Doctor Who via Ghostbusters: Goals

This sections expands on the rules for Luck and Goals briefly described in "Doctor Who via Ghostbusters: Character Basics."

Luck

Instead of Brownie Points, characters have Luck (although some like to think of it as "Destiny"). Luck can be saved, used as bonus dice, expended to reduce injury, or spent to improve Traits. Player characters start with 20 points of Luck.

Advancement

There are two main methods of character advancement: Mission Goals and Personal Goals. Both involve the awarding of Luck.

Mission Goals

Mission Goals typically arise when a Time Lord stumbles upon a situation that requires a Time Lord's expertise to rectify or, occasionally, when the Council of Time Lords persuades (or coerces) a Time Lord to intervene on their behalf to correct or prevent a temporal disruption. When such a mission is accomplished, each Time Lord and Companion is awarded Luck commensurate with the mission's level of success or failure.

For a failed mission, each Time Lord or Companion is awarded half the Luck spent.

For a barely successful mission (such as success achieved at a high cost), each Time Lord or Companion is awarded all the Luck spent plus one or two.

For a resoundingly successful mission, each Time Lord or Companion is awarded half again the Luck spent.

In general, Mission Goals are accomplished by the coordinated efforts of Time Lords, Companions, and helpful non-player characters.

Personal Goals

Characters may also earn Luck through the pursuit of Personal Goals. Player characters may choose one such Personal Goal at a time, which they may change between adventures if they wish. Players may select from the following list of Personal Goals or suggest their own.

Fame: Characters whose Goal is Fame gain 1D6 Luck points when they do something that increases their notoriety.

Fortune: Characters whose Goal is Fortune gain 1D6 Luck points when they significantly increase their wealth.

Truth: Characters whose Goal is Truth gain 1D6 Luck points when they reveal an important truth.

Honour: Characters whose Goal is Honour gain 1D6 Luck points when they uphold or restore their honour or that of another to a significant degree.

Revenge: Characters whose Goal is Revenge gain or lose 1D6 − 1D6 Luck points when they achieve vengeance.

Safety: Characters whose Goal is Safety gain 1D6 Luck points when they significantly ensure the survival of others.

Discovery: Characters whose Goal is Discovery gain 1D6 Luck points when they make a significant discovery.

Amusement: Characters whose Goal is Amusement gain 1D6 Luck points when they find a new source or form of entertainment that appeals to them.

Status: Characters whose Goal is Status gain 1D6 Luck points when they increase their social status and (real or perceived) power.

Freedom: Characters whose Goal is Freedom gain 1D6 Luck points when they achieve liberty for themselves or others.

Wisdom: Characters whose Goal is Wisdom gain 1D6 Luck points when they significantly increase their knowledge and awareness.

Doctor Who via Ghostbusters: Beings, Organic and Inorganic

Our Doctor Who role-playing game based on Ghostbusters: A Frightfully Cheerful Roleplaying Game (q.v.) is focused on the original television programme that aired from 1963 to 1989 and featured the first eight incarnations of the Doctor. All beings, organic and inorganic, conform to those depictions. Some Powers are used in conjunction with governing Traits. Powers are not stackable with Talents. Most Powers confer 4 bonus dice. Powers ranked as Tremendous confer 6 dice. Typically, beings have as many Limitations as they have Powers.

Human
Powers: Nil
Limitations: Nil

Time Lord
Powers: Voluntary Suspended Animation (Intellect), Extreme Temperature Resistance (Physique), Regeneration (Coordination), Extended Lifespan
Limitations: ?

Dalek
Powers: Powerful Weapons (Coordination), Powerful Armour, Self-Contained Survival Apparatus
Limitations: Hatred of All Life, Total Vulnerability sans Armour, Wheeled Accessibility Only*
* Except for Daleks equipped with jetpacks.

Cyberman
Powers: Remarkable Strength (Physique), Hivemind (Intellect), Unshakeable Determination (Composure), General Invulnerability
Limitations: Slow Mobility, Lack of Personality, Fatal Vulnerability to Gold Dust

Sontaran
Powers: Remarkable Strength (Physique), Fanatical Bravery (Composure), Extremely Low Sleep Requirement
Limitations: War-Obsessed, Vulnerability to Coronic Acid, Weakness: Probic Vent*
* A weak point located at the back of the neck.

Rutan
Powers: Shapeshifting (Physique), Hivemind (Intellect), Electrical Manipulation (Coordination), Environmental Adaptability, Amphibious
Limitations: [pending further study]

Zygon
Powers: Shapeshifting (Physique), Remarkable Strength (Physique), Venom
Limitations: [pending further study]

Ice Warrior
Powers: Bio-Mechanical Armour (Physique), Bio-Mechanical Sonic Weapons (Coordination)
Limitations: Slow Mobility, Vulnerability to Extreme Heat

Mechonoid
Powers: Robot
Limitations: Robot, Bulky

Quark
Powers: Robot, Built-in Energy Weapon
Limitations: Robot, Small

Auton
Powers: Animated Plastic Mannequin (Physique), Hivemind (Intellect), Built-In Firearm (Coordination)
Limitations: Animated Plastic Mannequin

Movellan
Powers: Remarkable Strength (Physique), Remarkable Durability (Physique), Hivemind (Intellect), Android
Limitations: Exposed Power Pack, Android

Doctor Who via Ghostbusters: Talents

Following are some of the Talents that might be available to characters in a Doctor Who role-playing game based on the rules of Ghostbusters: A Frightfully Cheerful Roleplaying Game (q.v.). (Categorisation is flexible. In many cases, different characters could have the same Talent associated with a different Trait depending on how that Talent manifests for them personally.)

Intellect-Related Talents: Administration, Anthropology, Archaeology, Astronautics, Camouflage, Cartography, Collecting, Computer Systems, Connoisseurship, Construction, Criminology, Cryptanalysis/Cryptography, Cybernetics, Demolition, Earth Sciences, Economics, Electronics, Engineering, Farming, Fine Art, First Aid, Foraging, Force Field Systems, History, Horticulture, Inventiveness, Law, Life Sciences, Literature, Mathematics, Mechanics, Medicine, Music, Nursing, Philosophy, Physical Sciences, Politics, Sailing, Scrounging, Social Sciences, Space Sciences, Surveillance/Countersurveillance, Survival, Tactics, TARDIS Systems, Teaching, Temporal Science, Tracking, Transmat Systems, Trapping, Trivia, etc.

Physique-Based Talents: Climbing, Endurance, Hand-to-Hand Combat, Health, Jumping, Kicking, Lifting, Running, Spelunking, Sprinting, Swimming, Wrecking, Wrestling, etc.

Coordination-Based Talents: Acrobatics, Balancing, Catching, Concealment, Cooking, Dancing, Dodging, Escapology, Hiding, Juggling, Knot-Tying, Lockpicking, Marksmanship, Piloting, Riding, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Throwing, etc.

Composure-Based Talents: Acting, Bluffing, Carousing, Coolness Under Fire, Counselling, Debating, Diplomacy, Disguise, Double-Talking, Etiquette, Flirting, Gambling, Haggling, Interrogation, Intimidation, Leadership, Mimicry, Oratory, Posing, Singing, Ventriloquism, etc.

Doctor Who via Ghostbusters: Character Basics

Previously, I asked what a Star Trek role-playing game based on Ghostbusters: A Frightfully Cheerful Roleplaying Game might look like. This time, I ask that question about Doctor Who (the classic version). Let's take a look!

Traits

Companions start with 13 points to distribute amongst four Traits. Time Lords start with 15 points. Each Trait must have at least 1 point. Instead of Brains, Muscles, Moves, and Cool, characters have:

• Intellect
• Physique
• Coordination
• Composure

Talents

Companions have one Talent per Trait, plus one additional Talent. Companions who select fewer than five Talents may assign them later, even during play, but they must explain how they came about that Talent in character.

Time Lords have eight Talents, but no more than four Talents may be assigned to a single Trait, and at least one Talent must be assigned to each Trait.

Each Talent adds 3 dice to its related Trait roll.

(Examples of Talents may be forthcoming.) [Edit: Here.]

Powers

Characters of certain species may possess Powers at the expense of certain Limitations.

For example, Cyberman Powers would include Remarkable Strength (Physique), Hive Mind (Intellect), Unshakeable Determination (Composure), and General Invulnerability. Cyberman Limitations would include Slow Mobility, Lack of Personality, and Fatal Vulnerability to Gold Dust.

As a standard rule, each Power confers a bonus of 4 dice to relevant Trait rolls. (This may vary. Powers described as Tremendous grant 6 dice.) Powers are not stackable with Talents.

Luck

Instead of Brownie Points, characters have Luck, which functions identically. Each character starts with 20 points of Luck.

Advancement

When characters achieve Mission Goals (such as restoring temporal equilibrium) or Personal Goals, they are awarded Luck points that may be used in the same manner as Brownie Points: they can be saved, used as bonus dice, expended to reduce injury, or spent to increase Traits.