TEXT: 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
  proofreaders: Peter Gilham and Brian Swift.
  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
  starting out 
  5
  How to Set Up a New Game 
  6
  Overall Concept 
  7
  Creating Characters 
  11
  Quick-start Concepts 
  16
  adventures 
  19
  The Many Hats of the Gamemaster 20
  The Plot 
  21
  The Three-Act Structure 
  22
  Act I - The Beginning 
  23
  Act II - Rising Action 
  24
  Act III - The Finale 
  26
  Setting the Stage 
  27
  Lights, Camera, Action! 
  30
  Random Adventure Generator 
  30
  Themes 
  30
  The Adversary 
  42
  Objectives 
  44
  Location 
  45
  viLLains and Making 
  Monsters 
  48
  Villains 
  49
  The Seed of Evil 
  49
  Power Base 
  51
  Villains and Story Points 
  53
  Making Monsters 
  56
  Initial Inspiration 
  56
  Making it Memorable 
  59
  Dealing with Monsters 
  61
  settings 
  63
  Coming up with a Concept 
  64
  Setting Toolkit and Checklist 
  69
  Introducing the Setting 
  72
  running gaMes, caMpaigns 
  and stock Footage 
  73
  Running Games 
  74
  Framing Scenes 
  74
  Describing Things 
  76
  Responding to the Players 
  80
  Pacing 
  81
  Dealing with Time Travel 
  82
  Getting Things Back on Track 
  83
  Campaigns 
  86
  Character Arcs 
  86
  Plot Arcs 
  88
  Foreshadowing 
  89
  Changing Characters 
  91
  Killing Characters 
  92
  Big Finales 
  93
  Stock Footage 
  95
  People 
  95
  Places 
  99
  Planets 
  101
  Impossible Places 
  105
  death in toytoWn, 
  the grip oF the kraken and 
  the beLLagio iMbrogLio 
  106
  Death Comes to Toytown 
  107
   
  Adventure Synopsis 
  107
   
  Hamilton’s Toys and Games 
  107
   
  The Nestene Consciousness 
  107
   
  The Players’ Characters 
  107
   
  1. Valley of the Dolls 
  108
   
  2. The Toys Come to Life 
  110
   
  3. Edgar Hamilton 
  111
   
  4. Escaping the Toy Shop 
  112
   
  5. Saving Samuel 
  114
   
  6. Tracking the Signal 
  115
   
  7. The March of the Chairs 
  116
   
  8. Lair of the Nestene 
  116
   
  Aftermath 
  118
  The Grip of the Kraken 
  119
   
  Adventure Synopsis 
  119
   
  The Kraken 
  119
   
  The Yatsoshiro 
  120
   
  Characters 
  120
   
  Prologue 
  124
   
  Act I: The Kraken Wakes 
  125
   
  1. Arrival in the Debris Column 125
   
  2. The Privateers 
  127
   
  3. Sudden Impact 
  128
   
  4. The Missing Pod 
  129
   
  5. Here we are Again 
  130
   
  6. The Cliffhanger 
  130
   
  Act II: The Bodysnatchers 
  131
   
  1. The Chase 
  131
   
  2. Defeating the Slime 
  132
   
  3. Restarting the Engines 
  133
   
  4. Escape the Debris Column 
  134
   
  Act III: The Maw 
  135
   
  1. The Crash of the Yatsoshiro 
  135
   
  2. The Kraken Attacks 
  135
   
  Aftermath 
  136
  The Bellagio Imbroglio 
  137
   
  Adventure Synopsis 
  137
   
  Getting There 
  139
   
  Casanova and the Bellagios 
  140
   
  Juggling the Cast 
  141
   
  The Bellagio Stone 
  142
   
  The Adventure Begins 
  143
   
  The Rest of the Adventure 
  146
   
  Important Locations 
  146
   
  How to Run the Rest of 
   
  the Adventure 
  147
   
  List of Events 
  147
   
  What They All Did Next 
  148
   
  Wrapping Up 
  155
   
  Aftermath 
  156
   
  Optional Variation: Aliens 
   
  Among Us 
  156
  index 
  157
  
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    ‘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 
  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!
  introduction
  introduction
    
  
    
  STARTING OUT
  
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  ‘‘So, all of time and space, everything that ever 
  happened or ever will. Where do you want to start?’
  Starting a new game of the Doctor Who Roleplaying 
  Game? Let’s work out the best set-up for you and 
  your friends.
  C hoW to set up a neW gaMe
  Here’s the thing: the game set-up you choose needs 
  support from the whole group. You need a thumbs 
  up from everyone, even if it isn’t their first choice. As 
  Gamemaster, making sure of this is your job; this is a 
  game where the Gamemaster calls a lot of the shots, 
  and the players will expect the same here.
  So this is how you do it:
  •	
  You tell them your best idea.
  •	
  Then you talk about it.
  First up, think about game ideas that you get excited 
  about. After all, you’ll be putting more work into 
  this than any of the players. Choose a concept that 
  really catches your imagination. Think about how 
  to describe it to your players. You want the players 
  to see why your idea will make for a really exciting 
  game that they’ll love to play. Adding a bit of detail 
  can help: instead of “I think the game should be about 
  some people who stumble into a rogue TARDIS”, try 
  “I think the game should be about some people from 
  different periods of Earth’s history who stumble into 
  a mysterious TARDIS and are yanked out of their 
  own times. They keep getting dragged into exciting 
  adventures throughout time and space, all while 
  trying to figure out the secrets of the TARDIS”.
  Warning! Don’t fall so in love with your idea that you 
  can’t bear to change it! No game concept entirely 
  survives contact with player creativity!
  You don’t need to stop at one idea, but you don’t want 
  to share more than three or four at once. Beyond that 
  you’ll be presenting the players with so many options 
  that it will be hard to make a good decision.
  Now the second step: talking it through. Get the 
  players together (or send out group emails, whatever 
  works) and tell them you want their help deciding the 
  concept for the game. Describe your idea to them, 
  but – and this is important – present it as a starting 
  point, not something set in stone. 
  Invite suggestions, counter ideas, modifications, 
  whatever they come up with. Talk it out. Many times, 
  the group will be happy to go with your suggestion, but 
  even then see if you can get at least one suggestion 
  from each player for a change or addition to the 
  starting out
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  concept. The more the game reflects the interests of 
  everyone, the more likely it is to deliver an amazing 
  experience in play.
  the correct Way to start
  There is no correct way to start. No, that’s wrong: 
  there are lots of correct ways to start. You can do it 
  like this:
  •	
  Step One: Decide on a concept.
  •	
  Step Two: Choose characters to fit.
  •	
  Step Three: Work out your starting point.
  Or like this:
  •	
  Step One: Decide on some characters.
  •	
  Step Two: Develop a concept to fit.
  •	
  Step Three: Discuss issues like canon.
  Or this:
  •	
  Step One: Have a big rambling discussion about 
  all the different aspects of a new concept until 
  something starts feeling right.
  •	
  Step Two: Play!
  •	
  Step Three: Discuss how it went and make 
  changes to improve things.
  Or maybe this:
  •	
  Step One: Decide something.
  •	
  Step Two: Decide something else.
  •	
  Step Three: Change the first something for a 
  better idea.
  In other words, don’t hesitate to do things in whatever 
  order feels right. Test the waters, try a few options – 
  the method that works best for your group might not 
  be obvious until you try it.
  C overaLL concept
  What is your game idea about? Who are the 
  characters and what are they doing? This is the big-
  picture concept, and it gives you some important 
  information. 
  tiMe Lord pLus huMans expLoring 
  tiMe and space
  Everyone knows how this one works: a Time Lord 
  with a TARDIS takes a few human companions on 
  the adventure of a lifetime. It reliably delivers fun 
  times and gives you a stable set-up for continuing 
  adventures. This is the classic concept, and most 
  groups will give it a try the first time they play – but, 
  of course, there are other ways to play. 
  Potential Pitfalls: Even though this is the classic 
  approach, it has its problems. First, it requires 
  committed players. Say you have a large group 
  but because of work or family commitments, you 
  never know who will make it to any particular 
  game session. The classic set-up won’t be a great 
  fit, because there’s only so many times you can make 
  excuses as to why one of the team sits out the 
  adventure in the TARDIS before it starts to 
  feel fake.
  There are also some balance concerns 
  with this model. The Time Lord and the 
  human companions are mechanically 
  balanced by Story Points, but despite this 
  it can be easy for a dominant player to use 
  their Time Lord character to grab a lot of 
  time in the spotlight, or to direct the course 
  of the whole game, at the expense of other 
  players. Some groups prefer a more equal 
  arrangement: is yours one of them?
  earth teaM investigating 
  strange events
  This is also a fairly easy model to get your 
  head around. UNIT has been doing this for 
  decades, and Torchwood for over a century. 
  There’s a group with a headquarters. There’s 
  someone more-or-less in charge who likes 
  to get out in the thick of things. They hear 
  about the latest unusual event and head out to 
  inspect it and, if there’s trouble, to deal with it.
  UNIT and Torchwood are organised agencies, but 
  this set-up also works for amateur investigators 
  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.
  This is a great model for a flexible procedural 
  game. The exact group of players can change from 
  week to week and it won’t cause any problems. 
  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, because the setting will stay the same!
  Potential Pitfalls: When you have an organisation 
  you have a chain of command, and when you have 
  a chain of command you have players forced to 
  take orders. Even worse, you often have players 
  forced to take orders from other players. For 
  
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  some groups this won’t be a problem, but in others, 
  this will be a huge minus to their experience. If you 
  decide on a small agency where people are expected 
  to take the initiative, and you this problem mostly 
  goes away.
  If the group aren’t in a formal organisation, but are 
  just curious amateurs, then the main problem is that 
  of protecting themselves. If any given set of villains 
  can portray the group as criminals, then that might 
  be the end of their careers and the game right then 
  and there – they won’t have UNIT or Torchwood 
  advising police not to press charges.
  accidentaL Wanderers
  Just because they’re travelling through space and 
  time doesn’t mean they know how to steer. Perhaps 
  their travel is entirely accidental. Your game can be 
  about a group of people who stumble into a situation 
  they don’t understand. Perhaps they crawled 
  through a wardrobe and ended up in a strange new 
  world, with no clear idea of how to get home, and the 
  controls to the wardrobe are extremely confusing…
  This can be a handy one for a Gamemaster, because 
  it means the players entrust you with deciding where 
  they go from week to week. You decide if it’s Roman 
  Britain now, ancient Mesopotamia next, then the 
  year 3 million. They go along for the ride.
  Potential Pitfalls: While hopping from random place 
  to random place can be fun for a while, many groups 
  will want some control over their destiny before too 
  long. When that happens, you’ll either change the 
  concept into something new, or start winding up 
  the game. This can actually be a really good thing, 
  as players might find it very satisfying to go from 
  helpless victims of circumstance to travellers in 
  control of their own fates, but it’s worth knowing 
  what you’re getting yourself into. This set-up also 
  shares the problem of player commitment. If you 
  have an irregular player or two, then it will be quite 
  hard to keep continuity from one game session to 
  the next. 
  high concept
  “You know what would be an awesome idea? If we 
  play…”
  •	
  “…Sontarans who were infected with human 
  emotions by the Doctor, and now we’re chasing 
  him through time and space to make him put us 
  back like we were before!”
  •	
  “…the bridge crew of one of those time-travelling 
  shape-changing robots, only instead of enforcing 
  justice we’re tracking down the Key to Time!”
  •	
  “…a band of thieves plotting the biggest heists 
  in all of time and space, and we decide on the 
  Daleks as our first target!”
  •	
  “…members of a cross-time flower delivery 
  service, and we’re constantly competing with a 
  rival cross-time flower delivery service!”
  •	
  “…people whose lives got messed up by aliens 
  but they blame the Doctor and want to put him on 
  trial, so they investigate everything mysterious 
  in case he’s involved!”
  starting out  
  
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  •	
  “…ordinary people who wake up in a world 
  where all of time is mashed together and who 
  try to work out what went wrong so they can put 
  things right!”
  When someone says “You know what would be an 
  awesome idea?” you’re dealing with a high concept. 
  These ideas are unique and distinctive. The concept 
  by itself should be enough to get everyone interested. 
  A high-concept game can be one of the most 
  memorable experiences you’ll have at a tabletop: you 
  know your game will be unlike every other game out 
  there, and you have an amazing opportunity to get 
  wildly creative together! These ideas are always a bit 
  odd, though, so it is extra important to make sure 
  everyone likes the idea and wants to play.
  Potential Pitfalls: Unsurprisingly there are lots of 
  things that can go wrong with this sort of game. High 
  concepts are never sure things. Sometimes an idea 
  that you’re all excited by and committed to can still 
  fall over when you sit down to play it.
  When you’re talking about high concepts, two big 
  things to consider are longevity (will the adventures 
  keep coming, or will they dry up pretty quickly?) and 
  equity (will all the players share in the fun, or will 
  some characters get more attention than others?).
  What sort oF characters do We pLay?
  In most other roleplaying games, the starting 
  concept is clear enough that everyone pretty much 
  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 
  can start anywhere in time or space, with any sort of 
  characters. In fact, there are so many choices, it can 
  be a challenge to even get started! Here are some 
  good options to start you off…
  the tardis creW
  You take on the roles of your favourite TARDIS crew. Be 
  the Doctor, Clara and Danny! Or be the Doctor, Amy 
  and Rory! Or be the Doctor, Martha and Jack! Or be 
  the Doctor, Rose and Mickey! Those character sheets 
  appear in the various books for a reason, after all.
  Some groups will be happy to use a non-standard 
  crew: the Doctor, Donna and Amy, for example. You 
  can come up with a clever explanation, or just shrug 
  your shoulders and go for it, whatever feels right to 
  you.
  A good option if the players…
  •	
  Love the iconic characters.
  •	
  Have the right number of people.
  •	
  Want to start playing right away.
  •	
  Won’t argue over who gets to play who.
  Avoid this option if the players…
  •	
  Enjoy arguing about the merits of the characters 
  (you’ll never get anything done!).
  •	
  Want to use their own creativity.
  •	
  Don’t all know the characters.
  •	
  Can get a bit worried about canon (see pg. 10).
  
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  other FaMiLiar characters
  The Doctor has encountered many other interesting 
  folk through his travels, and many of them would 
  make great people to adventure with. There’s various 
  UNIT brigadiers and scientific advisers, a cat burglar, 
  a Silurian and a Sontaran in Victorian London, the 
  Doctor’s vat-grown ‘daughter’, Wilfred’s grey-haired 
  alliance, maybe even funny-forehead Adam after he 
  grows up a bit.
  Get everyone to pick one of these characters, come 
  up with a way to bring them together, and begin! You 
  can also mix-and-match these characters with an 
  established TARDIS crew, adding them in as extras 
  to fill out a game table.
  A good option if the players…
  •	
  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’
  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!
  starting out  
  
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  memorable pair of time travellers, Theta Gamma 
  and Miss Collins! And of course, everyone is awed by 
  the incredible escapades of Hugh Sonic and the Dub 
  Stepsisters!
  You haven’t heard of these people, because they 
  don’t exist. By creating a brand-new group of time-
  travelling adventurers, you can find something that 
  perfectly fits your players and goals.
  You might also want to split the difference of familiar 
  and new, by creating a brand-new future Doctor and 
  their companions.
  A good option if the group…
  •	
  Is eagerly creative.
  •	
  Doesn’t want to be constrained by established 
  characters.
  •	
  Doesn’t mind bending around canon.
  Avoid this option if the group…
  •	
  Want to play the Doctor and companions; that is 
  the name of the game after all.
  •	
  Don’t have confidence in their own creativity.
  •	
  Are impatient to get started.
  C creating characters
  In many groups, everyone’s happy to leave problems 
  like concept and canon to the Gamemaster. However, 
  there is one part of game set-up where everyone 
  wants a piece: character creation.
  Coming up with the characters who will be your main 
  focus when you sit down to play is, unsurprisingly, 
  somewhat important. It is an incredibly good idea 
  to get the entire group talking about everyone’s 
  characters, rather than sending everyone off to 
  invent their own characters in isolation then present 
  them to the others as “finished!” If you want the 
  characters to make sense as an ensemble in a game, 
  then develop them together as a group.
  Who are the characters?
  The overall concept and other decisions provide big-
  picture options of the sorts of characters available. 
  Have a chat with the group about the specific 
  characters that you need for the concept to work. 
  For example, if you’re going with a classic approach, 
  someone will need to be the Doctor, and one or more 
  people to be his companions. If you’re a UNIT squad, 
  you’ll need someone to be the officer in charge, and 
  
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  perhaps a scientific advisor, and a reliable sergeant 
  who knows how to set explosives, and so on. Also, 
  try to ensure each character has a role to play that 
  makes them special. In other words – don’t create 
  two characters who both have the same job. Giving 
  everyone a distinct niche means that everyone will 
  get their own moments to shine in the adventures to 
  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.
  Note that some groups might want to start with 
  character ideas and work upwards from there to find 
  a concept which fits. This can be tricky, especially 
  if two players have their hearts set on playing 
  characters that seem to belong in contradictory 
  concepts. Or if two players both want to be the 
  Doctor! As always, as Gamemaster it ultimately falls 
  to you to make suggestions and get the conversation 
  going to sort these issues out.
  hoW do the characters end up 
  together?
  So, how did these characters come together as a 
  group? 
  Your concept might answer this question: a UNIT 
  squad is together because they’re a UNIT squad, for 
  example. But even here, a chat can be useful. A newly 
  assembled squad of recruits from civilian services is 
  a different sort of thing to a tight-knit squad of career 
  soldiers with years of experience firing five rounds 
  rapid at chaps with wings. Most groups will fit into 
  one of these three options:
  •	
  They are family or old friends.
  •	
  They are working together on a project or as 
  part of an organisation.
  •	
  They are acquaintances or strangers who are 
  forced together by circumstance.
  It’s also possible to have a mixed set-up. Perhaps 
  two characters are work colleagues and friends, 
  schoolteachers, say. Perhaps two other characters 
  are family, perhaps a grandfather and granddaughter. 
  These two pairs are then forced together by 
  circumstance and get to know each other as they 
  embark on a series of adventures. That might work.
  pLaying through the Meeting
  You might want to play through how the characters 
  all meet, or you might decide to have that happen 
  ‘off-screen’ before you begin. Which way will suit 
  your group?
  •	
  Hello! Nice to meet you! In this approach, the 
  characters don’t know each other at all when 
  you start. Their first interactions will happen 
  as part of the game. This is neat because the 
  players learn things at the same time as their 
  characters. The catch is ensuring there’s a 
  reason for these new acquaintances to stick 
  together. Maybe they’ve been assigned to work 
  together; maybe they’re about to fall through a 
  time portal together and will have to rely on each 
  other to survive. If you can’t think of a way to do 
  this, then it might be better to use the second 
  option. (You can always flashback to their first 
  meeting later on…)
  •	
  Here we go again! In this approach, the 
  characters already know each other when you 
  first sit down to play. You can even start right in the 
  middle of the action, in a pitched battle with the 
  Cybermen or running away from Robespierre’s 
  men. The great advantage is getting right into 
  the fun without worrying about the details yet. 
  Yes, things will be confusing to start with, but 
  if everyone just goes for it then things will fall 
  into place later on. This option is also great if the 
  reason your characters get together is complex 
  starting out  
  
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  or full of coincidence – nothing ever quite goes 
  to plan when you play things out, so it’s far safer 
  to keep that detail in flashbacks only!
  What are their skiLLs and traits?
  Now it’s time to get those character sheets filled 
  in. Everyone should start choosing skills and traits 
  based on their character concepts.
  Everyone should keep talking as they go. Hearing 
  everyone else making decisions will help players 
  narrow down their own ideas. Keep those special 
  roles in mind, and watch out for any signs of overlap 
  between characters. 
  Watch out for combinations that will instantly cause 
  trouble during play! If one player chooses the Outcast 
  trait, explaining that they are a compulsive thief, and 
  another takes the By the Book trait, announcing 
  themselves as determined to uphold the law, then 
  you’re headed for trouble in play. 
  On the other hand, you could try to set up some 
  combinations that will lead to a fun character dynamic. 
  If one character is Cowardly and another is Brave, then 
  there’s probably going to be some bickering down the 
  line, but likely the fun sort of bickering. An Eccentric 
  who keeps wandering off would be well-matched by a 
  friend with a Sense of Direction and Keen Senses who 
  can track them down.
  While all this detail work is being done, it’s a great 
  opportunity for you as Gamemaster to talk one-to-
  one with each player. Make sure you understand 
  why they’re excited to play this character. You’ll get 
  inspiration from their ideas!
  What stuFF do they have?
  You can skip this question if the answer is ‘ordinary 
  things’. If the group concept is to be university 
  students, then just assume everyone has university-
  student-type gear, and move on. Problem solved.
  But some concepts need a little more care. If the 
  group is a UNIT squad, then presumably they’ll have 
  weapons of some kind. A Torchwood scientific unit 
  might have strange and interesting gadgets. And any 
  concept that has the characters travelling through 
  time and space requires them to have a time machine!
  Individual characters can negotiate with the 
  Gamemaster to have Gadgets that suit their situation, 
  but a shared conversation can decide what equipment 
  is normal for this group. If there are any Gadgets or 
  vehicles that will be important to everyone, like an 
  alien supercomputer hidden inside an attic wall, now 
  is the time to scope them out.
  As Gamemaster, you must have a strong role in this 
  discussion. It is a good idea to be cautious about 
  what you allow. At this stage you’re just making 
  
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  guesses about the potential impact of different kinds 
  of gear, so try to hold back on firm approvals until 
  the game has started and your guesses become a bit 
  more educated.
  As part of this process you must decide if there’s any 
  Story Point cost from the Gadgets, and whose Story 
  Point total it counts against. Split the total among 
  multiple characters if the Gadget will genuinely be 
  shared, but usually you should designate one owner 
  and count it against their total.
  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 
  adventure? If the chance to go home and relax came, 
  what would hold them back? Characters shouldn’t 
  start with the Unadventurous trait! 
  Finally, as an optional extra, ask every player to come 
  up with a problem for themselves. They can devise a 
  plot complication that suits their character. This helps 
  you as Gamemaster because it gives you some great 
  story ideas that you know will grab player attention. 
  And it helps the players, because it ensures they get 
  stories that suit their interests, and it helps them 
  define and enjoy the characters they’ve invented.
  These story ideas might end up being just small 
  parts of upcoming adventures, but they could also 
  become huge ongoing themes. As a small example, 
  Clara’s player might come up with “Holds down a 
  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!
  Some players might feel a bit strange coming up with 
  their own problems like this. Isn’t that sort of thing 
  the Gamemaster’s job? You can assure them that 
  once they’ve made their suggestion, it does fall to 
  you to make it happen. They should consider it part 
  of the character creation process: the character isn’t 
  quite finished until you know the first big problem 
  they’re going to face.
  starting out  
  
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  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…
  
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  C Quick-start concepts
  Grab one of these ideas and get a new and different 
  game up and running fast!
  FoLLoW in the Footsteps
  The Doctor has cast a long shadow across the 
  universe. A traveller through time and space, 
  standing up for the weak and the vulnerable, staring 
  down the powerful and cracking jokes as he does so. 
  Wouldn’t you like to be like that?
  In this concept, the players take on characters who 
  have been inspired by the Doctor to emulate his 
  adventures. They find or build a time machine, and 
  set off to explore the universe and stand up against 
  tyranny along the way. Of course, it’s not going to be 
  as easy as all that…
  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 
  Doctor’s fierce integrity, can the new time 
  travellers resist the temptations that come with 
  power over space and time?
  •	
  The Doctor makes it look simple, but inexpert 
  travel through time leaves a trail of havoc, 
  paradox and broken realities. Are these amateurs 
  causing more problems than they solve?
  •	
  The exploits of the group draw the attention of 
  some of the Doctor’s most fearsome enemies. 
  Without warning they become targets for pre-
  emptive destruction – or for use as hostages 
  against the Doctor himself.
  •	
  There are secrets behind the provenance of their 
  time vehicle. Are they exploring the Time Vortex 
  in an evil TARDIS?
  What the Gamemaster will need to do:
  •	
  Come up with situations that challenge the 
  characters to be like the Doctor – and tempt them 
  off the path.
  •	
  Develop 
  adventures, 
  but 
  also 
  encourage 
  the players to suggest their own goals and 
  destinations.
  •	
  Think about the ramifications of time travel and 
  watch out for paradoxes and other wibbly-wobbly 
  timey-wimey stuff…
  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? 
  Why are they alive?
  Fits well with:
  •	
  Familiar characters who died in one of the 
  Doctor’s adventures.
  •	
  Characters who start out as strangers.
  •	
  A flexible group of players who like mysteries.
  Twists to consider:
  •	
  There is a pattern to the places on the other side 
  of the portals – every one leads to a fixed point 
  starting out  
  
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  in time that must be preserved. But why would 
  someone build time portals only to the places 
  that should be left alone?
  •	
  They all remember dying. They remember what 
  it felt like. But here they are, apparently alive. 
  How can this be? Did some force pluck them 
  from the timestream just in time and repair their 
  bodies? Or are they dead, and they just don’t 
  realise it yet?
  •	
  Where are they, anyway? Why are there no signs 
  of any other people, anywhere? What will they 
  find if they start walking along the coast?
  •	
  And what does it mean when they find a battered 
  blue police box, silent and impenetrable, in the 
  dusty corner of the abandoned basement?
  What the Gamemaster will need to do:
  •	
  Dynamically present a series of unfolding 
  mysteries, slowly revealing answers that pose 
  deeper questions.
  •	
  Work out the truth behind these mysteries, or at 
  least a possible explanation for them that can be 
  modified as the game goes on.
  •	
  Decide the destinations of the portals and prepare 
  adventures behind each one.
  Fight the tiMe War
  The Time War is now! A war party of Time Lords 
  struggles for victory. In the thick of battle they run 
  a crucial mission along death-trapped timestreams 
  and under the folding husks of spent planets. Then 
  the Vortex convulses around them, and they are 
  pushed out of the main warzone, into a tentacle of 
  bent time that extends far from the war.
  Somehow, they have arrived in the world after the 
  Time War, where Gallifrey and the Time Lords were 
  trapped. It is unclear how they can get back. One 
  thing they do know, however: they didn’t arrive here 
  alone. Some of the most dangerous weapons of the 
  Time Lords – or of the Enemy – were also caught 
  up in the convulsion and spat out into a universe 
  unprepared for their power. And then there are 
  rumours about one other Time Lord who made it 
  out of the war: the Doctor…
  Fits well with:
  •	
  Brand-new characters who are Time Lords.
  •	
  Characters who start out in a well-defined team.
  •	
  Groups who like to choose their own goals and 
  go after them.
  Twists to consider:
  •	
  The characters arrive with some other Time 
  Lords who are of a more militaristic bent, and 
  who immediately set about establishing a 
  military rule of their new reality. Do they become 
  tyrants who the characters must oppose?
  
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  •	
  As the characters learn more about the progress 
  of the Time War, they discover just how vicious 
  and wicked the Time Lords became. How far have 
  they already fallen? Do they want to try to save a 
  Gallifrey that would commit such atrocities?
  •	
  If there is a way back into the Time War, and a 
  chance to change how that war ended, will any of 
  the characters take it? Especially if it becomes 
  clear that it’s a one-way trip?
  What the Gamemaster will need to do:
  •	
  Expect the first few adventures to revolve around 
  the characters making sense of what happened 
  to them and trying to get back to the war. After 
  a few adventures it will be clear they are stuck, 
  and more settled wandering and exploring can 
  begin, but until then the characters will be 
  pushing strongly for their goals.
  •	
  Think about how time travel works, particularly 
  around the thorny issue of the Time War. Some 
  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.
  •	
  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 
  question: where is the Doctor?
  Fits well with:
  •	
  Groups who want the iconic elements of the 
  Doctor’s adventures, but don’t want to play as the 
  Doctor.
  •	
  Original characters who may or may not know 
  each other at the start.
  •	
  A mix of characters, perhaps including aliens, but 
  none of whom are Time Lords.
  Twists to consider:
  •	
  The TARDIS starts returning to places the Doctor 
  has already been, a week or a decade or a century 
  after the Doctor’s visit. The characters have to deal 
  with the unfinished business from, or unintended 
  consequences of, the Doctor’s adventures. 
  •	
  The Doctor may not be in evidence, but something 
  very strange is happening in the depths of 
  the TARDIS – as you go further in, the walls 
  themselves seem to decay into a strange Gothic 
  nightmare, and whispers can be heard always 
  around the next corner…
  •	
  Across a number of adventures it becomes clear 
  that the TARDIS has a mission in mind and these 
  characters, out of all of space and time, are the 
  only ones who can succeed. What is the mission? 
  And why is it up to them?
  What the Gamemaster will need to do:
  •	
  Work hard to make this TARDIS feel like the 
  Doctor’s TARDIS, even in the absence of the 
  Doctor himself.
  •	
  Look at the Doctor’s adventures and think of 
  ‘sequels’ that would make good adventures for 
  your game.
  •	
  Work out what has happened to the Doctor and 
  what the TARDIS is up to.
  starting out  
  
    
  AdveNTUReS
  
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  ‘Oh, this is my own fault. I like adventures as much 
  as the next man, if the next man is a man who likes 
  adventures.’
  Writing and running an adventure for the Doctor 
  Who Roleplaying Game, may seem daunting at first. 
  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 
  television series, the actual work involved is quite 
  minimal. Let’s look at it from the perspective of the 
  typical production studio staff.
  C the Many hats oF 
  the gaMeMaster
  the gaMeMaster as producer
  The first and most important role you will take on 
  is that of producer. In television terms, this person 
  organises and assigns tasks, handles budgets 
  and keeps the whole process moving smoothly. As 
  Gamemaster, you will be doing this when you run the 
  game, keeping track of how the story is progressing 
  and making on the spot rulings about various game 
  mechanical elements. Unlike an actual producer, 
  however, your budget and influence is limitless! You 
  can set a story anywhere, anywhen and with anyone 
  you can imagine, living, dead or fictional, without 
  worrying about set budgets, expensive special effects, 
  actor’s fees or casting problems. Want the late, great 
  Sir Ralph Richardson to play the Time Lord mentor 
  in your story? He’s always available and will never 
  charge you a penny.
  the gaMeMaster as Writer
  This will be your main ‘pre-production’ role when 
  creating an adventure for the game. You must come 
  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 
  dialogue. On the contrary, you only need to prepare 
  a basic plotline, some short scene descriptions, and 
  come up with characters. The vast majority of the 
  story will come from the interaction between you and 
  the players! 
  the gaMeMaster as director
  It is the director’s job to keep the story moving, 
  give the actors clues on how to play the scene, and 
  dictate the action as it occurs. The director also has 
  a hand in casting the guest stars and minor roles.
  Like a director, the Gamemaster sets the scene 
  for the players during the game and answers any 
  adventures
  adventures
  
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  questions they might have about the environment 
  their characters are interacting with. You also ‘cast’ 
  the NPCs, giving them attributes, traits and possibly 
  even Story Points, and then having them enter and 
  exit the scene as needed.
   
  the gaMeMaster as actor
  Finally, the Gamemaster needs to be an actor, 
  playing the roles of all the non-player characters, 
  giving them a voice and a life so that the players may 
  interact with them. Now, this doesn’t mean you have 
  to adopt a funny accent or produce scenery-chewing 
  dialogue, if that sort of thing makes you feel a wee 
  bit strange. You can, instead, relay the gist of the 
  conversation to the players with whatever verbal 
  clues might be needed to tell them that the NPC is 
  shifty, ill or possibly an alien in disguise. Or, if you 
  prefer, you can indulge your inner thespian and give 
  full expression to the NPCs.
  C the pLot
  First things first: you need a good plot. As we 
  mentioned earlier, you don’t need a fully fleshed out 
  story treatment here, you just need the following 
  elements…
  the theMe
  This is the main focus of the adventure, the driving 
  force behind all the action. If, when running the 
  adventure, you ever become stuck for an idea on how 
  to proceed, you should always remember to return to 
  the Theme as quickly and directly as possible.
  A selection of themes drawn from the adventures of 
  the Doctor are provided starting on pg. 30, but the 
  general rule of thumb is that you should be able to 
  encompass a theme in a few words, like “Invasion”, 
  “Technology Gone Wrong” or even something 
  specific like “The Massacre”. You might even work 
  the Theme into the title, like The Massacre of St 
  Bartholomew’s Eve.
  the adversary
  Not all adventures need an Adversary; in fact many 
  of the Doctor’s adventures are instigated by natural 
  environmental forces or innocents tampering with 
  forces that they don’t understand. These types of 
  adventures can be fun in their own right and provide 
  a nice diversion from the ‘monster of the week’, but 
  true Adversaries, beings who actively work against 
  and resist the players’ characters, can make an 
  adventure much more memorable.
  And good Adversaries are not hard to come up with. 
  From major baddies like Daleks and Cybermen, to 
  more uncommon species like the Dominators or the 
  Boneless, all the way up to beings of almost godlike 
  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 
  handy in this regard and will provide you with villains 
  and aliens (and villainous aliens) enough for years 
  of continuous campaign play. 
  Should you desire something new and interesting, 
  like maybe an evil mastermind to act as Moriarty 
  to the players’ Holmes, we have a system for 
  creating powerful, unique villains, with a 
  well defined set of abilities, resources and 
  motivations, on pg. 49.
  Keep in mind when selecting an Adversary 
  that you aren’t limited to one. Imagine the 
  players getting caught between a small 
  war between the Daleks and the Cybermen 
  over the possession of the inhabitants of 
  a primitive world (who see them both as 
  gods, have picked sides, and started a war 
  of their own). 
  Another good use of multiple Adversaries is to have 
  the main Adversary or Adversaries turn out to be 
  pawns in the game of another, hidden Adversary. 
  Once the players figure out who the real instigator 
  is, they might even be able to turn the pawns 
  against their master (who might literally be the 
  Master, who often uses other species to do his 
  dirty work).
  objects and objectives
  If an adventure has an Adversary it will almost 
  certainly have an Objective that Adversary is 
  trying to meet or an Object they are trying to 
  procure. There is a wide selection of ideas for 
  both on pgs. 42 and 44.
  Even without an Adversary, an Object might 
  be the focus of your adventure, depending on 
  the Theme. A powerful artefact that needs to 
  be removed before it can harm an ignorant 
  population or alter the timeline is a perfect 
  example of this.
  Normally, Objectives are adversarial in 
  nature, as the players will typically determine 
  their own goals to pursue in play, but there 
  are plenty of instances where the Doctor 
  has been given an Objective and forced to 
  
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  achieve it for reasons not necessarily his own. He’s 
  been used as a messenger to deliver artefacts to 
  mutants on Solos, hijacked mid-transmat to stop the 
  genesis of the Daleks and ordered to quest for the 
  Key To Time under the threat of nothing happening 
  to him. 
  Location and setting
  Once we know the who and the what, we need to 
  know the where and, most importantly for a game 
  about time travel, the when. 
  Think both small and large when coming up with a 
  setting. You want to give the impression of an alien 
  world with its own climate, its own ecology and 
  biology, its own history and culture, but at the same 
  time keep in mind the needs of the adventure. There’s 
  no point in coming up with the history and geography 
  of the Five Moons of Zoltar if the whole adventure 
  takes place in a cave, a mine and an isolated outpost 
  on Moon 4. Come up with a handful of key Locations 
  (ideally, ones that show off different aspects of 
  the setting), then break them down into Sets. For 
  instance, a spaceship can be a single Location that is 
  made up of a number of Sets, like the airlock, the lab, 
  the command deck, the engine room and any other 
  areas that are important to the story (we’ll discuss 
  the breakdown of Locations into Sets on pg. 27). 
  The entire adventure can be set within that single 
  Location or it might jump between that one, a small 
  asteroid base and Galileo’s study. 
  The number of Locations is up to you, but it is best 
  to limit it to half a dozen or so at most (including 
  smaller scenes and Sets within a single Location). 
  This keeps the players from wandering too widely 
  and losing track of the story due to being presented 
  with too many options. 
  the pLot synopsis
  After you have the general Theme, any potential 
  Adversaries, Objectives and Locations sorted out, it’s 
  time to write your Plot Synopsis. At this point, brevity 
  is important and your synopsis shouldn’t take up any 
  more space than a quick television listing; a paragraph 
  at most. Don’t sweat the details at this point; we’re just 
  trying to get a basic idea down so the development of 
  the adventure runs a bit more smoothly.
  For example, the Doctor lands on a mysterious island 
  paradise populated by bronze-skinned natives who 
  worship a one-eyed god: the Cyclops. Unfortunately 
  for the Time Lord, the servitors of the Cyclops are 
  none other than a group of Daleks who crashlanded 
  here in a DARDIS 50 years before and have ordered 
  the villagers to bring the time travellers to them for 
  sacrifice!
  C the three-act structure
  Writing a cracking adventure that moves along at a 
  good pace and doesn’t bog down too much or take 
  too long to unravel is a lot like writing a script and, 
  adventures
  
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  for your first few adventures, you will find it helpful to 
  stick to the well-worn and time-tested format of the 
  Three-Act Structure.
  This structure gives you a pretty handy set of 
  ‘beats,’ clearly identifiable moments of change 
  in direction. It also helps you to break down the 
  story into manageable chunks so that you don’t get 
  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.
  act i – the beginning
  In Act I, the characters are introduced to the 
  adventure setting and take their first steps into the 
  wider storyline. There are typically three parts to this 
  act.
  Prologue
  Every good Doctor Who adventure starts off with 
  an introduction known as a Prologue. This is a 
  short scene in which the characters interact with 
  each other and possibly other NPCs before being 
  presented with the ‘hook’ that leads them into the 
  adventure proper. 
  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 
  which she wanders off and encounters a runaway 
  child, or the whole adventure might start off in the 
  middle of the pursuit of a runaway Chula Ambulance.
  Whatever the case, let the players interact with each 
  other and the locals a bit, establishing their current 
  situation and getting into character, before hooking 
  them and moving them on to the next bit…
  For example, the Doctor and Amy are exploring a 
  museum when he finds a starship home box with 
  ancient Gallifreyan burned into it. He translates it and 
  finds that it says “Hello Sweetie.” He quickly returns 
  to the TARDIS, hooks up the box, dematerialises and 
  rematerialises just in time to catch River Song falling 
  out of an airlock. Before he can even ask her what’s 
  going on, she tells him to “Follow that ship!”
  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 
  the players taking the roles of NPCs for a scene 
  or two before the game proper starts.
  The important thing to remember is not to 
  provide too many spoilers as the NPCs move 
  through the Prologue. This can be easily done 
  by ratcheting up the tension but, when the big 
  reveal is made, the scene cuts away to the title 
  sequence without you actually describing what 
  they saw or how they met their doom. If they 
  survive, these NPCs can be brought back later 
  on in the adventure. A prologue of this sort is 
  an excellent way of introducing the cast of an 
  adventure in a dramatic way.
  The Set-up
  After the Prologue, it is time to introduce the 
  characters into the adventure and start them 
  investigating and interacting with NPCs. At this point 
  you should have a limited number of Sets for them 
  to explore and a general idea of who and what they’ll 
  meet. Let them wander a bit, get their bearings and 
  find a few clues, but while you can provide a bit of 
  
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  menace, nothing in this section of the adventure 
  should be life-threatening. Give the players time to 
  get comfortable before you drop the floor out from 
  under them.
  In this part of Act I, introduce the key NPCs and plot 
  elements. Allocate one scene per NPC if you can, or 
  else have a way of introducing all the NPCs clearly 
  and concisely.
  For example, The Impossible Planet is a great 
  example of how to introduce all the elements of a 
  complex story quickly. The Doctor and Rose arrive 
  at the Sanctuary Base and have a hair-raising 
  encounter with the Ood (Prologue), then meet the 
  crew (the Set-up). Captain Zachary Cross Flane 
  quickly introduces each member of the crew, giving 
  them a name, a title and associating each of them 
  with a section of the base. That one scene tells the 
  players about the situation, the supporting cast and 
  the location, and also gives them several mysteries 
  to investigate.
  The Hook
  The best adventures are ones where the players drive 
  the story through the decisions and actions of their 
  characters. An adventure where the Doctor arrives on 
  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 
  about the approaching invasion, and decides to 
  single-handedly stop it. To bring your players into the 
  story, though, you need to hook them with interesting 
  things to investigate. Nudging the players towards a 
  set goal isn’t inherently bad if used delicately and in 
  a manner that leaves the characters’ free will intact, 
  but it takes a keen eye to know when it should be 
  used and when it shouldn’t. It is a far better idea to 
  insert a few Hooks into your adventure.
  A good Hook is something that will strongly entice 
  the players to keep moving forward of their own free 
  will. It might play on their natural curiosity, provide 
  some positive incentive or threaten their characters 
  in some way (in which case its less of a Hook and 
  more of a Prod… ). The trick is knowing your players 
  and the particular things that push their gaming “Go” 
  buttons. Does one player really like mysteries? Then 
  give them a puzzle to solve! If one character always 
  talks to children, then put a crying child in their path. 
  A much more direct method to hook characters 
  instead of players is to provide instances where 
  their Bad Traits come into play. Have a character 
  who is Insatiably Curious? You should provide at 
  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 
  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.
  For example, in The Impossible Planet, the Ending 
  Beat of Act I is the discovery that the TARDIS has 
  fallen into the depths of the planet and cannot be 
  retrieved. 
  act ii – rising action
  Act I is relatively leisurely but Act II sees the action 
  ramping up and building to the climax of Act III with 
  all sorts of serious threats cropping up. Within this 
  Act the villain becomes aware of the characters and 
  adventures
  
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  starts to actively resist them. As a result, NPCs will 
  often be killed or even turn on the players as the 
  plans of the enemy come to fruition. 
  Development
  In Act I, you established the setting of the adventure 
  and a selection of NPCs and Sets. Now we’ll develop 
  the story further by altering some of the existing 
  Sets and NPCs, and introducing new ones for the 
  players to explore. Many of these changes will alter 
  the characters’ behaviour and plans, so you must be 
  ready to react to the ingenuity of the players as they re-
  experience old encounters or explore new locations. 
  Side Trips and Bangs
  Quite often, the players will do unexpected things you 
  haven’t prepared for. They’ll come up with brilliant 
  plans, they’ll make crazy assumptions and chase 
  after the wrong clues, and they’ll get into arguments 
  and dangers you didn’t think were possible. We’ll 
  return to the topic of improvisational gaming when it 
  comes to actually Running Games (see Chapter Five, 
  pg. 74), but right now, let’s talk about ways to plan for 
  the unplannable. 
  First, plan less! In Act I, you can expect the players 
  to stick to your pre-planned scenes and Sets. You 
  know the opening scene and the scenes that are 
  immediately connected to that, so you can predict 
  with a fair degree of accuracy what the players will 
  do. By Act II, though, the possibilities multiply. 
  This is where we abandon the subtlety of Hooks and 
  trade them in for Bangs. A Bang element should be 
  direct, dramatic and designed to immediately catch 
  the players off guard and put them on their toes. 
  Before each game session starts, consider the way 
  the story is going or might go based upon what you 
  know about your players, and jot down at least three 
  Bang elements (roughly one per Act) that will push 
  the players back towards the action. 
  Examples include a sudden radio call for help, a 
  mass attack by the enemy designed to drive them 
  back to a previous location, an easily discovered 
  but extremely difficult or dangerous to attain clue 
  that detours them to another part of the scene map 
  altogether (likely as part of an Ending Beat to move 
  the story along) or an early implementation of the Act 
  II Turning Point to get them back on track.
  You don’t have to fire off a Bang if you don’t want 
  to – sometimes, what you come up with on the spot 
  in response to unexpected action by the players is 
  better than what you prepared. The point of Bangs 
  is to shake things up in a way that fits with your 
  prepared material.
  For example, the players have wandered far off 
  track as a result of misreading a previous clue. The 
  Gamemaster has prepared for this and tells them 
  that they can see a strange, sinister fellow following 
  them and speaking into his collar while touching his 
  ear. The players come up with a plan to catch him but 
  the whole thing turns into an exciting chase which 
  just so happens to lead them to the first scene of the 
  next act…
  The Turning Point
  In Act II, introduce something that throws the players 
  a curve ball. A major disaster that must be averted, 
  an attack on the good guys by a massive force 
  
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  of bad guys or the ever-popular ‘allies who turn out 
  to be traitors’ gambit are all excellent examples of 
  events that will quicken the pace of the story and 
  keep the players on their toes. 
  You might even create a sub-plot that, while not 
  directly involved with the main story, is none-the-less 
  critical to the players’ success. A good example of this 
  is using a character’s Adversary trait to add another 
  enemy into the already-high-stakes situation. A Time 
  Lord who is a Wanted Renegade, for example, might 
  suddenly find themselves dodging CIA agents as well 
  as trying to foil the Daleks.
  For example, Mels regenerates in Hitler’s office, 
  revealing herself to be River Song! After gleefully 
  examining her new body she turns a gun on the 
  Doctor and says “Now, let’s get down to business!”
  The Ending Beat
  Like Act I, some dramatic element leads the players 
  into the final act. Typically this is the big reveal of 
  the Adversary’s master plan, the capture of the 
  characters who face total annihilation or the world 
  being brought to its knees as the Adversary’s plans 
  come to full fruition.
  For example, Think Tank has been defeated, but their 
  killer Robot is now at large, thanks to the Brigadier 
  and a shot from a disintegrator gun. The Doctor must 
  find a way to defeat it while the UNIT troops hold it 
  at bay.
  act iii: the FinaLe
  Once your adventure reaches Act III, all further action 
  needs to bring it to a close quickly and dramatically. 
  The players are either close to defeating the villain or 
  one step away from doing so, so don’t let them dilly-
  dally. There are two parts to Act III.
  Confrontation and Climax
  The threat is blazingly apparent at this point and the 
  characters rush to confront the Adversary directly 
  or bring their plans to final ruin. Reveal at least one 
  Set devoted to the Adversary’s main lair by the end 
  of Act II. Seed a few ways for the players to defeat 
  the Adversary or solve the problem, but don’t restrict 
  yourself to those pre-planned solutions. If the 
  players find a different solution, run with that.
  For example, the Doctor and UNIT, having identified 
  the location of the Nestene Consciousness, assault 
  Channing’s plastics factory. The Doctor must stop 
  the Duplicate General Scobie and fight his way to the 
  breeding chamber to confront Channing and destroy 
  the quickly growing Nestene.
  The Denouement
  Once the Adversary is defeated and the threat is 
  largely over, it’s time for the characters to say 
  goodbye. They may have to set something right 
  before they go, like towing the Earth back to the solar 
  system, and this might provide one last bit of action 
  before the adventure ends, but you should have some 
  appropriate way for them to exit the scene, with fond 
  farewells, a joke or just slipping quietly away.
  It may not seem important, but getting this ending 
  right is as important as getting the prologue right, so 
  spend some thought on a few potential endings and 
  how you might wrap them up.
  For example, after defeating the villainous Weng 
  Chiang, the Doctor strolls across London with Jago 
  and Litefoot, munching on muffins as they try to 
  explain tea etiquette to Leela. Once they reach 
  the TARDIS, the Doctor bids them farewell. As 
  the TARDIS dematerialises, Litefoot declares “It’s 
  impossible!” and Jago exclaims “Good trick that! I 
  venture even the Great Li H’sen Chang himself would 
  have appreciated it!”
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  C setting the stage
  Once you have a general idea of how your story is 
  going to play out, it’s time to start building the Sets 
  in which the action will take place. As you build your 
  Sets, populate them with assets, like NPCs and 
  props, and then note them down on an ever-growing 
  scene map that organises them into a structure your 
  characters can explore. 
  the set
  A Set is a single important location in the adventure. 
  It can be a single building or area, like a small house, 
  warehouse or an ancient barrow, or it might be an 
  important part of a larger structure, like the Doctor’s 
  lab in UNIT HQ. There’s a longer discussion of setting 
  and culture on pg. 64, but right now, we’re just 
  interested in how the story fits together. You can add 
  detail later.
  Description
  When designing your Sets, the first thing you should 
  do is get an image of it in your mind and then write 
  down some notes so you can describe it to your 
  players later. You should describe what it looks like 
  and possibly even what it sounds and smells like. 
  Little details like “paint peeling off the wall” will 
  further help to pepper your description and make the 
  set come alive in the players’ minds.
  If you’re feeling particularly artistic, you might even 
  draw a map of the location, particularly if it has a lot 
  of smaller areas of interest, like the rooms in a house 
  or the various tents in a UNIT encampment. If you 
  like to use miniatures in your games, you might even 
  mark out the map in ‘Areas’ for movement purposes.
  For example, the UNIT Camp is set up in a clearing 
  in the woods a mile off the main road. It comprises 
  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 
  dedicated to it, only the more important bits that 
  players are likely to explore or that are important to 
  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).
  For example, Nerva Beacon, a large space station 
  orbiting another Location, the planet Voga, is the 
  target of the Cybermen. We need the following Sets: 
  the Bridge, the Ready Room, the Docking Bay, the 
  Transmat Room, Kellner’s Cabin and some Corridors. 
  Everything else is cut off by sealed bulkheads or 
  unimportant (like any other cabin besides Kellner’s).
  scenes
  Sets are locations in space – but you also need to 
  think about events in time. Scenes are pre-planned 
  events that either anticipate the actions of the 
  players, or that are triggered by external events and 
  the actions of non-player characters. For example, 
  if an alien monster attacks when the characters 
  explore a crashed starship, that’s a Scene whose 
  timing depends on the players. A Scene where the 
  alien monster breaks out of the crashed spaceship 
  and attacks an innocent victim can be run whenever 
  the Gamemaster wants.
  While you should plan for Scenes in your adventure, 
  don’t be surprised if they don’t happen exactly the 
  way you envision them. Never design a Scene that 
  assumes the players will definitely do a particular 
  thing – leave room for improvisation, unexpected 
  decisions and wild dice rolls. 
  ‘actors’ 
  These are the primary NPCs that will be taking part 
  in the adventure. They deserve full write-ups and 
  a set of Story Points of their own. They include any 
  non-player character who is not necessarily fixed 
  to a single Location (although a sentient computer 
  might just be) and can move about freely and interact 
  with the characters intelligently.
  extras
  Along with the major NPC’s that will populate your 
  adventure, there will also be a variety of low-level 
  NPCs that serve basic functions but do not, as such, 
  contribute much to the overall adventure, or exist 
  only to be bumped off early on in Act I or II. They do 
  not typically leave their assigned areas, unless they 
  are soldiers or the like.
  Extras should be built with full attributes, possibly 
  with one or two traits, but with no Story Points. 
  As a rule, do not use the normal damage rules 
  for Extras. Any attack that damages an Extra 
  (after armour, cover and the like) takes them out 
  immediately. The characters may attempt to save 
  them and get them on their feet again, but only a 
  adventures
  
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  Fantastic Success with a relevant skill (Medicine, 
  Technology or similar) will restore them to full 
  working order, otherwise they may live, but they 
  won’t be active for the rest of the adventure.
  guest stars
  The Doctor Who Roleplaying Game tends to 
  work best with three or fewer players taking on 
  the role of a Time Lord and his crew. More than 
  that and the TARDIS gets a bit crowded. But 
  that doesn’t mean you can’t have a full roster 
  of six players or even more. 
  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 
  need to do is create the characters before the 
  adventure, give the players a write up on the 
  background as known by that character, and 
  run the game as normal.
  The biggest advantage for a Guest Star is that 
  they get to take on a different role every time 
  they play. If a companion’s player gets tired of 
  playing a companion or their character leaves 
  the game, they can swap places with a Guest 
  Star player, who creates a new companion to 
  take their place on the TARDIS. Equally, should 
  a Time Lord regenerate, one of the Guest 
  Star players can take on the new incarnation, 
  allowing the Time Lord to really change! 
  So you see, along with providing for a larger 
  group of players, Guest Stars can also add a lot 
  of variation and flexibility to your Doctor Who 
  campaign.
  props
  Note one or more useful items lying around the 
  Set that might be used in interesting ways by the 
  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 
  a pot of ink that might be thrown at an eyestalk (“MY 
  VISION IS IMPAIRED! I CANNOT SEE!”). They don’t 
  all have to be that specific, and you’ll be surprised 
  what inventive players will do with the odd vase, 
  cricket ball, random collection of kitchen detritus 
  or junkyard scrap. Just give them something to grab 
  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.
  the scene Map
  Once you’ve got your Sets and Scenes together, it’s 
  time to arrange them into a Scene Map. Starting with 
  Act I, draw a circle for every Set in that Act and then 
  connect them to each other using lines in whatever 
  fashion you find logical. Larger, multi-location Sets 
  can be represented by a larger circle containing a 
  series of smaller, internal Sets.
  For a Set that will change over the course of several 
  scenes, you could also draw a set of smaller circles 
  just beneath it. During the game you mark these as 
  the characters visit that particular Set to keep track 
  of it for purposes of description.
  Connections between Sets are vague distances 
  relative to what they connect to. A connection 
  between a lab and an armoury in UNIT HQ, for 
  instance, might only be a few minutes’ walk, while 
  the line connecting UNIT HQ to the encampment 
  outside the Auto Plastics factory might require some 
  form of transport if you want to get there before the 
  
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  adventure ends! You should make a notation next to 
  the connecting line in cases where this sort of timing 
  will be important.
  Connections are meant to guide the players from one 
  scene to another, but, for the most part, if the players 
  know where they’re going and can get there without 
  impediment, just let them arrive at their destination 
  without any real fuss. They exist mainly to show the 
  relative positioning between Sets and the only time 
  the players should be forced to really follow them is if 
  they are unfamiliar with the area they are exploring.
  C Lights, caMera, action!
  Once you have all your pre-production work done, 
  and your players have gathered to take their parts in 
  your new adventure, it’s time to put on your director’s 
  hat. For the novice Gamemaster, running an adventure 
  might seem like a mind-blowing task to take on, but 
  if you keep the following pointers in mind, you’ll find 
  your games will run a great deal more smoothly than 
  you’d expect. In time, you might even be able to run 
  an entire adventure with a single page of scribbled 
  notes and roughly drawn maps. Very experienced 
  Gamemasters can run whole adventures on the fly, 
  using only on a single simple plotline they rolled up 
  15 minutes before, improvising the rest based on the 
  actions and responses of the players during the game!
  Don’t worry though – we’ll cover how to run an 
  adventure far more in Chapter Five: Running 
  Adventures, Campaigns and Stock Footage (see pg. 
  74).
  C randoM 
  adventure generator
  The final section of this chapter is packed with loads 
  of tables, allowing you to randomise almost every 
  aspect of the adventure. They’re a great help if you’re 
  stuck for an idea, or just after a little inspiration. Just 
  grab some dice and roll up the Doctor’s next great 
  adventure!
  C theMes
  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 
  your imagination. Choose one or roll on the table 
  below. Once you have a Theme, fill in the specifics 
  by replacing the capitalised text items, with an 
  appropriate entry from their respective sections. 
  ADVERSARIES, for example, should be chosen from 
  The Adversary section on pg. 42.
  randoM theMe generator
  d6
  d6
  theMe
  1
  1
  Alien Menace
  2
  Alter History
  3
  Ancient Power
  4
  Chase
  5
  Disaster
  6
  Exploitation
  2
  1
  Historical Adventure
  2
  Infection
  3
  Intrigue
  4
  Invasion
  5
  Mad Scientist
  6
  Mistaken Identity
  3
  1
  Parallel or Pocket Universe
  2
  Raid
  3
  Revenge
  4
  Rightful Rulers
  5
  Survival
  6
  Technology Gone Wrong
  4
  1
  Temporal Anomaly
  2
  Things From Dimension X
  3
  Traitor
  4
  War
  5
  World Gone Mad
  6
  The X Doctors
  5
  1-2
  Roll again and Double the 
  number of Adversaries.
  3-4
  Roll Again and Double the 
  Number of Locations.
  5-6
  Roll Again and Double 
  the Number of Objects or 
  Objectives.
  6
  Plots Within Plots
  aLien Menace
  An alien or group of aliens have ended up in the 
  LOCATION and are either stranded or looking to achieve 
  an OBJECTIVE. Regardless of why they are at the 
  location, the aliens’ attitudes towards the natives might 
  range from scared to hostile (or some combination of 
  the two). You can choose their attitude or roll a die:
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  aLien attitude
  1
  The aliens are hostile.
  2
  The aliens seek peace, but are unable 
  to due to lack of communication or 
  native perceptions of hostility.
  3-4
  The aliens are scared and will defend 
  themselves if they think that the 
  natives are threatening them.
  5-6
  The aliens are surviving as best they 
  can, even at the cost of the natives.
  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 
  in the Doctor Who Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook 
  or All the Strange, Strange Creatures Volume 1. 
  The alien doesn’t have to be intelligent, and could 
  represent some sort of animal life-form, like space 
  dingoes, that are on the planet simply by chance or 
  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 
  Theme.
  Example Adventures: The Dominators, The Hungry 
  Earth, Flatline.
  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
  1-2
  Conquest.
  3
  To conform the future to their vision.
  4
  To right a perceived wrong.
  5
  To alter time back to their original, 
  erased timeline.
  6
  Some other random OBJECTIVE.
  Example Adventures: The Time Meddler, Day of the 
  Daleks, Turn Left.
  ancient poWer
  Whatever the Doctor’s companions and allies might 
  think of him, there are things greater than even he. 
  Things of terrible power and terrible evil. During the 
  early aeons of the universe, many of these things were 
  defeated and imprisoned, or placed themselves into a 
  voluntary torpor, to await the time when others would, 
  by accident or design, set them free. This adventure 
  assumes that this has either happened or is about to 
  happen thanks to (choose or roll a single die):
  Liberators
  1
  The players’ characters. Oops.
  2
  A natural disaster
  3
  An ADVERSARY.
  4-5
  Curious innocents
  6
  Servants of the Ancient Power
  The Ancient Power itself cannot be stopped by 
  conventional means and requires some special 
  method of banishment or destruction that will 
  have to be researched but could include any of the 
  following (choose or roll a single die):
  ancient poWer Weakness
  1-2
  An OBJECT.
  3-4
  An ancient device or formula.
  5-6
  Using the Ancient Power’s own 
  weapons against them.
  Example Adventures: The Daemons, The Satan Pit, 
  The Rings of Akhaten.
  
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  chase
  Considering the sorts of trouble the typical time 
  traveller gets into, it won’t take long for them to 
  acquire some very powerful enemies. And sometimes 
  they interfere so often one particular ADVERSARY 
  will decide to chase them across space, and possibly 
  time itself, in order to put an end to their interfering 
  ways. It isn’t always revenge that drives a chase, 
  however, and there are other reasons for hounding 
  the players. Choose or roll one die to see what the 
  hunters are after:
  drive to pursue
  1-2
  Sweet, sweet revenge.
  3-4
  An OBJECT possessed by the hunted.
  5-6
  To capture the hunted for some reason 
  (to acquire their knowledge, steal their 
  body, etc.).
  Choose or roll one die to see who they’re actually 
  after:
  the hunted
  1-2
  The players’ characters.
  3
  An NPC.
  4
  A ship.
  5-6
  A group (like UNIT) or an entire race.
  A variation on the Chase is a Race, in which all of the 
  NPC’s are racing to gain an OBJECT or OBJECTIVE 
  first.
  Example Adventures: The Chase, Delta and the 
  Bannermen, Human Nature.
  disaster
  All 
  planets 
  face 
  environmental 
  chaos, 
  from 
  earthquakes to volcanic eruptions to massive 
  asteroid strikes that cause worldwide chaos. The 
  Earth itself has had its entire surface licked clean of 
  life by solar flares at least three times in its history. 
  And then there are the unnatural environmental 
  disasters caused by ignorant civilisations whose 
  technology outpaces their common sense and 
  morality and threatens to wipe them out before they 
  learn any better.
  In this story, a LOCATION is threatened with 
  destruction by some environmental catastrophe. 
  Choose one or roll one die on the list below:
  environMentaL disaster type
  1-2
  Planetary (earthquake, volcano, etc.)
  3-4
  Stellar (asteroid, gamma ray burst, 
  etc.).
  5-6
  Artificial (nuclear chaos, pollution, 
  etc.).
  The cause of the disaster may not always be what 
  you think. Even man-made disasters might have a 
  natural instigator (an earthquake that breaches a 
  nuclear reactor, for instance). Choose one or roll a 
  single die below:
  environMentaL disaster cause
  1
  Nature.
  2-3
  Greedy, power-hungry or mad people.
  4
  An ADVERSARY.
  5-6
  It’s a side-effect of some other 
  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 
  can also vary. Choose or roll one die below to 
  determine one:
  Force behind the expLoitation
  1-2
  ADVERSARY.
  3-4
  A corporation or special interest 
  group.
  5-6
  An alien race.
  Example Adventures: Colony in Space, Planet of the 
  Ood, The Beast Below.
  historicaL adventure
  Sometimes, the Doctor and his companions visit the 
  past and have adventures that are totally devoid of 
  interstellar marauders or temporal menaces and 
  simply revolve around the people, places and events 
  of that era. Roll another Theme to serve as the main 
  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.
  inFection
  Space is dangerous and often unpredictable, but 
  not nearly as dangerous and chaotic as the average 
  biosphere. For every intelligent species there are 
  millions upon billions of viral and parasitic life-
  forms, some of whom have an intelligence all their 
  own, as the Doctor found out on Titan Base in the 
  51st century!
  Typically, the characters or some NPC will come in 
  contact with the infection by exposure to one of the 
  following (choose or roll a die):
  source oF inFection
  1-2
  A LOCATION.
  3-4
  An OBJECT.
  5-6
  An ADVERSARY.
  If it is an Adversary, they may be the creator of the 
  virus, in which case they have some other motive 
  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 
  was infected by the savage world of the Cheetah 
  People. In such case, their goal is likely finding a 
  cure and they may even form an alliance with the 
  characters for as long as it takes to find that cure 
  (typically turning on their allies to steal the cure and 
  hold the world to ransom immediately thereafter).
  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 
  not only for living viruses, but computer or other 
  non-organic infections, as well as your classic 
  daemonic possession scenario. After all, what else 
  is a possessing entity if not a highly evolved form of 
  parasite?
  Example Adventures: The Invisible Enemy, The 
  Empty Child, Last Christmas.
  
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  intrigue
  The characters are caught in a power struggle 
  between ADVERSARY 1 and ADVERSARY 2, involving 
  betrayal, assassination and political subterfuge. 
  While many intrigues have long and sordid histories 
  with shifting goals, this particular one is aimed at 
  acquiring something of specific interest to both 
  parties. You can choose one or roll a die:
  goaL oF intrigue
  1-2
  A coveted OBJECT.
  3-4
  An important LOCATION.
  5-6
  Some emotional desire, like love, 
  revenge or power for the sake of 
  power.
  The characters are probably going to spend the 
  first part of the adventure trying to figure out who 
  is on the side of right and deserving of their help, 
  while avoiding the wrath of both sides and protecting 
  innocent bystanders in the middle. You can decide 
  who is in the right or determine it randomly.
  In any case, open warfare should be an act of last 
  resort and most of the action in this type of story will 
  develop from more subtle means, like disinformation 
  campaigns meant to discredit the enemy in the 
  eyes of their peers, sabotage of business interests, 
  kidnapping the odd family member or the occasional 
  assassination attempt.
  A twist on this theme is to have the Intrigue instigated 
  by another, outside party with a goal of their own (roll 
  another Theme and treat the Intrigue as a sub-plot). 
  This Adversary should only be revealed in the last act 
  of the adventure. 
  Example Adventures: Frontier in Space, The 
  Androids of Tara, The Zygon Invasion.
  invasion
  An ADVERSARY is invading a LOCATION. It is 
  typically a full force military action, with the players’ 
  characters working to prevent the establishment of 
  a ‘beachhead,’ but it can be something more subtle, 
  like the slow takeover of a government with plastic 
  duplicates. The OBJECTIVE of the invasion varies from 
  invader to invader and target to target.
  When planning an Invasion adventure, it often helps 
  to roll up a few more Themes to act as ‘sub-plots’ for 
  the main invasion, especially for those that rely on 
  stealth. These sub-plots will represent stratagems 
  and ploys that the attacker will be using to weaken 
  the defender before the main invasion and give the 
  players some sort of goal to achieve outside of ‘blow 
  ’em up real good,’ which is not a very Doctor-like 
  solution.
  For those moments when the players must deal with 
  the massed military might of the enemy, the UNIT: 
  Defending the Earth sourcebook is the one-stop 
  supplement for all of your mass combat and military 
  invasion needs.
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  Example Adventures: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, 
  The Sontaran Stratagem, Death in Heaven.
  Mad scientists
  A brilliant scientist or group of scientists have 
  acquired, modified or designed an OBJECT that will 
  irrevocably change a LOCATION. These scientists 
  can be motivated by a number of reasons. Choose a 
  motivation or roll a die:
  Mad science Motivations
  1-2
  To better the world (although they are 
  misguided in their intentions).
  3-4
  For the sake of knowledge at any cost.
  5-6
  A specific OBJECTIVE.
  Occasionally, mad scientists will be working on their 
  own as their experiments are often considered too 
  unorthodox, dangerous or even heretical to gain 
  sponsorship from their peers or government, but 
  more often, they are backed by corrupt governments, 
  private investors with loose morals or possibly even 
  an alien force (disguised or not) with designs on the 
  end product that even the scientists don’t suspect. 
  You can choose or roll a die:
  Mad science backers
  1-2
  Corrupt government officials.
  3-4
  Greedy investors.
  5
  An ADVERSARY.
  6
  The scientists are independent.
  Example Adventures: The Seeds of Doom, The 
  Lazarus Experiment, Sleep No More.
  Mistaken identity
  The characters are mistaken for (choose one of the 
  following or roll one die):
  Who are you?
  1
  A lost family member.
  2-3
  An important personage.
  4-5
  A member of some important group.
  6
  A god.
  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 
  parallel timeline. There can be any number of 
  reasons for this happening, but in this case it is 
  because of (choose or roll a die):
  paraLLeL or pocket 
  traveL agent
  1-2
  A bizarre natural phenomena.
  3
  Equipment malfunction.
  4-5
  A powerful entity.
  6
  An ADVERSARY.
  The number and types of universes are many and 
  varied as well, but can be summed up in the following 
  choices (choose or roll one Die):
  
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  aLternate universes
  1-2
  Pocket Dimension
  3-4
  Alternative Universe
  5-6
  Parallel Timeline
  Pocket 
  Dimensions 
  are 
  small, 
  self-contained 
  universes with limited space and, often, unusual 
  physical laws and highly unusual creatures. The 
  Land of Fiction, the Celestial Toyroom and House’s 
  dimension were all pocket dimensions.
  Alternative Universes are very similar to our own 
  except in certain particulars. The anti-matter 
  universe of Omega is made up of anti-matter, for 
  instance, whereas E-Space has negative coordinates 
  in relation to ours.
  Every decision made in our universe springs off a 
  Parallel Timeline that can be visited and is often 
  both remarkably similar yet strangely different 
  from our own. In some cases, like the parallel 
  timeline the Doctor was thrown into when working 
  on the Inferno drilling project, everything might be 
  a mirror image, with jack-booted thugs replacing 
  friendly UNIT regulars and a fascist government 
  in place of the democratic UK. In other cases, 
  like Pete’s World, the people and places may be 
  the same, but the world itself is now filled with 
  advanced zeppelins and cybernetic technology, and 
  a character’s dead dad is alive (and a millionaire) 
  but the character no longer exists!
  Whatever the case, you should roll a second Theme 
  to serve as a sub-plot to keep them busy until they 
  can return to their proper universe by:
  ticket hoMe
  1-2
  Exploiting some natural phenomenon 
  to pull them back where they belong.
  3-4
  Finding and using a specific OBJECT.
  5-6
  Getting help from an ADVERSARY, who 
  is friendly in this universe.
  Example Adventures: Inferno, Rise of the Cybermen, 
  The Wedding of River Song.
  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.
  The action is almost always entirely contained within 
  a single location and these sorts of adventures 
  typically turn into ‘Base under Siege’ stories in which 
  the characters are trapped with the defenders and 
  are doing everything they can to help drive off the 
  attackers.
  A neat twist on this Theme is to have the characters 
  take the role of raiders, either on their own or in 
  concert with others, to try and achieve the objective. 
  And not all raids need necessarily be military ones, 
  either. An archaeological team investigating the 
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  Tomb of the Cybermen on Telos is technically raiding 
  it for archaeological information (and possibly 
  technological secrets as well).
  Example Adventures: The Ark in Space, Under the 
  Lake, The Girl Who Died.
  revenge
  An ADVERSARY is looking for revenge and is willing 
  to do anything to make the other party pay for some 
  past transgression. The target of this hatred can be 
  (choose one or roll a die):
  target For revenge
  1
  Another ADVERSARY.
  2
  A specific individual.
  3-4
  The players’ characters.
  5
  A group (UNIT, the United States 
  government etc.).
  6
  An entire species or race.
  The characters can be the target of revenge schemes 
  even if this is their first adventure, as events from 
  their past and events in the future are fair game. The 
  Doctor has, on more than one occasion, fled from 
  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 
  form of torture or humiliation. Such Revenge plots 
  are rarely straightforward, however, and you should 
  choose or roll up another Theme being used by the 
  villain to snag the target and set them up for their 
  eventual downfall.
  Example Adventures: The Deadly Assassin, The 
  Caves of Androzani, The Name of the Doctor.
  rightFuL ruLers
  Exiles seek to regain their rightful inheritance and 
  force out or destroy the ones who have stolen or kept 
  them from it for so long. The target of the exiles is 
  (choose or roll a die):
  Lost birthright
  1
  An OBJECT.
  2
  A specific LOCATION.
  3
  A country.
  4
  A planet.
  5
  An interstellar empire.
  6
  A group of people or gene-banks.
  Whatever the target is, it is firmly in the possession 
  of one or more enemies who will keep it from the 
  exiles at any cost. These enemies are (choose or roll 
  a die):
  eneMies oF the exiLes
  1-2
  An ADVERSARY.
  3-4
  A rival tribe or clan of their race.
  5-6
  A former subject race.
  The term ‘Rightful Rulers’ doesn’t necessarily imply 
  that this title is deserving and many times the side 
  of right may not be so clear to the players. This is 
  especially true in cases where the current holders 
  of the birthright are former subjects and the exiles 
  have been overthrown for abusing their power. 
  Example Adventures: The Web Planet, The 
  Silurians, The Hand of Fear.
  
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  survivaL
  A race or species has been driven to the edge of 
  extinction and reduced to primitivism or near-
  primitivism due to some disaster. Typically, by the 
  time the players arrive on the scene this state of 
  affairs has been going on for quite some time, leaving 
  the species desperate for assistance if they are going 
  to survive. Their level of primitivism varies (choose 
  one or roll a die):
  LeveL oF priMitivisM
  1-2
  They shun technology as sorcery or the 
  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):
  cause oF the doWnFaLL
  1-2
  An ADVERSARY.
  3-4
  A natural disaster.
  5-6
  Their own negligence or devolution.
  In the case of an Adversary being the cause of 
  the downfall, the foe may still be at large and the 
  survivors may be hiding from them to avoid final 
  extinction. You should roll up another Theme to serve 
  as the reason the Adversary attacked and remains in 
  the Location.
  Example Adventures: Colony in Space, Frontios, 
  Utopia.
  technoLogy gone Wrong
  This Theme covers any adventure where man’s 
  ability to advance technology outpaces his ability 
  to control it. Outside of the obvious out of control 
  robots and revolutionary sources of free energy 
  that turn out to have terrible consequences, it also 
  covers technology that dehumanises or enslaves 
  humanity, like Lumic’s EarPods and the Cybermen. 
  The technology is (choose or roll a die):
  out oF controL tech
  1
   An AI, robots or androids.
  2
  A new energy source.
  3
  A biological creation (monster, virus, 
  clones, revived dinosaurs, etc.).
  4
  Species enhancement (genetic. 
  cybernetic, chemical, etc.)
  5
  Experimental physics (dimensional 
  gates, singularity generators, etc.)
  6
  Temporal Experiments.
  Technology can go wrong on its own or be corrupted 
  by outside forces. The source of corruption in this 
  case is (choose or roll a die):
  cause oF corruption
  1
  An ADVERSARY.
  2
  Emergent (or existing) self-awareness.
  3
  An unforeseen problem with the 
  technology.
  4
  Greedy backers cutting corners.
  5
  Warning signs and problems were 
  ignored.
  6
  Interaction with some other 
  phenomenon.
  The technology will start off affecting a specific 
  LOCATION (although it might expand outwards from 
  there) and, in the case of intelligent or self-aware 
  technology gone wrong, may have a particular 
  OBJECTIVE.
  Example Adventures: The War Machines, Robots of 
  Death, The Rebel Flesh.
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  teMporaL anoMaLy
  The characters find themselves in the middle of 
  a dangerous temporal anomaly. The following 
  temporal phenomena are described in detail in 
  The Time Traveller’s Companion, but if you don’t 
  have that book, a sample adventure is given as an 
  example for each:
  teMporaL anoMaLies
  1
  Chronic Hysteresis (Meglos)
  2
  Time Rift (The Unquiet Dead, Boom 
  Town)
  3
  Time Spur (Father’s Day)
  4
  Time Eddy (Invasion of the Dinosaurs)
  5
  Skipped Time Track (The Space 
  Museum)
  6
  Pan-Dimensional Cross Rip (The 
  Pandorica Opens, The Big Bang)
  Temporal 
  anomalies 
  are 
  largely 
  unnatural 
  occurrences and are typically instigated by some 
  powerful external (or internal as the case may be) 
  force, such as (choose or roll a die):
  externaL cause
  1
  An ADVERSARY.
  2
  Ill-advised experiments.
  3
  Malfunctioning time equipment.
  4
  A natural phenomenon.
  5
  Two time machines colliding.
  6
  The players’ characters. Oops.
  Sometimes temporal anomalies are a side-effect 
  that draws the characters into a greater plot. You 
  can roll a new Theme that must be handled before 
  the temporal anomaly may be resolved, if this is the 
  case.
  Example Adventures: Father’s Day, The Pandorica 
  Opens, The Girl Who Waited.
  things FroM diMension x
  Slimy, crawly, tentacled or just plain creepy Things-
  Man-Was-Not-Meant-To-Know, gain access to this 
  dimension with help from (choose or roll a Die):
  the key to the 
  diMensionaL gateWay
  1
  An ADVERSARY.
  2
  Blasphemous cultists.
  3
  A scientific experiment gone wrong.
  4
  Innocents uncovering the past.
  5
  The Stars are Right…
  6
  The players’ characters. Oops.
  Creatures from other dimensions have desires 
  and appetites that are largely alien to those of us 
  who live in normal, Euclidean universes. As such, 
  the following are only approximations of their true 
  intentions, from the perspective of the characters’ 
  limited understanding of their actions during the 
  adventure.
  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 
  
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  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 
  weapons. You might blow away a tentacle here, or 
  knock out a cultist there, but the intrusion cannot be 
  stopped with violence alone. The entity can only be 
  stopped by (choose or roll a die):
  stopping the entity
  1
  Entering the other dimension and 
  facing the entity in its own realm (a 
  sanity taxing experience).
  2
  A mass psychic show of faith.
  3
  An OBJECT that will appease or repel 
  the entity.
  4
  Replacing something that was taken 
  from the other dimension.
  5
  Closing the gate(s) between universes.
  6
  A major sacrifice (a human life, a Time 
  Lord’s incarnation, etc.).
  In the case of gates between dimensions, they need 
  not be obvious swirly openings torn into the fabric of 
  space-time (although there is nothing that says they 
  couldn’t be) and they may come in a variety of forms 
  such as (choose or roll a die):
  the gate
  1-2
  An actual swirly tear in space-time.
  3-4
  A literal, physical gate.
  5-6
  A living being (alive or dead).
  Example Adventures: Planet of Evil, Snakedance, 
  Flatline.
  traitor 
  Someone who seems to be helping the characters 
  is actually working against them for reasons of their 
  own. This is actually more of a sub-plot than a theme 
  on its own, so roll up another Theme to serve as the 
  main plot.  
  This could be an ally or even another character if they 
  are being coerced, duplicated or mind-controlled, 
  but if it is another player’s character, make sure you 
  pull them aside before the game. Let them know 
  the circumstances behind their betrayal and, more 
  importantly, make sure they are comfortable with 
  playing the traitor and capable of doing so without 
  being too obvious about it. 
  Example Adventurers: Invasion of the Dinosaurs, 
  Mawdryn Undead, Remembrance of the Daleks.
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  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.
  6
  Economic reasons.
  While war itself has no innocents, there is typically 
  a clear aggressor in the conflict (choose or or roll a 
  die):
  the aggressor
  1-2
  ADVERSARY 1.
  3-4
  ADVERSARY 2.
  5
  Both are equally to blame.
  6
  The whole thing has actually been 
  secretly instigated by ADVERSARY 3.
  The characters must determine the best course 
  of action, avoiding the wrath of both sides while 
  protecting the innocent. The characters may decide 
  to have a go at stopping the war or just trying to 
  escape with their skins intact.
  Another option is to set the action during a war that 
  cannot or should not be stopped (like World War I 
  or II). In this case, you should restrict the action to 
  a very specific location, object or objective within a 
  smaller front of that war or roll another Theme to 
  serve as a major sub-plot within the larger backdrop 
  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 
  characters will have their hands full trying to keep 
  the technology out of the hands of both sides!
  Example Adventures: The Armageddon Factor, The 
  Doctor’s Daughter, Into the Dalek.
  WorLd gone Mad
  Something has so upset the fabric of the universe, 
  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 
  historical personalities, dinosaurs, zeppelins and 
  other strange contradictory and anachronistic 
  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:
  WorLd gone Mad
  1-2
  An ADVERSARY.
  3-4
  A temporal accident.
  5-6
  The players’ characters. Mega-Oops!
  The only way to fix a World Gone Mad is to go back 
  and undo whatever caused it to happen in the first 
  place. This is unlikely to be easy, as the power behind 
  something that can change a fixed point in the 
  first place would be immense and require a major 
  sacrifice of some sort or another to resolve, possibly 
  that of a companion or the Time Lord’s life, or even a 
  reboot of the entire universe!
  Example Adventures: The Big Bang, The Wedding 
  of River Song.
  the ‘x’ doctors
  Multiple instances of one of the characters team up. 
  This is rarely the goal of the adventure itself – roll up 
  another Theme to find out why they need to team up, 
  or what has caused them to all end up in the same 
  place at the same time.
  
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  Crossing an individual timeline with itself is no small 
  feat and will typically involve a concerted effort on 
  the part of a time-aware entity of great power, like 
  a Time Lord or the Daleks. It can sometimes happen 
  as a result of technical malfunctions or powerful 
  universal forces interacting in highly unusual ways, 
  but typically there is intelligence behind such an 
  anomaly. 
  Example Adventures: The Three Doctors, The Five 
  Doctors, The Day of the Doctor.
  pLots Within pLots
  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 
  adventure. Choose one to be the main Theme; the 
  rest are sub-plots.
  Each of the sub-plots should be connected to a 
  particular LOCATION or OBJECT. 
  For example, in The Keys of Marinus, for instance, 
  the main Theme is a Raid (the Voord attack on the 
  Conscience of Marinus). Five additional sub-plots 
  are at work too. To activate the Conscience and repel 
  the attackers, the Doctor and his companions must 
  involve themselves in the local affairs of five different 
  civilisations, each with its own particular Theme to 
  solve before the keys can be returned.
  Alternatively, you could use this Theme to generate 
  a multi-adventure story arc (see pg. 88) where the 
  main Theme is only connected to the sub-plots by the 
  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 
  being’s machinations where obscured by the plight 
  of Mawdryn and his people (a Mad Scientists sub-
  plot), the paradox of the starship Terminus (the 
  Infection sub-plot), and a race across space with the 
  Eternals (a Chase sub-plot). None of these smaller 
  stories had any relation to each other outside of the 
  Black Guardian’s manipulations of the events within 
  them through his agents, but they all formed a story 
  arc centred around the Black Guardian’s quest for 
  vengeance.
  Example Adventures: The Key to Time, Bad Wolf, 
  The Impossible Astronaut.
  C the adversary
  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, 
  roll on the table below:
  totaLLy randoM adversary
  d6
  d6
  tabLe
  1-3
  1
  The First Doctor 
  2
  The Second Doctor 
  3
  The Third Doctor 
  4
  The Fourth Doctor 
  5
  The Fifth Doctor 
  6
  The Sixth Doctor 
  4-6
  1
  The Seventh Doctor 
  2
  The Eighth Doctor 
  3
  The Ninth Doctor 
  4
  The Tenth Doctor 
  5
  The Eleventh Doctor 
  6
  The Twelfth Doctor 
  FaMous adversaries
  The following tables contain a wide variety of 
  Adversaries from the Doctor’s adventures. They are 
  grouped based on the incarnation of the Doctor and 
  this will allow you to select creatures appropriate for 
  the style of a particular era. You can choose an era, 
  or roll one up randomly as you see fit.
  adventures
  
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  1 the First doctor
  d6
  d6
  adversary
  1-3
  1
  Cybermen
  2
  Daleks
  3
  Drahvins
  4
  Human
  5
  Mechanoids
  6
  Monoids
  4-6
  1
  Moroks
  2
  Humans
  3
  Renegade Time Lord
  4
  Sensorites
  5
  The Celestial Toymaker
  6
  Voord
  2 the second doctor
  d6
  d6
  adversary
  1-3
  1
  Chameleons
  2
  Cybermen
  3
  Daleks
  4
  Human
  5
  Ice Warriors
  6
  Krotons
  4-6
  1
  Macra
  2
  Master of the Land of Fiction
  3
  Humans
  4
  The Dominators
  5
  The Great Intelligence/Yeti
  6
  Time Lord
  3 the third doctor
  d6
  d6
  adversary
  1-3
  1
  Daleks (with Ogrons)
  2
  Draconians
  3
  Humans
  4
  Humans
  5
  Ice Warriors
  6
  Nestene Consciousness 
  & Autons
  4-6
  1
  Sea Devils
  2
  Humans
  3
  Humans
  4
  Silurians
  5
  Sontarans
  6
  The Master
  4 the Fourth doctor
  d6
  d6
  adversary
  1-3
  1
  Cybermen
  2
  Daleks
  3
  Humans
  4
  Movellans
  5
  Nimon
  6
  Robots
  4-6
  1
  Rutans
  2
  Sontarans
  3
  Humans
  4
  The Master (or Arch-Villain)
  5
  Wirrn
  6
  Zygons
  5 the FiFth doctor
  d6
  d6
  adversary
  1-3
  1
  Cybermen
  2
  Davros & The Daleks
  3
  Eternals and/or
   Black Guardian
  4
  Humans
  5
  Humans
  6
  Renegade Time Lord
  4-6
  1
  Silurian & Sea Devils
  2
  Terileptils
  3
  Humans
  4
  The Malus
  5
  The Master (or Arch-Villain)
  6
  Tractators
  6 the sixth doctor
  d6
  d6
  adversary
  1-3
  1
  Androgums
  2
  Cybermen
  3
  Davros & The Daleks
  4
  Giant Gastropods
  5
  Humans
  6
  Humans
  4-6
  1
  Mentors
  2
  Renegade Time Lords
  3
  Robot
  4
  Sontarans
  5
  The Rani
  6
  Third Zone Scientists
  7 the seventh doctor
  d6
  d6
  adversary
  1-3
  1
  Avalonians
  2
  Bannermen
  3
  Bio-Mechanoid
  4
  Cybermen
  5
  Haemovores
  6
  Human
  4-6
  1
  Humans
  2
  Imperial Daleks
  3
  Cheetah People
  4
  Renegade Daleks
  5
  Renegade Time Lord
  6
  Tetraps
  8 the eighth doctor
  d6
  adversary
  1
  The Master
  2
  Daleks
  3
  Humans
  4
  Ice Warriors
  5
  Cybermen
  6
  Time Lords
  9 the ninth doctor
  d6
  adversary
  1
  Daleks
  2
  Gelth
  3
  Humans
  4
  Jagrafess
  5
  Nestene Consciousness 
  & Autons
  6
  Raxacoricofallapatorians
  
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  10 the tenth doctor
  d6
  d6
  adversary
  1-3
  1
  The Master
  2
  Carrionites
  3
  Cybermen
  4
  Daleks
  5
  Graske
  6
  Humans
  4-6
  1
  Judoon
  2
  Macra
  3
  Pyroviles
  4
  Sontarans
  5
  Sycorax
  6
  Weeping Angels
  11 the eLeventh doctor
  d6
  d6
  adversary
  1-3
  1
  Atraxi
  2
  Cybermen
  3
  Daleks
  4
  Humans
  5
  Minotaur
  6
  Order of the Headless 
  4-6
  1
  Saturnynians
  2
  Silurians
  3
  The Dream Lord
  4
  The Great Intelligence/
  Snowmen/Whispermen
  5
  The Silence
  6
  Weeping Angels
  12 the tWeLFth doctor
  d6
  d6
  adversary
  1-3
  1
  Missy
  2
  The Boneless
  3
  Davros/Colony Sarff
  4
  Daleks
  5
  Clockwork Robots
  6
  The Mire
  4-6
  1
  Me
  2
  Zygons
  3
  Dream Crabs
  4
  Cybermen
  5
  Robot Knights
  6
  Time Lords
  C objectives
  Adversaries will typically have some sort of 
  motivation behind their machinations and we’ve 
  listed the most common ones below. Choose or roll 
  randomly:
  randoM objectives
  d6
  d6
  objective type
  1-3
  1
  Biological
  2
  Destruction
  3
  Energy
  4
  Knowledge
  5
  Relic
  6
  Mineral
  4-6
  1
  Sacred Object
  2
  Slaves
  3
  Technology – Bio-Tech
  4
  Technology – Temporal
  5
  Technology – Weapons
  6
  Worldly Power and Glory
  Biological
  The Adversary is looking for some sort of 
  living material or whole organisms for food, 
  experimentation, breeding or other purposes. It 
  might be a drug or other resource extracted from the 
  organism – perhaps even a source of immortality!
  Destruction
  The Objective is the destruction of something, 
  someone or some race. The motivation can vary from 
  revenge, to bigotry to pure unadulterated hatred of 
  all other living things.
  Energy
  The Location holds some form of specialised energy 
  that the Adversary needs. You should choose an 
  energy source that is rare for the time and place in 
  question.
  Knowledge
  The target possesses some form of specialised 
  knowledge that the Adversary wants or needs. 
  This could be anything from the general (scientific 
  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 
  complete their plan. It could be anything from an 
  extremely specialist piece of tech to a ‘magic’ sword 
  to the Key to Time. Whatever it is, the Adversary’s 
  future plans will fail without it.
  Mineral
  The Adversary wants to strip the mineral wealth of 
  the Location. They might just want a specific rare 
  ore (like taranium) that can only be found at the 
  adventure site or they might want to turn the whole 
  planet into fuel.
  Sacred Object
  An object of religious significance to the Adversary 
  is located in the adventure location. The Adversary 
  might be fanatically seeking to retrieve it, or they 
  may equally be planning to destroy it or exploit it 
  somehow.  
  Slaves
  The Adversary wants to enslave the Location’s 
  population. The type of slavery varies, although most 
  races, like the Daleks, use them for hard labour. 
  The Adversary’s strengths and weaknesses should 
  determine whether they are simply raiders looking 
  to pick up a small number of chattels or a major 
  invasion force looking to take the entire population, 
  while any special powers or traits possessed by the 
  local population might determine why they’re being 
  taken as slaves.
  Technology
  The Adversary is looking for a technological item, to 
  use or retro engineer. 
  Bio-Tech: The Objective is some form of biological 
  technology, like a genetically modified creature or 
  psychic amplifiers.
  Temporal Tech: The Adversary wants to possess 
  the means to time travel, either stolen from the 
  Location or the characters’ own TARDIS (in which 
  case, they have probably set a trap to lure or bring 
  the characters to the location).
  Weapons Tech: The Adversary is seeking some 
  awesomely destructive weapons technology held at 
  the Location.
  Worldly Power and Glory
  Pure unadulterated power is the goal. The Adversary 
  plans to achieve this through political, military or 
  economic means. Possibly all three.
  C Location
  Locations represent one or more connected ‘Sets.’ 
  It could be as small as a single Set, like a hermit’s 
  cave in the desert, or it might consist of a half dozen 
  of more, like the important areas inside a UNIT base. 
  For more information on fleshing out Locations, see 
  pg. 63.
  Roll on the following table to find the general location 
  and then move to the specific tables to generate any 
  specifics:
  Locations
  d6
  d6
  Location
  1-2
  1
  The Americas
  2
  The United Kingdom
  3
  Europe
  4
  Africa
  5
  Asia
  6
  Earth – Remote Places 
  (Antarctic, Under the Sea, Lost 
  World, etc.)
  3-4
  1
  Sol System (Venus, Mars, etc.)
  2
  Primitive World
  3
  Alien World
  4
  High-tech Alien World
  5
  Adversary’s Home World
  6
  Gallifrey
  5
  1
  Asteroid Base
  2
  Planetary Base
  3
  Orbital Base
  4
  Deep Space Station
  5
  Starship
  6
  Generation Ship
  6
  1
  Ground or Underwater Vehicle
  2
  Artificial World (Ringworld, 
  Dyson Sphere, etc.)
  3
  Hyperspace
  4
  E-Space
  5
  Outside Time and Space (Void, 
  Land of Fiction, etc.)
  6
  Bizarre (Inside a living creature, 
  Flatland, etc.)
  
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  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 
  number of Time Zones, you can roll on the following 
  table once for each Location:
  When
  d6
  d6
  tiMe Zone
  1-2
  1
  Early Universe
  2
  Mesozoic Era
  3
  Stone Age
  4
  The Bronze Age
  5
  The Iron Age
  6
  The Dark Ages
  3-4
  1
  The Renaissance
  2
  The Colonial Period
  3
  The Victorian Era
  4
  Early 20th Century
  5
  Mid 20th Century
  6
  Late 20th Century
  5-6
  1
  21st-23rd Centuries
  2
  24th-31st Centuries
  3
  32nd-41st Centuries
  4
  42nd-50th Centuries
  5
  51st Century
  6
  Far Future to the End of Time
  Choose or roll up a few Sets for the Location. Only Sets 
  where important things happen need to be detailed, 
  so don’t feel you have to generate the entire interior of 
  a spaceship, just the bits relevant to the story. Roll D6 
  times if you’re not sure how many to generate.
  externaL sets
  d6
  d6
  set
  1
  1
  Battlefield
  2
  Beach
  3
  Castle/Palatial Home
  4
  Caverns/Mines
  5
  Church/Monastery/Temple
  6
  Circus/Carnival
  2
  1
  Factory/Workhouse
  2
  Forest/Jungle
  3
  Garden
  4
  Government Building
  5
  Graveyard/Tomb
  6
  Hospital/Asylum
  3
  1
  Hotel
  2
  Lake/Sea
  3
  Library
  4
  Menagerie/Zoo
  5
  Military Base/Bunker
  6
  Museum
  4
  1
  Natural Oddity (Elephant’s 
  Graveyard, Psychic Grove, etc.)
  2
  News Agency
  3
  Office
  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
  4
  Tower Block
  5
  Underwater Habitat/Base
  6
  Village/Town/Colony
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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, 
  Observatory, Solarium, etc.)
  6
  Yard/Field/Greenhouse
  MiLitary/starship interiors
  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
  unusuaL sets
  d6
  d6
  sets
  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
  5
  Space-Time Rift
  6
  Inside the Matrix
  
    
  vIllAINS ANd 
   
   
  MAkING MONSTeRS
  
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  ‘Compassion, Doctor. It has always been your 
  greatest indulgence. Let this be my final victory. Let 
  me hear you say it, just once. Compassion is wrong.’
  Villains are as close as the Gamemaster gets to 
  having their own character in the game. Just as 
  players get to lavish attention on their characters’ 
  quirks and traits, and have fun roleplaying them, 
  you should make your villains special. Make your 
  villains awesome, make them charming, make them 
  terrifying. Make the galaxy tremble before them… 
  but always remember that they’re born to lose.
  When making a villain, first ask why they’re a villain. 
  Few people consider themselves to be the bad 
  guy, unless they’ve already been kicked around by 
  the universe and want revenge. Most ‘villains’ are 
  actually the heroes of their own stories, and it’s the 
  players’ characters who are the misguided meddling 
  fools who are trying to stop the villain from doing 
  something wonderful and heroic. Then again, there 
  are some people who get up in the morning, put on 
  their space jackboots and their dark helmets, and 
  set out to conquer the universe because its there.
  C the seed oF eviL
  At some point in their life, the villain made a decision 
  to turn away from the light and forge a path towards 
  darkness and damnation. Why would any sane being 
  do this? 
  chaos incarnate
  ‘They took me there, into the dark. I looked into Time, 
  old man. And I heard it, calling to me … Drums. The 
  never-ending drums…’
  At some point in their life, due to some traumatic 
  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 
  mad butterfly. From that point on, the villain became 
  dedicated to chaos and turmoil, finding pleasure in 
  the dismantling of order and civilisation and watching 
  them burn.
  While they may or may not bear their madness 
  openly for all to see, the chaotic villain is often hard 
  to defeat simply for the reason that they are utterly 
  unpredictable. They can seem totally hell bent on 
  a particular goal one moment, only to abandon it 
  the next. The Master is an excellent example. He 
  wasn’t born evil. His long rivalry with the Doctor, his 
  plans for universal conquest, every evil act he has 
  ever done has been motivated from an early age by 
  the madness caused by the ever-present sound of 
  drums. A madness his own people, in their hour of 
  desperation, had inflicted upon him as a child. While 
  the Master was still culpable for his crimes, how 
  much more responsible were the Time Lords for the 
  actions of this madman who would go on to threaten 
  not only Gallifrey itself, but the entire universe, on 
  numerous occasions.
  For a greater good
  ‘[She is] hope. Hope in this endless, bitter war.’
  ‘What war? Against who?’
  ‘Against you, Doctor.’
  If you asked this villain why they chose the side of 
  wrong over right, they would look at you as though 
  you were stupid. In their mind, they are not the 
  ‘bad guy.’ They are doing what they do for a greater 
  purpose, for the benefit of all.
  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-
  sighted crusaders and do-gooders whose good 
  intentions never seem to take the ‘big picture’ 
  into account. Whatever the case, they do not 
  realise or acknowledge the tragic results of 
  their actions, discounting them as either small, 
  unfortunate mistakes or necessary sacrifices in 
  their pursuit of a greater good.
  Because they wear a mantle of virtue wrought by an 
  unshakeable faith in the purity of their goal, they are 
  often strong-willed or commanding personalities, 
  possibly with a group of devoted followers who share 
  their vision. 
  knoWLedge at aLL costs
  ‘To hold in my hand a capsule that contains such 
  power, to know that life and death on such a scale 
  was my choice. To know that the tiny pressure on 
  my thumb, enough to break the glass, would end 
  everything. Yes, I would do it! That power would set 
  me up above the gods. And through the Daleks, I 
  shall have that power!’
  For this villain, some event in their past has 
  proven that the only truly worthy goal in life is 
  the pursuit of some type of knowledge, and they will 
  not rest until they have acquired it.
  viLLains
  
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  This knowledge could be something very specific, 
  like the identity and location of the being or race that 
  destroyed their family or home, or the secret to time 
  travel so that they can go back and prevent some 
  very personal tragedy. It could equally be something 
  very general, like scientific knowledge that will move 
  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 
  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 
  a powerful force that can make even the most sane 
  being into a destructive monster who would see 
  the universe end rather than let the source of their 
  distress go unpunished.
  In the case of love, the villain has a deep and abiding 
  attraction to or affection for some person, place or 
  idea, and seeks to possess it or protect it at any cost. 
  That person could be a paramour, but they could 
  easily be a family member, a great leader or a race 
  of people. A place might be their home, their country 
  or even a planet, and many a person has been willing 
  to die for an idea like national pride or religion. 
  In the case of vengeance, the villain seeks to avenge 
  themselves on a person, place or idea. Whether they 
  seek to kill a particular adversary or trap them in 
  eternal torment, destroy the home world of their 
  racial enemy or eradicate a religion whose views 
  offend them, the villain will not rest until vengeance 
  is theirs. And even after they accomplish that goal, 
  they will probably find another to turn their flaming 
  hatred towards, typically any who stood in the way 
  of their original target (which almost invariably 
  includes the players’ characters).
  poWer corrupts
  ‘The skies of this entire world are mine. My family 
  tamed them, and now I own them.’
  While all seek, in some way, to exert their will upon 
  others, they typically only seek or use power in order 
  to achieve some particular, overriding goal that 
  is important to them. This villain, however, has no 
  particularly strong drives or goals outside of the 
  acquisition of power for its own sake. Many power-
  hungry villains start out as victims of some form 
  of oppression from which they eventually escape, 
  vowing to never be in a position where others have 
  control over them again. Others are simply greedy 
  beyond belief, having been raised the spoiled scion 
  of a rich family or born with an deep emotional and 
  spiritual emptiness that drives them to possess 
  everything. Still others come to the conclusion that 
  as money gets spent, love is fleeting, and knowledge 
  and vengeance are only within the grasp of those 
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  with the resources to achieve them, the only truly 
  worthwhile goal is total control.
  Whatever their origin, the typical power-hungry 
  villain is one of the more cunning of the villain types, 
  with a chess master’s grasp of power dynamics 
  and political manoeuvring coupled with a complete 
  willingness to sacrifice anything, be it physical 
  comfort, ‘loved’ ones, even control over major assets, 
  if the end result is greater personal power. 
  Monstrous nature
  ‘Evil? Your evil is my good. I am Sutekh the Destroyer. 
  Where I tread I leave nothing but dust and darkness. 
  I find that good.’ 
  Some villains are the product of utterly alien cultures. 
  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, 
  and 10 Story Points. More mundane villains like 
  misguided bureaucrats or inventors should be 
  built like Henchmen (see pg. 52), but have 8-10 
  Story Points instead. 
  victories, MonoLogues 
  and death scenes
  When creating your villain, think about these 
  three situations and consider how your villain 
  would behave in each of them. These might 
  never actually come up in the game, but they’ll 
  give you a feel for how your villain would act –
  and if they do come to pass, that’s a bonus!
  Victory! What’s your villain’s ultimate end goal? 
  What would satisfy them? They look out the 
  window and say “my work is complete”; what’s 
  outside that window? A conquered Earth? A 
  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 
  the best way for your villain to lose everything?
  C poWer base
  Every villain has characteristics or resources from 
  which they habitually draw their power from. This 
  could be great intelligence, physical superiority, vast 
  armies, great wealth or any number of other potential 
  sources which they will always use to complete their 
  
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  plans and oppose the characters. What does your 
  villain possess?
  Lairs and bases
  A particularly resource-rich villain may have a lair 
  or base of operations from which they operate. 
  Some of these are secret, like Madame Kovarian’s 
  base on Demon’s Run, while others sit in plain sight, 
  like the Global Chemicals factory or International 
  Electromatics. The characters must sneak into the 
  villain’s lair to foil their plans – and, of course, any 
  characters who get captured are imprisoned in the 
  villain’s base. They can then break out, sneak around, 
  learn vital bits of plot, get captured again…
  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!
  A mad scientist has a laboratory filled with blinking 
  lights, bubbling test tubes, and humming computers.
  •	
  Captured characters get used as experimental 
  subjects. 
  •	
  A little Jiggery-Pokery can build a Gadget out of 
  all these spare parts.
  •	
  You should never let the Doctor push all those 
  buttons!
  An alien invader commands from the bridge of a 
  gargantuan warship.
  •	
  If anyone starts shooting in here, maybe they’ll 
  hit a vital console.
  •	
  A big viewscreen so the invader can threaten the 
  United Nations in high definition.
  •	
  Launch controls for the doomsday weapon, right 
  next to the self-destruct.
  •	
  A transmat for quick escape from an exploding 
  ship.
  Remember to use the villain’s base and resources 
  in the scenario. If the villain’s base is in a medieval 
  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:
  Henchmen
  The Henchman is the villain’s right-hand being 
  when it comes to getting things done. A Henchman 
  is unique, and if one is killed or captured, they are 
  unavailable for the rest of the adventure. 
  Henchmen are built on 30 Character Points, 18 Skill 
  Points and 3-5 Story Points. Henchmen almost always 
  have attributes and skills that counterbalance the 
  villain’s weaknesses. So, a villain who is physically 
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  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 
  scientist, forced to carry out the warmonger’s mad 
  plan for conquest. If the villain has more than one 
  Henchman, you can decide if they are ranked or carry 
  equal authority. 
  Elites
  Elites are a group of specialist soldiers, scientists, 
  infiltrators or similar that handle very specific and 
  complex jobs for the villain, like a group of black ops 
  soldiers, a group of temporal scientists or a group of 
  duplicates of key authority figures. There are usually 
  a number of NPCs in the Elite cadre equal to the 
  villain’s Presence.
  Build a single character using 24 Character Points, 
  15 Skill Points and 1-3 Story Points. All the Elites will 
  share those stats.
  Functionaries
  Functionaries are a mob of worker drones who fulfil 
  a number of tasks, but none of them particularly 
  well. When they aren’t performing perfunctory tasks, 
  they are often sent in force to overwhelm the villain’s 
  enemies. There are a number of Functionaries in a 
  group equal to the villain’s Presence x3.
  Functionaries are considered to have a 3 in every 
  Attribute and 3 Skill Points spread amongst whatever 
  skills it is that they are tasked to do. A group of 
  plumbers might have some points in Craft with a 
  specialisation in Plumbing, while a band of cultists 
  might have Fighting 2 and Convince 1, and a group 
  of soldiers might have Fighting 1, Marksman 1 and 
  Transport 1.
  traitors, sLaves and 
  unreLiabLe aLLies
  Often, it’s not the Doctor who finally stops the 
  villain – someone else strike the final blow, 
  even if the Doctor set the dominoes in motion. 
  Maybe the villain’s ambitious Henchman 
  betrays his master, or the Doctor shows the 
  Henchman that the villain was tricking her all 
  this time. Slaves can break their chains (or 
  their hypnotic control or their programming) 
  and rise up against their tormentor. Allies 
  can turn on each other, especially if one 
  faction learns their former ‘friends’ never 
  intended to fulfil their end of the bargain. 
  The characters may be able to convince a 
  villain’s minions to turn on their master. To do 
  so, they first need to find a good reason for the 
  minion to switch sides – maybe the minion has 
  a trait like Enslaved, Obsession, Owes Favour 
  or Code of Conduct that the characters can 
  exploit to get inside the minion’s head 
  (and if the minion doesn’t have a trait 
  like that, maybe they can create one, 
  either by spending some Story Points 
  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 
  deus ex machina that seemingly favours the 
  bad guy can be a source of great irritation for 
  them. That, however, is the point.
  For a villain to be more than another ‘monster-
  of-the-week’ they need to be more of a thorn in 
  the character’s sides, to be a source for emotive 
  response, someone that just makes them want to 
  
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  scream “We’re going to get that fiend if it’s the last 
  thing we do!”
  There are two basic things you need to consider 
  when using a villain’s Story Points: 
  you are oMniscient, the viLLain is not.
  When it comes to the story and everything that will 
  happen in it, you are pretty much the god of the game 
  universe and know everything that is going on. The 
  villain, however, is not (except in cases where the 
  villain really is omniscient, ).
  This simply means it is alright for a villain to know 
  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.
  The corollary to this, of course, is that, to avoid the 
  players up and quitting out of frustration, sometimes 
  you should throw them a bone. Remember to use 
  the villain’s Bad Traits to colour their interference 
  so that, even if they throw a few Story Points at the 
  players, the players can react with Story Points of 
  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 
  players to bring that trait in when they’ve had just 
  about enough with the judicious use of a Story Point 
  – and possibly give them a discount for doing so if the 
  timing is particularly appropriate.
  the ruLe oF a third
  As laid out in Chapter Two: Adventures (see pg. 22), 
  any good adventure will have three acts: the intro, 
  the development and the finale. To make sure that 
  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. 
  Also, in keeping with the advice above about not 
  overly-frustrating players, a villain should spend no 
  more than a 1/3rd of their Story Points in any single 
  act. If they do, then each player should receive a 
  Story Point at the end of the act to represent random 
  opportunities arising from the villain over-tipping 
  their hands.
  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 
  extra dice).
  •	
  Reduce failure by one or more success levels.
  •	
  Restore lost attributes.
  •	
  Change the story.
  •	
  There are also a few special tricks only available 
  to Villains.
  oh no you don’t!
  So, one of the players just spent a load of Story 
  Points to change the story or charge up a Gadget. 
  You think the villain hadn’t prepared for that? If the 
  villain spends an equal number of Story Points, they 
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  get to counter whatever change the player just made. 
  The Gamemaster describes how the villain blocks or 
  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.
  get aFter theM!
  By spending a Story Point, the villain can dispatch 
  a Henchman, a squad of Elites or a bunch of 
  Functionaries to wherever the characters are. 
  (1 Story Point sends a single Henchman, the 
  villain’s Presence in Elites or their Presence x3 in 
  Functionaries, so spending 2 Story Points gets any 
  two of the three, or a double-strength set of Elites 
  or Functionaries). The villain has to know where the 
  characters are in order to send in the bad guys. 
  The characters have just enough time to escape 
  before the bad guys arrive – unless the Villain wants 
  to spend another 3 Story Points, in which case the 
  bad guys get there quickly enough to catch the 
  characters, capturing or trapping them!
  soMeone’s been pLaying a Long gaMe
  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 
  the background of a scene was actually one of their 
  Minions all along. Say the Doctor and companions 
  have just arrived at UNIT HQ to help the Brigadier 
  deal with the latest threat to world security. The villain 
  spends a Story Point, and one of the UNIT guards 
  sneaks away and reports back to his superiors, “the 
  Doctor has arrived!” 
  Unless the villain is known for being especially 
  sneaky or having lots of spies (or shapeshifters or 
  something else equally sinister), only do this once 
  per game session.
  Once per adventure, the villain can also use this to 
  ‘turn’ a non-player character. The villain picks some 
  contact, ally or friend of the players’ characters, ideally 
  someone they don’t expect, and spends at least 2 
  Story Points (more if the target is especially powerful, 
  skilled or dangerous). That non-player character 
  either turns to the villain’s side, or retroactively has 
  always been a secret spy for the Villain. 
  A great example of this is Professor Docherty in Last 
  of the Time Lords – the characters go in search of 
  an expert who has the Science and Technology skills 
  needed to help them understand the Toclafane, 
  and the Master spends some Story Points to turn 
  Docherty into a minion after they leave…
  so, you escaped…
  Some villains always escape. A villain can spend a 
  Story Point to flee the scene – and if it’s the 
  last scene of an adventure, they can even 
  escape certain death! If the villain uses this 
  option, they flee with their metaphorical 
  tails between their legs – they don’t get 
  to take anyone or anything with them, 
  they lose any bases or minions they 
  have, and they don’t get to come back to 
  the scene after they escape. Spending 
  that Story Point keeps the villain alive 
  to try again another day, nothing more.
  Maybe the villain runs to an escape pod, 
  or activates an Emergency Temporal Shift. 
  Maybe they die but come back as a clone, 
  or get resurrected by a cult of followers. 
  Maybe they just escape out the back door. 
  Maybe their escape is never explained – 
  but they got out alive, and can engage in 
  more villainous plans in future!
  M is For Minions
  If a villain has minions, remember that they 
  have Story Points as well! Not only does that 
  allow them to escape from sticky situations, 
  but if they survive until the finale, the villain 
  may use them as a reserve Story Point 
  pool, draining any they have left to fulfil 
  the villain’s goals. Yes, this may lead to 
  their demise, but they are only minions, 
  after all, and many a loyal Henchman 
  has found themselves left high and dry 
  by a master who is perfectly willing to 
  sacrifice them for some small advantage 
  against their enemies. 
  The villain may even use a minion’s Story 
  Points to exceed the 1/3rd Rule (see pg. 
  54) without giving the characters extra 
  Story Points in return! Only the villain’s 
  points count towards the 1/3rd Rule.
  Villains being villains, this does not 
  work the other way around, and a villain 
  may never directly give their own Story 
  Points to their minions, not even to 
  keep them alive.
  
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  ‘Imagine the weight I will have to lift; the monsters 
  I created, the people they killed.’
  In his travels, the Doctor has encountered all sorts 
  of incredible creatures and aliens, many of whom 
  wanted to kill or eat him. This section is all about 
  making your own alien monsters. A lot of this advice 
  also applies to nice aliens, the sort you can sit down 
  and have a cup of tea with, but for the most part, 
  we’re talking about the ones who want to kill or 
  eat you. Or kill and then eat you. Or, if you’re really 
  unlucky, eat you then kill you…
  C initiaL inspiration
  Where do you start? There are lots of ways to 
  approach the making of a monster. You might start 
  with the role the creature will play in your adventure, 
  and then go from there. Ask yourself questions to 
  flesh out the monster’s concept. Do you want:
  •	
  A dangerous, unstoppable monster that kills 
  people, like the Vashta Nerada. Why can’t these 
  monsters be stopped? Are they immune to 
  conventional weapons? Who are they attacking? 
  How do the characters survive long enough to 
  have an adventure?
  •	
  A monster that’s a puzzle to be solved, like 
  the Krafayis that menaced Vincent Van Gogh? 
  What’s the puzzle? Is the problem finding out 
  a way to stop the monster, or is the monster 
  misunderstood 
  and 
  the 
  real 
  problem 
  is 
  communicating with the monster? 
  •	
  An invading army, like the Daleks or the 
  Sontarans? Why are they invading? Do they have 
  a cunning plan, or do they just use brute force? 
  Who are their enemies?
  •	
  Sinister minions for your villains, just like the 
  Headless Monks served Madame Kovarian? 
  Why are these minions serving the villain? What 
  makes them good soldiers?
  You could start with physical appearance, drawing 
  inspiration from nature, from other monsters, or 
  from your own nightmares.
  •	
  What would a tree be like if it could walk and talk? 
  The Forest of Cheem and the Androzani Trees 
  both explore this concept in different ways. What 
  about a jellyfish, or a mushroom, or an ocean? 
  •	
  Take a classic movie monster like a zombie, 
  and explain all its supernatural traits like 
  infecting others with a bite, rising from the dead 
  and shambling slowly after its prey with alien 
  science. The Great Vampires encountered by 
  the Fourth Doctor and the Saturynians fought 
  by the Eleventh Doctor both play with legends 
  of vampires, and of course the Doctor has also 
  encountered werewolves and ghosts. What 
  about gargoyles? Or dragons?
  Making Monsters
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  •	
  Ugly, slimy grubs turn into beautiful butterflies. 
  What 
  would 
  an 
  intelligent 
  species 
  that 
  underwent a transformation like that be like? 
  Real-world creatures, especially insects, are as 
  weird as any alien. What about a species where 
  males and females are radically different in size 
  and appearance? Or what about two intelligent 
  species, where one is a parasite that lives on the 
  other?
   
  You could think about the environment, and how it 
  affects the creatures that live there. What sort of 
  aliens might you encounter:
  •	
  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?
  •	
  Deep underground? Maybe the creatures have 
  huge eyes to see in the dark, or no eyes and they 
  see by echolocation or by following the vibrations 
  in the stone. Can they burrow through rock, or 
  maybe they’re partially out of phase with normal 
  matter so they can swim through stone! 
  •	
  In the corona of a star? How do they protect 
  themselves from the heat and radiation? Do they 
  have super-science? Maybe you could look at 
  human cultures that live in harsh environments 
  like deserts, and create nomads of the stellar 
  wastes? Or are these creatures patterns of gas 
  or plasma or energy instead of solid matter?
  •	
  In a radioactive wasteland? Are they mutated 
  by the radiation, or have they some way of 
  protecting themselves? Maybe they feed on 
  radiation! Or maybe they’re left-over weapons 
  from the war. 
  •	
  In the Time Vortex itself? What sort of creature 
  could exist in the vortex? Are they godlike, 
  mythological entities like the Chronovores or the 
  Weeping Angels? Or are they the time-travelling 
  equivalent of dust mites or leeches, feeding off 
  the Artron energy of passing time machines, or do 
  they lay eggs in the past timestreams of victims?
  starting With a trait
  You can start from the other end, with the rules! 
  Pick a trait like Cyborg, Psychic or Obsession 
  and build a monster around that!
  You could start with how you want the monster to 
  behave, and then develop its concept based on how 
  the players are going to interact with it?
  •	
  Is it going to chase the characters? How does 
  the monster move? Does it scuttle on too many 
  legs? Does it slither? Fly? Teleport? Walk 
  through walls? Maybe it can only exist in the 
  green sunshine from the planet’s weird sun, and 
  can’t go indoors or exist at night? How does it 
  hunt the characters? Can it smell them? Sense 
  their technology? Taste their fear?
  •	
  Is it going to stop the characters getting 
  somewhere? How does it stop them? Why is it 
  stopping them? Was it created to be a guardian, 
  or does it just happen to make its lair right on top 
  of that ancient tomb? Can it stop the characters 
  from using the TARDIS or some other gadget to 
  get past?
  
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  •	
  Is it the cause of a mystery for them to 
  investigate? What clues does the monster leave 
  behind? How do the characters find it? How do 
  they stop it?
  You could start with a superstition, or a story about a 
  place, or a legend. 
  •	
  “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back” – so 
  what’s in the cracks? Maybe something ghastly 
  lives under the pavements of a ruined city, and if 
  you attract its attention, it’ll rise up and eat you…
  •	
  Two words: Space Leprechauns. They’re small 
  and green and can mess with the flow of time. 
  That’s where legends of fairyland come from – 
  they can slow down your personal timestream 
  so that while a day passes for you, a hundred 
  years pass for those outside the time bubble.
  •	
  There are lots of legends of sea monsters and 
  serpents – what’s at the root of them? Better yet 
  – there are lots of legends about people being 
  swallowed by sea monsters, and getting trapped 
  in their stomachs. There’s your opening scene 
  right there: the TARDIS gets swallowed by a 
  giant sea serpent!
  You could start with an everyday object, and turn it 
  into a monster. The Autons are shop window dummies 
  brought to life; the Wire made televisions into face-
  sucking soul traps; and the Great Intelligence put 
  something nasty in the WiFi.
  •	
  Look for things that are everywhere, but 
  forgettable and ordinary. Houses are everywhere. 
  Walk down a suburban street, and there are 
  houses all around you, all the same. What if 
  one of them is just this big slimy carnivorous 
  snail-thing that learned to camouflage itself. It’s 
  wearing a shell of plaster, but underneath it’s 
  alive and hungry…
  •	
  The monster might hide behind everyday things. 
  There’s a thing living in the sewers. A huge alien 
  monster, with long snaky tentacles. It can reach 
  up into our world through storm drains and 
  manholes – toilets, even – to grab its victims and 
  drag them down into the darkness. Listen for 
  the scraping noise in the night as it pushes the 
  manhole cover aside…
  •	
  The monster might use an everyday object to 
  control its prey. Cybermen in Pete’s World, 
  for example, used EarPods to take control of 
  their victims. What’s ubiquitous these days? 
  How about social networking? The monster 
  becomes your friend online, then takes you 
  over from the inside until all that’s left is your 
  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. 
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  You could even start with nothing more than a single 
  memorable image.
  •	
  A slug that steals your skeleton, leaving only a 
  loose skin-bag of organs and flesh behind.
  •	
  A stalker that exists five seconds ahead of you in 
  time, so all you ever hear are the echoes of its 
  footsteps.
  •	
  A monster that’s made of eyes.
  •	
  A thing that lives under your bed.
  •	
  An invisible monster – all you can see are its 
  teeth just before it eats you.
  C Making it MeMorabLe
  The best monsters aren’t necessary the biggest, 
  or the nastiest, or the most powerful; they’re the 
  ones the players remember. Making your monsters 
  interesting and scary and weird is the best way 
  to create stories that linger with the players who 
  experience them.
  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. 
  appearance
  Roleplaying games are a verbal medium. You can 
  show the players pictures and draw sketch maps 
  and use miniature figures, but the core of the game 
  is a conversation between players and Gamemaster. 
  So, when you describe your monster, it needs to have 
  some quirk or aspect that you can get across in a 
  verbal description. Imagine you’re on the witness 
  stand in a court room, and the prosecutor asks you 
  to describe what you saw – what would you say about 
  your monster?
  Think about big, obvious traits, like unusual physical 
  features, strange smells or sounds, or an effect 
  on the environment. Maybe the presence of the 
  monster causes all nearby lights to get dimmer. 
  Maybe the creature has a huge hammer-hand, or 
  a single glowing eye. You can also go for traits that 
  aren’t immediately obvious until they’re revealed – 
  remember the Eknodines that attacked Leadworth 
  (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. 
  
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  Making it scary
  Or intimidating, or weird, or funny – whatever 
  emotional reaction you’re going for with this monster. 
  Sontarans, for example, aren’t that scary, but they are 
  dangerous foes, worthy of respect. Some monsters 
  can provoke a whole range of emotions. Cybermen, 
  for example, can be terrifying, intimidating or tragic 
  depending on how you use them.
  Remember, you’re going to have to convey this 
  emotion through verbal description, and verbal 
  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 
  stays with you.  
  Look for things that the players can’t anticipate. 
  A monster that rips its victims apart is alarming; 
  a monster that bites you once, then drains your 
  life energy away over the next few hours is scary 
  because the players have a chance to realise they’re 
  in trouble. 
  Another great technique is to think about how the 
  monster kills its victims – and what clues it leaves 
  behind. Daleks exterminate, leaving a blasted 
  corpse. Cybermen upgrade or delete, leaving a 
  fried victim or nothing but bloodstains and left-over 
  chunks of meat. Vashta Nerada reduce their prey to 
  skeletons. The Minotaur made its victims worship it 
  before consuming them. A distinctive killing method 
  goes a long way – especially if the characters find a 
  victim of the monster long before they encounter the 
  monster itself! Imagine finding the body of a space 
  traveller who’s had her blood removed and replaced 
  with mercury. Who did that? What did that? Why 
  did they do that? Those questions will occupy the 
  players’ minds throughout the adventure until they 
  find the answers.
  coMMunication
  We’ll return to this topic in more detail below, but 
  think about how your monster speaks – assuming 
  it does speak. Give the monster a distinct sound, 
  voice or speech pattern. Everyone knows the DAL-
  EK VOICE, WITH ITS BARE-LY SU-PRESS-ED RAGE. 
  Other monsters might buzz, or gurgle, or whisper. 
  Others have a distinctive speech pattern (“Chan-like 
  this-tho!”) or a particular obsession (Sontarans talk 
  about military tactics and conquest all the time!).
  Maybe your monster doesn’t speak at all. The 
  Headless Monks don’t speak – they just intone the 
  attack prayer, and that makes them terrifying.
  shadoW oF the Monster
  Another great way to make a monster scary and 
  distinct is to have a clue or sign that tells the players 
  the monster is nearby. This foreshadows the monster, 
  giving the players a chance to feel dread and fear 
  without jumping straight into an action scene. The 
  distinctive silhouette of a Dalek, the tally marks up 
  your arm to remind you that you saw a Silent, the extra 
  shadow of a Vashta Nerada swarm, the eggy whiff 
  of a Slitheen – OK, maybe not the last one, but the 
  principle remains. Giving the players a sign to look for 
  can effectively raise tension in the adventure. 
  Some classic signs:
  •	
  Leave evidence of the monster’s attacks! This 
  ties back to the idea of giving the monster 
  a distinctive way of killing people. Just as 
  two pin-pricks in the neck scream “there’s a 
  vampire out there”, and a discarded skin-suit 
  suggests a Slitheen, having the monster leave 
  some particular clue that it recently killed here 
  can scare the players. Imagine a monster that 
  vomits acid on its victims! What do the player 
  characters do when they find a patch of partially 
  dissolved goo outside the TARDIS door – and 
  then realise that the door was unlocked…
  •	
  The monster might create changes in the 
  environment. Running water signalled the 
  approach of the Flood on Mars; snowfall heralded 
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  the arrival of the Great Intelligence; the tolling of 
  the Cloister Bell might warn of impending Reaper 
  attacks. The presence of the Beast caused 
  hallucinations; the Ambassadors of Death were 
  radioactive and so could be detected by a Geiger 
  counter. A high-tech alien might cause radio 
  static or scramble computer systems nearby. 
  •	
  If the alien has the Infection trait or some other 
  way to alter or possess its victims, then the slow 
  progression of the infection will keep reminding 
  the players of the danger they are in. Look at 
  how the victims of the Minotaur slowly lose their 
  will to resist, which makes the Minotaur more 
  and more scary even when it is not present.
  •	
  Try giving the alien a distinct sound or noise. 
  The stomp of a Cyberman, the tick-tock of a 
  Clockwork Robot, the hiss of a Silurian – all 
  tell the players what they’re facing. Imagine a 
  situation where the players are investigating 
  a mystery, and they meet a young girl who 
  has psychic powers. She saw the villain of the 
  adventure; it was dark, so she can’t describe 
  his face, but all she remembers is telepathically 
  ‘hearing’, over and over, the sound of drums.
   
  MeMorabLe Monster 
  checkList
  •	
  What’s the core concept? Boil the monster 
  down to a short description.
  •	
  What does the monster look like? Give it 
  one really distinct feature!
  •	
  How does the monster scare people? 
  Make sure there’s an easy way to tell who’s 
  responsible!
  •	
  What does the monster sound like? Find a 
  way to portray that to the players!
  •	
  What’s the clue that signals the monster 
  is nearby? 
  C deaLing With Monsters
  It’s easy to get carried away when designing a 
  monster, and forget how it’s going to be used in the 
  game. A race of alien monsters that communicate 
  telepathically and fly spaceships that look like a 
  cross between a Gothic cathedral and a wasp 
  may sound cool, but how will they work in the 
  game? The best thing to do is to take the list 
  of actions in an action round – talking, moving, 
  doing, and fighting – and making sure that there’s 
  something interesting to do with the monsters in 
  most of them.
  taLking
  As we said earlier, roleplaying games are a 
  conversation, and the best monsters are ones who 
  can talk back to the characters. Can your monster 
  communicate? Monsters that don’t talk can be 
  spookier and more mysterious; monsters that 
  do speak can match wits with the players. The 
  Weeping Angels would be much less sinister if they 
  spoke directly; the Family of Blood wouldn’t be half 
  as nasty without Son of Mine’s wonderful delivery 
  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 
  example, stole the mind and voice of Private Bob 
  to speak for them, while the Jagrafess had the 
  Editor as a figurehead and Dorium Maldovar 
  explained the Headless Monks. An alien 
  might have a telepathic connection to a 
  victim, or take over a computer system. 
  Alternatively, you can have some expert 
  on hand who knows about the monsters and 
  can predict their behaviour.
  Moving
  Or, usually, running away! In an adventure, 
  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 
  situations where some third party shows up to save 
  the characters from the monster – you can do that 
  once in a while, but in general, the players should be 
  the ones to save themselves!
  doing
  Fighting’s always the option of last resort in the 
  Doctor Who Roleplaying Game. Monsters are almost 
  always better at it than the characters are, and lots 
  of monsters are immune to weapons anyway! The 
  Doctor’s known for clever solutions and cunning 
  plans, not his big guns or his two-fisted fighting 
  (Venusian aikido and duelling with his spoon aside). 
  Make sure there are things to do other than directly 
  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:
  •	
  Investigate the origins or behaviour of the monster. 
  •	
  Scan for readings or traces of the monster.
  •	
  Research existing information on the monster.
  •	
  Repair key equipment.
  •	
  Search for missing people or supplies.
  •	
  Spy on the monster.
  •	
  Hide from the monster.
  •	
  Heal those injured by the monster.
  Maybe the monster can only be defeated by a particular 
  chemical concoction or transmission wavelength. 
  Maybe human invaders disturbed the monster’s nest. 
  Maybe someone’s forcing the monster to attack. 
  Maybe the characters can open a rift in space and 
  time and suck the monsters into the void. However 
  the scenario unfolds, try to ensure the characters 
  have a chance to do something.
  Fighting
  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 
  adventure, and then see what clever solutions the 
  players come up with. Remember, while it’s great 
  fun to make new monsters – in the end, the Doctor’s 
  the scariest monster of them all, because he’s the 
  one the monsters fear!
  interactive Monster 
  checkList
  •	
  How do the players talk to the monster?
  •	
  How do the players run from the monster?
  •	
  How do the players do things related to the 
  monster?
  •	
  How do the players fight the monster?
  •	
  How do the players stop the monster?
  attributes, skiLLs & traits
  The last thing to do is to give the monster its 
  attributes, skill and traits. Unlike a character, 
  you don’t need to stick to a budget of Character 
  Points when doing so, but in general, a minor 
  monster gets 25 points, a more dangerous 
  beast gets around 50, and a really dangerous 
  monster gets built on 75 or more points. Keep 
  your characters in mind when building the 
  monster. A bunch of college students who 
  investigate mysteries with their talking dog 
  should face very different monsters to a team 
  of elite Time Agents.
  Monsters also get Story Points. Cannon fodder 
  and lackeys get 1 or 2 points; most monsters 
  get 3-5; monsters that are supposed to be 
  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 
  the edge over a group of characters.
  viLLains and Making Monsters
  
    
  SeTTINGS
  
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  ‘You spend an awful lot of time here, considering 
  it’s a dump.’
  ‘I spend an awful lot of time being kidnapped, 
  tortured, shot at, and exterminated. Doesn’t mean 
  I like it.’
  With your characters, adventure, villains and 
  monsters ready to go, you might think you have 
  everything ready. However, all these elements 
  need something to bring them together and create 
  a context for the story you are going to tell; for this 
  we need a setting. The setting is more than just the 
  place your adventure happens. The people who live 
  or work there, the food they eat, the customs they 
  have are all part of the setting. Essentially, setting is 
  everything that forms a background to the adventure.
  Setting can be one of the most easily forgotten 
  aspects of design; after all, it’s just the background. 
  The walls and random characters can’t be that 
  important can they? It’s certainly not as important 
  as having an actual adventure or a villain or a 
  monster for the characters to face up against is 
  it? While it may be possible to run an adventure 
  without much of a setting, it won’t be nearly as much 
  fun though. Building a setting allows you to create 
  a world of your own. It’s the point you can indulge 
  your imagination as far as you want to go, creating 
  fascinating ‘what ifs’ and memorable characters and 
  places. The incidental characters, descriptions of 
  strange cultures and even the odd colour of the local 
  drinks can all not only add fun to your adventure but 
  make the whole story more realistic and immersive. 
  Setting allows you to create the imagined place you 
  are all taking part in, and it can be the most subtle 
  tool in the Gamemaster’s toolbox for creating a 
  living, breathing world.
  C coMing up With a concept
  The place to start with a setting is very simple, a 
  couple of words that tell you what the place is, ‘a 
  UNIT base’, or ‘an old spacecraft’. Keep it simple, as 
  considering the place in broad detail will help give 
  you ideas when you come to specifics and help stop 
  you falling into a rut. At this stage you just want a 
  place to start, something that will fit the adventure 
  you have in mind. 
  When you’ve picked a place to start, consider what 
  you need available to the player characters and what 
  you want to deny them. Will their TARDIS work? Is 
  help on the way? Do the villains have back up nearby? 
  How useful is the local technology? How friendly are 
  the natives? However, as well as all these important 
  questions, it is still OK to ask yourself what would be 
  cool! You have all of time and space to play with so 
  feel free to think outside the box. Put your spacecraft 
  on the back of a Star Whale, lead the characters’ 
  TARDIS outside the universe to a junk yard, hide an 
  arena for ancient gods in a circus or let them travel 
  to the end of the universe.
  settings
  settings
  
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  Setting is also the place to establish genre, the 
  general theme and style your adventure is going to 
  follow. If they step out of the TARDIS onto the rainy 
  streets of 1940s Chicago, the players might expect 
  an adventure of film noir-style gangsters, private 
  detectives and femme fatales. Every genre has its 
  tropes, and their own unique aspects that make 
  them fun and cool to explore. Space settings have 
  massive starships, sleek technology and vast scale, 
  where the fate of whole worlds can be in the balance. 
  Horror settings have mystery, and the lingering 
  dread of not quite knowing what might happen next. 
  Historical settings let you delve into the past, with 
  elegant costumes and different manners that seem 
  both alien and familiar at the same time. Westerns 
  have gunslingers, saloon girls with a heart of gold, 
  and above all Stetsons, which in the absence of a Fez 
  are most defiantly cool. 
  Adventure can happen anywhere, and even an 
  apparently mundane setting (such as a school or 
  housing estate) can bring a sense of familiarity, made 
  strange by the knowledge that something is going 
  to happen soon. Such a setting makes the ordinary 
  extraordinary; because the players know something 
  is there to be discovered. In fact, in some cases the 
  more mundane a place is, the stranger and more 
  frightening the alien elements can be. Cybermen on 
  a space station isn’t quite as frightening as thinking 
  of them walking the streets of London. Such settings 
  bring the horror closer to home, and make it a little 
  harder to dismiss as mere fantasy.
  expanding the concept
  Now you have a place to start we need to get down to 
  basics. You need to decide what you need your setting 
  to do. Consider it in purely functional terms. The bad 
  guy might need a lair. The fanatical villagers will need 
  a temple of some kind for their dark god. Is there 
  room for the invading Cybership to dock or land? 
  Here you need to consider the basic practicalities of 
  your adventure, simple things like how many rooms 
  you need, and how isolated it might be. In most cases 
  the adventure will demand its own setting, but not 
  always. Setting is not always defined by place, but by 
  what you need that place to do. 
  Let’s take three examples from the Doctor’s 
  adventures, The Ark in Space (a space station), 
  The Beast Below (a spacecraft) and The Rebel 
  Flesh (a monastery). While each setting is 
  vividly detailed, to a certain extent they are all 
  interchangeable. The Wirrn could have attacked 
  a monastery, the population of England might be 
  trapped on a space station and the Flesh might 
  become self aware on a spacecraft. However, in all 
  three cases the important thing about the setting is 
  isolation. In each of these places there are a number 
  of people unable to get help from anywhere else. So 
  it is important to consider your setting in terms of 
  the adventure’s requirements.
  Once you know your setting will function, you can 
  start to get clever. You can add the details, big or 
  small, that will make the setting interesting. 
  
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  These details will provide you with side plots as 
  the players interact with or investigate the people 
  and things they come across that are incidental to 
  the adventure. Strange customs can trip up the 
  characters, such as it being considered rude to look 
  someone in the eye or a no-no to wear clothes to 
  church. 
  You also need to consider how the setting functions 
  without the adventure. After all, before the good or 
  bad guys show up the setting might be going about 
  its business. Think a little about how the appearance 
  of the characters might disturb the status quo, 
  and how the inhabitants and the technology of the 
  place might react to the villain’s plan. What gives 
  the characters the right to interfere anyway? What 
  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. 
  Factions, conFLicts
  As we’ve mentioned before, no setting should exist 
  in a vacuum. Most people and aliens have a tendency 
  towards tribal behaviour; just look at humanity. 
  It’s very easy to create alien worlds where all the 
  aliens of the same species get along just fine. If your 
  population is especially enlightened, or not very 
  large, it may be possible they have all learned how 
  to get along. However, in most cases there will be 
  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, 
  who might mostly get along, except for a few grey 
  areas in their respective jurisdiction. Often it is the 
  appearance of the players’ characters that is enough 
  to spark off open hostility between two or more 
  factions who don’t get along as well as they should.
  So you should first consider what might divide the 
  occupants of your setting. Religion is the obvious 
  example, and might be a single faith opposing 
  the political leadership, or several different faiths 
  competing for ascendancy. Religion might not 
  come into it at all, as politics can be just as divisive, 
  especially when one social class is having a better 
  time of it than another. Even in an equal society 
  devoid of religion there might be antipathy. Different 
  technologies and philosophies can cause conflict. 
  Scientists often argue about what is and isn’t ‘proper 
  science’ and the ethics of what might be done with 
  their creations is also fertile ground for conflict. 
  Many scientists might find their research turned into 
  a weapon and do their best to destroy their own work 
  and stop their patrons from getting hold of it.
  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 
  faction to lose faith when the faction starts to take 
  a direction they can’t agree with. The Doctor is often 
  making friends with good people who have chosen to 
  join the fight against the wayward leadership of their 
  faction. Such people still believe in the goals of their 
  faction, just not the way things are being run. Finding 
  such people from both sides is one of the best ways 
  to create the vital dialogue that will get things back 
  on track.
  technoLogy
  The level of technology available to the people in 
  your setting will have a huge impact on the setting 
  itself. Compare the world of the 1970s with today 
  and see the difference the mobile phone and the 
  Internet have made to society and how we relate 
  settings
  
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  and communicate with each other, and that’s just 
  40 years ago. Consider not just how advanced the 
  technology is, but how available it is. Inventing the 
  mobile phone isn’t what changed anything; it was 
  making that technology available to everyone.
  Technology can also make a setting interesting. 
  Maybe there is a miniature sun powering the place or 
  ghosts are used to carry messages for people. Such 
  odd constructions will bring new questions that will 
  help expand your idea. Do these ghosts remember 
  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 
  could be an advanced version of something we see as 
  primitive, such as Clockwork Robots. A lot of aspects 
  of technology come down to the power source they 
  use. The physics of electricity define our technology, 
  but what if we used life energy, emotion or temporal 
  energy? Some forms of energy, like the power of 
  words, might be what we would consider magic.
  curiouser and curiouser 
  The universe is strange and wonderful, and there are 
  places within it that make even haunted spacecraft 
  and living planets look utterly mundane. The Doctor 
  has faced several villains capable of manipulating 
  – or at least appearing to manipulate – the laws of 
  reality themselves. The Celestial Toymaker and the 
  Mind Robber as well as the Dreamlord all created 
  whole worlds to trap the Doctor and his companions. 
  Going on a journey through the rabbit hole can 
  be a lot of fun. The settings can be abstract and 
  imaginative with not even the laws of physics holding 
  sway. You can create upside down rooms, seemingly 
  magical technology and dreamlike mindscapes, then 
  link them all with doors that never lead to the same 
  place twice.
  You have to be careful though. Crazy is fun for a while, 
  but if the characters have no frame of reference they 
  are unlikely to figure out how to escape. You need 
  to give them a fighting chance and if you take away 
  the basic rules of the universe by using a godlike 
  villain you must give them decent clues about how to 
  escape their predicament. You can’t assume they will 
  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 
  While bouncing around the universe is all well and 
  good, don’t forget that time as well as space is your 
  playground. Settings in the past can be a little easier 
  to develop as there is already a lot of material to 
  draw from. There are copious books written about 
  
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  the Victorian era, Jane Austen’s England and living 
  in the American West. When planning a historical 
  setting, bear in mind the level of knowledge among 
  your player group. If you are the only one who has 
  read a book on Victorian England then you won’t have 
  any arguments when you get it wrong. However, if 
  one of your group is a Victorian scholar, they may 
  assume your mistakes are part of the adventure, 
  a clue to meddling in history. They might also just 
  choose to be pedantic about details when you get 
  something wrong too. 
  So, with any historical setting, the key is research; 
  although don’t think this means hours of study time 
  in the local library. You don’t need to understand 
  the difference between French and English artillery 
  tactics in the Napoleonic era to use the battle of 
  Waterloo as a setting. The only thing you really need 
  is a sense of the style of the period, and you can 
  often pick that up from watching the right movie. 
  You may find the more you learn about an era the 
  more interesting it becomes. By all means do 
  more research if you want to, as that can only help 
  your game; just don’t sweat it too much if you feel 
  you have a convincing grip on the age. You’ll also 
  find history is awash with stories that will inspire 
  adventure. Unsolved mysteries like Jack the Ripper 
  or the disappearance of Agatha Christie have proved 
  fertile ground for even the Doctor’s adventures. 
  The future, unsurprisingly, is just as packed with 
  possible settings. You have more of a free reign to 
  imagine the future than you do with the past, and only 
  a time traveller is going to correct you. However, it is 
  important to try and keep some grounding in what 
  we understand today. Some things have survived 
  hundreds of years and it might appear odd if they 
  simply disappeared. So, a simple thing like being able 
  to find a cup of tea on a new space station reminds 
  the characters they are in humanity’s future, not 
  some alien world. It’s important to have some way to 
  trace new technologies and cultural changes back to 
  something we know today. 
  diFFerent cuLtures
  It’s very easy to limit yourself to British or American 
  history and forget that Earth is home to a myriad 
  of other cultures, each with their own history and 
  future. India, Japan and Egypt offer a wealth of 
  mythology and history, as does any country. As with 
  history, research is vital. Japanese Samurai culture 
  is famous for its focus on etiquette and propriety, 
  and any game set there will have to take this into 
  account. You have plenty of choice. The cultural 
  details you discover, like any other details about your 
  setting, can powerfully evoke the atmosphere of the 
  place. In some case the players might have to delve 
  into the world to find out the best way to interact with 
  the locals, even with no language barrier. A TARDIS 
  will ensure you can speak to each other, but it can’t 
  tell you how to understand someone. 
  the doctor’s previous adventures
  The Doctor’s adventures offer you a wealth of 
  settings to choose from, all ready prepared. You 
  might visit Skaro to take on the Daleks, seek out the 
  settings
  
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  wreck of the Byzantium and face the Weeping Angels 
  or challenge an invading Sontaran fleet. There are 
  many, many settings you can pluck straight out of 
  your favourite adventures. Such settings are already 
  full of detail ripe for a Doctor Who adventure and 
  you can probably find a few pictures of its various 
  elements to show your players. 
  Using such settings lets you follow in the Doctor’s 
  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 
  when the players know a little more than their 
  characters. If the TARDIS lands on Skaro, the players 
  are going to assume Daleks are close by. A voyage to 
  the centre of the Earth usually means a date with the 
  Silurians. 
  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 
  the Doctor hasn’t been. What might be on Skaro 
  outside the Dalek’s city? Who used to live at Wester 
  Drumlins, before it was abandoned? What other 
  events has Platform One hosted? What will Starship 
  UK encounter as it continues its search for a home?
  For an exhaustive source of information about the 
  Doctor’s many adventures, and ideas for how to 
  use them in your own games, check out The Doctor 
  Sourcebooks – each one is dedicated to a different 
  incarnation of the Doctor and contains information 
  about all of their adventures.
  not FoLLoWing the doctor
  On the other hand, with the whole universe to 
  consider, why limit yourself to the travels of one 
  particular Time Lord? The Doctor hasn’t quite 
  been everywhere, or everywhen, yet. There are 
  plenty of parts of Earth’s history yet to be explored, 
  and countless planets teeming with alien life. You 
  might choose to use something from the Doctor’s 
  adventures as a springboard. Who is the Moxx of 
  Balhoon anyway? What planet does he come from? 
  What are his people like? Is he typical of them? 
  If it seems a little daunting to create from scratch, 
  you can reverse engineer your setting by considering 
  your adventure and possibly any creatures you are 
  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 
  frog people might live on flies, and so will want to live 
  somewhere teeming with flies. They will also want 
  somewhere warm and damp to live. However, maybe 
  they are trying to fit in with other alien species and 
  trying to get away from their swampy home, looking 
  down on those still like living there. Now we have two 
  factions: the swamp dwellers and the ‘urbane’ city 
  dwellers. Maybe the city folk are trying to destroy the 
  swamps to build more cities, which provides us with 
  a definite conflict as well. Our setting is now offering 
  the possibility of an adventure, all from the question 
  “where might frog people live?”
  C setting tooLkit 
  and checkList
  Each setting should be unique, its details tailored to 
  the adventure you want to run and the characters 
  who will be experiencing it. Here is a series of 
  setting suggestions and a list of questions you 
  might want to ask yourself when creating it. 
  MiLitary base
  This might be a UNIT base, the headquarters 
  of the Shadow Proclamation or an asteroid 
  fortress like Demon’s Run. Such a base 
  will have several military aspects:
  •	
  How big is it? 
  •	
  How many soldiers are stationed 
  there? 
  •	
  What level of technology do they have? 
  •	
  Is it designed to protect something or 
  to launch attacks? What?
  •	
  How are the soldiers trained? Are they 
  disciplined or a bunch of thugs? 
  •	
  Will they shoot first or ask questions?
  It will also have several non-military aspects:
  •	
  Are there any administrative staff? 
  •	
  If so, how much control do they have of 
  military staff? 
  •	
  Are visitors allowed on the base? If so, 
  who grants permission? 
  •	
  How tight is security? 
  •	
  Does the base run any scientific 
  projects? If so, how many and how 
  important are they? 
  •	
  Do most people on the base know 
  about them or is their existence secret?
  housing estate
  People have to live somewhere, whatever 
  species they might be. Housing estates are some 
  of the most mundane places in the universe, the 
  
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  last place you might find aliens. Unless it’s an alien 
  housing estate… 
  •	
  How wealthy are the residents? 
  •	
  Is there a sense of community there? 
  •	
  Do neighbours get on with each other? 
  •	
  Are they welcoming to strangers? 
  •	
  Do they share any secrets?
  country hoMe
  Old estates come with more than just a few acres of 
  land. History is often a heavy burden, one that rests 
  on the shoulders of those who hold its secrets like 
  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?
  spacecraFt
  The future is full of spacecraft, some sleek warships 
  that can cloak themselves, some vast habitats resting 
  on the back of huge star whales. 
  •	
  What is the spaceship designed for: war, 
  transport, pleasure? 
  •	
  How advanced is it, in terms of weapons, defences 
  and the comfort of the passengers/crew? 
  •	
  How big is it?
  •	
  How old is it? 
  •	
  How many crew are required to operate it, and 
  are there enough of them? 
  •	
  How does it work? Is there a big nuclear reactor, 
  or something more exotic? Does it go faster than 
  light? Through hyperspace? Through time?
  •	
  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 
  family or clients? 
  •	
  Can the station defend itself? 
  •	
  What are conditions like? Home from home or 
  cramped and claustrophobic?
  MarketpLace
  Trade is the lifeblood of plenty of cultures. There are 
  several crossroads between culture and peoples that 
  offer a myriad of strange and bizarre items for the 
  right coins.
  •	
  How big is the place? 
  •	
  Does the market sell a mixture of goods or a 
  particular speciality (such as food, weapons, 
  pottery)?
  settings
  
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  •	
  What’s the currency here? Electronic credits? 
  Printed notes and coins? Precious metals or 
  gemstones? Memories? Body parts? Bits of your 
  future? 
  •	
  How varied are the traders here? Are they all 
  from the same place or a variety of different 
  cultures/worlds? 
  •	
  How cramped is the place, open and spacious or 
  cramped and packed with sellers? 
  •	
  How do sellers display their goods? Do they 
  have stalls, small shops, carry them or use 
  holographic catalogues? 
  •	
  What is crime like, are there small spaces that 
  make it a haven for pickpockets? 
  •	
  Who runs the market and are they fair when 
  dealing with disputes?
  prison
  If they don’t execute them, civilisations need a place 
  to put their criminals. Prisons come in all shapes 
  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 
  prisoner? 
  •	
  Is it clean and sparse or dank and filthy? 
  •	
  Do the prisoners know they are prisoners? 
  •	
  Are they kept drugged or do they think they are 
  living in a special village for their protection?
  reLigious buiLding
  Most cultures, primitive and advanced, find a place 
  for religion. Most religions need gathering places, be 
  they temples, cathedrals or stone circles.
  •	
  How popular is the religion – is it local, worldwide 
  or has it spread even further? 
  •	
  Is the building only open to the faithful or can 
  anyone come in? If it is only for members, are 
  there punishments for unbelievers entering? 
  •	
  What sort of icons might be in the building? 
  •	
  How are worship rites carried out and how does 
  the building cater to that? 
  •	
  Does the building have accommodation for 
  priests or lay members?
  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 
  cranky people are nine-foot-tall and orange 
  and sweat sulphuric acid, but it’s basically the 
  same thing.
  If you get too alien with your descriptions, 
  you’ll have to describe absolutely everything 
  to the players. By basing locations on familiar 
  sorts of places, the players can assume much 
  more about what’s there.
  
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  C introducing the setting
  We end with the most important part of the setting: 
  how are you going to introduce it to the players? All 
  that work is a waste of time if they just decide to 
  step back into the TARDIS and go somewhere else. 
  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 
  it by asking the questions below.
  Where are We?
  What is this place? What is the one or two word 
  description they will get by turning on the scanner in 
  the TARDIS, such as “It’s a junkyard”, “it’s a Roman 
  village” or “it’s a space station”. However, you should 
  also add some sort of adjective if you can. “It’s a 
  cluttered junkyard”, “it’s a busy Roman village” 
  or “it’s a deserted space station”. The adjective is 
  the word that tells the players there is something 
  interesting here, that the stage is being set for them.
  What do you see upon opening the 
  tardis door?
  What part of the setting have they landed in? In a 
  Roman village they might have landed in a market, 
  outside a house, just outside the village, in the 
  barracks, in someone’s shop or even in someone’s 
  house. What is the light like? Can they see the whole 
  place? Will they be able to tell where they are? After 
  all, one cave looks very much like any other. Sight 
  shouldn’t be the only sense you appeal to though. 
  Telling the players what they hear or smell can be 
  far more evocative and mysterious than what they 
  can see; especially if they can see little or nothing.
  Who is about?
  Are there any people, anyone the players can possibly 
  interact with? Are they going to be friendly? Might 
  they run from strangers or attack them? Will they 
  think the players’ characters are strangers, or do 
  they look like they’ll fit right in?
  What Looks interesting enough to 
  Make theM Leave the tardis?
  This question is vital. If the characters don’t leave the 
  TARDIS you have no adventure (unless the TARDIS 
  itself is your setting…). So you must introduce a 
  mystery to them. If they are inside a room or building, 
  what can they see or hear on the outside that might 
  be worth a look? Is there a monster growling or 
  shouting in the street? Is there something odd about 
  what they can see to pique their interest, such as 
  some of the Romans having blue skin? Is there some 
  injustice being carried out, such as a woman being 
  beaten by a soldier? Is there an interesting mystery 
  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 
  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. 
  However, the best way to keep them investigating 
  the setting is to continue the mystery, make them 
  wonder what is around the next corner. In short, if 
  you have built your setting well, you won’t need an 
  adventure to keep them interested, just wandering 
  about in this fascinating, living new world will keep 
  them occupied for a long, long time.
  If you’re stuck, ask the players. Say “you can’t leave in 
  the TARDIS – why not?” Their answers may surprise 
  you!
  settings
  
  RUNNING GAMeS, 
   
   
  CAMpAIGNS ANd
    
   
   
   STOCk FOOTAGe
  
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  ‘I’m following breadcrumbs laid out for me. This is 
  somebody’s game, and I can’t stop playing.’
  A roleplaying game is a conversation about an 
  imaginary situation. The Gamemaster says “hey, 
  what do you think would happen if…” and the players 
  respond. It’s up to you as the Gamemaster to keep 
  that conversation going. If things get too quiet and 
  everyone’s fiddling with their dice or doodling on 
  their character sheets, then the Gamemaster should 
  say something to spark action (“suddenly, a Dalek 
  invasion fleet arrives!”). 
  Similarly, if things are getting too confused or crazy, 
  the Gamemaster should step in to keep things on 
  track (“OK, the Doctor’s trying to fly the TARDIS 
  backwards through the black hole, Amy’s flirting with 
  Churchill… and what’s Rory doing during all this? 
  And is Hitler still in the closet?”). Think of your job 
  as Gamemaster as the conductor in the orchestra – 
  sometimes you speed things up, sometimes you slow 
  things down, and all the while you keep everyone 
  together.
  This chapter is packed with tips and tricks on how to 
  do all that. The Doctor Who Roleplaying Game has 
  pretty simple rules, but players can – and will – get 
  into all sorts of crazy situations, making it a fun but 
  very strange game to run. Anything can happen when 
  the dice hit the table!
  C FraMing scenes
  If you look at a pre-written adventure (flip to pg. 107 
  for an example), you’ll see that it’s broken down into 
  scenes. Scenes are like chapters in a book or, well, 
  scenes in a play or TV show; they’re a familiar way of 
  structuring a story, which is why we use them when 
  designing an adventure. However, in actual play, 
  roleplaying games don’t fall neatly into scenes. Some 
  of the game takes place outside the scene structure. 
  For example, when players discuss their next move 
  that’s not part of any particular scene. (“I think we 
  should try to sneak into the robot factory!” “No, my 
  character’s more interested in the swamps”.) Don’t be 
  tempted to interfere too much in these conversations 
  between players – let them make their own decisions. 
  Your job here is to move the game along by framing a 
  scene. To frame a scene, you say: 
  •	
  Which characters are present.
  •	
  Where they are.
  and 
  •	
  What’s going on.
  You should also have some idea of what’s going 
  to happen in the scene. Obviously, you can’t (and 
  shouldn’t!) dictate the actions of the players, but it’s 
  up to you to throw problems, interesting dilemmas, 
  fascinating non-player characters and bug-eyed 
  monsters at them.
  running gaMes
  running gaMes
  
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  Sometimes, it’s best to frame a scene gently – you 
  provide a general description, let the players decide 
  where their characters are, and build on those details.
  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…
  Player 1: Is there a waste pipe or something? 
  Something we could climb up?
  Gamemaster: Sure. It’ll be messy. Is that where you’re 
  going?
  Player 1: Yes. We’ll try to get into the building from 
  there, maybe a ventilation duct or something.
  Player 2 (as River): “There are Ponds in the ducts but 
  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.
  Gamemaster: You’ve been busy since the TARDIS 
  materialised on Galatea Station an hour ago. It’s 
  a lovely, quiet space station, the sort of place you 
  transmat to for a nice Sunday stroll with the family. 
  The Doctor went off to talk to an old friend of his who 
  lives in the arboretum; River, you went to the tech 
  sector to find a new power pack for your gun. So, Rory 
  and Amy, you’re strolling down the station’s main 
  corridor when a young boy of about six runs up out of 
  the crowd and clings to Rory’s leg. “Don’t let them eat 
  me!” he whispers with terror in his eyes.  
  And everyone in the crowd turns to face you, and 
  they’re hungry!
  Here, the Gamemaster has cut right to the action. 
  They’ve dictated which characters are present (River 
  and the Doctor aren’t in this scene), where Rory and 
  Amy are (in the middle of a crowd of cannibals). It’s 
  a jump straight to scary monster time. You can also 
  use this sort of aggressive scene framing to create 
  dramatic arguments or tension (“Rory, you manage 
  to stay ahead of the cannibal horde, but you arrive 
  back in the landing bay just in time to see the TARDIS 
  dematerialise. The Doctor’s abandoned you!”)
  Too much aggressive scene framing takes control 
  away from the players, and too little makes the game 
  seem saggy and unchallenging. Find the right balance 
  for your group. 
  top tip: giving story points
  Players love bribes. If you give players Story 
  Points in exchange for putting their characters 
  into absolutely horrible situations, they’ll 
  happily scoop up those points like candy and 
  ask for more. “I’ll give you 2 Story Points if your 
  character wanders off from the TARDIS and 
  gets into trouble” works every time. 
  On the flip side, you should freely penalise 
  them for ignoring hooks directly related to 
  their traits. Does the strapping hero with a 
  Code of Conduct to protect women and children 
  run away from a school bus being attacked by 
  Daleks? Unless he’s also Cowardly, he is acting 
  way out of character and should lose 1 or more 
  Story Points (3 or more for abandoning a bus 
  full of school children). Bad Traits are not mere 
  window dressing to gain a character a few extra 
  Character Points; they are deep motivations 
  and a Story Point penalty will remind the player 
  of that.
  Finally, you can also let the players do some or all of 
  the scene framing. Let them answer the questions, 
  and then you react to their answers, like so:
  Gamemaster: So, where are you?
  Player 1 (as the Doctor): We’ve just landed on the 
  exotic planet of, er, um, Toasted Sandwich Four.
  Player 2: Toasted Sandwich Four? Seriously?
  Player 1: It loses something in the translation. Make 
  sure you don’t mention it, though, they’re very touchy 
  about it.
  
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  Gamemaster: OK, what’s Toasted Sandwich like?
  Player 2: Hot.
  Player 1: Yes, it’s a desert planet.
  Player 2: Toasted Sandwich is a dessert?
  Player 1: I feel you’re not taking the noble planet of 
  Toasted Sandwich Four seriously.
  Gamemaster: What are you doing on this desert 
  world?
  Player 1: Well, the Doctor’s an honoured guest here. 
  (slides a Story Point token to the Gamemaster).
  Gamemaster: Of course. He Who Named The Planet 
  is always welcome here. 
  Player 1: So I’m going to have mint tea with the 
  governor.
  Player 2: Rory and I are in the nearby market. We’re 
  trying to convince one of the aliens to serve us a slice 
  of bread, covered in cheese and put under a grill, only 
  we can’t stop laughing.
  Player 1: This is just the sort of cultural insensitivity 
  that led to the War of Take Our Planet Seriously Or 
  We’ll Kill You All. 
  Gamemaster: What’s the planetary governor like?
  Player 3: Really stuffy and formal. 
  Gamemaster: Right. (As the planetary governor) “Ahh, 
  Honoured Namer, you have returned wearing a new 
  face. On behalf of the people of Toa’Stedsa Ndwich 
  Four, I greet you. You have come in our hour of need!”
  Player 1: I usually do…
  In this case, the Gamemaster has an idea for a plot 
  twist that can be adapted to fit any situation (in this 
  case, it’s a Cyberman invasion). He lets the players 
  build up the scene, then intercedes. 
  C describing things
  Keep descriptions short. A few punchy lines that paint 
  a picture for the players work much better than a long, 
  wordy description. Roleplaying games aren’t books. 
  Compare these two descriptions:
  “An 
  elegant 
  white-hulled 
  ship 
  flies 
  through 
  hyperspace. From the outside, the ship resembles a 
  bird of prey adapted to this airless realm. Glittering 
  weapon-projectors and shield arrays sweep like 
  steely wings out in a great arc, and the ship’s sharp 
  prow bears a disturbing similarity to the beak of a 
  savage hawk. Inside, past the racks of planet-cracker 
  bombs slumbering in their bays, and the barracks 
  where equally lethal gene-engineered soldiers wait 
  in stasis pods, there is a corridor that leads between 
  two storerooms. There, the lights flicker in time with 
  a sound that seems to come from nowhere: VWORP 
  VWORP VWORP. 
  The TARDIS materialises in a dark corner. On the 
  scanner, you see that the corridor stretches for 
  20 metres in either direction. There’s an airlock at 
  either end. Standing in front of one airlock is a tall 
  figure wearing an armoured spacesuit with a plumed 
  helmet. She’s positioned as if guarding the airlock, but 
  hasn’t reacted to your arrival. She’s armed with a two-
  metre-long silver staff that crackles with energy.”
  Or:
  “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, 
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  the guard was paralysed by the alien hijackers who 
  are the villains of the scenario). However, the players 
  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 
  description. Let’s say the Doctor and his companions 
  are in the library of a grand country house in 1911. 
  There’s an incriminating letter in the writing desk. 
  Therefore, you should mention the writing desk 
  prominently in your description. Give the players a 
  clear path to the interesting stuff. 
  When the players ask questions, give answers based 
  on their characters. Someone with a high Ingenuity and 
  Science would notice more about technology or alien 
  gadgets; someone with lots of Awareness or Convince 
  might be more aware of social connections. For 
  example, if Leela (a barbarian warrior-woman), Zoe (a 
  genius mathematician from the late 21st century) and 
  Sarah Jane Smith (a reporter from the present day) 
  all investigate a mystery, the Gamemaster should 
  take their characters’ knowledge and background into 
  account when answering. 
  top tip: stock Footage
  When describing a location (or a person, for that 
  matter), it helps to have a place in mind. Let’s say 
  the characters end up visiting an old farmhouse 
  – just use your memories of your grandparent’s 
  farm out in the country. If they land on an alien 
  world, then maybe draw details from that sci-
  fi movie you saw late at night last year, mixed 
  with bits of a holiday visit to Australia. Build up 
  a library of ‘stock footage’ – interesting places 
  and faces that you can stick into your games. 
  There’s more emergency inspiration on pg. 95. 
  pLaying non-pLayer characters
  Non-player characters are the guest stars and villains 
  of your adventure. With a good NPC, you can grab the 
  emotions of the players and bring them into the action. 
  Playing an NPC is like being an actor. Specifically, it’s 
  like being a bad actor. You’re the supporting cast, not 
  the lead. You’re there to make the player characters 
  look good, or to chew the scenery as a monstrous bad 
  guy. Don’t worry about subtlety: most NPCs aren’t 
  around for very long, so make an impression while 
  you can.
  If you’re good at acting, improvising and putting on 
  accents, that’s wonderful. If not, don’t worry; just 
  describing the actions and voices of your NPCs works 
  almost as well. 
  top tip: List oF naMes
  Prepare a list of a dozen or so names that 
  fit with your adventure’s setting. That way, 
  if you unexpectedly need to bring in a new 
  NPC, or if the players talk to the third guard 
  from the left, you’ve got a name ready. It’s 
  surprisingly helpful.
  For each NPC, think of:
  •	
  A memorable feature.
  •	
  An accent or a verbal tic.
  •	
  A stance or other physical gesture.
  •	
  An emotional cue or drive.
  Memorable features can be anything 
  from physical traits (he’s bald, fat 
  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 
  physical feature gives the players 
  something to remember.
  How your characters speak is very 
  important, especially if there are 
  several NPCs in the same scene. 
  Everyone should have a distinct style 
  of speech. A grizzled captain might say 
  “aaar” and salt their speech with nautical 
  terms. A polished politician might use warm, 
  oiled, slick words to convince the players 
  to agree with her, while a veteran military 
  commander speaks in a clipped, efficient way. 
  A ferocious alien growls and snarls, a robot (or 
  a Cyberman) speaks in monotone. A paranoid 
  alien hunter might nervously end every 
  sentence in a question, and his indecisive pal 
  might just trail off mid…
  Voice is only half of how you present your NPC 
  – your stance and body language are just as 
  important. I like to stand and walk around when 
  playing some characters, but even if you’re just 
  sitting at the table, you can do a lot to make 
  the NPC more real. That sea captain? Maybe 
  he smokes a pipe, or scratches his beard 
  when he talks (you don’t need a pipe, or 
  a beard – just mime the action). That 
  
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  politician might lean forward and make lots of eye 
  contact, that military officer sits up ramrod-straight, 
  and that alien bares its fangs and drools.
  Finally, for your own benefit, think about what the 
  NPC wants in each scene. What do they need – not 
  just their immediate needs, but what drives them? 
  Daleks are driven by hatred, Sontarans by their sense 
  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, 
  you’re not going to remember K’zhor and 
  Kh’azar (Sontarans are the worst: Strax, Styre, 
  Stor, Stall?).
  Titles and roles are much easier to remember. 
  Give each NPC a ‘hat’ to wear – this guy’s the 
  scientist, that girl’s the security officer, she’s 
  the rebel, he’s the nurse. You can also use 
  meaningful, evocative archetypal names; if you 
  call someone Dr Dark or Captain Steele, it says 
  a lot about their character.
  Try to avoid situations where you’re playing more than 
  one NPC in a scene. There’s only one of you, after 
  all, so if there are multiple NPCs present, you’ll end 
  up talking to yourself. If you absolutely have to have 
  several NPCs in the same place, then try separating 
  them so the players can talk to them individually. Take 
  Midnight, for example – there, the Doctor travelled 
  on a shuttle bus with half-a-dozen other characters. 
  If you run Midnight as an adventure, you might have 
  one NPC in the front of the bus, one at the back, one 
  sitting near the external monitor, another feeling ill 
  and sitting near the bathroom. That means that the 
  Doctor (a player’s character) can talk to each NPC 
  individually, avoiding a troublesome ‘committee’ 
  scene. 
  Obviously, if you split the players up, you can divide 
  your NPCs between them. Donna can talk to the 
  ambassador from Venice while Martha gives Pope 
  Clement advice on dealing with his bad knee.
  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 
  suitable classical music. If they’re on a haunted 
  spaceship, then get the soundtrack for a sci-
  fi horror movie. Use all the senses – if the 
  characters get invited to dinner, then you could 
  even try serving the players suitable food. 
  running action scenes
  Ready… set… action! When the lasers start zapping 
  and things start exploding, your players’ characters 
  should be in the thick of it. Keep the pace fast; go 
  around the table quickly, encourage the players 
  to make quick decisions, don’t get bogged down 
  in the rules. For example, if it’s a chase, then don’t 
  worry about the exact number of Areas between the 
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  characters and their pursuers if checking would 
  slow the game down. Just roll the dice and keep the 
  adrenaline flowing. 
  The Doctor Who Roleplaying Game rules use a very 
  distinctive initiative system. Talkers go first, then 
  movers, then doers, then finally fighters. That means 
  that an action scene isn’t just a fight scene; it’s also 
  potentially a talking scene, or a chase scene, or a techy 
  scene. When running an action scene, try to include 
  opportunities for all the characters to get involved, not 
  just the guys with the guns.
  Talking is used the least in action scenes. Normally, 
  the only action scene where talking plays a bit role 
  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 
  solve the day with Science! Talking’s not much use if 
  the characters get attacked by wild dogs or Weevils or 
  dinosaurs or savage space hamsters. 
  Moving, though, plays a part in every action scene. 
  Action scenes don’t take place on featureless flat grids 
  – throw in some interesting things for the characters 
  to jump on/hide behind/run around/clamber over/
  crawl through/fall into. Let the players add their own 
  details to a scene, too, by spending Story Points. If 
  you’re fighting in a ballroom, then a Story Point might 
  add heavy velvet drapes to the walls (to be pulled down 
  over the bad guy’s heads) or a crystal chandelier (to be 
  shot and dropped from above). 
  Doing stuff can be a part of a lot of action scenes. 
  Again, present opportunities for the players to do 
  stuff. For inspiration, look at the Doctor and his Sonic 
  Screwdriver – he’s always Doing Stuff, like sealing 
  doors (just before the monsters charge through), 
  blowing up lights, rewiring circuits or pressing just the 
  right buttons to save the day. 
  Finally, there’s fighting. Don’t let a fight turn into 
  a series of bland dice rolls. Even if a character just 
  stands there shooting his gun and rolling Coordination 
  + Marksman for six Action Rounds in a row, ask the 
  player to describe how he’s attacking. Throw added 
  problems at him; get him to adapt to new threats, new 
  conditions. 
  running investigation scenes
  Talking to people, running away, shooting things… 
  what left? Oh yes – poking your nose in where it 
  doesn’t belong! Every adventure is going to have a lot 
  of investigating and poking at things. The important 
  thing to remember is that clues that seem clear 
  to you may be totally opaque to the players. Try to 
  have two or three different ways for them to get vital 
  information, and make key clues obvious. The players 
  should always have options and avenues to investigate 
  (and remind the players that they can spend a Story 
  Point for a hint if they’re stuck). Investigations work 
  best if you leave a little gap for the players to fill in. 
  Let them make that final deductive leap. For example, 
  say the adventure takes place on a space station that 
  
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  orbits close to a dying star. A magnetic shield protects 
  the station, and when the shield goes on the blink, 
  it causes huge solar flares. Over the course of the 
  adventure, the characters learn that the fluctuations 
  in the shield happen when Slitheen spies sneak onto 
  the station. A Slitheen ship is on its way to conquer 
  the station.
  Now, if a clever player were to adjust the shield so it 
  provokes a really huge flare right beneath that Slitheen 
  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 
  engineered flock of sheep, an ancient cult 
  of demon worshippers and a crashed alien 
  spaceship on the moon.
  C responding to the pLayers
  It’s time to let you in on a dirty little secret: 
  ‘Gamemaster’ really isn’t an accurate term for what 
  we do. ‘Game Wrangler’ or ‘Game Facilitator’ might 
  work better. As we said earlier, a roleplaying game is a 
  conversation. Listening to the players and responding 
  to what they decide to do is more important than 
  anything else in the game.
  Never say “no” to any idea. Well, any sane idea, anyway. 
  For example, the players’ characters have landed on a 
  far-future colony ruled by a fascist regime. According 
  to your notes, the plan is for the players to get involved 
  in the mystery of a Plasmavore that’s eating political 
  refuges who try to escape via a secret underground 
  railroad. The fascist government is just a background 
  detail, there solely to provide context for this human 
  smuggling operation. 
  However, as soon as the players arrive, the Doctor 
  declares “I don’t like bullies and tyrants. I’m going to 
  overthrow the government.” Your planned adventure 
  just got thrown out the window. And you know what? 
  That’s fantastic.
  Respond by asking the player how they intend to 
  overthrow the government. Let the players drive the 
  adventure. Throw obstacles in their path to make 
  things more interesting. If the players decide their 
  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’ 
  actions, keep the following list in mind:
  •	
  How are they doing it?
  •	
  What do they need?
  •	
  Who wants to stop them?
  •	
  Where would be an exciting location for this to 
  happen?
  If you want, you can turn your plot about the 
  underground railroad and the Plasmavore into a sub-
  plot. Maybe the Plasmavore realises that its food 
  supply will be cut off if the government falls, and starts 
  hunting these troublesome new rebels. Run with the 
  players’ ideas. Embrace the unexpected!
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  top tip: be tough
  Running with an idea doesn’t mean letting the 
  players dictate everything about the game. 
  Make them work for their victories. If Amy 
  decides she’s going to save Vincent van Gogh, 
  then let her try, but don’t make it easy. Players 
  have more fun when they think they’re winning 
  against impossible odds. 
  That said, not everything has to be a challenge. 
  Sometimes, the Doctor just wins because he’s 
  awesome. Players also have lots of fun when 
  they get to be powerful and cool. 
  Running a game is like cooking. Sometimes, 
  a pinch of nastiness, sometimes a teaspoon 
  of weirdness, sometimes a shake of wild 
  endeavour.
  C pacing
  We all know, instinctively, how stories are supposed to 
  work (and you can read much more about the theories 
  on pg. 22). The first few scenes introduce the major 
  characters and set up the situation, then you’ve got a 
  period of rising action. They learn more about what’s 
  going on, secrets are revealed, things get worse for 
  our heroes, then much worse… and then there’s a 
  big climactic confrontation, and finally things get 
  wrapped up, questions get answered, and sub-plots 
  get resolved. 
  Trying to fit a roleplaying session into that structure 
  is tricky. Keep one eye on the clock, and try to adjust 
  the pacing to fit the remaining time. Early in the 
  game session, let the players explore this week’s 
  setting without too much pressure. As time ticks on, 
  make sure things get worse and put the characters 
  into more and more danger. Finally, try to bring it all 
  together for a big final scene, but leave enough time 
  afterwards for things to wind down.
  You can, of course, split an adventure over several 
  game sessions (this really makes the game feel like 
  the Classic Doctor Who series, where four or six-part 
  stories were the norm). That means you should try 
  to end each game session on a dramatic cliffhanger. 
  There are really two cliffhangers – the one where the 
  characters are threatened by unexpected danger, and 
  the one where something is dramatically revealed.
  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 
  a corner in the corridor and runs into a Dalek.” Why? 
  Because there’s a week’s gap between game sessions, 
  and in that time, everyone always forgets the fiddly 
  little details that can make the difference in a fight. 
  One player can’t remember if they were in the TARDIS 
  or just outside, someone else claims that the Daleks 
  couldn’t have captured their character because they 
  were invisible, and so on. (For the same reason, never 
  finish a game in the middle of a fight!) You spend the 
  first half-hour of the game session untangling all the 
  
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  threads and sorting out arguments, totally ruining any 
  dramatic tension. Therefore, keep cliffhangers simple.
  Dramatic revelation cliffhangers are easier, and work 
  really well in roleplaying games. A good cliffhanger 
  keeps the players guessing and speculating all week 
  long.
  C deaLing With tiMe traveL 
  Time travel is complicated. Very complicated. Time 
  travel + players is very, very complicated. Players are 
  tricky, malicious creatures, and they try to do things to 
  time that the Doctor would never dream of attempting. 
  If your players have unfettered access to a TARDIS, 
  they’ll try to solve every problem they encounter with 
  time travel. 
  Alien invasion? No problem: a quick time jaunt back 
  a few hundred years to the alien homeworld followed 
  by a word in the right ear, and suddenly historical 
  records show that Vl’zor the Conqueror (All-father 
  of the Ravening Invading Horde of Zor) was actually 
  Vl’zor the Reformed (All-father of the Terribly Nice 
  Tourist Company of Zor). Incoming asteroid? Easy! 
  Just travel back in time and drop a jammy dodger in 
  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? 
  Travel forward in time to a point when you’ve found 
  them and ask your future self where she found them.
  OK, so some of those tactics might cause paradoxes 
  and others might wipe out three-fifths of the universe, 
  but that won’t stop the players from trying. In fact, a 
  lot of uses of time travel are perfectly fine (reforming 
  Vl’zor sounds like a fun adventure), and meddling in 
  history is part of the fun. 
  Here are a few ways to keep troublesome time 
  travel to a minimum. (For plenty more, see the 
  Time Traveller’s Companion supplement.)
  Locked into events
  As soon as the travellers arrived, they became part of 
  the chain of events. They can’t change the past without 
  causing a nasty, Reaper-spewing paradox.
  inaccurate Landing
  For most of those 2000ish years of phone-box travel, 
  the Doctor couldn’t fly the TARDIS accurately (he still 
  leaves the parking brake on!). If the characters can’t 
  control where and when they end up, they can’t abuse 
  time travel. Even if they’ve got perfect control over 
  their vehicle, then local conditions like eddies in the 
  fabric of space-time or a weird kink in the Time Vortex 
  might stop them landing accurately.
  Fixed point
  This is a fixed point in time: time machines just don’t 
  work here. The safety systems automatically cut out 
  the time engines if anyone is stupid enough to try 
  altering a fixed point.
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  inaccessibLe tardis
  Alternatively, time travel works fine, but the characters 
  can’t get back into the TARDIS because it’s fallen into 
  a pit/under a pile of rocks/captured by the bad guys/
  clamped. You can adapt this solution to other time 
  machines: a Time Agent’s Vortex Manipulator isn’t 
  going to get lost, but it might run out of power at an 
  unfortunate moment.
  C getting things back on track
  So, what do you do when the game’s no fun, the 
  players are lost or confused or bored, and you’ve got 
  no idea what to do next?
  First thing: don’t panic! It’s just a game. It’s supposed 
  to be fun. If you need to, take a break and have a cup 
  of tea. A cup of tea solves everything. Next, identify 
  the problem.
  one pLayer is bored
  Sometimes, one player just doesn’t connect with the 
  story. Maybe they’re not interested in whatever style of 
  adventure you’re running (it’s a murder mystery, and 
  they’re more interested in action-filled excitement), or 
  their character is marginalised for some reason, or 
  they’re just a bit quiet and feel left out. This problem is 
  easy to solve: give that player something to do. Maybe 
  monsters attack their character, or a mysterious 
  stranger contacts them, or they get separated from 
  the rest of the group. One word of caution, though: 
  don’t mistake deliberately staying on the sidelines 
  for boredom. Some players just like to watch, and 
  sometimes a player might be feeling tired and 
  deliberately minimising his involvement. 
  aLL the pLayers are bored
  Ouch. One great thing about the Doctor Who 
  Roleplaying Game is that every adventure can be 
  different. Each week brings another planet, another 
  time period, another cast of characters. Sometimes, 
  though, your planned adventure can fall flat. If this 
  happens, stop the game a bit earlier than usual and 
  talk to the players. Ask them why it’s not grabbing 
  them, and what they’d like to do; often, it’s better to 
  take a break from the game for a session instead of 
  trying to force the fun. If this happens repeatedly, it’s 
  time to switch gears. Maybe your group is tired of 
  endless planet-hopping, and would prefer a longer 
  series of adventures set in the same place and time. 
  Try adding a new player to your group, or replace 
  some characters to liven up the dynamics. Above all, 
  talk to the players: making the game fun is everyone’s 
  responsibility. 
  you’re not sure hoW 
  to handLe a pLot tWist
  The 
  players 
  just 
  did 
  something 
  utterly 
  brilliant, but also utterly unexpected. Maybe 
  they remembered they captured a broken 
  Cyberman shell nine games ago, and dress up 
  as a Cyberman to escape Cyber 
  Milton Keynes. 
  Maybe someone hands over a 
  double handful of Story Points 
  and declares “my future self 
  teleports in, hands me exactly 
  the gadget we need, and vanishes 
  again”, or a player spots the 
  disguised villain five minutes after 
  meeting them. You’ve no idea how 
  to run with this twist.
  •	
  Take a two-minute break to 
  think. Maybe make a cup of tea, or 
  run to the bathroom. 
  •	
  If you’ve nearly finished the game 
  session, try finishing a little early. 
  That’ll give you a few days to think 
  about how to deal with whatever 
  madness the players came up with. 
  •	
  If you don’t have time to think, then 
  try asking the player who came 
  up with the brilliant idea how they 
  think things should play out. 
  If you’ve got some pre-prepared Bangs (see 
  pg. 25), then using one of those might knock 
  the action back on track. Alternatively, go for 
  one of the emergency plot twists overleaf.
  you’re stuck For What 
  happens next
  There’s a great bit of writing advice from Raymond 
  Chandler: “when in doubt, have a man come through 
  the door with a gun in his hand.” It shakes things up, 
  adds in a whole new plot thread (who is this guy, what 
  does he want, and who’s he working for?), and forces 
  the players to act by putting them in danger. 
  If you’re suddenly stuck for inspiration, then help’s 
  at hand with the handy tables of sudden twists on 
  the following pages. Roll a die (or pick) to see what 
  category of twist it is, then roll (or pick) again on the 
  relevant table to see what the twist is. When you put 
  in a twist like this, put it front and centre instead of 
  hiding it. Don’t be subtle.
  
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  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 
  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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  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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  ‘Someone has to look out for the people you 
  abandon. Who better than me? I’ll be the patron 
  saint of the Doctor’s leftovers. While you’re busy 
  protecting this world, I’ll get busy protecting it from 
  you.’
  A campaign is a series of adventures, but not every 
  series of adventures is a campaign. In a campaign the 
  Gamemaster links all the adventures together with 
  common themes, building to a climatic adventure 
  that might well lead to the players’ characters saving 
  the universe. Through the campaign the characters 
  will be tested to their limits and as a result will rise 
  to the occasion or make terrible mistakes that might 
  haunt them for lifetimes. 
  Not every adventure in the campaign needs to 
  directly address the main villain or theme of 
  the campaign. You need a break now and again, 
  especially from the Daleks. However, as the 
  adventures progress the characters will come to 
  understand that powerful forces are at work and 
  things that seemed random might be far more than 
  coincidence. The Doctor’s adventures often fall into 
  the scope of a campaign; the words “Bad Wolf” draw 
  him into a plot by his ancient enemies; the escape 
  of Prisoner Zero leads him to discover a crack in 
  time that eventually uncovers the mystery of the 
  Pandorica; Amy is haunted by a woman with an eye 
  patch until she discovers a terrible truth. 
  A campaign can be any size; it need not be a massive 
  battle across the universe but could be a small series 
  of adventures in one setting or fighting one villain. 
  The Doctor’s brief adventures in E-space are a good 
  example of a short campaign, but on a larger scale 
  you might consider all of the Doctor’s adventures, 
  from his first incarnation to his present one, to be 
  a single campaign chronicling his battle against the 
  Daleks.
  C character arcs
  Such grand adventures are testing times, and offer 
  many opportunities to develop the players’ characters 
  (as well as recurring NPCs). Character arcs are 
  particular ways a character might develop and adapt 
  as they come to realise what is important to them, or 
  how they can better themselves or even crumble under 
  pressure. One of the best examples of a character arc 
  is Rory’s. When we first meet him it is difficult to see 
  why such a confident and adventurous girl like Amy is 
  attracted to him. We might easily believe she likes him 
  because he is easily bossed about by her. Rory’s first 
  experiences in the TARDIS are not so much exciting 
  as dangerous and confusing to him. However, he 
  rises to the occasion. Having faced terrible enemies 
  he gradually becomes more confident in his own 
  abilities. When Amy is in danger we see the depth of 
  his love for her, ready to sacrifice anything and stand 
  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 
  stand up to the doctor he works for, but finally facing 
  off against an entire Cyberman attack fleet.
  While Amy may seem strong and confident, she 
  develops just as much. A little damaged by her 
  abandonment by the Doctor she is quick to run away 
  from everything she knows to go on adventures. It 
  might seem brave, but she is actually running away. 
  She is frightened of her relationship with Rory, that 
  she might end up with someone mundane when 
  a magical character like the Doctor is available. 
  However, she learns how valuable it is to be loved so 
  much by someone like Rory, and learns to trust that 
  he won’t abandon her like the Doctor once did.
  What is important here is that none of the traits 
  Rory and Amy develop are entirely absent when 
  we first meet them. Their adventures bring out the 
  best in them, but don’t make them into something 
  they never were. The key to creating character arcs 
  is development, not invention. As a Gamemaster, 
  you should look at each character and decide what 
  elements of them are to be tested. You should 
  discuss this with the player in question to see what 
  sort of things they would like to develop in their own 
  character as well, although don’t tell them what you 
  decide to maintain an element of surprise. While it 
  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. 
  So, while opportunities might be controlled by the 
  Gamemaster, it is up to the player to decide how 
  and if the character develops by the choices they will 
  make when they are tested.
  When you are beginning a new game, such a deep 
  investigation and understanding of each character 
  might seem difficult. However, the tools to figure out 
  how to develop them are already on the character 
  sheet; they are the traits the player has picked. Each 
  trait tells you something about the character, whether 
  they are good or bad. The easiest thing to develop is 
  a character getting rid of a Bad Trait, but improving 
  (or even removing) Good Traits can tell you just as 
  much. On the simplest level, you should pick one trait 
  from each character. In each adventure you should 
  aim to throw an encounter at the character that will 
  test that trait. It will be up to the player to decide how 
  the character reacts, and whether they rise to the 
  occasion or allow their trait to dominate. At the end of 
  the campaign you can then decide if the trait should be 
  removed or improved depending on how the character 
  has behaved. 
  You might allow a player to pick traits they would like 
  (Good or Bad) that they do not already have. These 
  traits might represent some potential the character 
  has, or some trait they are unaware of. 
  
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  For instance, they might not really understand they 
  are in love with someone until they are in danger, or 
  know they are frightened of spiders until they visit 
  Metabelis III. 
  neW trait – Love 
  (Minor/Major good)
  You are in love with someone, really genuinely 
  in love with them, and that love helps spur you 
  on. Whenever you are attempting to protect or 
  do something for the object of your affections 
  you may add +2 to your dice roll. Sadly the 
  object of your affection need not take this trait 
  themselves and leave your love unrequited. 
  Additionally, anyone with this trait need not be 
  aware of it, not having quite understood how 
  much they care about that special someone 
  even though their actions tell a different story.
  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 
  Doctor may have begun in a particular culture. 
  In such cases the character in question discovers what 
  they really want to do with their life; their travels with 
  the Doctor were only really a temporary adventure, 
  albeit one that helped them come to understand who 
  they truly were.
  C pLot arcs
  When we talk of campaigns, plot arcs are what usually 
  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 
  should begin as sub-plot, something incidental and 
  even apparently unimportant. However, as time goes 
  on it becomes clear that there is something important 
  lurking behind the scenes of the previous adventures. 
  As the players  begin to join the dots they see how their 
  previous adventures link up and they begin to identify 
  what might be the guiding hand behind them. Finally, 
  they manage to uncover who is behind the curtain and 
  force them into direct confrontation where they might 
  carry the day. 
  There are several different themes you might use to 
  create plot arcs in your campaign; but you needn’t 
  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
  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. 
  They might have to travel time and space searching 
  for parts of an artefact, seeking lost technology or 
  even the remains of a civilisation and its people. The 
  quest can be as grand as you like, from assembling 
  an Armageddon device to recovering a series of items 
  stolen from the Bank of Karabraxos. The beauty of the 
  Quest arc is that you can link otherwise unconnected 
  adventures together just by adding whatever the 
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  characters are looking for somewhere into the 
  adventure. However, making the Quest goal central to 
  the adventure will make things a lot more interesting 
  and keep their eyes on the prize.
  setting
  The theme you use for your plot arc can often be 
  quite passive, such as basing a campaign around a 
  setting, such as a particular planet, culture or even 
  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 
  a place full of adventure simply because they can. 
  However, usually the Setting plot arc involves trying 
  to escape the place. The setting can be almost 
  any size; it need not be as vast as another universe 
  (although parallel universes are also very good for 
  Setting arcs). Your characters might be trapped in a 
  strange mansion that contains a different adventure 
  on every floor, or inside a machine filled with different 
  landscapes or even time zones. 
  viLLain
  For a more active – rather than reactive – plot arc, 
  someone is actually out to get the characters. It might 
  be a single villain or some alien menace such as the 
  Daleks. When this arc begins you need to ensure the 
  characters either have something the bad guys want, 
  or have offended them in such a way as to make them 
  seek revenge, or both! Given the way most characters 
  trample their way across the universe it is pretty likely 
  they’ll have upset someone at some point. 
  Villain plot arcs usually start slowly, with the hand 
  of their nemesis staying in the background. As 
  the campaign continues the characters begin 
  to understand that some of the woes they have 
  experienced have not been mere coincidence. They 
  may run into minions and cat’s paws of their enemy 
  before the villain finally reveals themselves. In such 
  campaigns, one of the best ways to twist the 
  knife is for them to discover that the villain’s 
  point of view is justified. That the characters 
  really are guilty of some wrongdoing that 
  justifies the feelings (if not the actions) of 
  their nemesis will make the final confrontation 
  more poignant. While the villain must still be 
  stopped, the characters are also forced to 
  recognise (maybe even apologise for) their 
  part in what has transpired.
  personaL
  A Personal plot arc is similar to a 
  character arc, described earlier, but 
  it applies to the whole group. The 
  companions might all be looking 
  for forgiveness for some crime they 
  are culpable of, or seeking a lost 
  love they each hope to claim as their 
  own. Personal plot arcs can be very 
  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 
  characters on the right track. You 
  need to be careful, though, as it can 
  be embarrassing or frustrating if 
  your prophesies and predictions fail 
  to come to pass. It is key to only hint at 
  events you know will happen; that is, those 
  that must happen if the characters are to 
  succeed. 
  So, while it might be cool to show one of them 
  a vision of their TARDIS being invaded, it is 
  possible the characters will manage to fend 
  off the oncoming attack, especially as now they 
  are going to be prepared for it. However, if they 
  need to find the answer to an ancient riddle in a 
  particular book to complete the adventure, you 
  might offer a vision of them searching a library. 
  
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  The two important things to remember are that the 
  event you foreshadow must be something you know 
  will happen, and that foreshadowing it won’t give away 
  too much. Stick to clues and mysterious hints, not only 
  so they don’t figure things out too early, but also to add 
  a sense of mystery that something deeper is going on. 
  These odd hints keep them reminded that there is a 
  larger game being played across the adventure, and 
  helps you build towards the eventual climax. There 
  are many ways to foreshadow the events in your 
  campaign, but most fall into one of these four simple 
  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. 
  You do have to be clear as to why this keeps turning 
  up, as it usually hints at the actions of some powerful 
  entity that needs their help. However, the best 
  device is for the characters to end up having to send 
  the words back in time to warn themselves of their 
  coming trials.
  hiM again?
  While you should be sparing with your main villain 
  himself, his hand might be seen working from 
  the earliest adventures. Mr Saxon kept cropping 
  up in the Doctor’s travels, but it was only when the 
  Doctor returned from the end of the universe he 
  truly understood Saxon’s importance. Should the 
  players start investigating the mysterious figure, you 
  will have to throw some adventure at them to keep 
  them sidetracked until you are ready for them to 
  meet – or perhaps it is the point at which they start to 
  investigate directly that you stage the big reveal. The 
  master villain might let them meet a false version of 
  themselves, either as a pawn to be sacrificed (letting 
  the players think it is all over and the villain has been 
  beaten) or as a diversion when they discover the villain 
  is actually really rather nice and helpful.
  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 
  true, or offering too much of a clue to the player 
  characters. If you want to be truly cunning, you might 
  open your campaign with the apparent death of a 
  major character (killed by a mysterious spaceman, 
  perhaps… ) only to discover this is part of a possible 
  future that the characters need to stop. 
  haunted
  If you have some something truly weird in store for the 
  characters, you might haunt them with some strange 
  recurrent oddity that offers a clue to what is going on. 
  Amy keeps seeing windows open in walls revealing 
  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 
  where – she thought she was. You might do something 
  similar to hint that the characters are actually trapped 
  in a dream world or a virtual reality. 
  You can haunt the characters with all manner of 
  strange things. The Weeping Angels made Amy count 
  backwards as they closed in, something that might be 
  stretched across a campaign. Your characters might 
  discover that every time they flip a coin it always comes 
  up heads, a clue from a higher power that the head of 
  a gorgon will solve their predicament. If they are being 
  chased by a shape shifter or a creature that possesses 
  its victims, it might offer an odd salute each time it 
  encounters them (such as making a circle around their 
  eye with the thumb and forefinger and muttering 
  “be seeing you”). Hauntings can be very spooky as 
  long as they are obscure, and come regularly (but 
  not continually) throughout the adventure. However, 
  always make sure the characters can’t just grab 
  the right person and force them to tell them what 
  is going on, otherwise they’ll blow the mystery too 
  early. The strange appearances should be too quick 
  to make real contact.
  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 
  involve searching for each of the six pieces of the Key. 
  To help him, he is given a new assistant and a ‘tracer’ 
  that will give him the coordinates from each segment. 
  As campaigns go that’s a very simple structure 
  to follow; the Gamemaster is basically telling the 
  players the campaign will involve six adventures, and 
  during each one they will incidentally have to locate 
  a piece of the Key. 
  When the Doctor is stranded in E-space, he faces a 
  slightly different style of campaign. E-space is a setting 
  the Gamemaster has declared to be more dangerous 
  and slightly different from the usual universe. He 
  plans some slightly odder adventures, involving 
  vampires and marsh men, linked by the characters’ 
  attempts to escape back into their own universe. The 
  final attempt to return the characters home lands 
  them in a strange void where the players must choose 
  their allies carefully. The E-space campaign is a great 
  example of how to link a short series of adventures 
  with a theme to create a campaign rather than just a 
  series of unconnected adventures. The theme makes 
  the adventures more interesting, and the conclusion 
  more satisfying.
  For a more complicated campaign you might look to 
  the trial of the Sixth Doctor by the Time Lords. Here 
  the adventures are linked with the ongoing theme of 
  being evidence used in the Doctor’s trial. This set-up 
  brings with it a few special problems, such as knowing 
  the characters on trail can’t be killed (or they couldn’t 
  be at the trial). However, this being the Time Lords, 
  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.
  C changing characters
  As a campaign takes place over an extended period 
  of time, you may well have to add new characters to 
  the player group. This is usually as a result of a new 
  player joining the group midway through. However, it 
  is just as likely some of the current characters might 
  resolve something in their background and leave 
  the character group, meaning the player in question 
  needs a new character. Sometimes a player just 
  
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  fancies a change, and that is fine too as long as they 
  don’t make too much of a habit of it. There is little 
  wrong with changing characters, but it can interrupt 
  the flow of a campaign. Be careful also in a campaign 
  where the characters have time to develop and build 
  relationships, as removing a character throws all that 
  work away. You should make sure that any player 
  wishing to change characters is doing so for a good 
  reason, and not allow anyone to do it too often.
  Generally, introducing a new character into the game 
  isn’t a problem. All you need do is land the TARDIS 
  somewhere that character might run into them. 
  If the new character has any temporal awareness 
  themselves they might even find their own way to 
  the TARDIS. So the trick is to make sure the player 
  group will be happy to welcome the newcomer 
  aboard. Give them an opportunity to prove their loyalty 
  and trustworthiness. The other players should also 
  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 
  be part of the group it is perfectly permissible for the 
  TARDIS to leave without them. 
  It is the responsibility of the player to make sure they 
  create a character that can fit in with the established 
  group. You should do all you can to help fit the new 
  character into the group but it is not your responsibility 
  to make square pegs fit into round holes. As the group 
  is already established it should be simple to figure 
  out beforehand what will fit, or what might fill a gap 
  in the skills or abilities of the group. They don’t have 
  to be great friends, but they do need to be able to 
  get along. At worst, as long as they don’t appear to 
  be working against the group they might be given the 
  benefit of the doubt. While Tegan might not have liked 
  Turlough when he joined the TARDIS crew, the Doctor 
  was convinced that finding a way to get him home was 
  worthwhile. However, sending the new character into 
  the adventure under orders to kill one of the others is 
  not to be recommended.
  The best plan is to give the new character some useful 
  purpose that fits the theme of the campaign and 
  adventure. Maybe they are looking for the same thing 
  as the other characters, or they have a vital clue that 
  can help them. It might be the players need a guide 
  to help them find what they need in a strange new 
  world. Ultimately, with all of time and space to choose 
  from, as long as the player creates a character that 
  makes sense as part of the group you shouldn’t have 
  a problem finding a way to let them meet.
  C kiLLing characters
  People die; it’s an unfortunate fact of life. However, in 
  Doctor Who, it is rare for a hero to die. The Doctor 
  and his companions have usually evaded death, but 
  even the Doctor’s luck sometimes runs out (forcing 
  a regeneration) and for all his efforts he has failed 
  to protect his companions on occasion. Without the 
  threat of death, adventures can stop being exciting. 
  Your players will begin to take stupid and unrealistic 
  risks, such as trash talking a Dalek, and the game will 
  lose its credibility. However, it is a game, it’s meant to 
  be fun, and it isn’t fun to lose a character you and the 
  player have invested time and energy into developing.
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  Character death is something each person will have 
  their own thoughts about. Some Gamemasters are 
  quite brutal; others too squeamish to let the hand of 
  the grim reaper pass over their players’ characters. It 
  is up to you to decide what is right for your game, based 
  not only on the level of tragedy you are happy with, but 
  also the way your players will react. However, one rule 
  is clear no matter how you feel about character death, 
  it should always mean something. These characters 
  are the heroes after all. Don’t let them simply die by 
  gunfire or fall off a cliff for a simple failed roll. If they 
  must get shot, let it be in the act of saving their friends; 
  if they fall, let it be after they destroy the antenna that 
  was controlling the world. 
  When the dice come up with a fatal result, or the 
  character has done something foolish or brave that 
  will take their life, take the player aside for a moment. 
  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 
  to be simply unconscious after the gunshot. Often a 
  character dies ‘off screen’, such as being left on the 
  enemy ship before it explodes or in the villain’s lair as 
  the roof caves in. In such cases you might have them 
  return, having found a life pod at the last moment or 
  walking coughing from the clouds of dust and rubble. 
  However, surviving does not have to mean unharmed. 
  They might not have managed to escape with their 
  favourite Gadget, they may have gained a Bad Trait 
  from the trauma, or they may even have a permanent 
  wound, possibly resulting in the loss of an attribute 
  point. 
  Of course, there will be times when you simply cannot 
  save them. “I open the airlock door” or “I step into 
  the disintegration beam” leave you with little option 
  but to announce the death of such a character. Most 
  Gamemasters develop their own withering stare 
  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 
  that have made up the campaign. While the final 
  adventure can sneak up on the player characters it is 
  best to let them drive the plot towards the climax. 
  Let them finally discover who the bad guy is and 
  where to find him, so that they can decide it is time 
  for a showdown. The final adventure is what you have 
  been working towards too, so have fun with it! All the 
  cool stuff you’ve been waiting to reveal can finally be 
  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 
  player characters figure out the last few pieces of the 
  jigsaw, which usually raises the stakes as they realise 
  what’s on the line, and then start the fireworks.
  The final adventure can sneak up on the players or be 
  the only obvious path to take. For instance, once the 
  Doctor knew where Amy was being held, he gathered 
  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 
  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 
  make sure their enemies know enough to make them 
  really work for the last piece, or do everything they 
  can to stop the player characters assembling it. You 
  might also pull a bait and switch and decide the bad 
  guys have found the last piece themselves and been 
  waiting for the characters to unwittingly bring them 
  the others. So instead of a search for the last piece 
  the player characters find themselves fighting to keep 
  what they have as their enemies attack them.
  setting
  If yours is a Setting plot arc, maybe you won’t need it 
  after the campaign ends. You can reveal all the cool 
  parts of the setting you might not have had time to use 
  by now, and then blow the whole place up! Escapes 
  are made more dramatic if the whole place is falling 
  apart as the characters make a run for it. When the 
  characters have figured out how to leave, don’t make 
  it easy. Throw enemies and guards at them to stop 
  them leaving, or make them have to work hard to pilot 
  their TARDIS through the final barriers. 
  viLLain
  The climax to a Villain plot arc is a tried-and-trusted 
  final showdown. At last the characters figure out who 
  is behind everything or where they can find them, 
  and they set off to take revenge or stop their plans. 
  Needless to say the villain’s plans by this point should 
  be on the cusp of completion, leading to a desperate 
  battle where winner takes all. 
  personaL
  Given that Personal plot arcs are rather internal, 
  they can be harder to conclude climatically. However, 
  when something like love is on the line it might lead 
  to the characters fighting among themselves. Most 
  Personal plot arcs might pit the characters against 
  each other, possibly as rivals in love or as candidates 
  for enlightenment. This will force all the characters to 
  choose sides, and lend a layer of tragedy as only a few 
  might be successful, and at a terrible cost.
  In general, you will find that as the campaign 
  progresses, the way it should end will gradually reveal 
  itself. Listen to the directions your players are taking 
  and the options they are considering. This will tell you 
  if they want to out-think the bad guys or take them on 
  in a final battle. Their musings on what is going on will 
  also give you ideas about not only the best directions 
  to take but also some cool ways you can amend your 
  plan. Feel free to put them through the wringer and 
  heap torment and trials upon them. When they finally 
  defeat the bad guy or deal with the danger around 
  them it will make their victory all the sweeter.
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  ‘Look at these people, these human beings. 
  Consider their potential! From the day they arrive 
  on the planet, blinking, step into the sun, there is 
  more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than 
  – no, hold on. Sorry, that’s The Lion King. But the 
  point still stands. Leave them alone!’
  This section contains lots of what we’re calling stock 
  footage – people, places, things and events that you 
  can grab and use when you need to fill a gap. Each 
  bit of stock footage comes with multiple names and 
  options so you can use them in different situations or 
  different adventures. Most of the options can easily 
  be used in any situation, but others are designed to 
  be used in historical, far-future or alien settings. 
  The best way to use stock footage is to ignore this 
  section entirely when planning your adventures. Don’t 
  bother with it; come up with your own characters and 
  places. Keep this stock footage for when you really 
  need it, when your players do something wonderfully 
  unexpected and you need to add a new non-player 
  character or a new encounter or a whole new galactic 
  empire on the fly. 
  Obviously, you’ll need to tweak the descriptions to 
  wherever and whenever your adventure takes place, 
  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 
  century temporal archaeologist. All you need to do 
  is change their appearance and equipment – people 
  are people, even if they’re weird aliens or robots or 
  super-intelligent clouds of interstellar plasma.
  C peopLe
  No matter how far you go, people are people, 
  especially humans. Whether it’s the Stone Age or the 
  12th century, or 21st century Earth, or the infinitely 
  far future, people still gossip about the neighbours, 
  complain about the weather, want what they don’t 
  have, and forget to look up at the stars.
  shop assistant (Merchant, peddLer, trader)
  Name: Lynda Brown
  Variant Names: Bob Rains, Cheryl Tolliver, Monica 
  Avers, Hoza Chal.
  Description: Lynda’s a bubbly young shop assistant. 
  Her job would bore her to insanity if she didn’t put her 
  heart and soul into it, so she follows customers around 
  like an eager puppy and gives them unsolicited advice 
  about their purchases. She doesn’t mean to be quite 
  so irritating as she is. She dreams of travelling, and 
  spends most of her salary on trips abroad.
  As an ally: Lynda saw something really weird, but 
  no one will believe her. She’s dying to find someone 
  who’ll listen.
  As an obstacle: Lynda doesn’t care if you’ve got 15 
  minutes to save the world – you’re going to buy a new 
  handbag in her shop, and she’s not giving up until 
  she’s made a sale.
  Awareness 4 Coordination 3 Ingenuity 2 Presence 3 
  Resolve 2 Strength 2
  Skills: Convince 3, Knowledge 2, Transport 1.
  Traits: Empathic, Face in the Crowd.
  Variants:
  •	
  Ambitious, over-zealous, takes night 
  courses in marketing and Mandarin.
  •	
  Loves a quiet life, likes a night in with 
  beer and pizza, pet parrot.
  •	
  Working part-time, studying physics in 
  university.
  •	
  Butcher in village market, mother is 
  the local witchwoman, knows some 
  tricks.
  •	
  Sells virtual memories, very persuasive, 
  dips into her own stock from time to time.
  soLdier (guard, Mercenary, enForcer)
  Name: Tom Vasco
  Variant Names: Olive Jones, Roger Catlaw, Vincent 
  Silverman, Thor 53-Beta.
  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 
  to defend this country against enemies, and he’ll put 
  his life on the line to do so.
  As an ally: Watches your back and keeps you safe.
  As an obstacle: Stops the characters from going 
  where they need to go.
  Awareness 4 Coordination 3 Ingenuity 2 Presence 2 
  Resolve 4 Strength 4
  Skills: Athletics 3, Fighting 3, Marksman 4, Survival 3.
  Traits: Code of Conduct, Tough, Brave.
  Variants:
  •	
  Fresh-faced young soldier, eager to serve.
  •	
  Dour, fatalistic, convinced he’s going to die.
  •	
  Bored, sloppy, not very observant.
  •	
  Wild, drunken mercenary with a sword for hire, 
  death wish.
  •	
  Cybernetically wired to the unit, moves like a robot 
  when on duty, veteran of the Draconian Wars.
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  thieF (burgLar, pickpocket, security speciaList)
  Name: Jade Hallos
  Variant Names: Jimmy the Finger, Ginger Spring, Pip 
  Bringam.
  Description: Jade’s a cat burglar, specialising in 
  robbing the homes and businesses of the wealthy. 
  She’s the daughter of a long line of thieves, and has 
  contacts and friends in both the criminal underworld 
  and in the arty circle; she knows where to sell a 
  ‘borrowed’ painting or weird little curio.
  As an ally: Jade can get past almost any security.
  As an obstacle: She just stole a gadget or other item 
  you need.
  Awareness 3 Coordination 4 Ingenuity 3 Presence 2 
  Resolve 2 Strength 3
  Skills: Convince 2, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 4, 
  Technology 4.
  Traits: Charming, Technically Adept, Dark Secret.
  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.
  piLot (captain, saiLor)
  Name: Mosi al-Sefu
  Variant Names: Captain Hollister, Francine Yates, 
  Antonious, Kelbor.
  Description: Mosi pilots a small, battered cargo plane 
  that hops between airports in East Africa like an old-
  fashioned tramp steamer. Sometimes, when money 
  is tight, he lapses back into his old smuggling habits, 
  but most of his cargoes are machine parts, medical 
  supplies or people. Mosi knows the skies of Africa 
  better than anyone, and he’s got a reputation as a 
  daredevil pirate who’ll fly in almost any weather.
  As an ally: He can get the characters where they need 
  to go.
  As an obstacle: He can get the characters where they 
  need to go – but they need to find a way to pay him.
  Awareness 3 Coordination 4 Ingenuity 3 Presence 3 
  Resolve 4 Strength 3
  Skills: Athletics 2, Fighting 2, Knowledge 3, 
  Technology 2, Transport 4.
  Traits: Lucky, Sense of Direction, Impulsive. 
  Variants: 
  •	
  Stern, by the book, experienced, serious 
  moustache.
  •	
  Arrogant, hates passengers, expert pilot.
  •	
  Starliner pilot, sneezes whenever ship goes 
  faster-than-light.
  •	
  Captain of a ship, former pirate, treats his crew 
  like dogs.
  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 
  was that she’d be so angry about it all – it makes her 
  completely furious when she encounters people who 
  are responsible for accidents or injuries. She knows 
  how fragile the human body is.
  As an ally: If someone’s injured, she’s their doctor.
  As an obstacle: Blames the characters for whatever 
  caused these injuries.
  Awareness 3 Coordination 2 Ingenuity 4 Presence 2 
  Resolve 4 Strength 2
  Skills: Convince 2, Medicine 4, Science 3, Technology 2
  Traits: Voice of Authority, Indomitable, Argumentative 
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  Variants:
  •	
  Close to retirement, seen it all, very tired.
  •	
  Clinical, uncaring, talks in medical jargon.
  •	
  Believer in folk remedies and old-fashioned 
  medicine, speaks slowly.
  expLorer (adventurer, archaeoLogist)
  Name: Henry Hobart
  Variant Names: Ernest Shackleworthy, Dr Liz Radi, 
  Captain Yal.
  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 
  talk shows and the lecture circuit. His undeniable 
  achievements and even more undeniable charisma go 
  a long way, but his star is fading. Hobart needs a new, 
  even more impressive discovery to avoid sinking back 
  into academic obscurity. 
  As an ally: Bravely accompanies the characters with 
  his expert local knowledge…
  As an obstacle: … and steals the credit for anything 
  they find.
  Awareness 3 Coordination 3 Ingenuity 3 Presence 4 
  Resolve 3 Strength 3
  Skills: Athletics 3, Convince 3, Fighting 3, Knowledge 
  4, Marksman 3, Transport 3.
  Traits: Attractive, Charming, Selfish.
  Variants:
  •	
  Consumed by wanderlust, unhappy at home, 
  speaks many languages.
  •	
  Works for a big corporation, looking for new 
  resources, ambitious.
  •	
  Fringe theories about aliens ended her career, 
  determined to find proof, slightly crazy.
  •	
  Alien archaeologist, fascinated by human history.
  reporter (investigator, scribe)
  Name: Cyril Smythe
  Variant Names: Lucy Barnes, Andrew Hayworth, Eve 
  Skinner, Felix Uglow.
  Description: A slightly slimy tabloid journalist. Cyril 
  hates his job, but unfortunately he’s terribly good at it. 
  He wants to be a serious, respectable journalist, but 
  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 
  guy’s scheme, but his editor isn’t interested.
  As an obstacle: Follows the characters around and 
  makes a nuisance of himself.
  Awareness 4 Coordination 2 Ingenuity 3 Presence 3 
  Resolve 2 Strength 2
  Skills: Convince 4, Knowledge 3, Subterfuge 3, 
  Technology 3.  
  Traits: Charming, Photographic Memory, Cowardly.
  Variants: 
  •	
  Passionate independent-media blogger, really 
  determined, inexperienced.
  •	
  On the inside, ethically compromised, lots of 
  contacts, very respected.
  •	
  Never without a camera, always looking for an 
  angle, resourceful.
  scientist (researcher, schoLar)
  Name: Dr Vanterbild
  Variant Names: Professor Thames, Dr 
  Wendig, Dr Horus.
  Description: Dr Vanterbild is pleased 
  to meet you… for the 15 seconds he 
  remembers you exist. He’s thinking about 
  protons, you see, and that’s much more 
  interesting than whatever you were just 
  talking about. You can almost see his 
  attention slide off you, like butter melting 
  on a Teflon pan, as his mind wanders 
  off to think about his real friends, those 
  enchanting protons.
  As an ally: His readings and experiments 
  give the characters vital information about 
  the adventure.
  As an obstacle: He’s working for the bad 
  guys, even if he doesn’t know it.
  Awareness 2 Coordination 2 Ingenuity 5 
  Presence 2 Resolve 3 Strength 2
  Skills: Science 4, Technology 4.
  Traits: Boffin, Technically Adept, Forgetful.
  Variants: 
  •	
  Hyperactive and hyperenthusiatic, like 
  a caffeinated squirrel.
  •	
  Cold, calculating, addicted to his 
  smartphone.
  •	
  Cackling mad scientist, deranged 
  experiments, very secretive.
  •	
  Alchemist and physician, lots of 
  bubbling chemicals, smells of sulphur.
  Mechanic (bLacksMith, craFtsMan, 
  technician)
  Name: Oliver Bradshaw
  Variant Names: Owen Kaur, Peter Graham, Alex 
  Barros, Jian Shao.
  Description: During the week, Oliver works as a 
  car mechanic in a small independent garage; the 
  
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  weekends are for indulging his hobby as an amateur 
  rally car driver. He’s put a lot of money – too much, in 
  fact – into both his rally car and into side bets on the 
  races that didn’t pay off.
  As an ally: He’s got just the right spare part needed.
  As an obstacle: He’s in debt to criminals, and they 
  force him to sabotage the characters’ vehicle or 
  gadget.
  Awareness 2 Coordination 4 Ingenuity 3 Presence 2 
  Resolve 2 Strength 4
  Skills: Athletics 2, Technology 3, Transport 4.
  Traits: Technically Adept, Resourceful Pockets, 
  Owes Favour.
  Variants:
  •	
  By-the-book military-trained technician, 
  everything spit-polished and shined.
  •	
  Lazy, does anything to avoid having to do work, 
  can’t get the parts.
  •	
  Secretly working for sinister forces, much more 
  dangerous than she appears.
  •	
  Local blacksmith, got kicked by a horse, now 
  lame and scarred.
  •	
  Starship technician (third class), eager to see the 
  galaxy, knows his way around the air ducts and 
  maintenance tubes of the ship.
  Functionary (servant, assistant, butLer, 
  underLing, LoW-LeveL adMinistrator)
  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 
  making a few sacrifices along the way. 
  As an ally: Barker may be obsessively devoted to his 
  pointless job, but that means he’d be a fearsome ally 
  if the bad guys endanger his company.
  As an obstacle: Barker never considers the big 
  picture; he might easily be a bureaucratic cog in a big 
  evil machine.
  Awareness 2 Coordination 2 Ingenuity 3 Presence 2 
  Resolve 3 Strength 3
  Skills: Knowledge 4, Science 2, Technology 2.
  Traits: Face in the Crowd, By the Book, Obligation.
  Variants:
  •	
  Unflappable butler, always collected and calm, 
  the perfect assistant.
  •	
  Overlooked assistant with all the right ideas, 
  trying to prove himself.
  •	
  Complains about the organisation and the boss, 
  cynical, paranoid.
  •	
  Consummate bureaucrat, very orderly, very dry.
  business executive (corporate boss, 
  reLigious Leader, cuLtist)
  Name: Zara Moore
  Variant Names: Morgan Bailey, Arthur Holloway, 
  Demetrice Calhoun.
  Description: Zara’s the CEO of an investment 
  brokerage; she manages a portfolio worth billions. 
  That’s a lot of responsibility; her clients depend upon 
  her intelligence, good judgement and her ability to spot 
  opportunities. Recent events convinced her that the 
  growing number of alien encounters and weird events 
  means that the next big thing is alien technology. She 
  intends to put her considerable resources to work on 
  recovering such items.
  As an ally: Moore can swoop in to help the characters 
  with her vast wealth and resources in exchange for 
  their help.
  As an obstacle: If she discovers that the characters 
  are involved with alien tech, Moore may try to steal it 
  from them; she might be opposed to both the player 
  characters and the bad guys.
  Awareness 3 Coordination 2 Ingenuity 4 Presence 5 
  Resolve 4 Strength 2
  Skills: Convince 4, Knowledge 4, Technology 3.
  Traits: Charming, Friends, Voice of Authority, 
  Obligation.
  Variants:
  •	
  Stuffy old businessman, very out of touch, thinks 
  of the characters as adorably enthusiastic 
  children.
  •	
  Sociopathic manipulator, tells everyone what 
  they want to hear, very adaptable.
  •	
  Loud, boorish, entitled.
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  C pLaces
  People make places. A 5th-century school in 
  Ancient Greece might look very different to Deffry 
  Vale comprehensive in the present day, or to Jack’s 
  boyhood school on the Boeshane Peninsula, but they 
  all fulfil the same function: they’re a place to educate 
  the young. You can ‘redress’ a place to make it fit a 
  different setting very easily. The function stays the 
  same, only the appearance changes. Look at the 
  Library from Silence in the Library:  it’s got all the 
  same things you’d expect to find in a modern museum 
  (books, information points, ways of getting around), 
  but they’re all given a high-tech remodelling (digital 
  copies of books, computer consoles, teleporters). For 
  each place, therefore, we describe a few functions and 
  things you’d find there, as well as possible ‘desktop 
  themes’ for different places and eras.
  schooL
  A local secondary school for a few hundred students.
  Names: Deffry Vale Comprehensive, Farringham 
  School for Boys, Reformed Rattigan Academy.
  Places: Classrooms with desks and chairs, cafeteria, 
  library, science labs, gymnasium, assembly halls, 
  computer room, staff rooms, offices.
  Details: Posters on the walls, smell of gym socks, 
  overworked teachers, kids hanging around the sports 
  ground.
  Variants: 
  •	
  Spooky Gothic boarding school with a stern old 
  headmaster
  •	
  Far-future virtual school; everything’s an 
  interactive screen and all the teachers are 
  computer programs. 
  •	
  School on a war-torn alien planet; combat and 
  survival training are taught alongside maths and 
  geography.
  •	
  Alien egg hatchery, where larvae are imprinted 
  with genetic memories
  top tip: break expectations
  Try not giving the players what they expect. 
  For example, the Fifth Doctor once landed his 
  TARDIS in the hold of an Edwardian-era sailing 
  ship. The crew were all early-20th century 
  century sailors. Everything looked exactly as 
  it should – until it was revealed that the ship 
  sailed through space on course for Venus. That 
  fantastic twist was much more interesting than 
  having the spaceship look like just another 
  metal cylinder.
  Or, to put it another way, why is there a horse on 
  this spaceship?
  Jam concepts together in weird and wonderful 
  ways, and you’ll create unexpected and 
  compelling 
  situations. 
  Make 
  your 
  alien 
  spaceships look like 1980s hotels; have your 
  adventurers find a London Black Cab on the 
  streets of a distant alien metropolis; make the 
  bad guy’s footsoldiers into laughing children 
  instead of jackbooted thugs.
  shopping centre
  A big suburban shopping mall with dozens of stores.
  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 
  and exotic goods from distant countries.
  Factory
  Lots of clanking machinery and conveyor belts making 
  something terribly boring.
  Names: Magpie Electronics, Weapons Factories of 
  Villengard, Consolidated Manufacturing, .
  Places: Machines that go clank, machines that go 
  whirr, conveyor belts, machines that crush and 
  
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  squeeze, forklifts, packing crates, manager’s office, 
  shipping trucks
  Details: Noisy, oily, busy, confusing if you don’t work 
  there. Dark corridors, exposed pipes, flashing lights.
  Variants:
  •	
  18th century factory – like the modern day, 
  only steam powered and with more industrial 
  accidents.
  •	
  Stone Age flintknapping site, where they carve 
  stone tools.
  •	
  Future factory, operated by robots; no human 
  input required.
  •	
  Alien biotech hatchery, pulsing with life. 
  hospitaL
  A modern hospital in a big city.
  Names: Redfern Memorial, Royal Hope Hospital, 
  Albion Hospital.
  Places: Wards full of beds, nurses bustling around, 
  operating theatres, diagnostic equipment, nursery, 
  emergency rooms, quarantine, intensive care, morgue.
  Details: Smell of disinfectant, sleepless nights, visiting 
  families, sick people.
  Variants:
  •	
  Medieval plague ward attached to a monastery.
  •	
  WWI battlefield hospital, lots of soldiers missing 
  limbs or suffering from trench foot and poison 
  gas. 
  •	
  Future clone-bank, where they grow a new you 
  while you wait.
  •	
  Alien healing cave, where the weird energy of 
  crystals can heal any injury.
  seWer
  Or a cave network, or a river, or the bilges of a starship 
  if starships have bilges – anywhere that’s close to a 
  settlement, but is still mysterious and dangerous.
  Names: Sewer tunnel 14B, Main Drainage Scheme 
  Sump, Subsector C.
  Places: Rivers of filthy water, dark passageways, 
  access ladders, pumps, locked gratings, swarms of 
  rats, confusing dead ends, narrow low tunnels.
  Details: Foul smells, total darkness, strange fungal 
  growths, discarded junk floating in the slime.
  Variants:
  •	
  Dark cave, infested with snakes or spiders.
  •	
  High-tech network, maintained by killer robots.
  •	
  Old tunnels, used by resistance fighters.
  •	
  Abandoned missile silo, awash in rust-stained 
  water and heavy metal poisoning.
  Warehouse
  Like a factory, only quieter.
  Names: Warehouse 23, Consolidated Storage, Trotter’s 
  Lane Storage.
  Places: Boxes. Lots of boxes. Cranes, forklifts, access 
  gantries overhead. More boxes. Night watchmen.
  Details: Confusing maze of boxes, scurrying rats, 
  anonymous crates. 
  Variants:
  •	
  Ramshackle junkyard, full of scrap metal and 
  debris.
  •	
  Vast dockyard full of shipping containers.
  •	
  Huge zero-gravity storage facility, with magnetic 
  crates floating in Christmas-tree helices high 
  overhead, tended by hovering robots. 
  train
  An intercity train, thundering through the night.
  Names: Flying Scotsman, Orient Express, 1510 to 
  Liverpool Street.
  Places: Engine, dining car, mail car, guard’s car, 
  sleeper carriages. 
  Details: The little drinks trolley, passengers staring into 
  laptops, ticket inspections, emergency stop buttons. 
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  Variants:
  •	
  Graffiti-scarred subway train underneath a city.
  •	
  18th century carriage, drawn by six swift horses.
  •	
  Martian train racing across the deserts in a 
  vacuum-shielded tube.
  •	
  Giant centipede with dozens of linked howdahs 
  on its back.
  church
  A place of worship, the centre of a community.
  Names: St Christophers, Suleymaniye Mosque, St 
  Judes, Cathedral of the Tin Vagabond.
  Places: Religious icons (altars, statues, paintings), 
  pews, instruments, spires or towers, community 
  bulletin boards.
  Details: Smell of incense, little old ladies on the 
  church cleaning roster, collection boxes, bells or 
  other calls to prayer.
  Variants:
  •	
  Gigantic medieval cathedral, thronged with 
  monks.
  •	
  Quaint little village church, covered in ivy.
  •	
  Temple of the Founders – it’s clearly a depiction 
  of the bridge of a Mordee-class colony ship, only 
  carved out of stone.
  FarM
  A small dairy farm out in the country.
  Names: Home Farm, Green Farm, Highfield Farm, 
  Oakham Farm.
  Places: Green fields, orchards, greenhouses, barns, 
  storage sheds, tractors, fertilisers, cows, more cows.
  Details: Smell of manure, isolated, close to nature. 
  Variants:
  •	
  Medieval farm, owned by the local lord. 
  Trespassing or poaching means death. 
  •	
  Huge industrial farm, stretching over hundreds 
  of acres.
  •	
  High-tech agri-sector, hydroponic plants 
  monitored by robot arms. 
  ship
  An ocean – or space! – going vessel.
  Names: Trieste, HMS Victory, SS Great Britain, 
  Byzantium, Enlightenment.
  Places: Bridge, cabins, engine room, propellers (or 
  sails), cargo hold, mast
  Details: Rolling back and forth with the waves, water 
  everywhere, cramped spaces. 
  Variants:
  •	
  Chinese junk with a cargo of tea 
  •	
  WWI steam-powered battleship
  •	
  Luxurious star liner
  C pLanets
  Planets are just big places. Many of the Doctor’s 
  intended destinations are famed tourist attractions, 
  but he rarely ends up where he meant to go…
  For each type of planet, we suggest a few names, a 
  few common traits to that sort of planet, and then a 
  few variants showing different ways those traits might 
  be developed in the game.
  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-
  powered heaters (or even more advanced 
  methods), the locals can produce zones of heat. 
  There might be artificial tropical beaches next 
  to looming glaciers, or maybe everyone huddles 
  around the fading heaters trying to stay warm.
  •	
  Carved Ice: The inhabitants live on the surface, 
  and use ice as a building material. They even use 
  ice for heating – huge polished ice-lenses focus 
  the sun’s heat onto carefully positioned heating 
  elements.
  •	
  Adapted Biology: The locals – even the humans 
  – have adapted to the cold conditions. They might 
  be furry and protected by a heat-retaining layer of 
  blubber, or they might slow down or even go into 
  hibernation when cold. 
  
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  Fire pLanet
  Volcanoes, hot springs, earthquakes, lava – and toasty 
  warm to boot!
  Names: Sarn, Pyrovillia, Infernos, Fylir.
  Details: Mountains belching sulphur into the air, 
  intense heat during the day, tortured rock, ash clouds 
  everywhere.
  Variants: 
  •	
  Power Plants: Huge geothermal plants like silver 
  webs sprawled across the lava fields, powering 
  the air-conditioned, lava-shielded domes.
  •	
  Gas Bags: Civilisations in flying cities that skate 
  above the yellow-stained clouds, avoiding the 
  baking-hot surface below.
  •	
  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 
  of existence, dancing on the fringe of being, whole 
  civilisations with the life of a candle-flame.  
  •	
  Shaped Fire: Using geomagnetic fields and 
  polished obsidian walls, the natives keep the fires 
  out of their cities. There are little islands of life in 
  the midst of burnt ash zones.
  Moon
  Some moons are as a big as planets, and you can look 
  up and see a gas giant filling half the sky. Other moons 
  are like Earth’s moon or even smaller; airless, rocky 
  places, stepping stones to a wider cosmos. 
  Names: Poosh, Demogorgon, Navarro, Simba, Lure.
  Details: Airless, big horizons, meteor craters, silent 
  and dead.
  Variants:
  •	
  First Colony: The inhabitants of the planet below 
  only recently reached the moon. Obviously, like 
  all intelligent beings, they set up a colony there 
  as quickly as possible. It’s rough and ready and a 
  bit of a mess, but that’s life on the frontier.
  •	
  Aristocratic Retreat: The moon was colonised 
  hundreds of years ago. Now it’s a place for 
  the super-wealthy elite, a stately pleasure-
  dome where they can literally look down on the 
  squabbling masses below.
  •	
  Artificial Moon: This moon is not what it seems to 
  be. Maybe it’s a huge space station, or an ancient 
  alien ship surrounded by a mile-thick layer of 
  dust. Maybe it’s the colony ship that originally 
  settled this planet.
  •	
  Mystic Moon: The moon is somehow connected to 
  the planet below. It could be a psychic resonator, 
  or orbit along a cosmic ley line, or it’s full of 
  mysterious crystals, or it reflects weird radiation 
  down onto the night side. The moonlight has 
  strange effects on people.
  jungLe WorLd
  The planet is one big jungle, a vast tangled forest, 
  a riotous explosion of life. Imagine trees the size of 
  mountains, leaves the size of football fields… oh, and 
  savage monsters with teeth the size of really big teeth.
  Names: Deathworld, the Gamma Forests, Angolos, 
  Cheem.
  Details: 
  Huge 
  trees, 
  jungle 
  creepers, 
  dark 
  undergrowth, thick atmosphere, warm sunlight, lots 
  of insects. 
  Variants:
  •	
  Genetic Creation: Bio-engineered plants and 
  animals, trees shaped into buildings, computer-
  like flowers that communicate through binary 
  pollen emissions, insect warriors.
  •	
  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. 
  Names: Antalin, Morbel, Poseidon, Rlyeh.
  Details: Huge oceans (obviously), vast raging storms, 
  cities on rafts or underwater domes, lots of fish things.
  Variants:
  •	
  Factory Fish: Earth-like ocean, filled with fish. 
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  Huge factory-ships plough the surface, sucking 
  up fish and plankton for reprocessing into food. 
  Intelligent squid live in the depths. 
  •	
  Viking Planet: The inhabitants have only a 
  primitive level of technology, but they build their 
  settlements on huge rafts or lash them to the 
  back of titanic sea serpents. The few spots of dry 
  land are sacred places.
  •	
  Acid World: Oceans of acid, beaches of glass. 
  The domed cities of the lightless sea floor are 
  connected to the surface using huge bubbles that 
  protect rising submarines.
  •	
  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 
  between the two is a chaotic, explosive zone. 
  paradise pLanet
  Oh, this is a nice planet. Everyone and everything here 
  is just thoroughly lovely.
  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: 
  •	
  Tropical Paradise: It might look faintly like 
  Lanzarote, but it’s really a tropical paradise 
  more beautiful than anything on Earth. Laze on 
  the golden-silken beaches as the semi-sentient 
  Amorous Ocean caresses your skin.
  •	
  Cultural Nirvana: This planet is famed for its 
  cultural sophistication. Discuss the works of 
  the great philosopher Oolon Colluphid while 
  simultaneously admiring the living artworks and 
  appreciating the Memory Vestige Opera. 
  •	
  Leisure Hive: Okay, it’s a bit of a tacky paradise 
  planet, with its pleasure-domes and gambling 
  zones and joyariums, but it’s better than 
  Rollercoasterworld or Space Vegas.
  •	
  Tranquillity: This is more like it – all Zen gardens 
  and wind chime trees. Just looking at the vibrating 
  mountains and the aurora centralis puts you in 
  touch with your inner self. (Warning: your inner 
  self may manifest as a psychic projection of your 
  karmic misdeeds and try to eat you.)
  •	
  Ancient Monuments: This world was once the 
  seat of a galaxy-spanning empire; conquerors 
  went out from this place and slaughtered trillions, 
  and built mile-high monuments to their bloody 
  victories to glory in the devastation, and the gods 
  themselves hid and trembled before the wrath 
  of the empire. Then the empire fell apart, and 
  someone built a gift shop on the ruins.
  city WorLd
  The whole planet is one big big city. 
  Names: New Earth, Metropolia, Trantor II, Steelsky.
  Details: Staggeringly vast populations (in the trillions), 
  automated life support systems, agricultural supply 
  worlds.
  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 
  recycled from the lungs of a billion other people, 
  every drop of water full of other people’s sweat, 
  every moment of your life surrounded by other 
  people, never ever ever alone. 
  •	
  The Perfect City: The all-wise, all-knowing 
  computer maintains the city in perfect order. The 
  inhabitants live in accordance with the directives 
  and computer-issued mandates; there are so 
  many people here that they need the guidance 
  of the computer or there would be anarchy. The 
  Cybermen would love this place – maybe they 
  come here on holiday.
  •	
  Conurbations: This huge city is actually made up 
  of lots of smaller cities, linked by underground 
  tunnels or high-speed train links or transmats. 
  It’s not a stable arrangement – the various cities 
  have their own goals and quirks. 
  
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  •	
  City in the Waste Land: This city isn’t the whole 
  world – it’s just the only habitable part of it. The 
  rest of the planet is blasted and uninhabitable, 
  maybe as a result of nuclear war or some other 
  catastrophe.
  Mining coLony
  There’s something valuable in the ground, and people 
  are here to get it out. It’s always about the money, isn’t 
  it?
  Names: Androzani Minor, Interplanetary Mining 
  Company Extractor Zone 4, Ta, Adatam.
  Details: Industrial processing plants, newly dug mine 
  shafts, workers (slaves/robots/underpaid miners).
  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 
  passageways. Something lives in the darkness…
  •	
  Toxic Nightmare: Passages awash in toxic slime, 
  huge snow-drifts of poisonous ash, tailings of 
  heavy metals and broken rock, chemical spills – 
  this is not a healthy place to be.
  •	
  Surface Mining: Instead of delving into the planet’s 
  depths, the mines are on the surface. Huge 
  machines criss-cross the desert, swallowing up 
  whole mountains and processing them into ore. 
  dead WorLd
  Everything dies. The universe is billions of years 
  old, and many millions of civilisations have risen 
  to greatness and fallen to dust in that time, leaving 
  behind only a few scattered relics of their former glory. 
  Names: Telos, Krop Tor, Alfava Metraxis, Ghastel, 
  Shadox IV, Atarsi.
  Details: Ruined cities, decaying monuments, dying 
  biospheres.
  Variants: 
  •	
  Archaeological Dig: An archaeological team is on 
  the dead world, digging into the relics of the past. 
  What have they uncovered?
  •	
  Sudden Death: The disaster that wiped out the 
  previous civilisation happened incredibly quickly; 
  it’s like a planet-sized Marie Celeste, disturbingly 
  frozen in the moment of extinction.
  •	
  Preserved Remnants: The remains of the 
  extinct civilisation are still here. Maybe they are 
  mummified, or frozen in ice, or maybe they were 
  robots and their rusting shells litter the planet… 
  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.
  agricuLturaL pLanet
  It’s a farming planet. Maybe the locals export food, or 
  it’s a low-tech planet with no industry. Or maybe they 
  just like farming. Everyone needs a hobby.
  Names: Archersworld, Relos Beta, Cornucopia.
  Details: Verdant fields, farming machinery, workers, 
  markets.
  Variants:
  •	
  Terraformed Colony: This 
  agri-world 
  was 
  terraformed by human engineers. Part of the 
  planet is Earth-like, but the rest is still in its 
  original (and potentially dangerous) configuration.
  •	
  Fountain of Vitality: Something about this planet – 
  a mineral, some sort of radiation, or maybe some 
  ancient technology – means it’s just bursting 
  with life. Things grow faster and stronger here, 
  making it immensely valuable.
  •	
  Unique Product: This planet produces something 
  that’s completely unique, or at least immensely 
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  rare. For example, Androzani Minor was the only 
  source of life-extending spectrox. 
  •	
  Unusual Livestock: The 
  farmers 
  tend 
  to 
  something strange here, like giant worms or 
  herds of humans or dinosaurs or carnivorous 
  coral polyps or shoggoths.
  gas giant
  Gas giants like Jupiter can’t sustain human life (except 
  on floating stations or onboard huge dirigibles), but 
  alien life might thrive in the tremendous vapour 
  oceans of hydrogen and other gases.
  Names: Zeus, Bel, Polarfrey, Indra, Whirligig.
  Details: High gravity, intense pressure, many moons, 
  vast size.
  Variants:
  •	
  Unlikely Core: The incredible crushing pressure 
  of the gas giant’s gravity has turned the planet’s 
  core into something unusual, like a solid diamond 
  bigger than the Earth, or a portal into the Time 
  Vortex, or a just-barely-subcritical mass of 
  something explosive. 
  •	
  Gas Harvesting: Miners scoop gases from the 
  upper atmosphere of the gas giant, harvesting 
  and processing them to extract valuable minerals, 
  or fuel, or gasbag tadpoles. 
  •	
  Titanic Storms: Storms bigger than continents 
  wrack the gas giant. It’s a dangerous place to fly. 
  These storms are so intense that they affect the 
  plane’s magnetic field – imagine incredibly huge 
  lightning bolts jumping from the gas giant to its 
  moons! 
  •	
  Close Colonies: The gas giant has a dozen Earth-
  like moons, and they’re all inhabited. They might 
  be colonies, or maybe different forms of intelligent 
  life live on each world. They’re neighbours in 
  interplanetary terms.
  space station
  Planets are so old and boring. Big space stations are 
  much more fun.
  Names: Satellite Five, Platform One, Chimera Station, 
  Varga Cluster, Roundworld.
  Details: Artificial gravity, crowded or cramped, central 
  hub, life support systems.
  Variants:
  •	
  Rotating Station: This is a low-tech station – the 
  race who built it haven’t even figured out how to 
  generate artificial gravity – so part of it spins to 
  simulate gravity with centripetal force.  
  •	
  Ramshackle Station: The station is either really 
  old and run-down, or else is made up of dozens 
  of decommissioned ships and other space debris 
  all lashed together. 
  •	
  Orbital: It’s a big space station that forms a solid 
  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 
  even create a ring or a Dyson sphere around a 
  star.
  •	
  Observatory: The space station was not built by 
  the inhabitants of the planet below. Maybe it’s 
  there to observe them, or to monitor them… or to 
  control them.
  C iMpossibLe pLaces
  And then there are those places that just don’t fit into 
  any sane list of places. Impossible places, nowhere 
  places, between places. Think of House’s junkyard 
  outside the universe, or the Void, or E-Space, or 
  the Forgotten Place. Every Impossible Place 
  is unique, so our usual system doesn’t work 
  here. We’ll just give you a few rumours of such 
  Impossible Places borrowed from the Doctor’s 
  900 year diary…
  •	
  The Wood Between the Worlds: A dimension 
  that exists at left angles to our reality; it looks 
  like an endless forest, studded with portals to 
  different times and places. Fairies live here. 
  •	
  Stalice: A parasitic realm, Stalice grows from the 
  minds and memories of those who enter it. For 
  example, when you arrive, you might find yourself 
  in your childhood home. That copy of your home 
  is made from your memories… but as soon as 
  you set foot in that copy, Stalice consumes it 
  from your mind, so it only exists as a copy. 
  If you stay in Stalice too long, it eats all 
  your mind, turning your memories and 
  thoughts into physical objects until 
  there’s nothing left inside you.
  •	
  The Stopped Clock Bar and Grill: 
  It looks like a small English pub; 
  it’s actually a Gallifreyan base that 
  somehow escaped the destruction of 
  the Last Great Time War, although its 
  crew were all killed. Its connection 
  to the time barrier survived, so 
  time travellers can only visit the 
  Stopped Clock sequentially – 
  they’ll always arrive sometime 
  after their last visit. This makes 
  it popular with wanderers in the 
  fourth dimension who want a 
  nice holiday in linear time. 
  
     deATh COMeS TO TOyTOwN, 
  The GRIp OF The kRAkeN ANd
            The BellAGIO IMBROGlIO
  
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  There’s a little toyshop off the high street where they 
  say the toys come to life at night. The story probably 
  began with some drunk student or crazy old tramp 
  looking into the window of that quaint little shop, and 
  thinking they saw something moving in the shadows. 
  The story is wrong, of course. Toys don’t come to life at 
  night. They’re always alive. During the day, they bide 
  their time, and watch, and wait…
  C adventure synopsis
  deFeating the nestene
  To defeat the Nestene and save the world, all the 
  characters need to do is:
  •	
  Work out what’s going on
  •	
  Escape the murderous toys in the toy shop
  •	
  Rescue Samuel Qilong 
  •	
  Get to the university laboratory and stop the 
  Nestene
  •	
  Rescue their own bodies
  C haMiLton’s toys & gaMes
  Hamilton’s Toys & Games Shop is a dinosaur of the 
  high street. It’s a little independent toy store, selling a 
  mix of traditional wooden toys, puppets, art kits, dolls 
  and board games, as well as a selection of plastic 
  figures, toy ray guns and whatever the latest kid’s 
  craze is. It is run by Edgar Hamilton, an eccentric, 
  gangly chap who looks like a well-dressed spider. He 
  inherited the shop from his father, who inherited it 
  from his. It never makes much money, and if Edgar 
  had any sense, he’d sell the shop and the flat above it 
  where he lives. For years, he clung to the shop out of a 
  sense of nostalgia and devotion. He grew up here, and 
  working in the shop sometimes makes him feel like a 
  child again. These days, though, he stays because he 
  has no choice. The toys won’t let him leave.
  C the nestene consciousness
  When the Ninth Doctor defeated the Nestene 
  Consciousness in London, back in 2005, he hurled 
  a vial of anti-plastic into the alien. This chemical 
  dissolved most of the Consciousness. A small 
  fragment survived and slithered away into the 
  sewers of London. Over many months, it ended up 
  in Hamilton’s Toys and Games. This fugitive Nestene 
  fragment was extremely weak. It was unable to create 
  full-scale plastic duplicates, or to extend its control 
  over a long range. It needed a different plan.
  The consciousness began by inhabiting several of the 
  toys in the toy shop. It observed the customers, waiting 
  for the right target. Its patience was rewarded when 
  it spotted Professor Lena Qilong, a researcher in 
  materials science at the local university, when she 
  called into the shop to buy a present for her son 
  Samuel. The Nestene intend to use the Professor 
  as their pawn, by manipulating her into assembling 
  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.
  Under their standard operating protocols, the 
  Nestene would create an Auton duplicate of the 
  Professor, but they don’t have enough power to 
  do that. Necessity is the mother of invention for 
  the Nestene as well as humans, though, so they 
  developed another method of seizing control. 
  The Nestene can shunt their minds into plastic 
  bodies, but – with the right tools – they can also 
  shunt a human mind into a plastic body, and 
  then occupy the vacant human body. They can 
  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.
  When Qilong bought a plastic action figure for 
  her son, she unwittingly invited the Nestene 
  into her home. One night, the figure came to 
  life and crept into the Professor’s bedroom. 
  It ‘shot’ her with a plastic chip. Since then, 
  the Professor has had the strangest dreams. 
  Every night, she dreams she is a toy in a toy 
  shop, while at the same time the Nestene 
  use her body and all-night access to the 
  university’s labs to prepare their plans. 
  Soon, everything will be in place, and the 
  Consciousness can emerge from its hiding 
  place. Nothing will stop it – not even 
  meddling time travellers!
  C the pLayers’
  characters
  Several days before this adventure 
  begins, the players’ characters discovered 
  that some alien force was active on Earth 
  and centred on Hamilton’s toy shop. They 
  investigated, but the Nestene got to them 
  first. The characters were all shot with 
  the same mind-shunting plastic slugs as 
  Professor Qilong. Their bodies are hidden 
  in a storeroom at the university, while their 
  minds got transferred into plastic vessels.
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  The mind-transfer technology damages short-term 
  memory, so the characters have all forgotten the 
  events of the last few days. The last thing they can 
  remember, they were in their TARDIS (or equivalent). 
  Now, they’re toys. 
  Each of the characters has been transferred into 
  the body of a toy. Pick the type of toy based on the 
  personality of the character (or let the players pick). 
  For example, the Doctor might have his mighty 
  Gallifreyan consciousness dumped into a toy, 
  becoming a mad-jack-in-a-box, while Amy becomes 
  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 
  anatomically correct!) The toy does not have to be 
  humanoid, although most should be (Mickey might 
  literally end up as a tin – or plastic – dog). 
  The characters can keep their usual attributes, skills 
  and traits, but they are now scaled proportionately to 
  the character’s new size. If you’ve got Strength 6, that 
  means you’re a big tough toy who can overpower a 
  smaller toy, but you’re still going to lose a fist-fight 
  with a toddler or a puppy. Assume that a normal-
  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 
  Strength + Fighting contest, and the big nasty human 
  gets a +6 bonus to their roll.
  Toys can attack normal-sized bad guys, but do half 
  normal damage. On the bright side, it’s easier for 
  small toys to hide – toys get a +6 bonus to any roll 
  related to hiding or sneaking. 
  Getting around obstacles scaled for humans is also 
  going to be really tricky – to open a closed door, for 
  example, you need to find a way to pull or turn the 
  handle far above you, and then push the giant door 
  open. 
  Most traits transfer to the characters’ new forms. If 
  you’re Forgetful or a Boffin normally, you’re now an 
  absent-minded puppet with a knack for electronics. 
  Mental traits (including Psychic and so on) also work, 
  as the characters’ whole mind has been swapped into 
  the toy’s body. The only traits that do not function are 
  those tied directly to the character’s original body, like 
  Cyborg or Robot. 
  By a strange quirk of the psychic shunt, the toys 
  speak with exactly the same voices as the characters’ 
  original bodies. 
  neW trait: toy (speciaL)
  Toy is a special trait for this adventure. It 
  works like the Cyborg trait, but also means the 
  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 
  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 
  sign from OPEN to CLOSED and goes back behind 
  the counter. He opens the till to add up the day’s 
  sales. As he does so, he casts a nervous glance over 
  at a pair of smiling dolls that sit on a shelf next to the 
  door. The other players’ characters awaken, so the 
  group can discuss pressing issues like…
  We’re toys!?
  Yep. Every one of the characters is now a plastic toy. 
  The last thing any of them can recall is arriving in the 
  TARDIS. An Ingenuity + Resolve test (Difficulty 12) 
  lets the characters remember a few vague images. 
  They’d detected an alien signal, very weak, emanating 
  from somewhere in London. They’d investigated… 
  somewhere with white corridors, somewhere with 
  lots of computers. They remember something about 
  small shadowy figures, like children running through 
  the darkness… and now they’re here. As toys. The 
  characters don’t have any equipment, gadgets or 
  other possessions on them, other than whatever non-
  functional accessories their toy comes with. 
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  If the characters can find a radio or other transmitter 
  (and yes, a remote-control car will do), then a Boffin 
  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 
  up onto the counter is like scaling a mountain. Getting 
  a chemistry kit down off a shelf probably takes all the 
  characters working together. 
  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 
  painted doors. One leads to a storeroom at the back 
  of the shop. The other door is behind the counter, 
  and opens onto a narrow staircase that goes up to 
  Hamilton’s bedroom. 
  Mounted on the wall, directly above the entrance 
  to the stairwell, is a security camera.The shop’s 
  crammed with toys of all sorts, from hand-crafted 
  wooden toys to plastic action figures, from chemistry 
  sets and jigsaws to toy guns and puppets. Christmas 
  music plays endlessly from speakers near the ceiling. 
  notabLe toys
  Mention a few specific toys as the players look around:
  •	
  Near the door are two big sinister-looking plastic 
  dolls, who seem to be looking at the characters. 
  These are the largest dolls in the shop. One’s a 
  boy dressed in blue dungarees; the other is a girl 
  in a floral-print dress. If the characters get close 
  to the dolls, they spot that both dolls have big 
  steak-knives strapped to their backs.
  •	
  On a shelf near where the characters woke up is 
  a plastic robot – a blocky, 1970s-style robot with 
  wind-up walking action. 
  •	
  On another nearby shelf is a family of four plastic 
  bears. 
  There are also lots of educational toys – construction 
  kits, chemistry kits, electronic kits and tool sets, in 
  case any of the characters decide to try building a 
  Gadget. 
  the storerooM
  The storeroom is locked. The key’s in Hamilton’s 
  pocket, or the players can pick the lock with an 
  Ingenuity + Subterfuge roll (Difficulty 12 – but to 
  pick it, the characters need to work out a way to 
  get up to the lock!). Once the door is unlocked, 
  it can be pushed open with Strength + Athletics 
  (Difficulty 12). Inside, it’s crammed with boxed 
  toys. Searching around, the characters find an 
  oddly stained patch of floor near a water pipe. 
  There’s a crack in the pipe, as if something 
  pushed its way out. (The Nestene Consciousness 
  came through here.)
  There’s also a cardboard box full of empty bottles 
  that once contained chemicals. Any character 
  familiar with alien life who makes a successful 
  Ingenuity + Medicine test (Difficulty 12) can work 
  out that those chemicals could be used to treat 
  an injured creature from a biosphere that is 
  very, very different from anything that evolved 
  on Earth. Something alien once lay here. A 
  successful Ingenuity + Science test (Difficulty 
  18) works out the biology – the only creatures 
  that match that particular mix of chemicals are 
  the Nestene.
  
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  haMiLton’s FLat
  The small apartment upstairs is messy and 
  lived in. There’s a cramped, smelly bedroom, a 
  living room crammed with books about toys and 
  a kitchen that was last cleaned in the 1980s. 
  Examining the bedroom reveals several spots 
  of dried blood on the floor; Hamilton was 
  attacked by the dolls. There’s also a brand-new 
  cheap laptop computer in one corner. Hamilton 
  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 
  and universities within a 20-mile radius of the 
  toy shop. Whoever did the searches zeroed in on 
  someone called Professor Qilong.
  Behind the television in the living room is a 
  cabinet containing the video recorder for the 
  shop’s security camera. Searching through the 
  footage lets the characters spot the moment 
  when the Nestene Consciousness identified 
  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 
  runs around looking at toys. There’s no sound 
  in the video, but any character who lip-reads 
  (Awareness + Subterfuge, Difficulty 9) can work 
  out that she’s talking about synthetic materials 
  and new forms of plastic. As she talks, one of 
  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 
  of an astronaut. She sighs and buys it for him, 
  paying for it with a gift token.
  C 2. the toys coMe to LiFe
  Once the characters have had a chance to look around 
  the toy shop, many of the other toys come to life. The 
  family of plastic bears stretch and yawn, and then 
  climb down off their shelf. The robot whirs to life, 
  clanking back and forth. Other toys animate too; balls 
  quiver and bounce, plastic roundabouts whirl and 
  sing, Rubik’s cubes spin and solve themselves. The 
  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 
  animated by the Nestene Consciousness as it bleeds 
  off excess psychic energy from its prisoners. Some of 
  the toys, though, are just like the players’ characters: 
  they’re humans whose bodies have been stolen by the 
  Nestene, and their minds shunted into plastic toys.
  The four bears are the four night watchmen at the 
  university, while the robot is Professor Qilong. The 
  humans believe they are dreaming the same recurring 
  dream, and cannot remember their daytime, human 
  lives clearly. The bears spend their nights playing 
  with building bricks, assembling strange mechanical 
  sculptures. They don’t know why they do it. They’re 
  willing to chat with the other toys, but they don’t talk 
  much. The robot, though, is much chattier.
  the robot girL
  It may look like a clunky robot, but it speaks with the 
  voice of an enthusiastic, middle-aged woman. The 
  robot introduces herself as Lena. She’s surprised 
  to see the player characters; she’s had this dream 
  a dozen times before, but this is the first time the 
  characters’ toys have started moving on their own. 
  Lena’s convinced that she’s dreaming, which is a fairly 
  rational response to the whole experience. She puts it 
  down to stress at work and home.
  Unlike the bears, Lena remembers enough of her 
  waking life to answer the characters’ questions. She’s 
  a researcher at the local university. A few weeks ago, 
  she received a gift token for the toy shop. She doesn’t 
  proFessor Lena QiLong
  skiLLs 
  Craft 4, Convince 2, Fighting 2, Knowledge 2, 
  Science 4 (Chemistry 6), Subterfuge 1, 
  Technology 2.
  traits
  Biochemical Genius: The professor can whip up 
  all sorts of exotic materials in the lab.
  Toy: She’s a plastic robot. She gets a +6 bonus 
  when hiding, but big bad guys have a +6 bonus to 
  any roll to overpower her. 
  Obligation (Minor): She’s got to take care of her 
  son, Samuel.
  tech LeveL: 5 
  story points: 3
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  4
  coordination
  3
  resoLve
  4
  ingenuity
  5
  strength
  2
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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 
  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 
  in terrible danger. What if the astronaut takes her 
  son hostage? She begs the characters to help her 
  rescue her son from the toy astronaut: see Saving 
  Samuel, pg. 114.
  If the characters question Lena about herself, she 
  mentions that she is a researcher and lecturer in 
  materials science at the university, specialising in 
  plastics. 
  After a few hours, both the robot and the plastic bears 
  suddenly stop moving, as Professor Qilong and the 
  university watchmen wake up in their normal bodies. 
  The toys reanimate again each night, as the Nestene 
  steal their bodies again and shunt their minds back 
  into the plastic toys. 
  the doLLs
  The two big sinister dolls near the door are the jailers 
  appointed by the Nestene Consciousness. Their role 
  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 
  Hamilton, but one of the dolls follows them if they do 
  so. However, if they try escaping, see Escaping the 
  Toy Shop, pg. 112.
  The two dolls are mini-Autons. They are inhumanly 
  strong for their size, and have small guns in their 
  arms. They won’t kill the toys – doing so would disrupt 
  the psychic shunt and jeopardise the Nestene’s plans 
  – but they can break them if they have to.
  C 3. edgar haMiLton 
  Edgar Hamilton is a man trapped in a very strange 
  hell. He’s a prisoner of his own toys. Three months 
  ago, he woke up to find two plastic dolls standing at 
  the end of his bed. He assumed he was dreaming, or 
  that they were troublemaking children playing a prank 
  on him. Then one of the dolls leapt on him, clawing at 
  his face and holding him down. The other straddled 
  his chest and pointed its pink plastic fist at him. The 
  fist swung down, revealing the barrel of a gun.
  the doLLs
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 4, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 3, Survival 4.
  traits
  Toy 
  Natural Weapon – Blaster:  (4/L/L)
  Networked (Minor): Controlled by the Nestene 
  Consciousness. It has no independent thought. 
  Weakness (Major): If the controlling signal 
  from the Nestene Consciousness is blocked or 
  severed, the Football becomes useless plastic 
  and is immobilised. 
  eQuipMent: Steak Knife (Strength +1 damage in 
  combat, and they can do full damage to normal-
  size enemies).
  tech LeveL: 6 
  story points: 5
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  2
  coordination
  4
  resoLve
  5
  ingenuity
  2
  strength
  5
  
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  “Serve us!” demanded the doll. “Serve us or die.”
  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 
  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 
  called “anti-plastic.”
  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 
  leave.
  taLking to edgar
  Hamilton knows the toys come to life, but the dolls 
  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.
  To convince Edgar to help, the characters need to 
  make a Presence + Convince test at Difficulty 12; 
  otherwise, he’s too scared of the dolls to do anything.
  Once persuaded to help (or once the dolls are 
  defeated), Edgar can tell the characters the following:
  •	
  The dolls made him sent a gift token for the shop 
  to an address nearby. He doesn’t know why.
  •	
  He suspects the strange blob thing in the 
  storeroom is somehow in control of the toys. They 
  seemed to serve it, or worship it.
  •	
  He thinks the toys are only keeping alive because 
  they find his shop useful somehow.
  •	
  Once, back when this all started, he tried escaping. 
  The doll tracked him down and shot something at 
  him. It struck him in the back of the neck. Edgar 
  woke up in the body of a rubber duck down in the 
  shop. The dolls told him that if he tried to escape 
  again, they’d put him back in the duck. 
  There’s a small scar on the back of Edgar’s neck. 
  If examined with Medicine, the character finds a 
  tiny plastic chip embedded in the skin. Ingenuity + 
  Science or Medicine (Difficulty 12) lets the character 
  work out that the chip must somehow integrate into 
  the victim’s nervous system to provide a psychic 
  shunt. Coordination + Medicine (Difficulty 12) can 
  remove the chip. If persuaded, then Edgar can help the 
  characters escape the shop, but he won’t do anything 
  that involves facing the dolls. He can drop them out of 
  the window, or distract the dolls, or just sell them to 
  a customer. If the characters can deal with the dolls, 
  then Hamilton is more able to help them: he can carry 
  them through the streets.
  C 4. escaping the toy shop 
  Next step – getting out of the toy shop. It’s not going to 
  be easy. There are three obstacles to plastic freedom. 
  In order, these are:
  Getting out of the shop: There are three exits from 
  the toy shop – the front door, and the two upstairs 
  windows. Opening the front door is tricky for a six-
  inch-tall toy, as just turning the handle requires a 
  Difficulty 12 Strength + Athletics test. The windows 
  are even harder to open, but are left ajar during the 
  day. The door is locked at night. The characters can 
  try dodging out of the shop when a customer opens 
  the door during the day, but that requires a successful 
  Coordination + Subterfuge test (Difficulty 9). If a 
  character fails, then the customer spots the moving 
  toy, and either puts the toy back on a shelf, assumes 
  it’s a mouse and screams, or just accidentally kicks 
  it back inside the shop.
  The dolls: The two dolls watch the door. If any toy 
  tries to escape out the door, they’ll attack. A doll also 
  follows the characters if they go upstairs to Hamilton’s 
  flat. It’s impossible to open the door with the dolls 
  watching. 
  The footballs: If a toy makes it out of the shop, the 
  Nestene Consciousness dispatches a white plastic 
  football to bring the errant prisoner back to the gaudy 
  cage. The white football ripples and bounces its way 
  out of the shop and rolls after the toys. If it catches 
  up, it envelopes its target and rolls back to the shop, 
  where it then vomits them up in a flood of temporarily 
  liquid plastic.
  edgar haMiLton
  skiLLs 
  Craft 3, Convince 1, Knowledge 3, Technology 1.
  traits
  Unadventurous: He doesn’t like to leave his shop.
  tech LeveL: 5 
  story points: 2
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  2
  coordination
  3
  resoLve
  2
  ingenuity
  2
  strength
  4
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  toys on the streets
  The streets of London are a dangerous place to be 
  when you’re only a few inches tall. Pedestrians step 
  on you, cars won’t stop for you. Walking from one end 
  of the street to another is the equivalent of a ten-mile 
  hike. You can’t even call a cab. 
  Fortunately, most people don’t pay attention to their 
  surroundings. If the characters stick to the corners 
  and the alleyways, they can make their way across 
  London without being spotted by any people. Dogs, 
  rats and other animals are another issue; a shiny toy 
  might be grabbed by a passing magpie, a dog might 
  mistake a character for a chew toy, and defeating a 
  pigeon in single combat is an impressive feat for a toy. 
  Ask the players how they intend to travel through the 
  streets as toys. Remember to describe the holiday 
  crowds; it’s the middle of December, so everyone’s 
  out shopping.
  getting bought
  Getting bought by a customer is a great way to 
  dodge both the dolls and the dangers of the streets 
  of London. If the characters can get a message 
  to Professor Qilong, then she can call in and buy 
  the characters.  Alternatively, they can attract the 
  attention of a child (like Jamie from pg. 108) and 
  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 
  Qilong’s house (see Saving Samuel, pg. 114), finding 
  out where the Nestene is (see Tracking the Signal, pg. 
  115) or heading to the university (see The March of the 
  Chairs, pg. 116).
  If the players wait to get bought, they hear two shop 
  assistants from a nearby clothes shop complaining 
  that someone stole several clothes dummies during 
  the night.
  breaking toys
  “Hang on”, your players might say, if they’re both 
  clever and a bit ghastly, “if the Nestene stuck us 
  into toys so they could control our real bodies, 
  what happens if the toy is destroyed? Shouldn’t 
  my mind jump back into my real body?”
  If a character’s toy body is destroyed, they do 
  indeed wake up in their real body – for a few 
  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 
  piles of old science journals, broken chairs and 
  outdated pieces of equipment. The bodies of the 
  other characters are nearby. The back of their 
  neck stings with pain.
  There’s a small window in the door. Outside, 
  the character can see a large room – possibly 
  a disused cellar – containing a machine that… 
  well, it uses human-built components, but 
  that’s definitely not Earth science. Waves of blue 
  energy crackle and pulse from the machine’s 
  transmitter dish. Any character with experience 
  of such matters (or a high Science skill) can 
  recognise it as an Auton transmitter. It’s still 
  unfinished. A successful Ingenuity + Science 
  roll (Difficulty 9) lets a character guess at its 
  purpose – it’s an amplifier. Once its ready, the 
  Nestene will be able to take over all the plastic 
  on Earth. There’s something unusual about the 
  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 
  painful – and then the character wakes up in the 
  body of a different, intact toy back in Hamilton’s 
  toy shop. There’s no escape from the Nestene 
  as long as the characters have those chips in 
  their necks.
  White pLastic FootbaLL
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 3, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 2.
  traits
  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 
  until the football is destroyed.
  Networked (Minor): Controlled by the Nestene 
  Consciousness. It has no independent thought. 
  Weakness (Major): If the controlling signal from 
  the Nestene Consciousness is blocked or severed, 
  the Football becomes useless plastic and is 
  immobilised.
  tech LeveL: 6 
  story points: 3
  aWareness
  2
  presence
  1
  coordination
  4
  resoLve
  2
  ingenuity
  1
  strength
  3
  
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  C 5. saving saMueL
  Samuel Qilong is a nervous eight year-old boy. His 
  parents divorced a year ago, and while he doesn’t 
  understand why, he feels like its his fault. His mother 
  does her best, but she’s a university professor and 
  researcher at the height of her career, and she doesn’t 
  have as much time for her son as either of them want. 
  He doesn’t have any friends at school.
  A month ago, an astronaut talked to him. It was a 
  plastic toy, but it stood up and whispered to him, saying 
  that it was his special friend and that he should tell 
  his mother to buy it. He did so, and now the astronaut 
  goes everywhere with him. Sometimes, it talks to him, 
  telling him that he has a special destiny and that soon 
  he will never be alone again.
  Embedded in Samuel’s neck is a very special chip. 
  It’s very hard to find – while all the other chips were 
  injected by firing them from a distance, this chip 
  was inserted while Samuel slept. The scar is almost 
  invisible (Awareness + Medicine, Difficulty 18 to find). 
  saMueL’s chip
  Samuel’s chip isn’t like the psychic shunt chips 
  implanted in the characters’ necks. The Nestene 
  intend to use him as part of their scheme to 
  destroy humanity. All the other chips are clearly 
  designed to do a single-channel shunt – they 
  push a mind from one body to another. His chip 
  is capable of shunting one mind into billions of 
  bodies. No one could undergo such a process 
  without going completely insane – even the 
  Nestene Consciousness can only control a 
  limited number of Auton forms. 
  the QiLong house
  The Qilongs live in a nice semi-detached house in 
  a quiet street a short distance from the university. 
  Samuel’s room is on the top floor. His mother’s study, 
  with its advanced computers, chemical samples, 3D 
  printers and other gadgets, is on the floor below and is 
  kept locked. There is a convenient catflap in the front 
  door, so the family pet – a tabby called Buckminster – 
  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.
  Once the characters get past the cat, they can explore 
  the rest of the house. If it’s during the day, then 
  Professor Qilong is likely to be at work and Samuel at 
  school. If they arrive at night, then Qilong is missing 
  again; from 1am to 6am, her mind inhabits the toy 
  robot while the Nestene control her body and use it to 
  build the transmitter device in the university. 
  rescuing saMueL
  To save Samuel from the Nestene, the players need 
  to deal with his toy astronaut. He keeps the toy with 
  him at all times. The toy won’t hurt Samuel, but it will 
  happily shoot at the characters. This mini-Auton has 
  a nasty hand-gun that can shoot either mind-control 
  chips or laser blasts. While Samuel is devoted to the 
  toy and won’t willingly give it up, he’s too scared and 
  confused to get in the way of the characters if they act 
  quickly. 
  Examining the remains of the toy with an Ingenuity 
  + Technology roll (Difficulty 9) lets the characters 
  buckMinster
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 3, Fighting 1, Survival 2.
  traits
  Cat: Buckminster’s not a toy, but he’s about the 
  same size. Treat him as a toy for the purposes of 
  fighting. 
  story points: 2
  aWareness
  4
  presence
  2
  coordination
  5
  resoLve
  1
  ingenuity
  1
  strength
  1
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  analyse its built-in weapon. The weapon resembles 
  a standard Auton gun, but the astronaut also has six 
  mind-control chips in its backpack. These chips – the 
  same as those embedded in the characters’ necks – 
  give off a strong radio signal that can be used to find 
  the Nestene lair (see Tracking the Signal, pg. 115).
  rescuing Lena
  Professor Qilong is unwittingly leading a double life. 
  During the day, she goes about her normal routine – 
  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 
  bits (like Professor Qilong’s study, or an electronics 
  shop) lets the characters build a tracker that can 
  detect the source of the Auton control signals. The 
  signals are coming from somewhere in the nearby 
  university where the Professor teaches.
  The signals are growing more powerful. There are 
  two different types. One is like a normal Auton control 
  signal, but more dense, more complicated; those 
  must be the signals connecting the player characters 
  to their toy avatars. The other signals are less 
  complicated and unfocused, but much more powerful; 
  they suggest the Nestene are trying to control 
  something on a large scale without much finesse.
  asking saMueL 
  Lena doesn’t know where she goes at night, but her 
  son Samuel does. When she first left the house at 
  night, he woke up and asked his mother where she 
  was going. The Nestene-controlled Lena ignored 
  him, and the astronaut told him that she didn’t love 
  him. He watched her walk up the road towards the 
  university. Appalled by this revelation, Lena comforts 
  her son. She volunteers to bring the characters to the 
  university so they can deal with whatever monster did 
  this to her.
  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 
  happened after they left their time machine, but its 
  sensors are locked onto the Auton signals coming 
  from within the university. 
  the astronaut
  skiLLs 
  Fighting 2, Marksman 3.
  traits
  Natural Weapon – Hand Blaster: The Astronaut’s 
  gun does 2/5/7 damage on a successful hit. 
  Networked (Minor): Controlled by the Nestene 
  Consciousness. It has no independent thought.
  Toy: It’s a plastic astronaut.
  Weakness (Major): If the controlling signal from 
  the Nestene Consciousness is blocked or severed, 
  the Football becomes useless plastic and is 
  immobilised.
  tech LeveL: 6 
  story points: 3
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  2
  coordination
  3
  resoLve
  4
  ingenuity
  1
  strength
  3
  
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  C 7. the March oF the chairs
  The university is mostly empty right now; all the 
  students have gone home for the holidays. The signals 
  emanate from the old science building on the far side 
  of the campus. The rambling building dates back to 
  the 1950s, and some sections are disused due to their 
  poor condition. The Nestene laboratory is in one of 
  these. To get to it, the characters need to make their 
  way into the science building, go down a long corridor, 
  then take an elevator up to the top floor, and then 
  finally go down an even longer winding corridor to the 
  old ‘C’ block.
  If they enter during the day, then there are a few 
  cleaning staff to dodge (unless Lena Qilong is with 
  them, in which case she can carry the characters in). 
  At night, there should be four night watchmen here, 
  but they’re off being plastic bears. 
  Between the characters and the laboratory, though, is 
  a very unexpected obstacle.
  the university corridors
  An empty university smells of gym socks, spilled 
  chemicals and exam stress. The walls are covered 
  with posters advertising end-of-term parties. All the 
  lecture theatres are empty, all the desks are lined 
  up in rows for exams and the lockers stand open 
  and abandoned. Most of the staff are gone too, with 
  only a few lonely graduate students working on their 
  experiments. 
  There are also hundreds of plastic chairs. You know 
  the ones: a plastic seat with four metal legs, seemingly 
  designed for a lizard species with a very differently 
  shaped spine. Lean too far back on it, and the legs will 
  bend and break. They’re stacked in hallways, tucked 
  into desks, or just left toppled on the floor. Plastic 
  chairs.
  As the characters approach the lab, they hear a 
  strange clattering, clicking noise. It sounds almost 
  like an insect. A giant insect. Lots of giant insects.
  Something scrapes against a nearby door, clumsily 
  pawing at the handle. Finally, it gets a grip on it. The 
  handle turns, the door opens… and a chair walks into 
  the corridor. The Nestene cannot control the metal 
  legs, but they can warp and control the plastic body 
  enough to move the legs. The chairs move stiffly, like 
  bad stop-motion animation. They cannot attack very 
  effectively on their own, but there are hundreds of 
  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.
  C 8. Lair oF the nestene
  The characters burst into the disused laboratory. 
  Right in front of them is the huge Nestene transmitter, 
  crackling with energy. Strangely, there’s a metal seat 
  right in front of the machine. Between the characters 
  and the transmitter stand four security guards; 
  kiLLer chairs
  skiLLs 
  Fighting 1.
  traits
  Armour (3)
  Impede: If a chair makes a successful Fighting 
  attack, it can trip or entangle an enemy, reducing 
  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 
  Consciousness. It has no independent thought.
  Slow: Chairs aren’t very fast.
  Weakness (Major): If the controlling signal from 
  the Nestene Consciousness is blocked or severed, 
  the Football becomes useless plastic and is 
  immobilised.
  story points: 0
  aWareness
  1
  presence
  1
  coordination
  1
  resoLve
  3
  ingenuity
  1
  strength
  4
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  human, but staring with the blank expressions of 
  Auton robots. There are also several plastic shop 
  dummies standing against one wall. Off to one side, 
  there’s a door leading to a storeroom, and through a 
  grimy glass panel in the door, the characters can see 
  their unconscious original bodies.
  If the characters just charge in, move onto Toy 
  Soldiers. If they sneak in, they have to make 
  Coordination + Subterfuge tests (Difficulty 12) to 
  sneak past the security guards. 
  sabotage
  As long as they’re hidden from the Nestene, the toys 
  can get up to all sorts of trouble. However, they’ve 
  got to be careful – if they’re spotted, skip onto Toy 
  Soldiers. When a player tries any of the options listed 
  below, they have to make a Coordination + Subterfuge 
  test. The difficulty for the first test starts at 9, then 
  increases by +3 for each test after that. Remember 
  that the toys have a +6 bonus to sneaking around, but 
  full-size humans don’t.
  •	
  Recovering their bodies: The characters’ real 
  bodies are in a storeroom on one side of the 
  laboratory. Removing a chip (with Medicine) 
  breaks the psychic shunt, and the character 
  instantly wakes up in his normal body. There’s 
  no need to roll Medicine for each chip, but do roll 
  Subterfuge.
  •	
  Examining the Machine: With a successful 
  Ingenuity + Science test (Difficulty 12), a character 
  can work out what the gadget’s designed to do. 
  It’s clearly a Nestene transmitter. There are two 
  sections. One is a psychic relay, designed to 
  shunt a human consciousness from one body 
  to another. The other is an immensely powerful 
  transmitter. The characters can make Ingenuity 
  + Technology tests (Difficulty 15) to disable the 
  shunt (thus freeing the characters) or to shut 
  down the transmitter (delaying the Nestene’s 
  plan). Alternatively, the characters can redirect 
  their psychic shunts to another nearby plastic 
  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 
  Doomsday too, but the Nestene’s no longer in a 
  position of strength. 
  pLastic dooMsday
  From the ceiling, something descends. It looks like a 
  glob of plastic, a big plastic ball hanging from a liquid 
  plastic thread. As the glob approaches, it becomes 
  transparent, and inside the characters see a glowing 
  fiery chaos: the Nestene Consciousness!
  The Nestene recognise the characters immediately – 
  remember, this isn’t the first time they’ve met (even 
  if the players don’t necessarily remember it). This 
  fragment of the Consciousness was terribly scarred 
  and damaged by its confrontation with the Ninth 
  Doctor, so it’s insane and obsessed with destroying 
  humanity. It jumps right into its monologue, speaking 
  through its four human slaves.
  “You are too late! The time of your destruction is at 
  hand! This is the age of oil and plastic… your entire 
  civilisation is built on matter that we control!”
  The Nestene explain that they intend to seize control 
  of all plastic on Earth simultaneously. Think of how 
  much plastic there is in modern life. Imagine what will 
  happen when every single piece of plastic transforms 
  simultaneously. Every machine fails. Every power 
  cable and fuel pipe breaks. Civilisation collapses in an 
  instant.
  
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  An Ingenuity + Science or Technology test (Difficulty 
  9) points out the flaw in this plan: if the Nestene 
  Consciousness could safely take control of all the 
  plastic on Earth, then it would have done so already 
  (or during a previous invasion attempt). Only the 
  full Nestene Consciousness could command all the 
  plastic on a planet – this part of the Consciousness 
  could never survive the attempt. The Nestene agree.“It 
  will not be our consciousness that destroys you. It will 
  be one of your own!” 
  The door opens. Samuel Qilong enters the room. The 
  Nestene plan to use the boy to active their transmitter. 
  “The child’s mind will be our weapon. He will inhabit 
  the world – and destroy it! Now!” 
  If the characters already found and removed Samuel’s 
  chip, then he’s not here because the Nestene control 
  him – he just followed his mother. The Nestene 
  screams with fury as it realises that its plan has 
  already been foiled. The characters can use the 
  distraction to sabotage the transmitter, destroying 
  the psychic shunt and returning them to their bodies.
  If the characters haven’t removed Samuel’s chip, 
  then the boy stumbles towards the transmitter. An 
  eerie red light shines out of the back of his neck, 
  illuminating his skull. He walks to the seat in front of 
  the machine and sits down. Energy streams from the 
  boy into the machine. The control signal reaches out 
  into the world. The nearby store dummies suddenly 
  melt, like a toy put in a microwave. Liquid plastic drips 
  down from light fittings. The radios on the guards’ 
  belts dissolve into goo. 
  The characters have a chance to save the day. There 
  are several ways to accomplish this:
  •	
  Wriggling Free: If a toy can escape its captor 
  (remember that big creatures get a +6 bonus to 
  Strength contests with toys), then it could do a 
  quick bit of sabotage.
  •	
  Appealing to Samuel: Right now, Samuel’s 
  connected to a very powerful Auton transmitter. If 
  the characters can break through to him (maybe 
  by reminding him that his mother is in danger), 
  then he can overload the transmitter or deactivate 
  the psychic shunt, returning the characters to 
  their bodies.
  •	
  Taking Samuel’s Place: The character’s chips are 
  similar to the one in Samuel; if they push him off 
  the chair, they can take his place. However, as 
  their chips are less powerful, they’ll only inhabit 
  a single piece of plastic – they can seize control 
  of an Auton body, or direct the transmitter at the 
  Nestene Consciousness, or free Professor Qilong 
  from the chairs. 
  C aFterMath
  The fragment of the Nestene Consciousness boils 
  away: it was mortally wounded anyway, and this last-
  ditch plan for revenge used up the last of its energy. 
  With the destruction of the transmitter, the characters 
  are instantly returned to their original bodies. If 
  Professor Qilong survives, she takes Samuel to 
  Hamilton’s toy shop a few weeks later to say goodbye. 
  While there, she buys a plastic robot that seems oddly 
  familiar to her…
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  ‘Below the thunders of the upper deep;
  Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea,
  His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
  The Kraken sleepeth.’
  – Alfred, Lord Tennyson
  The characters encounter a monster threading itself 
  through the space-lanes, capturing star ships and 
  dragging them towards their doom. Having landed 
  aboard the Earth Colony Ship Yatsoshiro, trapped in 
  the grip of this interstellar Kraken, the characters 
  must save an entire space-borne civilisation from a 
  grisly fate.
  C adventure synopsis
  The TARDIS is ailing, struck by a mystery fault 
  and forced to materialize. Taking refuge from the 
  harmful energies being released inside the TARDIS, 
  the characters discover that they are on board the 
  Yatsoshiro, an Earth vessel from the distant future 
  carrying thousands of colonists. It is drifting towards 
  a vast column of debris, the wreckage of star ships 
  captured and broken apart through the centuries. 
  The ship has only a few hours before it impacts this 
  planet-sized stream of wreckage.
  The characters are not the only ones to have boarded 
  the ship. Pirates, caught by the creature, their vessel’s 
  propulsion systems offline, made their way to the 
  colony ship and boarded the Yatsoshiro looking for 
  a way to escape the debris column’s gravitational 
  pull. Faulkner, one of the ship’s engineers, has gone 
  missing. Sent to investigate the problem with the 
  failed engines, he has been possessed by the alien 
  slime, spawn of the Kraken, working its way through 
  the ship. And to add to the mix, a young journalist and 
  her robot assistant – stowaways – are there to write a 
  story from the front line.
  As the threat becomes apparent the characters 
  confront the amoeboid monsters that have infected 
  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 the kraken
  Nobody knows how the Slime first developed or when, 
  but one day, a starship able to cross entire galaxies 
  suddenly stopped, and then another, and another 
  still; all in the same region, all without hope of rescue, 
  and all down to the Slime. As the millennia went by 
  thousands of vessels and countless lives were lost and 
  yet nobody seemed to notice; except the accountants, 
  and they wrote off the losses as a tax break.
  Before long, a river of dead starships snaked through 
  the infinite cold of space, held together by the gravity 
  generated by their own mass. Recently, smaller 
  the grip oF the kraken
  
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  ships have become ensnared and resourceful crews 
  have turned privateer, tracking down precious 
  working power cells, looting what they can from the 
  drifting ruins.
  The stranded ships are the handiwork of a vast colony 
  of self-replicating molecular robots, the microscopic 
  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 
  the story, the Yatsoshiro has already been invaded by 
  both the Kraken Slime and a crew of pirates looking 
  for fresh supplies. The ship’s systems are steadily 
  failing one-by-one; the result of the Slime feeding off 
  a crewmember’s engineering knowledge.
  sharing the story
  In any roleplaying game it is important that 
  everyone gets a chance for their character to 
  shine. To help with that, throughout this story, 
  whenever a situation calls for a check in which 
  any character has a chance for success, such 
  as an Awareness check to notice a clue or an 
  Ingenuity check to find the right path, have the 
  players roll in order from the highest attribute 
  to the lowest. 
  Stop when you reach a success. On the next 
  similar roll, start with the character that didn’t 
  get to roll last time – give them the chance to 
  spot the clue or find the path.
  C the yatsoshiro 
  The Yatsoshiro is an Earth Colony Ship. These sub-
  lightspeed vessels are built by their crews during their 
  long voyage as they explore the galaxy, eventually 
  finding new worlds for their passengers and crew 
  to colonise. Construction never stops; new towers 
  are built to house a growing population and new 
  solar collection domes housing verdant forests 
  are constructed to ensure that the population has 
  sufficient food. 
  Raw materials are mined from asteroids as they are 
  encountered, or goods are traded, brought to the ship 
  by the faster-than-light vessels that speed through 
  the universe. Its vast agricultural pods, solar energy 
  converters, and onboard industries act as resupply 
  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 
  live and die aboard the Yatsoshiro.
  Starship UK, which fled Earth in the 29th century to 
  escape the solar flares and was later encountered by 
  the Doctor and Amy Pond, is a form of colony ship, 
  though obviously powered by the last of the great 
  space whales instead of the enormous ion engines 
  usually employed.
  The Yatsoshiro is Technology Level 6. The outer hull 
  provides an Armour protection of 30 and any single 
  instance of damage over 30 to a section of the outer 
  hull causes a pressure leak, which the auto-repair 
  systems attempt to fix. The internal walls provide an 
  Armour Protection of 15 and doors provide an Armour 
  Protection of 10.
  C characters
  All the characters you need for this story can be found 
  in this section.
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  the buurMan bLaster
  This heavy gun, requiring a Strength of 6 to 
  use one-handed, projects charges of pure 
  kinetic energy. Being hit by one is like falling 
  six metres, or around 20 feet. There is no heat, 
  radiation or laser damage associated with a 
  Buurman Blaster, so it’s good for knocking in 
  doors. If used in hand-to-hand combat, it counts 
  as a heavy weapon requiring two hands to use, 
  so it adds +2 to damage.
  the yatsoshiro creW
  The Yatsoshiro is a civilian vessel and so the crew does 
  not have easy access to weapons.
  •	
  Captain Ryan: Tall, grey-haired, and with a 
  prodigious moustache, Captain Ryan takes the 
  safety of his ship and its thousands of colonists 
  very seriously.
  •	
  Engineer Romer: Against the odds, Romer 
  usually keeps the ion drives working, but he had 
  to shut the starboard engine down to prevent the 
  ship tearing itself apart. Something is preventing 
  them from being restarted. Balding and with a 
  uniform always two steps away from standard 
  issue, he’s a distinctive man.
  •	
  Chief Medical Officer Shirley: Logical, practical, 
  and gifted with human understanding, his current 
  concern is that the power reserves don’t fail 
  before Romer can restart the engines. If they 
  do, the colony will be without sufficient energy, 
  resulting in massive loss of life.
  buurMan privateer
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 1, Fighting 4 (6 Buurman Blaster), 
  Knowledge 1, Marksman 5 (Buurman Blaster 7), 
  Subterfuge 3, Survival 3, Technology 3, Transport 
  3 (Starships 5).
  traits
  Alien: The pirates are Buurmen.
  Alien Appearance (Major): Orange-skinned with 
  heavy and pronounced brows.
  Outcast: Wanted for piracy and other crimes 
  across half the galaxy.
  Selfish: Each of the pirates will save their own 
  skin before thinking of their shipmates.
  Tough: After a life of piracy, the privateers are 
  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, 
  and now likely to be possessed by an alien slime… 
  Yes, these guys are unlucky. Any time a roll turns 
  up two sixes, they roll again and keep that result 
  (including a second roll of two sixes).
  eQuipMent: Buurman Blaster (3/6/9).
  tech LeveL: 7 
  story points: 1
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  1
  coordination
  4
  resoLve
  2
  ingenuity
  2
  strength
  6
  yatsoshiro creWMeMber
  You can use these statistics for all of the 
  Yatsoshiro crew, just swap some of the skill 
  levels around to suit the speciality.
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 1, Fighting 2, Knowledge 2, Marksman 
  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 Yatsoshiro, which is handy for the crew as 
  they know their way around. They gain a +2 bonus 
  when navigating inside the ship.
  Technically Adept: The crew live and work with 
  the Yatsoshiro’s systems and so they gain a 
  +2 bonus to Technology rolls to repair broken 
  equipment or use any of the ship’s devices and 
  gadgets.
  eQuipMent: A communicator with the 
  Transmit Gadget Trait and the Restriction 
  (Communication only) Bad Gadget Trait. It 
  contains 1 Story Point.
  tech LeveL: 7 
  story points: 1
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  3
  coordination
  3
  resoLve
  3
  ingenuity
  3
  strength
  3
  
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  FLiss
  Fliss is a young journalist just shy of her 20th birthday. 
  Having heard of ships going missing in this particular 
  region of space, Fliss set out with her robot sidekick 
  Watson to investigate. 
  She eventually caught up with the deep-space colony 
  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.
  Watson the robot
  Fliss’ best friend is her android, Watson, and she’s 
  spent far more of Daddy’s money on accessories than 
  is probably warranted when she could have just gone 
  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.
  FLiss
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 1, Convince 3, Knowledge 3, Science 1, 
  Subterfuge 3 (Sneaking 5), Survival 2, Technology 
  2, Transport 3 (Spaceships 5).
  traits
  Face in the Crowd: Fliss gets a +2 bonus to 
  Subterfuge rolls when sneaking about and trying 
  to blend in.
  Keen Senses (Hearing): 20/20 hearing, or is 
  that eyesight? Whatever. Fliss gets a +2 bonus to 
  Awareness rolls when trying to hear something.
  Run for your Life! It’s amazing what being chased 
  by monsters can do for your sprinting. Fliss gets a 
  +1 bonus to her Speed when being pursued.
  Sense of Direction: As a junior reporter it’s 
  important to know where you are at all times and 
  Fliss gets a +2 bonus to Awareness and Ingenuity 
  rolls to work out where she is and how to get to 
  where she wants to be.
  tech LeveL: 7 
  story points: 12
  aWareness
  4
  presence
  3
  coordination
  2
  resoLve
  4
  ingenuity
  3
  strength
  2
  trant, the pirate captain
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 1, Convince 2, Fighting 4, Knowledge 1, 
  Marksman 4, Subterfuge 3, Survival 3, 
  Technology 3, Transport 3.
  traits
  Alien: Trant is in fact a Buurman.
  Alien Appearance (Major): Trant’s skin is bright 
  red, as befits an alpha Buurmale, with a brow 
  heavier than that of a human. His hair is long, 
  dark and naturally curly.
  Brave: You don’t get to be alpha Buurmale without 
  facing down a few challengers. Trant receives a +2 
  bonus to any Resolve rolls to direct challenges or 
  when he needs to show leadership in frightening 
  situations.
  Experienced
  Outcast: Trant is a pirate wanted by the authorities 
  on his home planet of Buur, several systems 
  surrounding it, and by the Judoon.
  Quick Reflexes: For a large man, Trant knows 
  how to move.
  Selfish: Of course his crew get their share of 
  the loot, just as soon as Trant has taken what he 
  wants.
  eQuipMent: Buurman Blaster (3/6/9).
  tech LeveL: 7 
  story points: 4
  aWareness
  2
  presence
  2
  coordination
  4
  resoLve
  3
  ingenuity
  3
  strength
  6
  the grip oF the kraken
  
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  the kraken
  The Kraken Slime takes three forms. The first is the 
  actual slime itself. For the purposes of this story we’ll 
  assume that an individual Slime Monster has a mass 
  about equal to a small child. It can cling to almost 
  any surface, morph into almost any shape (while 
  always looking alien), and can attempt to possess 
  individuals or even computer systems. It does this 
  through interfacing with neural or electrical circuitry 
  and modifying its inputs and outputs. The second 
  form is the Slime in possession of a humanoid target. 
  It smothers the head and shoulders of the target, 
  enveloping it in a slimy grey hood. In this form, it has 
  different characteristics to the free-flowing Slime 
  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 
  the debris column. It is so large and complex that it is 
  capable of reasoned thought. It has enough strength 
  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.
  Watson the robot
  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 
  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 
  Awareness + Skill rolls when actively scanning a 
  given target.
  Transmit: Watson has a range of built-in 
  transmitters and receivers allowing him to 
  monitor and manipulate electromagnetic signals 
  and wavelengths.
  Unlucky: There’s a reason that Watson is one of 
  life’s pessimists; if Watson rolls two sixes, he rolls 
  again and takes the second result (including a 
  second roll of two sixes).
  tech LeveL: 7 
  story points: 12
  aWareness
  4
  presence
  2
  coordination
  2
  resoLve
  3
  ingenuity
  5
  strength
  2
  sLiMe-possessed huManoid
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 4, Fighting 4, Marksman 3, Survival 4, 
  Technology 2.
  traits
  Alien: Body-snatching hybrid.
  Alien Appearance: It’s a glob of alien slime 
  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.
  Networked: The Slime creatures are able to 
  communicate remotely.
  Special – Spawn Slime: Just once per host, 
  the Slime can consume its host’s nutrients and 
  manufacture another Slime monster.
  Special – Slime Monster: When this creature has 
  taken all the damage it can, it detaches from its 
  host and becomes a normal Slime Monster as 
  described above.
  tech LeveL: 7 
  story points: 2
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  2
  coordination
  1
  resoLve
  4
  ingenuity
  1
  strength
  3
  
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  C proLogue
  Inside the TARDIS, sparks are flying from the console 
  as the engines suddenly groan louder. The entire 
  internal space shakes violently, then, for just a 
  moment, there’s calm… before the shaking starts 
  again. The cables looping from the ceiling judder this 
  way and that and there’s an explosion somewhere 
  beneath the console as the characters arrive.
  A blinding golden-white light sears from the console. 
  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 
  Lucky or with Quick Reflexes (as per the Good Traits). 
  That character must make a Coordination + Athletics 
  check (Difficulty 9) or take 2/4/6 levels of damage as 
  the Vortex energy escapes a crack in the console.
  Each round, another character must make the same 
  check to avoid another stream of Vortex energy 
  escaping from a new crack. The route to the TARDIS 
  doors is clear for now but the console room is 
  beginning to fill with harmful energy.
  pLayer opportunities
  There are three actions that the players might want to 
  try to find out what’s going on:
  •	
  Check the TARDIS Scanner: The image on the 
  scanner resolves itself, the TARDIS is hurtling 
  towards the Yatsoshiro, which itself is tumbling 
  slowly towards a huge swathe of starship debris 
  that almost totally obscure the darkness of space 
  behind it.
  •	
  Check the Coordinates: The TARDIS is in deep 
  space, on the outer edge of the galaxy. The TARDIS 
  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.
  •	
  Check the Fault Locator: Any character trying to 
  find out what’s wrong should make a Ingenuity + 
  Technology roll (Difficulty 9). A success confirms 
  that the TARDIS is under attack, a good result 
  confirms that most of the damage is being 
  caused by the TARDIS fighting the infection, and 
  a fantastic result confirms that the assault is both 
  physical and psychic.
  sLiMe Monster
  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 
  Slime may take an action in the movement phase 
  to piece itself back together.
  Natural Weapons – Tentacles: The barbed 
  tentacles it can form provides the usual +2 to 
  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, 
  but they do make it more accurate.
  Networked: The Slime creatures are able to 
  communicate remotely. The larger the particular 
  Slime monster is, the further it can reach and the 
  more intelligible its communication is.
  Possess: If the Slime makes a successful attack, 
  it can attempt to possess the target as a fighting 
  action in the next round. See the Doctor Who 
  Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook for more 
  information on being possessed.
  tech LeveL: 7 
  story points: 2
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  1
  coordination
  1
  resoLve
  5
  ingenuity
  1
  strength
  3
  the grip oF the kraken
  
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  It doesn’t take a genius to work out that everyone is 
  safer outside the TARDIS at this point than inside, just an 
  Ingenuity check (Difficulty 6). The nearest viable place 
  to put down is onboard the approaching Yatsoshiro.
  C act i: the kraken Wakes
  ‘How long it is since I put out from land
  no man remembers. But one summer noon
  great tendrils reaching from the sea enchained
  my resting ship; until, so meshed and reined
  no wind might break its harness, it succumbed’
  – The Ship Becalmed, by Randolph Stow
  In the first act of this story the Doctor and his 
  companions arrive aboard the Earth Colony Ship 
  Yatsoshiro, which is listing and drifting ominously 
  towards the debris column.
  C 1. arrivaL in 
  the debris coLuMn
  The speeding TARDIS rematerialises inside the 
  Yatsoshiro command module, tearing chunks out of 
  the walls, ceilings and decking as it goes. Then, with 
  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 
  exposed and snapped wires. The lights in the corridor 
  flicker from cooling soft white like daylight to harsh 
  red emergency lighting. The characters rush out of 
  the TARDIS and slam the door shut behind them. The 
  self-repair systems should kick in, but it won’t be safe 
  to go back inside for quite a while.
  •	
  The characters are free to wander around the ship. 
  The crew have been rounded up and while the 
  pirates have set out to look for them, having felt 
  the TARDIS’ impact, you can give the characters a 
  little time to explore their surroundings.
  •	
  Characters familiar with starship travel may 
  make a Ingenuity + Technology (or Transport) 
  check (Difficulty 18) to notice anything odd about 
  the Yatsoshiro’s artificial gravity. Those who fail 
  notice that they’re having no trouble standing 
  up; those who Succeed notice that the gravity is 
  artificial; and those who make a Good success 
  determine that they are on a ship, that the ship 
  is moving; and those who get a Fantastic result 
  notice that the ship is tumbling and that the 
  artificial gravity systems are having to work to 
  keep up.
  •	
  The ship’s power loss is selective. Artificial 
  gravity, life support and lighting are all still active, 
  however overworked. But scanners, engines, and 
  communications all appear to be offline.
  •	
  Allow the players to explore just about us much of 
  the ship as they want to before moving on to the 
  next scene. The large map of the Yatsoshiro that 
  they’ll encounter next gives them a good starting 
  point.
  doctor, What is this pLace?
  Now they are here, the characters will want to explore. 
  The corridors are metallic and there are plenty of 
  storage containers, fire extinguishers, communication 
  points, and video display monitors along the walls. 
  This is an opportunity to introduce the Task Manager 
  and the Sense TV. If a character asks a question that 
  
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  the ship might reasonably be able to answer – such 
  as “where are we” – then the Task Manager will reply, 
  “You are currently situated on the forward deck two”.
  Once engaged, the video screens present rolling 
  advertising in one corner of the display. A large ‘mute’ 
  symbol is overlaid, but the associated smells (from an 
  Ogron restaurant, the pine forests of Agripod-9, and 
  a sickly sweet soda drink) do not go away. It takes an 
  Ingenuity + Technology check (Difficulty 9) to work out 
  that the screen is broadcasting neural information in 
  a low-level near-field.
  And then there’s the sound of rain. The Yatsoshiro 
  is now close enough to the debris column that stray 
  wreckage is impacting on the hull. Small taps for the 
  most part, followed by the occasional larger clang.
  •	
  Characters with the Psychic trait (or who have 
  tools or devices that are similarly sensitive) 
  may sense a weak psychic signal running under 
  the adverts, different and masked by what is 
  supposed to be there. Any character who watches 
  the Sense TV must make a Awareness (Difficulty 
  6) roll. A Success is enough for the character to 
  notice that they are feeling slightly hungry.
  Map oF the vesseL
  A large display screen is mounted into the corridor 
  wall, from waist-height upwards. It shows schematic 
  views of the Yatsoshiro, including circles showing 
  more detail on particular areas. This map should help 
  to orient the characters.
  The forward part of the ship consists of engineering 
  and flight control and this provides accommodation 
  and work space for the flight crew. Two great clusters 
  of ion engines sweep out from this control hub, 
  extending kilometres out and down. Extending from 
  the rear of this complex is a spine some five kilometres 
  long and consisting of a lattice of girders and supports. 
  The spine houses the main power conduits supplying 
  the colonists with energy and an array of rail shuttles 
  that allow the crew to move between the command 
  module and the colony.
  The rear of the ship stretches far out behind the spine 
  and is home to the growing colony. Tall multi-storey 
  buildings rise up and down from the central level, 
  each sealed against the harsh vacuum of space. A ring 
  of large shallow domes, perpendicular to the line of 
  the ship, makes up the very end of the vessel, their 
  artificial gravity pointing towards a central point, and 
  they contain the fields, orchards and forests needed to 
  sustain the colony.
  •	
  The map lists distinct locations like the film room, 
  canteen, engine pods and so on. Point these out 
  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 
  likely to be captured by the pirates and you can 
  move on to the next scene.
  •	
  The characters can also look for windows and 
  observation ports that look out to space. The view 
  is a little dizzying as the ship tumbles through 
  the space, but the debris column can be seen, as 
  the grip oF the kraken
  
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  can the cloud of wreckage that keeps hitting the 
  ship’s hull.
  scanning For LiFe
  The Task Manager responds to queries about the 
  crew and passengers. It shows a schematic of the 
  Yatsoshiro and adds points of light indicating life signs, 
  approximately 250,000 contained in the rear part of the 
  vessel and about 30 in the forward command module, 
  in addition to the characters. These 30 life signs seem 
  to be congregated in the canteen.
  bLast points
  If they stay on deck two, they soon find a series of 
  broken and dented panels. Nothing seems burned 
  or scorched; it all looks like crushing damage, like 
  something was hurled into the walls. Then they find 
  a circular piece of bulkhead, cut through to make an 
  impromptu airlock that leads to the pirates’ spaceship. 
  The pirates’ spaceship is cramped, smelly, and very 
  nearly powerless. It won’t be going anywhere.
  •	
  Any character going into the pirates’ spaceship 
  has a better chance of finding its location on the 
  map of the Yatsoshiro if they need to later. It’s an 
  Ingenuity + Technology roll (Difficulty 6) rather 
  than a Difficulty 12 roll.
  •	
  Any characters with the Boffin trait or similar may 
  be able to temporarily restore power to the ship 
  or pilot it on remote control with a bit of Jiggery-
  Pokery. All they need is a long length of cable and 
  a Story Point or two.
  C 2. the privateers
  Having heard and felt the impact of the TARDIS, 
  Trant, the pirate captain, sends some of his men to 
  investigate. And this is when they arrive and attempt 
  to capture the characters. They raise their blasters 
  and demand that the characters surrender. They will 
  use their blasters to knock the fight out of anyone who 
  runs or initiates combat, but otherwise their orders 
  are to bring any intruders down to deck three. If the 
  characters run, let them have their chase. Another 
  group of pirates pop up in front of them when they 
  next open a door, allowing the others to catch and 
  surround our heroes.
  Once the characters have been captured, one of the 
  pirates (we’ll call him Ausk) reports back to Trant over 
  the communicator. Trant orders him to find the source 
  of the impact they heard, at which point Ausk sends 
  the prisoners to Trant while he goes searching.
  Entering the canteen, the characters see the 
  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.
  the canteen and the FiLM rooM
  The canteen and film room are next door to each other 
  so we’ll describe them together. Tables line up in rank 
  and file in the large open-plan canteen. The kitchens 
  are at the back of this area. Apart from the service 
  exits in the kitchens, the only way in or out is through 
  the main double doors or a large ventilation grill in the 
  wall. Electronic posters around the canteen advertise 
  this week’s menu and the various chef’s specials.
  
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  The film room is a dome-like chamber that shows 
  immersive 360D films. Like Sense TV, it beams 
  sensations directly into the viewer’s brain. The 
  projector is powerful enough to affect multiple viewers 
  at once. There are no seats and it’s large enough for 
  around 50 people to stand and watch the film.
  •	
  On the way out of the lift, the players can attempt 
  an Awareness roll (Difficulty 9). Those who 
  succeed, notice that one of the escape pods is 
  missing. There should be a bank of five along one 
  bulkhead, but the nearest pod to the canteen has 
  been jettisoned.
  •	
  When they are inside the canteen, in order of 
  highest Awareness to lowest and until some 
  succeeds, the characters in the canteen get to 
  make another Awareness check (Difficulty 9) to 
  notice a half-empty cup of tea and a sandwich 
  that appears to have been left in quite a hurry. 
  None of the crew know anything about it. Trant 
  gets frustrated if his prisoners start discussing 
  old sandwiches while he’s commandeering their 
  ship, but let the characters have their moment. 
  They may be captured, but this is the point at 
  which the Doctor would usually take charge and 
  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 
  if not. Characters who braced take 1/2/3 levels of 
  damage, while those not holding onto something 
  risk 2/4/6 levels of damage. The crew and pirates are 
  thrown around too. You can assume any who braced 
  take 1 point of damage, while those who didn’t take 2.
  decoMpression
  There is a moment when the ship seems still 
  again, giving the players a chance to check on their 
  companions. The hull is creaking and groaning, 
  however; straining to contain the atmospheric 
  pressure inside the ship. And then it pops.
  Out in the corridor, a hull plate buckles outwards, 
  tearing a hole in the side of the ship. Ordinarily, the 
  internal doors closest to the impact site would close, 
  securing the internal atmosphere. Unfortunately, the 
  door has been damaged by the impact and cannot 
  close. As the atmosphere is sucked from the ship, the 
  characters on board are dragged towards the open 
  vacuum of space.
  You get to freeze the action here and reposition the 
  characters inside the decompressing deck, dangling 
  above the tear in the bulkhead. The players have 10 
  rounds before the air starts to become too thin in this 
  area and they start to take damage. They are also 
  ten ‘steps’ away from the vacuum (with step eleven 
  actually being sucked into space) and ten ‘steps’ away 
  from the safety of the next blast door, which they can 
  close behind them. They need to make Strength + 
  Athletics rolls (Difficulty 12) to move forward away 
  from the vacuum; success ranges from +3 steps to 
  -3 steps. 
  Characters who opt to help each other, as per the 
  Cooperation rules, both gain +2 to their rolls. Any 
  character can voluntarily drop back any number of 
  steps to help another character. By spending a Story 
  Point, they can even do this after they have taken their 
  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.
  If you’re feeling particularly nasty, you could send one 
  of the pirates hurtling down the corridor and out into 
  space, just to underline the danger they’re all in.
  the grip oF the kraken
  
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  You should also race Trant against the characters. If 
  Trant gets to the door first (give him a penalty of -1 to 
  his rolls as he’s clinging to his blaster), he can shut it, 
  locking the characters in the decompressing corridor.
  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 
  into the ship. They will also see what looks like fuel 
  or some kind of lubricant running down from the 
  landing gear and into the ship. This is actually more of 
  the alien Slime. The characters can make a Ingenuity 
  + Science roll (Difficulty 12) to notice that the Slime 
  seems to be moving oddly, as though attracted to the 
  ship in some way.
  Unless they acquire some spacesuits, they aren’t 
  going to be able to get any closer to investigate the 
  Slime.
  •	
  Apart from surviving a decompressing ship, the 
  players might be able to shake the pirates and 
  give themselves some more space. They also get 
  sight of the Slime for the first time.
  C 4. the Missing pod
  Once attention switches to the missing pod, you’ll 
  need this scene.
  The outside of each escape pod bay has a status 
  display and an interface with the Task Manager. While 
  the bay is clearly empty, the Task Manager reports 
  that the escape pod is still in place – the result of the 
  android Watson re-programming it. Those looking 
  out of the viewport can see a small chunk of debris 
  drifting alongside the Yatsoshiro and, every now and 
  then, it fires small course-correction thrusters. It’s 
  holding position.
  Fliss and Watson jettisoned themselves in the escape 
  pod, intending to re-dock once the coast was clear of 
  pirates. They’re now holding station outside the ship’s 
  hull.
  •	
  Any character scanning the pod detects that the 
  pod is actually scanning the Yatsoshiro back; 
  someone aboard the pod is listening in.
  •	
  If the characters start some jigger-pokery to 
  control the escape pod’s engines remotely and 
  bring the pod back to the ship, allow them an 
  Awareness + Technology roll (Difficulty 6) to find 
  the recall button. Pressing the big green button 
  brings the pod back into its bay automatically. 
  As the pod gets closer, it is clear that there’s 
  somebody in there.
  reveaLing the kraken
  Fliss and Watson fled to the escape pod when the 
  pirates boarded as she didn’t want to be captured, but 
  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 
  chance, she plugs Watson into the Task Manager so 
  he can project images on a screen; otherwise she’ll 
  use a marker pen to draw on any table or surface that 
  comes to hand.
  Firstly she describes the loss of the Scanderia, the 
  first known loss that she can attribute to this region. 
  It happened nearly a thousand years ago, and every 
  year since then more starships from a hundred 
  civilisations have gone missing. As she talks through 
  them (the Draconian cargo ship Limerssic, the Bandril 
  voyager Naron, the experimental Earth ship Spirit of 
  San Francisco – assumed to have been destroyed by 
  
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  its own warp engines – the list goes on) they appear as 
  points of light on a large 3D image of this space sector 
  (or she marks an X with her pen). As more points of 
  light are added a shape resolves itself, like a series 
  of tentacles all leading back to a central point. At that 
  point she asks Watson to overlay the location of the 
  debris column. The tentacles of light intersect the 
  column near to what would be their apex; whatever 
  caused the phenomenon must be close to the column. 
  She finishes with a flourish, “There is our Kraken – 
  our sea monster dragging ships to their doom”.
  If Trant is still around he’s disbelieving, just interested 
  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 
  Faulkner.
  •	
  It is also worth reminding the players that there 
  are now only two hours until the ship collides 
  with the debris column, which would have a 
  devastating effect on the colony.
  C 5. here We are again
  If the characters made a dash for it during the impact, 
  now is the time to bring them all back together. 
  The pirates catch up with them, and demand that 
  somebody refuels their ship, fixes the propulsion 
  system, or does something to get them away from the 
  debris column. And if they don’t people are going to 
  start to die!
  It’s a stand-off between the pirates who want to 
  force somebody, anybody, into action on their behalf 
  and the characters who need to calm the situation. 
  Captain Ryan is defiant. He would rather die than let 
  the pirates command his ship. This stance doesn’t 
  do much to help the situation. The characters need 
  to make contested Convince rolls against Trant to 
  prevent him from shooting people, starting with the 
  crew.
  Have a character, preferably one who isn’t too 
  involved in all the talking in this previous scene, 
  make an Awareness roll against a Slime Monster’s 
  Coordination + Subterfuge roll. A failure results in the 
  character putting his hand in the Slime that’s started 
  dripping down the wall from the ceiling. With a Bad 
  result, the Slime attempts to possess the character. 
  On a Success or higher, the character sees the slime. 
  Looking a little closer, they notice that it’s leaking 
  out of the ceiling, and then the Slime reacts! Some 
  of it lurches away from the wall and tries to grab the 
  character. The Slime makes a combat attack. This 
  should be enough to draw the everyone’s attention.
  C 6. the cLiFFhanger
  Let the conflict with the Slime play out. The unarmed 
  crew and the cowardly pirates initially pull back 
  away from the Slime. It’s down to the players to stir 
  them into action. If the Slime has a hold on a player’s 
  character (after a successful strike last round) it 
  attempts to possess them. Other characters can help 
  the character resist, either by spending Story Points 
  or through cooperation as normal.
  When the characters attempt to leave the area they 
  are in, the lights go out; the white light is instantly 
  replaced with red. Anyone with the Psychic trait (or 
  Psychic Paper) gets a flash of a message, a single 
  thought:“closer”. If they then stir the party to action, 
  they get a moment to prepare themselves.
  In the canteen doorway, blocking their path is the 
  Buurman pirate, Ausk. His head and shoulders are 
  covered in grey alien slime, obscuring his face. At the 
  same time, the same slime oozes up through the deck 
  plates and drips down from the ceiling. The doorway 
  is effectively blocked.
  Now is the time to freeze the action! The cliffhanger 
  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 
  raises his blaster. It hums with energy. From beneath 
  the hood of slime, Ausk says one word, audible over 
  everything, “hunger”. End of Act One!
  C act ii: the bodysnatchers
  If Act I has been about introducing the story, the 
  characters and the imminent danger, Act II is about 
  using the tools that the Yatsoshiro provides in order 
  to defeat the slime, restart the engines, and steer the 
  Yatsoshiro away from danger. This makes act two a 
  little less structured as the players may think of some 
  novel ways to use the Yatsoshiro and its technology in 
  order to save the day.
  resources
  The players have the whole ship to potentially choose 
  from. The only rule to bear in mind is that the larger 
  the resource, the more likely the characters are going 
  to encounter the Slime as it makes its way across 
  the ship.  You should also consider the time element. 
  Each resource takes time to acquire. Some things 
  come immediately to hand, such as Sense TV, the 
  Task Manager, a Buurman Blaster, and others take 
  longer. Start with 15 minutes for something that isn’t 
  immediately available or doesn’t need to be taken from 
  where it is, 30 minutes for something quite difficult, 
  and one hour for something that can only be acquired 
  from the colony. Remember, there are only two hours 
  before the ship collides with the debris column.
  C 1. the chase
  Act II starts with the players’ characters having been 
  split up. There are two important tasks that need to 
  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 
  other half get caught up with Fliss and Watson. Ideally, 
  you’ll want to keep the group’s most scientifically 
  minded character (the Doctor, for example) with 
  Fliss and Watson, and have two players take on their 
  roles for all those scenes. If you have more than three 
  players, the other players can take on the roles of 
  Ryan, Trant and some of the other crew or pirates.
  group one
  The first group ends up in the medical bay where they 
  have easy access to the scientific equipment they 
  might need to analyse the Slime and work out how to 
  defeat it.
  The characters, Fliss, Watson and some of the crew 
  and pirates, are being chased through the deck by 
  the possessed Ausk. He shoots his blaster, smashing 
  walls and screens around the fleeing characters. One 
  of the pirates gets hit. The players can either leave 
  him, or spend a Story Point on hoisting him up and 
  helping him to safety.
  In either case, they reach the medical bay. Rushing 
  inside, one of the characters hits the controls that 
  slam the doors shut. The doors to the medical bay are 
  
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  large and heavy, designed to protect the occupants 
  and to be closed air-tight and securely in the event of 
  quarantine.
  The Medical Bay
  Filled with a range of medical equipment that is 
  principally geared towards providing first aid as the 
  colony provides ample health care. There is, however, 
  a quarantine bay, with large floor to ceiling observation 
  windows. Should the characters need to undertake 
  any kind of analysis on the Slime or its victims, there 
  is suitable equipment here.
  With all this equipment to hand, Gadgets can be built 
  at a speed of 1 Story Point’s worth of traits every 15 
  minutes. If they are designed to work directly against 
  the Kraken Slime, then a sample of the Slime is first 
  required.
  •	
  This is the chance for the players to plan their 
  approach and more specifically, to plan how 
  to defeat the Slime. The equipment in this area 
  makes Jiggery-Pokery a little easier.
  group tWo
  The rest of the characters lead their group down onto 
  deck four, where the engineering control is housed. 
  They punch their way out of the ventilation shaft and 
  drop down. They can hear the Slime sloshing after 
  them through the shaft. What they need is to seal it 
  and give themselves some time.
  There are some metal plates and some welding gear 
  to hand. The characters can attempt to seal the shaft 
  themselves (with a Coordination + Craft roll at Difficulty 
  12, or spend a Story Point and direct someone else to 
  do it). Once sealed, they’re safe and have time to think.
  Engineering Control
  The engineering control deck is largely given over 
  to workshops for repairing faulty equipment and 
  machining new parts. There are also computer cores 
  that allow the ship to auto-correct for course, manage 
  the constantly shifting fuel containment fields and 
  regulate the fuel reactions that provide the ship’s 
  energy. As with the medical bay, the parts can be used 
  to make one Story Point’s worth of gadgetry every 15 
  minutes.
  The support pylons for the two great ion engines 
  run out from this deck, one on either side. They 
  are each shielded by large blast doors, which need 
  authorisation codes in order to open. The codes are 
  held by the captain and members of the engineering 
  team. Otherwise, the doors are deadlock-sealed. The 
  pylons are set to their own local gravity, ensuring 
  that they feel horizontal to those within them, despite 
  sweeping downwards. Each pylon has a number of 
  small electric transport carts that the engineers use 
  to get from one end to the other.
  The characters can communicate over the internal 
  ship communication systems, and build any Gadgets 
  they need, including flamethrowers, freeze-guns, 
  motion scanners, and so on.
  C 2. deFeating the sLiMe
  Remind the players what they know and what they 
  haven’t found out just yet:
  •	
  It appears to be psychic.
  •	
  It can survive in a vacuum.
  •	
  It can control humanoid forms.
  Ideally, they need to analyse some of the Slime to 
  learn more.
  capture the sLiMe
  The characters may need to go on a Slime hunt. The 
  medical bay has all the equipment the players may 
  ask for.
  When they go looking for the Slime, they soon see 
  it threading its way through the corridors, entering 
  circuitry and flowing through the cracks in the decking 
  and doors.
  Characters need to make an Awareness roll against 
  the Slime’s Coordination + Subterfuge to avoid 
  being hunted themselves and they need to make a 
  Coordination + Subterfuge roll against the Slime’s 
  Awareness in order to take one glob unawares. Give 
  the characters a bonus for any good ideas and use of 
  tools and Gadgets.
  Failure on these tests sees the Slime attack the 
  characters, so you’ll need to run the physical conflict. 
  All isn’t lost though; the characters can withdraw, 
  which draws one glob of Slime with them. If they do, 
  give them a bonus to their Fighting checks. When they 
  defeat the Slime, they have the sample they needed.
  anaLysing the sLiMe
  The characters need a Gadget capable of scanning to 
  the molecular level (a Sonic Screwdriver or similar 
  will do the trick), which then allows the character to 
  make an Ingenuity + Science roll (Difficulty 18). If 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 
  is dangerous. Any time a character gets close enough 
  to scan it, the Slime will attempt to attack. Luckily, 
  characters who try to scan the Slime act before the 
  Slime can attack, so they may still get some results. 
  The table below lists the information gained at each 
  success level.
  resuLt
  inForMation gained
  Fantastic
  As Good plus: The character 
  gains enough information to be 
  able to tune in scanners to pick 
  up the telepathic field. There is 
  a huge Slime colony outside the 
  ship, and it’s getting closer.
  Good
  As Success plus: the Slime is 
  telepathic, an effect enhanced 
  by proximity and the size of the 
  Slime. If it touches a target, it 
  can interface with their nervous 
  system and countermand the 
  electrical signals being sent to 
  and from the brain.
  Success
  The Slime is non-organic, but it 
  can process organic compounds 
  and extract the elements it 
  needs to replicate itself. It’s 
  composed of billions of tiny 
  identical machines. Together, 
  they form complex shapes and 
  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.
  Making a Weapon
  The characters have free rein on what they might 
  want to make. Some obvious examples might be to 
  combine the Buurman Blasters with the Sense TV 
  neural projectors and create weapons that stun the 
  Slime creatures. Or a neural projector could protect 
  an individual or room from the Slime by persuading it 
  to move along.
  The more powerful neural projector could be used to 
  affect the whole ship, including the colony, if a delivery 
  vehicle could be found (the Buurman pirate ship is still 
  available, although by this time filled with Slime).
  C 3. restarting the engines
  With no engine power, the ship will strike the debris 
  column, taking several strikes to breach the hull in 
  both the command module and throughout the colony.
  reaching the engine pods
  Both pods need to be manually restarted, and the 
  characters need to be involved in at least one of 
  those efforts. The vast engine pods each house 
  hybrid-matter fusion reactors and their associated 
  space-warp ion propulsion emitters. These areas 
  are unsafe for organic humanoid characters due to 
  the strange radiation (2000 REMs worth) given off by 
  the propulsion technology. This equate to (12/24/36) 
  levels of damage for each hour of exposure, modified 
  as usual by the results of a Strength + Survival check 
  (Difficulty 18).
  
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  The pylons connecting the pods to the command 
  module 
  contain 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  airlocks 
  and 
  decontamination areas along with bulky radiation 
  suits that provide a bonus of +9 to the Strength + 
  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 
  check. There are three radiation suits in each pylon, 
  providing Armour 8 and complete protection against 
  the Slime’s Possess ability.
  A series of three large switches need to be thrown 
  in order. They each require a Strength + Athletics 
  (Difficulty 12) roll to throw and each takes two actions; 
  one to engage, and one to fully open them up.
  restarting pod one
  Once two switches have been fully thrown, the 
  characters gets interrupted! The Slime-possessed 
  Faulkner is here; he attacks those who need to restart 
  the engines. Use the statistics for the possessed 
  humanoid and give Faulkner a big heavy wrench (+2 
  Strength to damage). The party need to fend him off 
  and continue to restart the engines.
  restarting pod tWo
  You only need to worry about this if you have a 
  character at each pod; otherwise, as soon as pod one 
  has restarted, the non-player characters at pod two 
  complete their task too. The restart switches in pod 
  two are covered in Slime, which makes it impossible 
  to touch them without being attacked. The players 
  need to find a way to neutralise the slime or remove it 
  so that they can restart the engines.
  C 4. escape the debris coLuMn
  With the slime defeated and the engines restarted, the 
  characters need to get to the flight deck to steer the 
  ship away from the debris column.
  the FLight deck
  The flight deck is ringed with large floor-to-ceiling 
  display panels, each showing a view out into space 
  overlaid with telemetry and system status information. 
  The views are grainy and occasionally short out; 
  the residual effects of the Slime. The crew stand at 
  workstations filled with physical dials and switches.
  The characters each need to take a specific action 
  in controlling the ship, and the group needs to make 
  three successes between them on a Coordination 
  + Transport roll (Difficulty 15). If a character fails, 
  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 
  needed are:
  •	
  Regulate the fuel reactions in the engines.
  •	
  Manage the speed of the ship.
  •	
  Adjust its pitch.
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  •	
  Roll the ship using the thrusters.
  •	
  Bring the shields back on line.
  Use the forward-facing weapons to blast a clear path.
  The characters can attempt these actions in any order 
  they like. If a character fails an action, they can try 
  again after everyone has had their go. Once a total of 
  six actions have been taken, and if three successes 
  haven’t been gained, then the Yatsoshiro crashes.
  C act iii: the MaW
  ‘How could they know, even stand back and see
  The nature of the place they stood on,
  When no man can, no man knows where he stands
  Until he leaves his place, looks back
  and knows.’
  – Erebus and Terror, Gwendolyn MacEwen
  The final act of the adventure forces the characters to 
  confront the result of their earlier actions. Have they 
  done enough to save the ship, or must they struggle to 
  salvage what they can from the wreckage?
  C 1. the crash oF the yatsoshiro
  If the players managed to save the Yatsoshiro, they 
  can skip this scene and go straight to The Kraken 
  Attacks. If the Yatsoshiro crashes however, the colony 
  needs to be saved.
  This is now a test of the players’ ingenuity. They have 
  just minutes before the colony collides with the debris 
  column. Do they try to clear a gap with a controlled 
  explosion? Knock the colony off-course with an 
  explosion? Or find some other option that doesn’t 
  include explosions? In terms of assets, they can reach 
  the TARDIS, or the Buurman ship and they can release 
  one or both engine pods and control them remotely. If 
  they wanted to do something bold like evacuating the 
  colony into the agripods and then jettisoning them, 
  then make the time short, but achievable.
  Whichever plan they arrive at, build the story around 
  it. Importantly, this scene replaces the next scene and 
  essentially brings the story to a close.
  C 2. the kraken attacks
  The Yatsoshiro is clear of the debris field, and while 
  minor bits of wreckage are still raining onto the hull, 
  there is no real damage and the Yatsoshiro is free. 
  The Slime on board the ship has been neutralised, 
  the pirates are either going to be sent on their way, 
  or sent to the brig, and the TARDIS has repaired itself.
  Just as everyone is saying goodbye… the Kraken 
  attacks.
  the attack
  A great section of the command module is suddenly 
  pulled away by a massive Slimy tentacle. The monster 
  isn’t done yet. It starts to pull the command module 
  apart, inching its way along in the direction of the 
  colony.
  deFeating the kraken
  There’s always more than one way to solve a problem 
  and the players are no doubt by now masters at 
  finding novel solutions to impossible problems. Once 
  the Kraken arrives, there will be too much Slime to 
  
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  fight off. The entire colony, including the crew, the 
  privateers, Fliss, and the characters are all likely to 
  be taken over by the Kraken Slime if they don’t do 
  something to stop it. The players might come up 
  with any of the following solutions:
  •	
  Destroy It: The option most beloved to scared 
  pirates and the military, destroying the Kraken 
  is possible. The Buurman ship, or one of the 
  Yatsoshiro’s engines, could be detonated in the 
  middle of the Kraken mass. The resulting shock 
  could deactivate all the Slime networked to it. 
  •	
  Send it Away: Either through reasoning with 
  the Kraken, tricking it or dominating it through 
  force of will, it may be possible to send the 
  Kraken away.
  •	
  Break it Up: The Kraken has a hive mind; the 
  more Slime there is the more intelligent and 
  resourceful the Kraken becomes. If it gets 
  broken up it becomes mostly harmless, for a 
  while at least. The Yatsoshiro’s warp engines 
  could be used to disrupt or scatter it, or the 
  Buurman ship. 
  •	
  Contain It: Can the Kraken Slime be tricked 
  into one of the Yatsoshiro’s agripods? Can the 
  characters materialise the TARDIS entirely 
  around it?
  •	
  Escape From It: They could always try escaping 
  from it. They could get in the TARDIS and go, or 
  they could gun the Yatsoshiro’s engines and try 
  to break free.
  Your players will no doubt suggest options that 
  aren’t covered above. In any case, whichever idea 
  your players come up with is exactly the right thing 
  to do! So, help them make it happen. The players 
  need to go through the following for each:
  •	
  Setting up the Solution: Ask the players, “What 
  do you want to do to the Slime?” If they’re not 
  confident of their options, you can read them 
  the quick headings above. Once they’ve decided 
  ask them how they’re going to do it. Again, help 
  the players come to a plan. Finally, ask them 
  what they need to make their plan work.
  •	
  The Challenge: Decide a couple of challenges 
  that need to be completed quickly and by 
  multiple characters. Do they need to jettison 
  one of the engines? If so, how do they convince 
  the captain (“Don’t worry, the Doctor knows 
  what he’s doing”)? And then how do they safely 
  send it off into space (“This button here… Or 
  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 
  hardship, like dropping the Sonic Screwdriver 
  at the very last minute, and give them a roll to 
  save the day.
  And after all that, their plan works!
  C aFterMath
  back to the tardis
  The TARDIS has completely healed itself, although 
  there is a fine dust all over the console that will take an 
  age to clean; the remnants of the Slime that infiltrated 
  the TARDIS shell.
  Friends and ForMer eneMies
  With the Yatsoshiro saved, Captain Ryan ensures that 
  the characters are known throughout the colony and 
  they will always receive a warm welcome. Even Trant, 
  pirate though he is, gives grudging respect to the 
  characters on future meetings. Though not pleased to 
  see them, he will do the characters no harm and may 
  even help them in the future. If one of the characters 
  feels that they have travelled far enough, Fliss and 
  Watson have only just started. If you wanted to, you 
  could start a new chapter with Fliss and Watson 
  stepping aboard the TARDIS.
  the Future oF the debris coLuMn
  The debris column may be filled with becalmed 
  ships now, but in the future, freed from the Kraken, 
  a thriving community might spring up. Salvage crews 
  may head to the column looking for parts and valuable 
  resources. Archaeologists from across the cosmos 
  might seek out the secrets of the ancient travellers 
  that once found themselves lost and alone in deep 
  space. And trader captains might steer their vessels 
  to the column to service the needs of visitors.
  As knowledge of the column spreads, more ships may 
  choose to join, living off scavenged power supplies or 
  joining with others to pool their resources. The column 
  could become a safe haven away from the reaches 
  of the law, while others might see the need to bring 
  order to the chaos. There are fiefdoms to be carved 
  out and reputations to be made in the debris column. 
  The characters might even visit again in the future as 
  the column makes its transition from a bustling but 
  disorganised commune to a society the size of an 
  entire planet snaking through the stars.
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  In this adventure, the time travellers are pulled 
  into a swirl of intrigue, mystery and romance! 
  They find themselves entangled with the legendary 
  mystic Count Cagliostro and the ageing adventurer 
  Casanova while dodging the Inquisition through the 
  canals of 18th-century Venice. At stake: the lives of 
  an innocent family.
  C adventure synopsis
  The adventure is set in Venice, in July 1778. There 
  is a historical celebrity who needs to turn his life 
  around. Sounds like the Doctor’s sort of thing. But one 
  wrong move – including doing nothing at all – means 
  innocent people will suffer.
  This adventure is really just a web of relationships 
  and a MacGuffin that everyone wants. Everything 
  the characters do will tweak the relationship web, 
  and whatever they do, everyone will chase after the 
  MacGuffin. There are no aliens, monsters or time 
  distortions: this is a ‘pure’ historical adventure of the 
  type described on pg. 33. Now, that might not suit your 
  game, so there’s an optional section at the end with 
  some of that good stuff – add to taste.
  A lot of detail is given for the opening scene. This 
  sequence drags the characters into a web of conflict 
  and intrigue as various factions compete to find and 
  hold on to a unique treasure.
  After the opening scene the adventure opens up. The 
  characters do whatever they please to deal with the 
  various problems they face, but their every move is 
  noticed by rivals who are ready to react.
  The adventure ends when the treasure comes to 
  light and the competition for ownership becomes 
  fierce and final, probably in one big multi-directional 
  confrontation.
  story speciaL ruLes
  While there are some serious aspects to this 
  story, overall this adventure is meant to be a 
  romp, with big broad antagonists, moderate 
  stakes and plenty of opportunities for laughter. 
  Explain these special rules to the players 
  before the start of play so they know what 
  they’re in for:
  Story Points spent on Convince rolls are doubly 
  effective: if spent before a roll, 1 Story Point 
  gives you 4 bonus dice instead of 2. If spent after 
  a roll, 1 Story Point improves the result two 
  levels instead of one. Likewise, Story Points are 
  doubly effective for any Subterfuge roll involving 
  the use of disguise.
  Characters can easily get separated in this 
  adventure. As an incentive to keep bringing 
  everyone together, award a Story Point each 
  time a player arranges for two separated 
  characters to cross paths.
  the beLLagio iMbrogLio
  
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  the cast oF characters
  As Gamemaster you will likely be playing these 
  characters frequently, as they drive the whole 
  adventure:
  •	
  The Ageing Rogue, Giacomo Casanova.
  •	
  The Generous Hostess, Elizabeta Bellagio.
  •	
  The Rebellious Daughter, Sabrina Bellagio.
  Another set of characters will be ‘on stage’ less 
  often but still have important roles in the story. As 
  Gamemaster you will need to think about what they 
  do when the player characters aren’t around:
  •	
  The Special Inquisitor, Bernardo Battista.
  •	
  The Ruthless Twins, Mariano and Carla Palladio.
  •	
  The Murderous Assassin, Mostro, who works for 
  the twins.
  •	
  The Roving Magician, Alessandro Cagliostro.
  There are a number of other characters in the 
  adventure who may take on large or small roles, 
  depending on how events work out. You probably 
  won’t need to worry about them when they’re not with 
  the characters. These include:
  •	
  The Daring Gondolier, Vincenzo Cristiano.
  •	
  The Ill-Fated Informant, Anton.
  •	
  The Bellagio Servant, Teodor.
  As the adventure unfolds you will probably invent other 
  characters depending on what the players choose to 
  do. As sparks for imagination, here are some potential 
  further characters:
  •	
  The Principal of the Fellows of the Red Lion, 
  Aureo Mare (perhaps he has his own special need 
  for Cagliostro’s help).
  •	
  The Police Captain, Fracastoro (perhaps he is 
  actively trying to get the Special Inquisitor tossed 
  out of Venice and waiting for a justification).
  •	
  The Singing Gondolier, Cesare (perhaps he knows 
  the secret friendship between Vincenzo and Aldo).
  •	
  The Fool of the 40 Thieves, Umberto (perhaps he 
  was sick of being treated poorly and tipped off the 
  Inquisition about Vincenzo’s and Sabrina’s raid).
  •	
  The Beggar Woman, Margarita (perhaps her 
  husband was imprisoned by the Inquisition and 
  she is starving without his income, demonstrating 
  the power the Inquisition can exert).
  What historians knoW
  In his memoirs, legendary adventurer and 
  seducer Giacomo Casanova recounts a meeting 
  with the man who would become the mysterious 
  Cagliostro. It was 1770, and they happened 
  to stay at the same inn in the south of France. 
  Cagliostro posed as a religious pilgrim, but 
  Casanova was not fooled by this act. He was, 
  however, impressed by the younger man’s skill 
  at forgery. Eight years later they met again. 
  Both their fortunes had changed, and now they 
  were at odds. The true nature of their secret 
  encounter has never been determined, but 
  rumours have circulated for centuries. One 
  rumour has persisted above all others: that they 
  exchanged the secret of eternal life.
  pLaying history
  Historical settings can be intimidating, and 
  18th-century Venice is a perfect example. 
  There’s so much information out there! What 
  if you misrepresent history, or contradict a 
  known fact? Relax. If the Doctor’s adventures 
  have proved anything, it’s that there’s no such 
  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 
  to the game table, but most players really won’t 
  mind if you don’t. The most important thing is 
  exciting play.
  Whatever you do, don’t overload the game with 
  detail after detail! That just bogs everything 
  down. In fact, regardless of how much you’ve 
  researched, you should only bring a small 
  number of vivid images into play. The players’ 
  imaginations will race ahead to fill in the gaps.
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  C getting there
  This adventure assumes that the characters have the 
  ability to travel in time and space – that they aren’t 
  already citizens of 18th-century Venice. Exactly how 
  the characters arrive on the scene will depend on who 
  they are and how they travel about. Here are some 
  ideas:
  •	
  Accident: The characters are using a time 
  machine that is often unreliable, or just cannot be 
  steered with any accuracy, and they land here by 
  accident.
  •	
  Tourism: If the characters travel to see the 
  sights and wonders of the universe, they could 
  be heading here in order to witness the famed 
  Venetian Carnivale at its height. (They are about 
  six months too late for Carnivale, but there’s still 
  plenty to see!)
  •	
  Alchemy: The characters could be seeking the 
  fabled Philosopher’s Stone – a secret alchemical 
  substance that can turn lead into gold, among 
  many other incredible properties – or the Elixir 
  of Life. Records indicate Cagliostro came to 
  Venice at this time, and rumours say he had these 
  treasures. In this adventure, these two items are 
  one and the same, two different expressions of 
  the same treasure.
  •	
  Investigation: Records show the mysterious 
  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.
  sticking around
  A group of time travellers always has the option of just 
  walking away. Why should they stick around for this 
  adventure, especially when it starts getting tricky for 
  them?
  •	
  Getting Stuck: This has been a common 
  occurrence in the Doctor’s travels; he loses 
  access to the TARDIS, or the TARDIS breaks down, 
  or everyone gets arrested and imprisoned. The 
  rest of the adventure is about finding a way out. 
  This situation probably happens in this adventure, 
  but it’s not a foolproof plan for a Gamemaster. A 
  sufficiently determined set of players armed with 
  Story Points can force their way to an exit point 
  very swiftly indeed.
  •	
  Responsibility: The characters are in some way 
  responsible for a bad situation and feel obliged to 
  put it right. In this adventure an innocent family 
  will be hurt if the characters simply depart.
  •	
  Empathy: The characters meet several people 
  who are in trouble. Compassionate characters 
  will want to assist them, and this will mean 
  entangling themselves in the story threads.
  •	
  Tourism: Some characters will be delighted by 
  the chance to spend time with famous historical 
  figures such as Casanova and Cagliostro. Dangle 
  this possibility in front of them, but don’t rush to 
  let them achieve their goal.
  •	
  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 
  else, why, there is no better advisor to be found! 
  And of course there are several potential love 
  matches for the characters, if your players like 
  that sort of story.
  C casanova and the beLLagios
  The central characters each face difficult problems.
  Giacomo Casanova needs to prove himself to the 
  Inquisition. He is using the Bellagio family as bait for 
  the Inquisition’s enemy, Cagliostro. When Cagliostro 
  helps the Bellagios, Casanova will turn them all over 
  to the Inquisition as occult criminals.
  The Bellagios have problems of their own, of course. 
  The widow Elizabeta is in worsening debt to some 
  unsavoury characters, one of whom is courting her 
  reluctant daughter Maria. There seems no way out – 
  until they learn of the magician Cagliostro.
  “antonio pratoLini” (giacoMo casanova)
  •	
  Declining fame.
  •	
  Conflicted about spying for the Inquisition.
  •	
  Using the Bellagios to entrap Cagliostro.
  Casanova, the adventurer of legend! He bedded the 
  finest women of Europe, and feared no man, a jealous 
  husband least of all! However, by 1778, the legend has 
  faded. Now aged 53, his manners are out of fashion, 
  his money has run out and his name is slipping into 
  obscurity. He scrapes a living as an informant (or, in 
  his words, a “spy”) for the Venetian Inquisition. His 
  humiliation is acute, because he first found fame for 
  escaping the Inquisition’s prison.
  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 
  greater sins being committed! Casanova must find 
  something big, or he’ll be out on his ear. Fortunately, 
  he has learned that the magician Cagliostro is 
  travelling nearby. This is his opportunity! Using a 
  Venetian family as bait, he will lure in Cagliostro and 
  deliver him to the Inquisition. 
  He is not sleeping easily over this plan, however. The 
  family will be sacrificed along with the magician. 
  Casanova has committed many sins in his life, but 
  never has he betrayed innocents to such a dreadful 
  fate. 
  Will he go through with his subterfuge? Will he be 
  able to live with himself after? It is up to the players’ 
  characters to guide him.
  eLiZabeta beLLagio
  •	
  In spiralling debt to the dangerous Palladio twins.
  •	
  Invited Cagliostro to Venice for assistance.
  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 
  husband. To keep going through a rough patch, he 
  borrowed a substantial sum from the unscrupulous 
  Palladio twins. The rough patch didn’t end, and when 
  he died, Aldo was struggling to service the rapidly 
  growing debt. That debt is now hers.
  Carla Palladio has offered a way out for Elizabeta. If 
  she simply hands over a family heirloom, a precious 
  gem known as the Bellagio Stone, Carla will forgive 
  the debt. But the Bellagio Stone cannot be found; 
  Elizabeta does not know where her late husband Aldo 
  left it. 
  In need of help, Elizabeta has gone to one of her oldest 
  friends, the adventurer Casanova, for advice. He 
  suggested inviting the magician Cagliostro to Venice. 
  Cagliostro’s magic will surely divine the location of the 
  stone.
  Elizabeta went to her society of friends, the Fellows 
  of the Red Lion, and convinced them to support a 
  bid to bring Cagliostro to Venice. Although many of 
  the Fellows hope to join in Cagliostro’s renowned 
  ceremonies, it falls to Elizabeta to be his host. And 
  thus she bears the greatest risk; for playing host to 
  a magician will not be received well by the Venetian 
  Inquisition, should they discover the truth.
  Will the Bellagio Stone be found? Will Elizabeta 
  resolve her debt? The players will determine her fate.
  sabrina beLLagio
  •	
  Dutiful daughter by day, daredevil by night.
  •	
  Enduring a deeply unwanted courtship.
  •	
  Landed her best friend in trouble with the 
  Inquisition.
  Headstrong and restless, Sabrina barely manages to 
  keep up the appearance of the good daughter. But 
  she tries, because she knows her mother faces great 
  challenges, and her loyalty to family is absolute. 
  The greatest test of this loyalty comes from a 
  suitor. She is being courted by the wealthy Mariano 
  Palladio. She dislikes him, but dares not refuse 
  him. She knows the family is in grave debt to the 
  Palladios. For her mother’s sake, she must endure 
  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 
  man. With that future ahead of her, all the more 
  reason to live life to the full while she can. After the 
  sun goes down, she has her real fun. She is the only 
  girl in a gang of thrill-seeking troublemakers who 
  call themselves the Forty Thieves. They sneak out 
  at night and challenge each other to feats of great 
  daring and adventure.
  Sabrina’s great rival is Vincenzo, the Bellagio’s 
  favoured gondolier, and also the leader of the Forty 
  Thieves. He delights in belittling and baiting her, so 
  she is determined to show him she is the bravest of 
  all. This has caused her current predicament. 
  Sabrina announced that she would set off an explosive 
  stink-bomb in the Inquisitorial Headquarters. She 
  suggested Vincenzo was too cowardly to come with 
  her. Vincenzo wouldn’t let that stand. So, together, 
  they broke into the Inquisitorial Chambers and 
  thoroughly despoiled its aromatic integrity. But they 
  were discovered! To give Sabrina a chance to escape, 
  Vincenzo allowed himself to be caught. He is now in 
  the Inquisition’s custody, and Sabrina is determined 
  to free him, no matter what it takes.
  Will she be forced to marry Mariano? Will she free 
  Vincenzo from his prison? The players will help decide 
  her fate.
  C juggLing the cast
  Three big story characters, all with their own goals. 
  Here’s the trick to managing this crowd without 
  going crazy: partnerships. Match up each of these 
  characters with one of the players’ characters. 
  Then have the story character focus attention on their 
  match. They can confide in them, invite them home, 
  challenge them, ask them questions. Try to get the 
  player interested in the story character and keen to 
  solve their problems.
  These partnerships will mean that each story 
  character will have a hook to one player. You just need 
  to keep all your players engaged as you usually would, 
  and the different stories will take care of themselves.
  potentiaL Matches
  If you want, plan in advance who will be a good match 
  for who. However, be prepared to throw all that 
  planning out the window once the game is underway. 
  If one player shows a lot of interest in Sabrina’s 
  story, then match them with Sabrina. Here are some 
  suggestions for matches:
  •	
  Casanova is a good match for singular characters 
  with complex histories like the Doctor, Clara or 
  Sarah Jane.
  
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  •	
  Sabrina is a good match for daring, wildfire 
  characters like Captain Jack or Amy.
  •	
  Elizabeta is a good match for down-to-earth or 
  worldy wise characters like Martha, Donna or 
  Rory.
  If you only have two players, match them with Sabrina 
  and Elizabeta, leaving Casanova to bounce back and 
  forth.
  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 
  the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. If properly 
  understood, it could turn lead to gold, bring light in 
  the dark and hold back death itself.
  Elizabeta doesn’t know what to think about these 
  stories. She knows Aldo believed the Stone was 
  powerful. Once he told her that the Stone’s magic 
  could drive a man insane. For that reason, she 
  thinks, he hid the Stone away where no one could be 
  tempted by its power. Despite her great need, a part 
  of her hopes that the Stone will never be found.
  secrets oF the stone
  The high society of Venice believe the Bellagio Stone is 
  in fact the Philosopher’s Stone. The Special Inquisitor 
  certainly thinks this is the case. However, other views 
  are available, and Casanova for one does not believe 
  a word of it. Occult carry-on is just a fancy way to 
  swindle the gullible, and Cagliostro is the biggest 
  scoundrel of all.
  However, Cagliostro is genuinely intrigued by the 
  Stone and its legend. He wishes to claim it for himself.
  So what is the truth of the Stone? This adventure does 
  not rely on any single explanation. You should choose 
  one of the following:
  •	
  It is simply an unusual gemstone, cut in a 
  distinctive shape.
  •	
  It is indeed special; perhaps a gem that has grown 
  up inside the Time Vortex, offering glimpses of 
  the past and the future to those who bathe in its 
  artron radiation?
  •	
  It is an item of great significance in your own 
  campaign; a message from the Time Lords, or a 
  fragment of the Key to Time?
  Where is the stone?
  The Bellagio Stone is not lost forever. Indeed, it is very 
  close indeed.
  Vincenzo has served the Bellagio family since he 
  became a gondolier. He is not a servant, but a favoured 
  provider of an essential service. He knows the family 
  well. 
  In this period, Vincenzo impressed Aldo with his good 
  character, and also spritely attitude to life. When 
  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 
  gondolier to silence, he secreted the Stone within 
  Vincenzo’s gondola.
  It has been there ever since. Vincenzo never doubted 
  Aldo’s expectation that the stone was bad luck. But 
  Aldo did not reckon on one thing: Sabrina. She is 
  working her way closer to Vincenzo than anyone 
  else; if she is threatened, he might be tempted to 
  break that vow.
  Apart from a confession to save Sabrina or her 
  mother, how will the characters determine Vincenzo 
  has the Stone? They might logic their way to it, 
  but Story Points will be of great use. As players 
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  investigate, give them opportunities to find clues 
  leading to this truth in return for a Story Point: for 
  example, one of the other gondoliers might mention 
  that Aldo treated Vincenzo like the son he never had, 
  while a servant might note that in his waning days 
  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:
  With a wheezing, groaning sound the TARDIS settles 
  in its destination: Venice, 1778. The door opens, and 
  the time travellers emerge, one after the other. They 
  are all wearing masks, ready for the famous Venetian 
  Masquerade. What masks are you wearing?
  Thinking up an answer to the mask question is a 
  good warm-up for players, getting their imaginations 
  working, giving them an opportunity to demonstrate 
  something about their character. After they’ve 
  answered, and perhaps launched into some banter, 
  you can carry on:
  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 
  astonished silence.
  Where are they?
  This is the meeting hall of the Fellows of the Red 
  Lion. They have gathered to welcome the magician 
  Cagliostro to Venice. You can guess what will happen 
  next:
  Everyone wears elaborate finery and artisan masks, 
  and says nothing. Then a woman steps forward. She 
  wears a silver-shot half-mask and a red dress lined 
  with glittering jewels.“My Lord Cagliostro! What an 
  entrance!” And with this cue, the entire room erupts 
  into cheers and applause.
  There are only two exits from the hall, to the front and 
  rear stairs, and both are guarded. 
  This hall is upstairs from the entrance floor, which 
  is predominantly storerooms and antechambers and 
  closets; there is an even higher level with locked 
  offices and a balcony front and rear, and right at the 
  back, a stone cell.
  nope, My pLayers didn’t do that
  Some groups won’t be keen on starting out in the 
  room, preferring to cautiously check the scanner 
  before opening the door, or otherwise taking care not 
  to cause a scene. That’s fine! Perhaps the TARDIS 
  lands in the larder, among the wait staff, allowing a 
  more subtle entry to the room?
  If they’re really cautious, they might also try a short 
  jump to someone more discreet. You could offer Story 
  Points to get them out into the room, but if they aren’t 
  tempted, let them go. Wherever they land, it isn’t 
  too hard to have someone witness their emergence, 
  and word will quickly get around about Cagliostro’s 
  Magical Blue Box…
  it gets coMpLicated
  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 
  important bits. 
  The woman, who is of course Elizabeta Bellagio, 
  hushes the crowd:
  “Of course, we must not use that name! Let me correct 
  myself: I welcome you to Venice, Lord Pellegrini!”
  Servants offer platters laden with wine and tiny 
  delicacies. Yum.
  Elizabeta was expecting an entrance, but this is 
  incredible! She starts making introductions. (She will 
  not mention Casanova.) The players can play along or 
  try and clear things up.
  
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  The crowd is excited: what a coup, what a marvel! Did 
  you hear that Cagliostro predicted the lottery? And 
  spoke with the dead! Why, I heard he could be in two 
  places at once! I was told he shrunk a French bishop 
  to the size of a doll! 
  There are four important events that make up the rest 
  of this scene. Introduce them in this order:
  •	
  One character notices a man wearing a golden 
  hook-nosed half-mask (a Commedia dell’Arte 
  mask for the character Pulcinella). He stands half 
  in the shadows, watching intently. Candlelight 
  reflects off his mask. And then, abruptly, he 
  departs.
  •	
  One character is approached by a young man 
  wearing red. He leans in to whisper: “Your host 
  is in the grip of dark forces. I cannot talk here. 
  Follow me.” Then, some of the men from the Red 
  Lion Fellows will tap him on the shoulder; he is 
  not a member and is unwelcome. He will hurry 
  from the building.
  •	
  Elizabeta introduces her daughter, Sabrina, an 
  attractive girl of 17 in a pearl half-mask. She 
  approaches to politely kiss “Cagliostro” on the 
  cheek. While doing this, she takes the opportunity 
  to steal something from his pockets: a Sonic 
  Screwdriver, perhaps? (Technically this is a 
  contested roll – Awareness + Ingenuity vs. Co-
  ordination + Subterfuge – but you could just hand 
  over a Story Point.) Then she makes her way from 
  the room, pausing to ensure one of Cagliostro’s 
  entourage sees her with the stolen item. She 
  wants to be followed.
  •	
  And then, the Inquisitor arrives.
  casanova, the hook-Masked Lurker
  Casanova knows full well that these new arrivals are 
  not Cagliostro and company. He slips away to regroup. 
  He will be horrified when he sees that the Inquisition 
  are about to raid the place: this is not at all part of 
  his plan! Anyone who tails him will see him hide as 
  the police march by, then find a position where he can 
  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. 
  There, he waits for someone to come, so he can deliver 
  his warning: “Your hostess is beholden to the wicked 
  Palladio twins, who desire your treasures. She will try 
  to steal them, and if she fails, they will murder her 
  daughter. And then they will murder you. Be careful. 
  If you give me your protection I will help you escape.”
  This is when his luck runs out. A noose will slip around 
  his neck and yank him up. The fearsome Mostro, 
  lurking above, will haul him up and leave him hanging 
  from the rooftop for the crows.
  Anton lost his inheritance thanks to an unwise deal 
  with the twins, and became their servant. He hopes 
  Cagliostro will cause their downfall and free him. His 
  warning is broadly accurate but gets a few details 
  wrong: the treasure is Carla Palladio’s aim only, not 
  her brother’s, and she has yet to make any request of 
  any Bellagio.
  Note that a quick-thinking player might save Anton 
  from death. Such a result is perfectly fine, although 
  Mostro will make further attempts in short order. 
  Realising the danger, Anton will do his best to make 
  himself scarce, but a convincing player might get him 
  to stick around and lend a hand against the Palladios.
  sabrina, the pearL-Masked thieF
  Sabrina wants to earn some attention and respect 
  from the new arrivals. Hoping to be followed, she 
  climbs the stairs to the highest level of the building 
  and waits for whoever comes on a balcony overlooking 
  the street. There she will return the stolen item and 
  ask for help with rescuing her friend Vincenzo.
  Mostro
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 6, Fighting 6, Subterfuge 4.
  traits
  Distinctive: hulking, hairy and huge.
  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 
  the first place.
  Unattractive: His features are twisted and 
  terrifying.
  eQuipMent:  Spiked Club (4/8/12), Strangulation 
  Noose (use the rules for drowning, see the 
  Doctor Who Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook).
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 4
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  4
  coordination
  5
  resoLve
  4
  ingenuity
  2
  strength
  6
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  And then, from her high vantage, Sabrina will see the 
  police approaching. She will realise there is no time 
  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 
  cut the TARDIS off completely. If the characters 
  persist in trying, offer a Story Point or two for a 
  reason to change tack. If that fails, adjudicate 
  their efforts fairly.
  •	
  Talk to the Inquisition! The rank and file know 
  better than to chatter away in a situation like 
  this. The Sergeant will be willing to talk however 
  – confirming that his detachment have been 
  seconded to the Holy Inquisition, and securing 
  this building was their first task.
  •	
  Run for it! Now that’s the spirit. The Sergeant 
  will shout “after them!” and a chase will begin! 
  For each fleeing character, two policemen 
  will be in pursuit. They must be shaken off or 
  otherwise dealt with for the escape to take; any 
  fleeing character who is captured will be treated 
  as a prisoner thereafter. If the characters are in 
  trouble here, Casanova might intervene to help 
  them evade the police.
  •	
  Stay quiet! Keep quiet, let what happens happen, 
  don’t draw attention to yourself. This works fine 
  until the Special Inquisitor turns up.
  •	
  Fight our way out! Well, this isn’t really 
  recommended, but it might make sense for 
  some groups. It works how you’d think: big fight, 
  characters marked men thereafter. The rest of 
  this adventure will probably run a little differently 
  if the characters take this course, so you might 
  need to think on your feet a bit.
  enter the speciaL inQuisitor
  After the room has been secured and everything is 
  calm, Special Inquisitor Battista makes his entrance. 
  His beady eyes explore every dark corner and delve 
  into every soul. Everyone is terrified of him.
  Marched in behind him is a rangy youth with a sack 
  tied over his head and his hands bound behind his 
  back. Battista makes no reference to this prisoner. 
  This is Sabrina’s friend Vincenzo; if she is there to 
  witness, she will instantly recognise him despite the 
  sack.
  Battista will speak. Everyone will listen, because he 
  is a very powerful man. He makes an absolute meal 
  out of this:
  “Fellows of the Red Lion. A society of mutual aid. Until 
  further notice, you are shut down. Closed by order of 
  the Inquisition! We have reason to believe that societies 
  in this precinct conceal gambling! Paganism! Wrong 
  music! And even those who actively plot to humiliate 
  god’s Inquisition in Venice!
  “Do any of you… wish… to confess?”
  If no one fills the silence, Elizabeta will speak up. 
  Flustered, she says this is just a collection of friends 
  who try to help each other get along. Unless the 
  players’ characters help, her response will obviously 
  earn Battista’s close attention and suspicion.
  Battista’s general mood is dark. He stands too close 
  to those he speaks with, and his expression is a 
  permanent scowl. He will be very interested in any 
  characters he spots, sensing they are unusual.
  Battista will ask questions. Where are they from? How 
  long have they been in Venice, and how did they come? 
  Where is their residence? (Elizabeta will say they are 
  her guests.)
  
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  He will be particularly suspicious of the TARDIS: 
  “Magicians are known to keep their secrets in magic 
  boxes such as this. Open it!”
  If this questioning goes particularly badly, Battista 
  might decide to arrest some of the characters, or even 
  Elizabeta. More likely, he will just take careful note of 
  suspicious people, for future investigation.
  Battista will then announce that this hall is 
  requisitioned as his new headquarters, seeing as the 
  usual office is uninhabitable due to the acts of vandals 
  (see pg. 141).
  He will have his men put any prisoners – including 
  the captured Vincenzo – in the cell at the back of the 
  house, to stay there under guard.
  He will set up his office and receiving room in the hall, 
  alongside the TARDIS. This means getting access to 
  the TARDIS for the remainder of the adventure will be 
  a bit tricky.
  C the rest oF the adventure
  Will Elizabeta be freed of her debt? Will Sabrina marry 
  Mariano? Will Vincenzo be condemned? Will Casanova 
  deliver his friend to the Inquisition? Without help from 
  the players, every one of these questions will receive 
  the most awful answer.
  C iMportant Locations
  casa beLLagio
  Cagliostro and company are expected at the Bellagio 
  home, but even if the mistaken identity is discovered, 
  the characters will still be made welcome. A servant 
  named Teodor will attend to all their needs.
  Casa Bellagio makes an excellent base of operations. 
  It is large and well-appointed, with an excellent dining 
  room containing a painting of the departed Aldo 
  Bellagio with the Bellagio Stone.
  the FeLLoWs oF the red Lion haLL
  This meeting room has been seized by the Inquisition. 
  Note however that the Red Lion Fellows only occupy 
  one level of this multi-level building. There are various 
  offices up on the very top floor, for example. There are 
  police on guard at the main entrance to the building, 
  but they cannot refuse those with legitimate business 
  elsewhere in the building. 
  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 
  be put in the same room and will have a chance to 
  meet Vincenzo. They will also have ample opportunity 
  to chat with the Special Inquisitor, and even some 
  Venetian Police who are none too happy being ordered 
  around by Battista.
  casa paLLadio
  This garish, over-dressed mansion is filled with the 
  callous rich, who swirl about in a perpetual party 
  haze and pay obsequious homage to their hosts, the 
  Palladio Twins. Carla and Mariano are usually here, 
  and Mostro lives here in a gloomy tower. There are 
  thugs on the door turning away anyone who is not 
  known to them.
  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 
  repair, and a number of  shadowy alcoves and corners 
  for privacy.
  This square is the favoured midnight meeting place 
  of the Forty Thieves, because Vincenzo stores his 
  gondola here. This is also where Cagliostro arranges 
  venetian poLiceMan
  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 
  aren’t particularly pleased by this, but as long as 
  they get to smash a few people up from time to 
  time, they’re willing to put up with it.
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 3, Fighting 3, Marksman 3.
  eQuipMent:  Club (2/4/6), Pistol (2/5/7).
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 0
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  2
  coordination
  3
  resoLve
  3
  ingenuity
  2
  strength
  3
  the beLLagio iMbrogLio
  
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  to meet Casanova, because he has guessed that the 
  Bellagio Stone is hidden  in Vincenzo’s gondola.
  other streets and canaLs
  The maze of avenues, paved or watery, is always 
  open for exploration. In this adventure, any character 
  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 hoW to run 
  the rest oF the adventure
  That opening scene was heavily scripted, telling you 
  exactly what happens when. From now on, though, it’s 
  all up to you. For the rest of the adventure, your job as 
  Gamemaster is this:
  •	
  Make the story characters forcefully pursue their 
  goals.
  •	
  Make the story characters react to everything the 
  players do.
  One way to handle this smoothly is to go around the 
  table, giving focus to each player in turn.
  •	
  Are they doing something already? If so, great! 
  Work out what happens.
  •	
  Is there something they want to do? If so, great! 
  Get them started.
  •	
  Are they stalled or unsure? Take the story 
  character they are ‘partnered’ with (see pg. 141), 
  and have that character drag them into a new 
  situation.
  Or consider the opposition characters. Have one 
  of them take an action that will force the player to 
  respond.
  Still stuck? Get the player to link in with another 
  player’s actions. Offer them a Story Point for 
  suggesting a connection.
  And then? Time to have a bad guy kick down a door. 
  Have Mostro turn up to menace the character or 
  anyone else in range. That would keep anyone busy.
  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:
  •	
  Battista visits the Bellagios; Casanova leaves to 
  avoid him.
  Early Evening:
  •	
  Elizabeta pleads with Carla Palladio for more 
  time. (She is refused)
  •	
  “Lord 
  Huntingdon” 
  introduces 
  himself 
  to 
  Elizabeta.
  •	
  Mariano Palladio gives Sabrina an ultimatum.
  •	
  Casanova reports to Battista. (Tells him about the 
  meeting arrangements.)
  •	
  Sabrina tries to recruit the other Forty Thieves to 
  help free Vincenzo. (They refuse.)
  Dead of Night:
  •	
  Sabrina launches her desperate attempt to free 
  Vincenzo. (It fails. She is arrested too.)
  Near Sunrise:
  •	
  “Huntingdon”, Casanova and Elizabeta meet at 
  San Trovaso Square. (The Palladios come, and 
  violence breaks out. Mariano kills Elizabeta, and 
  is killed in turn by the arriving Inquisition. The 
  others escape. Casanova has nothing to show for 
  his betrayal.)
  •	
  Battista holds a Tribunal. (Vincenzo and Sabrina 
  are condemned.)
  
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  Weaving stories together
  This is a busy adventure, and it will be easy for 
  characters to split up. Luckily, this is a romp, so 
  unlikely coincidences are entirely appropriate, and 
  the characters should keep running into each other. 
  As Gamemaster you can take charge of this, but 
  it’s easier if you hand this job over to the players. 
  After all, they earn Story Points when they bring 
  separated characters back together (as described 
  on pg. 137).
  For example, the Doctor is in a gondola with Sabrina 
  Bellagio, discussing the Inquisition’s defences. 
  Elsewhere, Clara is running for her life with the 
  fearsome Mostro on her tail. 
  Clara’s player suggests that she runs over a bridge 
  just as the Doctor’s gondola passes underneath. The 
  Gamemaster gives Clara’s player a Story Point for 
  linking the characters back together.
  Or perhaps the Doctor arranges a secret meeting 
  with Casanova. He sets the meeting for under the 
  belltower at midnight. Clara has already arranged to 
  meet with the Palladio twins at that exact time and 
  place – what a coincidence! The Gamemaster gives 
  the Doctor’s player a Story Point for linking these 
  events together.
  soMe coMpLications
  You have a lot of freedom in staging these events, and 
  might find inspiration in the following ideas:
  •	
  Masks: In Venice at this time, lots of people 
  wear masks. As Gamemaster, keep this in mind 
  always when deciding what will happen next. 
  Characters can disguise themselves in masks, 
  can change their mask to confuse people, 
  or swap masks with other people. Make this 
  adventure “the one with all the masks”.
  •	
  Mistaken Identities: More than once, the Doctor 
  has been on a ‘pure historical’ adventure and 
  encountered someone who was the spitting 
  image of himself or one of his companions. What 
  would happen if the Doctor looked exactly the 
  same as Casanova?
  •	
  Gondola Chase: What’s a trip to Venice without 
  a good chase along the canals? Gondolas can 
  capsize, or race under low bridges. People can 
  leap from gondola to gondola, or gondola to 
  solid ground. (And remember: gondoliers don’t 
  use poles to push, they use oars to row. That’s 
  the kind of detail that will convince everyone 
  you’ve spent hours and hours on research!)
  C What they aLL did next
  casanova
  As soon as he sees the players’ characters mistaken 
  for Cagliostro, Casanova knows his plan is about to 
  spiral out of control. 
  Action: Investigate the Cagliostro Imposter
  First order of business is working out who these folk 
  are. After watching for a short time, Casanova will 
  arrange to cross paths with ‘Cagliostro’ or part of his 
  company, introduce himself, and attempt to befriend 
  them. He will pretend to have never met Cagliostro 
  before, and to be excited to make the acquaintance.
  He will not tip his hand, nor confide to Elizabeta that 
  this is the wrong Cagliostro. A false Cagliostro is still 
  a prize for the Inquisition, after all – no point driving 
  them away just yet.
  (When the truth does come out, Casanova will say that 
  he knows Cagliostro sometimes sends agents ahead 
  of him to determine if a place is safe, and he thought it 
  simplest to play along.)
  Action: Report to Special Inquisitor Battista.
  Casanova is expected to report to the Special Inquisitor 
  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 
  name “Pratolini”.
  Unless there is some intervention by players, 
  “Pratolini” will report (in craven and fearful manner) 
  on a family indulging in ungodly magic. He does 
  not tell Battista the name of this family! Then, to 
  impress the Special Inquisitor further, Casanova will 
  announce that his true target is the famed wizard 
  Cagliostro. This will intrigue Battista, and give 
  “Pratolini” some hope that his future may be safe, if 
  he delivers this prize.
  Action: Seduce a Lady
  Whenever the opportunity strikes, Casanova will 
  attempt to seduce any woman who impresses him. 
  He does this in a good-natured way, with no sense of 
  entitlement but every confidence that mutual pleasure 
  will result. He is persistent but not offensive, and is 
  quite gentlemanly in his own way.
  Action: Spark a Duel
  During the adventure, Casanova will be sensitive to 
  challenges to his honour. In particular, any attempt to 
  suggest he is in league with the Inquisition will earn 
  the accuser an immediate challenge to a duel.
  the beLLagio iMbrogLio
  
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  Action: Meet with Cagliostro
  When Cagliostro’s invitation to meet arrives, Casanova 
  will eagerly agree. This is his chance to spring his trap 
  – if Elizabeta comes as well. He will try to convince her 
  to join them, and will tip off the Inquisition.
  But Casanova is of two minds about this action. He 
  also genuinely wants to meet Cagliostro again, and 
  perhaps learn some of the master manipulator’s 
  secrets. He doesn’t want Elizabeta to suffer. Only a 
  character’s intervention can change what he does.
  eLiZabeta beLLagio
  (Note: In the unlikely event she was arrested by 
  Battista, she is soon escorted home and placed 
  under house arrest, with a single guard at the door.)
  Elizabeta’s top problem is Carla Palladio. This is not a 
  good day for her. 
  Action: Put Cagliostro to Work
  Cagliostro has come at the invitation of the Red Lion 
  Fellows, but Elizabeta has yet to detail her specific, 
  desperate need. She must recover the Bellagio Stone, 
  and Cagliostro is her last hope. If and when she 
  discovers that her new guest is not Cagliostro, well, 
  perhaps that’s just fate sending the right person at the 
  right time. She will take whatever help she can find.
  Action: Ask Carla Palladio for More Time
  After Cagliostro is on the case, Elizabeta will set out 
  to plead with Carla for more time. This will probably 
  involve visiting the Palladio’s estate, which is currently 
  hosting a party, and finding Carla there. 
  Carla will not be moved by Elizabeta’s pleading, and 
  will instead try and extract as much information as 
  possible from her: what has changed to provoke this 
  visit? If she learns of Cagliostro she will be most 
  interested.
  sabrina beLLagio
  Sabrina’s initial goal is to free Vincenzo. After the visit 
  from Battista that points out the Bellagio Stone might 
  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 
  escaping from an Inquisitorial prison. If someone 
  points this out, she might try and get him to help.
  Above all, Sabrina is a strong force for action. She’d 
  rather do something and make everything worse than 
  sit quietly and wait for other people to decide her fate.
  Also, she will flirt with anyone who seems responsive. 
  She enjoys flirting. And she is completely in denial 
  about how hard she’s fallen for the infuriating 
  Vincenzo.
  eLiZabeta beLLagio
  skiLLs 
  Convince 2, Knowledge 3.
  traits
  Screamer: Elizabeta has been known to exercise 
  her lungs when shocked or afraid.
  Unadventurous: She just wants to be rid of all this 
  drama.
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 4
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  3
  coordination
  2
  resoLve
  5
  ingenuity
  3
  strength
  2
  giacoMo casanova
  a.k.a. “antonio pratoLini”
  skiLLs 
  Convince 6, Craft 3, Fighting 3, Knowledge 4, 
  Marksman 2, Medicine 2, Subterfuge 5.
  traits
  Attractive: Even with his advancing years, he’s 
  still got it.
  Charming: His patter was honed by decades of 
  practice.
  Dark Secret: Secretly a servant of the Inquisition.
  Empathic: He has always been a good reader of 
  people, and knowing just how to push his luck has 
  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.
  eQuipMent:  Sabre 3/5/7.
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 8
  aWareness
  4
  presence
  6
  coordination
  4
  resoLve
  3
  ingenuity
  5
  strength
  3
  
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  Action: Try to Recruit Cagliostro
  This Cagliostro chap has some magic, and will surely 
  be able to help rescue Vincenzo. Even if it turns out this 
  isn’t the real Cagliostro, well, there’s something pretty 
  special here. Any help will be gratefully accepted.
  Action: Try to Recruit the Forty Thieves
  There aren’t actually forty of them; only nine, in fact, 
  including Vincenzo and Sabrina. That means seven 
  possible helpers for a rescue mission. Sabrina sets 
  out to get their help, going to meet them at San 
  Trovaso Square. They are likely to turn her down. The 
  Inquisition is serious business, and it is just too risky. 
  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.
  Action: Rescue Vincenzo 
  She has no idea how to do this. She plans to sneak 
  in first, and make it up as she goes along once 
  she’s there. Battista is of course ready for this sort 
  of thing, given the Forty Thieves busted into his last 
  headquarters: he has a hidden force of police ready 
  and waiting to spring a trap if she tries this. It will all 
  go very badly unless she gets help.
  Action: Get the Bellagio Stone to Battista
  She doesn’t much know how to do this. If the Stone 
  gets near her, she will happily steal it away and deliver 
  it to the Inquisitor.  When she hears that Casanova and 
  Cagliostro will meet in San Trovaso Square to recover 
  the Stone, she will be prepared to hand over this 
  information to Battista and try to broker Vincenzo’s 
  freedom.
  Action: Marry Mariano
  If sunrise comes, the Bellagio Stone has not been 
  found and she hasn’t figured out another way to save 
  everyone, she sadly gives up on Vincenzo and goes to 
  the church to marry Mariano. A player might be able 
  to show her other options, however.
  sabrina beLLagio
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 4, Convince 3, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 4.
  traits
  Argumentative: Just because I’m a girl doesn’t 
  mean I’m not right!
  Brave: Ah, the foolhardy eagerness of youth!
  Impulsive: There’s that foolhardy eagerness again.
  Run For Your Life! The police are hot on her tail!
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 6
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  3
  coordination
  5
  resoLve
  5
  ingenuity
  2
  strength
  4
  vincenZo cristiano
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 4, Convince 3, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 4, 
  Transport 3.
  traits
  Attractive: He exudes a devilish bad-boy charm.
  Friends (Minor): As the leader of the 40 Thieves, 
  he has trustworthy contacts in all the powerful 
  families of Venice.
  Obligation: Aldo entrusted him with a secret and 
  he will not break that trust.
  Quick Reflexes: The sort of thing that comes in 
  handy when you need to save your friends from 
  the Inquisition.
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 2
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  3
  coordination
  4
  resoLve
  4
  ingenuity
  2
  strength
  5
  MeMber oF the Forty thieves
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 3, Convince 2, Fighting 3, Subterfuge 2.
  eQuipMent: Sabre or Club (3/6/9)
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 0
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  3
  coordination
  4
  resoLve
  4
  ingenuity
  3
  strength
  4
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  speciaL inQuisitor bernando battista
  Battista is the new Inquisitor in town. He is operating 
  with a fairly free hand, having been sent from the 
  Vatican to shake things up in Venice. Perhaps 
  unusually for an Inquisitor, Battista has lost his faith. 
  He is deeply cynical of all human action and sees 
  everything as an attempt to win some advantage from 
  another person. He has the power to arrest whoever 
  he likes and subject them to fierce questioning, but he 
  does not resort to torture.
  At the start of the adventure, Battista has Vincenzo in 
  custody, knows he is part of a group of troublemakers 
  called the Forty Thieves and suspects Sabrina 
  Bellagio is also involved. He also has heard that the 
  Bellagio Stone is the Philosopher’s Stone. He wants 
  that stone. If he could bring it back to the Vatican 
  Library, he would be made for life. He does not know 
  that Cagliostro is in town, or that the Bellagios are 
  dabbling in occult activity, or that Casanova is involved 
  with the Bellagios.
  Use Battista as an obstacle and antagonist. He is 
  suspicious of the players’ characters, sensing they 
  are out of place. He is smart and sensible while also 
  being a (certain kind of) zealot. If he can be somehow 
  made an ally, he will be a valuable one, but his true 
  allegiance is always to Godly Justice.
  Action: Visit the Bellagios and put Pressure on 
  Sabrina
  Battista visits the Bellagios, timing his visit to the 
  dinner hour, knowing that Elizabeta will be required 
  by courtesy to invite him to join them. He intends 
  to ask them about Vincenzo, who is likely to be 
  convicted of acting against the Inquisition. He knows 
  that Vincenzo has a long association as the favoured 
  gondolier of the family. He asks if they have heard of 
  the Forty Thieves  (Elizabeta has not, and Sabrina will 
  claim that she has not).
  If he can get Sabrina alone, he tells her: “Vincenzo’s 
  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, 
  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, 
  the Vatican would be very pleased to accept that Stone. 
  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 
  pointed look indeed. She catches his meaning.
  Action: Arrest the Characters
  Right from the moment he meets them, Battista will 
  sense the characters are out of place. He will be 
  watching them with hawk-eyes. If he ever feels like 
  they are interfering with his work, or are themselves 
  guilty of any crimes, then he will order their arrest.
  Once this order has been given, the police will do their 
  best to comply. Launch the chase scene, unless a 
  character or two wants to go along willingly!
  It is quite likely that one character will draw Battista’s 
  attention and ire more than others. In this case, let 
  him order the arrest of just that one character. The 
  others will have plenty of other storyline to be getting 
  on with!
  And of course, if Battista gets hold of one character, he 
  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, 
  bernando battista
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 3, Convince 4, Fighting 3, Marksman 3, 
  Medicine 3, Survival 3
  traits
  By the Book: Following the rules is an instinctive 
  refuge in a world of madness and sin. Fortunately, 
  the rules do allow him a great deal of room for 
  personal initiative.
  Code of Conduct: He must always live up to the 
  goals of the Inquisition and the moral standard 
  expected of an agent of the Pope.
  Indomitable: Battista will be cowed by no one.
  Keen Senses: The evidence of sin is all around, if 
  you are just attentive enough to notice.
  Psychic Training: He can see through any hell-
  fueled deception.
  Voice of Authority: He doesn’t need to raise his 
  voice to be heard.
  eQuipMent:  Club (2/4/6), Pistol (2/5/7).
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 8
  aWareness
  6
  presence
  4
  coordination
  3
  resoLve
  4
  ingenuity
  3
  strength
  3
  
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  effective immediately. Vincenzo is doomed unless he is 
  rescued somehow, or unless someone speaks for him 
  at the tribunal in a way that is extremely convincing.
  Battista would much rather get hold of the 
  Philosopher’s Stone, of course. He will try to follow up 
  with Sabrina Bellagio before going through with the 
  tribunal, to see if she has come up with the goods. If 
  he gets word about the Stone, he will deploy the full 
  force of the Inquisition to crash that party.
  about the inQuisition
  The Inquisitors, of whom Battista is the prime 
  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 
  the galleys, imprisonment or instant death.
  Venetian citizens all think of imprisonment when 
  they think of the Inquisition. When the Inquisition 
  wishes to imprison an ordinary criminal, they 
  are placed in the Piombi, a small cell roasted 
  by the summer sun. But more violent or sinister 
  sorts were sent to the Pozzi, a dank, silent 
  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.
  the paLLadio tWins, 
  Mariano and carLa
  Mariano and Carla are in the business of being 
  wealthy, and getting wealthier. They are a dramatic 
  pair: handsome Mariano, beautiful Carla, both sleekly 
  elegant with eyes like blades. They are ruthless in 
  their dealings, and believe the law is for fools who 
  don’t have the courage to defy it.
  Mariano has decided he wants Sabrina as his wife. As 
  long as Elizabeta is indebted to them, then Sabrina 
  cannot resist him. Once she gives in to marriage, he 
  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.
  Use the twins as your go-to troublemakers. They will 
  turn up at the wrong times and make every situation 
  worse. They have access to a wide network of thugs 
  and informants; anyone the characters meet could be 
  on the take. And of course they have on their side the 
  terrifying Mostro, a murderer of great efficiency and 
  power (see pg. 144 for his stats)…
  Their greatest weakness is that their partnership is 
  far from rock-solid. Turning one twin against the 
  other is a distinct possibility.
  Action: Murder Anton – and his Friends
  This is one of the first events in the adventure: 
  on the orders of the Palladios, who know he has 
  betrayed them, Anton is murdered by Mostro. If the 
  characters intervene, they will become marked for 
  Mariano paLLadio
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 2, Fighting 4, Marksman 3.
  traits
  Attractive
  Selfish: The twins are loyal to each other – but 
  only up to a point.
  eQuipMent:  Sabre (3/6/9), Pistol (2/5/7).
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 4
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  4
  coordination
  4
  resoLve
  2
  ingenuity
  2
  strength
  4
  carLa paLLadio
  skiLLs 
  Convince 4, Fighting 2, Knowledge 3, Subterfuge 4.
  traits
  Attractive
  Selfish: The twins are loyal to each other – but 
  only up to a point.
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 6
  aWareness
  4
  presence
  4
  coordination
  3
  resoLve
  5
  ingenuity
  5
  strength
  2
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  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 
  him an elixir of life?
  The only way to find out is to seduce him, and 
  conquer him. And Carla is not a woman to be easily 
  deterred.
  Action: Trail Elizabeta (Carla)
  Carla has her thugs and helpers keep close tabs 
  on Elizabeta’s movements. If she might be close 
  to finding the Bellagio Stone, Carla wants to know 
  about it, so she can swoop in and claim it before 
  the woman gets any funny ideas. If these thugs are 
  spotted, a chase sequence could ensue as they try 
  to keep up…
  cagLiostro
  Cagliostro is expected in Venice under the identity 
  of Count Pellegrini. The invitation came from one 
  Elizabeta Bellagio. Ever cautious, Cagliostro did 
  not directly attend Bellagio’s welcome, but rather 
  took lodging elsewhere. (Cagliostro’s wife, Lorenza, 
  is also in Venice but she is happy to stay out of view 
  throughout this adventure.)
  Cagliostro goes everywhere with a sample of the Elixir 
  of Life (in a small vial on a chain around his neck) and 
  of the Philosopher’s Stone (a crushed powder in a 
  small bag on a leather strap also around his neck).
  He has observed the appearance of a false Cagliostro 
  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 
  understand the full meaning of these events.
  Action: Enter Count Huntingdon
  Cagliostro will disguise himself and adopt another 
  identity, “Count Huntingdon”, a foppish and inept 
  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 
  to hear, in fractured Italian – he will announce he is 
  there to see Cagliostro the magician.
  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. 
  paLLadio thug
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 2, Fighting 3.
  eQuipMent:  Club (2/5/7).
  tech LeveL: 3 
  story points: 0
  aWareness
  3
  presence
  2
  coordination
  3
  resoLve
  2
  ingenuity
  2
  strength
  4
  
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  He wants to be welcomed in where he can try and 
  work out what is happening with the family, their 
  needs, and the false Cagliostro.
  Action: Arrange to Meet Casanova
  Cagliostro wants to meet Casanova, to catch up on old 
  times and share their learning from the last decade 
  of life. He doesn’t know Casanova is involved with the 
  Bellagios until he observes him there, either from a 
  spy point nearby, or up close as “Count Huntingdon”. 
  (Note that he doesn’t spend too much time with 
  Casanova in this identity, not wanting to push his luck.)
  However it happens, he sends word to Casanova that 
  he wishes to meet shortly before sunrise, at San 
  Trovaso Square. Count Huntingdon will of course 
  consider himself invited to this meeting as well.
  Action: Humiliate the False Cagliostro
  How dare this foolish person claim to be him! A 
  confrontation and duel of magic might be appropriate; 
  or just turning Elizabeta against them? He is open to 
  opportunity.
  Action: Find (and Keep?) the Bellagio Stone
  Cagliostro cannot resist a mystery. He swiftly 
  guesses that Aldo hid the Bellagio Stone, that 
  he must have confided in someone, and that the 
  confidante would be a figure he had known a long 
  time but who would be able to keep a secret from 
  Elizabeta. Hearing from the Inquisition of Vincenzo’s 
  connection to the family, he concludes that it is 
  concealed in Vincenzo’s gondola. Or perhaps he saw 
  it all in a dream?
  Whether, or how, he reveals this truth depends on 
  how the meeting progresses. He might, if it suits 
  him, tell people with a flourish that the Stone is 
  destroyed; or that it is concealed in one place, 
  sending everyone rushing off to claim it, while he 
  goes over to Vincenzo’s gondola… 
  His preference is to keep the Bellagio Stone for 
  himself. He expects he can arrange this amicably 
  with Elizabeta, but will not be above simple theft 
  should it come to that.
  count aLLessandro cagLiostro
  a.k.a. “count peLLegrini”, “Lord huntingdon”
  aWareness
  6
  presence
  6
  coordination
  3
  resoLve
  5
  ingenuity
  6
  strength
  3
  Historians would report that Count Alessandro 
  di Cagliostro is 35 years old as this adventure 
  takes place. Cagliostro would laugh in their faces, 
  announce that he is thousands of years old, and 
  tell vivid tales of his adventures in past eras. 
  Cagliostro’s true identity has never been absolutely 
  confirmed. Some say it is slander to identify him as 
  an Italian petty thief, and that Cagliostro’s real past 
  remains a secret. 
  The stories that Cagliostro was very old, hundreds 
  of years old, even thousands – perhaps they are 
  true? Perhaps Cagliostro is an alien himself, or has 
  been given a greatly-extended lifespan by an alien 
  queen, or is a robot, or even a Time Lord? Or perhaps 
  Cagliostro really is just a fraudulent sharpster with a 
  good line in telling people what they want to hear? 
  This adventure does not specify Cagliostro’s true 
  nature. It is quite likely that the players will never be 
  in a position to find out. Should that circumstance 
  arise, it is up to you to choose exactly what version of 
  Cagliostro is ‘true’ for your game.
  skiLLs 
  Athletics 2, Convince 6, Craft 4, Fighting 4, 
  Knowledge 5, Medicine 3, Science 3, Subterfuge 5, 
  Survival 3.
  traits
  Charming: Like the Devil himself.
  Empathic: An expert reader of his audience.
  Friends: Contacts with the great and good 
  throughout Europe.
  Hypnosis (Major): Few can resist his influence…
  Immortal: Or so he claims. What is the truth?
  Indomitable: And few can subject him to their 
  influence.
  Outcast: Devoting his life to magic means he is 
  an enemy of the Church, which is hugely powerful 
  throughout Europe.
  Psychic: His fame is based on his displays of 
  power. Are they real?
  Psychic Training: He laughs at these petty tricks.
  Technically Adept: He is always hungry for greater 
  understanding.
  eQuipMent:  Sabre (3/5/7)
  tech LeveL: 3  
  story points: 12
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  What are cagLiostro’s 
  treasures?
  The Elixir of Life and the Philosopher’s Stone 
  are both treasured by Cagliostro, and reputed to 
  hold great magic. It is up to you as to their true 
  nature. Are they simply an ineffectual potion and 
  some fancy dust, devoid of special power? Are 
  they relics of alien science, sufficient to lengthen 
  human life and transmute one substance into 
  another? Are they Time Lord devices concealed 
  in the legends of occult science on Earth? 
  Whatever the truth, they are seen as greatly 
  valuable by everyone in the adventure.
  C Wrapping up
  beFore sunrise
  In this kind of adventure, with lots of characters 
  pushing in different directions, no specific climax can 
  be guaranteed, but three crucial events are scheduled 
  in the vicinity of sunrise:
  •	
  Casanova, “Count Huntingdon” and Elizabeta will 
  go to meet Cagliostro at San Trovaso Square.
  •	
  Vincenzo will face an Inquisition Tribunal.
  •	
  Sabrina will be expected at the Church for an 
  unwanted wedding.
  It is most likely that things will come to a head at San 
  Trovaso Square. (However, the characters might end 
  up at the Inquisition’s headquarters, at the Church, 
  at the Bellagio home, at the Palladio estate or almost 
  anywhere!). Whatever the setting, as Gamemaster 
  you should contrive to have as many factions 
  and characters as possible pile into the climactic 
  sequence. Pay off all the prior events and give the 
  players a romp to remember! Here is how the climax 
  might go down:
  •	
  Casanova, “Huntingdon” (Cagliostro) and Elizabeta 
  meet in San Trovaso Square. There they will 
  discuss the mysteries of eternal life, among other 
  things.
  •	
  The Bellagio Stone’s hiding place is revealed, and 
  the Stone is claimed by Elizabeta.
  •	
  Carla Palladio arrives (with Mostro and some 
  other thugs), having guessed that the Bellagio 
  Stone is about to be found (and to strong-arm 
  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.
  •	
  Mariano Bellagio arrives, in search of his Sabrina.
  •	
  The Inquisition arrives, in pursuit of Sabrina, also 
  tipped off to the secret meeting by Casanova, 
  intending to arrest everybody and throw them all 
  in prison.
  •	
  The Forty Thieves arrive to support Vincenzo.
  If the players do not intervene, then this results in the 
  worst possible outcome: the Palladios escape, the 
  Bellagios are arrested, Casanova testifies against 
  them and never forgives himself. (Cagliostro also 
  escapes – he has a greater role to fulfil in history 
  yet.)
  If the players get to San Trovaso Square then 
  things can go down very differently. They might 
  help Sabrina and Vincenzo to escape, they might 
  convince Battista not to arrest anyone, they might 
  put the Palladios in the sights of the Inquisition, 
  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?
  
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  crash the party… The possibilities are endless. When 
  you run this sequence, things to remember:
  •	
  Don’t be intimidated by the large number of 
  characters, just move through them one by one 
  and have each of them chase hard for their goals. 
  •	
  Put some genuine risk on the table – make this 
  climax count. The players should have Story 
  Points to help them turn things around, but don’t 
  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, 
  will hopefully be waved off as friends, but perhaps 
  circumstance will not be so kind.
  C optionaL variation: 
  aLiens aMong us
  The Bellagio Stone is a time-sensitive device of Time 
  Lord origin. As a focusing device, it could allow a 
  military force to launch a remote bombardment of 
  their target from the safety of the Time Vortex.
  The Elixir of Life and the Philosopher’s Stone are other 
  versions of exactly the same technology. Cagliostro’s 
  presence in Venice with these items is not accidental – 
  time itself is bending to bring them together.
  The meeting of Cagliostro and Casanova in Venice 
  is therefore a nexus point in time, that has drawn 
  attention of others who understand the great power 
  they could win:
  kriLLitanes
  A family of Krillitanes have established themselves 
  in Venice, waiting for an opportunity to swoop on the 
  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 
  them achieve these goals. Ultimately, this alliance 
  seems destined to shatter; but perhaps not until the 
  Krillitanes have achieved their goal.
  The Forty Thieves know there is something amiss with 
  the Palladio twins; they have witnessed the late-night 
  transformation of some Krillitanes, and have learned 
  not to climb too close to the gargoyles on the nearby 
  buildings.
  daLeks
  Also hunting the treasure: a small force of Daleks, 
  maintaining a time cabinet in the Inquisition 
  Headquarters. Daleks roam underwater along the 
  canals, emerging to exterminate any who stand in 
  their way. The Inquisition is thoroughly corrupted to 
  their needs; all except this new Special Inquisitor, 
  who has his own agenda and senses trouble within 
  the Inquisition.
  The gondoliers are aware of a strange new presence 
  in the canals, and more than one gondolier has 
  disappeared entirely leaving no trace behind. They 
  theorise that the Devil has sent his minions to harass 
  the Inquisition, because this new presence seems to 
  be centred on the Inquisition’s headquarters.
  Managing the aLiens
  With one or both of these new forces in play, the 
  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 
  with danger as Daleks and Krillitanes join Cagliostro, 
  Casanova, Mostro and the rest on the slipways of San 
  Trovaso Square…
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  A
  Accidental Wanderers 
  8
  Act I – The Beginning 
  23
  Act II – Rising Action 
  24
  Act III: The Finale 
  26
  (Running) Action Scenes 
  78
  Actors 
  28
  (Random) Adventure Generator 
  30
  Adventures 
  20
  (Famous) Adversaries 
  42
  (The) Adversary 
  21, 42
  (Totally Random) Adversary 
  42
  (The) Aggressor 
  41
  Agricultural Planet 
  104
  Alien Menace 
  30
  All the Players are Bored 
  83
  Alter History 
  31
  Alternate Universes 
  36
  Ancient Power 
  31
  Ancient Power Weakness 
  31
  Appearance 
  59
  (The) Astronaut 
  115
  Attributes, Skills & Traits 
  62
  (Join the) Audio-Visual Club 
  78
  B
  (The) Bellagio Imbroglio 
  137
   
  About the Inquisition 
  152
   
  (The) Adventure Begins 
  143
   
  Adventure Synopsis 
  137
   
  Aftermath 
  156
   
  Anton, the Man in Red 
  144
   
  Arrival 
  143
   
  Before Sunrise 
  155
   
  (Elizabeta) Bellagio 
  140, 149
   
  (Sabrina) Bellagio 
  140, 149
   
  (The) Bellagio Stone 
  142
   
  Cagliostro 
  153
   
  Casa Bellagio 
  146
   
  Casa Palladio 
  146
   
  Casanova 
  148
   
  Casanova and the Bellagios 
  140
   
  Casanova, the Hook-masked Lurker 144
   
  (The) Cast of Characters 
  138
   
  (Vincenzo) Cristiano 
  150
   
  Daleks 
  156
   
  Enter the Special Inquisitor 
  145
   
  Everybody Halt! 
  145
   
  (The) Fellows of the Red Lion Hall 146
   
  Fitting in with Legends 
  155
   
  Getting There 
  139
   
  How to run the rest of the adventure 147
   
  Important Locations 
  146
   
  It Gets Complicated 
  143
   
  Juggling the Cast 
  141
   
  Krillitanes 
  156
   
  List of Events 
  147
   
  Managing the Aliens 
  156
   
  Nope, my Players Didn’t do That 143
   
  Other Streets and Canals 
  147
   
  (The) Palladio Twins, 
   
  Mariano and Carla 
  152
   
  Optional Variation: Aliens Among Us 156
   
  Playing History 
  138
   
  Potential Matches 
  141
   
  (Antonio) Pratolini (Giacomo
   
  Casanova) 
  140, 149
   
  (The) Rest of the Adventure 
  146
   
  Sabrina, the Pearl-masked Thief 144
   
  San Trovaso Square 
  146
   
  Secrets of the Stone 
  142
   
  Some Complications 
  148
   
  Special Inquisitor Bernando 
   
  Battista 
  151
   
  Sticking Around 
  139
   
  Story Special Rules 
  137
   
  Weaving Stories Together 
  148
   
  What are Cagliostro’s Treasures? 155
   
  What Historians Know 
  138
   
  What they all did next 
  148
   
  Where are They? 
  143
   
  Where is the Stone? 
  142
   
  Wrapping Up 
  155
  Big Finales 
  93
  Buckminster 
  114
  Building a Villain 
  51
  Business Executive 
  98
  Buurman Blaster 
  121
  Buurman Privateer 
  121
  C
  (Count Allessandro) Cagliostro 
  154
  Campaigns 
  86
  Cause of Corruption 
  38
  Cause of the Downfall 
  38
  Changing Characters 
  91
  Chaos Incarnate 
  49
  Character Arcs 
  86
  Character Hooks and Plots 
  14
  Chase 
  32
  Chosen by the Box 
  18
  Church 
  101
  City World 
  103
  Coming up with a Concept 
  64
  Communication 
  60
  Confrontation and Climax 
  26
  (The) Correct Way to Start 
  7
  Corridors. Endless Corridors... 
  27
  Country Home 
  70
  Creating Characters 
  11
  (Vincenzo) Cristiano 
  150
  Curiouser and Curiouser 
  67
  D
  Dead World 
  104
  Dealing with Monsters 
  61
  Death Comes To Toytown 
  107
   
  1. Valley of the Dolls 
  108
   
  2. The Toys Come To Life 
  110
   
  3. Edgar Hamilton 
  111
   
  4. Escaping the Toy Shop 
  112
   
  5. Saving Samuel 
  114
   
  6. Tracking the Signal 
  115
   
  7. The March of the Chairs 
  116
   
  8. Lair of the Nestene 
  116
   
  Adventure Synopsis 
  107
   
  Aftermath 
  118
   
  Asking Samuel 
  115
   
  Breaking Toys 
  113
   
  (The) Dolls 
  111
   
  Exploring the Shop 
  109
   
  Defeating the Nestene 
  107
   
  Finding the TARDIS 
  115
   
  Gadget Time 
  115
   
  Getting Bought 
  113
   
  Hamilton’s Flat 
  110
   
  Hamilton’s Toys & Game 
  107
   
  (The) Nestene Consciousness 
  107
  index
  
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  index
   
  Notable Toys 
  109
   
  Plastic Doomsday 
  117
   
  (The) Players’ Characters 
  107
   
  (The) Qilong House 
  114
   
  Rescuing Lena 
  115
   
  Rescuing Samuel 
  114
   
  (The) Robot Girl 
  110
   
  Sabotage 
  117
   
  Samuel’s Chip 
  114
   
  Talking to Edgar 
  112
   
  Toy Soldiers 
  117
   
  Toys on the Streets 
  113
   
  (The) University Corridors 
  116
   
  We’re Toys!? 
  108
  Defeating the Monster 
  62
  Declaration of War 
  41
  (The) Denouement 
  26
  Describing Things 
  76
  Development 
  25
  Different Cultures 
  68
  Disaster 
  32
  (Environmental) Disaster Cause 
  32
  (Environmental) Disaster Type 
  32
  Doing 
  62
  (The) Dolls 
  111
  (Stealing from the) Doctor’s Adventures 91
  (The) Doctor’s Previous Adventures 
  68
  Drive to Pursue 
  32
  E
  Earth Team Investigating Strange Events 7
  Elites 
  53
  (The) Ending Beat 
  24, 26
  Enemies of the Exiles 
  37
  Expanding the Concept 
  65
  Exploitation 
  32
  Explorer 
  97
  External Cause 
  39
  External Sets 
  46
  Extras 
  28
  F
  Factions, Conflicts 
  66
  Factory 
  99
  Farm 
  101
  Fight the Time War 
  17
  Fighting 
  62
  Fire Planet 
  102
  Fixed Point 
  82
  Fliss 
  122
  Follow in the Footsteps 
  16
  For a Greater Good 
  49
  Foreshadowing 
  89
  Framing Scenes 
  74
  Functionaries 
  53
  Future and Past Earth 
  67
  Functionary 
  98
  G
  (The) Gamemaster as Actor 
  21
  (The) Gamemaster as Director 
  20
  (The) Gamemaster as Producer 
  20
  (The) Gamemaster as Writer 
  20
  Gas Giant 
  105
  (The) Gate 
  40
  Get After Them! 
  55
  Getting from Here to Then 
  15
  Getting Things Back on Track 
  83
  (The) Grip of the Kraken 
  119
   
  1. Arrival in the debris column 
  125
   
  1. The Chase 
  131
   
  1. The Crash of the Yatsoshiro 
  135
   
  2. Defeating the Slime 
  132
   
  2. The Kraken Attacks 
  135
   
  2. The Privateers 
  127
   
  3. Restarting the Engines 
  133
   
  3. Sudden Impact 
  128
   
  4. Escape the Debris Column 
  134
   
  4. The Missing Pod 
  129
   
  5. Here We Are Again 
  130
   
  6. The Cliffhanger 
  130
   
  Act I: The Kraken Wakes 
  125
   
  Act II: The Body Snatchers 
  131
   
  Act III: The Maw 
  135
   
  Adventure Synopsis 
  119
   
  Aftermath 
  136
   
  Analysing the Slime 
  132
   
  (The) Attack 
  135
   
  Back to the TARDIS 
  136
   
  Blast Points 
  127
   
  (The) Canteen and the Film Room 127
   
  Capture the Slime 
  132
   
  Characters 
  120
   
  Decompression 
  128
   
  Defeating the Kraken 
  135
   
  Doctor, What is this Place? 
  125
   
  Engineering Control 
  132
   
  (The) Flight Deck 
  134
   
  Fliss 
  122
   
  Friends and Former Enemies 
  136
   
  (The) Future of the Debris Column 136
   
  Group One 
  131
   
  Group Two 
  132
   
  Hold Onto Something 
  128
   
  (The) Impact Site 
  129
   
  (The) Kraken 
  119, 123
   
  Making a Weapon 
  133
   
  Map of the Vessel 
  126
   
  (The) Medical Bay 
  132
   
  Player Opportunities 
  124
   
  Prologue 
  124
   
  Reaching the Engine Pods 
  133
   
  Resources 
  131
   
  Restarting Pod One 
  134
   
  Restarting Pod Two 
  134
   
  Revealing the Kraken 
  129
   
  Scanning for Life 
  127
   
  Sharing the Story 
  120
   
  Watson the Robot 
  122
   
  (The) Yatsoshiro 
  120
   
  Yatsoshiro Crewmember 
  121
  Guest Stars 
  29
  H
  (Edgar) Hamilton 
  112
  Haunted 
  90
  Henchmen 
  52
  High Concept 
  8
  Him Again? 
  90
  Historical Adventure 
  33
  (The) Hook 
  24
  Hospital 
  100
  Housing Estate 
  69
  How do the Characters End up Together?  12
  How to Set Up a New Game 
  6
  (The) Hunted 
  32
  I
  Ice Planet 
  101
  Impossible Places 
  105
  Inaccessible TARDIS 
  83
  Inaccurate Landing 
  82
  Infection 
  33
  (Source of) Infection 
  33
  Initial Inspiration 
  56
  Internal Sets 
  47
  Intrigue 
  34
  
  the gaMeMaster’s coMpanion
  D
  159 E
  (Goal of) Intrigue 
  34
  Introducing the Setting 
  72
  Introduction 
  4
  Invasion 
  34
  (Running) Investigation Scenes 
  79
  I’ve Heard that Name Before… 
  90
  J
  Jungle World 
  102
  K
  (The) Key to the Dimensional Gateway 39
  Killer Chairs 
  116
  Killing Characters 
  92
  Knowledge at all Costs 
  49
  L
  Lairs and Bases 
  52
  Level of Primitivism 
  38
  Liberators 
  31
  Lights, Camera, Action! 
  30
  Location 
  45
  Location and Setting 
  22
  Locked into Events 
  82
  Lost Birthright 
  37
  Love and Vengance 
  50
  M
  M is for Minions 
  55
  Mad Science Backers 
  35
  Mad Science Motivations 
  35
  Mad Scientists 
  35
  Making it Memorable 
  59
  Making it Scary 
  60
  Making Monsters 
  56
  (The) Many Hats of the Gamemaster 
  20
  Market Place 
  70
  Mechanic 
  97
  Medic 
  96
  Member of the Forty Thieves 
  150
  Military Base 
  69
  Military/Starship Interiors 
  47
  Mineral 
  45
  Mining Colony 
  104
  Minions 
  52
  Mistaken Identity 
  35
  (Interactive) Monster Checklist 
  62
  (Memorable) Monster Checklist 
  61
  Monsters vs. Aliens 
  58
  Monstrous Nature 
  51
  Moon 
  102
  Mostro 
  144
  Moving 
  61
  Multi-Set Locations 
  27
  (All) Museums Have a Little Shop 
  71
  Mysterious Prophecy 
  90
  N
  Not Following the Doctor 
  69
  O
  Objectives 
  44
  (Random) Objectives 
  44
  Objects and Objectives 
  21
  Ocean World 
  102
  Oh No You Don’t! 
  54
  One Player is Bored 
  83
  (The) One-Line Summary 
  59
  Other Familiar Characters 
  10
  Other Places 
  71
  Out of Control Tech 
  38
  Overall Concept 
  7
  P
  Pacing 
  81
  (Carla) Palladio 
  152
  (Mariano) Palladio 
  152
  Palladio Thug 
  153
  Paradise Planet 
  103
  Parallel or Pocket Travel Agent 
  35
  Parallel or Pocket Universe 
  35
  People 
  95
  Personal 
  89, 94
  Pilot 
  96
  Places 
  99
  Planets 
  101
  Playing Non-Player Characters 
  77
  Playing through the Meeting 
  12
  (The) Plot 
  21
  Plot Arcs 
  88
  (The) Plot Synopsis 
  22
  (You’re not Sure to Handle a) Plot Twist 
  83
  Plots within Plots 
  42
  Power Base 
  51
  Power Corrupts 
  50
  Prison 
  71
  Prologue 
  23
  (Alternative) Prologues 
  23
  Props 
  29
  Q
  (Professor Lena) Qilong 
  110
  Quest 
  88, 94
  Quick-start Concepts 
  16
  R
  Raid 
  36
  Relationship to ‘Canon’ 
  10
  Religious Building 
  71
  Relic 
  45
  Reporter 
  97
  Responding to the Players 
  80
  Revenge 
  37
  (Target for) Revenge 
  37
  Rightful Rulers 
  37
  (The) Rule of a Third 
  54
  Running Games 
  74
  S
  Sacred Object 
  45
  (The) Scene Map 
  29
  Scenes 
  28
  Scientist 
  97
  (The) Seed of Evil 
  49
  (The) Set 
  27
  (The) Set-up 
  23
  Setting Toolkit and Checklist 
  69
  Setting 
  89, 94
  Settings 
  64
  Setting the Stage 
  27
  Sewer 
  100
  Shadow of the Monster 
  60
  Ship 
  101
  Shop Assistant 
  95
  Shopping Centre 
  99
  Side Trips and Bangs 
  25
  Slaves 
  45
  Slime Monster 
  124
  Slime-Possessed Humanoid 
  123
  So, You Escaped… 
  55
  Soldier 
  95
  Someone’s Been Playing A Long Game 55
  Something Entirely New 
  10
  Sometimes they Come Back 
  16
  Space Station 
  70, 105
  Spacecraft 
  70
  Special Inquisitor Bernando Battista 151
  
  doctor Who roLepLaying gaMe
  D
  160
  E
  Starting Out 
  6
  Stock Footage 
  95
  Stopping the Entity 
  40
  (Uses for) Story Points 
  54
  Survival 
  38
  T
  Talking 
  61
  (The) TARDIS Crew 
  9
  Technology 
  45, 66
  Temporal Anomaly 
  38
  (The) Theme 
  21
  (Random) Theme Generator 
  30
  Themes 
  30
  Thief 
  96
  Things From Dimension X 
  39
  (The) Three-Act Structure 
  22
  Ticket Home 
  36
  Time Lord plus Humans Exploring
  Time and Space 
  7
  (Dealing with) Time Travel 
  82
  Top Tip: Be Tough 
  81
  Top Tip: Break Expectations 
  99
  Top Tip: Giving Story Points 
  75
  Top Tip: List of Names 
  77
  Top Tips: Names and Titles 
  78
  Top Tip: Open-Ended Mysteries 
  80
  Top Tip: Stock Footage 
  77
  Train 
  100
  (New) Trait: Love 
  88
  (New) Trait: Toy 
  108
  (Starting with a) Trait 
  57
  Traitor 
  40
  Traitors. Slaves and Unreliable Allies 53
  Trant, the Pirate Captain 
  122
  (The) Turning Point 
  25
  U
  Unusual Sets 
  47
  V
  Venetian Policeman 
  146
  Victories, Monologues and 
  Death Scenes 
  51
  Villain 
  89, 94
  Villains 
  49
  Villains and Story Points 
  53
  W
  War 
  41
  Warehouse 
  100
  Watson the Robot 
  122
  What are their Skills and Traits? 
  13
  What do you see upon opening 
  the TARDIS door? 
  72
  What is going to prevent them going 
  back into the TARDIS? 
  72
  What looks interesting enough to 
  make them leave the TARDIS? 
  72
  What Sort of Character do we Play? 
  9
  What Stuff do They Have? 
  13
  When 
  46
  Where are we? 
  72 
  Who are the Characters? 
  11
  Who are you? 
  35
  Who is About? 
  72
  White Plastic Football 
  113
  World Gone Mad 
  41
  Worldly Power and Glory 
  45
  X
  (The) ‘X’ Doctors 
  41
  Y
  Yatsoshiro Crewmember 
  121
  You are Omniscient, the Villain is Not 54
  You’re Stuck for what Happens Next 
  83
  index
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Doctor Who/AITAS Collection/4 Other Sourcebooks/Gamemaster's Companion.pdf