The Campaign of the Doctor (Inactive)

Game Master Clebsch73

Having adventures through time and space with Doctor Who (based on the BBC series Doctor Who) using Doctor Who Adventures in Time and Space rulebook published by Cubicle 7.


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I'm going to decide how to get things going once I have a good idea of the range of PCs to include. Since we know the Doctor was spending time with River, she might be involved. One idea I'm working on is one where the Doctor disappears and River has the Tardis, so she contacts some of his former companions to get some help to find him. But there are other options.

It seems like we have at least three characters from different time/technology levels:
Bryce: TL 6
Joe: TL 4 (mid 1800s) (but with some experience in TL 5)
Ted: TL 4 (1930s)
Kon'zu: ???

I'll need to know Kon'zu's native technology level and where/when he is at the start of things.

If we don't hear from JoyInt we can get started and add the character if/when it is available.


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While I work on stuff, here is another thing to think about:

What would be your character's favorite fairy tale? Maybe from when he/she was a child or if from present or future, perhaps a movie that had a fairy tale like feel. Doesn't have to be one that you currently know (like Hansel and Gretal or The Princess Bride); it could be one you make up.

The Eleventh Doctor Sourcebook wrote:
Many of the Eleventh Doctor’s adventures felt a little bit like fairy tales: dark and mysterious, tinged with magic, with solutions coming from childish ingenuity and faith. The TARDIS was more than ever like a wizard’s box, producing endless miracles and providing a portal to adventure. The Doctor himself was an imaginary friend who came through the portal and dragged you off into a more exciting world. Adventures often happened in an Old London Town straight out of classic children’s books (even if it was on another planet the whole time). Amy Pond even brought the universe back to life by believing in it hard enough. In your adventures, a gentle touch of fairy tale imagery will go a long way towards making the game feel part of the Eleventh Doctor’s era.


I just realized, I'll have to spend some time on the Tardis before the "real" adventure begins, because I have Time Travel Traits for TL 4 and 5, so I'll have had to have been with the Doctor for some time beforehand.

If that messes things up on your end, I can always re-write my backstory - just let me know! Depending on how you want to bring us together, I could have then left and gone back to my regular life in TL 6, and then picked up again.


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12

Kyle is TL-5. He’s a modern guy.


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ZenFox42 wrote:

I just realized, I'll have to spend some time on the Tardis before the "real" adventure begins, because I have Time Travel Traits for TL 4 and 5, so I'll have had to have been with the Doctor for some time beforehand.

If that messes things up on your end, I can always re-write my backstory - just let me know! Depending on how you want to bring us together, I could have then left and gone back to my regular life in TL 6, and then picked up again.

Time travel with the Doctor is the most common way to gain familiarity with different technology levels. It wouldn't have to be with the 11th Doctor. Any of the previous Doctors could have interacted with Bryce, giving him experience in more than one time.

But travel with the Doctor is not the only way to achieve this goal. Perhaps he got hold of a vortex manipulator, got recruited as a Time Agent, or some such. He might even have been an associate of River Song, a recruit of UNIT or Torchwood. Or you could create an entirely new context for time travel, perhaps in the company of some unusual alien. Whatever suits your sense of the character.


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I got a PM from Joynt Jezebel. She is still able to play and should be posting something soon.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Male Galifreyan Time Lord

I put together an NPC profile for the 11th Doctor. I picked a picture that was reasonably close. We all know what the Doctor really looks like.

Check out the profile. Please use the same format for posting your character's attributes, skills, traits, etc. I'd prefer you not put spoilers on the attributes, skills, and trait lists. It just makes it easier to find a particular number when I need to while doing GM stuff. I've found in my other GM duties that having a standard format for everyone helps tremendously when I need look something up.

As you get time, I would add details for any of your traits and gadgets just to have a quick place to remind yourself and me of the game mechanical aspects of the trait.


Sorry about the delay. I had to get the rules and then took longer than I should to get to them.

I want to play K-9 if that is suitable.

There is a design for the robot dog on page 243 of the core rulebook, limited edition, which is the one I have. There may be another issue with this as that K-9 is built on more points than we were given in the creation rules or I think so. I can re-do an earlier or just different version of k-9 if that is what you would like me to do.

[EDIT] Just been reading the posts on this thread and K-9 has come up. Meetch was going to play him, then it was pointed out the original design had more points than the other PCs and Meetch went to another character. I can re-do K-9 as per the way other people are creating characters.


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12

GM said that K-9 as written is ok if other players are cool with it. I’m fine with him as written.


I'm OK playing alongside K-9 as written. While certain of his abilities have high point counts, he does have limited use of a lot of his abilities.
He's really good with knowing things, but limited to high tech when it comes to doing things.
He's also a fairly known commodity for the players.


K-9 I am.

I will create a new alias on Wed when my IT competent friends show up for tabletop roleplaying. I forgot how to do it again. :(

I will type [Edit- have typed] up the K-9 stats and save it elsewhere, so I can get the alias complete quickly. If I have to change K-9's stats it will still make it faster.


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12

Just click My Account>Account Setting. You’ll be prompted for your password. The button for new aliases is on the far left of the account settings screen.


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12

I’ve updated 2/3rds of my sheet to match 11’s. I’ll have to wait to fill in the Trait details until I’m at my computer. Too much to copy/paste on my phone.

Kyle’s favorite fairy tale is Rumplestiltskin. The kind woman at the orphanage used to read it to him and do a very silly voice.

It’s not really a fairy tale (more of a fable) and Kyle wouldn’t say he “likes” it, but as an adult he spends a lot of time thinking about The Appointment in Samarra. He’s had moderate luck avoiding small misfortunes he’s viewed in the future, but can too much knowledge lead him to disaster?


Robot

Thank you kindly Kon'Zu.

We are co-operating even before the campaign starts, a good sign.


Attributes:
  • Awareness: 4
  • Coordination: 3
  • Ingenuity: 4(1)
  • Presence: 3
  • Resolve: 3
  • Strength: 2
Skills:
Athletics: 3 Convince: 3 (Interrogation) Fighting: 1 Knowledge: 3 Marksman: 2 Medicine: 2 Subterfuge: 4 (Sneaking) Survival: 2

I'll be working on formatting my profile today. I think Ted would be really into Aesop's Fables, with a soft spot for The Lion and the Mouse. And I'm also okay with playing alongside K-9. K-9 is one of the best!


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12
K 9 wrote:

Thank you kindly Kon'Zu.

We are co-operating even before the campaign starts, a good sign.

My pleasure. K-9 is a hecking good doggo, as the kids say.

Plus, Kyle will appreciate a companion with a quiet mind.


Robot

The Doctor GM- I have some questions about how to complete my character sheet.

1 K 9 has a bunch of traits that are not listed as such in the rules. Probably the thing to do is I type up what they can do and then you approve it. Correct?

2 K 9 has a listing of Stuff-Loads of gadgets. What I think this means is K 9 has a load of integral [or internal] gadgets that prove utile in a bunch of situations. Is this right? And how does that work in the game?

3 All K 9's gadgets are integral are they not?

When I have the answers to these questions I can finish off my character sheet. That is if I can stop this @#$% web-site eating my typing. Grrrr.


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12
K 9 wrote:

The Doctor GM- I have some questions about how to complete my character sheet.

1 K 9 has a bunch of traits that are not listed as such in the rules. Probably the thing to do is I type up what they can do and then you approve it. Correct?

Here are the traits for K-9 that aren't in the character creation rules:

Natural Weapon - Nose Blaster
The alien has some form of weaponry that is part of their form. This could be something as simple as toxic breath, a poisonous bite or sharp claws, to built in guns or being able to fire sharp spines. As long is it is not something that is usually dropped or carried (like a gun or sword), and is part of the alien (like a Dalek’s gun or a Weeping Angels’ claws) then it is technically a ‘natural’ weapon.

Effect: This is a Minor or Major Alien Good Trait that can be purchased multiple times if the creature is particularly dangerous.
As a Minor Trait, the weapon is only for close combat. These are usually teeth, claws, spines or electrical shock or something similar. A weapon like this increases the damage of the usual physical attack by +2, so the alien’s damage is equal to their Strength +2. This increase is just like normal close combat weapons, as the Trait adds blades or ‘dangerous’ damage to their physical attack.

As a Major Trait, the weapon shoots something (like a poisonous spine, fingernail, flaming breath or built-in gun). A ranged Natural Weapon will have the same damage (2/5/7) but can reach a greater distance than a simple swipe of a claw.

Open/close (gadget)
(Minor Good Gadget Trait)
This Trait gives the Gadget the power to open locks, and to seal things shut again if necessary. If used with the Subterfuge Skill to pick a lock, it gives the character a +4 bonus to the roll. Locking a door is far easier than opening it, as most locks (mechanical or electronic) tend to lock when they are tampered with, giving the character a +6 bonus if the Gamemaster decides a roll to lock the door is necessary.

Scan (gadget)
(Minor Good Gadget Trait)
The Scan Trait means that the Gadget can investigate something from a range of a metre and see what’s going on inside it. Whether this is a medical function, checking inside someone to see what’s wrong or what species they are, or a technical function looking at the wiring and circuitry of a device, it all works on the same basic principal. In most cases, the user has to make an Awareness roll coupled with a suitable Skill (Medicine for a medical or biological scan, Technology to scan the workings of a device or computer). The Scan Trait provides a +2 bonus to this roll if the device is designed for general scanning.
If the Gadget is used only for a specific purpose, for example a Medical Scanner, then the Trait provides a +3 bonus when used for medical purposes, and +1 when used for anything else – Medical Scanners aren’t the best thing to look inside a computer, but it may help a little. If the Gadget is designed for a specific purpose, this should be discussed with the Gamemaster, and recorded on the Gadget’s sheet. It could be that using the Gadget outside of its specific purpose is useless, in which case it can be considered a Restriction.

Transmit (gadget)
(Minor Good Gadget Trait)
Transmit is a general Gadget Trait that means the device can pick up and/or send out signals, from picking up radio or phone transmissions, to intercepting calls, blocking the transmissions of a teleporter, or something similar. It can be used anywhere that signals are transmitted or received to block, listen in or alter the message. To use the Gadget like this will require an Ingenuity + Technology roll, the Gamemaster deciding the Difficulty depending upon the signal being intercepted or received, and how powerful or distant the signal is, and whether it is encrypted.

K 9 wrote:
2 K 9 has a listing of Stuff-Loads of gadgets. What I think this means is K 9 has a load of integral [or internal] gadgets that prove utile in a bunch of situations. Is this right? And how does that work in the game?

That's my read, but we should probably let the DM weigh in on that one.

K 9 wrote:
3 All K 9's gadgets are integral are they not?

Yes. It's all built in.

K 9 wrote:
When I have the answers to these questions I can finish off my character sheet. That is if I can stop this @#$% web-site eating my typing. Grrrr.

You only have 30 minutes to edit any page, including your profile. Write your edit in another program (like notes if you're on your phone, or a word processor) and copy it in when you're all done.


Map

I'm okay with K-9, but remember that I have not watched any of the old shows that include K-9 (except the 1 episode where K-9 showed up in the revived series). If I can, I'll try to watch some old episodes with K-9. I may not always have a sense of what K-9 would or would not do or what he can or cannot do.


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12

The K-9 in the book is statted off that one episode in the revived series so you're most of the way there for an understanding of K-9. Anything else he can or can't/would or wouldn't do can be as much of a discovery as the rest of our characters?


Robot
The Doctor GM wrote:
I'm okay with K-9, but remember that I have not watched any of the old shows that include K-9 (except the 1 episode where K-9 showed up in the revived series). If I can, I'll try to watch some old episodes with K-9. I may not always have a sense of what K-9 would or would not do or what he can or cannot do.

I can't really see this as much of a problem. My memories of K 9 come from watching the earlier series as they were broadcast on Australian TV. Unlike K 9 I don't have a photographic memory and this is going back 35+ years. I doubt that K 9's capabilities are precisely defined. It's a SF series written for kids and older, over decades by many writers.

K 9 has a character sheet and can do what the rules say K 9 can do, as interpreted by the GM.

As for K 9's personality, well he was designed to serve. And is quite dog-like in that he is very loyal and likes walks. K 9 is just cybernetic, and supremely intelligent, and very technically adept.

One question remains for the GM however-
My original ?
" K 9 has a listing of Stuff-Loads of gadgets. What I think this means is K 9 has a load of integral [or internal] gadgets that prove utile in a bunch of situations. Is this right? And how does that work in the game?"
Kon'Zu's comment- "That's my read, but we should probably let the DM weigh in on that one."

Kon'Zu- thanks for the info.


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12

He's also a little snarky, if School Reunion is any indication. The "We are in a car" bit was one of the funniest scenes in the show.

GM, are we ready to get started? I'm excited to play. Are you going to narrate how we get picked up, or do you just want to give us some bounds (like, "The TARDIS shows up and the doors open, clearly something's wrong") and let us dictate our own entrances?


Male Human (off-worlder)

Here's my character sheet. I don't have the PDF, and I really don't want to have to type in all the Trait descriptions. Would someone be willing to PM me the descriptions from their PDF?

Regarding K9, he (almost) never took the initiative to do anything - he did what he was told to do by the Doctor ("stop those soldiers!"), and possibly some trusted companions. So if you're playing true to the TV series, you'd be pretty passive most of the time (altho he would sometimes take part in conversations around him, if he had something *factual* to contribute).


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12

Empathic (minor)
empathic (Minor Good Trait)
People naturally hide their true emotions unless they are really upset or stressed, and it takes training or a natural gift to be able to read the tiny signals that give away what they’re really thinking or feeling. Some people have an empathy with how others are feeling and can use this gift to aid them when trying to get information or to calm someone down.
Effects: Empathic is a Minor Good Trait that provides the character with a +2 bonus on any rolls when they are trying to empathise or read another person. This could be a simple Presence + Convince roll to reassure someone who’s panicking in the middle of a battle, or an Awareness + Ingenuity roll to try to read another’s actions and speech to see if they’re lying.
Lucky (minor)
Lady Luck is on their side. Call it a fluke, call it chance, but fortune is smiling on the character. The traffic lights changed just at the right moment to give them a chance to get through, they just managed to roll under the blast doors before they closed and they flicked the right switch to restart the ship’s engines. Every day is their lucky day!
Effect: The character is lucky! Simple as that. If you roll two ‘1’s on your dice – ‘snake-eyes’ as they call ’em in Vegas – you’re probably going to fail. At least normally. Characters with the Lucky Trait get a second chance when double ‘1’s are rolled, and you can re- roll both dice, trying for something better. If you get double ‘1’s again, well, your luck obviously doesn’t run that far, and you must keep the second result.
Fast Healing (major)
fast heaLing (Major/Special Good Trait)
The ability to recover quickly from an injury is bound to be useful in your daily attempts to fend off alien invasion. Some people simply recover quicker than others, halting the bleeding and managing to carry on. Some very special individuals can heal major injuries, even regrowing limbs, within moments! This doesn’t make them immortal (they can still be killed if they receive too much damage) but if they survive, the injuries they sustain heal themselves at a remarkable rate.
Effect: Fast Healing is either a Major Trait or a Special Trait, depending upon the speed of recovery. As a Major Good Trait, the character will heal any damage they have sustained quicker than a normal person. Any Attribute Points they have lost due to injury are regained at a rate of 1 point per hour, though the Gamemaster may decide that broken bones will take longer to heal. They might not be able to regrow lost limbs or compete in athletic events with a gunshot wound, but they’ll still be up on their feet faster than most. The player may still have to rationalise why the character can heal quickly with the Gamemaster before taking this Trait.

Time Traveler TL 5 (minor)
Time Traveler TL 4 (minor)
The character is experienced with the technology and society of time periods different to their own.
The Time Traveller Trait also reflects how much travelling in time the character has done, and can be used as a rough indicator of how much background Artron Radiation they have picked up from travelling the Vortex. While this isn’t actually harmful, some alien races have been known to target individuals that have high Artron levels to fuel or activate their technology.
Effect: Players define the character’s home Technology Level (see pg. 67), and using technology from outside of the character’s experience may impose penalties as they’re unfamiliar with the way it works. The Time Traveller Trait means that they’re used to some time periods and can operate the technology with little or no penalty.
The character automatically has a familiarity with their home Tech Level, but the Time Traveller Trait records additional Tech Levels levels they’re comfortable with. Lower Technology Levels to their home are Minor Good Traits, whereas more advanced Technology Levels are Major Good Traits. Technology Levels do not come into play all of the time – after all a gun is a gun and a socket wrench is a socket wrench, but there are times when technology is so advanced or primitive that your character may feel out of place or unable to recognise the technology for what it is. More information on interacting with technology out of the character’s experience can be found on pg. 112. This Trait can be purchased more than once, and the Gamemaster may award this Trait during play if the character becomes particularly familiar with a certain Tech Level.

Technically Adept (minor)
The character has an innate connection to technology, and can sometimes fix things just by hitting them! They’re skilled enough to operate and repair most things with limited tools, taking half the time it normally takes. Often, if the device stopped working within thirty minutes, it can be restarted just by thumping it. It may not last long, but long enough...
Effect: The Technically Adept Trait provides the character with +2 to any Technology roll to fix a broken or faulty device, and to use complex gadgets or equipment. The bonus also applies to any gadget- creating jiggery-pokery, and can be combined with the Boffin Trait.
Note: Cannot be taken with the Technically Inept Bad Trait.
Hypnosis (minor)
The Doctor has been known to use a bit of hypnotism to calm a savage beast and to help people to remember things, putting them in a calm and relaxed state. Hypnosis as a Minor Good Trait means the character can put people into a mild hypnotic state. We’re not talking mind control here, just some basic hypnotic techniques – a tone of voice, a calm way of talking – that can calm people down and possibly influence them to do what you want. The Major Good Trait verges on mind control, and not the sort of thing a companion would do. The Special version of this Trait allows complete possession, and is best left to the Master and other Villains.
Effect: As a Minor Trait, Hypnosis adds a +2 bonus to any social interaction where you’re trying to either calm someone down or to get them to do what you’d like. It’s dependent upon the situation of course; the Gamemaster may not allow in the middle of a battlefield, for instance. Usually, there should be few distractions, and the target and the hypnotist should be able to hear and see each other, unless there is some advanced or alien technology involved. The target can resist using Ingenuity + Resolve (see ‘Being Possessed’, p.97).
The Major Trait works the same way, but if the character succeeds in hypnotising the subject (using Presence + Convince), he can make them do anything not intrinsically against their nature (such as harm a friend or themselves) – in this case, the target can make another roll to resist (with a +3 bonus) to snap out of their hypnotic state, waking to wonder what they were doing. No matter what, they cannot be hypnotised into killing themselves – their survival instinct is too strong.
The Special version of this Trait costs 3 points and effectively allows the character to possess another person. This can be full-on mind control, or actually leaving their body to inhabit someone else’s. This level is reserved for alien or special characters, not for normal player characters.

Forgetful (minor)
The character’s memory is less than reliable. It usually isn’t too drastic if they don’t remember everything on the shopping list when they’re standing in the supermarket, but if they’ve got to they’re which wire to cut to stop a bomb, or the precise words to use to halt a curse, there’s a good chance you’re going to forget and cause a disaster.
Effect: When the character needs to remember something vital, an Ingenuity + Resolve roll is required with a -2 penalty. If the information is particularly complicated, such as an entire monologue from Shakespeare, the Gamemaster may increase the penalty.
Note: Cannot be taken with the Photographic Memory Trait.

Curiosity (minor)
The character has a thirst for knowing what’s going on and investigating, even when it may not be good for them to do so. What was that down that hole? Where does that corridor go, and what are those aliens up to? In many cases, Insatiable Curiosity has been the cause of many adventures (especially in Sarah Jane Smith’s case).
Effect: This is a Minor Bad Trait that rewards playing in character and remembering their curious nature. It is usually unhelpful, but the character simply has to know what is going on, why something is happening or how it works. It may put their life at risk, but it doesn’t make them suicidal. If the character tries to fight the urge to press that button or open that door, the player can make an Ingenuity + Resolve roll, with a -2 modifier to resist.
Note: Cannot be taken with the Unadventurous Bad Trait. If the character gains the Unadventurous Trait (see pg. 48), the character loses the Insatiable Curiosity Trait.
Distinctive (minor)
There is something very striking or obvious about your character that makes them stand out in the crowd. Whether they are just tall, short, have coloured hair or are striking in the way they dress or act, they get noticed and people seem to remember them. They’re not going to provoke people pointing and staring, but they’ll certainly be remembered and recognised if encountered again. This doesn’t mean ‘Alien’ in appearance – for example, if Bannakaffalatta walked around on modern Earth he’d provoke a far more extreme reaction than the Distinctive Trait; he’d have the Alien Appearance Trait (see pg. 50).
Effect: This Trait works in a couple of ways. If the character is trying to ‘blend in’ or go unnoticed in a crowd, they suffer a -2 penalty to the roll. Also, if they’re seen doing something, or if another character or NPC is asked to describe or remember the distinctive character, they will receive a +2 bonus to remember or recognise them after their initial encounter.
Note: Cannot be taken with the Face in the Crowd Trait.
Code of Conduct (minor)
The Code of Conduct Trait means that the character adheres to a strict moral standing or self-imposed set of rules they follow at all times. Depending upon whether it’s a Minor or Major Trait, this can be purely guidelines or a deep-seated way of life. The Doctor has a strict Major Code of Conduct, as he believes all life is precious and would even offer his hand of forgiveness and help to a Dalek or the Master.
While this is listed as a Bad Trait, it doesn’t mean that having a code is bad; just that it can restrict your actions and limit your choices. Being good is often the harder option, but it means you’re a better person for it.
Effect: As a Minor Trait, Code of Conduct means that the character should try to do good at most times, and are unable to harm another being unless it is absolutely necessary and for the greater good.
As a Major Trait, their limits their actions dramatically, meaning they need to strive to do their best at every moment, almost verging on the saintly! Discuss the character’s own unique Code of Conduct with the Gamemaster when you take this Trait. Breaking it may be very costly, resulting in the loss of Story Points!


Male Human (off-worlder)

Thank you!


Map
Bryce Lionell wrote:

Here's my character sheet. I don't have the PDF, and I really don't want to have to type in all the Trait descriptions. Would someone be willing to PM me the descriptions from their PDF?

Regarding K9, he (almost) never took the initiative to do anything - he did what he was told to do by the Doctor ("stop those soldiers!"), and possibly some trusted companions. So if you're playing true to the TV series, you'd be pretty passive most of the time (altho he would sometimes take part in conversations around him, if he had something *factual* to contribute).

The descriptions are not necessary. The essential things I need are the attributes, skills, and traits. I can look up the details if I need to.


Map
Kon'Zu wrote:

He's also a little snarky, if School Reunion is any indication. The "We are in a car" bit was one of the funniest scenes in the show.

GM, are we ready to get started? I'm excited to play. Are you going to narrate how we get picked up, or do you just want to give us some bounds (like, "The TARDIS shows up and the doors open, clearly something's wrong") and let us dictate our own entrances?

It will take me a little while to have the first adventure elements worked out. I wanted to know the characters first, since it could affect what sorts of plots will work and what won't. I should be able to work something out by the weekend.


Map

I did a little research on K-9 so I would have some idea what he is like. It sounds like he was more comic relief than a 3 dimensional character. Perhaps since the original versions, there has been a personality upgrade to make him do more than take orders.

Also, since there have been several versions (Mk1, Mk2, etc.) and some were destroyed or reprogrammed, work out how the current one came to be. Last contact with the Doctor seems to be the 10th Doctor, who left a new version with Sarah. Does that version remember what all the other versions experienced? Or is it something of a new character who only remembers what has happened since the Family Reunion episode?

Also, it might be good to assume he has had an upgrade making him a bit more mobile. It seems given all the advanced technology at the disposal of the Doctor and the Gallifreyians, they could manage something a little better than a square base with tiny wheels that will only allow it to move on really flat smooth surfaces. Even the Daleks eventually learned how to fly so they were not foiled by curbs and stairways.


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12

In the Sarah Jane Chronicles (which is at least semi-canon since new characters from the spinoff appeared in Doctor Who), the new version of K-9 can hover AND he has USB ports. So there’s that, though a flying robot dog is even more OP than a regular robot dog.

Maybe we can trade his nose laser for some articulated legs (or tank treads at least) so that he’s more mobile?

I have no problem with a more independent K-9. By 11’s time, it’s been several years since School Reunion. He could be a new model with an upgraded OS that encourages more agency and self-direction. That being said, I opted out of K-9 because of his passive nature.

Another thought is to make a whole new robot. Fe-line? Get it? Because Fe is the abbreviation for iron?


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Attributes:
  • Awareness: 4
  • Coordination: 3
  • Ingenuity: 4(1)
  • Presence: 3
  • Resolve: 3
  • Strength: 2
Skills:
Athletics: 3 Convince: 3 (Interrogation) Fighting: 1 Knowledge: 3 Marksman: 2 Medicine: 2 Subterfuge: 4 (Sneaking) Survival: 2

I don't have much to add to the K-9 conversation but the discussion about his autonomy made me thing of this song by Chameleon Circuit.


Robot

On K 9's capabilities, please leave my nose blaster, or laser I think it is, alone. I always knew K 9 with it. :(

The design I took from the book loos very like K 9 MKI. I think adding flight, teleport, space flight and the ability to take vacuum is going to make K 9 seriously OP. These are all things K 9 has done at times.

As to other stuff our favourite robodog can do I think if he is a product of 50th century tech then he should have USB ports and a monitor on one of his thighs. It is pretty stupid C 50 can't do what C 20 can, and it isn't exactly unbalancing, you can get the same results by carrying a normal laptop.

Two other things K 9 always had was a telescopic eye appendage and an internal rejuvenator. I am quite happy with the things in this and the previous paragraph and what is on the sheet, with the GM saying what falls under "loads of gadgets".

The only thing I see as controversial there is the internal rejuvenator, I have already thought of rescuing everyone by using it to make an army of K 9s.

On K 9s personality, he usually did as he was told and aided his master or mistress. But I think he would show initiative if left alone or his master or mistress was in trouble. He would also tell people when they made mistakes, the dog is awfully bright and very technically adept.


Ok. I've made the profile and alias. I still need to stat the gadget and write that up.


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12

Your character is super cool. Did the Doctor know she was hiding on the TARDIS?


Robot

I like the Jo Stokes character too.


Thanks guys. *blush*

I've not decided if he knew. Obviously the TARDIS knew, otherwise she never would have gotten in.


Male Human (off-worlder)

Regarding K9's powers, I think flight would be very handy so he's not left behind on the first floor of a multistory building :). But the other powers you mentioned (teleport, space flight) do seem overpowered. I can't think of any reason he couldn't handle a vacuum - that's not even a "power", just a side effect of his being a machine.

I searched everywhere for "internal rejuvenator" and couldn't find it - what does it do, and where (what TV show) is it referenced?


K9's rejuvenation unit is a reference to the Australian series "K9" which is a spin off without rights to the original Doctor Who series and so "regenerated" K9 mark I into a new look for his own adventures.


Robot
Bryce Lionell wrote:

Regarding K9's powers, I think flight would be very handy so he's not left behind on the first floor of a multistory building :). But the other powers you mentioned (teleport, space flight) do seem overpowered. I can't think of any reason he couldn't handle a vacuum - that's not even a "power", just a side effect of his being a machine.

I searched everywhere for "internal rejuvenator" and couldn't find it - what does it do, and where (what TV show) is it referenced?

I agree with you about everything in the first paragraph Bryce. I don't think I should have teleport or space flight, but a robust robot should be able to take vacuum.

I am relying on very old memories for what K 9 can do. So I looked up an internet source which mentioned the rejuvenator. If it's not actually from Dr Who I am fine without it. You can rebuild, or back up and re-build, a robot anyway. It is just one of many things things that make us superior to biological organisms. :P

I will await further input from others, most especially our GM, before doing anything else to my stats.


Map
Ted Trapes wrote:
I don't have much to add to the K-9 conversation but the discussion about his autonomy made me thing of this song by Chameleon Circuit.

I like the way the song articulates some of the potential problems of K-9 as a character. He should be more than Siri attached to a Rumba.

It would be more interesting for the other players if K-9 gets an upgrade which provides him more of a personality and a set of goals and interests rather than being a servant of another.

Here's a thought: K-9 ends up crossing paths with Bryce, who applies some of his advanced technology know-how to open up some of K-9's abilities. The player of K-9 can decide what those are but it will be fun learning what they are through role playing.

That would also put two of the PCs together at the start of our campaign, reducing the need to give each a separate way of connecting to the Doctor.


Male Human (off-worlder)

I'm good with that! But with Bryce now stuck in his TL6 timeline, how could K9 show up there without the Doctor's help in the first place? Unless, maybe, the Doctor "lost" K9 in an adventure on Cotta a few years before Bryce and K9 meet, and then they meet by accident? The Doctor that Bryce traveled with had a K9 unit, so Bryce would immediately recognize it.

Alternatively, the Doctor could have given him his K9 unit when he dropped Bryce back into his own timeline, and Bryce has spent years upgrading K9's programming...which would mean that Bryce and K9 have a very special and long-term relationship...

Any other ideas?


Robot

K 9 is a Robot.

Bryce could have constructed another K 9 if he had the specifications and parts. That might be a more sensible way to do things. K 9 is sentient after all, and you would not normally go changing his personality. Nor would K 9 co-operate.

K 9 is a product of TL 7 or 8, probably 7 and Bryce has access to TL 6. He should be able to repair a K 9 or build one from specifications. This could well explain why K 9 lacks some of the more overpowered features he has displayed at times, such as teleportation.

Bryce do you mind me reading your character sheet for ideas that make sense.


Map

I would say that K-9's ability to survive in vacuum would be balanced by potential problems if he is submerged in water. Or we could consider the ability to function in vacuum to be roughly equivalent to a biological creature such as a human to manage in vacuum if in possession of a space suit, which doesn't really need to count as a trait or a gadget.

I would suggest his body be re-imagined to be more like a biological dog, with four legs and maybe a tail.

I'm working on a plot idea, but I need to do some research into plots of past DH shows and such. Hope to have something soon.


Male Human (off-worlder)

K9 - no, go right ahead. But wouldn't K9 be amenable to having his programming changed, if it meant he could be *more* self-motivating? Or we can scrap the idea altogether, I was just riffing off of Doctor GM's suggestion. Maybe this version of K9 was created (by the Doctor) with goals and interests and self-motivation.

I don't know if K9's list of abilities has been completely resolved, but now that I look at them it seems to me that Boffin and Vortex aren't necessary (K9 never "built" anything, and he certainly never piloted the Tardis, AFAIK), nor is the Open/Close gadget (I can't ever remember him causing a door to open or shut). And removing those would lower his creation cost by quite a bit, making him more in-line with the PC's. Just my two cents' worth.

Doctor GM - *legs*?!?!?! Then he wouldn't be K9... ;)


Map
Bryce Lionell wrote:

...

Doctor GM - *legs*?!?!?! Then he wouldn't be K9... ;)

As you wish. To me, his simple form was comic relief as well as a nod to the limited budget of the early show. It's hard to imagine anyone with technology more advanced than our own early 21st century abilities would create what you all have come to love. If you can live with that cognitive dissonance, I'll not insist on changing his form.

Edit 1: Do have a plan for how K-9 will deal with obstacles when it comes time to run for your lives up a set of stairs or through a swamp. I don't want to feel obligated to only have adventures in locations advantageous to K-9's limited mode of movement.

Edit 2: Consider if K-9's wheels were made in a fashion described in Neal Stephenson's Snowcrash as the must-have set of wheels for couriers who used skateboards as their main mode of transportation (which also showed up on a high-tech motorcycle. He called them Smartwheels. The book was written in the 1980s with events taking place about this time in what was then 30 years in the future. While we don't have anything like this today, the next technology level up could very well have such wheels which would allow K-9 to go up and down stairs and over rough ground. He would still be stopped by water or low walls, but people could carry him over those, or perhaps he could have something that would allow him to float upward a few feet for short periods of time.


Robot

Bryce- I don't think K 9 ever piloted the Tardis and I am not sure he built anything either, but he was technically adept I think.

But I recall doors opening and K 9 was behind them many times. So I think he should have Open/ Close [which is I think less powerful than any of the other traits being discussed here].

So I am quite OK with K 9 lacking Vortex and Boffin, esp as I think we have another PC with Boffin, and the internal rejuvenator.

That would leave K9 as per my character sheet w/o Boffin and Vortex. And with a somewhat more independent personality.


Male Human (off-worlder)

K9 and Doctor GM - I was being facetious about the legs - they, or Flight, would solve K9's mobility issues. However, if he is the size of a dog, even legs wouldn't help him cross a swamp or a river, and he'd have to have some kind of protection against short-circuiting from the water. Hmmm...maybe Flight is best? However, having someone in the group who can fly could be easily abused...

I don't think the Doctor GM ever weighed in on the internal rejuvenator - I take it that's something that auto-repairs K9, sort of like Fast Healing for machines (altho in the Australian TV series, it re-created him after he had been blown to pieces, which seems like a bit much)? It did come from a non-canon source, but it would keep the other characters from continually having to repair him.


Robot
The Doctor GM wrote:
Bryce Lionell wrote:

...

Doctor GM - *legs*?!?!?! Then he wouldn't be K9... ;)

As you wish. To me, his simple form was comic relief as well as a nod to the limited budget of the early show. It's hard to imagine anyone with technology more advanced than our own early 21st century abilities would create what you all have come to love. If you can live with that cognitive dissonance, I'll not insist on changing his form.

I really want to look like the original K 9.

I know the show was made on a shoestring at best. But the look is a big part of the show's charm. Yes K 9 was sometimes comic relief and partly designed to be liked by kids. As for being able to a better means of locomotion with the available tech, of course you can. Dr Who was never hard science fiction.

The Doctor GM wrote:
Edit 1: Do have a plan for how K-9 will deal with obstacles when it comes time to run for your lives up a set of stairs or through a swamp. I don't want to feel obligated to only have adventures in locations advantageous to K-9's limited mode of movement.

OK.

The Doctor GM wrote:
Edit 2: Consider if K-9's wheels were made in a fashion described in Neal Stephenson's Snowcrash as the must-have set of wheels for couriers who used skateboards as their main mode of transportation (which also showed up on a high-tech motorcycle. He called them Smartwheels. The book was written in the 1980s with events taking place about this time in what was then 30 years in the future. While we don't have anything like this today, the next technology level up could very well have such wheels which would allow K-9 to go up and down stairs and over rough ground. He would still be stopped by water or low walls, but people could carry him over those, or perhaps he could have something that would allow him to float upward a few feet for short periods of time.

I prefer the idea of hovering or very limited flight more than smart wheels. Smart wheels don't seems too much like K 9. Maybe a flight system that allows him to fly at the same rate he can move, around a brisk walk max, for a maximum of 1 minute, then it has to recharge for an hour or 2 or 3.

Another solution is for K 9 to have been training with a secret cult of ninjas. He could then leap across swamps, abseil up skyscrapers, walk across ceilings and employ ninja mind control. And talk in an extremely bad Japanese accident.


Map

The Japanese do love their robots :). My wife and I watch a series called "Mozart in the Jungle." It is about a symphony orchestra and the challenges of pursuing a professional music career while also dealing with many non-musical limitations imposed by unions, fund-raising, etc. In the most recent episode watched, there was a robot unveiled who could interpret musical scores and conduct an orchestra. One of the characters is an avante guard conductor who has an argument with said robot while standing on a footbridge over a stream. The conductor asks the robot if he is aware of the one thing a robot conductor cannot do. The robot does not know, so the conductor picks him up and says, "Robot conductors cannot swim!"

Anyway, I'm working on a plot and I have a question for those familiar with the early episodes. In the episode near the end of the 11th Doctor's run, he spends about 200 years in his timeline, and there is a strong implication he is saying goodbye to various former companions, including companions of earlier regenerations, such as Rose Tyler. I'm wondering if he would perhaps try to visit Romana. I have not watched those episodes and my reading about the character in the Tardis Wiki suggests she had a rather complicated life post-Doctor. The information does not list anything to suggest her death has been recorded in any of the media accounts. Being a Time Lord herself, it might be assumed she perished in the Time War, but that might not be certain.

Any opinions about the Doctor attempting to revisit her? I might not try to role play her, but the trail might lead to places she might be found. Since she had a connection to K-9, that might make for some interesting situations.


Kyle Reluctant psychic
Attributes:
Awareness: 3 Coordination: 3 Ingenuity: 4 Presence: 3 Resolve: 5 Strength: 3
Story: 12

As much as I like the sentiment of him visiting her...how could he? To the best of his knowledge at that point, there were no surviving Gallyfreyians. We now know that to not be the case, but 11 didn’t.


So, as far as canonical TV info goes, Romana and K-9 mark II leave the Doctor to travel in E-Space and free a race of telepathic slaves called Tharil. She has appeared in numerous audio adventures and books where her future self and at least one regeneration become Lord President of Gallifrey after being "rescued" from E-Space by the 7th Doctor.

It is very likely that a future Doctor might look her up and that, if the books and audio are not considered canon, she is likely to have survived the Time War by being in E-Space.

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