Doctor Who in Pathfinder?


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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I've hear rumors that the new Ultimate Equipment Guide has two new items, one of which is essentially the Tardis, and another which is a tool that can transform into any other too--essentially the sonic screwdriver.

Along with the Samsarans, a race of people who never truly die, I think we can make ourselves a fair representation of The Doctor, albeit a bit stylized to Pathfinder.

What do you think?


We still need the proper class for it. None of the existing one, including archetypes, quite have that feel to me.


Brilliant!

Finally, Allons-y! XD

I guess Time Thief is the closest class right now :)

now, we only need the daleks ^-^

Truthfully: i can easily imagine a similar themed game/campaign, in Pathfinder =)

humming a little bit and going to sleep


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Hm, I don't know,...

I have played many mages with the various Doctor's personalities! :)

And I think a skill-monkey (Rogue or Bard) and/or one of their archetypes pulls it off nicely. Depending upon the personality and Feat selection.

IMHO. :)

Haven't read about the Samsarans yet, but that begs the question.

How would YOU try to recreate the Doctor (Any incarnation) in PFRPG?

Obviously I have MY ideas, but I am interested in seeing how others interpret him.


I had contemplating trying to squeeze out a Doctor inspired Time Oracle who had the Tongues curse (which I and my potential GM had agreed would be less speaking in an exotic language and more speaking in a far flung futuristic version of his main language that basically just didn't make sense to anyone because they had not concept of future slang).

In the end though, the Oracle just doesn't have enough Doctor flavor in it for me (even one who's Mysteries are all base around Time). Maybe someone can take my idea and piggy back off of it to find something worth while, or maybe there's a totally better way to do it.

Regardless, I too am interested in what others would come up with for a Pathfinder Doctor.


theporkchopxpress wrote:
I had contemplating trying to squeeze out a Doctor inspired Time Oracle who had the Tongues curse (which I and my potential GM had agreed would be less speaking in an exotic language and more speaking in a far flung futuristic version of his main language that basically just didn't make sense to anyone because they had not concept of future slang).

Heh, the Doctor does ramble about science--fairly incomprehensibly.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Well, let's break down what the doctor does.

He uses Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge engineering, Knowledge geography, Knowledge history, Knowledge local, Knowledge nature, Knowledge planes, Knowledge religion, Perception, Sense Motive, Use Magic Device.

He has a companion--or cohort.

He is good at guiding people. He helps them become their more perfect self.

He (generally) doesn't hurt people, but he does damage items and weapons.

I'm thinking some kind of Bard, possibly Rogue or Inquisitor or Alchemist, with some kind of ranged Sunder ability.

Actually, I'm thinking some kind of alchemist might fit best.


I'm just going to drop this and this here.


Dotted


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The Doctor is a god. Gods shouldn't get stats.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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If it has stats, we can kill it!

;-)


I'm playing a lore oracle as the Doctor specializing in craft feats. Also using the Wedded to History immortality feat from a 3.5 Dragon magazine issue. The focused trance, sidestep secret, and mental acuity revelations definitely help get the flavor of an immortal timelord with more knowledge than expected ^_^

I DEFINITELY want to get my hands on the Ultimate Equipment Guide in order to check out this TARDIS and All-Tool thing people keep mentioning. Current plan for a TARDIS is to craft a large animated boxwith fly speed and adamantine hardness that serves as mobile base/platform for a portal linked to a created demiplane (I love Create Demiplane spell!). Sonic Screwdriver would have been use-activated knock/pilfering hand/arcane lock/prestidigitation/ghost sound. Anything Paizo makes that can make things easier without me having to weasel/beg/whine/convince/bluff the GM (JOKES! I SWEAR!) would be great.


Protoman wrote:
I'm playing a lore oracle as the Doctor specializing in craft feats.

Egads! A successful Doctor build using an Oracle...just not a Time Oracle. I was close!


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Fabius Maximus wrote:
The Doctor is a god. Gods shouldn't get stats.

Seeing as he and his people can be killed, I don't think he's a god.

In any case, we're not trying to create the doctor. That's not possible. We're merely hoping to emulate the concept.


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SmiloDan wrote:

Well, let's break down what the doctor does.

He uses Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge engineering, Knowledge geography, Knowledge history, Knowledge local, Knowledge nature, Knowledge planes, Knowledge religion, Perception, Sense Motive, Use Magic Device.

He has a companion--or cohort.

He is good at guiding people. He helps them become their more perfect self.

He (generally) doesn't hurt people, but he does damage items and weapons.

I'm thinking some kind of Bard, possibly Rogue or Inquisitor or Alchemist, with some kind of ranged Sunder ability.

Actually, I'm thinking some kind of alchemist might fit best.

hm, I guess he could qualify as a level 9 Archeologist (Bard) with Leadership

For him, all past and future history is History already anyway.

Plus, you missed out Perform, and he is sure having a lot of Perform skills.


Detect Magic wrote:
theporkchopxpress wrote:
I had contemplating trying to squeeze out a Doctor inspired Time Oracle who had the Tongues curse (which I and my potential GM had agreed would be less speaking in an exotic language and more speaking in a far flung futuristic version of his main language that basically just didn't make sense to anyone because they had not concept of future slang).
Heh, the Doctor does ramble about science--fairly incomprehensibly.

Timey wimey!

Wibbly wobbly!

Incomprehensible science talk indeed!


Most of the doctors "powers" come from technology he uses. At best I would peg him as a 5th level skill monkey rogue that has master craftsman and craft wondrous item feats.


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You can't build the Doctor without the Run feat. Running down hallways is like 70% of what he does in any given episode.

Shadow Lodge

Here, some inspiration.


Ravingdork wrote:
Fabius Maximus wrote:
The Doctor is a god. Gods shouldn't get stats.
Seeing as he and his people can be killed, I don't think he's a god.

Seeing that he's powered by belief, I think he is.

Quote:


In any case, we're not trying to create the doctor. That's not possible. We're merely hoping to emulate the concept.

Fair enough.

Grand Lodge

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Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Green Left Eye wrote:
You can't build the Doctor without the Run feat. Running down hallways is like 70% of what he does in any given episode.

The TARDIS bestows two things on everyone who's one of her passengers.

1. Continuous Tongues effect.

2. Bonus Run Feat.

That said, a wargames based RPG simply doesn't work with a character and setting that's almost totally cinematic in style. (especially since combat in Dr. Who is literally of the you get shot once, you're dead variety. Storyteller system would work, FASA had a swing on it, and of course there is the new DR. Who rpg that works far better than anything you can do with D20, mainly because the game system simply does not, can not fit with the style of the series. No matter how big a hammer you hit it with.


Ravingdork wrote:

I've hear rumors that the new Ultimate Equipment Guide has two new items, one of which is essentially the Tardis, and another which is a tool that can transform into any other too--essentially the sonic screwdriver.

Along with the Samsarans, a race of people who never truly die, I think we can make ourselves a fair representation of The Doctor, albeit a bit stylized to Pathfinder.

What do you think?

Could you post a link to the reference document page so I can take a look?


I would say Bard for Doctor Who character.

Skill Monkey = check
Charisma Based = check
Use Magic Devices = Check (for Tardis use)
Has access to some spells = Check ( although you got to pick the right spells to give the right game feel ).

As for the people of Galafray = Very's like in any Society before its fall. Would say at the high of there power, the wizards created the Tardis, and other High level Teck.

Been watching Dr Who, was lucky enough to have seen 1st an 2nd on PBS before they were destroyed.

If i were to classify the DR by incarnation.

1st Incarnation = Bard
2nd Incarnation = Rogue
3rd Incarnation = Wizard
4th Incarnation = Bard
5th Incarnation = Bard
6th Incarnation = Lunatic
7th Incarnation = Wizard

8th Incarnation (movie ) = Bard

9th Incarnation = Bard
10th Incarnation = Bard
11th Incarnation = Bard ( for the time being at least ).

Dark Archive

1st - Wizard. Old, cantankerous, etc.

2nd - Bard, surely! He was always playing the flute.

3rd - Venusian Aikido? Some levels of monk, I think.

After that, I guess bard. 6th one malfunctioned, but he got there in the end.

And you'd have to allow re-training.

Richard


This is a good point. Not only does each Doctor have a different personality, but he has vastly different stats and skills as well. The 3rd Doctor was a skilled martial artist, for example, while the 7th was a stage magician and the 4th was the best hypnotist, whereas the 6th and 8th were the strongest physically. Doctor #5 was a champion cricket player and the most diplomatic of the bunch, #10 was probably the most agile, and #2 was the only one with any musical ability.


Whoops, that should have been "6th and NINTH were the strongest physically." Doctor #8 was the one who claimed he was half-human.


The issue is every class in Pathfinder is defined by how it fights.

The Doctor doesn't "fight". He mainly solves problems with skill checks and RPing, you would say.

Only Wizards, Witches, and Sorcerers can really be built as 100% non-combatants, but there's no way to do that as a non-magic.


"Hai!"
--Jon Pertwee, Third Doctor: Venusian karate--

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Rogue archetype with access to all Knowledge skills and replaced sneak attack with general feats, or just Skill Focus feats, or maybe Teamwork feats, possibly with the Helpful trait.


The most appropriate to reflect his massive knowledge of the world, IMHO, seems full Archaeologist Bard or switching to Loremaster once possible.


I always thought that the Doctor was a skill monkey rogue with tons of UMD and a racial bonus to knowledge checks (living and experiencing so much as a Time Lord)

The Doctor rarely straight up fights anyone. His solutions are more clever.


But he is also extremely knowledgeable, more than a simple skill monkey... He is very lucky most of the time. Intelligent, charismatic and manually dexterous... Again, i think Archaeologist Bard is just perfect... Rogue get cast away just for the sneak attack (that none of his archetypes give up, since it's the fulcrum of the class).


I've seen the Doctor do plenty of devastating sneak attacks. Also the Doctor does not have spells. He is not magic aside from his race (which should get a racial bonus to knowledge skills. Have we seen a Time Lord that didn't know a lot about everything?)


Marthkus wrote:
I've seen the Doctor do plenty of devastating sneak attacks. Also the Doctor does not have spells. He is not magic aside from his race (which should get a racial bonus to knowledge skills. Have we seen a Time Lord that didn't know a lot about everything?)

I don't get what instances of sneak attacks you're referring to, maybe i'm forgetting something.

Time Lords are not only a knloedgeable race. They know a lot because they are a race that should have almost +10 to intelligence... The Doctor is just an average intelligence Time Lord, after all. And don't forget they had more than one TARDIS... So they were basically able to produce artifacts just as we humans are able to produce extremely expensive cars... And are basically immortal...

I don't think i would let any player create a race that starts with that, but if the player can recreate *that* character combining existing races and classes, i don't see why not... So what i'm trying to do is combine race and class to make something similar... And the Archaeologist magic could have technologic explanations if you want that kind of feel. We even have seen the 10th able to redirect his regeneration energies into a severed part of his body, so they he must have some kind of control over his "racial magic".

If you get to play a race that gives you the racial trait of Time Lords, he should be a class that gives him some tremendous luck, but i agree with rogue... Except i don't know what are those sneak attacks you're referring to... And some other secondary things...


Marthkus wrote:
I've seen the Doctor do plenty of devastating sneak attacks. Also the Doctor does not have spells. He is not magic aside from his race (which should get a racial bonus to knowledge skills. Have we seen a Time Lord that didn't know a lot about everything?)

Only if you count Drax, who was an Academy dropout. There are/were plenty of Gallifreyans who didn't seem to know much (the guards), but they weren't Time Lords.


Ravingdork wrote:

I've hear rumors that the new Ultimate Equipment Guide has two new items, one of which is essentially the Tardis, and another which is a tool that can transform into any other too--essentially the sonic screwdriver.

Along with the Samsarans, a race of people who never truly die, I think we can make ourselves a fair representation of The Doctor, albeit a bit stylized to Pathfinder.

What do you think?

Having watched loads of Doctor Who, I have come to the conclusion that the Doctor... is not that intelligent. He basically has huge bonuses to History and Science skill checks, enough to solve the problem of the week. Oh, and some ridiculous dodge (plot armor) bonuses, because he's the protagonist. Time Lords might get +2 Int, but they don't need more. They just have a vastly more advanced educational system than humans do.

I've not seen the samsarans, but with some tweaks you could probably make a Time Lord out of them. Time Lords have all kinds of ridiculous abilities that are often forgotten about (eg they often resist electricity, except when the writers forget, some are hypnotists, although that could be a function of taking levels of psion)...

I figure, when the Time Lord comes back, they can shuffle their stats and feats, almost like a new character who happens to be the same race and have the same memories as the old one. It's a bit like using the Reincarnation spell, but with a narrower range of outcomes.

For those trying to distinguish between Time Lords and Gallifreyans, the wiki has more details. Apparently every member of the society is a Time Lord unless they renounce it. (I say apparently, because I suspect there were several definitions, depending on the writer.)


Kimera757 wrote:


Having watched loads of Doctor Who, I have come to the conclusion that the Doctor... is not that intelligent. He basically has huge bonuses to History and Science skill checks, enough to solve the problem of the week. Oh, and some ridiculous dodge (plot armor) bonuses, because he's the protagonist. Time Lords might get +2 Int, but they don't need more. They just have a vastly more advanced educational system than humans do.

I'm not so sure about it... I mean, sure, they have a vastly advanced educational system, but they also need the brains to remember everything they learned in school and in 1000s of years of life... That's not an easy task: Donna risks her brain fried just for the knowledge, let's not talk about a 1000 years of life experience.

Plus, the doctor is more intelligent than any human with +2 to int...


First, eidetic memory does seem to be a racial trait of the Time Lords. Carrying 900+ years of unfiltered memories might be beyond human capability. (Not that we've got a 900 year old person with eidetic memory to test this on, of course.)

Second, I don't think the Doctor is vastly more intelligent than a human with +2 to Int. I think he's just more knowledgeable and (obviously) far more experienced.

In the last episode I just watched, an ordinary human from the 1800s outsmarted the Doctor... and we've seen him outsmarted several times by ordinary humans from varying time periods.

I think he was portrayed as only slightly more intelligent than Davros, but had a bunch of other advantages (knowledge from the future being a big one, of course). I don't think Davros was himself enjoying superhuman intelligence, but he did seem to be the smartest guy on the planet.


Kimera757 wrote:

First, eidetic memory does seem to be a racial trait of the Time Lords. Carrying 900+ years of unfiltered memories might be beyond human capability. (Not that we've got a 900 year old person with eidetic memory to test this on, of course.)

Second, I don't think the Doctor is vastly more intelligent than a human with +2 to Int. I think he's just more knowledgeable and (obviously) far more experienced.

In the last episode I just watched, an ordinary human from the 1800s outsmarted the Doctor... and we've seen him outsmarted several times by ordinary humans from varying time periods.

I think he was portrayed as only slightly more intelligent than Davros, but had a bunch of other advantages (knowledge from the future being a big one, of course). I don't think Davros was himself enjoying superhuman intelligence, but he did seem to be the smartest guy on the planet.

Some form of uber-eidetic memory, maybe, but there are instances in which he forgets things so there must be something else. Guess what, memory comes with intelligence, that's why all knowledges and other skills based on memory are on intelligence, and that's why how many things you can do and remember how to do (read, skill points) are based on intelligence. So if he doesn't have some form of eidetic memory (and i think it's not stressed enough to think it has, but that's my opinion) he must be extremely knowledgeable by other means, to be so much knowledgeable he needs memory and to have such memory he needs intelligence.

Plus, which episode are you talking about? Because sometimes outsmarting someone is a matter of wits (wisdom) rather than knowledge (intelligence)...


I still think bard fits best overall = Archivist (APG), even more so.

Also, I would say the Doctor would be a 20th level character by now, since he is over 900 years old, and has been adventuring for well over 800 year now.


Oliver McShade wrote:

I still think bard fits best overall = Archivist (APG), even more so.

Also, I would say the Doctor would be a 20th level character by now, since he is over 900 years old, and has been adventuring for well over 800 year now.

Yup, you're right. Archivist fits even better.


I don't picture the Doctor with spells though... He has a lot of neat toys, not spells


Marthkus wrote:
I don't picture the Doctor with spells though... He has a lot of neat toys, not spells

He did use hypnotism on rare occasion. The earliest Master episodes had him using it a lot (nerfed as it went on due to the story-breaking potential, and he cheated in the New Who).

TittoPaolo210 wrote:

Some form of uber-eidetic memory, maybe, but there are instances in which he forgets things so there must be something else. Guess what, memory comes with intelligence, that's why all knowledges and other skills based on memory are on intelligence, and that's why how many things you can do and remember how to do (read, skill points) are based on intelligence. So if he doesn't have some form of eidetic memory (and i think it's not stressed enough to think it has, but that's my opinion) he must be extremely knowledgeable by other means, to be so much knowledgeable he needs memory and to have such memory he needs intelligence.

Plus, which episode are you talking about? Because sometimes outsmarting someone is a matter of wits (wisdom) rather than knowledge (intelligence)...

Eidetic memory isn't necessarily perfect, but the Doctor virtually never seems stumped for knowledge.

Yeah, he has low Wisdom :)

Spoiler:
In the midpoint episode of season 6, he outsmarted the Headless Monks, only to fall for Madame Kovarian's trap, which required him to not take into account the Monks not being alive. He got all the bad guys to run from the station, then used a device to search for life signs to confirm the station was abandoned, and then ... got ambushed. Badly. He lost the kid, and Kovarian pointed out he was fooled by the "fake people" trick again too, meaning the mother he'd rescued was also a fake.

The Doctor knew enough about the Monks to use them as part of the plan to fool the bad guys (including dressing as a Headless Monk) and he knew about the "fake people" ... and still got fooled. Twice. Madame Kovarian said that fooling him twice was a privilege.

I'm positive there are people in real life smart enough to figure that out, leading me to believe the Doctor isn't so much superhuman (in terms of intelligence) but a TV genius. He knows lots from many fields, justified from coming from an advanced civilization plus a long life of learning.


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I'm inclined to think that's more wisdom, since he couldn't have "knowledge" (int) what the enemy had in store but he could "sense motive" (wis) the plan...

... you're right about eidetic memory not being necessarily perfect, though...

Since we have no other information, it could work one way or the other.


What are the artifacts? I want to take a look at them and see if I can use them.

Thanks!


I'm pretty sure that the TARDIS-like artifact is the Brazen Egg... For the Sonic Scewdriver i'm thinking about the Traveler's Any-Tool, a 9th cl wondrous item, but i'm not sure...


Ragadolf wrote:

Hm, I don't know,...

I have played many mages with the various Doctor's personalities! :)

And I think a skill-monkey (Rogue or Bard) and/or one of their archetypes pulls it off nicely. Depending upon the personality and Feat selection.

IMHO. :)

Haven't read about the Samsarans yet, but that begs the question.

How would YOU try to recreate the Doctor (Any incarnation) in PFRPG?

Obviously I have MY ideas, but I am interested in seeing how others interpret him.

The Doctor is definitely a version of the bard. He has a lot of bluff, diplomacy, sense motive on top of his technical skills. He also has the ability to get people to trust and follow him, as well as get them to do their best, up to, and including giving their life for the cause.


Marthkus wrote:
I don't picture the Doctor with spells though... He has a lot of neat toys, not spells

Lets see, charm person, knock, open/close doors, Lots of detect spells, with his 'focus' being the sonic screwdriver. No one else (except when they use a hero point) can use the screwdriver to it's potential, so I would call it a focus rather then a tool in itself, at least in game terms.


The Doctor doesn't have any powers beyond social contact. And reincarnation I suppose.

I'd just make him a unique race with spontaneous-reincarnation upon death (same race only) and stat him with decent Int and Cha, poor Wis. As for class levels, maybe Expert 1 or something. Certainly no core or base classes would apply.


There you go--he's a Level 20 Expert!

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