
fighting or running away from the monsters.
What sort of things can you do with a monster other

than fight it? Consider including opportunities for the
characters to: Attributes, Skills & Traits
• Investigate the origins or behaviour of the monster. The last thing to do is to give the monster its
• Scan for readings or traces of the monster. attributes, skill and traits. Unlike a character,
• Research existing information on the monster. you don’t need to stick to a budget of Character
• Repair key equipment. Points when doing so, but in general, a minor
• Search for missing people or supplies. monster gets 25 points, a more dangerous
• Spy on the monster. beast gets around 50, and a really dangerous
• Hide from the monster. monster gets built on 75 or more points. Keep
• Heal those injured by the monster. your characters in mind when building the
monster. A bunch of college students who
Maybe the monster can only be defeated by a particular investigate mysteries with their talking dog
chemical concoction or transmission wavelength. should face very different monsters to a team
Maybe human invaders disturbed the monster’s nest. of elite Time Agents.
Maybe someone’s forcing the monster to attack.
Maybe the characters can open a rift in space and Monsters also get Story Points. Cannon fodder
time and suck the monsters into the void. However and lackeys get 1 or 2 points; most monsters
the scenario unfolds, try to ensure the characters get 3-5; monsters that are supposed to be
have a chance to do something. resourceful, resilient or come up with their
own plans get 6-8. If the monster’s on its own,
then give it another few Story Points to give it
Fighting the edge over a group of characters.
This is the easiest of the four key actions to cover.
Just don’t forget to show the characters how
dangerous a monster is before they start fighting it.
If your Raston Warrior Robot has Marksman 8 and
does L/L/L damage, then let the characters see it
beating up a bunch of Cybermen first, so they know
not to engage it directly.
Defeating the Monster

Finally, of course, there has to be a way of defeating
the monster. It’s not up to you to come up with this
– that’s the players’ job – but you should still have a
few ideas of your own. Scatter clues throughout the
D
E
62
ttings
Se

Settings
‘You spend an awful lot of time here, considering drinks can all not only add fun to your adventure but
it’s a dump.’ make the whole story more realistic and immersive.
‘I spend an awful lot of time being kidnapped, Setting allows you to create the imagined place you
Settings
tortured, shot at, and exterminated. Doesn’t mean are all taking part in, and it can be the most subtle
I like it.’ tool in the Gamemaster’s toolbox for creating a
living, breathing world.
With your characters, adventure, villains and
monsters ready to go, you might think you have
everything ready. However, all these elements C Coming up with a Concept
need something to bring them together and create The place to start with a setting is very simple, a
a context for the story you are going to tell; for this couple of words that tell you what the place is, ‘a
we need a setting. The setting is more than just the UNIT base’, or ‘an old spacecraft’. Keep it simple, as
place your adventure happens. The people who live considering the place in broad detail will help give
or work there, the food they eat, the customs they you ideas when you come to specifics and help stop
have are all part of the setting. Essentially, setting is you falling into a rut. At this stage you just want a
everything that forms a background to the adventure. place to start, something that will fit the adventure
you have in mind.
Setting can be one of the most easily forgotten
aspects of design; after all, it’s just the background. When you’ve picked a place to start, consider what
The walls and random characters can’t be that you need available to the player characters and what
important can they? It’s certainly not as important you want to deny them. Will their TARDIS work? Is
as having an actual adventure or a villain or a help on the way? Do the villains have back up nearby?
monster for the characters to face up against is How useful is the local technology? How friendly are
it? While it may be possible to run an adventure the natives? However, as well as all these important
without much of a setting, it won’t be nearly as much questions, it is still OK to ask yourself what would be
fun though. Building a setting allows you to create cool! You have all of time and space to play with so
a world of your own. It’s the point you can indulge feel free to think outside the box. Put your spacecraft
your imagination as far as you want to go, creating on the back of a Star Whale, lead the characters’
fascinating ‘what ifs’ and memorable characters and TARDIS outside the universe to a junk yard, hide an
places. The incidental characters, descriptions of arena for ancient gods in a circus or let them travel
strange cultures and even the odd colour of the local to the end of the universe.
ED 64
Setting is also the place to establish genre, the Expanding the Concept
general theme and style your adventure is going to Now you have a place to start we need to get down to
follow. If they step out of the TARDIS onto the rainy basics. You need to decide what you need your setting
streets of 1940s Chicago, the players might expect to do. Consider it in purely functional terms. The bad
an adventure of film noir-style gangsters, private guy might need a lair. The fanatical villagers will need
detectives and femme fatales. Every genre has its a temple of some kind for their dark god. Is there
tropes, and their own unique aspects that make room for the invading Cybership to dock or land?
them fun and cool to explore. Space settings have Here you need to consider the basic practicalities of
massive starships, sleek technology and vast scale, your adventure, simple things like how many rooms
where the fate of whole worlds can be in the balance. you need, and how isolated it might be. In most cases
Horror settings have mystery, and the lingering the adventure will demand its own setting, but not
dread of not quite knowing what might happen next. always. Setting is not always defined by place, but by
Historical settings let you delve into the past, with what you need that place to do.
elegant costumes and different manners that seem
both alien and familiar at the same time. Westerns Let’s take three examples from the Doctor’s
have gunslingers, saloon girls with a heart of gold, adventures, The Ark in Space (a space station),
and above all Stetsons, which in the absence of a Fez The Beast Below (a spacecraft) and The Rebel
are most defiantly cool. Flesh (a monastery). While each setting is
vividly detailed, to a certain extent they are all
Adventure can happen anywhere, and even an interchangeable. The Wirrn could have attacked
apparently mundane setting (such as a school or a monastery, the population of England might be
housing estate) can bring a sense of familiarity, made trapped on a space station and the Flesh might
strange by the knowledge that something is going become self aware on a spacecraft. However, in all
to happen soon. Such a setting makes the ordinary three cases the important thing about the setting is
extraordinary; because the players know something isolation. In each of these places there are a number
is there to be discovered. In fact, in some cases the of people unable to get help from anywhere else. So
more mundane a place is, the stranger and more it is important to consider your setting in terms of
frightening the alien elements can be. Cybermen on the adventure’s requirements.
a space station isn’t quite as frightening as thinking
of them walking the streets of London. Such settings Once you know your setting will function, you can
bring the horror closer to home, and make it a little start to get clever. You can add the details, big or
harder to dismiss as mere fantasy. small, that will make the setting interesting.
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These details will provide you with side plots as So you should first consider what might divide the
the players interact with or investigate the people occupants of your setting. Religion is the obvious
and things they come across that are incidental to example, and might be a single faith opposing
the adventure. Strange customs can trip up the the political leadership, or several different faiths
characters, such as it being considered rude to look competing for ascendancy. Religion might not
someone in the eye or a no-no to wear clothes to come into it at all, as politics can be just as divisive,
church. especially when one social class is having a better
time of it than another. Even in an equal society
You also need to consider how the setting functions devoid of religion there might be antipathy. Different
without the adventure. After all, before the good or technologies and philosophies can cause conflict.
bad guys show up the setting might be going about Scientists often argue about what is and isn’t ‘proper
its business. Think a little about how the appearance science’ and the ethics of what might be done with
of the characters might disturb the status quo, their creations is also fertile ground for conflict.
and how the inhabitants and the technology of the Many scientists might find their research turned into
place might react to the villain’s plan. What gives a weapon and do their best to destroy their own work
the characters the right to interfere anyway? What and stop their patrons from getting hold of it.
might they be able to do that the locals can’t? How
will the locals react to their involvement, even if they
know they are trying to help? If your setting works
and seems interesting, even without the villain and
monsters that might inhabit it, you have created
something believable as well as functional.
Settings
The other thing to remember with any factions you

create is to give them an agenda, rather than to
simply classify them as good guy or bad guy. Muddy
the waters when it comes to who is actually right.
Simply concern yourself with what they want and
what they are prepared to do to get it; this will define
their morality. It will also allow members of any
Factions, Conflicts faction to lose faith when the faction starts to take
As we’ve mentioned before, no setting should exist a direction they can’t agree with. The Doctor is often
in a vacuum. Most people and aliens have a tendency making friends with good people who have chosen to
towards tribal behaviour; just look at humanity. join the fight against the wayward leadership of their
It’s very easy to create alien worlds where all the faction. Such people still believe in the goals of their
aliens of the same species get along just fine. If your faction, just not the way things are being run. Finding
population is especially enlightened, or not very such people from both sides is one of the best ways
large, it may be possible they have all learned how to create the vital dialogue that will get things back
to get along. However, in most cases there will be on track.
factions and divisions in any society. In many cases
this might not be overtly oppositional. There is
usually a political and religious branch in any society, Technology
who might mostly get along, except for a few grey The level of technology available to the people in
areas in their respective jurisdiction. Often it is the your setting will have a huge impact on the setting
appearance of the players’ characters that is enough itself. Compare the world of the 1970s with today
to spark off open hostility between two or more and see the difference the mobile phone and the
factions who don’t get along as well as they should. Internet have made to society and how we relate
ED 66
and communicate with each other, and that’s just – or at least appearing to manipulate – the laws of
40 years ago. Consider not just how advanced the reality themselves. The Celestial Toymaker and the
technology is, but how available it is. Inventing the Mind Robber as well as the Dreamlord all created
mobile phone isn’t what changed anything; it was whole worlds to trap the Doctor and his companions.
making that technology available to everyone. Going on a journey through the rabbit hole can
be a lot of fun. The settings can be abstract and
Technology can also make a setting interesting. imaginative with not even the laws of physics holding
Maybe there is a miniature sun powering the place or sway. You can create upside down rooms, seemingly
ghosts are used to carry messages for people. Such magical technology and dreamlike mindscapes, then
odd constructions will bring new questions that will link them all with doors that never lead to the same
help expand your idea. Do these ghosts remember place twice.
who they were? How do people feel about using
Grandma as a phone? Are there people trying to track
down their relatives to either bring them back or give
them a final rest? What will happen if the ghost they
finally release is operating most of the government’s
communications, or that of the intelligence service?
How does this make people feel about death and
the possible afterlife? Does the church object to or
support this use of people’s souls?
You might also consider the form that technology

takes and how similar it is to what we know today.
Highly advanced cultures often look primitive as their
technology is so small they can hide it away, living a
pastoral existence. Alien technology might not follow
the same path as our own as well. It might be based
on organic forms, allowing it a degree of sentience. It You have to be careful though. Crazy is fun for a while,
could be an advanced version of something we see as but if the characters have no frame of reference they
primitive, such as Clockwork Robots. A lot of aspects are unlikely to figure out how to escape. You need
of technology come down to the power source they to give them a fighting chance and if you take away
use. The physics of electricity define our technology, the basic rules of the universe by using a godlike
but what if we used life energy, emotion or temporal villain you must give them decent clues about how to
energy? Some forms of energy, like the power of escape their predicament. You can’t assume they will
words, might be what we would consider magic. make the right assumptions!
However, a little surrealism and whimsy can go a

long way. Pulling things from the characters’ minds
and backgrounds and giving them form can prove
very effective. Such odd beings might still exist in
a normal world, even if they pull it out of shape a
little. After all, the Dreamlord was able to make even
peaceful Upper Leadworth and the TARDIS seem
strange and foreboding. In fact, it is the mundanity of
some places that makes strange things seem more
frightening. If beings are coming into your home, or
taking things from the deepest corner of your mind,
how can anywhere possibly be safe?
Future and Past Earth

Curiouser and Curiouser While bouncing around the universe is all well and
The universe is strange and wonderful, and there are good, don’t forget that time as well as space is your
places within it that make even haunted spacecraft playground. Settings in the past can be a little easier
and living planets look utterly mundane. The Doctor to develop as there is already a lot of material to
has faced several villains capable of manipulating draw from. There are copious books written about
DE 67
the Victorian era, Jane Austen’s England and living important to try and keep some grounding in what
in the American West. When planning a historical we understand today. Some things have survived
setting, bear in mind the level of knowledge among hundreds of years and it might appear odd if they
your player group. If you are the only one who has simply disappeared. So, a simple thing like being able
read a book on Victorian England then you won’t have to find a cup of tea on a new space station reminds
any arguments when you get it wrong. However, if the characters they are in humanity’s future, not
one of your group is a Victorian scholar, they may some alien world. It’s important to have some way to
assume your mistakes are part of the adventure, trace new technologies and cultural changes back to
a clue to meddling in history. They might also just something we know today.
choose to be pedantic about details when you get
something wrong too.
Different Cultures
So, with any historical setting, the key is research; It’s very easy to limit yourself to British or American
although don’t think this means hours of study time history and forget that Earth is home to a myriad
in the local library. You don’t need to understand of other cultures, each with their own history and
the difference between French and English artillery future. India, Japan and Egypt offer a wealth of
tactics in the Napoleonic era to use the battle of mythology and history, as does any country. As with
Waterloo as a setting. The only thing you really need history, research is vital. Japanese Samurai culture
is a sense of the style of the period, and you can is famous for its focus on etiquette and propriety,
often pick that up from watching the right movie. and any game set there will have to take this into
You may find the more you learn about an era the account. You have plenty of choice. The cultural
more interesting it becomes. By all means do details you discover, like any other details about your
more research if you want to, as that can only help setting, can powerfully evoke the atmosphere of the
your game; just don’t sweat it too much if you feel place. In some case the players might have to delve
you have a convincing grip on the age. You’ll also into the world to find out the best way to interact with
find history is awash with stories that will inspire the locals, even with no language barrier. A TARDIS
adventure. Unsolved mysteries like Jack the Ripper will ensure you can speak to each other, but it can’t
or the disappearance of Agatha Christie have proved tell you how to understand someone.
Settings
fertile ground for even the Doctor’s adventures.
The future, unsurprisingly, is just as packed with The Doctor’s Previous Adventures
possible settings. You have more of a free reign to The Doctor’s adventures offer you a wealth of
imagine the future than you do with the past, and only settings to choose from, all ready prepared. You
a time traveller is going to correct you. However, it is might visit Skaro to take on the Daleks, seek out the
ED 68
wreck of the Byzantium and face the Weeping Angels they are trying to fit in with other alien species and
or challenge an invading Sontaran fleet. There are trying to get away from their swampy home, looking
many, many settings you can pluck straight out of down on those still like living there. Now we have two
your favourite adventures. Such settings are already factions: the swamp dwellers and the ‘urbane’ city
full of detail ripe for a Doctor Who adventure and dwellers. Maybe the city folk are trying to destroy the
you can probably find a few pictures of its various swamps to build more cities, which provides us with
elements to show your players. a definite conflict as well. Our setting is now offering
the possibility of an adventure, all from the question
Using such settings lets you follow in the Doctor’s “where might frog people live?”
footsteps, which may be very cool, but avoid recycling
the Doctor’s adventures. Instead, look to build on
them. It can bring a certain excitement to the game C Setting Toolkit
when the players know a little more than their and Checklist
characters. If the TARDIS lands on Skaro, the players Each setting should be unique, its details tailored to
are going to assume Daleks are close by. A voyage to the adventure you want to run and the characters
the centre of the Earth usually means a date with the who will be experiencing it. Here is a series of
Silurians. setting suggestions and a list of questions you
might want to ask yourself when creating it.
This sort of a hint is fine, and can draw your players
into the adventure looking for the cool things they
know are on the way. However, try to go somewhere Military Base
the Doctor hasn’t been. What might be on Skaro This might be a UNIT base, the headquarters
outside the Dalek’s city? Who used to live at Wester of the Shadow Proclamation or an asteroid
Drumlins, before it was abandoned? What other fortress like Demon’s Run. Such a base
events has Platform One hosted? What will Starship will have several military aspects:
UK encounter as it continues its search for a home?
• How big is it?
For an exhaustive source of information about the • How many soldiers are stationed
Doctor’s many adventures, and ideas for how to there?
use them in your own games, check out The Doctor • What level of technology do they have?
Sourcebooks – each one is dedicated to a different • Is it designed to protect something or
incarnation of the Doctor and contains information to launch attacks? What?
about all of their adventures. • How are the soldiers trained? Are they
disciplined or a bunch of thugs?
• Will they shoot first or ask questions?
Not Following the Doctor
On the other hand, with the whole universe to
consider, why limit yourself to the travels of one It will also have several non-military aspects:
particular Time Lord? The Doctor hasn’t quite
been everywhere, or everywhen, yet. There are • Are there any administrative staff?
plenty of parts of Earth’s history yet to be explored, • If so, how much control do they have of
and countless planets teeming with alien life. You military staff?
might choose to use something from the Doctor’s • Are visitors allowed on the base? If so,
adventures as a springboard. Who is the Moxx of who grants permission?
Balhoon anyway? What planet does he come from? • How tight is security?
What are his people like? Is he typical of them? • Does the base run any scientific
projects? If so, how many and how
If it seems a little daunting to create from scratch, important are they?
you can reverse engineer your setting by considering • Do most people on the base know
your adventure and possibly any creatures you are about them or is their existence secret?
using. Life reflects the place it comes from, and you
can go a long way with a setting simply by considering
what a monster you are using might need. A race of Housing Estate
frog people might live on flies, and so will want to live People have to live somewhere, whatever
somewhere teeming with flies. They will also want species they might be. Housing estates are some
somewhere warm and damp to live. However, maybe of the most mundane places in the universe, the
DE 69
last place you might find aliens. Unless it’s an alien • How big is it?
housing estate… • How old is it?
• How many crew are required to operate it, and
• How wealthy are the residents? are there enough of them?
• Is there a sense of community there? • How does it work? Is there a big nuclear reactor,
• Do neighbours get on with each other? or something more exotic? Does it go faster than
• Are they welcoming to strangers? light? Through hyperspace? Through time?
• Do they share any secrets? • What else is on board? Escape pods? Cryogenic
sleep chambers? Cybernetic forests? Doomsday
devices?
• What’s in the cargo hold?
Space Station
Most space-faring species create habitats
and research stations to explore and maintain
communications networks.
• What is the station built for: research,

communications relay, prison, sentry post or
habitation?
• How large is it?
• How advanced and recent is its technology?
• How many people/aliens live there?
• How many of them work there, how many are
Country Home family or clients?
Old estates come with more than just a few acres of • Can the station defend itself?
land. History is often a heavy burden, one that rests • What are conditions like? Home from home or
Settings
on the shoulders of those who hold its secrets like cramped and claustrophobic?
family heirlooms.
• How large is the estate?

• Is it wealthy or a shade of its former glory?
• How many people live here?
• Is the place empty with many rooms covered in
dust sheets, or full of life and people?
• Are the people here all related?
• Is it the seat of an old family or now a home for a
growing community such as a commune?
• Who used to own the house?
• Do they still own it now or did something happen
to make them lose it?
• What secrets are left in the house’s history?
Does the place have any secret rooms or bricked
up passages?
Marketplace
Spacecraft Trade is the lifeblood of plenty of cultures. There are
The future is full of spacecraft, some sleek warships several crossroads between culture and peoples that
that can cloak themselves, some vast habitats resting offer a myriad of strange and bizarre items for the
on the back of huge star whales. right coins.
• What is the spaceship designed for: war, • How big is the place?
transport, pleasure? • Does the market sell a mixture of goods or a
• How advanced is it, in terms of weapons, defences particular speciality (such as food, weapons,
and the comfort of the passengers/crew? pottery)?
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• What’s the currency here? Electronic credits? Religious Building

Printed notes and coins? Precious metals or Most cultures, primitive and advanced, find a place
gemstones? Memories? Body parts? Bits of your for religion. Most religions need gathering places, be
future? they temples, cathedrals or stone circles.
• How varied are the traders here? Are they all
from the same place or a variety of different • How popular is the religion – is it local, worldwide
cultures/worlds? or has it spread even further?
• How cramped is the place, open and spacious or • Is the building only open to the faithful or can
cramped and packed with sellers? anyone come in? If it is only for members, are
• How do sellers display their goods? Do they there punishments for unbelievers entering?
have stalls, small shops, carry them or use • What sort of icons might be in the building?
holographic catalogues? • How are worship rites carried out and how does
• What is crime like, are there small spaces that the building cater to that?
make it a haven for pickpockets? • Does the building have accommodation for
• Who runs the market and are they fair when priests or lay members?
dealing with disputes?
Other Places
Apply the same line of questioning to any other
location. Don’t just say “this adventure takes place in
a haunted amusement park”; think about the history
of the park, the sort of people who visited it in the
past, the sort of entertainments you’d find there.
All Museums Have

a Little Shop
Even when the characters are on an alien world,
put them in places that have an underlying
familiarity. It makes it easier for everyone. This
may be the Great Starport of Zarblo IX, but it’s
basically an airport. There are departure gates
and waiting areas and security checkpoints and
gift shops and overpriced cafeterias and tired,
sweaty cranky people. Yes, the tired sweaty
Prison cranky people are nine-foot-tall and orange
If they don’t execute them, civilisations need a place and sweat sulphuric acid, but it’s basically the
to put their criminals. Prisons come in all shapes same thing.
and sizes, depending on the criminals they house.
• How secure is the prison?

• How is the security maintained: technology,
thick walls, big guards?
• How isolated is the place? Is it in the middle of
a town, in a desert, on an island, underground,
in space?
• What sort of criminals are kept there: hardened
offenders, first timers, fraudsters, murderers,
political prisoners?
• What is it like to live there, as a guard or a If you get too alien with your descriptions,
prisoner? you’ll have to describe absolutely everything
• Is it clean and sparse or dank and filthy? to the players. By basing locations on familiar
• Do the prisoners know they are prisoners? sorts of places, the players can assume much
• Are they kept drugged or do they think they are more about what’s there.
living in a special village for their protection?
DE 71
Who is about?
C Introducing the Setting Are there any people, anyone the players can possibly
We end with the most important part of the setting: interact with? Are they going to be friendly? Might
how are you going to introduce it to the players? All they run from strangers or attack them? Will they
that work is a waste of time if they just decide to think the players’ characters are strangers, or do
step back into the TARDIS and go somewhere else. they look like they’ll fit right in?
So when you have created your masterpiece in all
its glory, put yourself in the players’ position and
consider how their characters will be introduced to What looks interesting enough to
it by asking the questions below. make them leave the TARDIS?
This question is vital. If the characters don’t leave the
TARDIS you have no adventure (unless the TARDIS
Where are we? itself is your setting…). So you must introduce a
What is this place? What is the one or two word mystery to them. If they are inside a room or building,
description they will get by turning on the scanner in what can they see or hear on the outside that might
the TARDIS, such as “It’s a junkyard”, “it’s a Roman be worth a look? Is there a monster growling or
village” or “it’s a space station”. However, you should shouting in the street? Is there something odd about
also add some sort of adjective if you can. “It’s a what they can see to pique their interest, such as
cluttered junkyard”, “it’s a busy Roman village” some of the Romans having blue skin? Is there some
or “it’s a deserted space station”. The adjective is injustice being carried out, such as a woman being
the word that tells the players there is something beaten by a soldier? Is there an interesting mystery
interesting here, that the stage is being set for them. there, like a young girl sitting alone crying but being
ignored? Perhaps there is something they are looking
for outside, such as a piece of technology or even just
a really nice pair of shoes.
Try turning this question around – ask the players

“why do you leave the TARDIS?” or “why did you
Settings
come here?”
What is going to prevent them going

back into the TARDIS?
Once they have sated their curiosity about the place,
it is quite possible the characters might simply nip
back in the TARDIS for tea and another adventure.
Usually as soon as they leave, the adventure will
hook them, but that is not always the case. You
might choose to restrict their access to the TARDIS
to prevent their ‘escape’. It might have been sold by
a market trader, fallen into a chasm caused by an
earthquake, moved by authorities as it’s parked in
the wrong place or teleported away by aliens.
What do you see upon opening the
TARDIS door? However, the best way to keep them investigating
What part of the setting have they landed in? In a the setting is to continue the mystery, make them
Roman village they might have landed in a market, wonder what is around the next corner. In short, if
outside a house, just outside the village, in the you have built your setting well, you won’t need an
barracks, in someone’s shop or even in someone’s adventure to keep them interested, just wandering
house. What is the light like? Can they see the whole about in this fascinating, living new world will keep
place? Will they be able to tell where they are? After them occupied for a long, long time.
all, one cave looks very much like any other. Sight
shouldn’t be the only sense you appeal to though. If you’re stuck, ask the players. Say “you can’t leave in
Telling the players what they hear or smell can be the TARDIS – why not?” Their answers may surprise
far more evocative and mysterious than what they you!
can see; especially if they can see little or nothing.
ED 72
,
es an d e
Gam ootag
kF
paigns
Running
Cam Stoc

Running Games
‘I’m following breadcrumbs laid out for me. This is

somebody’s game, and I can’t stop playing.’ C Framing Scenes
Running Games
If you look at a pre-written adventure (flip to pg. 107

A roleplaying game is a conversation about an for an example), you’ll see that it’s broken down into
imaginary situation. The Gamemaster says “hey, scenes. Scenes are like chapters in a book or, well,
what do you think would happen if…” and the players scenes in a play or TV show; they’re a familiar way of
respond. It’s up to you as the Gamemaster to keep structuring a story, which is why we use them when
that conversation going. If things get too quiet and designing an adventure. However, in actual play,
everyone’s fiddling with their dice or doodling on roleplaying games don’t fall neatly into scenes. Some
their character sheets, then the Gamemaster should of the game takes place outside the scene structure.
say something to spark action (“suddenly, a Dalek For example, when players discuss their next move
invasion fleet arrives!”). that’s not part of any particular scene. (“I think we
should try to sneak into the robot factory!” “No, my
Similarly, if things are getting too confused or crazy, character’s more interested in the swamps”.) Don’t be
the Gamemaster should step in to keep things on tempted to interfere too much in these conversations
track (“OK, the Doctor’s trying to fly the TARDIS between players – let them make their own decisions.
backwards through the black hole, Amy’s flirting with Your job here is to move the game along by framing a
Churchill… and what’s Rory doing during all this? scene. To frame a scene, you say:
And is Hitler still in the closet?”). Think of your job
as Gamemaster as the conductor in the orchestra – • Which characters are present.
sometimes you speed things up, sometimes you slow • Where they are.
things down, and all the while you keep everyone and
together. • What’s going on.
This chapter is packed with tips and tricks on how to You should also have some idea of what’s going
do all that. The Doctor Who Roleplaying Game has to happen in the scene. Obviously, you can’t (and
pretty simple rules, but players can – and will – get shouldn’t!) dictate the actions of the players, but it’s
into all sorts of crazy situations, making it a fun but up to you to throw problems, interesting dilemmas,
very strange game to run. Anything can happen when fascinating non-player characters and bug-eyed
the dice hit the table! monsters at them.
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Sometimes, it’s best to frame a scene gently – you Too much aggressive scene framing takes control
provide a general description, let the players decide away from the players, and too little makes the game
where their characters are, and build on those details. seem saggy and unchallenging. Find the right balance
for your group.
Gamemaster: OK, Amy and River are sneaking
into the robot factory. The factory’s a huge concrete
monstrosity down by the river. What’s the plan – try to
bluff past the guards at the gates, or…
Top Tip: Giving Story Points
Player 1: Is there a waste pipe or something? Players love bribes. If you give players Story
Something we could climb up? Points in exchange for putting their characters
Gamemaster: Sure. It’ll be messy. Is that where you’re into absolutely horrible situations, they’ll
going? happily scoop up those points like candy and
Player 1: Yes. We’ll try to get into the building from ask for more. “I’ll give you 2 Story Points if your
there, maybe a ventilation duct or something. character wanders off from the TARDIS and
Player 2 (as River): “There are Ponds in the ducts but gets into trouble” works every time.
no ducks in the pond…”
Gamemaster: You wade through the reddish, metallic-
smelling slime, and cut your way into the air ducts
using River’s Squareness Gun. Suddenly, you hear
something clanking through the ducts towards you…
Here, the group has moved from planning-and-

chatting to the start of an action scene. At each stage,
both the players and Gamemaster agree on different
parameters – where they are, who’s present, what’s
going on – and build up a picture of the scene. This is
the approach you’ll use most of the time.
There are other ways to frame scenes, though. Here’s

a more forthright example.
On the flip side, you should freely penalise
Gamemaster: You’ve been busy since the TARDIS them for ignoring hooks directly related to
materialised on Galatea Station an hour ago. It’s their traits. Does the strapping hero with a
a lovely, quiet space station, the sort of place you Code of Conduct to protect women and children
transmat to for a nice Sunday stroll with the family. run away from a school bus being attacked by
The Doctor went off to talk to an old friend of his who Daleks? Unless he’s also Cowardly, he is acting
lives in the arboretum; River, you went to the tech way out of character and should lose 1 or more
sector to find a new power pack for your gun. So, Rory Story Points (3 or more for abandoning a bus
and Amy, you’re strolling down the station’s main full of school children). Bad Traits are not mere
corridor when a young boy of about six runs up out of window dressing to gain a character a few extra
the crowd and clings to Rory’s leg. “Don’t let them eat Character Points; they are deep motivations
me!” he whispers with terror in his eyes. and a Story Point penalty will remind the player
of that.
And everyone in the crowd turns to face you, and
they’re hungry!
Finally, you can also let the players do some or all of
Here, the Gamemaster has cut right to the action. the scene framing. Let them answer the questions,
They’ve dictated which characters are present (River and then you react to their answers, like so:
and the Doctor aren’t in this scene), where Rory and
Amy are (in the middle of a crowd of cannibals). It’s Gamemaster: So, where are you?
a jump straight to scary monster time. You can also Player 1 (as the Doctor): We’ve just landed on the
use this sort of aggressive scene framing to create exotic planet of, er, um, Toasted Sandwich Four.
dramatic arguments or tension (“Rory, you manage Player 2: Toasted Sandwich Four? Seriously?
to stay ahead of the cannibal horde, but you arrive Player 1: It loses something in the translation. Make
back in the landing bay just in time to see the TARDIS sure you don’t mention it, though, they’re very touchy
dematerialise. The Doctor’s abandoned you!”) about it.
DE 75
Gamemaster: OK, what’s Toasted Sandwich like?

Player 2: Hot. C Describing Things
Player 1: Yes, it’s a desert planet. Keep descriptions short. A few punchy lines that paint
Player 2: Toasted Sandwich is a dessert? a picture for the players work much better than a long,
Player 1: I feel you’re not taking the noble planet of wordy description. Roleplaying games aren’t books.
Toasted Sandwich Four seriously. Compare these two descriptions:
Gamemaster: What are you doing on this desert
world? “An elegant white-hulled ship flies through
Player 1: Well, the Doctor’s an honoured guest here. hyperspace. From the outside, the ship resembles a
(slides a Story Point token to the Gamemaster). bird of prey adapted to this airless realm. Glittering
Gamemaster: Of course. He Who Named The Planet weapon-projectors and shield arrays sweep like
is always welcome here. steely wings out in a great arc, and the ship’s sharp
Player 1: So I’m going to have mint tea with the prow bears a disturbing similarity to the beak of a
governor. savage hawk. Inside, past the racks of planet-cracker
Player 2: Rory and I are in the nearby market. We’re bombs slumbering in their bays, and the barracks
trying to convince one of the aliens to serve us a slice where equally lethal gene-engineered soldiers wait
of bread, covered in cheese and put under a grill, only in stasis pods, there is a corridor that leads between
we can’t stop laughing. two storerooms. There, the lights flicker in time with
Player 1: This is just the sort of cultural insensitivity a sound that seems to come from nowhere: VWORP
that led to the War of Take Our Planet Seriously Or VWORP VWORP.
We’ll Kill You All.
Gamemaster: What’s the planetary governor like? The TARDIS materialises in a dark corner. On the
Player 3: Really stuffy and formal. scanner, you see that the corridor stretches for
Gamemaster: Right. (As the planetary governor) “Ahh, 20 metres in either direction. There’s an airlock at
Honoured Namer, you have returned wearing a new either end. Standing in front of one airlock is a tall
face. On behalf of the people of Toa’Stedsa Ndwich figure wearing an armoured spacesuit with a plumed
Four, I greet you. You have come in our hour of need!” helmet. She’s positioned as if guarding the airlock, but
Player 1: I usually do… hasn’t reacted to your arrival. She’s armed with a two-
Running Games
metre-long silver staff that crackles with energy.”

In this case, the Gamemaster has an idea for a plot
twist that can be adapted to fit any situation (in this Or:
case, it’s a Cyberman invasion). He lets the players
build up the scene, then intercedes. “The TARDIS materialises in a dark corridor. You guess
from the cramped conditions and the vibration of the
deck underfoot that you’re on a spaceship. Maybe a
warship – it smells like gym socks and violence. On
the scanner, you can see an airlock at either end of
the corridor, and there’s an armoured guard in front of
one airlock. She hasn’t reacted to your arrival.”
The first description gives more details, but it’s much

too long. Get the scene started as quickly as you can,
and let the players ask questions to flesh their mental
pictures of the scene out. Instead of mentioning
all the weird weapons on the ship in the opening
description, the players should discover them in play.
Let the players ask how long the corridor is, or where
the light is coming from instead of trying to tell them
everything from the start. Short descriptions followed
by clarification are better than confusing long ones.
Make sure, though, that the players understand what’s

going on. Misunderstandings and confusion always
happen. In the above examples, the Gamemaster
means that the guard at the airlock stands there like
a statue, clearly ignoring the obvious TARDIS (in fact,
ED 76
the guard was paralysed by the alien hijackers who describing the actions and voices of your NPCs works
are the villains of the scenario). However, the players almost as well.
might assume that the guard didn’t see the TARDIS,
and try sneaking past instead of examining her.
Always highlight the most important things in a Top Tip: List of Names
description. Let’s say the Doctor and his companions Prepare a list of a dozen or so names that
are in the library of a grand country house in 1911. fit with your adventure’s setting. That way,
There’s an incriminating letter in the writing desk. if you unexpectedly need to bring in a new
Therefore, you should mention the writing desk NPC, or if the players talk to the third guard
prominently in your description. Give the players a from the left, you’ve got a name ready. It’s
clear path to the interesting stuff. surprisingly helpful.
When the players ask questions, give answers based

on their characters. Someone with a high Ingenuity and For each NPC, think of:
Science would notice more about technology or alien
gadgets; someone with lots of Awareness or Convince • A memorable feature.
might be more aware of social connections. For • An accent or a verbal tic.
example, if Leela (a barbarian warrior-woman), Zoe (a • A stance or other physical gesture.
genius mathematician from the late 21st century) and • An emotional cue or drive.
Sarah Jane Smith (a reporter from the present day)
all investigate a mystery, the Gamemaster should Memorable features can be anything
take their characters’ knowledge and background into from physical traits (he’s bald, fat
account when answering. and blue!) to a role (she’s a priestess
of the Blood Moon) to clothing (bow
ties are cool). Even if you don’t have
a picture of the NPC, mentioning a
Top Tip: Stock Footage physical feature gives the players
When describing a location (or a person, for that something to remember.
matter), it helps to have a place in mind. Let’s say
the characters end up visiting an old farmhouse How your characters speak is very
– just use your memories of your grandparent’s important, especially if there are
farm out in the country. If they land on an alien several NPCs in the same scene.
world, then maybe draw details from that sci- Everyone should have a distinct style
fi movie you saw late at night last year, mixed of speech. A grizzled captain might say
with bits of a holiday visit to Australia. Build up “aaar” and salt their speech with nautical
a library of ‘stock footage’ – interesting places terms. A polished politician might use warm,
and faces that you can stick into your games. oiled, slick words to convince the players
There’s more emergency inspiration on pg. 95. to agree with her, while a veteran military
commander speaks in a clipped, efficient way.
A ferocious alien growls and snarls, a robot (or

Playing Non-Player Characters a Cyberman) speaks in monotone. A paranoid
Non-player characters are the guest stars and villains alien hunter might nervously end every
of your adventure. With a good NPC, you can grab the sentence in a question, and his indecisive pal
emotions of the players and bring them into the action. might just trail off mid…
Playing an NPC is like being an actor. Specifically, it’s
like being a bad actor. You’re the supporting cast, not Voice is only half of how you present your NPC
the lead. You’re there to make the player characters – your stance and body language are just as
look good, or to chew the scenery as a monstrous bad important. I like to stand and walk around when
guy. Don’t worry about subtlety: most NPCs aren’t playing some characters, but even if you’re just
around for very long, so make an impression while sitting at the table, you can do a lot to make
you can. the NPC more real. That sea captain? Maybe
he smokes a pipe, or scratches his beard
If you’re good at acting, improvising and putting on when he talks (you don’t need a pipe, or
accents, that’s wonderful. If not, don’t worry; just a beard – just mime the action). That
DE77
politician might lean forward and make lots of eye on a shuttle bus with half-a-dozen other characters.
contact, that military officer sits up ramrod-straight, If you run Midnight as an adventure, you might have
and that alien bares its fangs and drools. one NPC in the front of the bus, one at the back, one
sitting near the external monitor, another feeling ill
Finally, for your own benefit, think about what the and sitting near the bathroom. That means that the
NPC wants in each scene. What do they need – not Doctor (a player’s character) can talk to each NPC
just their immediate needs, but what drives them? individually, avoiding a troublesome ‘committee’
Daleks are driven by hatred, Sontarans by their sense scene.
of military honour, Cybermen by their programming.
That politician might be driven by her desire to make
the world a better place, or maybe she just needs to
be loved by everyone she meets. A thief might think
the world owes them; a scientist might be obsessed
by finding out how the universe works. Even if these
inner drives are never directly mentioned in play, keep
them in mind and they’ll add depth and flavour to your
roleplaying.
Top Tips: Names and Titles

Many people are terrible at remembering
names, and alien names can be even worse.
If you can’t remember if it’s Robert or Roger, Obviously, if you split the players up, you can divide
you’re not going to remember K’zhor and your NPCs between them. Donna can talk to the
Kh’azar (Sontarans are the worst: Strax, Styre, ambassador from Venice while Martha gives Pope
Stor, Stall?). Clement advice on dealing with his bad knee.
Running Games
Join the Audio-Visual Club

The Internet (as well as magazines like
National Geographic) provides a host of images
to illustrate your game. Instead of saying
“you arrive on a desert planet”, hand them a
photograph of a desert. If they arrive in 19th
century New York, dig up a few period photos
of New York.Similarly, you can use music to
evoke moods. If the characters are at a ball
in 17th century Paris, then try to find some
Titles and roles are much easier to remember. suitable classical music. If they’re on a haunted
Give each NPC a ‘hat’ to wear – this guy’s the spaceship, then get the soundtrack for a sci-
scientist, that girl’s the security officer, she’s fi horror movie. Use all the senses – if the
the rebel, he’s the nurse. You can also use characters get invited to dinner, then you could
meaningful, evocative archetypal names; if you even try serving the players suitable food.
call someone Dr Dark or Captain Steele, it says
a lot about their character.
Running Action Scenes

Try to avoid situations where you’re playing more than Ready… set… action! When the lasers start zapping
one NPC in a scene. There’s only one of you, after and things start exploding, your players’ characters
all, so if there are multiple NPCs present, you’ll end should be in the thick of it. Keep the pace fast; go
up talking to yourself. If you absolutely have to have around the table quickly, encourage the players
several NPCs in the same place, then try separating to make quick decisions, don’t get bogged down
them so the players can talk to them individually. Take in the rules. For example, if it’s a chase, then don’t
Midnight, for example – there, the Doctor travelled worry about the exact number of Areas between the
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characters and their pursuers if checking would Doing stuff can be a part of a lot of action scenes.
slow the game down. Just roll the dice and keep the Again, present opportunities for the players to do
adrenaline flowing. stuff. For inspiration, look at the Doctor and his Sonic
Screwdriver – he’s always Doing Stuff, like sealing
The Doctor Who Roleplaying Game rules use a very doors (just before the monsters charge through),
distinctive initiative system. Talkers go first, then blowing up lights, rewiring circuits or pressing just the
movers, then doers, then finally fighters. That means right buttons to save the day.
that an action scene isn’t just a fight scene; it’s also
potentially a talking scene, or a chase scene, or a techy Finally, there’s fighting. Don’t let a fight turn into
scene. When running an action scene, try to include a series of bland dice rolls. Even if a character just
opportunities for all the characters to get involved, not stands there shooting his gun and rolling Coordination
just the guys with the guns. + Marksman for six Action Rounds in a row, ask the
player to describe how he’s attacking. Throw added
Talking is used the least in action scenes. Normally, problems at him; get him to adapt to new threats, new
the only action scene where talking plays a bit role conditions.
is the climatic final battle at the end of an adventure,
when the players can shout “No! You don’t have to
destroy them!” or something similar and leap in to Running Investigation Scenes
solve the day with Science! Talking’s not much use if Talking to people, running away, shooting things…
the characters get attacked by wild dogs or Weevils or what left? Oh yes – poking your nose in where it
dinosaurs or savage space hamsters. doesn’t belong! Every adventure is going to have a lot
of investigating and poking at things. The important
Moving, though, plays a part in every action scene. thing to remember is that clues that seem clear
Action scenes don’t take place on featureless flat grids to you may be totally opaque to the players. Try to
– throw in some interesting things for the characters have two or three different ways for them to get vital
to jump on/hide behind/run around/clamber over/ information, and make key clues obvious. The players
crawl through/fall into. Let the players add their own should always have options and avenues to investigate
details to a scene, too, by spending Story Points. If (and remind the players that they can spend a Story
you’re fighting in a ballroom, then a Story Point might Point for a hint if they’re stuck). Investigations work
add heavy velvet drapes to the walls (to be pulled down best if you leave a little gap for the players to fill in.
over the bad guy’s heads) or a crystal chandelier (to be Let them make that final deductive leap. For example,
shot and dropped from above). say the adventure takes place on a space station that
DE 79
orbits close to a dying star. A magnetic shield protects refuges who try to escape via a secret underground
the station, and when the shield goes on the blink, railroad. The fascist government is just a background
it causes huge solar flares. Over the course of the detail, there solely to provide context for this human
adventure, the characters learn that the fluctuations smuggling operation.
in the shield happen when Slitheen spies sneak onto
the station. A Slitheen ship is on its way to conquer However, as soon as the players arrive, the Doctor
the station. declares “I don’t like bullies and tyrants. I’m going to
overthrow the government.” Your planned adventure
Now, if a clever player were to adjust the shield so it just got thrown out the window. And you know what?
provokes a really huge flare right beneath that Slitheen That’s fantastic.
cruiser, they could save the day just in the nick of
time. Ideally, the players work this out on their own
(actually, the really ideal situation is that the players
come up with a clever plan that the Gamemaster
never expected at all…)
Top Tip: Open-Ended Mysteries

You know, you don’t have to know the solution
to a mystery before dropping it on your players.
You can just listen to their speculation about a
solution, and then decide retroactively that one
of their conclusions is correct. Let the players
work out the connections between a genetically Respond by asking the player how they intend to
engineered flock of sheep, an ancient cult overthrow the government. Let the players drive the
of demon worshippers and a crashed alien adventure. Throw obstacles in their path to make
spaceship on the moon. things more interesting. If the players decide their
Running Games
first step is to seize control of the television station

and broadcast their own inspiring message of
freedom, you’ve got to come up with some challenges
and problems related to that. Maybe to override the
government’s powerful transmitters, one of the
characters has to climb up onto a broadcast tower and
fly a kite into a lightning storm to attract a thunderbolt
that’ll fry the signal dish. Maybe there’s a frustrated
young journalist they can recruit as an ally, but he’s
under observation by the secret police. Maybe they’ve
got to sneak into the TV station to steal transmission
codes.
When trying to think of obstacles for the players’

C Responding to the Players actions, keep the following list in mind:
It’s time to let you in on a dirty little secret:
‘Gamemaster’ really isn’t an accurate term for what • How are they doing it?
we do. ‘Game Wrangler’ or ‘Game Facilitator’ might • What do they need?
work better. As we said earlier, a roleplaying game is a • Who wants to stop them?
conversation. Listening to the players and responding • Where would be an exciting location for this to
to what they decide to do is more important than happen?
anything else in the game.
If you want, you can turn your plot about the
Never say “no” to any idea. Well, any sane idea, anyway. underground railroad and the Plasmavore into a sub-
For example, the players’ characters have landed on a plot. Maybe the Plasmavore realises that its food
far-future colony ruled by a fascist regime. According supply will be cut off if the government falls, and starts
to your notes, the plan is for the players to get involved hunting these troublesome new rebels. Run with the
in the mystery of a Plasmavore that’s eating political players’ ideas. Embrace the unexpected!
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Trying to fit a roleplaying session into that structure

is tricky. Keep one eye on the clock, and try to adjust
Top Tip: Be Tough the pacing to fit the remaining time. Early in the
Running with an idea doesn’t mean letting the game session, let the players explore this week’s
players dictate everything about the game. setting without too much pressure. As time ticks on,
Make them work for their victories. If Amy make sure things get worse and put the characters
decides she’s going to save Vincent van Gogh, into more and more danger. Finally, try to bring it all
then let her try, but don’t make it easy. Players together for a big final scene, but leave enough time
have more fun when they think they’re winning afterwards for things to wind down.
against impossible odds.
You can, of course, split an adventure over several
That said, not everything has to be a challenge. game sessions (this really makes the game feel like
Sometimes, the Doctor just wins because he’s the Classic Doctor Who series, where four or six-part
awesome. Players also have lots of fun when stories were the norm). That means you should try
they get to be powerful and cool. to end each game session on a dramatic cliffhanger.
There are really two cliffhangers – the one where the
Running a game is like cooking. Sometimes, characters are threatened by unexpected danger, and
a pinch of nastiness, sometimes a teaspoon the one where something is dramatically revealed.
of weirdness, sometimes a shake of wild
endeavour. If you do use an unexpected danger cliffhanger, then
it’s best to focus it on a single character. Instead of
saying “suddenly, Daleks emerge from the shadows
and level their lasers at all of you”, go for “Rory turns
C pacing a corner in the corridor and runs into a Dalek.” Why?
We all know, instinctively, how stories are supposed to Because there’s a week’s gap between game sessions,
work (and you can read much more about the theories and in that time, everyone always forgets the fiddly
on pg. 22). The first few scenes introduce the major little details that can make the difference in a fight.
characters and set up the situation, then you’ve got a
period of rising action. They learn more about what’s One player can’t remember if they were in the TARDIS
going on, secrets are revealed, things get worse for or just outside, someone else claims that the Daleks
our heroes, then much worse… and then there’s a couldn’t have captured their character because they
big climactic confrontation, and finally things get were invisible, and so on. (For the same reason, never
wrapped up, questions get answered, and sub-plots finish a game in the middle of a fight!) You spend the
get resolved. first half-hour of the game session untangling all the
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threads and sorting out arguments, totally ruining any but that won’t stop the players from trying. In fact, a
dramatic tension. Therefore, keep cliffhangers simple. lot of uses of time travel are perfectly fine (reforming
Dramatic revelation cliffhangers are easier, and work Vl’zor sounds like a fun adventure), and meddling in
really well in roleplaying games. A good cliffhanger history is part of the fun.
keeps the players guessing and speculating all week
long. Here are a few ways to keep troublesome time
travel to a minimum. (For plenty more, see the
Time Traveller’s Companion supplement.)
C Dealing with time travel
Time travel is complicated. Very complicated. Time
travel + players is very, very complicated. Players are Locked into Events
tricky, malicious creatures, and they try to do things to As soon as the travellers arrived, they became part of
time that the Doctor would never dream of attempting. the chain of events. They can’t change the past without
If your players have unfettered access to a TARDIS, causing a nasty, Reaper-spewing paradox.
they’ll try to solve every problem they encounter with
time travel.
Inaccurate Landing
Alien invasion? No problem: a quick time jaunt back For most of those 2000ish years of phone-box travel,
a few hundred years to the alien homeworld followed the Doctor couldn’t fly the TARDIS accurately (he still
by a word in the right ear, and suddenly historical leaves the parking brake on!). If the characters can’t
records show that Vl’zor the Conqueror (All-father control where and when they end up, they can’t abuse
of the Ravening Invading Horde of Zor) was actually time travel. Even if they’ve got perfect control over
Vl’zor the Reformed (All-father of the Terribly Nice their vehicle, then local conditions like eddies in the
Tourist Company of Zor). Incoming asteroid? Easy! fabric of space-time or a weird kink in the Time Vortex
Just travel back in time and drop a jammy dodger in might stop them landing accurately.
the right place. The microscopic gravitational field of
the jammy dodger over the course of a few million
years pulls the asteroid off course. Lost your keys? Fixed Point
Running Games
Travel forward in time to a point when you’ve found This is a fixed point in time: time machines just don’t
them and ask your future self where she found them. work here. The safety systems automatically cut out
OK, so some of those tactics might cause paradoxes the time engines if anyone is stupid enough to try
and others might wipe out three-fifths of the universe, altering a fixed point.
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Inaccessible TARDIS You’re not Sure how

Alternatively, time travel works fine, but the characters to Handle a Plot Twist
can’t get back into the TARDIS because it’s fallen into The players just did something utterly
a pit/under a pile of rocks/captured by the bad guys/ brilliant, but also utterly unexpected. Maybe
clamped. You can adapt this solution to other time they remembered they captured a broken
machines: a Time Agent’s Vortex Manipulator isn’t Cyberman shell nine games ago, and dress up
going to get lost, but it might run out of power at an as a Cyberman to escape Cyber
unfortunate moment. Milton Keynes.
Maybe someone hands over a

C Getting things back on track double handful of Story Points
So, what do you do when the game’s no fun, the and declares “my future self
players are lost or confused or bored, and you’ve got teleports in, hands me exactly
no idea what to do next? the gadget we need, and vanishes
again”, or a player spots the
First thing: don’t panic! It’s just a game. It’s supposed disguised villain five minutes after
to be fun. If you need to, take a break and have a cup meeting them. You’ve no idea how
of tea. A cup of tea solves everything. Next, identify to run with this twist.
the problem.
• Take a two-minute break to
think. Maybe make a cup of tea, or
One Player is Bored run to the bathroom.
Sometimes, one player just doesn’t connect with the • If you’ve nearly finished the game
story. Maybe they’re not interested in whatever style of session, try finishing a little early.
adventure you’re running (it’s a murder mystery, and That’ll give you a few days to think
they’re more interested in action-filled excitement), or about how to deal with whatever
their character is marginalised for some reason, or madness the players came up with.
they’re just a bit quiet and feel left out. This problem is • If you don’t have time to think, then
easy to solve: give that player something to do. Maybe try asking the player who came
monsters attack their character, or a mysterious up with the brilliant idea how they
stranger contacts them, or they get separated from think things should play out.
the rest of the group. One word of caution, though:
don’t mistake deliberately staying on the sidelines If you’ve got some pre-prepared Bangs (see
for boredom. Some players just like to watch, and pg. 25), then using one of those might knock
sometimes a player might be feeling tired and the action back on track. Alternatively, go for
deliberately minimising his involvement. one of the emergency plot twists overleaf.
All the Players are Bored You’re Stuck for what

Ouch. One great thing about the Doctor Who Happens Next
Roleplaying Game is that every adventure can be There’s a great bit of writing advice from Raymond
different. Each week brings another planet, another Chandler: “when in doubt, have a man come through
time period, another cast of characters. Sometimes, the door with a gun in his hand.” It shakes things up,
though, your planned adventure can fall flat. If this adds in a whole new plot thread (who is this guy, what
happens, stop the game a bit earlier than usual and does he want, and who’s he working for?), and forces
talk to the players. Ask them why it’s not grabbing the players to act by putting them in danger.
them, and what they’d like to do; often, it’s better to
take a break from the game for a session instead of If you’re suddenly stuck for inspiration, then help’s
trying to force the fun. If this happens repeatedly, it’s at hand with the handy tables of sudden twists on
time to switch gears. Maybe your group is tired of the following pages. Roll a die (or pick) to see what
endless planet-hopping, and would prefer a longer category of twist it is, then roll (or pick) again on the
series of adventures set in the same place and time. relevant table to see what the twist is. When you put
Try adding a new player to your group, or replace in a twist like this, put it front and centre instead of
some characters to liven up the dynamics. Above all, hiding it. Don’t be subtle.
talk to the players: making the game fun is everyone’s
responsibility.
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Roll 1: Unexpected Danger

1 Something nearby explodes. Terrorist bombing, sabotage, industrial accident or assassination attempt?
2 One or more of the players’ characters are taken prisoner.
3 The characters learn that they’ve been exposed to a disease, or an alien parasite, or lethal radiation, or that
one of them is a shapeshifting monster.
4 A formerly trustworthy NPC is secretly working for the bad guys, and he pulls out a gun and holds the players’
characters hostage.
5 That dead monster isn’t quite so dead…
6 An alien invasion fleet appears overhead.
Roll 2: Sudden Drama

1 Someone mistakes the players’ characters for somebody important. (“Ah! You must be the minstrels here to
entertain the Pope! This way!”)
2 An NPC falls in love with one of the players’ characters.
3 The local power structure changes, putting someone else in charge. Depending on the scale of the adventure,
this could be anything from a mutiny or a military coup to a revolution.
4 An unexpected complication shows up. A new group suddenly gets involved in the adventure. If your adventure
is set on Earth, then maybe UNIT arrives. If it’s in space, then a Judoon platoon shows up – or maybe even a
strange blue box appears…
5 One of the NPCs reveals a terrible secret that changes how the players see them.
6 A relative (or descendant, or ancestor, or clone, or psychic twin) of one of the characters shows up.
Roll 3: Disasters & Strange Events

1 There’s a natural disaster – an earthquake, a solar storm, a radiation leak, a temporal schism. Is it a regular
Running Games
event? A weird coincidence? Or is it related to the villain’s plan?

2 A key piece of equipment breaks down. Maybe it’s the telephone, or the oxygen generator, or the castle gates…
or the TARDIS?
3 A big, obvious timer starts to count down to impending disaster. It could be until the oxygen runs out or until
an asteroid hits or a bomb goes off in the engine room.
4 The characters find something weird, like monster tracks, evidence of sabotage, a hidden camera, a secret
door…
5 One of the non-player characters dies unexpectedly of mysterious and sinister causes. Was it murder? A
monster? Or something more insidious. Whatever happened, it clearly wasn’t a natural or peaceful death.
6 Something changes in the surrounding environment. It could be as simple as the weather changing, like a
storm or a sudden fog. On board a ship, maybe the gravity fails or the atmosphere starts leaking.
Roll 4: Plot Twists

1 An old friend shows up unexpectedly. River Song, for example, could show up anywhere. The friend may be
here to help the characters, or might be involved with whatever weird plot is going on here.
2 Not what it seems: there’s a second layer to all this. Someone or something might be a disguised alien, or is
working for the bad guys, or what the characters thought was the danger is only a big distraction. If you can’t
decide what the false thing is, pick the place, character or plot element that the players rely on most.
3 There’s more than one bad guy in play. Maybe there are two alien races fighting, or there’s a human faction
allied with the enemy. This second threat appears on the scene in a dramatic way.
4 Some single intellect is behind all this. Everything that’s going on is the plan of some sinister mastermind.
Even seemingly unrelated events are all part of this deranged, overcomplicated scheme.
5 Really not what it seems: Nothing here is what it appears to be. This whole adventure might be a computer
simulation, or take place inside a confession dial, or a psychic dream. Maybe the characters are Flesh
duplicates who think they’re real.
6 It’s a trap – this whole situation was engineered as a trap for the characters.
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Roll 5: Unexpected Help

1 One of the players’ characters gets captured and thrown in prison. One of the other prisoners knows important
information about the bad guy’s plan.
2 Someone who would normally be opposed to the characters is willing to help them. The enemy of my enemy is
my friend.
3 One of the characters – usually the Doctor – has technical knowledge that the bad guys need. The bad guys
want to keep both the Doctor and his companions alive so they can force the Doctor to help them.
4 A servant of the bad guys – a footsoldier, a slave, a brainwashed minion – switches sides. Alternatively, the
servant turns out to have been spying on the bad guys all along.
5 One of the characters blunders into an important clue. Maybe they fall down a manhole and find the Slitheen
power cables running under Cardiff, or they happen to press the right button on a Library console to talk to
Doctor Moon.
6 Some of the bad guys start fighting each other. Maybe bad guy number two decides he’d really rather be
number one, and launches a takeover. In the confusion, the players have a chance to save the day.
Roll 6: Time Travel Trouble

1 There’s some temporal weirdness. The players’ characters meet future versions of themselves, another time
traveller shows up, the group jumps a time track, or they find some object or creature from a very different
time period.
2 Weird radiation affects the area. Maybe it leaks from the characters’ vessel, or maybe the characters can do a
scan for alien tech to find the bad guys.
3 Temporal flux – something warps the fabric of space-time nearby. Time machines get bumped around, events
happen in the wrong order, and history gets a bit… muddled. As time travellers, the characters are partially
immune to the chaos, and can take advantage of the flux.
4 The characters receive a cross-time message from themselves, risking a paradox to give their past selves vital
information. After the adventure, the characters need to go back and complete the loop.
5 A relic of the Last Great Time War is involved somehow. It might be a left-over weapon, or an abandoned Dalek
base, or a crashed War TARDIS… or maybe even a harmless old fob watch.
6 So much worse! Whatever the characters think is going on here – it’s so much worse. The actions of the bad
guys are going to cause a paradox. Somewhere beyond the walls of reality, the Reapers stir and uncoil, and the
Cloister Bell tolls a desperate warning.
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Campaigns
‘Someone has to look out for the people you A campaign can be any size; it need not be a massive
abandon. Who better than me? I’ll be the patron battle across the universe but could be a small series
Campaigns
saint of the Doctor’s leftovers. While you’re busy of adventures in one setting or fighting one villain.
protecting this world, I’ll get busy protecting it from The Doctor’s brief adventures in E-space are a good
you.’ example of a short campaign, but on a larger scale
you might consider all of the Doctor’s adventures,
A campaign is a series of adventures, but not every from his first incarnation to his present one, to be
series of adventures is a campaign. In a campaign the a single campaign chronicling his battle against the
Gamemaster links all the adventures together with Daleks.
common themes, building to a climatic adventure
that might well lead to the players’ characters saving
the universe. Through the campaign the characters C Character Arcs
will be tested to their limits and as a result will rise Such grand adventures are testing times, and offer
to the occasion or make terrible mistakes that might many opportunities to develop the players’ characters
haunt them for lifetimes. (as well as recurring NPCs). Character arcs are
particular ways a character might develop and adapt
Not every adventure in the campaign needs to as they come to realise what is important to them, or
directly address the main villain or theme of how they can better themselves or even crumble under
the campaign. You need a break now and again, pressure. One of the best examples of a character arc
especially from the Daleks. However, as the is Rory’s. When we first meet him it is difficult to see
adventures progress the characters will come to why such a confident and adventurous girl like Amy is
understand that powerful forces are at work and attracted to him. We might easily believe she likes him
things that seemed random might be far more than because he is easily bossed about by her. Rory’s first
coincidence. The Doctor’s adventures often fall into experiences in the TARDIS are not so much exciting
the scope of a campaign; the words “Bad Wolf” draw as dangerous and confusing to him. However, he
him into a plot by his ancient enemies; the escape rises to the occasion. Having faced terrible enemies
of Prisoner Zero leads him to discover a crack in he gradually becomes more confident in his own
time that eventually uncovers the mystery of the abilities. When Amy is in danger we see the depth of
Pandorica; Amy is haunted by a woman with an eye his love for her, ready to sacrifice anything and stand
patch until she discovers a terrible truth. against anyone to make sure she is safe. Rory’s tale
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is the classic “zero to hero” story; at first, unable to So, while opportunities might be controlled by the
stand up to the doctor he works for, but finally facing Gamemaster, it is up to the player to decide how
off against an entire Cyberman attack fleet. and if the character develops by the choices they will
make when they are tested.
While Amy may seem strong and confident, she
develops just as much. A little damaged by her When you are beginning a new game, such a deep
abandonment by the Doctor she is quick to run away investigation and understanding of each character
from everything she knows to go on adventures. It might seem difficult. However, the tools to figure out
might seem brave, but she is actually running away. how to develop them are already on the character
She is frightened of her relationship with Rory, that sheet; they are the traits the player has picked. Each
she might end up with someone mundane when trait tells you something about the character, whether
a magical character like the Doctor is available. they are good or bad. The easiest thing to develop is
However, she learns how valuable it is to be loved so a character getting rid of a Bad Trait, but improving
much by someone like Rory, and learns to trust that (or even removing) Good Traits can tell you just as
he won’t abandon her like the Doctor once did. much. On the simplest level, you should pick one trait
from each character. In each adventure you should
What is important here is that none of the traits aim to throw an encounter at the character that will
Rory and Amy develop are entirely absent when test that trait. It will be up to the player to decide how
we first meet them. Their adventures bring out the the character reacts, and whether they rise to the
best in them, but don’t make them into something occasion or allow their trait to dominate. At the end of
they never were. The key to creating character arcs the campaign you can then decide if the trait should be
is development, not invention. As a Gamemaster, removed or improved depending on how the character
you should look at each character and decide what has behaved.
elements of them are to be tested. You should
discuss this with the player in question to see what You might allow a player to pick traits they would like
sort of things they would like to develop in their own (Good or Bad) that they do not already have. These
character as well, although don’t tell them what you traits might represent some potential the character
decide to maintain an element of surprise. While it has, or some trait they are unaware of.
is up to the Gamemaster to set the stage,
it is still up to the player to decide
how their character will react to any
situation.
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For instance, they might not really understand they

are in love with someone until they are in danger, or C Plot Arcs
know they are frightened of spiders until they visit When we talk of campaigns, plot arcs are what usually
Metabelis III. come to mind. These are the themes, villains or even
settings that return to haunt the characters through
the adventures that make up the campaign. Plot arcs
New Trait – Love should begin as sub-plot, something incidental and
even apparently unimportant. However, as time goes
(MINOR/MAJOR GOOD) on it becomes clear that there is something important
You are in love with someone, really genuinely lurking behind the scenes of the previous adventures.
in love with them, and that love helps spur you As the players begin to join the dots they see how their
on. Whenever you are attempting to protect or previous adventures link up and they begin to identify
do something for the object of your affections what might be the guiding hand behind them. Finally,
you may add +2 to your dice roll. Sadly the they manage to uncover who is behind the curtain and
object of your affection need not take this trait force them into direct confrontation where they might
themselves and leave your love unrequited. carry the day.
Additionally, anyone with this trait need not be
aware of it, not having quite understood how There are several different themes you might use to
much they care about that special someone create plot arcs in your campaign; but you needn’t
even though their actions tell a different story. confine yourself to just using one of them! For
instance, you might have a villain haunt the characters
as they quest for the parts of some terrible machine.
There are hundreds of ways you might thread a theme
through you adventures, but for simplicity’s sake we
offer you four categories that most should fit into.
Quest
Campaigns
A Quest is the most obvious way to link stories together

and offers you a lot of scope for different adventures.
The characters are tasked to complete some quest, in
the same way the Doctor was tasked with assembling
the Key to Time.
As a Major Good trait, you have found your true

love. You gain a free Story point when taking an
action to protect the one you love. However, you
must spend a story point to stop yourself acting
recklessly when they may be in danger.
The most common character arc to crop up in the game

is a character deciding to leave their companions and
the TARDIS. While some of the Doctor’s companions
have lost their lives or been separated from the
Doctor, most leave of their own accord. Some have
fallen in love, others decided to complete the work the They might have to travel time and space searching
Doctor may have begun in a particular culture. for parts of an artefact, seeking lost technology or
even the remains of a civilisation and its people. The
In such cases the character in question discovers what quest can be as grand as you like, from assembling
they really want to do with their life; their travels with an Armageddon device to recovering a series of items
the Doctor were only really a temporary adventure, stolen from the Bank of Karabraxos. The beauty of the
albeit one that helped them come to understand who Quest arc is that you can link otherwise unconnected
they truly were. adventures together just by adding whatever the
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characters are looking for somewhere into the campaigns, one of the best ways to twist the
adventure. However, making the Quest goal central to knife is for them to discover that the villain’s
the adventure will make things a lot more interesting point of view is justified. That the characters
and keep their eyes on the prize. really are guilty of some wrongdoing that
justifies the feelings (if not the actions) of
their nemesis will make the final confrontation
Setting more poignant. While the villain must still be
The theme you use for your plot arc can often be stopped, the characters are also forced to
quite passive, such as basing a campaign around a recognise (maybe even apologise for) their
setting, such as a particular planet, culture or even part in what has transpired.
your group’s TARDIS. The best example of this is the
Doctor’s adventures in E-space. You might take the
sandbox approach, with the characters exploring Personal
a place full of adventure simply because they can. A Personal plot arc is similar to a
However, usually the Setting plot arc involves trying character arc, described earlier, but
to escape the place. The setting can be almost it applies to the whole group. The
any size; it need not be as vast as another universe companions might all be looking
(although parallel universes are also very good for for forgiveness for some crime they
Setting arcs). Your characters might be trapped in a are culpable of, or seeking a lost
strange mansion that contains a different adventure love they each hope to claim as their
on every floor, or inside a machine filled with different own. Personal plot arcs can be very
landscapes or even time zones. abstract, and for that reason work
best coupled with another theme. In
many cases the characters might not
even notice what is developing around
them. However, do not underestimate
Personal plot arcs as they can cut
deeply into the characters and be a
powerful source of development for the
whole group.
C Foreshadowing
The advantage of having a plan is that
it allows you to predict the future.
Foreshadowing the later events in
your campaign can be a powerful
tool to create mystery and keep the
Villain characters on the right track. You
For a more active – rather than reactive – plot arc, need to be careful, though, as it can
someone is actually out to get the characters. It might be embarrassing or frustrating if
be a single villain or some alien menace such as the your prophesies and predictions fail
Daleks. When this arc begins you need to ensure the to come to pass. It is key to only hint at
characters either have something the bad guys want, events you know will happen; that is, those
or have offended them in such a way as to make them that must happen if the characters are to
seek revenge, or both! Given the way most characters succeed.
trample their way across the universe it is pretty likely
they’ll have upset someone at some point. So, while it might be cool to show one of them
a vision of their TARDIS being invaded, it is
Villain plot arcs usually start slowly, with the hand possible the characters will manage to fend
of their nemesis staying in the background. As off the oncoming attack, especially as now they
the campaign continues the characters begin are going to be prepared for it. However, if they
to understand that some of the woes they have need to find the answer to an ancient riddle in a
experienced have not been mere coincidence. They particular book to complete the adventure, you
may run into minions and cat’s paws of their enemy might offer a vision of them searching a library.
before the villain finally reveals themselves. In such
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The two important things to remember are that the truly understood Saxon’s importance. Should the
event you foreshadow must be something you know players start investigating the mysterious figure, you
will happen, and that foreshadowing it won’t give away will have to throw some adventure at them to keep
too much. Stick to clues and mysterious hints, not only them sidetracked until you are ready for them to
so they don’t figure things out too early, but also to add meet – or perhaps it is the point at which they start to
a sense of mystery that something deeper is going on. investigate directly that you stage the big reveal. The
These odd hints keep them reminded that there is a master villain might let them meet a false version of
larger game being played across the adventure, and themselves, either as a pawn to be sacrificed (letting
helps you build towards the eventual climax. There the players think it is all over and the villain has been
are many ways to foreshadow the events in your beaten) or as a diversion when they discover the villain
campaign, but most fall into one of these four simple is actually really rather nice and helpful.
categories. Simply pick your favourite, or throw in a
little of each. However, remember foreshadowing is
best used as seasoning rather than plot. Too much
makes the players feel like puppets, and robs the
game of its mystery and impact.
I’ve Heard that Name Before…

The smallest hint that repeats itself can be very useful.
The best example of this were the words “Bad Wolf”
that followed the Doctor through his early adventures
with Rose. If you are subtle, it may take a while for
the players to even notice it, and that’s fine. When they
finally figure it out they’ll realise it has been haunting
them for some time. You can overuse this technique,
however, as once they catch on to it the players will
start looking out for it.
Campaigns
Mysterious Prophecy
There are plenty of wise prophets, time witches and
mystics in the universe to offer strange visions of the
future for a small favour. Plenty of powerful beings
might also send strange dreams to the characters to
help them on their way. Such visions can add a touch
of mystery and magic to the adventure, and haunt
the players with a future they don’t quite understand,
but know they must be wary of. It is important (and
somewhat traditional) to make such prophecies
rather vague and only really fully comprehensible
when the moment has passed. After all, being too
detailed might lead to the prophecy not coming quite
You do have to be clear as to why this keeps turning true, or offering too much of a clue to the player
up, as it usually hints at the actions of some powerful characters. If you want to be truly cunning, you might
entity that needs their help. However, the best open your campaign with the apparent death of a
device is for the characters to end up having to send major character (killed by a mysterious spaceman,
the words back in time to warn themselves of their perhaps… ) only to discover this is part of a possible
coming trials. future that the characters need to stop.
Him Again? Haunted

While you should be sparing with your main villain If you have some something truly weird in store for the
himself, his hand might be seen working from characters, you might haunt them with some strange
the earliest adventures. Mr Saxon kept cropping recurrent oddity that offers a clue to what is going on.
up in the Doctor’s travels, but it was only when the Amy keeps seeing windows open in walls revealing
Doctor returned from the end of the universe he a woman with an eye patch looking in on her. This
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was actually a clue that Amy was not quite who – or When the Doctor is stranded in E-space, he faces a
where – she thought she was. You might do something slightly different style of campaign. E-space is a setting
similar to hint that the characters are actually trapped the Gamemaster has declared to be more dangerous
in a dream world or a virtual reality. and slightly different from the usual universe. He
plans some slightly odder adventures, involving
You can haunt the characters with all manner of vampires and marsh men, linked by the characters’
strange things. The Weeping Angels made Amy count attempts to escape back into their own universe. The
backwards as they closed in, something that might be final attempt to return the characters home lands
stretched across a campaign. Your characters might them in a strange void where the players must choose
discover that every time they flip a coin it always comes their allies carefully. The E-space campaign is a great
up heads, a clue from a higher power that the head of example of how to link a short series of adventures
a gorgon will solve their predicament. If they are being with a theme to create a campaign rather than just a
chased by a shape shifter or a creature that possesses series of unconnected adventures. The theme makes
its victims, it might offer an odd salute each time it the adventures more interesting, and the conclusion
encounters them (such as making a circle around their more satisfying.
eye with the thumb and forefinger and muttering
“be seeing you”). Hauntings can be very spooky as For a more complicated campaign you might look to
long as they are obscure, and come regularly (but the trial of the Sixth Doctor by the Time Lords. Here
not continually) throughout the adventure. However, the adventures are linked with the ongoing theme of
always make sure the characters can’t just grab being evidence used in the Doctor’s trial. This set-up
the right person and force them to tell them what brings with it a few special problems, such as knowing
is going on, otherwise they’ll blow the mystery too the characters on trail can’t be killed (or they couldn’t
early. The strange appearances should be too quick be at the trial). However, this being the Time Lords,
to make real contact. some of their evidence comes from the future. At
any point in the campaign the Gamemaster might
break into the adventure as the prosecution, pointing
out a character’s failings as proved by their actions.
This ramps up the stakes for the players, knowing
they must not only solve the adventure at hand, but
guide their characters well or further incriminate
themselves.
Stealing from the Doctor’s

Adventures
The Doctor’s adventures can serve as inspiration
for your own campaigns. Once such example of
a campaign is the search for the Key to Time. In a
short introduction he meets the White Guardian
who insists the Doctor take up the quest, which will C Changing Characters
involve searching for each of the six pieces of the Key. As a campaign takes place over an extended period
To help him, he is given a new assistant and a ‘tracer’ of time, you may well have to add new characters to
that will give him the coordinates from each segment. the player group. This is usually as a result of a new
As campaigns go that’s a very simple structure player joining the group midway through. However, it
to follow; the Gamemaster is basically telling the is just as likely some of the current characters might
players the campaign will involve six adventures, and resolve something in their background and leave
during each one they will incidentally have to locate the character group, meaning the player in question
a piece of the Key. needs a new character. Sometimes a player just
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fancies a change, and that is fine too as long as they get along. At worst, as long as they don’t appear to
don’t make too much of a habit of it. There is little be working against the group they might be given the
wrong with changing characters, but it can interrupt benefit of the doubt. While Tegan might not have liked
the flow of a campaign. Be careful also in a campaign Turlough when he joined the TARDIS crew, the Doctor
where the characters have time to develop and build was convinced that finding a way to get him home was
relationships, as removing a character throws all that worthwhile. However, sending the new character into
Campaigns
work away. You should make sure that any player the adventure under orders to kill one of the others is
wishing to change characters is doing so for a good not to be recommended.
reason, and not allow anyone to do it too often.
The best plan is to give the new character some useful
Generally, introducing a new character into the game purpose that fits the theme of the campaign and
isn’t a problem. All you need do is land the TARDIS adventure. Maybe they are looking for the same thing
somewhere that character might run into them. as the other characters, or they have a vital clue that
If the new character has any temporal awareness can help them. It might be the players need a guide
themselves they might even find their own way to to help them find what they need in a strange new
the TARDIS. So the trick is to make sure the player world. Ultimately, with all of time and space to choose
group will be happy to welcome the newcomer from, as long as the player creates a character that
aboard. Give them an opportunity to prove their loyalty makes sense as part of the group you shouldn’t have
and trustworthiness. The other players should also a problem finding a way to let them meet.
do their best to find common ground with the new
character. However, if the new character isn’t going
to fit in or the new player refuses to make an effort to C Killing Characters
be part of the group it is perfectly permissible for the People die; it’s an unfortunate fact of life. However, in
TARDIS to leave without them. Doctor Who, it is rare for a hero to die. The Doctor
and his companions have usually evaded death, but
It is the responsibility of the player to make sure they even the Doctor’s luck sometimes runs out (forcing
create a character that can fit in with the established a regeneration) and for all his efforts he has failed
group. You should do all you can to help fit the new to protect his companions on occasion. Without the
character into the group but it is not your responsibility threat of death, adventures can stop being exciting.
to make square pegs fit into round holes. As the group Your players will begin to take stupid and unrealistic
is already established it should be simple to figure risks, such as trash talking a Dalek, and the game will
out beforehand what will fit, or what might fill a gap lose its credibility. However, it is a game, it’s meant to
in the skills or abilities of the group. They don’t have be fun, and it isn’t fun to lose a character you and the
to be great friends, but they do need to be able to player have invested time and energy into developing.
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Character death is something each person will have walking coughing from the clouds of dust and rubble.
their own thoughts about. Some Gamemasters are However, surviving does not have to mean unharmed.
quite brutal; others too squeamish to let the hand of They might not have managed to escape with their
the grim reaper pass over their players’ characters. It favourite Gadget, they may have gained a Bad Trait
is up to you to decide what is right for your game, based from the trauma, or they may even have a permanent
not only on the level of tragedy you are happy with, but wound, possibly resulting in the loss of an attribute
also the way your players will react. However, one rule point.
is clear no matter how you feel about character death,
it should always mean something. These characters Of course, there will be times when you simply cannot
are the heroes after all. Don’t let them simply die by save them. “I open the airlock door” or “I step into
gunfire or fall off a cliff for a simple failed roll. If they the disintegration beam” leave you with little option
must get shot, let it be in the act of saving their friends; but to announce the death of such a character. Most
if they fall, let it be after they destroy the antenna that Gamemasters develop their own withering stare
was controlling the world. coupled with the pointed question, “Are you sure?”
when faced with such disastrous ideas. Should the
player choose to ignore this warning, then their
character deserves their fate. Having said that, some
heroes put themselves into very dangerous positions
and manage to survive. River Song managed to throw
herself out of an airlock in deep space and survive,
but it took planning and timing – and no small amount
of Story Points, no doubt. So, should your player
characters manage to pull off such dynamic escapes
with the same planning and style, give them a round of
applause and an extra Story Point rather than the cold
hand of eternal rest.
C Big Finales
So now we come to the end: the climax, the big finish.
This is when you can (and should) pull out all the stops
and create a memorable conclusion to the adventures
When the dice come up with a fatal result, or the that have made up the campaign. While the final
character has done something foolish or brave that adventure can sneak up on the player characters it is
will take their life, take the player aside for a moment. best to let them drive the plot towards the climax.
Tell them their character is not long for this world and
ask if they want this to be their moment to die in glory
of if they want to continue. Make it clear that avoiding
death might have its own consequences, but that the
choice is theirs. You will be surprised how often a
player is actually intending this to be their character’s
swansong, or how happy they are to give them a grand
or tragic final curtain.
If you choose to save a character, it is easily done

but there should be consequences. For a Time Lord,
this means regeneration and all the associated
problems that come with that. However, companions
can survive the most apparently fatal circumstances,
although never unscathed. A fall might horribly
wound but not kill a character; they might turn out Let them finally discover who the bad guy is and
to be simply unconscious after the gunshot. Often a where to find him, so that they can decide it is time
character dies ‘off screen’, such as being left on the for a showdown. The final adventure is what you have
enemy ship before it explodes or in the villain’s lair as been working towards too, so have fun with it! All the
the roof caves in. In such cases you might have them cool stuff you’ve been waiting to reveal can finally be
return, having found a life pod at the last moment or thrown at the players’ characters. You don’t need to be
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careful not to give away too much any more. Let the Villain
player characters figure out the last few pieces of the The climax to a Villain plot arc is a tried-and-trusted
jigsaw, which usually raises the stakes as they realise final showdown. At last the characters figure out who
what’s on the line, and then start the fireworks. is behind everything or where they can find them,
and they set off to take revenge or stop their plans.
The final adventure can sneak up on the players or be Needless to say the villain’s plans by this point should
the only obvious path to take. For instance, once the be on the cusp of completion, leading to a desperate
Doctor knew where Amy was being held, he gathered battle where winner takes all.
a team and set forth to attack Demon’s Run and
rescue her . However, the Pandorica rather snuck up
on him. Investigating some recent myths and rumours
he lets his curiosity get the better of him. However,
even this was no quiet conclusion as every one of his
worst enemies arrives for a final showdown.
How you choose to end your campaign very much

depends on what themes and ideas you have been
using, so let’s return to our four basic categories of
plot arc and look at how you might bring them to a
conclusion.
Quest
Ultimately, a Quest plot arc ends when you have
collected what you need or achieved your goal. If you
have been gathering the resources to achieve a single
goal (such as rescue the princess) you can ensure that
last adventure puts everything on the line. The player
Campaigns
group might discover their enemies know they are

coming or have some device they haven’t planned for.
If the player characters have been collecting something

(such as the Key to Time) simply grabbing the last
piece can be something of an anti-climax. So instead Personal
make sure their enemies know enough to make them Given that Personal plot arcs are rather internal,
really work for the last piece, or do everything they they can be harder to conclude climatically. However,
can to stop the player characters assembling it. You when something like love is on the line it might lead
might also pull a bait and switch and decide the bad to the characters fighting among themselves. Most
guys have found the last piece themselves and been Personal plot arcs might pit the characters against
waiting for the characters to unwittingly bring them each other, possibly as rivals in love or as candidates
the others. So instead of a search for the last piece for enlightenment. This will force all the characters to
the player characters find themselves fighting to keep choose sides, and lend a layer of tragedy as only a few
what they have as their enemies attack them. might be successful, and at a terrible cost.
In general, you will find that as the campaign

Setting progresses, the way it should end will gradually reveal
If yours is a Setting plot arc, maybe you won’t need it itself. Listen to the directions your players are taking
after the campaign ends. You can reveal all the cool and the options they are considering. This will tell you
parts of the setting you might not have had time to use if they want to out-think the bad guys or take them on
by now, and then blow the whole place up! Escapes in a final battle. Their musings on what is going on will
are made more dramatic if the whole place is falling also give you ideas about not only the best directions
apart as the characters make a run for it. When the to take but also some cool ways you can amend your
characters have figured out how to leave, don’t make plan. Feel free to put them through the wringer and
it easy. Throw enemies and guards at them to stop heap torment and trials upon them. When they finally
them leaving, or make them have to work hard to pilot defeat the bad guy or deal with the danger around
their TARDIS through the final barriers. them it will make their victory all the sweeter.
ED 94
Stock Footage
‘Look at these people, these human beings. so irritating as she is. She dreams of travelling, and
Consider their potential! From the day they arrive spends most of her salary on trips abroad.
on the planet, blinking, step into the sun, there is As an ally: Lynda saw something really weird, but
more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than no one will believe her. She’s dying to find someone
– no, hold on. Sorry, that’s The Lion King. But the who’ll listen.
point still stands. Leave them alone!’ As an obstacle: Lynda doesn’t care if you’ve got 15
minutes to save the world – you’re going to buy a new
This section contains lots of what we’re calling stock handbag in her shop, and she’s not giving up until
footage – people, places, things and events that you she’s made a sale.
can grab and use when you need to fill a gap. Each
bit of stock footage comes with multiple names and Awareness 4 Coordination 3 Ingenuity 2 Presence 3
options so you can use them in different situations or Resolve 2 Strength 2
different adventures. Most of the options can easily Skills: Convince 3, Knowledge 2, Transport 1.
be used in any situation, but others are designed to Traits: Empathic, Face in the Crowd.
be used in historical, far-future or alien settings.
Variants:
The best way to use stock footage is to ignore this • Ambitious, over-zealous, takes night
section entirely when planning your adventures. Don’t courses in marketing and Mandarin.
bother with it; come up with your own characters and • Loves a quiet life, likes a night in with
places. Keep this stock footage for when you really beer and pizza, pet parrot.
need it, when your players do something wonderfully • Working part-time, studying physics in
unexpected and you need to add a new non-player university.
character or a new encounter or a whole new galactic • Butcher in village market, mother is
empire on the fly. the local witchwoman, knows some
tricks.
Obviously, you’ll need to tweak the descriptions to • Sells virtual memories, very persuasive,
wherever and whenever your adventure takes place, dips into her own stock from time to time.
but that’s surprisingly easy. A 19th century explorer
can easily become a 21st century host of a travel
show on TV, or a 24th century xenologist, or a 51st Soldier (Guard, Mercenary, Enforcer)
century temporal archaeologist. All you need to do Name: Tom Vasco
is change their appearance and equipment – people Variant Names: Olive Jones, Roger Catlaw, Vincent
are people, even if they’re weird aliens or robots or Silverman, Thor 53-Beta.
super-intelligent clouds of interstellar plasma. Description: Tom’s a veteran soldier. He’s seen
combat several times, and is always on guard. He
takes his responsibilities seriously; he took an oath
C People to defend this country against enemies, and he’ll put
No matter how far you go, people are people, his life on the line to do so.
especially humans. Whether it’s the Stone Age or the As an ally: Watches your back and keeps you safe.
12th century, or 21st century Earth, or the infinitely As an obstacle: Stops the characters from going
far future, people still gossip about the neighbours, where they need to go.
complain about the weather, want what they don’t
have, and forget to look up at the stars. Awareness 4 Coordination 3 Ingenuity 2 Presence 2
Resolve 4 Strength 4
Skills: Athletics 3, Fighting 3, Marksman 4, Survival 3.
Shop Assistant (Merchant, Peddler, Trader) Traits: Code of Conduct, Tough, Brave.
Name: Lynda Brown Variants:
Variant Names: Bob Rains, Cheryl Tolliver, Monica • Fresh-faced young soldier, eager to serve.
Avers, Hoza Chal. • Dour, fatalistic, convinced he’s going to die.
Description: Lynda’s a bubbly young shop assistant. • Bored, sloppy, not very observant.
Her job would bore her to insanity if she didn’t put her • Wild, drunken mercenary with a sword for hire,
heart and soul into it, so she follows customers around death wish.
like an eager puppy and gives them unsolicited advice • Cybernetically wired to the unit, moves like a robot
about their purchases. She doesn’t mean to be quite when on duty, veteran of the Draconian Wars.
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Thief (Burglar, Pickpocket, Security Specialist) As an ally: He can get the characters where they need
Name: Jade Hallos to go.
Variant Names: Jimmy the Finger, Ginger Spring, Pip As an obstacle: He can get the characters where they
Bringam. need to go – but they need to find a way to pay him.
Description: Jade’s a cat burglar, specialising in
robbing the homes and businesses of the wealthy. Awareness 3 Coordination 4 Ingenuity 3 Presence 3
She’s the daughter of a long line of thieves, and has Resolve 4 Strength 3
contacts and friends in both the criminal underworld Skills: Athletics 2, Fighting 2, Knowledge 3,
and in the arty circle; she knows where to sell a Technology 2, Transport 4.
‘borrowed’ painting or weird little curio. Traits: Lucky, Sense of Direction, Impulsive.
As an ally: Jade can get past almost any security.
As an obstacle: She just stole a gadget or other item Variants:
you need. • Stern, by the book, experienced, serious
moustache.
Awareness 3 Coordination 4 Ingenuity 3 Presence 2 • Arrogant, hates passengers, expert pilot.
Resolve 2 Strength 3 • Starliner pilot, sneezes whenever ship goes
Skills: Convince 2, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 4, faster-than-light.
Technology 4. • Captain of a ship, former pirate, treats his crew
Traits: Charming, Technically Adept, Dark Secret. like dogs.
Variants:
• Fast-talking rogue, always has an angle, large
collection of nephews.
• Exiled alien, hides in the crowds, lives in the
sewers.
• Penniless street urchin, steals to survive,
dressed in rags.
Stock Footage
Medic (Doctor, Nurse, Paramedic, Healer)

Name: Dr Keeler
Variant Names: Nurse White, Dr Shen, Dr Stolze,
Medtech Jensen.
Description: Judith Keeler needs coffee badly. She
works long shifts in a local hospital, mainly in the
emergency room and the critical care ward. She
wanted to be a doctor from a young age, and worked
hard to achieve her dream. What she never expected
Pilot (Captain, Sailor) was that she’d be so angry about it all – it makes her
Name: Mosi al-Sefu completely furious when she encounters people who
Variant Names: Captain Hollister, Francine Yates, are responsible for accidents or injuries. She knows
Antonious, Kelbor. how fragile the human body is.
Description: Mosi pilots a small, battered cargo plane As an ally: If someone’s injured, she’s their doctor.
that hops between airports in East Africa like an old- As an obstacle: Blames the characters for whatever
fashioned tramp steamer. Sometimes, when money caused these injuries.
is tight, he lapses back into his old smuggling habits,
but most of his cargoes are machine parts, medical Awareness 3 Coordination 2 Ingenuity 4 Presence 2
supplies or people. Mosi knows the skies of Africa Resolve 4 Strength 2
better than anyone, and he’s got a reputation as a Skills: Convince 2, Medicine 4, Science 3, Technology 2
daredevil pirate who’ll fly in almost any weather. Traits: Voice of Authority, Indomitable, Argumentative
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Variants: Skills: Convince 4, Knowledge 3, Subterfuge 3,

• Close to retirement, seen it all, very tired. Technology 3.
• Clinical, uncaring, talks in medical jargon. Traits: Charming, Photographic Memory, Cowardly.
• Believer in folk remedies and old-fashioned
medicine, speaks slowly. Variants:
• Passionate independent-media blogger, really
determined, inexperienced.
Explorer (Adventurer, Archaeologist) • On the inside, ethically compromised, lots of
Name: Henry Hobart contacts, very respected.
Variant Names: Ernest Shackleworthy, Dr Liz Radi, • Never without a camera, always looking for an
Captain Yal. angle, resourceful.
Description: Hobart’s a media sensation; he became
a celebrity on the strength of his past discoveries.
Since returning to civilisation, he’s been a fixture on Scientist (researcher, scholar)
talk shows and the lecture circuit. His undeniable Name: Dr Vanterbild
achievements and even more undeniable charisma go Variant Names: Professor Thames, Dr
a long way, but his star is fading. Hobart needs a new, Wendig, Dr Horus.
even more impressive discovery to avoid sinking back Description: Dr Vanterbild is pleased
into academic obscurity. to meet you… for the 15 seconds he
As an ally: Bravely accompanies the characters with remembers you exist. He’s thinking about
his expert local knowledge… protons, you see, and that’s much more
As an obstacle: … and steals the credit for anything interesting than whatever you were just
they find. talking about. You can almost see his
attention slide off you, like butter melting
Awareness 3 Coordination 3 Ingenuity 3 Presence 4 on a Teflon pan, as his mind wanders
Resolve 3 Strength 3 off to think about his real friends, those
Skills: Athletics 3, Convince 3, Fighting 3, Knowledge enchanting protons.
4, Marksman 3, Transport 3. As an ally: His readings and experiments
Traits: Attractive, Charming, Selfish. give the characters vital information about
the adventure.
Variants: As an obstacle: He’s working for the bad
• Consumed by wanderlust, unhappy at home, guys, even if he doesn’t know it.
speaks many languages.
• Works for a big corporation, looking for new Awareness 2 Coordination 2 Ingenuity 5
resources, ambitious. Presence 2 Resolve 3 Strength 2
• Fringe theories about aliens ended her career, Skills: Science 4, Technology 4.
determined to find proof, slightly crazy. Traits: Boffin, Technically Adept, Forgetful.
• Alien archaeologist, fascinated by human history.
Variants:
• Hyperactive and hyperenthusiatic, like
Reporter (Investigator, Scribe) a caffeinated squirrel.
Name: Cyril Smythe • Cold, calculating, addicted to his
Variant Names: Lucy Barnes, Andrew Hayworth, Eve smartphone.
Skinner, Felix Uglow. • Cackling mad scientist, deranged
Description: A slightly slimy tabloid journalist. Cyril experiments, very secretive.
hates his job, but unfortunately he’s terribly good at it. • Alchemist and physician, lots of
He wants to be a serious, respectable journalist, but bubbling chemicals, smells of sulphur.
he’s too good at finding celebrity scandals and gossip
to get promoted and he’s too scared to force the issue.
As an ally: He’s found out something about the bad Mechanic (Blacksmith, Craftsman,
guy’s scheme, but his editor isn’t interested. Technician)
As an obstacle: Follows the characters around and Name: Oliver Bradshaw
makes a nuisance of himself. Variant Names: Owen Kaur, Peter Graham, Alex
Barros, Jian Shao.
Awareness 4 Coordination 2 Ingenuity 3 Presence 3 Description: During the week, Oliver works as a
Resolve 2 Strength 2 car mechanic in a small independent garage; the
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weekends are for indulging his hobby as an amateur Variants:

rally car driver. He’s put a lot of money – too much, in • Unflappable butler, always collected and calm,
fact – into both his rally car and into side bets on the the perfect assistant.
races that didn’t pay off. • Overlooked assistant with all the right ideas,
As an ally: He’s got just the right spare part needed. trying to prove himself.
As an obstacle: He’s in debt to criminals, and they • Complains about the organisation and the boss,
force him to sabotage the characters’ vehicle or cynical, paranoid.
gadget. • Consummate bureaucrat, very orderly, very dry.
Awareness 2 Coordination 4 Ingenuity 3 Presence 2

Resolve 2 Strength 4 Business Executive (Corporate Boss,
Skills: Athletics 2, Technology 3, Transport 4. Religious Leader, Cultist)
Traits: Technically Adept, Resourceful Pockets, Name: Zara Moore
Owes Favour. Variant Names: Morgan Bailey, Arthur Holloway,
Demetrice Calhoun.
Variants: Description: Zara’s the CEO of an investment
• By-the-book military-trained technician, brokerage; she manages a portfolio worth billions.
everything spit-polished and shined. That’s a lot of responsibility; her clients depend upon
• Lazy, does anything to avoid having to do work, her intelligence, good judgement and her ability to spot
can’t get the parts. opportunities. Recent events convinced her that the
• Secretly working for sinister forces, much more growing number of alien encounters and weird events
dangerous than she appears. means that the next big thing is alien technology. She
• Local blacksmith, got kicked by a horse, now intends to put her considerable resources to work on
lame and scarred. recovering such items.
• Starship technician (third class), eager to see the As an ally: Moore can swoop in to help the characters
galaxy, knows his way around the air ducts and with her vast wealth and resources in exchange for
maintenance tubes of the ship. their help.
As an obstacle: If she discovers that the characters
Stock Footage
are involved with alien tech, Moore may try to steal it

Functionary (Servant, Assistant, Butler, from them; she might be opposed to both the player
Underling, Low-level Administrator) characters and the bad guys.
Name: Louis Barker
Variant Names: Chelsea Gould, Imogen Rayner,
Martin Smith, Leo Flowers.
Description: Barker’s a junior assistant manager in
the bowels of whatever organisation he works for. He
beat several other applicants for the role, and fought
tooth and nail to get this promotion. Being junior
assistant manager means everything to him. One day,
the boss might even notice his existence, and that
would be the proudest moment of Barker’s life so
far. Sometimes, though, he goes home to his empty
apartment and wonders if this is all there is to life.
You don’t become junior assistant manager without Awareness 3 Coordination 2 Ingenuity 4 Presence 5
making a few sacrifices along the way. Resolve 4 Strength 2
As an ally: Barker may be obsessively devoted to his Skills: Convince 4, Knowledge 4, Technology 3.
pointless job, but that means he’d be a fearsome ally Traits: Charming, Friends, Voice of Authority,
if the bad guys endanger his company. Obligation.
As an obstacle: Barker never considers the big
picture; he might easily be a bureaucratic cog in a big Variants:
evil machine. • Stuffy old businessman, very out of touch, thinks
of the characters as adorably enthusiastic
Awareness 2 Coordination 2 Ingenuity 3 Presence 2 children.
Resolve 3 Strength 3 • Sociopathic manipulator, tells everyone what
Skills: Knowledge 4, Science 2, Technology 2. they want to hear, very adaptable.
Traits: Face in the Crowd, By the Book, Obligation. • Loud, boorish, entitled.
ED 98
C Places
People make places. A 5th-century school in Top Tip: Break Expectations
Ancient Greece might look very different to Deffry Try not giving the players what they expect.
Vale comprehensive in the present day, or to Jack’s For example, the Fifth Doctor once landed his
boyhood school on the Boeshane Peninsula, but they TARDIS in the hold of an Edwardian-era sailing
all fulfil the same function: they’re a place to educate ship. The crew were all early-20th century
the young. You can ‘redress’ a place to make it fit a century sailors. Everything looked exactly as
different setting very easily. The function stays the it should – until it was revealed that the ship
same, only the appearance changes. Look at the sailed through space on course for Venus. That
Library from Silence in the Library: it’s got all the fantastic twist was much more interesting than
same things you’d expect to find in a modern museum having the spaceship look like just another
(books, information points, ways of getting around), metal cylinder.
but they’re all given a high-tech remodelling (digital
copies of books, computer consoles, teleporters). For Or, to put it another way, why is there a horse on
each place, therefore, we describe a few functions and this spaceship?
things you’d find there, as well as possible ‘desktop
themes’ for different places and eras. Jam concepts together in weird and wonderful
ways, and you’ll create unexpected and
compelling situations. Make your alien
School spaceships look like 1980s hotels; have your
A local secondary school for a few hundred students. adventurers find a London Black Cab on the
streets of a distant alien metropolis; make the
Names: Deffry Vale Comprehensive, Farringham bad guy’s footsoldiers into laughing children
School for Boys, Reformed Rattigan Academy. instead of jackbooted thugs.
Places: Classrooms with desks and chairs, cafeteria,
library, science labs, gymnasium, assembly halls,
computer room, staff rooms, offices. Shopping Centre
Details: Posters on the walls, smell of gym socks, A big suburban shopping mall with dozens of stores.
overworked teachers, kids hanging around the sports
ground. Names: Henrik’s Department Store, Greenfield
Shopping Centre, Border Market.
Places: Big department store, clothes shops, cinema,
food court, electronics shops, farmer’s market.
Details: Screaming kids, bustling crowds, uniformed
security guards, advertising events.
Variants:
• Historical street market, lots of stalls and
merchants barking their wares
• Alien merchant ship crammed with traders from
hundreds of worlds, all speaking the universal
language of commerce.
• Glamorous, exclusive shopping arcade from the
gilded age (late 1800s), with uniformed footmen
Variants: and exotic goods from distant countries.
• Spooky Gothic boarding school with a stern old
headmaster
• Far-future virtual school; everything’s an Factory
interactive screen and all the teachers are Lots of clanking machinery and conveyor belts making
computer programs. something terribly boring.
• School on a war-torn alien planet; combat and
survival training are taught alongside maths and Names: Magpie Electronics, Weapons Factories of
geography. Villengard, Consolidated Manufacturing, .
• Alien egg hatchery, where larvae are imprinted Places: Machines that go clank, machines that go
with genetic memories whirr, conveyor belts, machines that crush and
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squeeze, forklifts, packing crates, manager’s office, Names: Sewer tunnel 14B, Main Drainage Scheme
shipping trucks Sump, Subsector C.
Details: Noisy, oily, busy, confusing if you don’t work Places: Rivers of filthy water, dark passageways,
there. Dark corridors, exposed pipes, flashing lights. access ladders, pumps, locked gratings, swarms of
rats, confusing dead ends, narrow low tunnels.
Variants: Details: Foul smells, total darkness, strange fungal
• 18th century factory – like the modern day, growths, discarded junk floating in the slime.
only steam powered and with more industrial
accidents. Variants:
• Stone Age flintknapping site, where they carve • Dark cave, infested with snakes or spiders.
stone tools. • High-tech network, maintained by killer robots.
• Future factory, operated by robots; no human • Old tunnels, used by resistance fighters.
input required. • Abandoned missile silo, awash in rust-stained
• Alien biotech hatchery, pulsing with life. water and heavy metal poisoning.
Hospital Warehouse
A modern hospital in a big city. Like a factory, only quieter.
Names: Redfern Memorial, Royal Hope Hospital, Names: Warehouse 23, Consolidated Storage, Trotter’s
Albion Hospital. Lane Storage.
Places: Wards full of beds, nurses bustling around, Places: Boxes. Lots of boxes. Cranes, forklifts, access
operating theatres, diagnostic equipment, nursery, gantries overhead. More boxes. Night watchmen.
emergency rooms, quarantine, intensive care, morgue. Details: Confusing maze of boxes, scurrying rats,
Details: Smell of disinfectant, sleepless nights, visiting anonymous crates.
families, sick people.
Variants:
Variants: • Ramshackle junkyard, full of scrap metal and
Stock Footage
• Medieval plague ward attached to a monastery. debris.

• WWI battlefield hospital, lots of soldiers missing • Vast dockyard full of shipping containers.
limbs or suffering from trench foot and poison • Huge zero-gravity storage facility, with magnetic
gas. crates floating in Christmas-tree helices high
• Future clone-bank, where they grow a new you overhead, tended by hovering robots.
while you wait.
• Alien healing cave, where the weird energy of
crystals can heal any injury.
Train
An intercity train, thundering through the night.
Names: Flying Scotsman, Orient Express, 1510 to

Liverpool Street.
Sewer Places: Engine, dining car, mail car, guard’s car,
Or a cave network, or a river, or the bilges of a starship sleeper carriages.
if starships have bilges – anywhere that’s close to a Details: The little drinks trolley, passengers staring into
settlement, but is still mysterious and dangerous. laptops, ticket inspections, emergency stop buttons.
ED 100
Variants: Ship
• Graffiti-scarred subway train underneath a city. An ocean – or space! – going vessel.
• 18th century carriage, drawn by six swift horses.
• Martian train racing across the deserts in a Names: Trieste, HMS Victory, SS Great Britain,
vacuum-shielded tube. Byzantium, Enlightenment.
• Giant centipede with dozens of linked howdahs Places: Bridge, cabins, engine room, propellers (or
on its back. sails), cargo hold, mast
Details: Rolling back and forth with the waves, water
everywhere, cramped spaces.
Church
A place of worship, the centre of a community. Variants:
• Chinese junk with a cargo of tea
Names: St Christophers, Suleymaniye Mosque, St • WWI steam-powered battleship
Judes, Cathedral of the Tin Vagabond. • Luxurious star liner
Places: Religious icons (altars, statues, paintings),
pews, instruments, spires or towers, community
bulletin boards. C Planets
Details: Smell of incense, little old ladies on the Planets are just big places. Many of the Doctor’s
church cleaning roster, collection boxes, bells or intended destinations are famed tourist attractions,
other calls to prayer. but he rarely ends up where he meant to go…
Variants: For each type of planet, we suggest a few names, a

• Gigantic medieval cathedral, thronged with few common traits to that sort of planet, and then a
monks. few variants showing different ways those traits might
• Quaint little village church, covered in ivy. be developed in the game.
• Temple of the Founders – it’s clearly a depiction
of the bridge of a Mordee-class colony ship, only
carved out of stone. Ice Planet
A frozen world, covered in icy glaciers or snowstorms.
Names: Svartos, Woman Wept, Frimaire, Nivos.

Details: Looming glaciers, frozen seas, howling
snowstorms, freezing fog.
Variants:
• Tunnels under the Ice: Everyone lives in heated
tunnels carved into the glaciers. Going onto the
surface is extremely dangerous. Huge ice caves
contain whole cities under the frozen mountains.
• Temperature-controlled Zones: Using nuclear-
Farm powered heaters (or even more advanced
A small dairy farm out in the country. methods), the locals can produce zones of heat.
There might be artificial tropical beaches next
Names: Home Farm, Green Farm, Highfield Farm, to looming glaciers, or maybe everyone huddles
Oakham Farm. around the fading heaters trying to stay warm.
Places: Green fields, orchards, greenhouses, barns, • Carved Ice: The inhabitants live on the surface,
storage sheds, tractors, fertilisers, cows, more cows. and use ice as a building material. They even use
Details: Smell of manure, isolated, close to nature. ice for heating – huge polished ice-lenses focus
the sun’s heat onto carefully positioned heating
Variants: elements.
• Medieval farm, owned by the local lord. • Adapted Biology: The locals – even the humans
Trespassing or poaching means death. – have adapted to the cold conditions. They might
• Huge industrial farm, stretching over hundreds be furry and protected by a heat-retaining layer of
of acres. blubber, or they might slow down or even go into
• High-tech agri-sector, hydroponic plants hibernation when cold.
monitored by robot arms.
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Fire Planet • Aristocratic Retreat: The moon was colonised

Volcanoes, hot springs, earthquakes, lava – and toasty hundreds of years ago. Now it’s a place for
warm to boot! the super-wealthy elite, a stately pleasure-
dome where they can literally look down on the
Names: Sarn, Pyrovillia, Infernos, Fylir. squabbling masses below.
Details: Mountains belching sulphur into the air, • Artificial Moon: This moon is not what it seems to
intense heat during the day, tortured rock, ash clouds be. Maybe it’s a huge space station, or an ancient
everywhere. alien ship surrounded by a mile-thick layer of
dust. Maybe it’s the colony ship that originally
Variants: settled this planet.
• Power Plants: Huge geothermal plants like silver • Mystic Moon: The moon is somehow connected to
webs sprawled across the lava fields, powering the planet below. It could be a psychic resonator,
the air-conditioned, lava-shielded domes. or orbit along a cosmic ley line, or it’s full of
• Gas Bags: Civilisations in flying cities that skate mysterious crystals, or it reflects weird radiation
above the yellow-stained clouds, avoiding the down onto the night side. The moonlight has
baking-hot surface below. strange effects on people.
• Living Flames: The natives of this planet are
composed of highly organised energetic plasma –
they’re made of living fire. They flicker in and out Jungle World
of existence, dancing on the fringe of being, whole The planet is one big jungle, a vast tangled forest,
civilisations with the life of a candle-flame. a riotous explosion of life. Imagine trees the size of
• Shaped Fire: Using geomagnetic fields and mountains, leaves the size of football fields… oh, and
polished obsidian walls, the natives keep the fires savage monsters with teeth the size of really big teeth.
out of their cities. There are little islands of life in
the midst of burnt ash zones. Names: Deathworld, the Gamma Forests, Angolos,
Cheem.
Details: Huge trees, jungle creepers, dark
Moon undergrowth, thick atmosphere, warm sunlight, lots
Stock Footage
Some moons are as a big as planets, and you can look of insects.
up and see a gas giant filling half the sky. Other moons
are like Earth’s moon or even smaller; airless, rocky Variants:
places, stepping stones to a wider cosmos. • Genetic Creation: Bio-engineered plants and
animals, trees shaped into buildings, computer-
Names: Poosh, Demogorgon, Navarro, Simba, Lure. like flowers that communicate through binary
Details: Airless, big horizons, meteor craters, silent pollen emissions, insect warriors.
and dead. • Wilderness: Savage wilderness filled with
monsters; any civilisation has to hide behind
electric fences and watchtowers.
• Smart Plants: Intelligent trees, with lifespans
measured in millennia. Humans move too fast
and live too short for the trees to communicate
meaningfully; the trees use fast-grown
accelerated saplings to speak for them.
Ocean World
Most or all of this planet is covered with water (or
something similar – don’t go or a swim without
checking!). There’s little or no dry land.
Variants: Names: Antalin, Morbel, Poseidon, Rlyeh.

• First Colony: The inhabitants of the planet below Details: Huge oceans (obviously), vast raging storms,
only recently reached the moon. Obviously, like cities on rafts or underwater domes, lots of fish things.
all intelligent beings, they set up a colony there
as quickly as possible. It’s rough and ready and a Variants:
bit of a mess, but that’s life on the frontier. • Factory Fish: Earth-like ocean, filled with fish.
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Huge factory-ships plough the surface, sucking mountains and the aurora centralis puts you in
up fish and plankton for reprocessing into food. touch with your inner self. (Warning: your inner
Intelligent squid live in the depths. self may manifest as a psychic projection of your
• Viking Planet: The inhabitants have only a karmic misdeeds and try to eat you.)
primitive level of technology, but they build their • Ancient Monuments: This world was once the
settlements on huge rafts or lash them to the seat of a galaxy-spanning empire; conquerors
back of titanic sea serpents. The few spots of dry went out from this place and slaughtered trillions,
land are sacred places. and built mile-high monuments to their bloody
• Acid World: Oceans of acid, beaches of glass. victories to glory in the devastation, and the gods
The domed cities of the lightless sea floor are themselves hid and trembled before the wrath
connected to the surface using huge bubbles that of the empire. Then the empire fell apart, and
protect rising submarines. someone built a gift shop on the ruins.
• Untamed Ocean: The planet rotates especially
slowly. Half the ocean is on the night side, and is
frozen solid. The other half is boiling hot. The line City World
between the two is a chaotic, explosive zone. The whole planet is one big big city.
Names: New Earth, Metropolia, Trantor II, Steelsky.

Paradise Planet Details: Staggeringly vast populations (in the trillions),
Oh, this is a nice planet. Everyone and everything here automated life support systems, agricultural supply
is just thoroughly lovely. worlds.
Names: Barcelona, Planet of the Coffee Shops,

Midnight, Fiesta 95.
Details: Gorgeous beaches, famous museums,
beautiful architecture, proper cups of tea. That sort of
thing.
Variants:
• Hellish Hive: Ten people per room, two hundred
rooms per floor, five hundred floors per building,
a thousand buildings per sector, and thousands
upon thousands of sectors. Every breath of air
Variants: recycled from the lungs of a billion other people,
• Tropical Paradise: It might look faintly like every drop of water full of other people’s sweat,
Lanzarote, but it’s really a tropical paradise every moment of your life surrounded by other
more beautiful than anything on Earth. Laze on people, never ever ever alone.
the golden-silken beaches as the semi-sentient • The Perfect City: The all-wise, all-knowing
Amorous Ocean caresses your skin. computer maintains the city in perfect order. The
• Cultural Nirvana: This planet is famed for its inhabitants live in accordance with the directives
cultural sophistication. Discuss the works of and computer-issued mandates; there are so
the great philosopher Oolon Colluphid while many people here that they need the guidance
simultaneously admiring the living artworks and of the computer or there would be anarchy. The
appreciating the Memory Vestige Opera. Cybermen would love this place – maybe they
• Leisure Hive: Okay, it’s a bit of a tacky paradise come here on holiday.
planet, with its pleasure-domes and gambling • Conurbations: This huge city is actually made up
zones and joyariums, but it’s better than of lots of smaller cities, linked by underground
Rollercoasterworld or Space Vegas. tunnels or high-speed train links or transmats.
• Tranquillity: This is more like it – all Zen gardens It’s not a stable arrangement – the various cities
and wind chime trees. Just looking at the vibrating have their own goals and quirks.
DE 103
• City in the Waste Land: This city isn’t the whole Details: Ruined cities, decaying monuments, dying
world – it’s just the only habitable part of it. The biospheres.
rest of the planet is blasted and uninhabitable,
maybe as a result of nuclear war or some other Variants:
catastrophe. • Archaeological Dig: An archaeological team is on
the dead world, digging into the relics of the past.
What have they uncovered?
Mining Colony • Sudden Death: The disaster that wiped out the
There’s something valuable in the ground, and people previous civilisation happened incredibly quickly;
are here to get it out. It’s always about the money, isn’t it’s like a planet-sized Marie Celeste, disturbingly
it? frozen in the moment of extinction.
• Preserved Remnants: The remains of the
Names: Androzani Minor, Interplanetary Mining extinct civilisation are still here. Maybe they are
Company Extractor Zone 4, Ta, Adatam. mummified, or frozen in ice, or maybe they were
Details: Industrial processing plants, newly dug mine robots and their rusting shells litter the planet…
shafts, workers (slaves/robots/underpaid miners). or maybe they’re not all dead.
• Degenerate Descendants: The descendants
of the previous civilisation live in the shadow of
their ancestors’ great works. They remember
little except myths and legends of their ancestor’s
culture and technology.
Stock Footage
Variants:
• Worked-Out Mines: They’ve been mining this
planet for thousands of years. Shafts riddle the
crust for hundreds of miles, and the whole place
is soft and, well, crumbly. The planet’s on the
verge of collapse.
• Natural Caverns: Most of the mines are
natural caverns, linked by artificial tunnels and Agricultural Planet
passageways. Something lives in the darkness… It’s a farming planet. Maybe the locals export food, or
• Toxic Nightmare: Passages awash in toxic slime, it’s a low-tech planet with no industry. Or maybe they
huge snow-drifts of poisonous ash, tailings of just like farming. Everyone needs a hobby.
heavy metals and broken rock, chemical spills –
this is not a healthy place to be. Names: Archersworld, Relos Beta, Cornucopia.
• Surface Mining: Instead of delving into the planet’s Details: Verdant fields, farming machinery, workers,
depths, the mines are on the surface. Huge markets.
machines criss-cross the desert, swallowing up Variants:
whole mountains and processing them into ore. • Terraformed Colony: This agri-world was
terraformed by human engineers. Part of the
planet is Earth-like, but the rest is still in its
Dead World original (and potentially dangerous) configuration.
Everything dies. The universe is billions of years • Fountain of Vitality: Something about this planet –
old, and many millions of civilisations have risen a mineral, some sort of radiation, or maybe some
to greatness and fallen to dust in that time, leaving ancient technology – means it’s just bursting
behind only a few scattered relics of their former glory. with life. Things grow faster and stronger here,
making it immensely valuable.
Names: Telos, Krop Tor, Alfava Metraxis, Ghastel, • Unique Product: This planet produces something
Shadox IV, Atarsi. that’s completely unique, or at least immensely
ED 104
rare. For example, Androzani Minor was the only • Ramshackle Station: The station is either really
source of life-extending spectrox. old and run-down, or else is made up of dozens
• Unusual Livestock: The farmers tend to of decommissioned ships and other space debris
something strange here, like giant worms or all lashed together.
herds of humans or dinosaurs or carnivorous • Orbital: It’s a big space station that forms a solid
coral polyps or shoggoths. ring around some celestial object. It might be a
wheel in space, or orbit around a moon, or even
a whole planet. Celestial-scale engineering could
Gas Giant even create a ring or a Dyson sphere around a
Gas giants like Jupiter can’t sustain human life (except star.
on floating stations or onboard huge dirigibles), but • Observatory: The space station was not built by
alien life might thrive in the tremendous vapour the inhabitants of the planet below. Maybe it’s
oceans of hydrogen and other gases. there to observe them, or to monitor them… or to
control them.
Names: Zeus, Bel, Polarfrey, Indra, Whirligig.
Details: High gravity, intense pressure, many moons,
vast size. C Impossible Places
And then there are those places that just don’t fit into
Variants: any sane list of places. Impossible places, nowhere
• Unlikely Core: The incredible crushing pressure places, between places. Think of House’s junkyard
of the gas giant’s gravity has turned the planet’s outside the universe, or the Void, or E-Space, or
core into something unusual, like a solid diamond the Forgotten Place. Every Impossible Place
bigger than the Earth, or a portal into the Time is unique, so our usual system doesn’t work
Vortex, or a just-barely-subcritical mass of here. We’ll just give you a few rumours of such
something explosive. Impossible Places borrowed from the Doctor’s
• Gas Harvesting: Miners scoop gases from the 900 year diary…
upper atmosphere of the gas giant, harvesting
and processing them to extract valuable minerals, • The Wood Between the Worlds: A dimension
or fuel, or gasbag tadpoles. that exists at left angles to our reality; it looks
• Titanic Storms: Storms bigger than continents like an endless forest, studded with portals to
wrack the gas giant. It’s a dangerous place to fly. different times and places. Fairies live here.
These storms are so intense that they affect the • Stalice: A parasitic realm, Stalice grows from the
plane’s magnetic field – imagine incredibly huge minds and memories of those who enter it. For
lightning bolts jumping from the gas giant to its example, when you arrive, you might find yourself
moons! in your childhood home. That copy of your home
• Close Colonies: The gas giant has a dozen Earth- is made from your memories… but as soon as
like moons, and they’re all inhabited. They might you set foot in that copy, Stalice consumes it
be colonies, or maybe different forms of intelligent from your mind, so it only exists as a copy.
life live on each world. They’re neighbours in If you stay in Stalice too long, it eats all
interplanetary terms. your mind, turning your memories and
thoughts into physical objects until
there’s nothing left inside you.
Space Station • The Stopped Clock Bar and Grill:
Planets are so old and boring. Big space stations are It looks like a small English pub;
much more fun. it’s actually a Gallifreyan base that
somehow escaped the destruction of
Names: Satellite Five, Platform One, Chimera Station, the Last Great Time War, although its
Varga Cluster, Roundworld. crew were all killed. Its connection
Details: Artificial gravity, crowded or cramped, central to the time barrier survived, so
hub, life support systems. time travellers can only visit the
Stopped Clock sequentially –
Variants: they’ll always arrive sometime
• Rotating Station: This is a low-tech station – the after their last visit. This makes
race who built it haven’t even figured out how to it popular with wanderers in the
generate artificial gravity – so part of it spins to fourth dimension who want a
simulate gravity with centripetal force. nice holiday in linear time.
DE 105
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Death Comes To Toytown

There’s a little toyshop off the high street where they The consciousness began by inhabiting several of the
say the toys come to life at night. The story probably toys in the toy shop. It observed the customers, waiting
began with some drunk student or crazy old tramp for the right target. Its patience was rewarded when
looking into the window of that quaint little shop, and it spotted Professor Lena Qilong, a researcher in
thinking they saw something moving in the shadows. materials science at the local university, when she
called into the shop to buy a present for her son
The story is wrong, of course. Toys don’t come to life at Samuel. The Nestene intend to use the Professor
night. They’re always alive. During the day, they bide as their pawn, by manipulating her into assembling
their time, and watch, and wait… the tools they need for escape – and revenge. They
intend to seize control of all plastic on Earth,
destroying it and throwing civilisation in anarchy.
C Adventure Synopsis
Under their standard operating protocols, the
Defeating the Nestene Nestene would create an Auton duplicate of the
To defeat the Nestene and save the world, all the Professor, but they don’t have enough power to
characters need to do is: do that. Necessity is the mother of invention for
the Nestene as well as humans, though, so they
• Work out what’s going on developed another method of seizing control.
• Escape the murderous toys in the toy shop The Nestene can shunt their minds into plastic
• Rescue Samuel Qilong bodies, but – with the right tools – they can also
• Get to the university laboratory and stop the shunt a human mind into a plastic body, and
Nestene then occupy the vacant human body. They can
• Rescue their own bodies only maintain control for relatively short periods
of time, and they need to implant a plastic
control chip into the victim’s body to do so.
C Hamilton’s Toys & Games
Hamilton’s Toys & Games Shop is a dinosaur of the When Qilong bought a plastic action figure for
high street. It’s a little independent toy store, selling a her son, she unwittingly invited the Nestene
mix of traditional wooden toys, puppets, art kits, dolls into her home. One night, the figure came to
and board games, as well as a selection of plastic life and crept into the Professor’s bedroom.
figures, toy ray guns and whatever the latest kid’s It ‘shot’ her with a plastic chip. Since then,
craze is. It is run by Edgar Hamilton, an eccentric, the Professor has had the strangest dreams.
gangly chap who looks like a well-dressed spider. He Every night, she dreams she is a toy in a toy
inherited the shop from his father, who inherited it shop, while at the same time the Nestene
from his. It never makes much money, and if Edgar use her body and all-night access to the
had any sense, he’d sell the shop and the flat above it university’s labs to prepare their plans.
where he lives. For years, he clung to the shop out of a Soon, everything will be in place, and the
sense of nostalgia and devotion. He grew up here, and Consciousness can emerge from its hiding
working in the shop sometimes makes him feel like a place. Nothing will stop it – not even
child again. These days, though, he stays because he meddling time travellers!
has no choice. The toys won’t let him leave.
C The Players’
C The Nestene Consciousness Characters
When the Ninth Doctor defeated the Nestene Several days before this adventure
Consciousness in London, back in 2005, he hurled begins, the players’ characters discovered
a vial of anti-plastic into the alien. This chemical that some alien force was active on Earth
dissolved most of the Consciousness. A small and centred on Hamilton’s toy shop. They
fragment survived and slithered away into the investigated, but the Nestene got to them
sewers of London. Over many months, it ended up first. The characters were all shot with
in Hamilton’s Toys and Games. This fugitive Nestene the same mind-shunting plastic slugs as
fragment was extremely weak. It was unable to create Professor Qilong. Their bodies are hidden
full-scale plastic duplicates, or to extend its control in a storeroom at the university, while their
over a long range. It needed a different plan. minds got transferred into plastic vessels.
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The mind-transfer technology damages short-term Most traits transfer to the characters’ new forms. If
memory, so the characters have all forgotten the you’re Forgetful or a Boffin normally, you’re now an
events of the last few days. The last thing they can absent-minded puppet with a knack for electronics.
remember, they were in their TARDIS (or equivalent). Mental traits (including Psychic and so on) also work,
Now, they’re toys. as the characters’ whole mind has been swapped into
the toy’s body. The only traits that do not function are
Each of the characters has been transferred into those tied directly to the character’s original body, like
the body of a toy. Pick the type of toy based on the Cyborg or Robot.
personality of the character (or let the players pick).
For example, the Doctor might have his mighty By a strange quirk of the psychic shunt, the toys
Gallifreyan consciousness dumped into a toy, speak with exactly the same voices as the characters’
becoming a mad-jack-in-a-box, while Amy becomes original bodies.
a plastic ballerina. Rory might yet again become a
plastic Roman, only this time hes only six inches tall.
Captain Jack might become a posable action man
(and what will he do when he finds out he’s no longer New Trait: Toy (Special)
anatomically correct!) The toy does not have to be Toy is a special trait for this adventure. It
humanoid, although most should be (Mickey might works like the Cyborg trait, but also means the
literally end up as a tin – or plastic – dog). character is very, very small.
C 1. Valley of the Dolls

Pick a player. Their character suddenly ‘wakes up’
as the psychic shunt activates. They’ve just been
picked up by a four-year-old kid called Jamie –
although from the character’s perspective, Jamie’s
a 50 foot-tall giant monster. Jamie vigorously waves
DEath Comes to Toytown
the unfortunate character back and forth in the air,

shouting “I want! I want!” until his mother grabs the
toy off him, throws it back on the shelf, and drags
Jaime out of the toy shop. The door jingles behind
them. Edgar Hamilton comes out from behind the
counter and locks the door. He flips the little wooden
The characters can keep their usual attributes, skills sign from OPEN to CLOSED and goes back behind
and traits, but they are now scaled proportionately to the counter. He opens the till to add up the day’s
the character’s new size. If you’ve got Strength 6, that sales. As he does so, he casts a nervous glance over
means you’re a big tough toy who can overpower a at a pair of smiling dolls that sit on a shelf next to the
smaller toy, but you’re still going to lose a fist-fight door. The other players’ characters awaken, so the
with a toddler or a puppy. Assume that a normal- group can discuss pressing issues like…
sized creature get a +6 bonus to any rolls against a
toy relating to Strength or Speed. For example, if a toy
tries to wrestle a gun off a human, that’s an opposed We’re Toys!?
Strength + Fighting contest, and the big nasty human Yep. Every one of the characters is now a plastic toy.
gets a +6 bonus to their roll. The last thing any of them can recall is arriving in the
TARDIS. An Ingenuity + Resolve test (Difficulty 12)
Toys can attack normal-sized bad guys, but do half lets the characters remember a few vague images.
normal damage. On the bright side, it’s easier for They’d detected an alien signal, very weak, emanating
small toys to hide – toys get a +6 bonus to any roll from somewhere in London. They’d investigated…
related to hiding or sneaking. somewhere with white corridors, somewhere with
lots of computers. They remember something about
Getting around obstacles scaled for humans is also small shadowy figures, like children running through
going to be really tricky – to open a closed door, for the darkness… and now they’re here. As toys. The
example, you need to find a way to pull or turn the characters don’t have any equipment, gadgets or
handle far above you, and then push the giant door other possessions on them, other than whatever non-
open. functional accessories their toy comes with.
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If the characters can find a radio or other transmitter • On another nearby shelf is a family of four plastic
(and yes, a remote-control car will do), then a Boffin bears.
can use Jiggery-Pokery to turn it into a makeshift
scanner. Spending a Story Point lets the characters
pick up a control signal that’s being received by each
of the characters. They’re being controlled from
some distant source. Their real bodies must be out
there somewhere. For more on this, see Tracking the
Signal, pg. 115.
Exploring the Shop

The only human here is Edgar Hamilton, who’s
currently finishing up the day’s accounts. He hasn’t
spotted the characters yet. A successful Awareness +
Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 12) suggests that he’s very,
very nervous. If the players walk up and talk to him,
see Edgar Hamilton (pg. 111). If they want to sneak
around without being seen, then that’s a Coordination
+ Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 12). If they try to escape,
see Escaping the Toy Shop (pg. 112).
Remember that the characters are just toys. Climbing There are also lots of educational toys – construction
up onto the counter is like scaling a mountain. Getting kits, chemistry kits, electronic kits and tool sets, in
a chemistry kit down off a shelf probably takes all the case any of the characters decide to try building a
characters working together. Gadget.
There’s one exit from the shop out onto the busy street
outside, where Christmas shoppers bustle through
the gloom. Inside the shop, there are two brightly
The Storeroom
painted doors. One leads to a storeroom at the back The storeroom is locked. The key’s in Hamilton’s
of the shop. The other door is behind the counter, pocket, or the players can pick the lock with an
and opens onto a narrow staircase that goes up to Ingenuity + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 12 – but to
Hamilton’s bedroom. pick it, the characters need to work out a way to
get up to the lock!). Once the door is unlocked,
Mounted on the wall, directly above the entrance it can be pushed open with Strength + Athletics
to the stairwell, is a security camera.The shop’s (Difficulty 12). Inside, it’s crammed with boxed
crammed with toys of all sorts, from hand-crafted toys. Searching around, the characters find an
wooden toys to plastic action figures, from chemistry oddly stained patch of floor near a water pipe.
sets and jigsaws to toy guns and puppets. Christmas There’s a crack in the pipe, as if something
music plays endlessly from speakers near the ceiling. pushed its way out. (The Nestene Consciousness
came through here.)
Notable Toys There’s also a cardboard box full of empty bottles

Mention a few specific toys as the players look around: that once contained chemicals. Any character
familiar with alien life who makes a successful
• Near the door are two big sinister-looking plastic Ingenuity + Medicine test (Difficulty 12) can work
dolls, who seem to be looking at the characters. out that those chemicals could be used to treat
These are the largest dolls in the shop. One’s a an injured creature from a biosphere that is
boy dressed in blue dungarees; the other is a girl very, very different from anything that evolved
in a floral-print dress. If the characters get close on Earth. Something alien once lay here. A
to the dolls, they spot that both dolls have big successful Ingenuity + Science test (Difficulty
steak-knives strapped to their backs. 18) works out the biology – the only creatures
• On a shelf near where the characters woke up is that match that particular mix of chemicals are
a plastic robot – a blocky, 1970s-style robot with the Nestene.
wind-up walking action.
DE 109
they’re humans whose bodies have been stolen by the

Nestene, and their minds shunted into plastic toys.
Hamilton’s Flat
The small apartment upstairs is messy and The four bears are the four night watchmen at the
lived in. There’s a cramped, smelly bedroom, a university, while the robot is Professor Qilong. The
living room crammed with books about toys and humans believe they are dreaming the same recurring
a kitchen that was last cleaned in the 1980s. dream, and cannot remember their daytime, human
lives clearly. The bears spend their nights playing
Examining the bedroom reveals several spots with building bricks, assembling strange mechanical
of dried blood on the floor; Hamilton was sculptures. They don’t know why they do it. They’re
attacked by the dolls. There’s also a brand-new willing to chat with the other toys, but they don’t talk
cheap laptop computer in one corner. Hamilton much. The robot, though, is much chattier.
doesn’t know how to use computers. Checking
it reveals that it was last used to run a series
of Internet searches about chemical factories The Robot Girl
and universities within a 20-mile radius of the It may look like a clunky robot, but it speaks with the
toy shop. Whoever did the searches zeroed in on voice of an enthusiastic, middle-aged woman. The
someone called Professor Qilong. robot introduces herself as Lena. She’s surprised
to see the player characters; she’s had this dream
Behind the television in the living room is a a dozen times before, but this is the first time the
cabinet containing the video recorder for the characters’ toys have started moving on their own.
shop’s security camera. Searching through the Lena’s convinced that she’s dreaming, which is a fairly
footage lets the characters spot the moment rational response to the whole experience. She puts it
when the Nestene Consciousness identified down to stress at work and home.
Lena Qilong; they see a well-dressed woman
enter the shop with her young son. Her mobile
phone rings, and she answers it while the child Professor Lena Qilong
runs around looking at toys. There’s no sound
in the video, but any character who lip-reads

(Awareness + Subterfuge, Difficulty 9) can work Awareness 3 Presence 4
out that she’s talking about synthetic materials Coordination 3 Resolve 4
and new forms of plastic. As she talks, one of Ingenuity 5 Strength 2
the dolls behind her turns its head to watch her.
After the phone call ends, her son Samuel runs
up to her, excitedly waving a plastic action figure Skills
of an astronaut. She sighs and buys it for him, Craft 4, Convince 2, Fighting 2, Knowledge 2,
Science 4 (Chemistry 6), Subterfuge 1,
paying for it with a gift token.
Technology 2.
Traits
C 2. The Toys Come To Life Biochemical Genius: The professor can whip up
all sorts of exotic materials in the lab.
Once the characters have had a chance to look around
Toy: She’s a plastic robot. She gets a +6 bonus
the toy shop, many of the other toys come to life. The when hiding, but big bad guys have a +6 bonus to
family of plastic bears stretch and yawn, and then any roll to overpower her.
climb down off their shelf. The robot whirs to life, Obligation (Minor): She’s got to take care of her
clanking back and forth. Other toys animate too; balls son, Samuel.
quiver and bounce, plastic roundabouts whirl and
sing, Rubik’s cubes spin and solve themselves. The Tech Level: 5 Story points: 3
two big dolls by the door smile horribly, revealing rows
of white plastic razor-sharp teeth, like the mouth of a
shark.
Most of the toys aren’t really alive, they’re just Unlike the bears, Lena remembers enough of her
animated by the Nestene Consciousness as it bleeds waking life to answer the characters’ questions. She’s
off excess psychic energy from its prisoners. Some of a researcher at the local university. A few weeks ago,
the toys, though, are just like the players’ characters: she received a gift token for the toy shop. She doesn’t
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know who sent it – the card was blank. She assumed

it was a present from an absent-minded friend. She
visited this toy shop with her son, Samuel, and ever
since then she keeps dreaming about it.
She warns the characters that they can’t leave the toy
shop – the dolls won’t let them.
Lena believes she’s dreaming, but the characters can

convince her of the truth in various ways. The best
route is probably to get a message to her while she’s
awake. During the daytime, she dimly remembers her
experiences as a toy robot.
Once the characters convince Lena that this isn’t

a dream, her first priority is to protect her son
Samuel. When they visited the toy shop a month
ago, he made her buy a small plastic astronaut toy
because he said it talked to him. Now, he won’t go The Dolls
anywhere without the astronaut. He even takes it to
bed with him. If this isn’t a dream, and some toys
are really coming to life… then Samuel could be Awareness 3 Presence 2
in terrible danger. What if the astronaut takes her Coordination 4 Resolve 5
son hostage? She begs the characters to help her Ingenuity 2 Strength 5
rescue her son from the toy astronaut: see Saving
Samuel, pg. 114.
Skills
Athletics 4, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 3, Survival 4.
If the characters question Lena about herself, she
mentions that she is a researcher and lecturer in
Traits
materials science at the university, specialising in Toy
plastics. Natural Weapon – Blaster: (4/L/L)
Networked (Minor): Controlled by the Nestene
After a few hours, both the robot and the plastic bears Consciousness. It has no independent thought.
suddenly stop moving, as Professor Qilong and the Weakness (Major): If the controlling signal
university watchmen wake up in their normal bodies. from the Nestene Consciousness is blocked or
The toys reanimate again each night, as the Nestene severed, the Football becomes useless plastic
steal their bodies again and shunt their minds back and is immobilised.
into the plastic toys.
equipment: Steak Knife (Strength +1 damage in
combat, and they can do full damage to normal-
The Dolls size enemies).
The two big sinister dolls near the door are the jailers
appointed by the Nestene Consciousness. Their role Tech Level: 6 Story points: 5
is to keep the animated toys from escaping. The dolls
don’t move unless a doll tries to escape the shop.
The characters can go into the storeroom without
the dolls responding. They can go upstairs to talk to C 3. Edgar Hamilton
Hamilton, but one of the dolls follows them if they do Edgar Hamilton is a man trapped in a very strange
so. However, if they try escaping, see Escaping the hell. He’s a prisoner of his own toys. Three months
Toy Shop, pg. 112. ago, he woke up to find two plastic dolls standing at
the end of his bed. He assumed he was dreaming, or
The two dolls are mini-Autons. They are inhumanly that they were troublemaking children playing a prank
strong for their size, and have small guns in their on him. Then one of the dolls leapt on him, clawing at
arms. They won’t kill the toys – doing so would disrupt his face and holding him down. The other straddled
the psychic shunt and jeopardise the Nestene’s plans his chest and pointed its pink plastic fist at him. The
– but they can break them if they have to. fist swung down, revealing the barrel of a gun.
DE 111
“Serve us!” demanded the doll. “Serve us or die.” then Hamilton is more able to help them: he can carry
them through the streets.
The dolls brought him downstairs to his own shop,
and forced him into the storeroom. There, lying on the
floor, was something alien, a writhing bubbling lump Edgar Hamilton
of jellied tentacles. The dolls forced him to take care
of the blob. They sent him out to buy chemicals to heal
the blob. It was scarred by exposure to something Awareness 3 Presence 2
called “anti-plastic.” Coordination 3 Resolve 2
Ingenuity 2 Strength 4
Two weeks ago, the blob vanished. He doesn’t know
what happened to it. All he knows is that the toys
watch him everywhere he goes, and won’t let him Skills
Craft 3, Convince 1, Knowledge 3, Technology 1.
leave.
Traits
Unadventurous: He doesn’t like to leave his shop.
Talking to Edgar
Hamilton knows the toys come to life, but the dolls
Tech Level: 5 Story points: 2
told him not to talk to any of the other toys. If he tries,
they’ll hurt him again. Therefore, Hamilton avoids all
contact with the toys; he’s terrified of the dolls. To talk
to him, the characters must distract the dolls or keep
them away long enough to have a conversation. C 4. Escaping the Toy Shop
Next step – getting out of the toy shop. It’s not going to
To convince Edgar to help, the characters need to be easy. There are three obstacles to plastic freedom.
make a Presence + Convince test at Difficulty 12; In order, these are:
otherwise, he’s too scared of the dolls to do anything.
Once persuaded to help (or once the dolls are Getting out of the shop: There are three exits from
defeated), Edgar can tell the characters the following: the toy shop – the front door, and the two upstairs
windows. Opening the front door is tricky for a six-
• The dolls made him sent a gift token for the shop inch-tall toy, as just turning the handle requires a
to an address nearby. He doesn’t know why. Difficulty 12 Strength + Athletics test. The windows
• He suspects the strange blob thing in the are even harder to open, but are left ajar during the
storeroom is somehow in control of the toys. They day. The door is locked at night. The characters can
seemed to serve it, or worship it. try dodging out of the shop when a customer opens
• He thinks the toys are only keeping alive because the door during the day, but that requires a successful
they find his shop useful somehow. Coordination + Subterfuge test (Difficulty 9). If a
• Once, back when this all started, he tried escaping. character fails, then the customer spots the moving
The doll tracked him down and shot something at toy, and either puts the toy back on a shelf, assumes
him. It struck him in the back of the neck. Edgar it’s a mouse and screams, or just accidentally kicks
woke up in the body of a rubber duck down in the it back inside the shop.
shop. The dolls told him that if he tried to escape
again, they’d put him back in the duck. The dolls: The two dolls watch the door. If any toy
tries to escape out the door, they’ll attack. A doll also
There’s a small scar on the back of Edgar’s neck. follows the characters if they go upstairs to Hamilton’s
If examined with Medicine, the character finds a flat. It’s impossible to open the door with the dolls
tiny plastic chip embedded in the skin. Ingenuity + watching.
Science or Medicine (Difficulty 12) lets the character
work out that the chip must somehow integrate into The footballs: If a toy makes it out of the shop, the
the victim’s nervous system to provide a psychic Nestene Consciousness dispatches a white plastic
shunt. Coordination + Medicine (Difficulty 12) can football to bring the errant prisoner back to the gaudy
remove the chip. If persuaded, then Edgar can help the cage. The white football ripples and bounces its way
characters escape the shop, but he won’t do anything out of the shop and rolls after the toys. If it catches
that involves facing the dolls. He can drop them out of up, it envelopes its target and rolls back to the shop,
the window, or distract the dolls, or just sell them to where it then vomits them up in a flood of temporarily
a customer. If the characters can deal with the dolls, liquid plastic.
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attention of a child (like Jamie from pg. 108) and

White Plastic Football get bought by some random customer. From there,
they just need to escape the customer’s house and
the white plastic balls before heading to Professor
Awareness 2 Presence 1 Qilong’s house (see Saving Samuel, pg. 114), finding
out where the Nestene is (see Tracking the Signal, pg.
Coordination 4 Resolve 2
115) or heading to the university (see The March of the
Ingenuity 1 Strength 3 Chairs, pg. 116).
Skills If the players wait to get bought, they hear two shop
Athletics 3, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 2. assistants from a nearby clothes shop complaining
that someone stole several clothes dummies during
Traits the night.
Toy: It’s a football.
Capture: If a football wins a Fighting contest, it
can capture a toy instead of dealing damage. The
toy is sucked into the football and trapped there Breaking Toys
until the football is destroyed. “Hang on”, your players might say, if they’re both
Networked (Minor): Controlled by the Nestene clever and a bit ghastly, “if the Nestene stuck us
Consciousness. It has no independent thought. into toys so they could control our real bodies,
Weakness (Major): If the controlling signal from what happens if the toy is destroyed? Shouldn’t
the Nestene Consciousness is blocked or severed, my mind jump back into my real body?”
the Football becomes useless plastic and is
immobilised. If a character’s toy body is destroyed, they do
indeed wake up in their real body – for a few
Tech Level: 6 Story points: 3 seconds. The character finds themselves lying
on a cold floor in an unfamiliar room; it looks
like a storeroom for a university, judging by the
Toys on the Streets piles of old science journals, broken chairs and
The streets of London are a dangerous place to be outdated pieces of equipment. The bodies of the
when you’re only a few inches tall. Pedestrians step other characters are nearby. The back of their
on you, cars won’t stop for you. Walking from one end neck stings with pain.
of the street to another is the equivalent of a ten-mile
hike. You can’t even call a cab. There’s a small window in the door. Outside,
the character can see a large room – possibly
Fortunately, most people don’t pay attention to their a disused cellar – containing a machine that…
surroundings. If the characters stick to the corners well, it uses human-built components, but
and the alleyways, they can make their way across that’s definitely not Earth science. Waves of blue
London without being spotted by any people. Dogs, energy crackle and pulse from the machine’s
rats and other animals are another issue; a shiny toy transmitter dish. Any character with experience
might be grabbed by a passing magpie, a dog might of such matters (or a high Science skill) can
mistake a character for a chew toy, and defeating a recognise it as an Auton transmitter. It’s still
pigeon in single combat is an impressive feat for a toy. unfinished. A successful Ingenuity + Science
roll (Difficulty 9) lets a character guess at its
Ask the players how they intend to travel through the purpose – it’s an amplifier. Once its ready, the
streets as toys. Remember to describe the holiday Nestene will be able to take over all the plastic
crowds; it’s the middle of December, so everyone’s on Earth. There’s something unusual about the
out shopping. device, but the character doesn’t have time to
work out what it is. A moment later, the chip in
the character’s neck activates. It is agonisingly
Getting Bought painful – and then the character wakes up in the
Getting bought by a customer is a great way to body of a different, intact toy back in Hamilton’s
dodge both the dolls and the dangers of the streets toy shop. There’s no escape from the Nestene
of London. If the characters can get a message as long as the characters have those chips in
to Professor Qilong, then she can call in and buy their necks.
the characters. Alternatively, they can attract the
DE 113
The Qilong House

C 5. Saving Samuel The Qilongs live in a nice semi-detached house in
Samuel Qilong is a nervous eight year-old boy. His a quiet street a short distance from the university.
parents divorced a year ago, and while he doesn’t Samuel’s room is on the top floor. His mother’s study,
understand why, he feels like its his fault. His mother with its advanced computers, chemical samples, 3D
does her best, but she’s a university professor and printers and other gadgets, is on the floor below and is
researcher at the height of her career, and she doesn’t kept locked. There is a convenient catflap in the front
have as much time for her son as either of them want. door, so the family pet – a tabby called Buckminster –
He doesn’t have any friends at school. can get in and out. Buckminster likes to bat and claw
at things that move and squeak. Characters generally
like to move, and squeak when a large cat swipes at
them. Right now, Buckminster’s lurking under the
Christmas tree.
Buckminster
Awareness 4 Presence 2
Skills
Athletics 3, Fighting 1, Survival 2.
Traits
A month ago, an astronaut talked to him. It was a Cat: Buckminster’s not a toy, but he’s about the
plastic toy, but it stood up and whispered to him, saying same size. Treat him as a toy for the purposes of
that it was his special friend and that he should tell fighting.
his mother to buy it. He did so, and now the astronaut
goes everywhere with him. Sometimes, it talks to him, Story points: 2
telling him that he has a special destiny and that soon
he will never be alone again.
Once the characters get past the cat, they can explore
Embedded in Samuel’s neck is a very special chip. the rest of the house. If it’s during the day, then
It’s very hard to find – while all the other chips were Professor Qilong is likely to be at work and Samuel at
injected by firing them from a distance, this chip school. If they arrive at night, then Qilong is missing
was inserted while Samuel slept. The scar is almost again; from 1am to 6am, her mind inhabits the toy
invisible (Awareness + Medicine, Difficulty 18 to find). robot while the Nestene control her body and use it to
build the transmitter device in the university.
Samuel’s Chip Rescuing Samuel

Samuel’s chip isn’t like the psychic shunt chips To save Samuel from the Nestene, the players need
implanted in the characters’ necks. The Nestene to deal with his toy astronaut. He keeps the toy with
intend to use him as part of their scheme to him at all times. The toy won’t hurt Samuel, but it will
destroy humanity. All the other chips are clearly happily shoot at the characters. This mini-Auton has
designed to do a single-channel shunt – they a nasty hand-gun that can shoot either mind-control
push a mind from one body to another. His chip chips or laser blasts. While Samuel is devoted to the
is capable of shunting one mind into billions of toy and won’t willingly give it up, he’s too scared and
bodies. No one could undergo such a process confused to get in the way of the characters if they act
without going completely insane – even the quickly.
Nestene Consciousness can only control a
limited number of Auton forms. Examining the remains of the toy with an Ingenuity
+ Technology roll (Difficulty 9) lets the characters
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analyse its built-in weapon. The weapon resembles bits (like Professor Qilong’s study, or an electronics
a standard Auton gun, but the astronaut also has six shop) lets the characters build a tracker that can
mind-control chips in its backpack. These chips – the detect the source of the Auton control signals. The
same as those embedded in the characters’ necks – signals are coming from somewhere in the nearby
give off a strong radio signal that can be used to find university where the Professor teaches.
the Nestene lair (see Tracking the Signal, pg. 115).
The signals are growing more powerful. There are
two different types. One is like a normal Auton control
The Astronaut signal, but more dense, more complicated; those
must be the signals connecting the player characters
to their toy avatars. The other signals are less
Awareness 3 Presence 2 complicated and unfocused, but much more powerful;
Coordination 3 Resolve 4 they suggest the Nestene are trying to control
Ingenuity 1 Strength 3 something on a large scale without much finesse.
Skills Asking Samuel

Fighting 2, Marksman 3. Lena doesn’t know where she goes at night, but her
son Samuel does. When she first left the house at
Traits night, he woke up and asked his mother where she
Natural Weapon – Hand Blaster: The Astronaut’s was going. The Nestene-controlled Lena ignored
gun does 2/5/7 damage on a successful hit. him, and the astronaut told him that she didn’t love
Networked (Minor): Controlled by the Nestene him. He watched her walk up the road towards the
Consciousness. It has no independent thought. university. Appalled by this revelation, Lena comforts
Toy: It’s a plastic astronaut.
her son. She volunteers to bring the characters to the
Weakness (Major): If the controlling signal from
university so they can deal with whatever monster did
the Nestene Consciousness is blocked or severed,
this to her.
the Football becomes useless plastic and is
immobilised.
Tech Level: 6 Story points: 3 Finding the TARDIS

If the characters arrived by TARDIS or a similar
time machine, then their vehicle is parked near
the university. They don’t remember exactly what
Rescuing Lena happened after they left their time machine, but its
Professor Qilong is unwittingly leading a double life. sensors are locked onto the Auton signals coming
During the day, she goes about her normal routine – from within the university.
lectures, research, taking care of her son, socialising
– but at night, her mind is shunted into a plastic robot
while her body rises and goes back to the university
to continue work on the Nestene machine. If the
characters meet her during the day, she recognises
them as figures from her recurring dreams. If they
meet her at night, she ignores them.
Removing the chip from Lena’s neck (Co-ordination +

Medicine, Difficulty 9) frees her from Nestene control.
C 6. Tracking the Signal

The next step is to find the characters’ own bodies.
There are several possible approaches to do so.
Gadget Time
Jiggery-Pokery (Ingenuity + Technology, Difficulty 12),
plus a Story Point, plus a suitable source of electronic
DE 115
As the characters approach the lab, they hear a

C 7. The March of the Chairs strange clattering, clicking noise. It sounds almost
The university is mostly empty right now; all the like an insect. A giant insect. Lots of giant insects.
students have gone home for the holidays. The signals
emanate from the old science building on the far side Something scrapes against a nearby door, clumsily
of the campus. The rambling building dates back to pawing at the handle. Finally, it gets a grip on it. The
the 1950s, and some sections are disused due to their handle turns, the door opens… and a chair walks into
poor condition. The Nestene laboratory is in one of the corridor. The Nestene cannot control the metal
these. To get to it, the characters need to make their legs, but they can warp and control the plastic body
way into the science building, go down a long corridor, enough to move the legs. The chairs move stiffly, like
then take an elevator up to the top floor, and then bad stop-motion animation. They cannot attack very
finally go down an even longer winding corridor to the effectively on their own, but there are hundreds of
old ‘C’ block. chairs in the building.
The chairs aren’t very dangerous to the toys, but can

imprison Professor Qilong. The chairs try to block
access to the laboratory at the end of the corridor, or
to trap the characters so that the Nestene’s human
servants can capture them.
Killer Chairs
If they enter during the day, then there are a few Skills
cleaning staff to dodge (unless Lena Qilong is with Fighting 1.
them, in which case she can carry the characters in).
At night, there should be four night watchmen here, Traits
but they’re off being plastic bears. Armour (3)
Impede: If a chair makes a successful Fighting
Between the characters and the laboratory, though, is attack, it can trip or entangle an enemy, reducing
a very unexpected obstacle. that enemy’s Movement by 1. Each chair can only
impede one enemy, but groups of chairs can work
together to attack a single target.
Networked (Minor): Controlled by the Nestene
The University Corridors Consciousness. It has no independent thought.
An empty university smells of gym socks, spilled
Slow: Chairs aren’t very fast.
chemicals and exam stress. The walls are covered
Weakness (Major): If the controlling signal from
with posters advertising end-of-term parties. All the the Nestene Consciousness is blocked or severed,
lecture theatres are empty, all the desks are lined the Football becomes useless plastic and is
up in rows for exams and the lockers stand open immobilised.
and abandoned. Most of the staff are gone too, with
only a few lonely graduate students working on their Story points: 0
experiments.
There are also hundreds of plastic chairs. You know

the ones: a plastic seat with four metal legs, seemingly C 8. Lair of the Nestene
designed for a lizard species with a very differently The characters burst into the disused laboratory.
shaped spine. Lean too far back on it, and the legs will Right in front of them is the huge Nestene transmitter,
bend and break. They’re stacked in hallways, tucked crackling with energy. Strangely, there’s a metal seat
into desks, or just left toppled on the floor. Plastic right in front of the machine. Between the characters
chairs. and the transmitter stand four security guards;
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human, but staring with the blank expressions of + Technology tests (Difficulty 15) to disable the
Auton robots. There are also several plastic shop shunt (thus freeing the characters) or to shut
dummies standing against one wall. Off to one side, down the transmitter (delaying the Nestene’s
there’s a door leading to a storeroom, and through a plan). Alternatively, the characters can redirect
grimy glass panel in the door, the characters can see their psychic shunts to another nearby plastic
their unconscious original bodies. object, like the shop dummies.
• Freeing the Guards: If the characters climb
up the unmoving guards, they can remove the
control chips from their necks with Medicine,
freeing them.
Toy Soldiers
The Nestene Consciousness itself is helpless, but
it’s got the four night watchmen guards to protect
it. If the characters somehow deal with them, then
the Nestene switches to its backup bodyguards: the
bodies of the players’ characters! The characters’
Auton-controlled bodies stumble out of the storeroom
to protect the transmitter.
If the characters are captured, move onto Plastic

Doomsday. If the characters somehow deal with
the guards (talking doesn’t help), move onto Plastic
If the characters just charge in, move onto Toy Doomsday too, but the Nestene’s no longer in a
Soldiers. If they sneak in, they have to make position of strength.
Coordination + Subterfuge tests (Difficulty 12) to
sneak past the security guards.
Plastic Doomsday
From the ceiling, something descends. It looks like a
Sabotage glob of plastic, a big plastic ball hanging from a liquid
As long as they’re hidden from the Nestene, the toys plastic thread. As the glob approaches, it becomes
can get up to all sorts of trouble. However, they’ve transparent, and inside the characters see a glowing
got to be careful – if they’re spotted, skip onto Toy fiery chaos: the Nestene Consciousness!
Soldiers. When a player tries any of the options listed
below, they have to make a Coordination + Subterfuge The Nestene recognise the characters immediately –
test. The difficulty for the first test starts at 9, then remember, this isn’t the first time they’ve met (even
increases by +3 for each test after that. Remember if the players don’t necessarily remember it). This
that the toys have a +6 bonus to sneaking around, but fragment of the Consciousness was terribly scarred
full-size humans don’t. and damaged by its confrontation with the Ninth
Doctor, so it’s insane and obsessed with destroying
• Recovering their bodies: The characters’ real humanity. It jumps right into its monologue, speaking
bodies are in a storeroom on one side of the through its four human slaves.
laboratory. Removing a chip (with Medicine)
breaks the psychic shunt, and the character “You are too late! The time of your destruction is at
instantly wakes up in his normal body. There’s hand! This is the age of oil and plastic… your entire
no need to roll Medicine for each chip, but do roll civilisation is built on matter that we control!”
Subterfuge.
• Examining the Machine: With a successful The Nestene explain that they intend to seize control
Ingenuity + Science test (Difficulty 12), a character of all plastic on Earth simultaneously. Think of how
can work out what the gadget’s designed to do. much plastic there is in modern life. Imagine what will
It’s clearly a Nestene transmitter. There are two happen when every single piece of plastic transforms
sections. One is a psychic relay, designed to simultaneously. Every machine fails. Every power
shunt a human consciousness from one body cable and fuel pipe breaks. Civilisation collapses in an
to another. The other is an immensely powerful instant.
transmitter. The characters can make Ingenuity
DE 117
An Ingenuity + Science or Technology test (Difficulty The characters have a chance to save the day. There
9) points out the flaw in this plan: if the Nestene are several ways to accomplish this:
Consciousness could safely take control of all the
plastic on Earth, then it would have done so already • Wriggling Free: If a toy can escape its captor
(or during a previous invasion attempt). Only the (remember that big creatures get a +6 bonus to
full Nestene Consciousness could command all the Strength contests with toys), then it could do a
plastic on a planet – this part of the Consciousness quick bit of sabotage.
could never survive the attempt. The Nestene agree.“It • Appealing to Samuel: Right now, Samuel’s
will not be our consciousness that destroys you. It will connected to a very powerful Auton transmitter. If
be one of your own!” the characters can break through to him (maybe
by reminding him that his mother is in danger),
The door opens. Samuel Qilong enters the room. The then he can overload the transmitter or deactivate
Nestene plan to use the boy to active their transmitter. the psychic shunt, returning the characters to
“The child’s mind will be our weapon. He will inhabit their bodies.
the world – and destroy it! Now!” • Taking Samuel’s Place: The character’s chips are
similar to the one in Samuel; if they push him off
If the characters already found and removed Samuel’s the chair, they can take his place. However, as
chip, then he’s not here because the Nestene control their chips are less powerful, they’ll only inhabit
him – he just followed his mother. The Nestene a single piece of plastic – they can seize control
screams with fury as it realises that its plan has of an Auton body, or direct the transmitter at the
already been foiled. The characters can use the Nestene Consciousness, or free Professor Qilong
distraction to sabotage the transmitter, destroying from the chairs.
the psychic shunt and returning them to their bodies.
If the characters haven’t removed Samuel’s chip, C Aftermath

then the boy stumbles towards the transmitter. An The fragment of the Nestene Consciousness boils
eerie red light shines out of the back of his neck, away: it was mortally wounded anyway, and this last-
illuminating his skull. He walks to the seat in front of ditch plan for revenge used up the last of its energy.
the machine and sits down. Energy streams from the With the destruction of the transmitter, the characters
boy into the machine. The control signal reaches out are instantly returned to their original bodies. If
into the world. The nearby store dummies suddenly Professor Qilong survives, she takes Samuel to
melt, like a toy put in a microwave. Liquid plastic drips Hamilton’s toy shop a few weeks later to say goodbye.
down from light fittings. The radios on the guards’ While there, she buys a plastic robot that seems oddly
belts dissolve into goo. familiar to her…
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The Grip of the Kraken
‘Below the thunders of the upper deep; colony ship and boarded the Yatsoshiro looking for
Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea, a way to escape the debris column’s gravitational
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep pull. Faulkner, one of the ship’s engineers, has gone
The Kraken sleepeth.’ missing. Sent to investigate the problem with the
– Alfred, Lord Tennyson failed engines, he has been possessed by the alien
slime, spawn of the Kraken, working its way through
The characters encounter a monster threading itself the ship. And to add to the mix, a young journalist and
through the space-lanes, capturing star ships and her robot assistant – stowaways – are there to write a
dragging them towards their doom. Having landed story from the front line.
aboard the Earth Colony Ship Yatsoshiro, trapped in
the grip of this interstellar Kraken, the characters As the threat becomes apparent the characters
must save an entire space-borne civilisation from a confront the amoeboid monsters that have infected
grisly fate. the ship. But this is only the start. A giant colony of
these life forms is approaching, intent on consuming
the ship’s passengers and crew.
C Adventure Synopsis
The TARDIS is ailing, struck by a mystery fault
and forced to materialize. Taking refuge from the C The Kraken
harmful energies being released inside the TARDIS, Nobody knows how the Slime first developed or when,
the characters discover that they are on board the but one day, a starship able to cross entire galaxies
Yatsoshiro, an Earth vessel from the distant future suddenly stopped, and then another, and another
carrying thousands of colonists. It is drifting towards still; all in the same region, all without hope of rescue,
a vast column of debris, the wreckage of star ships and all down to the Slime. As the millennia went by
captured and broken apart through the centuries. thousands of vessels and countless lives were lost and
The ship has only a few hours before it impacts this yet nobody seemed to notice; except the accountants,
planet-sized stream of wreckage. and they wrote off the losses as a tax break.
The characters are not the only ones to have boarded Before long, a river of dead starships snaked through
the ship. Pirates, caught by the creature, their vessel’s the infinite cold of space, held together by the gravity
propulsion systems offline, made their way to the generated by their own mass. Recently, smaller
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ships have become ensnared and resourceful crews long voyage as they explore the galaxy, eventually
have turned privateer, tracking down precious finding new worlds for their passengers and crew
working power cells, looting what they can from the to colonise. Construction never stops; new towers
drifting ruins. are built to house a growing population and new
solar collection domes housing verdant forests
The stranded ships are the handiwork of a vast colony are constructed to ensure that the population has
of self-replicating molecular robots, the microscopic sufficient food.
engineering and medical tools from hundreds of
civilisations that have shared their blueprints. They
have optimised their compatibility over the millennia
resulting in a new non-organic species; a type of
Gelatinous Locally Organised Pluriform.
This soup of autonomous parts acts like an Earth

slime mould: countless individuals acting as a single
organism. This mould spread out from a central point
in space in fine tendrils and filaments; the Kraken of
the old legends of the sea written large against the
stars. As starships sped through space, they picked
up the microscopic infection, which corrupted each
ship’s systems and steered it back to the colony, so
that the colony could feed.
The Earth Colony Ship Yatsoshiro is the latest ship

to have become ensnared, becalmed and drifting
helplessly towards the debris column. By the time
the characters and their TARDIS come crashing into Raw materials are mined from asteroids as they are
the story, the Yatsoshiro has already been invaded by encountered, or goods are traded, brought to the ship
both the Kraken Slime and a crew of pirates looking by the faster-than-light vessels that speed through
for fresh supplies. The ship’s systems are steadily the universe. Its vast agricultural pods, solar energy
failing one-by-one; the result of the Slime feeding off converters, and onboard industries act as resupply
a crewmember’s engineering knowledge. points for these faster vessels, oases of life in the
never-ending night. The Yatsoshiro will one day find
a planet and put down to start a brand-new human
civilisation, but until then generations of humans will
Sharing the Story live and die aboard the Yatsoshiro.
In any roleplaying game it is important that
everyone gets a chance for their character to Starship UK, which fled Earth in the 29th century to
shine. To help with that, throughout this story, escape the solar flares and was later encountered by
whenever a situation calls for a check in which the Doctor and Amy Pond, is a form of colony ship,
any character has a chance for success, such though obviously powered by the last of the great
as an Awareness check to notice a clue or an space whales instead of the enormous ion engines
Ingenuity check to find the right path, have the usually employed.
players roll in order from the highest attribute
to the lowest. The Yatsoshiro is Technology Level 6. The outer hull
provides an Armour protection of 30 and any single
Stop when you reach a success. On the next instance of damage over 30 to a section of the outer
similar roll, start with the character that didn’t hull causes a pressure leak, which the auto-repair
get to roll last time – give them the chance to systems attempt to fix. The internal walls provide an
spot the clue or find the path. Armour Protection of 15 and doors provide an Armour
Protection of 10.
C The Yatsoshiro C Characters

The Yatsoshiro is an Earth Colony Ship. These sub- All the characters you need for this story can be found
lightspeed vessels are built by their crews during their in this section.
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safety of his ship and its thousands of colonists

Buurman Privateer very seriously.
• Engineer Romer: Against the odds, Romer
usually keeps the ion drives working, but he had
Awareness 3 Presence 1 to shut the starboard engine down to prevent the
Coordination 4 Resolve 2 ship tearing itself apart. Something is preventing
Ingenuity 2 Strength 6 them from being restarted. Balding and with a
uniform always two steps away from standard
issue, he’s a distinctive man.
Skills • Chief Medical Officer Shirley: Logical, practical,
Athletics 1, Fighting 4 (6 Buurman Blaster),
and gifted with human understanding, his current
Knowledge 1, Marksman 5 (Buurman Blaster 7),
concern is that the power reserves don’t fail
Subterfuge 3, Survival 3, Technology 3, Transport
3 (Starships 5). before Romer can restart the engines. If they
do, the colony will be without sufficient energy,
Traits resulting in massive loss of life.
Alien: The pirates are Buurmen.
Alien Appearance (Major): Orange-skinned with
heavy and pronounced brows. Yatsoshiro Crewmember
Outcast: Wanted for piracy and other crimes
across half the galaxy.
Selfish: Each of the pirates will save their own Awareness 3 Presence 3
skin before thinking of their shipmates. Coordination 3 Resolve 3
Tough: After a life of piracy, the privateers are Ingenuity 3 Strength 3
tough and can reduce damage taken by 2.
Unlucky: Led into a life of piracy, stuck with Trant
in charge, marooned in a deep space debris trail, You can use these statistics for all of the
and now likely to be possessed by an alien slime… Yatsoshiro crew, just swap some of the skill
Yes, these guys are unlucky. Any time a roll turns levels around to suit the speciality.
up two sixes, they roll again and keep that result
(including a second roll of two sixes). Skills
Athletics 1, Fighting 2, Knowledge 2, Marksman
equipment: Buurman Blaster (3/6/9). 1, Medicine 2, Science 2, Survival 2, Technology 3
(Starship systems 5), Transport 3 (Yatsoshiro 5).
Traits
Brave: In the face of a threat to the Yatsoshiro, the
crew are resolute and gain a +2 bonus to Resolve
rolls when they need to show courage.
Sense of Direction: The action takes place aboard
The Buurman Blaster the Yatsoshiro, which is handy for the crew as
This heavy gun, requiring a Strength of 6 to they know their way around. They gain a +2 bonus
use one-handed, projects charges of pure when navigating inside the ship.
kinetic energy. Being hit by one is like falling Technically Adept: The crew live and work with
six metres, or around 20 feet. There is no heat, the Yatsoshiro’s systems and so they gain a
radiation or laser damage associated with a +2 bonus to Technology rolls to repair broken
Buurman Blaster, so it’s good for knocking in equipment or use any of the ship’s devices and
doors. If used in hand-to-hand combat, it counts gadgets.
as a heavy weapon requiring two hands to use,
so it adds +2 to damage. equipment: A communicator with the
Transmit Gadget Trait and the Restriction
(Communication only) Bad Gadget Trait. It
The Yatsoshiro Crew contains 1 Story Point.
The Yatsoshiro is a civilian vessel and so the crew does
not have easy access to weapons. Tech Level: 7 Story points: 1
• Captain Ryan: Tall, grey-haired, and with a

prodigious moustache, Captain Ryan takes the
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She eventually caught up with the deep-space colony

Trant, the Pirate Captain cruiser Yatsoshiro and stowed away to observe the
goings on. When the ship was boarded by pirates,
Fliss took to the escape pod to observe from safety.
Ingenuity 3 Strength 6 Fliss
Skills Awareness 4 Presence 3
Athletics 1, Convince 2, Fighting 4, Knowledge 1,
Marksman 4, Subterfuge 3, Survival 3, Coordination 2 Resolve 4
Technology 3, Transport 3. Ingenuity 3 Strength 2
Traits Skills
Alien: Trant is in fact a Buurman. Athletics 1, Convince 3, Knowledge 3, Science 1,
Alien Appearance (Major): Trant’s skin is bright Subterfuge 3 (Sneaking 5), Survival 2, Technology
red, as befits an alpha Buurmale, with a brow 2, Transport 3 (Spaceships 5).
heavier than that of a human. His hair is long,
dark and naturally curly. Traits
Brave: You don’t get to be alpha Buurmale without Face in the Crowd: Fliss gets a +2 bonus to
facing down a few challengers. Trant receives a +2 Subterfuge rolls when sneaking about and trying
bonus to any Resolve rolls to direct challenges or to blend in.
when he needs to show leadership in frightening Keen Senses (Hearing): 20/20 hearing, or is
situations. that eyesight? Whatever. Fliss gets a +2 bonus to
Experienced Awareness rolls when trying to hear something.
Outcast: Trant is a pirate wanted by the authorities Run for your Life! It’s amazing what being chased
on his home planet of Buur, several systems by monsters can do for your sprinting. Fliss gets a
+1 bonus to her Speed when being pursued.
surrounding it, and by the Judoon.

Quick Reflexes: For a large man, Trant knows Sense of Direction: As a junior reporter it’s
how to move. important to know where you are at all times and
Selfish: Of course his crew get their share of Fliss gets a +2 bonus to Awareness and Ingenuity
the loot, just as soon as Trant has taken what he rolls to work out where she is and how to get to
wants. where she wants to be.
equipment: Buurman Blaster (3/6/9). Tech Level: 7 Story points: 12
Fliss Watson the Robot

Fliss is a young journalist just shy of her 20th birthday. Fliss’ best friend is her android, Watson, and she’s
Having heard of ships going missing in this particular spent far more of Daddy’s money on accessories than
region of space, Fliss set out with her robot sidekick is probably warranted when she could have just gone
Watson to investigate. for an upgrade.
Watson is one of the Mark-3 home-entertainment

android-playmate robots, designed to entertain with
music, games, video, conversation and company. He
used to belong to Fliss’s father but had his original
memory banks replaced when he was given to Fliss.
He’s been with her for all her life and he’s unswervingly
loyal. While he does worry about her safety, he admires
her tenacity and while he sometimes persuades her to
discretion, he knows she’ll never give up on a job once
she starts.
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different characteristics to the free-flowing Slime

Watson the Robot Monsters. The final form, in this story at least, is the
huge Kraken slime colony. It drifts in space, almost
the same size as the Yatsoshiro, crawling its way along
Awareness 4 Presence 2 the debris column. It is so large and complex that it is
Coordination 2 Resolve 3 capable of reasoned thought. It has enough strength
Ingenuity 5 Strength 2 to tear a starship apart and it has the power to send
filaments of itself through the cosmos, like the arms
of a colossal Kraken, to ensnare new prey.
Skills
Knowledge 4, Medicine 1, Science 4, Subterfuge 1,
Survival 1, Technology 5 (Gadgetry 7), Transport 1.
Traits
Boffin: Handy with a wrench, a welding torch,
and those very small screwdrivers used for fixing
spectacles, Watson can whip up Gadgets in no
time.
Photographic Memory: Not much escapes
Watson’s electronic memory. He can explicitly
store images or snippets of information for later
recall, or he can spend a Story Point to review his
internal logs and restore information to working
memory.
Robot: A little old and battered, but still very much Slime-Possessed Humanoid
functioning. His head is shaped like a bullet, his
body like a barrel, and his limbs consist of jointed
tubular metal parts.
Scan: Enhanced electronic provides +2 to Coordination 1 Resolve 4
Awareness + Skill rolls when actively scanning a Ingenuity 1 Strength 3
given target.
Transmit: Watson has a range of built-in
Skills
transmitters and receivers allowing him to
Athletics 4, Fighting 4, Marksman 3, Survival 4,
monitor and manipulate electromagnetic signals
Technology 2.
and wavelengths.
Unlucky: There’s a reason that Watson is one of
Traits
life’s pessimists; if Watson rolls two sixes, he rolls
Alien: Body-snatching hybrid.
again and takes the second result (including a
Alien Appearance: It’s a glob of alien slime
second roll of two sixes).
controlling a humanoid body.
Environmental (Major): Able to function in a
vacuum.
Fear Factor (2): The creature gets +4 to Resolve +
Presence rolls to actively scare opponents, which
it does in the first round that it encounters them.
The Kraken Networked: The Slime creatures are able to
The Kraken Slime takes three forms. The first is the communicate remotely.
actual slime itself. For the purposes of this story we’ll Special – Spawn Slime: Just once per host,
assume that an individual Slime Monster has a mass the Slime can consume its host’s nutrients and
about equal to a small child. It can cling to almost manufacture another Slime monster.
any surface, morph into almost any shape (while Special – Slime Monster: When this creature has
always looking alien), and can attempt to possess taken all the damage it can, it detaches from its
individuals or even computer systems. It does this host and becomes a normal Slime Monster as
through interfacing with neural or electrical circuitry described above.
and modifying its inputs and outputs. The second
form is the Slime in possession of a humanoid target. Tech Level: 7 Story points: 2
It smothers the head and shoulders of the target,
enveloping it in a slimy grey hood. In this form, it has
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A blinding golden-white light sears from the console.

Slime Monster Pick one of the players’ characters, likely to be
someone Clumsy or Unlucky or with Slow Reflexes (as
per the Bad Traits) and definitely not someone who is
Awareness 3 Presence 1 Lucky or with Quick Reflexes (as per the Good Traits).
Coordination 1 Resolve 5 That character must make a Coordination + Athletics
Ingenuity 1 Strength 3 check (Difficulty 9) or take 2/4/6 levels of damage as
the Vortex energy escapes a crack in the console.
Skills
Convince 4, Fighting 4, Subterfuge 4 (Sneaking 6),
Survival 4.
Traits
Additional Limbs: The slime can extrude any
number of additional limbs it needs.
Alien: It’s certainly not human.
Alien Appearance: It’s a glob of alien slime.
Climbing (Major): It can climb walls and is at
home on any surface regardless of orientation.
Environmental (Major): As an artificial alien
slime, these creatures are able to function within
the cold vacuum of space and even the edges of
the Vortex itself.
Immunity – Ballistic Attacks: The Slime takes
only temporary damage from ballistic attacks.
Apply the damage normally, but each round the Each round, another character must make the same
Slime may take an action in the movement phase check to avoid another stream of Vortex energy
to piece itself back together. escaping from a new crack. The route to the TARDIS
Natural Weapons – Tentacles: The barbed doors is clear for now but the console room is
tentacles it can form provides the usual +2 to beginning to fill with harmful energy.
Strength during hand-to-tentacle fighting, but
apply the bonus to the attack roll rather than the
damage. They don’t make the slime any stronger, Player Opportunities
but they do make it more accurate. There are three actions that the players might want to
Networked: The Slime creatures are able to try to find out what’s going on:
communicate remotely. The larger the particular
Slime monster is, the further it can reach and the • Check the TARDIS Scanner: The image on the
more intelligible its communication is. scanner resolves itself, the TARDIS is hurtling
Possess: If the Slime makes a successful attack, towards the Yatsoshiro, which itself is tumbling
it can attempt to possess the target as a fighting slowly towards a huge swathe of starship debris
action in the next round. See the Doctor Who that almost totally obscure the darkness of space
Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook for more behind it.
information on being possessed. • Check the Coordinates: The TARDIS is in deep
space, on the outer edge of the galaxy. The TARDIS
Tech Level: 7 Story points: 2 has never been to this region before. A success
or higher against an Ingenuity + Technology roll
(Difficulty 6) reveals that something is trying to
close down the navigational systems.
C Prologue • Check the Fault Locator: Any character trying to
Inside the TARDIS, sparks are flying from the console find out what’s wrong should make a Ingenuity +
as the engines suddenly groan louder. The entire Technology roll (Difficulty 9). A success confirms
internal space shakes violently, then, for just a that the TARDIS is under attack, a good result
moment, there’s calm… before the shaking starts confirms that most of the damage is being
again. The cables looping from the ceiling judder this caused by the TARDIS fighting the infection, and
way and that and there’s an explosion somewhere a fantastic result confirms that the assault is both
beneath the console as the characters arrive. physical and psychic.
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It doesn’t take a genius to work out that everyone is • The characters are free to wander around the ship.
safer outside the TARDIS at this point than inside, just an The crew have been rounded up and while the
Ingenuity check (Difficulty 6). The nearest viable place pirates have set out to look for them, having felt
to put down is onboard the approaching Yatsoshiro. the TARDIS’ impact, you can give the characters a
little time to explore their surroundings.
• Characters familiar with starship travel may
C Act I: The Kraken Wakes make a Ingenuity + Technology (or Transport)
‘How long it is since I put out from land check (Difficulty 18) to notice anything odd about
no man remembers. But one summer noon the Yatsoshiro’s artificial gravity. Those who fail
great tendrils reaching from the sea enchained notice that they’re having no trouble standing
my resting ship; until, so meshed and reined up; those who Succeed notice that the gravity is
no wind might break its harness, it succumbed’ artificial; and those who make a Good success
determine that they are on a ship, that the ship
– The Ship Becalmed, by Randolph Stow is moving; and those who get a Fantastic result
notice that the ship is tumbling and that the
In the first act of this story the Doctor and his artificial gravity systems are having to work to
companions arrive aboard the Earth Colony Ship keep up.
Yatsoshiro, which is listing and drifting ominously • The ship’s power loss is selective. Artificial
towards the debris column. gravity, life support and lighting are all still active,
however overworked. But scanners, engines, and
communications all appear to be offline.
C 1. Arrival in • Allow the players to explore just about us much of
the debris column the ship as they want to before moving on to the
The speeding TARDIS rematerialises inside the next scene. The large map of the Yatsoshiro that
Yatsoshiro command module, tearing chunks out of they’ll encounter next gives them a good starting
the walls, ceilings and decking as it goes. Then, with point.
the TARDIS fully materialised, the blue box slams into
a bulkhead somewhere on deck two. Steam vents
from the broken bulkhead and sparks fly from the Doctor, What is this Place?
exposed and snapped wires. The lights in the corridor Now they are here, the characters will want to explore.
flicker from cooling soft white like daylight to harsh The corridors are metallic and there are plenty of
red emergency lighting. The characters rush out of storage containers, fire extinguishers, communication
the TARDIS and slam the door shut behind them. The points, and video display monitors along the walls.
self-repair systems should kick in, but it won’t be safe This is an opportunity to introduce the Task Manager
to go back inside for quite a while. and the Sense TV. If a character asks a question that
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the ship might reasonably be able to answer – such The forward part of the ship consists of engineering
as “where are we” – then the Task Manager will reply, and flight control and this provides accommodation
“You are currently situated on the forward deck two”. and work space for the flight crew. Two great clusters
Once engaged, the video screens present rolling of ion engines sweep out from this control hub,
advertising in one corner of the display. A large ‘mute’ extending kilometres out and down. Extending from
symbol is overlaid, but the associated smells (from an the rear of this complex is a spine some five kilometres
Ogron restaurant, the pine forests of Agripod-9, and long and consisting of a lattice of girders and supports.
a sickly sweet soda drink) do not go away. It takes an The spine houses the main power conduits supplying
Ingenuity + Technology check (Difficulty 9) to work out the colonists with energy and an array of rail shuttles
that the screen is broadcasting neural information in that allow the crew to move between the command
a low-level near-field. module and the colony.
And then there’s the sound of rain. The Yatsoshiro The rear of the ship stretches far out behind the spine
is now close enough to the debris column that stray and is home to the growing colony. Tall multi-storey
wreckage is impacting on the hull. Small taps for the buildings rise up and down from the central level,
most part, followed by the occasional larger clang. each sealed against the harsh vacuum of space. A ring
of large shallow domes, perpendicular to the line of
• Characters with the Psychic trait (or who have the ship, makes up the very end of the vessel, their
tools or devices that are similarly sensitive) artificial gravity pointing towards a central point, and
may sense a weak psychic signal running under they contain the fields, orchards and forests needed to
the adverts, different and masked by what is sustain the colony.
supposed to be there. Any character who watches
the Sense TV must make a Awareness (Difficulty • The map lists distinct locations like the film room,
6) roll. A Success is enough for the character to canteen, engine pods and so on. Point these out
notice that they are feeling slightly hungry. as they are important tools that the players can
use to complete this story. If the characters
blunder into the canteen, then they’re more than
Map of the Vessel likely to be captured by the pirates and you can
A large display screen is mounted into the corridor move on to the next scene.
wall, from waist-height upwards. It shows schematic • The characters can also look for windows and
views of the Yatsoshiro, including circles showing observation ports that look out to space. The view
more detail on particular areas. This map should help is a little dizzying as the ship tumbles through
to orient the characters. the space, but the debris column can be seen, as
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can the cloud of wreckage that keeps hitting the

ship’s hull. C 2. The Privateers
Having heard and felt the impact of the TARDIS,
Trant, the pirate captain, sends some of his men to
Scanning for Life investigate. And this is when they arrive and attempt
The Task Manager responds to queries about the to capture the characters. They raise their blasters
crew and passengers. It shows a schematic of the and demand that the characters surrender. They will
Yatsoshiro and adds points of light indicating life signs, use their blasters to knock the fight out of anyone who
approximately 250,000 contained in the rear part of the runs or initiates combat, but otherwise their orders
vessel and about 30 in the forward command module, are to bring any intruders down to deck three. If the
in addition to the characters. These 30 life signs seem characters run, let them have their chase. Another
to be congregated in the canteen. group of pirates pop up in front of them when they
next open a door, allowing the others to catch and
surround our heroes.
Blast Points
If they stay on deck two, they soon find a series of Once the characters have been captured, one of the
broken and dented panels. Nothing seems burned pirates (we’ll call him Ausk) reports back to Trant over
or scorched; it all looks like crushing damage, like the communicator. Trant orders him to find the source
something was hurled into the walls. Then they find of the impact they heard, at which point Ausk sends
a circular piece of bulkhead, cut through to make an the prisoners to Trant while he goes searching.
impromptu airlock that leads to the pirates’ spaceship.
The pirates’ spaceship is cramped, smelly, and very Entering the canteen, the characters see the
nearly powerless. It won’t be going anywhere. crewmembers seated in one corner while the pirates
guard them with their blasters. Trant takes one look
at the characters and then turns to Captain Ryan,
asking which one is Faulkner. This mistaken identity
introduces the idea that there is someone else on
board, which in turn suggests that the escape pod
could be important.
Finding out that this is not Faulkner annoys Trant and

he demands to know who they really are and where
they came from; at some point, Ausk reports back
over the communicator that he’s found a large blue
box and Trant asks what the box is for and how the
characters got it on board. Then the gravity shifts, as
though the drift compensators are losing power. The
ship is noticeably leaning to one side and the lights
flicker. The characters should have easy access to
the ship schematic by this point so they can see the
engineering deck down on four and the flight deck
up on one. It takes a Ingenuity + Technology check
(Difficulty 9) to realise that if the power loss continues
to affect the gravity it is going to become harder to
move around.
• Any character going into the pirates’ spaceship

has a better chance of finding its location on the The Canteen and the Film Room
map of the Yatsoshiro if they need to later. It’s an The canteen and film room are next door to each other
Ingenuity + Technology roll (Difficulty 6) rather so we’ll describe them together. Tables line up in rank
than a Difficulty 12 roll. and file in the large open-plan canteen. The kitchens
• Any characters with the Boffin trait or similar may are at the back of this area. Apart from the service
be able to temporarily restore power to the ship exits in the kitchens, the only way in or out is through
or pilot it on remote control with a bit of Jiggery- the main double doors or a large ventilation grill in the
Pokery. All they need is a long length of cable and wall. Electronic posters around the canteen advertise
a Story Point or two. this week’s menu and the various chef’s specials.
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The film room is a dome-like chamber that shows companions. The hull is creaking and groaning,
immersive 360D films. Like Sense TV, it beams however; straining to contain the atmospheric
sensations directly into the viewer’s brain. The pressure inside the ship. And then it pops.
projector is powerful enough to affect multiple viewers
at once. There are no seats and it’s large enough for Out in the corridor, a hull plate buckles outwards,
around 50 people to stand and watch the film. tearing a hole in the side of the ship. Ordinarily, the
internal doors closest to the impact site would close,
• On the way out of the lift, the players can attempt securing the internal atmosphere. Unfortunately, the
an Awareness roll (Difficulty 9). Those who door has been damaged by the impact and cannot
succeed, notice that one of the escape pods is close. As the atmosphere is sucked from the ship, the
missing. There should be a bank of five along one characters on board are dragged towards the open
bulkhead, but the nearest pod to the canteen has vacuum of space.
been jettisoned.
• When they are inside the canteen, in order of You get to freeze the action here and reposition the
highest Awareness to lowest and until some characters inside the decompressing deck, dangling
succeeds, the characters in the canteen get to above the tear in the bulkhead. The players have 10
make another Awareness check (Difficulty 9) to rounds before the air starts to become too thin in this
notice a half-empty cup of tea and a sandwich area and they start to take damage. They are also
that appears to have been left in quite a hurry. ten ‘steps’ away from the vacuum (with step eleven
None of the crew know anything about it. Trant actually being sucked into space) and ten ‘steps’ away
gets frustrated if his prisoners start discussing from the safety of the next blast door, which they can
old sandwiches while he’s commandeering their close behind them. They need to make Strength +
ship, but let the characters have their moment. Athletics rolls (Difficulty 12) to move forward away
They may be captured, but this is the point at from the vacuum; success ranges from +3 steps to
which the Doctor would usually take charge and -3 steps.
start putting things together.
C 3. Sudden Impact
The landing gear of a Judoon cruiser is about to hit the

Yatsoshiro command module. This impending strike is
being broadcast to a nearby view screen, which is on
mute. Unless one of the characters notices this (with
a success on an DC6 Awareness roll, Difficulty 6), the
strike happens with no warning. If it is noticed, the
character has between one and three rounds to warn
the others (one on a Success, three on a Fantastic
result).
Hold Onto Something

The Judoon cruiser’s landing gear hits the Yatsoshiro.
The ship judders as the landing gear impacts and then
scrapes along the bulkhead. The characters need to
make a Coordination + Athletics roll. This is Difficulty
6 if the character braced for impact, or Difficulty 12 Characters who opt to help each other, as per the
if not. Characters who braced take 1/2/3 levels of Cooperation rules, both gain +2 to their rolls. Any
damage, while those not holding onto something character can voluntarily drop back any number of
risk 2/4/6 levels of damage. The crew and pirates are steps to help another character. By spending a Story
thrown around too. You can assume any who braced Point, they can even do this after they have taken their
take 1 point of damage, while those who didn’t take 2. normal action. Any character can spend a Story Point
and gain assistance from a non-player character in
this way, as everyone is trying to get out of the corridor.
Decompression If you’re feeling particularly nasty, you could send one
There is a moment when the ship seems still of the pirates hurtling down the corridor and out into
again, giving the players a chance to check on their space, just to underline the danger they’re all in.
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You should also race Trant against the characters. If Fliss and Watson jettisoned themselves in the escape
Trant gets to the door first (give him a penalty of -1 to pod, intending to re-dock once the coast was clear of
his rolls as he’s clinging to his blaster), he can shut it, pirates. They’re now holding station outside the ship’s
locking the characters in the decompressing corridor. hull.
In either case, all is not lost. The damaged door can

still be repaired and closed. This means voluntarily
dropping back until there are just two steps left
between them and the vacuum so that the door
release mechanism can be accessed. It is then a
Ingenuity + Technology roll (Difficulty 18). A success
is all that’s needed to close the door. Failure doesn’t
close the door but does allow another free round. A
Bad result wastes the round, and a Disaster makes
everyone drop one step closer to the vacuum as the
clumsy attempt shakes the corridor.
Once the characters are past the blast doors or close

the damaged doors, the atmosphere normalises.
The Impact Site

The characters should be able to see the impact site
through the view ports in the blast doors. They will
see a part of the rust-coloured landing gear sticking • Any character scanning the pod detects that the
into the ship. They will also see what looks like fuel pod is actually scanning the Yatsoshiro back;
or some kind of lubricant running down from the someone aboard the pod is listening in.
landing gear and into the ship. This is actually more of • If the characters start some jigger-pokery to
the alien Slime. The characters can make a Ingenuity control the escape pod’s engines remotely and
+ Science roll (Difficulty 12) to notice that the Slime bring the pod back to the ship, allow them an
seems to be moving oddly, as though attracted to the Awareness + Technology roll (Difficulty 6) to find
ship in some way. the recall button. Pressing the big green button
brings the pod back into its bay automatically.
Unless they acquire some spacesuits, they aren’t As the pod gets closer, it is clear that there’s
going to be able to get any closer to investigate the somebody in there.
Slime.
• Apart from surviving a decompressing ship, the Revealing the Kraken

players might be able to shake the pirates and Fliss and Watson fled to the escape pod when the
give themselves some more space. They also get pirates boarded as she didn’t want to be captured, but
sight of the Slime for the first time. having now been discovered, Fliss attempts to explain
the phenomenon that she’s discovered through looking
at media reports from a number of worlds. If given the
C 4. The Missing Pod chance, she plugs Watson into the Task Manager so
Once attention switches to the missing pod, you’ll he can project images on a screen; otherwise she’ll
need this scene. use a marker pen to draw on any table or surface that
comes to hand.
The outside of each escape pod bay has a status
display and an interface with the Task Manager. While Firstly she describes the loss of the Scanderia, the
the bay is clearly empty, the Task Manager reports first known loss that she can attribute to this region.
that the escape pod is still in place – the result of the It happened nearly a thousand years ago, and every
android Watson re-programming it. Those looking year since then more starships from a hundred
out of the viewport can see a small chunk of debris civilisations have gone missing. As she talks through
drifting alongside the Yatsoshiro and, every now and them (the Draconian cargo ship Limerssic, the Bandril
then, it fires small course-correction thrusters. It’s voyager Naron, the experimental Earth ship Spirit of
holding position. San Francisco – assumed to have been destroyed by
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its own warp engines – the list goes on) they appear as Have a character, preferably one who isn’t too
points of light on a large 3D image of this space sector involved in all the talking in this previous scene,
(or she marks an X with her pen). As more points of make an Awareness roll against a Slime Monster’s
light are added a shape resolves itself, like a series Coordination + Subterfuge roll. A failure results in the
of tentacles all leading back to a central point. At that character putting his hand in the Slime that’s started
point she asks Watson to overlay the location of the dripping down the wall from the ceiling. With a Bad
debris column. The tentacles of light intersect the result, the Slime attempts to possess the character.
column near to what would be their apex; whatever On a Success or higher, the character sees the slime.
caused the phenomenon must be close to the column. Looking a little closer, they notice that it’s leaking
She finishes with a flourish, “There is our Kraken – out of the ceiling, and then the Slime reacts! Some
our sea monster dragging ships to their doom”. of it lurches away from the wall and tries to grab the
character. The Slime makes a combat attack. This
If Trant is still around he’s disbelieving, just interested should be enough to draw the everyone’s attention.
in restarting the ship and escaping. He can’t conceive
of being caught by something that he didn’t even
notice. If any of the Yatsoshiro crewmembers are
listening in, they remember that before the engines
died completely the ship veered off course, which left
it drifting towards the debris column.
• Fliss believes that the ships have been affected

by a natural phenomenon, but the players have
the opportunity to associate the wrecked ships
with the attack on the TARDIS and the psychic
phenomenon that some of them felt earlier.
• The players have the chance to cross-examine
Fliss before their encounter with the Slime
(see below). And once the lights go out, give
the characters an Ingenuity roll (Difficulty 6) to

remember that the pirate Ausk hasn’t come back,
and that the Yatsoshiro crew still haven’t located C 6. The Cliffhanger
Faulkner. Let the conflict with the Slime play out. The unarmed
• It is also worth reminding the players that there crew and the cowardly pirates initially pull back
are now only two hours until the ship collides away from the Slime. It’s down to the players to stir
with the debris column, which would have a them into action. If the Slime has a hold on a player’s
devastating effect on the colony. character (after a successful strike last round) it
attempts to possess them. Other characters can help
the character resist, either by spending Story Points
C 5. Here We Are Again or through cooperation as normal.
If the characters made a dash for it during the impact,
now is the time to bring them all back together. When the characters attempt to leave the area they
The pirates catch up with them, and demand that are in, the lights go out; the white light is instantly
somebody refuels their ship, fixes the propulsion replaced with red. Anyone with the Psychic trait (or
system, or does something to get them away from the Psychic Paper) gets a flash of a message, a single
debris column. And if they don’t people are going to thought:“closer”. If they then stir the party to action,
start to die! they get a moment to prepare themselves.
It’s a stand-off between the pirates who want to In the canteen doorway, blocking their path is the
force somebody, anybody, into action on their behalf Buurman pirate, Ausk. His head and shoulders are
and the characters who need to calm the situation. covered in grey alien slime, obscuring his face. At the
Captain Ryan is defiant. He would rather die than let same time, the same slime oozes up through the deck
the pirates command his ship. This stance doesn’t plates and drips down from the ceiling. The doorway
do much to help the situation. The characters need is effectively blocked.
to make contested Convince rolls against Trant to
prevent him from shooting people, starting with the Now is the time to freeze the action! The cliffhanger
crew. is coming. As the Slime seeps into the room, cutting
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off the escape route, tendrils snake from the floor and
ceiling feeling for their victims. The possessed Ausk C 1. The Chase
raises his blaster. It hums with energy. From beneath Act II starts with the players’ characters having been
the hood of slime, Ausk says one word, audible over split up. There are two important tasks that need to
everything, “hunger”. End of Act One! be done before the ship can be steered from danger,
so have each party do one of those tasks. Half of the
characters get trapped with Trant and Ryan, while the
C Act II: The Bodysnatchers other half get caught up with Fliss and Watson. Ideally,
If Act I has been about introducing the story, the you’ll want to keep the group’s most scientifically
characters and the imminent danger, Act II is about minded character (the Doctor, for example) with
using the tools that the Yatsoshiro provides in order Fliss and Watson, and have two players take on their
to defeat the slime, restart the engines, and steer the roles for all those scenes. If you have more than three
Yatsoshiro away from danger. This makes act two a players, the other players can take on the roles of
little less structured as the players may think of some Ryan, Trant and some of the other crew or pirates.
novel ways to use the Yatsoshiro and its technology in
order to save the day.
Group One
The first group ends up in the medical bay where they
Resources have easy access to the scientific equipment they
The players have the whole ship to potentially choose might need to analyse the Slime and work out how to
from. The only rule to bear in mind is that the larger defeat it.
the resource, the more likely the characters are going
to encounter the Slime as it makes its way across The characters, Fliss, Watson and some of the crew
the ship. You should also consider the time element. and pirates, are being chased through the deck by
Each resource takes time to acquire. Some things the possessed Ausk. He shoots his blaster, smashing
come immediately to hand, such as Sense TV, the walls and screens around the fleeing characters. One
Task Manager, a Buurman Blaster, and others take of the pirates gets hit. The players can either leave
longer. Start with 15 minutes for something that isn’t him, or spend a Story Point on hoisting him up and
immediately available or doesn’t need to be taken from helping him to safety.
where it is, 30 minutes for something quite difficult,
and one hour for something that can only be acquired In either case, they reach the medical bay. Rushing
from the colony. Remember, there are only two hours inside, one of the characters hits the controls that
before the ship collides with the debris column. slam the doors shut. The doors to the medical bay are
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large and heavy, designed to protect the occupants pylons are set to their own local gravity, ensuring
and to be closed air-tight and securely in the event of that they feel horizontal to those within them, despite
quarantine. sweeping downwards. Each pylon has a number of
small electric transport carts that the engineers use
The Medical Bay to get from one end to the other.
Filled with a range of medical equipment that is
principally geared towards providing first aid as the The characters can communicate over the internal
colony provides ample health care. There is, however, ship communication systems, and build any Gadgets
a quarantine bay, with large floor to ceiling observation they need, including flamethrowers, freeze-guns,
windows. Should the characters need to undertake motion scanners, and so on.
any kind of analysis on the Slime or its victims, there
is suitable equipment here.
C 2. Defeating the Slime
With all this equipment to hand, Gadgets can be built Remind the players what they know and what they
at a speed of 1 Story Point’s worth of traits every 15 haven’t found out just yet:
minutes. If they are designed to work directly against
the Kraken Slime, then a sample of the Slime is first • It appears to be psychic.
required. • It can survive in a vacuum.
• It can control humanoid forms.
• This is the chance for the players to plan their
approach and more specifically, to plan how Ideally, they need to analyse some of the Slime to
to defeat the Slime. The equipment in this area learn more.
makes Jiggery-Pokery a little easier.
Capture the Slime

Group Two The characters may need to go on a Slime hunt. The
The rest of the characters lead their group down onto medical bay has all the equipment the players may
deck four, where the engineering control is housed. ask for.
They punch their way out of the ventilation shaft and

drop down. They can hear the Slime sloshing after When they go looking for the Slime, they soon see
them through the shaft. What they need is to seal it it threading its way through the corridors, entering
and give themselves some time. circuitry and flowing through the cracks in the decking
and doors.
There are some metal plates and some welding gear
to hand. The characters can attempt to seal the shaft Characters need to make an Awareness roll against
themselves (with a Coordination + Craft roll at Difficulty the Slime’s Coordination + Subterfuge to avoid
12, or spend a Story Point and direct someone else to being hunted themselves and they need to make a
do it). Once sealed, they’re safe and have time to think. Coordination + Subterfuge roll against the Slime’s
Awareness in order to take one glob unawares. Give
Engineering Control the characters a bonus for any good ideas and use of
The engineering control deck is largely given over tools and Gadgets.
to workshops for repairing faulty equipment and
machining new parts. There are also computer cores Failure on these tests sees the Slime attack the
that allow the ship to auto-correct for course, manage characters, so you’ll need to run the physical conflict.
the constantly shifting fuel containment fields and All isn’t lost though; the characters can withdraw,
regulate the fuel reactions that provide the ship’s which draws one glob of Slime with them. If they do,
energy. As with the medical bay, the parts can be used give them a bonus to their Fighting checks. When they
to make one Story Point’s worth of gadgetry every 15 defeat the Slime, they have the sample they needed.
minutes.
The support pylons for the two great ion engines Analysing the Slime
run out from this deck, one on either side. They The characters need a Gadget capable of scanning to
are each shielded by large blast doors, which need the molecular level (a Sonic Screwdriver or similar
authorisation codes in order to open. The codes are will do the trick), which then allows the character to
held by the captain and members of the engineering make an Ingenuity + Science roll (Difficulty 18). If the
team. Otherwise, the doors are deadlock-sealed. The characters don’t already have such a Gadget one can
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be found in the sick bay. Getting too close to the Slime Making a Weapon
is dangerous. Any time a character gets close enough The characters have free rein on what they might
to scan it, the Slime will attempt to attack. Luckily, want to make. Some obvious examples might be to
characters who try to scan the Slime act before the combine the Buurman Blasters with the Sense TV
Slime can attack, so they may still get some results. neural projectors and create weapons that stun the
The table below lists the information gained at each Slime creatures. Or a neural projector could protect
success level. an individual or room from the Slime by persuading it
to move along.
Result Information Gained The more powerful neural projector could be used to
affect the whole ship, including the colony, if a delivery
Fantastic As Good plus: The character vehicle could be found (the Buurman pirate ship is still
gains enough information to be available, although by this time filled with Slime).
able to tune in scanners to pick
up the telepathic field. There is
a huge Slime colony outside the C 3. Restarting the Engines
ship, and it’s getting closer. With no engine power, the ship will strike the debris
column, taking several strikes to breach the hull in
Good As Success plus: the Slime is
both the command module and throughout the colony.
telepathic, an effect enhanced
by proximity and the size of the
Slime. If it touches a target, it
can interface with their nervous
Reaching the Engine Pods
Both pods need to be manually restarted, and the
system and countermand the
characters need to be involved in at least one of
electrical signals being sent to
those efforts. The vast engine pods each house
and from the brain.
hybrid-matter fusion reactors and their associated
Success The Slime is non-organic, but it space-warp ion propulsion emitters. These areas
can process organic compounds are unsafe for organic humanoid characters due to
and extract the elements it the strange radiation (2000 REMs worth) given off by
needs to replicate itself. It’s the propulsion technology. This equate to (12/24/36)
composed of billions of tiny levels of damage for each hour of exposure, modified
identical machines. Together, as usual by the results of a Strength + Survival check
they form complex shapes and (Difficulty 18).
they communicate, perhaps by
chemical signals. The closest
analogy is an Earth slime mould.
It is able to survive a vacuum.
Failure The Slime reacts to the scanning
and breaks free, moving away
from the scanner and into a vent
or grating on the deck. The Gadget
can track the Slime so characters
do have a chance of capturing it.
Bad The scanning goes badly! The tiny
machines that make up the Slime
decompose into their
constituent parts and no
information can be gained from
this specimen.
Disaster The character comes into contact
with the Slime as it breaks free. If
the character can fight it off, the
Slime can be contained again.
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The pylons connecting the pods to the command two are covered in Slime, which makes it impossible
module contain a number of airlocks and to touch them without being attacked. The players
decontamination areas along with bulky radiation need to find a way to neutralise the slime or remove it
suits that provide a bonus of +9 to the Strength + so that they can restart the engines.
Survival check and reduces the potential damage to
(6/12/18). Engineers trained in the use of the radiation
suits receive an additional +3 bonus to the Survival C 4. Escape the Debris Column
check. There are three radiation suits in each pylon, With the slime defeated and the engines restarted, the
providing Armour 8 and complete protection against characters need to get to the flight deck to steer the
the Slime’s Possess ability. ship away from the debris column.
A series of three large switches need to be thrown

in order. They each require a Strength + Athletics The Flight Deck
(Difficulty 12) roll to throw and each takes two actions; The flight deck is ringed with large floor-to-ceiling
one to engage, and one to fully open them up. display panels, each showing a view out into space
overlaid with telemetry and system status information.
The views are grainy and occasionally short out;
Restarting Pod One the residual effects of the Slime. The crew stand at
Once two switches have been fully thrown, the workstations filled with physical dials and switches.
characters gets interrupted! The Slime-possessed
Faulkner is here; he attacks those who need to restart The characters each need to take a specific action
the engines. Use the statistics for the possessed in controlling the ship, and the group needs to make
humanoid and give Faulkner a big heavy wrench (+2 three successes between them on a Coordination
Strength to damage). The party need to fend him off + Transport roll (Difficulty 15). If a character fails,
and continue to restart the engines. the next character needs to achieve a good result. If
that fails, the next needs a fantastic result. They can
cooperate in order to gain the +2 bonus. The actions
Restarting Pod Two needed are:
You only need to worry about this if you have a

character at each pod; otherwise, as soon as pod one • Regulate the fuel reactions in the engines.
has restarted, the non-player characters at pod two • Manage the speed of the ship.
complete their task too. The restart switches in pod • Adjust its pitch.
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• Roll the ship using the thrusters. include explosions? In terms of assets, they can reach
• Bring the shields back on line. the TARDIS, or the Buurman ship and they can release
one or both engine pods and control them remotely. If
Use the forward-facing weapons to blast a clear path. they wanted to do something bold like evacuating the
The characters can attempt these actions in any order colony into the agripods and then jettisoning them,
they like. If a character fails an action, they can try then make the time short, but achievable.
again after everyone has had their go. Once a total of
six actions have been taken, and if three successes Whichever plan they arrive at, build the story around
haven’t been gained, then the Yatsoshiro crashes. it. Importantly, this scene replaces the next scene and
essentially brings the story to a close.
C Act III: The Maw

‘How could they know, even stand back and see C 2. The Kraken Attacks
The nature of the place they stood on, The Yatsoshiro is clear of the debris field, and while
When no man can, no man knows where he stands minor bits of wreckage are still raining onto the hull,
Until he leaves his place, looks back there is no real damage and the Yatsoshiro is free.
and knows.’ The Slime on board the ship has been neutralised,
– Erebus and Terror, Gwendolyn MacEwen the pirates are either going to be sent on their way,
or sent to the brig, and the TARDIS has repaired itself.
The final act of the adventure forces the characters to Just as everyone is saying goodbye… the Kraken
confront the result of their earlier actions. Have they attacks.
done enough to save the ship, or must they struggle to
salvage what they can from the wreckage?
The Attack
A great section of the command module is suddenly
C 1. The Crash of the Yatsoshiro pulled away by a massive Slimy tentacle. The monster
If the players managed to save the Yatsoshiro, they isn’t done yet. It starts to pull the command module
can skip this scene and go straight to The Kraken apart, inching its way along in the direction of the
Attacks. If the Yatsoshiro crashes however, the colony colony.
needs to be saved.
This is now a test of the players’ ingenuity. They have Defeating the Kraken
just minutes before the colony collides with the debris There’s always more than one way to solve a problem
column. Do they try to clear a gap with a controlled and the players are no doubt by now masters at
explosion? Knock the colony off-course with an finding novel solutions to impossible problems. Once
explosion? Or find some other option that doesn’t the Kraken arrives, there will be too much Slime to
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fight off. The entire colony, including the crew, the hardship, like dropping the Sonic Screwdriver
privateers, Fliss, and the characters are all likely to at the very last minute, and give them a roll to
be taken over by the Kraken Slime if they don’t do save the day.
something to stop it. The players might come up
with any of the following solutions: And after all that, their plan works!
• Destroy It: The option most beloved to scared

pirates and the military, destroying the Kraken C Aftermath
is possible. The Buurman ship, or one of the
Yatsoshiro’s engines, could be detonated in the Back to the TARDIS
middle of the Kraken mass. The resulting shock The TARDIS has completely healed itself, although
could deactivate all the Slime networked to it. there is a fine dust all over the console that will take an
• Send it Away: Either through reasoning with age to clean; the remnants of the Slime that infiltrated
the Kraken, tricking it or dominating it through the TARDIS shell.
force of will, it may be possible to send the
Kraken away.
• Break it Up: The Kraken has a hive mind; the Friends and Former Enemies
more Slime there is the more intelligent and With the Yatsoshiro saved, Captain Ryan ensures that
resourceful the Kraken becomes. If it gets the characters are known throughout the colony and
broken up it becomes mostly harmless, for a they will always receive a warm welcome. Even Trant,
while at least. The Yatsoshiro’s warp engines pirate though he is, gives grudging respect to the
could be used to disrupt or scatter it, or the characters on future meetings. Though not pleased to
Buurman ship. see them, he will do the characters no harm and may
• Contain It: Can the Kraken Slime be tricked even help them in the future. If one of the characters
into one of the Yatsoshiro’s agripods? Can the feels that they have travelled far enough, Fliss and
characters materialise the TARDIS entirely Watson have only just started. If you wanted to, you
around it? could start a new chapter with Fliss and Watson
• Escape From It: They could always try escaping stepping aboard the TARDIS.
from it. They could get in the TARDIS and go, or

they could gun the Yatsoshiro’s engines and try
to break free. The Future of the Debris Column
The debris column may be filled with becalmed
Your players will no doubt suggest options that ships now, but in the future, freed from the Kraken,
aren’t covered above. In any case, whichever idea a thriving community might spring up. Salvage crews
your players come up with is exactly the right thing may head to the column looking for parts and valuable
to do! So, help them make it happen. The players resources. Archaeologists from across the cosmos
need to go through the following for each: might seek out the secrets of the ancient travellers
that once found themselves lost and alone in deep
• Setting up the Solution: Ask the players, “What space. And trader captains might steer their vessels
do you want to do to the Slime?” If they’re not to the column to service the needs of visitors.
confident of their options, you can read them
the quick headings above. Once they’ve decided As knowledge of the column spreads, more ships may
ask them how they’re going to do it. Again, help choose to join, living off scavenged power supplies or
the players come to a plan. Finally, ask them joining with others to pool their resources. The column
what they need to make their plan work. could become a safe haven away from the reaches
• The Challenge: Decide a couple of challenges of the law, while others might see the need to bring
that need to be completed quickly and by order to the chaos. There are fiefdoms to be carved
multiple characters. Do they need to jettison out and reputations to be made in the debris column.
one of the engines? If so, how do they convince The characters might even visit again in the future as
the captain (“Don’t worry, the Doctor knows the column makes its transition from a bustling but
what he’s doing”)? And then how do they safely disorganised commune to a society the size of an
send it off into space (“This button here… Or entire planet snaking through the stars.
was it this one”)?
• The Execution: Something’s bound to go
wrong. A circuit breaks or a shield buckles,
for instance. Give the characters that final
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The Bellagio Imbroglio
In this adventure, the time travellers are pulled various problems they face, but their every move is
into a swirl of intrigue, mystery and romance! noticed by rivals who are ready to react.
They find themselves entangled with the legendary
mystic Count Cagliostro and the ageing adventurer The adventure ends when the treasure comes to
Casanova while dodging the Inquisition through the light and the competition for ownership becomes
canals of 18th-century Venice. At stake: the lives of fierce and final, probably in one big multi-directional
an innocent family. confrontation.
C Adventure Synopsis Story Special Rules

The adventure is set in Venice, in July 1778. There
is a historical celebrity who needs to turn his life While there are some serious aspects to this
around. Sounds like the Doctor’s sort of thing. But one story, overall this adventure is meant to be a
wrong move – including doing nothing at all – means romp, with big broad antagonists, moderate
innocent people will suffer. stakes and plenty of opportunities for laughter.
Explain these special rules to the players
This adventure is really just a web of relationships before the start of play so they know what
and a MacGuffin that everyone wants. Everything they’re in for:
the characters do will tweak the relationship web,
and whatever they do, everyone will chase after the Story Points spent on Convince rolls are doubly
MacGuffin. There are no aliens, monsters or time effective: if spent before a roll, 1 Story Point
distortions: this is a ‘pure’ historical adventure of the gives you 4 bonus dice instead of 2. If spent after
type described on pg. 33. Now, that might not suit your a roll, 1 Story Point improves the result two
game, so there’s an optional section at the end with levels instead of one. Likewise, Story Points are
some of that good stuff – add to taste. doubly effective for any Subterfuge roll involving
the use of disguise.
A lot of detail is given for the opening scene. This
sequence drags the characters into a web of conflict Characters can easily get separated in this
and intrigue as various factions compete to find and adventure. As an incentive to keep bringing
hold on to a unique treasure. everyone together, award a Story Point each
time a player arranges for two separated
After the opening scene the adventure opens up. The characters to cross paths.
characters do whatever they please to deal with the
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The Cast of Characters • The Beggar Woman, Margarita (perhaps her

As Gamemaster you will likely be playing these husband was imprisoned by the Inquisition and
characters frequently, as they drive the whole she is starving without his income, demonstrating
adventure: the power the Inquisition can exert).
• The Ageing Rogue, Giacomo Casanova.

• The Generous Hostess, Elizabeta Bellagio.
• The Rebellious Daughter, Sabrina Bellagio. What Historians Know
In his memoirs, legendary adventurer and
Another set of characters will be ‘on stage’ less seducer Giacomo Casanova recounts a meeting
often but still have important roles in the story. As with the man who would become the mysterious
Gamemaster you will need to think about what they Cagliostro. It was 1770, and they happened
do when the player characters aren’t around: to stay at the same inn in the south of France.
Cagliostro posed as a religious pilgrim, but
• The Special Inquisitor, Bernardo Battista. Casanova was not fooled by this act. He was,
• The Ruthless Twins, Mariano and Carla Palladio. however, impressed by the younger man’s skill
• The Murderous Assassin, Mostro, who works for at forgery. Eight years later they met again.
the twins. Both their fortunes had changed, and now they
• The Roving Magician, Alessandro Cagliostro. were at odds. The true nature of their secret
encounter has never been determined, but
There are a number of other characters in the rumours have circulated for centuries. One
adventure who may take on large or small roles, rumour has persisted above all others: that they
depending on how events work out. You probably exchanged the secret of eternal life.
won’t need to worry about them when they’re not with
the characters. These include:
• The Daring Gondolier, Vincenzo Cristiano. Playing History

• The Ill-Fated Informant, Anton. Historical settings can be intimidating, and
• The Bellagio Servant, Teodor. 18th-century Venice is a perfect example.

There’s so much information out there! What
As the adventure unfolds you will probably invent other if you misrepresent history, or contradict a
characters depending on what the players choose to known fact? Relax. If the Doctor’s adventures
do. As sparks for imagination, here are some potential have proved anything, it’s that there’s no such
further characters: thing as a known fact, and history is always
up for grabs. His visits to the past often bear
little resemblance to what is recorded in the
history books. Who could have expected that
16th-century Venice would have housed sinister
vampires? Or that Charles Dickens would turn
out to be a resourceful ghostbuster?
There are plenty of books and articles out there

about Venice and Cagliostro and Casanova. You
don’t need to read any of them. Dive in if you want
to, and bring all that extra detail and knowledge
• The Principal of the Fellows of the Red Lion, to the game table, but most players really won’t
Aureo Mare (perhaps he has his own special need mind if you don’t. The most important thing is
for Cagliostro’s help). exciting play.
• The Police Captain, Fracastoro (perhaps he is
actively trying to get the Special Inquisitor tossed Whatever you do, don’t overload the game with
out of Venice and waiting for a justification). detail after detail! That just bogs everything
• The Singing Gondolier, Cesare (perhaps he knows down. In fact, regardless of how much you’ve
the secret friendship between Vincenzo and Aldo). researched, you should only bring a small
• The Fool of the 40 Thieves, Umberto (perhaps he number of vivid images into play. The players’
was sick of being treated poorly and tipped off the imaginations will race ahead to fill in the gaps.
Inquisition about Vincenzo’s and Sabrina’s raid).
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Sticking Around
C Getting There A group of time travellers always has the option of just
This adventure assumes that the characters have the walking away. Why should they stick around for this
ability to travel in time and space – that they aren’t adventure, especially when it starts getting tricky for
already citizens of 18th-century Venice. Exactly how them?
the characters arrive on the scene will depend on who
they are and how they travel about. Here are some • Getting Stuck: This has been a common
ideas: occurrence in the Doctor’s travels; he loses
access to the TARDIS, or the TARDIS breaks down,
• Accident: The characters are using a time or everyone gets arrested and imprisoned. The
machine that is often unreliable, or just cannot be rest of the adventure is about finding a way out.
steered with any accuracy, and they land here by This situation probably happens in this adventure,
accident. but it’s not a foolproof plan for a Gamemaster. A
• Tourism: If the characters travel to see the sufficiently determined set of players armed with
sights and wonders of the universe, they could Story Points can force their way to an exit point
be heading here in order to witness the famed very swiftly indeed.
Venetian Carnivale at its height. (They are about • Responsibility: The characters are in some way
six months too late for Carnivale, but there’s still responsible for a bad situation and feel obliged to
plenty to see!) put it right. In this adventure an innocent family
• Alchemy: The characters could be seeking the will be hurt if the characters simply depart.
fabled Philosopher’s Stone – a secret alchemical • Empathy: The characters meet several people
substance that can turn lead into gold, among who are in trouble. Compassionate characters
many other incredible properties – or the Elixir will want to assist them, and this will mean
of Life. Records indicate Cagliostro came to entangling themselves in the story threads.
Venice at this time, and rumours say he had these • Tourism: Some characters will be delighted by
treasures. In this adventure, these two items are the chance to spend time with famous historical
one and the same, two different expressions of figures such as Casanova and Cagliostro. Dangle
the same treasure. this possibility in front of them, but don’t rush to
• Investigation: Records show the mysterious let them achieve their goal.
Cagliostro visited Venice in 1778, and there
revealed some of his secrets. It is rumoured
that he lived for centuries, adopting numerous
persona over the years, with even his personality
shifting as he went. Could he be a disguised,
hidden Time Lord?
The adventure assumes the group arrives in Venice in

a TARDIS. If they use another method of travel, some
changes may be necessary.
• Curiosity: If the group becomes invested in a

mystery, they’ll be keen to see it solved. While
the adventure is underway you can play up any
new mysteries they come across: What secrets
does Cagliostro keep? What has happened to the
Bellagio Stone?
• Romance: The characters get to meet Casanova!
Any ongoing romance sub-plots in your game
can be easily brought into focus using him as
a provocation. He has a sixth sense for when
characters like each other, and if someone wants
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assistance in professing their love to someone Elizabeta Bellagio

else, why, there is no better advisor to be found! • In spiralling debt to the dangerous Palladio twins.
And of course there are several potential love • Invited Cagliostro to Venice for assistance.
matches for the characters, if your players like
that sort of story. Elizabeta Bellagio is the widow of textile merchant
Aldo Bellagio. She does her best to carry on his
business, but she inherited a bad situation from her
C Casanova and the Bellagios husband. To keep going through a rough patch, he
The central characters each face difficult problems. borrowed a substantial sum from the unscrupulous
Giacomo Casanova needs to prove himself to the Palladio twins. The rough patch didn’t end, and when
Inquisition. He is using the Bellagio family as bait for he died, Aldo was struggling to service the rapidly
the Inquisition’s enemy, Cagliostro. When Cagliostro growing debt. That debt is now hers.
helps the Bellagios, Casanova will turn them all over
to the Inquisition as occult criminals. Carla Palladio has offered a way out for Elizabeta. If
she simply hands over a family heirloom, a precious
The Bellagios have problems of their own, of course. gem known as the Bellagio Stone, Carla will forgive
The widow Elizabeta is in worsening debt to some the debt. But the Bellagio Stone cannot be found;
unsavoury characters, one of whom is courting her Elizabeta does not know where her late husband Aldo
reluctant daughter Maria. There seems no way out – left it.
until they learn of the magician Cagliostro.
In need of help, Elizabeta has gone to one of her oldest
friends, the adventurer Casanova, for advice. He
“Antonio Pratolini” (Giacomo Casanova) suggested inviting the magician Cagliostro to Venice.
• Declining fame. Cagliostro’s magic will surely divine the location of the
• Conflicted about spying for the Inquisition. stone.
• Using the Bellagios to entrap Cagliostro.
Elizabeta went to her society of friends, the Fellows
Casanova, the adventurer of legend! He bedded the of the Red Lion, and convinced them to support a
finest women of Europe, and feared no man, a jealous bid to bring Cagliostro to Venice. Although many of
husband least of all! However, by 1778, the legend has the Fellows hope to join in Cagliostro’s renowned
faded. Now aged 53, his manners are out of fashion, ceremonies, it falls to Elizabeta to be his host. And
his money has run out and his name is slipping into thus she bears the greatest risk; for playing host to
obscurity. He scrapes a living as an informant (or, in a magician will not be received well by the Venetian
his words, a “spy”) for the Venetian Inquisition. His Inquisition, should they discover the truth.
humiliation is acute, because he first found fame for
escaping the Inquisition’s prison. Will the Bellagio Stone be found? Will Elizabeta
resolve her debt? The players will determine her fate.
As an informant, Casanova (spying alias: “Antonio
Pratolini”) is worthless. He reports on dice games and
unfaithful wives, to the Inquisition’s dismay. There are Sabrina Bellagio
greater sins being committed! Casanova must find • Dutiful daughter by day, daredevil by night.
something big, or he’ll be out on his ear. Fortunately, • Enduring a deeply unwanted courtship.
he has learned that the magician Cagliostro is • Landed her best friend in trouble with the
travelling nearby. This is his opportunity! Using a Inquisition.
Venetian family as bait, he will lure in Cagliostro and
deliver him to the Inquisition. Headstrong and restless, Sabrina barely manages to
keep up the appearance of the good daughter. But
He is not sleeping easily over this plan, however. The she tries, because she knows her mother faces great
family will be sacrificed along with the magician. challenges, and her loyalty to family is absolute.
Casanova has committed many sins in his life, but
never has he betrayed innocents to such a dreadful The greatest test of this loyalty comes from a
fate. suitor. She is being courted by the wealthy Mariano
Palladio. She dislikes him, but dares not refuse
Will he go through with his subterfuge? Will he be him. She knows the family is in grave debt to the
able to live with himself after? It is up to the players’ Palladios. For her mother’s sake, she must endure
characters to guide him. his attentions. She only hopes that some solution is
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found before he forces her into marriage. To protect

her mother, yes, she will even marry this awful C Juggling the Cast
man. With that future ahead of her, all the more Three big story characters, all with their own goals.
reason to live life to the full while she can. After the Here’s the trick to managing this crowd without
sun goes down, she has her real fun. She is the only going crazy: partnerships. Match up each of these
girl in a gang of thrill-seeking troublemakers who characters with one of the players’ characters.
call themselves the Forty Thieves. They sneak out
at night and challenge each other to feats of great Then have the story character focus attention on their
daring and adventure. match. They can confide in them, invite them home,
challenge them, ask them questions. Try to get the
Sabrina’s great rival is Vincenzo, the Bellagio’s player interested in the story character and keen to
favoured gondolier, and also the leader of the Forty solve their problems.
Thieves. He delights in belittling and baiting her, so
she is determined to show him she is the bravest of These partnerships will mean that each story
all. This has caused her current predicament. character will have a hook to one player. You just need
to keep all your players engaged as you usually would,
Sabrina announced that she would set off an explosive and the different stories will take care of themselves.
stink-bomb in the Inquisitorial Headquarters. She
suggested Vincenzo was too cowardly to come with
her. Vincenzo wouldn’t let that stand. So, together, Potential Matches
they broke into the Inquisitorial Chambers and If you want, plan in advance who will be a good match
thoroughly despoiled its aromatic integrity. But they for who. However, be prepared to throw all that
were discovered! To give Sabrina a chance to escape, planning out the window once the game is underway.
Vincenzo allowed himself to be caught. He is now in If one player shows a lot of interest in Sabrina’s
the Inquisition’s custody, and Sabrina is determined story, then match them with Sabrina. Here are some
to free him, no matter what it takes. suggestions for matches:
Will she be forced to marry Mariano? Will she free • Casanova is a good match for singular characters
Vincenzo from his prison? The players will help decide with complex histories like the Doctor, Clara or
her fate. Sarah Jane.
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• Sabrina is a good match for daring, wildfire • It is simply an unusual gemstone, cut in a
characters like Captain Jack or Amy. distinctive shape.
• Elizabeta is a good match for down-to-earth or • It is indeed special; perhaps a gem that has grown
worldy wise characters like Martha, Donna or up inside the Time Vortex, offering glimpses of
Rory. the past and the future to those who bathe in its
artron radiation?
If you only have two players, match them with Sabrina • It is an item of great significance in your own
and Elizabeta, leaving Casanova to bounce back and campaign; a message from the Time Lords, or a
forth. fragment of the Key to Time?
C The Bellagio Stone

Within the Bellagio home, above the dining table,
is a painting of the late Aldo Bellagio. He wears his
fanciest clothes and his most serious expression.
In his hands is a greenish-yellow gemstone that is
shaped like a tall, thin pyramid. This is the Bellagio
Stone.
It was passed down through many generations of

Bellagios. Family legend called it a lucky stone,
attended by guardian spirits who would give the
owner visions of future success, and then use their
spiritual power to make the visions come true.
All well-connected Venetians have heard of the

Bellagio Stone. Most give little credence to these
stories, but some say that is only the beginning.
The Bellagio Stone, these whispers say, is in fact Where is the Stone?
the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. If properly The Bellagio Stone is not lost forever. Indeed, it is very
understood, it could turn lead to gold, bring light in close indeed.
the dark and hold back death itself.
Vincenzo has served the Bellagio family since he
Elizabeta doesn’t know what to think about these became a gondolier. He is not a servant, but a favoured
stories. She knows Aldo believed the Stone was provider of an essential service. He knows the family
powerful. Once he told her that the Stone’s magic well.
could drive a man insane. For that reason, she
thinks, he hid the Stone away where no one could be In this period, Vincenzo impressed Aldo with his good
tempted by its power. Despite her great need, a part character, and also spritely attitude to life. When
of her hopes that the Stone will never be found. Aldo wanted to hide the stone, believing it would
bring misery to his family if it remained where they
could use it, he went to Vincenzo. Swearing the young
Secrets of the Stone gondolier to silence, he secreted the Stone within
The high society of Venice believe the Bellagio Stone is Vincenzo’s gondola.
in fact the Philosopher’s Stone. The Special Inquisitor
certainly thinks this is the case. However, other views It has been there ever since. Vincenzo never doubted
are available, and Casanova for one does not believe Aldo’s expectation that the stone was bad luck. But
a word of it. Occult carry-on is just a fancy way to Aldo did not reckon on one thing: Sabrina. She is
swindle the gullible, and Cagliostro is the biggest working her way closer to Vincenzo than anyone
scoundrel of all. else; if she is threatened, he might be tempted to
break that vow.
However, Cagliostro is genuinely intrigued by the
Stone and its legend. He wishes to claim it for himself. Apart from a confession to save Sabrina or her
So what is the truth of the Stone? This adventure does mother, how will the characters determine Vincenzo
not rely on any single explanation. You should choose has the Stone? They might logic their way to it,
one of the following: but Story Points will be of great use. As players
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investigate, give them opportunities to find clues This hall is upstairs from the entrance floor, which
leading to this truth in return for a Story Point: for is predominantly storerooms and antechambers and
example, one of the other gondoliers might mention closets; there is an even higher level with locked
that Aldo treated Vincenzo like the son he never had, offices and a balcony front and rear, and right at the
while a servant might note that in his waning days back, a stone cell.
Aldo wanted to see the sights of Venice a final time
and spent many hours touring the canals.
C The Adventure Begins

Quite a lot happens in this opening sequence, which
sets up everything else in the adventure. As noted
before, we’re assuming the characters are using a
TARDIS to get around.
Arrival
To set the tone and get the adventure rolling, it is
recommended that you start the adventure with the
characters emerging from the TARDIS and right into
a tricky situation. Read or paraphrase the following: Nope, my players didn’t do that
Some groups won’t be keen on starting out in the
With a wheezing, groaning sound the TARDIS settles room, preferring to cautiously check the scanner
in its destination: Venice, 1778. The door opens, and before opening the door, or otherwise taking care not
the time travellers emerge, one after the other. They to cause a scene. That’s fine! Perhaps the TARDIS
are all wearing masks, ready for the famous Venetian lands in the larder, among the wait staff, allowing a
Masquerade. What masks are you wearing? more subtle entry to the room?
Thinking up an answer to the mask question is a If they’re really cautious, they might also try a short
good warm-up for players, getting their imaginations jump to someone more discreet. You could offer Story
working, giving them an opportunity to demonstrate Points to get them out into the room, but if they aren’t
something about their character. After they’ve tempted, let them go. Wherever they land, it isn’t
answered, and perhaps launched into some banter, too hard to have someone witness their emergence,
you can carry on: and word will quickly get around about Cagliostro’s
Magical Blue Box…
With surprise, you realise you haven’t emerged into
a quiet alleyway as planned. Instead you are in the
centre of a crowded hall. The crowd stare at you in It Gets Complicated
astonished silence. This scene should move fast. Keep the players off-
balance by throwing events and details at them at
speed – slow down just enough so they catch the
Where are They? important bits.
This is the meeting hall of the Fellows of the Red
Lion. They have gathered to welcome the magician The woman, who is of course Elizabeta Bellagio,
Cagliostro to Venice. You can guess what will happen hushes the crowd:
next:
“Of course, we must not use that name! Let me correct
Everyone wears elaborate finery and artisan masks, myself: I welcome you to Venice, Lord Pellegrini!”
and says nothing. Then a woman steps forward. She
wears a silver-shot half-mask and a red dress lined Servants offer platters laden with wine and tiny
with glittering jewels.“My Lord Cagliostro! What an delicacies. Yum.
entrance!” And with this cue, the entire room erupts
into cheers and applause. Elizabeta was expecting an entrance, but this is
incredible! She starts making introductions. (She will
There are only two exits from the hall, to the front and not mention Casanova.) The players can play along or
rear stairs, and both are guarded. try and clear things up.
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The crowd is excited: what a coup, what a marvel! Did This is when his luck runs out. A noose will slip around
you hear that Cagliostro predicted the lottery? And his neck and yank him up. The fearsome Mostro,
spoke with the dead! Why, I heard he could be in two lurking above, will haul him up and leave him hanging
places at once! I was told he shrunk a French bishop from the rooftop for the crows.
to the size of a doll!
Anton lost his inheritance thanks to an unwise deal
There are four important events that make up the rest with the twins, and became their servant. He hopes
of this scene. Introduce them in this order: Cagliostro will cause their downfall and free him. His
warning is broadly accurate but gets a few details
• One character notices a man wearing a golden wrong: the treasure is Carla Palladio’s aim only, not
hook-nosed half-mask (a Commedia dell’Arte her brother’s, and she has yet to make any request of
mask for the character Pulcinella). He stands half any Bellagio.
in the shadows, watching intently. Candlelight
reflects off his mask. And then, abruptly, he Note that a quick-thinking player might save Anton
departs. from death. Such a result is perfectly fine, although
• One character is approached by a young man Mostro will make further attempts in short order.
wearing red. He leans in to whisper: “Your host Realising the danger, Anton will do his best to make
is in the grip of dark forces. I cannot talk here. himself scarce, but a convincing player might get him
Follow me.” Then, some of the men from the Red to stick around and lend a hand against the Palladios.
Lion Fellows will tap him on the shoulder; he is
not a member and is unwelcome. He will hurry
from the building. Mostro
• Elizabeta introduces her daughter, Sabrina, an
attractive girl of 17 in a pearl half-mask. She
approaches to politely kiss “Cagliostro” on the Awareness 3 Presence 4
cheek. While doing this, she takes the opportunity Coordination 5 Resolve 4
to steal something from his pockets: a Sonic Ingenuity 2 Strength 6
Screwdriver, perhaps? (Technically this is a
contested roll – Awareness + Ingenuity vs. Co-

ordination + Subterfuge – but you could just hand Skills
over a Story Point.) Then she makes her way from Athletics 6, Fighting 6, Subterfuge 4.
the room, pausing to ensure one of Cagliostro’s
entourage sees her with the stolen item. She Traits
wants to be followed. Distinctive: hulking, hairy and huge.
• And then, the Inquisitor arrives. Fast Healing (Major): He shrugs off most injuries.
Outcast: The only work he can find is murder, but
luckily it is work he enjoys.
Tough: And most of the time he doesn’t get hurt in
Casanova, the Hook-masked Lurker the first place.
Casanova knows full well that these new arrivals are
Unattractive: His features are twisted and
not Cagliostro and company. He slips away to regroup.
terrifying.
He will be horrified when he sees that the Inquisition
are about to raid the place: this is not at all part of
Equipment: Spiked Club (4/8/12), Strangulation
his plan! Anyone who tails him will see him hide as
Noose (use the rules for drowning, see the
the police march by, then find a position where he can Doctor Who Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook).
watch the raid progress.
Anton, the Man in Red
This uninvited guest is a young man named Anton. He
hurries from the hall and ducks into a nearby alley. Sabrina, the Pearl-masked Thief
There, he waits for someone to come, so he can deliver Sabrina wants to earn some attention and respect
his warning: “Your hostess is beholden to the wicked from the new arrivals. Hoping to be followed, she
Palladio twins, who desire your treasures. She will try climbs the stairs to the highest level of the building
to steal them, and if she fails, they will murder her and waits for whoever comes on a balcony overlooking
daughter. And then they will murder you. Be careful. the street. There she will return the stolen item and
If you give me your protection I will help you escape.” ask for help with rescuing her friend Vincenzo.
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And then, from her high vantage, Sabrina will see the His beady eyes explore every dark corner and delve
police approaching. She will realise there is no time into every soul. Everyone is terrified of him.
to warn Elizabeta, so she will take the alternative
option of getting away. She gives what advice she can
to her new friend, then deftly climbs down the side of
the building and heads home. The character can try
to follow, or wait for the police to find them as they
search the building.
Everybody Halt!
With a thunder of boots, the City Police come
storming into the hall, brandishing pistols. Captain
Fracatoro hollers, “All shall halt in the name of the
Holy Inquisition of Venice!” Some people try to flee,
most just freeze. The police attempt to intimidate the
crowd into silence. Elizabeta, as host, is calm and
cooperative. The players can respond in a variety of
ways:
• Back to the TARDIS! This should be difficult or

impossible. The first swathe of guards should Marched in behind him is a rangy youth with a sack
cut the TARDIS off completely. If the characters tied over his head and his hands bound behind his
persist in trying, offer a Story Point or two for a back. Battista makes no reference to this prisoner.
reason to change tack. If that fails, adjudicate This is Sabrina’s friend Vincenzo; if she is there to
their efforts fairly. witness, she will instantly recognise him despite the
• Talk to the Inquisition! The rank and file know sack.
better than to chatter away in a situation like
this. The Sergeant will be willing to talk however Battista will speak. Everyone will listen, because he
– confirming that his detachment have been is a very powerful man. He makes an absolute meal
seconded to the Holy Inquisition, and securing out of this:
this building was their first task.
• Run for it! Now that’s the spirit. The Sergeant “Fellows of the Red Lion. A society of mutual aid. Until
will shout “after them!” and a chase will begin! further notice, you are shut down. Closed by order of
For each fleeing character, two policemen the Inquisition! We have reason to believe that societies
will be in pursuit. They must be shaken off or in this precinct conceal gambling! Paganism! Wrong
otherwise dealt with for the escape to take; any music! And even those who actively plot to humiliate
fleeing character who is captured will be treated god’s Inquisition in Venice!
as a prisoner thereafter. If the characters are in
trouble here, Casanova might intervene to help “Do any of you… wish… to confess?”
them evade the police.
• Stay quiet! Keep quiet, let what happens happen, If no one fills the silence, Elizabeta will speak up.
don’t draw attention to yourself. This works fine Flustered, she says this is just a collection of friends
until the Special Inquisitor turns up. who try to help each other get along. Unless the
• Fight our way out! Well, this isn’t really players’ characters help, her response will obviously
recommended, but it might make sense for earn Battista’s close attention and suspicion.
some groups. It works how you’d think: big fight,
characters marked men thereafter. The rest of Battista’s general mood is dark. He stands too close
this adventure will probably run a little differently to those he speaks with, and his expression is a
if the characters take this course, so you might permanent scowl. He will be very interested in any
need to think on your feet a bit. characters he spots, sensing they are unusual.
Battista will ask questions. Where are they from? How

Enter the Special Inquisitor long have they been in Venice, and how did they come?
After the room has been secured and everything is Where is their residence? (Elizabeta will say they are
calm, Special Inquisitor Battista makes his entrance. her guests.)
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He will be particularly suspicious of the TARDIS:

“Magicians are known to keep their secrets in magic C Important Locations
boxes such as this. Open it!”
Casa Bellagio
If this questioning goes particularly badly, Battista Cagliostro and company are expected at the Bellagio
might decide to arrest some of the characters, or even home, but even if the mistaken identity is discovered,
Elizabeta. More likely, he will just take careful note of the characters will still be made welcome. A servant
suspicious people, for future investigation. named Teodor will attend to all their needs.
Battista will then announce that this hall is Casa Bellagio makes an excellent base of operations.
requisitioned as his new headquarters, seeing as the It is large and well-appointed, with an excellent dining
usual office is uninhabitable due to the acts of vandals room containing a painting of the departed Aldo
(see pg. 141). Bellagio with the Bellagio Stone.
He will have his men put any prisoners – including

the captured Vincenzo – in the cell at the back of the The Fellows of the Red Lion Hall
house, to stay there under guard. This meeting room has been seized by the Inquisition.
Note however that the Red Lion Fellows only occupy
He will set up his office and receiving room in the hall, one level of this multi-level building. There are various
alongside the TARDIS. This means getting access to offices up on the very top floor, for example. There are
the TARDIS for the remainder of the adventure will be police on guard at the main entrance to the building,
a bit tricky. but they cannot refuse those with legitimate business
elsewhere in the building.
Venetian Policeman Vincenzo is held in the stone cell (which has also been
requisitioned by Battista), with an additional guard at
the door. Any other prisoners of the Inquisition will
Awareness 3 Presence 2 be put in the same room and will have a chance to
Coordination 3 Resolve 3 meet Vincenzo. They will also have ample opportunity
Ingenuity 2 Strength 3 to chat with the Special Inquisitor, and even some
Venetian Police who are none too happy being ordered
around by Battista.
Captain Fracatoro’s police force is not actually
part of the Inquisition. They have been put under
Battista’s command through some complicated
internal politics that they do not understand. They
Casa Palladio
aren’t particularly pleased by this, but as long as This garish, over-dressed mansion is filled with the
they get to smash a few people up from time to callous rich, who swirl about in a perpetual party
time, they’re willing to put up with it. haze and pay obsequious homage to their hosts, the
Palladio Twins. Carla and Mariano are usually here,
Skills and Mostro lives here in a gloomy tower. There are
Athletics 3, Fighting 3, Marksman 3. thugs on the door turning away anyone who is not
known to them.
Equipment: Club (2/4/6), Pistol (2/5/7).
Tech Level: 3 Story points: 0 San Trovaso Square

This square is an important location for the building
and repair of the city’s gondola fleet. Located on the
corner of two intersecting canals, it features a wide
slipway for launching boats into the water, a large
number of gondolas in various states of creation and
C The Rest of the Adventure repair, and a number of shadowy alcoves and corners
Will Elizabeta be freed of her debt? Will Sabrina marry for privacy.
Mariano? Will Vincenzo be condemned? Will Casanova
deliver his friend to the Inquisition? Without help from This square is the favoured midnight meeting place
the players, every one of these questions will receive of the Forty Thieves, because Vincenzo stores his
the most awful answer. gondola here. This is also where Cagliostro arranges
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to meet Casanova, because he has guessed that the Still stuck? Get the player to link in with another
Bellagio Stone is hidden in Vincenzo’s gondola. player’s actions. Offer them a Story Point for
suggesting a connection.
Other Streets and Canals And then? Time to have a bad guy kick down a door.
The maze of avenues, paved or watery, is always Have Mostro turn up to menace the character or
open for exploration. In this adventure, any character anyone else in range. That would keep anyone busy.
moving from place to place is likely to be spied upon
and followed: Casanova, Cagliostro, Mostro and the
Inquisition all have reason to follow the characters. C List of Events
Here is how it might go. Players can and will mess up
these events. Given the miserable endings everyone
finds below, that’s probably a good thing.
Early Afternoon:
• The players’ characters arrive, and are mistaken
for Cagliostro and company.
• Anton is murdered by Mostro.
• Battista shuts down the Fellows of the Red Lion.
Late Afternoon:
• The characters are invited to Casa Bellagio, and
meet Elizabeta, Sabrina and Casanova.
• Elizabeta asks “Cagliostro” for help in finding the
Bellagio Stone.
• Sabrina asks the friends of “Cagliostro” for help
in rescuing Vincenzo.
Mealtime:
C How to Run • Battista visits the Bellagios; Casanova leaves to
the Rest of the Adventure avoid him.
That opening scene was heavily scripted, telling you
exactly what happens when. From now on, though, it’s Early Evening:
all up to you. For the rest of the adventure, your job as • Elizabeta pleads with Carla Palladio for more
Gamemaster is this: time. (She is refused)
• “Lord Huntingdon” introduces himself to
• Make the story characters forcefully pursue their Elizabeta.
goals. • Mariano Palladio gives Sabrina an ultimatum.
• Make the story characters react to everything the • Casanova reports to Battista. (Tells him about the
players do. meeting arrangements.)
• Sabrina tries to recruit the other Forty Thieves to
One way to handle this smoothly is to go around the help free Vincenzo. (They refuse.)
table, giving focus to each player in turn.
Dead of Night:
• Are they doing something already? If so, great! • Sabrina launches her desperate attempt to free
Work out what happens. Vincenzo. (It fails. She is arrested too.)
• Is there something they want to do? If so, great!
Get them started. Near Sunrise:
• Are they stalled or unsure? Take the story • “Huntingdon”, Casanova and Elizabeta meet at
character they are ‘partnered’ with (see pg. 141), San Trovaso Square. (The Palladios come, and
and have that character drag them into a new violence breaks out. Mariano kills Elizabeta, and
situation. is killed in turn by the arriving Inquisition. The
others escape. Casanova has nothing to show for
Or consider the opposition characters. Have one his betrayal.)
of them take an action that will force the player to • Battista holds a Tribunal. (Vincenzo and Sabrina
respond. are condemned.)
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Weaving Stories Together

This is a busy adventure, and it will be easy for C What they all did next
characters to split up. Luckily, this is a romp, so
unlikely coincidences are entirely appropriate, and Casanova
the characters should keep running into each other. As soon as he sees the players’ characters mistaken
for Cagliostro, Casanova knows his plan is about to
As Gamemaster you can take charge of this, but spiral out of control.
it’s easier if you hand this job over to the players.
After all, they earn Story Points when they bring Action: Investigate the Cagliostro Imposter
separated characters back together (as described First order of business is working out who these folk
on pg. 137). are. After watching for a short time, Casanova will
arrange to cross paths with ‘Cagliostro’ or part of his
For example, the Doctor is in a gondola with Sabrina company, introduce himself, and attempt to befriend
Bellagio, discussing the Inquisition’s defences. them. He will pretend to have never met Cagliostro
Elsewhere, Clara is running for her life with the before, and to be excited to make the acquaintance.
fearsome Mostro on her tail.
He will not tip his hand, nor confide to Elizabeta that
Clara’s player suggests that she runs over a bridge this is the wrong Cagliostro. A false Cagliostro is still
just as the Doctor’s gondola passes underneath. The a prize for the Inquisition, after all – no point driving
Gamemaster gives Clara’s player a Story Point for them away just yet.
linking the characters back together.
(When the truth does come out, Casanova will say that
Or perhaps the Doctor arranges a secret meeting he knows Cagliostro sometimes sends agents ahead
with Casanova. He sets the meeting for under the of him to determine if a place is safe, and he thought it
belltower at midnight. Clara has already arranged to simplest to play along.)
meet with the Palladio twins at that exact time and
place – what a coincidence! The Gamemaster gives Action: Report to Special Inquisitor Battista.
the Doctor’s player a Story Point for linking these Casanova is expected to report to the Special Inquisitor
events together. during the night. He will change into a black cloak and
a silver mask to creep into the Special Inquisitor’s
headquarters, where he will insist on using only the
Some Complications name “Pratolini”.
You have a lot of freedom in staging these events, and
might find inspiration in the following ideas: Unless there is some intervention by players,
“Pratolini” will report (in craven and fearful manner)
• Masks: In Venice at this time, lots of people on a family indulging in ungodly magic. He does
wear masks. As Gamemaster, keep this in mind not tell Battista the name of this family! Then, to
always when deciding what will happen next. impress the Special Inquisitor further, Casanova will
Characters can disguise themselves in masks, announce that his true target is the famed wizard
can change their mask to confuse people, Cagliostro. This will intrigue Battista, and give
or swap masks with other people. Make this “Pratolini” some hope that his future may be safe, if
adventure “the one with all the masks”. he delivers this prize.
• Mistaken Identities: More than once, the Doctor
has been on a ‘pure historical’ adventure and Action: Seduce a Lady
encountered someone who was the spitting Whenever the opportunity strikes, Casanova will
image of himself or one of his companions. What attempt to seduce any woman who impresses him.
would happen if the Doctor looked exactly the He does this in a good-natured way, with no sense of
same as Casanova? entitlement but every confidence that mutual pleasure
• Gondola Chase: What’s a trip to Venice without will result. He is persistent but not offensive, and is
a good chase along the canals? Gondolas can quite gentlemanly in his own way.
capsize, or race under low bridges. People can
leap from gondola to gondola, or gondola to Action: Spark a Duel
solid ground. (And remember: gondoliers don’t During the adventure, Casanova will be sensitive to
use poles to push, they use oars to row. That’s challenges to his honour. In particular, any attempt to
the kind of detail that will convince everyone suggest he is in league with the Inquisition will earn
you’ve spent hours and hours on research!) the accuser an immediate challenge to a duel.
ED 148
Action: Meet with Cagliostro desperate need. She must recover the Bellagio Stone,
When Cagliostro’s invitation to meet arrives, Casanova and Cagliostro is her last hope. If and when she
will eagerly agree. This is his chance to spring his trap discovers that her new guest is not Cagliostro, well,
– if Elizabeta comes as well. He will try to convince her perhaps that’s just fate sending the right person at the
to join them, and will tip off the Inquisition. right time. She will take whatever help she can find.
But Casanova is of two minds about this action. He Action: Ask Carla Palladio for More Time
also genuinely wants to meet Cagliostro again, and After Cagliostro is on the case, Elizabeta will set out
perhaps learn some of the master manipulator’s to plead with Carla for more time. This will probably
secrets. He doesn’t want Elizabeta to suffer. Only a involve visiting the Palladio’s estate, which is currently
character’s intervention can change what he does. hosting a party, and finding Carla there.
Carla will not be moved by Elizabeta’s pleading, and

Giacomo Casanova will instead try and extract as much information as
possible from her: what has changed to provoke this
a.k.a. “Antonio Pratolini” visit? If she learns of Cagliostro she will be most
interested.
Coordination 4 Resolve 3 Elizabeta Bellagio
Skills
Convince 6, Craft 3, Fighting 3, Knowledge 4, Coordination 2 Resolve 5
Marksman 2, Medicine 2, Subterfuge 5. Ingenuity 3 Strength 2
Traits
Skills
Attractive: Even with his advancing years, he’s
Convince 2, Knowledge 3.
still got it.
Charming: His patter was honed by decades of
Traits
practice.
Screamer: Elizabeta has been known to exercise
Dark Secret: Secretly a servant of the Inquisition.
her lungs when shocked or afraid.
Empathic: He has always been a good reader of
Unadventurous: She just wants to be rid of all this
people, and knowing just how to push his luck has
drama.
been very handy in the past.
Lucky: But he is the first to admit that he has had
fortune shine upon him at many times through his
life. Not so much right now, though.
Psychic Training: He’s spent enough time faking
the occult that he can swerve the real thing too.
Sabrina Bellagio
Equipment: Sabre 3/5/7. Sabrina’s initial goal is to free Vincenzo. After the visit
from Battista that points out the Bellagio Stone might
Tech Level: 3 Story points: 8 be a useful bargaining chip, she adds that to her list
of options. She doesn’t know much about Casanova.
She particularly doesn’t know that he made his name
Elizabeta Bellagio escaping from an Inquisitorial prison. If someone
(Note: In the unlikely event she was arrested by points this out, she might try and get him to help.
Battista, she is soon escorted home and placed
under house arrest, with a single guard at the door.) Above all, Sabrina is a strong force for action. She’d
Elizabeta’s top problem is Carla Palladio. This is not a rather do something and make everything worse than
good day for her. sit quietly and wait for other people to decide her fate.
Also, she will flirt with anyone who seems responsive.
Action: Put Cagliostro to Work She enjoys flirting. And she is completely in denial
Cagliostro has come at the invitation of the Red Lion about how hard she’s fallen for the infuriating
Fellows, but Elizabeta has yet to detail her specific, Vincenzo.
DE 149
Cagliostro will meet in San Trovaso Square to recover

Sabrina Bellagio the Stone, she will be prepared to hand over this
information to Battista and try to broker Vincenzo’s
freedom.
Coordination 5 Resolve 5 Action: Marry Mariano
If sunrise comes, the Bellagio Stone has not been
Ingenuity 2 Strength 4 found and she hasn’t figured out another way to save
everyone, she sadly gives up on Vincenzo and goes to
Skills the church to marry Mariano. A player might be able
Athletics 4, Convince 3, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 4. to show her other options, however.
Traits
Argumentative: Just because I’m a girl doesn’t Vincenzo Cristiano
mean I’m not right!
Brave: Ah, the foolhardy eagerness of youth!
Impulsive: There’s that foolhardy eagerness again. Awareness 3 Presence 3
Run For Your Life! The police are hot on her tail! Coordination 4 Resolve 4
Skills
Athletics 4, Convince 3, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 4,
Transport 3.
Action: Try to Recruit Cagliostro
This Cagliostro chap has some magic, and will surely Traits
be able to help rescue Vincenzo. Even if it turns out this Attractive: He exudes a devilish bad-boy charm.
isn’t the real Cagliostro, well, there’s something pretty Friends (Minor): As the leader of the 40 Thieves,
special here. Any help will be gratefully accepted. he has trustworthy contacts in all the powerful
families of Venice.
Action: Try to Recruit the Forty Thieves Obligation: Aldo entrusted him with a secret and
There aren’t actually forty of them; only nine, in fact, he will not break that trust.
including Vincenzo and Sabrina. That means seven Quick Reflexes: The sort of thing that comes in
possible helpers for a rescue mission. Sabrina sets handy when you need to save your friends from
out to get their help, going to meet them at San the Inquisition.
Trovaso Square. They are likely to turn her down. The
Inquisition is serious business, and it is just too risky. Tech Level: 3 Story points: 2
This, of course, just makes Sabrina more determined
to do it herself. Characters who stick their nose into
this process might be able to get some of the other
Thieves to help Sabrina after all; if not right away,
perhaps they will be inspired to have a change of heart
and race to the rescue in time for the climax.
Member of the Forty Thieves
Action: Rescue Vincenzo Awareness 3 Presence 3
She has no idea how to do this. She plans to sneak Coordination 4 Resolve 4
in first, and make it up as she goes along once
she’s there. Battista is of course ready for this sort Ingenuity 3 Strength 4
of thing, given the Forty Thieves busted into his last
headquarters: he has a hidden force of police ready Skills
and waiting to spring a trap if she tries this. It will all Athletics 3, Convince 2, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 2.
go very badly unless she gets help.
Equipment: Sabre or Club (3/6/9)
Action: Get the Bellagio Stone to Battista
She doesn’t much know how to do this. If the Stone Tech Level: 3 Story points: 0
gets near her, she will happily steal it away and deliver
it to the Inquisitor. When she hears that Casanova and
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Special Inquisitor Bernando Battista Use Battista as an obstacle and antagonist. He is

Battista is the new Inquisitor in town. He is operating suspicious of the players’ characters, sensing they
with a fairly free hand, having been sent from the are out of place. He is smart and sensible while also
Vatican to shake things up in Venice. Perhaps being a (certain kind of) zealot. If he can be somehow
unusually for an Inquisitor, Battista has lost his faith. made an ally, he will be a valuable one, but his true
He is deeply cynical of all human action and sees allegiance is always to Godly Justice.
everything as an attempt to win some advantage from
another person. He has the power to arrest whoever Action: Visit the Bellagios and put Pressure on
he likes and subject them to fierce questioning, but he Sabrina
does not resort to torture. Battista visits the Bellagios, timing his visit to the
dinner hour, knowing that Elizabeta will be required
At the start of the adventure, Battista has Vincenzo in by courtesy to invite him to join them. He intends
custody, knows he is part of a group of troublemakers to ask them about Vincenzo, who is likely to be
called the Forty Thieves and suspects Sabrina convicted of acting against the Inquisition. He knows
Bellagio is also involved. He also has heard that the that Vincenzo has a long association as the favoured
Bellagio Stone is the Philosopher’s Stone. He wants gondolier of the family. He asks if they have heard of
that stone. If he could bring it back to the Vatican the Forty Thieves (Elizabeta has not, and Sabrina will
Library, he would be made for life. He does not know claim that she has not).
that Cagliostro is in town, or that the Bellagios are
dabbling in occult activity, or that Casanova is involved If he can get Sabrina alone, he tells her: “Vincenzo’s
with the Bellagios. tribunal will be held at sunrise. I expect he will be
convicted. And you will never see him again. Unless…
you bring me the Bellagio Stone. Bring me the Stone,
Bernando Battista and Vincenzo may yet walk free.”
If he cannot get Sabrina alone, he pretends to admire

the painting of Aldo, and notice the Stone: “You know,
Coordination 3 Resolve 4 the Vatican would be very pleased to accept that Stone.
Ingenuity 3 Strength 3 I imagine we would be… kindly disposed… towards one
who delivered it to the Church’s care. It would surely
put us in a forgiving mood.” He gives Sabrina a very
Skills
Athletics 3, Convince 4, Fighting 3, Marksman 3, pointed look indeed. She catches his meaning.
Medicine 3, Survival 3
Action: Arrest the Characters
Traits Right from the moment he meets them, Battista will
By the Book: Following the rules is an instinctive sense the characters are out of place. He will be
refuge in a world of madness and sin. Fortunately, watching them with hawk-eyes. If he ever feels like
the rules do allow him a great deal of room for they are interfering with his work, or are themselves
personal initiative. guilty of any crimes, then he will order their arrest.
Code of Conduct: He must always live up to the Once this order has been given, the police will do their
goals of the Inquisition and the moral standard best to comply. Launch the chase scene, unless a
expected of an agent of the Pope. character or two wants to go along willingly!
Indomitable: Battista will be cowed by no one.
Keen Senses: The evidence of sin is all around, if It is quite likely that one character will draw Battista’s
you are just attentive enough to notice. attention and ire more than others. In this case, let
Psychic Training: He can see through any hell- him order the arrest of just that one character. The
fueled deception. others will have plenty of other storyline to be getting
Voice of Authority: He doesn’t need to raise his on with!
voice to be heard.
And of course, if Battista gets hold of one character, he
Equipment: Club (2/4/6), Pistol (2/5/7). will try to get them to inform on the others – echoing
the predicament in which Casanova finds himself.
Action: Hold Vincenzo’s Tribunal
At sunrise, Battista will hold a tribunal against
Vincenzo, and sentence him to prison in the Piombi,
DE 151
effective immediately. Vincenzo is doomed unless he is and informants; anyone the characters meet could be
rescued somehow, or unless someone speaks for him on the take. And of course they have on their side the
at the tribunal in a way that is extremely convincing. terrifying Mostro, a murderer of great efficiency and
power (see pg. 144 for his stats)…
Battista would much rather get hold of the
Philosopher’s Stone, of course. He will try to follow up Their greatest weakness is that their partnership is
with Sabrina Bellagio before going through with the far from rock-solid. Turning one twin against the
tribunal, to see if she has come up with the goods. If other is a distinct possibility.
he gets word about the Stone, he will deploy the full
force of the Inquisition to crash that party.
Mariano Palladio
About the Inquisition Awareness 3 Presence 4
The Inquisitors, of whom Battista is the prime Coordination 4 Resolve 2
representative, hold their courts in secret
and their justice is swift and terrible. The
punishments they give out include confinement
to the home, exile from Venice, condemnation to Skills
the galleys, imprisonment or instant death. Athletics 2, Fighting 4, Marksman 3.
Venetian citizens all think of imprisonment when Traits

they think of the Inquisition. When the Inquisition Attractive
wishes to imprison an ordinary criminal, they Selfish: The twins are loyal to each other – but
are placed in the Piombi, a small cell roasted only up to a point.
by the summer sun. But more violent or sinister
sorts were sent to the Pozzi, a dank, silent
Equipment: Sabre (3/6/9), Pistol (2/5/7).
prison of horrid stone. The Venetian Inquisitors

do not torture their suspects, mind you. They do
maintain a fairly extensive collection of poisons,
however, for reasons that remain unclear.
Carla Palladio
The Palladio Twins,
Mariano and Carla Awareness 4 Presence 4
Mariano and Carla are in the business of being Coordination 3 Resolve 5
wealthy, and getting wealthier. They are a dramatic Ingenuity 5 Strength 2
pair: handsome Mariano, beautiful Carla, both sleekly
elegant with eyes like blades. They are ruthless in
Skills
their dealings, and believe the law is for fools who
Convince 4, Fighting 2, Knowledge 3, Subterfuge 4.
don’t have the courage to defy it.
Traits
Mariano has decided he wants Sabrina as his wife. As Attractive
long as Elizabeta is indebted to them, then Sabrina Selfish: The twins are loyal to each other – but
cannot resist him. Once she gives in to marriage, he only up to a point.
looks forward to taming her fiery spirit.
Carla has a much grander aim: in her vanity, she
wants to live forever. Elizabeta has the Bellagio Stone,
which might hold the secret. She wants the Stone. She
will happily kill anyone who gets in her way. Action: Murder Anton – and his Friends
This is one of the first events in the adventure:
Use the twins as your go-to troublemakers. They will on the orders of the Palladios, who know he has
turn up at the wrong times and make every situation betrayed them, Anton is murdered by Mostro. If the
worse. They have access to a wide network of thugs characters intervene, they will become marked for
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152
the same treatment. The Palladios will send Mostro

to kill them as well, to tie up loose ends. Similarly,
they will soon work out that Anton was trying to
recruit help from the Bellagios’ guests – and if
those guests take the slightest step in the direction
of the Palladios? Then they become targets. Expect
a surprise visit from Mostro.
Action: Give Sabrina an Ultimatum (Mariano)

When Elizabeta comes to talk with Carla at Casa
Palladio, Mariano realises that Sabrina will be
alone. Abandoning the lusty distractions he was
passing time with, he makes haste to the Bellagio
home and demands an audience with Sabrina. Then
he tells her: the time has come. He will be at the
church at sunrise. If she does not appear there and
become his bride, then things will become very,
very difficult for the Bellagio family.
Action: Seduce Cagliostro (Carla)

If Carla Palladio learns that the guest of the
Bellagios is Cagliostro, she will be immediately
intrigued. If anyone understands the secrets of
eternal life, it is he. Perhaps he even carries with Cagliostro
him an elixir of life? Cagliostro is expected in Venice under the identity
of Count Pellegrini. The invitation came from one
The only way to find out is to seduce him, and Elizabeta Bellagio. Ever cautious, Cagliostro did
conquer him. And Carla is not a woman to be easily not directly attend Bellagio’s welcome, but rather
deterred. took lodging elsewhere. (Cagliostro’s wife, Lorenza,
is also in Venice but she is happy to stay out of view
Action: Trail Elizabeta (Carla) throughout this adventure.)
Carla has her thugs and helpers keep close tabs
on Elizabeta’s movements. If she might be close Cagliostro goes everywhere with a sample of the Elixir
to finding the Bellagio Stone, Carla wants to know of Life (in a small vial on a chain around his neck) and
about it, so she can swoop in and claim it before of the Philosopher’s Stone (a crushed powder in a
the woman gets any funny ideas. If these thugs are small bag on a leather strap also around his neck).
spotted, a chase sequence could ensue as they try He has observed the appearance of a false Cagliostro
to keep up… with some interest. He has also noted the presence
of Casanova in the welcoming party. And, finally,
the intervention of the Inquisition. He is curious to
Palladio Thug understand the full meaning of these events.
Action: Enter Count Huntingdon

Awareness 3 Presence 2 Cagliostro will disguise himself and adopt another
Coordination 3 Resolve 2 identity, “Count Huntingdon”, a foppish and inept
Ingenuity 2 Strength 4 noble from England on his grand tour of Europe.
Wearing an elaborate feathered mask, he will arrive at
Casa Bellagio and – loud enough for the whole street
Skills to hear, in fractured Italian – he will announce he is
Athletics 2, Fighting 3. there to see Cagliostro the magician.
Equipment: Club (2/5/7). His story is that he has been corresponding with
Cagliostro for some time, and was advised by
Cagliostro that they would have an opportunity to
meet in Venice. He says that Cagliostro gave him the
Bellagios’ name, and he found their address himself.
DE 153
He wants to be welcomed in where he can try and Action: Find (and Keep?) the Bellagio Stone
work out what is happening with the family, their Cagliostro cannot resist a mystery. He swiftly
needs, and the false Cagliostro. guesses that Aldo hid the Bellagio Stone, that
he must have confided in someone, and that the
Action: Arrange to Meet Casanova confidante would be a figure he had known a long
Cagliostro wants to meet Casanova, to catch up on old time but who would be able to keep a secret from
times and share their learning from the last decade Elizabeta. Hearing from the Inquisition of Vincenzo’s
of life. He doesn’t know Casanova is involved with the connection to the family, he concludes that it is
Bellagios until he observes him there, either from a concealed in Vincenzo’s gondola. Or perhaps he saw
spy point nearby, or up close as “Count Huntingdon”. it all in a dream?
(Note that he doesn’t spend too much time with
Casanova in this identity, not wanting to push his luck.) Whether, or how, he reveals this truth depends on
However it happens, he sends word to Casanova that how the meeting progresses. He might, if it suits
he wishes to meet shortly before sunrise, at San him, tell people with a flourish that the Stone is
Trovaso Square. Count Huntingdon will of course destroyed; or that it is concealed in one place,
consider himself invited to this meeting as well. sending everyone rushing off to claim it, while he
goes over to Vincenzo’s gondola…
Action: Humiliate the False Cagliostro
How dare this foolish person claim to be him! A His preference is to keep the Bellagio Stone for
confrontation and duel of magic might be appropriate; himself. He expects he can arrange this amicably
or just turning Elizabeta against them? He is open to with Elizabeta, but will not be above simple theft
opportunity. should it come to that.
Count Allessandro Cagliostro

a.k.a. “Count Pellegrini”, “Lord Huntingdon”
Awareness 6 Presence 6 Skills

Athletics 2, Convince 6, Craft 4, Fighting 4,
Coordination 3 Resolve 5 Knowledge 5, Medicine 3, Science 3, Subterfuge 5,
Ingenuity 6 Strength 3 Survival 3.
Historians would report that Count Alessandro Traits

di Cagliostro is 35 years old as this adventure Charming: Like the Devil himself.
takes place. Cagliostro would laugh in their faces, Empathic: An expert reader of his audience.
announce that he is thousands of years old, and Friends: Contacts with the great and good
tell vivid tales of his adventures in past eras. throughout Europe.
Cagliostro’s true identity has never been absolutely Hypnosis (Major): Few can resist his influence…
confirmed. Some say it is slander to identify him as Immortal: Or so he claims. What is the truth?
an Italian petty thief, and that Cagliostro’s real past Indomitable: And few can subject him to their
remains a secret. influence.
Outcast: Devoting his life to magic means he is
The stories that Cagliostro was very old, hundreds an enemy of the Church, which is hugely powerful
of years old, even thousands – perhaps they are throughout Europe.
true? Perhaps Cagliostro is an alien himself, or has Psychic: His fame is based on his displays of
been given a greatly-extended lifespan by an alien power. Are they real?
queen, or is a robot, or even a Time Lord? Or perhaps Psychic Training: He laughs at these petty tricks.
Cagliostro really is just a fraudulent sharpster with a Technically Adept: He is always hungry for greater
good line in telling people what they want to hear? understanding.
This adventure does not specify Cagliostro’s true
nature. It is quite likely that the players will never be Equipment: Sabre (3/5/7)
in a position to find out. Should that circumstance
arise, it is up to you to choose exactly what version of Tech Level: 3 Story points: 12
Cagliostro is ‘true’ for your game.
ED 154
and characters as possible pile into the climactic

What are Cagliostro’s sequence. Pay off all the prior events and give the
players a romp to remember! Here is how the climax
Treasures? might go down:
The Elixir of Life and the Philosopher’s Stone
are both treasured by Cagliostro, and reputed to • Casanova, “Huntingdon” (Cagliostro) and Elizabeta
hold great magic. It is up to you as to their true meet in San Trovaso Square. There they will
nature. Are they simply an ineffectual potion and discuss the mysteries of eternal life, among other
some fancy dust, devoid of special power? Are things.
they relics of alien science, sufficient to lengthen • The Bellagio Stone’s hiding place is revealed, and
human life and transmute one substance into the Stone is claimed by Elizabeta.
another? Are they Time Lord devices concealed • Carla Palladio arrives (with Mostro and some
in the legends of occult science on Earth? other thugs), having guessed that the Bellagio
Whatever the truth, they are seen as greatly Stone is about to be found (and to strong-arm
valuable by everyone in the adventure. Cagliostro into giving up his secrets).
• Sabrina Bellagio arrives, fleeing from the
Inquisition with a newly rescued Vincenzo, hoping
Cagliostro or Casanova will help them escape.
C Wrapping Up • Mariano Bellagio arrives, in search of his Sabrina.
• The Inquisition arrives, in pursuit of Sabrina, also
Before Sunrise tipped off to the secret meeting by Casanova,
In this kind of adventure, with lots of characters intending to arrest everybody and throw them all
pushing in different directions, no specific climax can in prison.
be guaranteed, but three crucial events are scheduled • The Forty Thieves arrive to support Vincenzo.
in the vicinity of sunrise:
If the players do not intervene, then this results in the
• Casanova, “Count Huntingdon” and Elizabeta will worst possible outcome: the Palladios escape, the
go to meet Cagliostro at San Trovaso Square. Bellagios are arrested, Casanova testifies against
• Vincenzo will face an Inquisition Tribunal. them and never forgives himself. (Cagliostro also
• Sabrina will be expected at the Church for an escapes – he has a greater role to fulfil in history
unwanted wedding. yet.)
It is most likely that things will come to a head at San If the players get to San Trovaso Square then
Trovaso Square. (However, the characters might end things can go down very differently. They might
up at the Inquisition’s headquarters, at the Church, help Sabrina and Vincenzo to escape, they might
at the Bellagio home, at the Palladio estate or almost convince Battista not to arrest anyone, they might
anywhere!). Whatever the setting, as Gamemaster put the Palladios in the sights of the Inquisition,
you should contrive to have as many factions they might get the massed gondoliers of Venice to
Fitting in with Legends

As the Bellagio Stone is passed around, find some way to get it into Casanova’s hands, and then have
something strange happen. Perhaps it is struck by Mostro and shatters, or Battista shoots it and it
explodes, or perhaps a Sonic Screwdriver reacts badly to it and it vibrates out of phase – whatever the
excuse, have it interact with Casanova in some dramatic and unexpected way. This will set up for a nice
tip of the hat to Venetian legend. Cagliostro can explain: “You shall die as any other man would. But your
death will not be your end. Instead, you will pass into a new existence, through a kind of bodily renewal.
And then an entire new life will be yours to enjoy, then another, then another! As many as a dozen new
lifetimes lie ahead of you.”
Venetian legend, popular through to the 21st century, holds that Casanova met Cagliostro in San Trovaso
Square in 1778, and learned the secret of eternal life. If the legend is true, then Casanova has lived many
lives, with many faces, and still resides in the city of Venice. This is an old legend, and resemblance to the
Time Lord process of regeneration is strictly coincidental… isn’t it?
DE
155
crash the party… The possibilities are endless. When them achieve these goals. Ultimately, this alliance
you run this sequence, things to remember: seems destined to shatter; but perhaps not until the
Krillitanes have achieved their goal.
• Don’t be intimidated by the large number of
characters, just move through them one by one The Forty Thieves know there is something amiss with
and have each of them chase hard for their goals. the Palladio twins; they have witnessed the late-night
• Put some genuine risk on the table – make this transformation of some Krillitanes, and have learned
climax count. The players should have Story not to climb too close to the gargoyles on the nearby
Points to help them turn things around, but don’t buildings.
make it easy on them.
• Put the Bellagio Stone in play. Everyone wants
it, and it can bounce from person to person, be
hurled into the water, be lost down someone’s
trousers…
Keep going until there are no more conflicting goals

to worry about.
C Aftermath
Once the threats to Casanova and the Bellagios are
resolved, the players will eventually prepare to leave.
Make sure to give them a chance to bid farewell to
the story characters whose lives they have changed,
or failed to change, so they can appreciate their
influence. The Bellagios and Casanova, in particular, Daleks
will hopefully be waved off as friends, but perhaps Also hunting the treasure: a small force of Daleks,
circumstance will not be so kind. maintaining a time cabinet in the Inquisition
Headquarters. Daleks roam underwater along the

canals, emerging to exterminate any who stand in
C Optional Variation: their way. The Inquisition is thoroughly corrupted to
Aliens Among Us their needs; all except this new Special Inquisitor,
The Bellagio Stone is a time-sensitive device of Time who has his own agenda and senses trouble within
Lord origin. As a focusing device, it could allow a the Inquisition.
military force to launch a remote bombardment of
their target from the safety of the Time Vortex. The gondoliers are aware of a strange new presence
in the canals, and more than one gondolier has
The Elixir of Life and the Philosopher’s Stone are other disappeared entirely leaving no trace behind. They
versions of exactly the same technology. Cagliostro’s theorise that the Devil has sent his minions to harass
presence in Venice with these items is not accidental – the Inquisition, because this new presence seems to
time itself is bending to bring them together. be centred on the Inquisition’s headquarters.
The meeting of Cagliostro and Casanova in Venice

is therefore a nexus point in time, that has drawn Managing the Aliens
attention of others who understand the great power With one or both of these new forces in play, the
they could win: complexity of the adventure ramps up further, and it
will take a bit more play to push things through to a
conclusion. And that conclusion could be overloaded
Krillitanes with danger as Daleks and Krillitanes join Cagliostro,
A family of Krillitanes have established themselves Casanova, Mostro and the rest on the slipways of San
in Venice, waiting for an opportunity to swoop on the Trovaso Square…
treasure. They have surrounded the Palladio twins,
and the twins now work for these strange, sinister
masters. However Carla and Mariano have goals of
their own – immortality and Sabrina’s hand respectively
– and the Krillitanes are not at all interested in helping
D
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156
Index
A Enter the Special Inquisitor 145 Campaigns 86
Accidental Wanderers 8 Everybody Halt! 145 Cause of Corruption 38
Act I – The Beginning 23 (The) Fellows of the Red Lion Hall 146 Cause of the Downfall 38
Act II – Rising Action 24 Fitting in with Legends 155 Changing Characters 91
Act III: The Finale 26 Getting There 139 Chaos Incarnate 49
(Running) Action Scenes 78 How to run the rest of the adventure 147 Character Arcs 86
Actors 28 Important Locations 146 Character Hooks and Plots 14
(Random) Adventure Generator 30 It Gets Complicated 143 Chase 32
Adventures 20 Juggling the Cast 141 Chosen by the Box 18
(Famous) Adversaries 42 Krillitanes 156 Church 101
(The) Adversary 21, 42 List of Events 147 City World 103
(Totally Random) Adversary 42 Managing the Aliens 156 Coming up with a Concept 64
(The) Aggressor 41 Nope, my Players Didn’t do That 143 Communication 60
Agricultural Planet 104 Other Streets and Canals 147 Confrontation and Climax 26
Alien Menace 30 (The) Palladio Twins, (The) Correct Way to Start 7
All the Players are Bored 83 Mariano and Carla 152 Corridors. Endless Corridors... 27
Alter History 31 Optional Variation: Aliens Among Us 156 Country Home 70
Alternate Universes 36 Playing History 138 Creating Characters 11
Ancient Power 31 Potential Matches 141 (Vincenzo) Cristiano 150
Ancient Power Weakness 31 (Antonio) Pratolini (Giacomo Curiouser and Curiouser 67
Appearance 59 Casanova) 140, 149
(The) Astronaut 115 (The) Rest of the Adventure 146 D
Attributes, Skills & Traits 62 Sabrina, the Pearl-masked Thief 144 Dead World 104
(Join the) Audio-Visual Club 78 San Trovaso Square 146 Dealing with Monsters 61
Secrets of the Stone 142 Death Comes To Toytown 107
B Some Complications 148 1. Valley of the Dolls 108
(The) Bellagio Imbroglio 137 Special Inquisitor Bernando 2. The Toys Come To Life 110
About the Inquisition 152 Battista 151 3. Edgar Hamilton 111
(The) Adventure Begins 143 Sticking Around 139 4. Escaping the Toy Shop 112
Adventure Synopsis 137 Story Special Rules 137 5. Saving Samuel 114
Aftermath 156 Weaving Stories Together 148 6. Tracking the Signal 115
Anton, the Man in Red 144 What are Cagliostro’s Treasures? 155 7. The March of the Chairs 116
Arrival 143 What Historians Know 138 8. Lair of the Nestene 116
Before Sunrise 155 What they all did next 148 Adventure Synopsis 107
(Elizabeta) Bellagio 140, 149 Where are They? 143 Aftermath 118
(Sabrina) Bellagio 140, 149 Where is the Stone? 142 Asking Samuel 115
(The) Bellagio Stone 142 Wrapping Up 155 Breaking Toys 113
Cagliostro 153 Big Finales 93 (The) Dolls 111
Casa Bellagio 146 Buckminster 114 Exploring the Shop 109
Casa Palladio 146 Building a Villain 51 Defeating the Nestene 107
Casanova 148 Business Executive 98 Finding the TARDIS 115
Casanova and the Bellagios 140 Buurman Blaster 121 Gadget Time 115
Casanova, the Hook-masked Lurker 144 Buurman Privateer 121 Getting Bought 113
(The) Cast of Characters 138 Hamilton’s Flat 110
(Vincenzo) Cristiano 150 C Hamilton’s Toys & Game 107
Daleks 156 (Count Allessandro) Cagliostro 154 (The) Nestene Consciousness 107
DE 157
Notable Toys 109 Fliss 122 Fliss 122

Plastic Doomsday 117 Follow in the Footsteps 16 Friends and Former Enemies 136
(The) Players’ Characters 107 For a Greater Good 49 (The) Future of the Debris Column 136
(The) Qilong House 114 Foreshadowing 89 Group One 131
Rescuing Lena 115 Framing Scenes 74 Group Two 132
Rescuing Samuel 114 Functionaries 53 Hold Onto Something 128
(The) Robot Girl 110 Future and Past Earth 67 (The) Impact Site 129
Sabotage 117 Functionary 98 (The) Kraken 119, 123
Samuel’s Chip 114 Making a Weapon 133
Talking to Edgar 112 G Map of the Vessel 126
Toy Soldiers 117 (The) Gamemaster as Actor 21 (The) Medical Bay 132
Toys on the Streets 113 (The) Gamemaster as Director 20 Player Opportunities 124
(The) University Corridors 116 (The) Gamemaster as Producer 20 Prologue 124
We’re Toys!? 108 (The) Gamemaster as Writer 20 Reaching the Engine Pods 133
Defeating the Monster 62 Gas Giant 105 Resources 131
Declaration of War 41 (The) Gate 40 Restarting Pod One 134
(The) Denouement 26 Get After Them! 55 Restarting Pod Two 134
Describing Things 76 Getting from Here to Then 15 Revealing the Kraken 129
Development 25 Getting Things Back on Track 83 Scanning for Life 127
Different Cultures 68 (The) Grip of the Kraken 119 Sharing the Story 120
Disaster 32 1. Arrival in the debris column 125 Watson the Robot 122
(Environmental) Disaster Cause 32 1. The Chase 131 (The) Yatsoshiro 120
(Environmental) Disaster Type 32 1. The Crash of the Yatsoshiro 135 Yatsoshiro Crewmember 121
Doing 62 2. Defeating the Slime 132 Guest Stars 29
(The) Dolls 111 2. The Kraken Attacks 135
Index
(Stealing from the) Doctor’s Adventures 91 2. The Privateers 127 H

(The) Doctor’s Previous Adventures 68 3. Restarting the Engines 133 (Edgar) Hamilton 112
Drive to Pursue 32 3. Sudden Impact 128 Haunted 90
4. Escape the Debris Column 134 Henchmen 52
E 4. The Missing Pod 129 High Concept 8
Earth Team Investigating Strange Events 7 5. Here We Are Again 130 Him Again? 90
Elites 53 6. The Cliffhanger 130 Historical Adventure 33
(The) Ending Beat 24, 26 Act I: The Kraken Wakes 125 (The) Hook 24
Enemies of the Exiles 37 Act II: The Body Snatchers 131 Hospital 100
Expanding the Concept 65 Act III: The Maw 135 Housing Estate 69
Exploitation 32 Adventure Synopsis 119 How do the Characters End up Together? 12
Explorer 97 Aftermath 136 How to Set Up a New Game 6
External Cause 39 Analysing the Slime 132 (The) Hunted 32
External Sets 46 (The) Attack 135
Extras 28 Back to the TARDIS 136 I
Blast Points 127 Ice Planet 101
F (The) Canteen and the Film Room 127 Impossible Places 105
Factions, Conflicts 66 Capture the Slime 132 Inaccessible TARDIS 83
Factory 99 Characters 120 Inaccurate Landing 82
Farm 101 Decompression 128 Infection 33
Fight the Time War 17 Defeating the Kraken 135 (Source of) Infection 33
Fighting 62 Doctor, What is this Place? 125 Initial Inspiration 56
Fire Planet 102 Engineering Control 132 Internal Sets 47
Fixed Point 82 (The) Flight Deck 134 Intrigue 34
D
E
158
(Goal of) Intrigue 34 Monstrous Nature 51 Props 29

Introducing the Setting 72 Moon 102
Introduction 4 Mostro 144 Q
Invasion 34 Moving 61 (Professor Lena) Qilong 110
(Running) Investigation Scenes 79 Multi-Set Locations 27 Quest 88, 94
I’ve Heard that Name Before… 90 (All) Museums Have a Little Shop 71 Quick-start Concepts 16
Mysterious Prophecy 90
J R
Jungle World 102 N Raid 36
Not Following the Doctor 69 Relationship to ‘Canon’ 10
K Religious Building 71
(The) Key to the Dimensional Gateway 39 O Relic 45
Killer Chairs 116 Objectives 44 Reporter 97
Killing Characters 92 (Random) Objectives 44 Responding to the Players 80
Knowledge at all Costs 49 Objects and Objectives 21 Revenge 37
Ocean World 102 (Target for) Revenge 37
L Oh No You Don’t! 54 Rightful Rulers 37
Lairs and Bases 52 One Player is Bored 83 (The) Rule of a Third 54
Level of Primitivism 38 (The) One-Line Summary 59 Running Games 74
Liberators 31 Other Familiar Characters 10
Lights, Camera, Action! 30 Other Places 71 S
Location 45 Out of Control Tech 38 Sacred Object 45
Location and Setting 22 Overall Concept 7 (The) Scene Map 29
Locked into Events 82 Scenes 28
Lost Birthright 37 P Scientist 97
Love and Vengance 50 Pacing 81 (The) Seed of Evil 49
(Carla) Palladio 152 (The) Set 27
M (Mariano) Palladio 152 (The) Set-up 23
M is for Minions 55 Palladio Thug 153 Setting Toolkit and Checklist 69
Mad Science Backers 35 Paradise Planet 103 Setting 89, 94
Mad Science Motivations 35 Parallel or Pocket Travel Agent 35 Settings 64
Mad Scientists 35 Parallel or Pocket Universe 35 Setting the Stage 27
Making it Memorable 59 People 95 Sewer 100
Making it Scary 60 Personal 89, 94 Shadow of the Monster 60
Making Monsters 56 Pilot 96 Ship 101
(The) Many Hats of the Gamemaster 20 Places 99 Shop Assistant 95
Market Place 70 Planets 101 Shopping Centre 99
Mechanic 97 Playing Non-Player Characters 77 Side Trips and Bangs 25
Medic 96 Playing through the Meeting 12 Slaves 45
Member of the Forty Thieves 150 (The) Plot 21 Slime Monster 124
Military Base 69 Plot Arcs 88 Slime-Possessed Humanoid 123
Military/Starship Interiors 47 (The) Plot Synopsis 22 So, You Escaped… 55
Mineral 45 (You’re not Sure to Handle a) Plot Twist 83 Soldier 95
Mining Colony 104 Plots within Plots 42 Someone’s Been Playing A Long Game 55
Minions 52 Power Base 51 Something Entirely New 10
Mistaken Identity 35 Power Corrupts 50 Sometimes they Come Back 16
(Interactive) Monster Checklist 62 Prison 71 Space Station 70, 105
(Memorable) Monster Checklist 61 Prologue 23 Spacecraft 70
Monsters vs. Aliens 58 (Alternative) Prologues 23 Special Inquisitor Bernando Battista 151
DE159
Starting Out 6 Top Tip: Open-Ended Mysteries 80 What are their Skills and Traits? 13
Stock Footage 95 Top Tip: Stock Footage 77 What do you see upon opening
Stopping the Entity 40 Train 100 the TARDIS door? 72
(Uses for) Story Points 54 (New) Trait: Love 88 What is going to prevent them going
Survival 38 (New) Trait: Toy 108 back into the TARDIS? 72
(Starting with a) Trait 57 What looks interesting enough to
T Traitor 40 make them leave the TARDIS? 72
Talking 61 Traitors. Slaves and Unreliable Allies 53 What Sort of Character do we Play? 9
(The) TARDIS Crew 9 Trant, the Pirate Captain 122 What Stuff do They Have? 13
Technology 45, 66 (The) Turning Point 25 When 46
Temporal Anomaly 38 Where are we? 72
(The) Theme 21 U Who are the Characters? 11
(Random) Theme Generator 30 Unusual Sets 47 Who are you? 35
Themes 30 Who is About? 72
Thief 96 V White Plastic Football 113
Things From Dimension X 39 Venetian Policeman 146 World Gone Mad 41
(The) Three-Act Structure 22 Victories, Monologues and Worldly Power and Glory 45
Ticket Home 36 Death Scenes 51
Time Lord plus Humans Exploring Villain 89, 94 X
Time and Space 7 Villains 49 (The) ‘X’ Doctors 41
(Dealing with) Time Travel 82 Villains and Story Points 53
Top Tip: Be Tough 81 Y
Top Tip: Break Expectations 99 W Yatsoshiro Crewmember 121
Top Tip: Giving Story Points 75 War 41 You are Omniscient, the Villain is Not 54
Top Tip: List of Names 77 Warehouse 100 You’re Stuck for what Happens Next 83
Index
Top Tips: Names and Titles 78 Watson the Robot 122
ED 160

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G A M E M A S T E R ’ S C O M PA N I O N

The Doctor Who Roleplaying Game uses the

Published by Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd

Find out more about us and our games at

© Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd. 2016

BBC, DOCTOR WHO (word marks, logos and devices),

Or like this: There are also some balance concerns

When someone says “You know what would be an

Avoid this option if the group…

• See the Doctor as the centre of the story.

Something Entirely New

memorable pair of time travellers, Theta Gamma

Work towards everyone having an idea, even a

a concept which fits. This can be tricky, especially your group?

As a larger example, consider Amy’s player, who

Remember also that if the game concept relies on

Character Hooks and Plots

Start with personal goals. Encourage the players

Then, ask the players to think about their connection

Getting from Here to Then

emptive destruction – or for use as hostages

Follow in the Footsteps What the Gamemaster will need to do:

Why are they alive?

Fits well with:

• Both familiar and original characters.

• Come up with a series of mind-bending

Chosen by the Box

A selection of themes drawn from the adventures of

Location and Setting The Plot Synopsis

the breakdown of Locations into Sets on pg. 27).

In this section, we’ll show you how to build that

else along with them. Codes of Conduct, Phobias,

The Ending Beat

The Hook For example, in The Impossible Planet, the Ending

If you’re feeling particularly artistic, you might even

CORRIDORS. ENDLESS CORRIDORS…

for Extras. Any attack that damages an Extra

Fantastic Success with a relevant skill (Medicine, Props

It doesn’t have to be definitive either: always leave

Extra players may take on the role of Guest

adventure ends! You should make a notation next to

Example Adventures: The Time Meddler, Day of the

You could use known aliens, like Daleks or Cybermen,

The alien doesn’t have to be intelligent, and could 3 An ADVERSARY.

There are many reasons why they might be seeking

Reason for Altering History ANCIENT POWER WEAKNESS

In this story, a LOCATION is threatened with

The cause of the disaster may not always be what

you think. Even man-made disasters might have a

Example Adventures: The Green Death, The Fires of

FORCE BEHIND THE EXPLOITATION SOURCE OF INFECTION

If it is an Adversary, they may be the creator of the

Example Adventures: The Aztecs, The Highlanders,

A virus or parasite on its own is usually unintelligent,

One final note: this Theme could easily be used

Intrigue A twist on this theme is to have the Intrigue instigated

GOAL OF INTRIGUE Invasion

When planning an Invasion adventure, it often helps

resort and most of the action in this type of story will

Mad Scientists Mistaken Identity