Bryce Lionell's page

The Doctor arrived one day when he was in his 30's, the Tardis appearing right in front of him as he was taking a walk. A man with a mass of curly hair and a *very* long scarf wrapped several times around his neck rushed out of the blue box, asking where the nearest network server farm was. Bryce happened to know, and took the man (who when he asked what his name was, merely said "The Doctor") to the building. Being naturally curious (another Trait), Bryce stayed with the man as he flashed a badge at the guard and got instant access to the building, which seemed odd. Using a pen-light sized device, the Doctor took them straight to one of the huge servers, and said that a virus had been planted in it from the future (???) which was about to bring down the whole Cotta civilization. The Doctor worked frantically, but apparently being slightly unfamiliar with the operating system, was having difficulties. Bryce was able to help him out, once the Doctor told him what to do. At that point, the Doctor thanked him profusely, asked him if he liked to travel, to which Bryce said "yes". He spent a few years with the Doctor, visiting mostly TL 4 and 5 civilizations, and built up a handbag of useful items.

Then one day Bryce just got tired of all the running, and started missing his friends and family back on Cotta, so he asked the Doctor to drop him off right after they left. Since civilization never fell, Bryce assumed that they had vanquished the virus.

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)
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).

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.