Building a Time Lord

[Dr. Anomaly]

When I finally put my notes for a TARDIS into Hero Designer, that also resulted in me finding my notes on how to build a Time Lord character; I thought I'd share, and also ask for opinions.

 

First, most Time Lords that we've seen have such a wide variety of skills & knowledge that it would be impractical (to say the least) to try and define/buy them all before play begins. Thus:

 

20 Universal Scientist (INT roll) - The character has at least a basic understanding of most sciences, even the most obscure. A successful USc roll will reveal what particular science is used in/by a given device or the basic principles and ideas of a given field of science. A roll made by a higher margin will allow the character to make Simple (by +1), Easy (by +3), or Difficult (by +5) evaluations/deductions about the probable outcome of a given application of the science, or a way to modify/defeat that particular application. Failed rolls may result in anything from just an unsuccessful attempt (-1) to destroyed devices/components (-3) to a major disaster in the making (-5).

 

20 Universal Traveler (INT roll) - The character has at least basic knowledge about practically any place and time they may visit. A successful UTv roll would tell them what planet (and possibly what country/city) they are on; a roll made by at least a margin of +1 will tell them what basic time frame they are in, as well. Rolls made by higher margins reveal more details about their surroundings and other significant points of interest of the local, relative to where they are. A failed roll may mean anything from a slight misjudging of local (-1) to a completely inverted conclusion about where and when they are (-5).

 

20 Universal Scholar (INT roll) - The character has at least basic knowledge about such a wide variety of subjects they often seem to literally "know everything." A successful USr check will reveal the sort of basic facts about a field/race/person that an interested and informed layman in the subject might know from extensive "armchair research"; rolls made by higher margins will result in more extensive and more detailed information. A failed roll may mean anything from a few 'commonly known' but incorrect pieces of information being taken as true (-1) to utter [and possibly disasterous] inversion of the facts (-5). [Example: "Daleks? Oh, yes...gentle scholars that happily answer any question put to them."]

 

**NOTE: I was tempted to include a "Universal Historian" talent, to include the character being able to know at least the general outline of history/historical events on any given world, so they can know when history is being tampered with, but decided against it; a combo roll in Universal Traveler / Universal Scholar should include this sort of thing already, I think.

 

20 Universal Tradesman (INT roll) - The character has been nearly everywhere and done nearly everything; as a result, they have at least a general idea of how to carry out just about any task or the basics of any job or profession. Rolls made by a higher margin indicate a job carried off with near-professional results; a failed roll could indicate anything from an ugly but workable solution (-1) to a near-disaster (-5) ["But I thought the poached eggs were SUPPOSED to be served by cleaning them with one's tongue before presenting them to the customer!"]

 

20 Universal Contact (PRE roll) - The character knows somebody in just about any time or place, since they've been nearly everywhere and everywhen. A successful UCt roll results in the character knowing a person in the time & place; actually FINDING that person may be another story [treat a successful roll as having a 1-pt. Contact -- the character must still make the Contact roll to actually find/meet with the person]. Rolls made by higher margins may indicate a Contact who is more useful/influential, easier to find, or more favorably disposed toward the character. A failed roll can mean anything from simply not knowing anyone here (-1) to an old acquaintance who is now hostile (-3) to a complete turn-around of the attitudes of the locals ["Dravidia VII? Oh, yes, they all love me here for throwing down their tyrant-king...What do you mean, 'Under arrest for high treason'?!?"]

 

20 Universal Favor (PRE roll) - In nearly every time and every place, there is SOMEBODY who owes the character a favor in return for past aid. A successful UF roll means there is someone there who owes the character a minor favor (1 pt worth); a roll made by a wider margin means the favor is more valuable or the person owing the favor is willing to go to greater lengths and/or dangers to fulfill the obligation. A failed roll can mean anything from there being no favor-owing person in this place and time (-1) to finding a person who owes the character, but they have grown bitter and resentful and refuse to "remember" the obligation (-3) to the tables being turned and the character being hit up for a favor HE owes to somebody (-5). ["Oh, yes...you DID save me from being incinerated in Belfalitin's attempted coup a few years ago...(sigh)...Now, what did you say your current problem is?"]

 

 

 

Of course these talents may be bought up to suite the taste/flavor/background of an individual character.

 

Now, I realize right off we're talking about 140 points just in Talents, but building a Time Lord *should* be expensive; this way, it's at least *possible*. It's also possible that not every character will have every one of these Talents. A freshly-minted graduate of the Academy may have Universal Translator, Universal Scholar, and Universal Scientist, but not the others.

 

Of course individual Knowledge skills, Science skills, Professions, and Contacts/Favors should be bought to represent the things that are the character's specialty, or are influential in his background.

 

 

We've also seen that some (all?) Time Lords have an ability to sense shifts and instabilities in the flow of time [re: the John Pertwee Doctor during the 'Project Golden Age' incident]. So:

 

Sense Time [Detect, Sense, Discriminatory, Analyze] ... though the 'Analyze' part might be appropriate only for very experienced, or very gifted, individuals. I didn't add Ranged because it seems they must be actually 'immersed' in the discontinuity (present in the area affected by the discontinuity) to notice the effect.

 

Absolute Time Sense may not be too far afield, either.

 

 

Time Lords DO age, but seem to slowly relative to normal humans; thus some LS: Slower Aging would be appropriate

 

 

Since the Time Lord's gift of understanding any language is supposed to be a sort of continuous, low-level Telepathy (even though I'm using Universal Translator) giving them Mental Awareness, perhaps with Requires an Ego Check, would seem appropriate.

 

 

Time Lords also seem difficult to control or mentally dominate (though some do it freely to others), so perhaps 5 points of Mental Defense would not be out of place. This could represent the discipline of extreme scholarly training of just a very strong and stubborn sense of 'self.'

 

 

Now one of the tougher bits: Regeneration. Personally, I like:

 

Summon Next Incarnation [Triggered: Death/dying, 1 non-recoverable charge, Expendible OIF (current body)]

 

The 'Expendible' bit takes care of getting rid of the 'old' body so you only have the new one around; this, I think, accurately mimics what we've seen in the series. The mechanics of the Summon also give you an excuse for each incarnation of the Time Lord to have differnt Skills, Talents, likes & dislikes, and so on (just write up the Summoned creature as a 'different version' of the character).

 

 

Now for some Disadvantages:

 

DF: Time Lord Anatomy (Always Noticed, but takes special equipment/means to notice -- i.e. listen to the double heartbeat with a stethescope, take x-rays...)

 

Reputation: Time Lord (11-, Extreme) [i'd only call this 11- because not *every* race seems to know about the Time Lords; common Terrans, for example, on the Dr. Who -universe Earth, do not.]

 

Watched: Time Lord High Council (More Powerful, NCI, Only Watching)

 

Hunted: Personal Enemy

 

Hunted: Race (most Renegade Time Lords have managed to cheese off an entire race; think about the Doctor and the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Sontarrans...)

 

DNPC: Current Companion (14-, Less Powerful, may have Usefull Skills)

 

Psych Lim: Choose one of:

Sense of Duty (Common, Strong)

Meddler (Very Common, Moderate)

Would-Be Conqueror (Very Common, Strong)

Amoral Scientist (Very Common, Moderate)

 

 

Comments?

 

Suggestions?

 

Criticisms?

[tkdguy]

If memory serves, not every Gallifreyan is a Time Lord. Only those who completed the training in one of the three major academies (more info when I remember their names. I think their names are Patrex, Prydin, and Arcalian). They are the only ones who can regenerate. There are a few who live in the wilderness, but most live in the city (there may be only one single city; I'm not sure).

 

Regeneration Should be built as healing, resurrection (won't work if disintegrated or if important body parts are missing), only to prevent death, 12 charges.

 

Time Lords also have Universal translator, which they can share with their companions (usable by others).

 

I assume the Time Lords are aquainted with many sciences and cultures, but I doubt they should be as high as the Doctor's. after all, he was over 650 years old during the first William Hartnell episode ("An Unearthly Child") and was about 900 during the Colin Baker episode "Trial of a Time Lord." He possibly had adventures before going on the run from the Time Lords and probably after that, since his granddaughter Susan read a book about the French Revolution and exclaimed how inaccurate it was.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Yes, I know not all Gallifreyans are Time Lords, which is why I called it "Building a Time Lord", not "Building a Gallifreyan." Some of those that live the primitive lifestyle in the wastes of Outer Gallifrey are Gallifreyans who have rejected their society, some of them are Time Lords who have rejected their society. As far as I can tell, the non-Time Lord Gallifreyans are pretty much second-class citizens who do all the "grunt work", menial tasks (that are not done by machines) and the middle-management beaurcratic stuff.

 

I'm afraid I don't remember the names of all the Academies off hand; I'd have to look them up. There's a particular color of formal robes that goes with each Academy; I seem to remember that the Prydonians are red...?

 

I disagree with you about the Regeneration: Healing back from death (with the Ressurection adder) does not give you any mechanism by which to totally (and permanently, until the next Regeneration) alter appearance, mindset, likes, dislikes, and the skills or techniques that come most readily to hand. That's why I used Summon, because you CAN redefine all those things. I suppose you could also have used Duplication, paying the Advantage to have about 25% of the points (mainly Skills) different, with the Duplication having OIF Expendable Focus: Current Body.

 

I also know the Time Lords have Universal Translator; as I said:

Since the Time Lord's gift of understanding any language is supposed to be a sort of continuous, low-level Telepathy (even though I'm using Universal Translator)...

I didn't list it directly because what I was listing was the new things LIKE Universal Translator that I'd had to invent to make the whole concept work. However, if you look at my phrase "Now, I realize right off we're talking about 140 points just in Talents...", you'll realize I was in fact including the Universal Translator in that, because there are SIX new 'Universals' I list, and those six (at 20 pts. each) plus 20 pts. for Universal Translator, equals 140 points.

 

I also realize that not all Time Lords would have a depth of knowledge equal to the Doctor's, but take a look at this:

 

First, I assume that for anything other than the big, famous planets/places/events (Skarro, they Eye of Orion, the Great Vampires, etc.) there are going to be penalties on the INT roll, simply because there ARE so many people, places, and events in the history of the universe.

 

Suppose a freshly-minted Time Lord, just out of the Academy, has an INT of 30 and has purchased Universal Scholar at the basic (20 point) level, with no pluses to the roll.

 

Right out of the gate, he has Universal Scholar 15- ... pretty good, but not "superhuman".

 

Now, if he's trying to recall anything that ISN'T about one of the very notable, famous, or imfamous people/places/events/etc., there's going to be a penalty to that roll. If the average penalty is -3 (between -1 and -5), then he's looking at a roll of 12-.

 

12- is only slightly better than a 50% chance of knowing something useful, so I don't think that a new Academy graduate, with these various Universals at just the base level, will be anywher NEAR the Doctor's level; I envision him as having bought major plusses to his rolls, so he has (for example) Universal Scholar 21-, so even with a -5 penalty for obscurity, he still has a 16- chance of having the knowledge. He won't fail often, but he will fail occassionally.

[Plucky]

Actually, I am pretty sure all Gallifreyans can regenerate - part of their genetic makeup. Also, each incarnations can live hundreds of years barring accidents. I've misplaced all my books on this. But I remember thinking that 300-500 years for each incarnation before regenerating due to old age is pretty neat and that a Gallifreyan can potentially live some 7000 years.

 

Plucky

[Dr. Anomaly]

Actually, I'm pretty sure that only those who have been through one of the Academies can rengerate, though I'd love to see a source to the contrary. (And the only sources that I'll accept as cannon are the shows themselves, and MAYBE a BBC-authorized book, but that last one's iffy.)

 

I know that there's something different about Time Lord DNA that make time travel possible without killing them, and the change was something Rassilon did when he started the whole business. (See The Two Doctors when the Colin Baker Doctor explains this to Perry, and how he "shaved down" the part of the circuit the Sontarrans were using so their machine could make ONE safe trip [the trip in which they used Perry as a guinea pig] and all trips after that would be fatal.) Was it that their DNA is triple-stranded? I can't remember now.

 

Now, since there's a disctinction between 'ordinary' Gallifreyans and Time Lords, and there's something different about Time Lord DNA, I've been operating on the premise that this difference is also what allows regeneration. After all, the Time Lords themselves that we've heard talk about their home planet and people draw a distinction between Time Lords and other Gallifreyans, but they've never mentioned Gallifreyans as a race being able to regenerate, but only Time Lords.

 

I also got the impression somewhere (though I can't point you to the source now) that each regeneration is supposed to be good for about 1,000 years, barring accidents.

[Plucky]

Now I really wish I remember where those books are. Mind you those books are the BBC 25th, 30th anniversary books.

 

However, I am pretty sure you are right with 1000 years for each regeneration. That makes it 13,000 years theoretically.

 

Plucky

[tkdguy]

Re regeneration: I can see Duplication being used, but I'm having difficulty seeing how Summon can be used for that effects. Maybe I'm just tired from a long week, but I really can't see it. Could you run that one by me please?

 

I would have just used the changing features of the regeneration as a special effect, since the Doctor is still the same guy, no matter how he looks. Unless you want to mix Shape Shift or something like that made inherent. Again, I'm really tired, so I could be neglecting to read the fine print.

 

Telepathy also works for the Doctor's universal translator. Either one should work well.

 

As for the colors, I think the Prydonian colors are red and gold. They do use the gold robes, at least. The other colors are green and (I think) heliotrope. I know that last color was something uncommon.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Originally posted by tkdguy

Re regeneration: I can see Duplication being used, but I'm having difficulty seeing how Summon can be used for that effects. Maybe I'm just tired from a long week, but I really can't see it. Could you run that one by me please?

Not a problem. Duplication would also work, but you'd have to pay for the Advantage of "x% of points can differ"...the reason for this is that each incarnation of the Doctor seems to have skills, knowledge, and abilities that either were not shared by the prior incarnation, or are now the "uppermost" set, with prior skills now being submerged. For example, take the John Pertwee Doctor's Venusian Akido...no incarnation before or after him used it.

 

Now it struck me a long time back that though the various Doctors share a common "knowledge base" (personal memory), the way the various incarnations interpret/filter this common knowledge base lead to VERY different personalities, different enough that for most practical purposes, they are different people.

 

Given that each incarnation (regeneration) can be treated as a different individual, this sounds more to me like a Summon (invoking or "summoning") the next incarnation (person) in the chain. You wouldn't have to pay for the Specific Individual modifier, because the Doctor at least always seems surprised (and often a bit dismayed) at what he gets. You don't have to pay for the Loyal modifier, either, as the later incarnations generally speak dismissively, snidely, or disparagingly of their prior selves. (For that matter, the earlier ones often do, as well. "So...you're my replacements? A dandy and a clown?" -- The First Doctor, from The Three Doctors.)

 

Really, it's all a matter of taste. When I said one of the other methods mentioned wouldn't work because it couldn't account for altered physical appearance and skill sets, I was referring to the Healing-with-Ressurection-Adder suggestion.

 

Summon seems to "feel" right to me, and it works for me. It may well be a completely different mechanic for someone else (Duplication, Healing, GM fiat, or whatever). YMMV. One of the strengths of HERO is that most people can find a way that feels "right" to them, is just as valid as the other people's choices, and is often completely different in the mechanics.

[tkdguy]

Sounds good. Thanks for clarifying. The Doctor's incarnations don't seem to get along too well, but I wouldn't get along with me either. Actually, I don't half the time, but that's a different story!

[Mark Rand]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

Andy Horton posted a Time Lord package for Hero System at http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ianmcdonald/ftp/other/HEROpackage.txt. Although I'm not sure, I think it's for the fourth edition.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

Per a recent episode (yes, it's being produced again), the Universal Translator ability is a TARDIS function.

 

Re: getting along -- the original Doctor seemed to get on OK with the Fifth, but that was the exception rather than the rule.

 

Oh, and something I haven't caught in the thread if it hasn't already been said: the charges on Regeneration (or whatever is used to represent his, well, regeneration) should Never Recover.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

I'd make a remark about Time Lords that relfects the new series, but that would be a spoiler.

 

Although ti might not have much of a game effect, you might want to address the problem of inter-fertility as a campaign matter. In other words, is it possible for a Time Lord to have a child with someone of another race?

[Curufea]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

Presumably Time Lords are a species. No episodes or audio dramas, or books that I've read/seen (so far) have ever mentioned that Time Lords can breed with any other species, and there have been no half breeds.

 

I don't like the premise given in "Death Comes to Time", which I understand is a non-canon audio adventure, where they establish that non-Gallifreyans can become Time Lords. That is definitely bad for the genre.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

Presumably Time Lords are a species. No episodes or audio dramas' date=' or books that I've read/seen (so far) have ever mentioned that Time Lords can breed with any other species, and there have been no half breeds.[/quote']

the novelization of the episode "The Five Doctors" had a reference to Susan, the Doctor's "granddaughter", having a couple of children by her human husband. Of course, Susan was part of the series before the term "Time Lord" became part of the Doctor Who lexicon, and there is some dispute whether she is actually Gallifreyan or a blood relative of the Doctor.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

Per a recent episode (yes' date=' it's being produced again), the Universal Translator ability is a TARDIS function.[/quote']

That's a retcon then, because at one point Sarah Jane asked the Tom Baker Doctor why she was always able to understand people wherever they went, and he replied that it's a "Time Lord gift that I allow you to share".

[Guest WhammeWhamme]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

re: Regeneration being a function of being a Time Lord...

 

I read a novelization of a story (the one where Romana regenerates) and it includes an inner thought of the Doctor's; she can regenerate with more control of final form than he can because she did better at the Academy than he did.

 

That makes it trainable. So probably something acquired, rather than innate.

(okay, maybe not. [shrug])

 

All of that IIRC, and IIIC.

[Curufea]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

That's a retcon then' date=' because at one point Sarah Jane asked the Tom Baker Doctor why she was always able to understand people wherever they went, and he replied that it's a "Time Lord gift that I allow you to share".[/quote']

 

That's suitably ambigious that it could also apply to the TARDIS working on her. As it is often regarded as a sentient (and mostly subservient) being.

 

"this tree provides fruit, I own the tree, you may share the trees fruit"

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

That's suitably ambigious that it could also apply to the TARDIS working on her. As it is often regarded as a sentient (and mostly subservient) being.

 

"this tree provides fruit, I own the tree, you may share the trees fruit"

Good point. And there's plenty of evidence for the TARDIS taking independent action...though you'd expect it to do a better job of keeping itself from almost being destroyed (and I mean when the Doctor's incapable [i.e. the regeneration into Peter Davidson] and not doing something ridiculously risky and heroic to save the day).

[Curufea]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

So should Time Lords and The Doctor in particular...

 

The TARDIS has outlived many incarnations of the Doctor though, so it has better survival traits than him - and he's been around for over 900 years...

 

Although Doctor Survival Guide 101 consists of - investigate problem, be briefly hurt or incapacitated, get captured, negotiate with the perpetrator, escape, wreck havoc at a safe distance, turn up at the climax for a coupe de grace and denoumonte...

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

Has anyone done stats for a new-style Dalek? the things may look ridiculous, but they are deadly as all hell. the Doctor believed that one Dalek was capable to depopulating a city the size of Salt Lake, despite any opposition the 2012 humans could throw at it.

[Curufea]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

The problem with pre-ninth Doctor Daleks was the lack of technological know-how on the part of the writers for the show, and the discarding of science for the sake of plot convenience (hiding in a tent from a Dalek in "Rememberance of the Daleks")

 

According to technical manuals the spheres on the skirting were sensors. Now doubling and one-use disintegration force fields (I'd say AoE 1 hex NND RKA)

 

The were meant to be deadly - the equivalent of power armour, or tanks - but without the ludicrously silly concept of having arms and legs in combat.

 

However, should we be talking about final-generation-Daleks? It would give away spoilers.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

the novelization of the episode "The Five Doctors" had a reference to Susan' date=' the Doctor's "granddaughter", having a couple of children by her human husband. Of course, Susan was part of the series before the term "Time Lord" became part of the [i']Doctor Who[/i] lexicon, and there is some dispute whether she is actually Gallifreyan or a blood relative of the Doctor.

And then there's the Eighth Doctor's [Paul McGann] comment: "I'm half human ... on my mother's side."

[tkdguy]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

And then there's the Eighth Doctor's [Paul McGann] comment: "I'm half human ... on my mother's side."

That was a really bad move on the writers' part, IMO. Of course, there was this Sylvester McCoy episode with the Cybermen where a villain asks Ace if she knew what the Doctor really is and shakes her head when Ace replies the Doctor is a Time Lord.

 

As for the term Time Lord, I think not all Gallifreyans are Time Lords, only those who graduate from one of the three academies. I think everyone in the High Council (I forget the correct term) has to be a Time Lord.

[Southern Cross]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

Well,considering the fact that Time Lords are supposed to be "the oldest humanoid race in the universe" but resemble humans....

Could Homo Sapiens be the result of a Time Lord bioengineering project?

[Curufea]

Re: Building a Time Lord

 

No.

 

Humans are the result of the accidental explosion of the Jaggeroth spaceship.

"City of Death"

 

I'd further add that The Doctor (and The Master of course) is an exception to normal Time Lords. Normal Time Lords never get involved in anything. They're not precisely xenophobic - but the very much fear change of any sort.