The Doctor Who Role Playing Game
Encyclopedia
The Doctor Who Role Playing Game was a Doctor Who
roleplaying game published by FASA in 1985
. The game allowed players to assume similar roles to the Doctor
and his companions or as agents of the Celestial Intervention Agency
.
. The supplements contained two pamphlets, one for players and another for game masters.
The game line reflected sometimes mediocre knowledge of Doctor Who continuity and some notable divergences from known Doctor Who continuity. It claims that the Meddling Monk
later adopted the alias of the Master. The game's backstory resolved the UNIT dating controversy
by flatly contradicting Mawdryn Undead
onscreen action and placing that story's "present day" sequence in the near future. A supplement to the game stated that Adric
had not died and that a Time Lord
had rescued him in a later model TARDIS
than the Doctor's.
and Leela
the other a publicity photograph of them. Neither the Fourth Doctor or Leela, at that date, still appeared in the series. The painting printing had interior rulebooks with slick white covers, while the photographic edition featured more textured brown Victorian-styled rulebooks.
FASA also published two solo play gamebook
s: Doctor Who and the Vortex Crystal (1986) by William H. Keith, Jr., featuring the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith
and Harry Sullivan
and the Daleks, set on the planet Gathwyr; and Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gambit (1986) by William H. Keith, Jr., featuring the Sixth Doctor
, Peri
and Harry Sullivan, set during the American Civil War
, ISBN 0-931787-68-8
1985 - FASA 9101 - ISBN 0931787939
The Time Lord and his Companions had been sent to the capital of Queen Victoria's realm to learn the source of a strange weapon that should never have been on Earth at all. What they found was a web of mystery and deception that led them, step by step, to a confrontation with The Iytean Menace." (J. Andrew Keith)
1985 - FASA 9201 - ISBN 0931787912
1985 - FASA 9202 - ISBN 0931787920
1985 - FASA 9203 - ISBN 0931787955
The Time Lord and his Companions are sent to Hartlewick, England to locate the source of this unexplained energy field. But they do not have much time. Forces are at work to unleash something hideous and all-too-powerful upon the residents of 1923 Earth."
This scenario was originally intended for Chaosium's
Call of Cthulhu
roleplaying game. However, after it was rejected the author reworked it for FASA's Doctor Who roleplaying game.
1985 - FASA 9204 - ISBN 0931787750
1985 - FASA 9205 - ISBN 0931787262
1986 - FASA 9206 - ISBN 0931787491
1986 - FASA 9207 - ISBN 0931787735
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
roleplaying game published by FASA in 1985
1985 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1985. For video and console games, see 1985 in video gaming....
. The game allowed players to assume similar roles to the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
and his companions or as agents of the Celestial Intervention Agency
Celestial Intervention Agency
The Celestial Intervention Agency is a fictional organization of Time Lords in the universe of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
.
Setting
The game was set in the Doctor Who universe. The main set of three rulebooks was followed by several separately published adventures and supplements for the game, which provided details about the Daleks, the Cybermen and the MasterMaster (Doctor Who)
The Master is a recurring character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is a renegade Time Lord and the archenemy of the Doctor....
. The supplements contained two pamphlets, one for players and another for game masters.
The game line reflected sometimes mediocre knowledge of Doctor Who continuity and some notable divergences from known Doctor Who continuity. It claims that the Meddling Monk
Meddling Monk
The Meddling Monk, or simply The Monk, was a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Played by the British comic actor Peter Butterworth, the character appeared in two stories: as an adversary of the First Doctor.Other than the...
later adopted the alias of the Master. The game's backstory resolved the UNIT dating controversy
UNIT dating controversy
The UNIT dating controversy is an ongoing debate in Doctor Who fandom, concerning exactly when the stories featuring the fictional military organisation known as United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, or more recently as the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, take place in the timeline of the...
by flatly contradicting Mawdryn Undead
Mawdryn Undead
Mawdryn Undead is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts from 1 February to 9 February 1983...
onscreen action and placing that story's "present day" sequence in the near future. A supplement to the game stated that Adric
Adric
Adric is a fictional character played by Matthew Waterhouse in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was a young native of the planet Alzarius, which exists in the parallel universe of E-Space. A companion of the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, he was a regular in the...
had not died and that a Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
had rescued him in a later model TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
than the Doctor's.
History
The game came out in two printings, one showing painted artwork of the Fourth DoctorFourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
and Leela
Leela (Doctor Who)
Leela is a fictional character played by Louise Jameson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Leela was a companion of the Fourth Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1977 to 1978...
the other a publicity photograph of them. Neither the Fourth Doctor or Leela, at that date, still appeared in the series. The painting printing had interior rulebooks with slick white covers, while the photographic edition featured more textured brown Victorian-styled rulebooks.
FASA also published two solo play gamebook
Gamebook
A gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
s: Doctor Who and the Vortex Crystal (1986) by William H. Keith, Jr., featuring the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith
Sarah Jane Smith
Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science-fiction series Doctor Who and its spin-offs K-9 and Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures....
and Harry Sullivan
Harry Sullivan
Harry Sullivan is a fictional character from the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who and is a companion of the Fourth Doctor...
and the Daleks, set on the planet Gathwyr; and Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gambit (1986) by William H. Keith, Jr., featuring the Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
, Peri
Peri Brown
Peri Brown, full name Perpugilliam Brown, is a fictional character played by Nicola Bryant in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
and Harry Sullivan, set during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, ISBN 0-931787-68-8
System
Its game mechanics were based on (though, not identical to) the Star Trek RPG also published by FASA.Daleks and The Dalek Problem
Two part module that includes full details about the Daleks' back story, playing guide stats and new scenario.1985 - FASA 9101 - ISBN 0931787939
The Iytean Menace
"Out in the fog-shrouded night of Victorian London, an evil force was lurking, waiting to strike. A senseless murder, over a strange artifact, was only the very beginning of the terror of The Iytean Menace. What was the ancient evil, and how had it been awakened? Where would it strike next?The Time Lord and his Companions had been sent to the capital of Queen Victoria's realm to learn the source of a strange weapon that should never have been on Earth at all. What they found was a web of mystery and deception that led them, step by step, to a confrontation with The Iytean Menace." (J. Andrew Keith)
1985 - FASA 9201 - ISBN 0931787912
The Lords of Destiny
"The World-Ship of Ydar was a monster, vast, implacable, and set on a collision course with the Galaxy of Man. Giant starship and mobile world, Destiny of Ydar is both refuge and vengeance of a long-dead civilization which must be stopped, or worlds will die. The cooperation of the Ydarans is vital. To bad they're caught up in a civil war just now. Too bad, too, that they've forgotten the rest of the universe exists..."1985 - FASA 9202 - ISBN 0931787920
Countdown
"The sudden appearance of a dangerous gravity bubble causes the TARDIS to materialize [sic] aboard a ship of the Earth Empire on an emergency mission to deliver vital serum to a plague-ridden world. Before the adventure is over, the Time Lord and his Companions must contend not only with the death-dealing gravity bubble, but with the ship’s paranoid computer, space pirates, and an attack by androids as well."1985 - FASA 9203 - ISBN 0931787955
The Hartlewick Horror
"Why are the villagers of a sleepy little town like Hartlewick disappearing? Has the archeological excavation of an ancient Druidic mound awakened something that was better left undisturbed? And are these strange occurrences related to the presence of a mysterious energy field?The Time Lord and his Companions are sent to Hartlewick, England to locate the source of this unexplained energy field. But they do not have much time. Forces are at work to unleash something hideous and all-too-powerful upon the residents of 1923 Earth."
This scenario was originally intended for Chaosium's
Chaosium
Chaosium is one of the longer lived publishers of role-playing games still in existence. Founded by Greg Stafford, its first game was actually a wargame, White Bear and Red Moon, which later mutated into Dragon Pass and its sequel, Nomad Gods...
Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
roleplaying game. However, after it was rejected the author reworked it for FASA's Doctor Who roleplaying game.
1985 - FASA 9204 - ISBN 0931787750
The Legions of Death
"The legions were on the march... but Rome had never faced an enemy like this one. An evil renegade Time Lord has allied himself with British tribesmen to lure a Roman army -- and a Roman Emperor -- into a deviously plotted trap. History will be changed and an army of fanatic conquerors loosed upon the Galaxy if a Time Lord and his Companions cannot stop the renegade's sinister plan. As time runs out, the adventurers race to their final confrontation with the Legions of Death." (J. Andrew Keith)1985 - FASA 9205 - ISBN 0931787262
City of Gold
"Dinosaurs in the twenty-first century? That was only the first mystery that confronted the Time Lord and his Companions when they set out to investigate a violent revolution in an age of turmoil, and stumbled into a plot that could end human history -- and change the universe forever. A lost city and a vanished race from the depths of time and [sic] hold the key to the destiny of the Earth, unless the adventurers can penetrate the mysteries of the City of Gold."1986 - FASA 9206 - ISBN 0931787491
The Warrior's Code
"Arigato, Doctor Who. A collision in the Vortex with an unknown timeship…a forced materialization on the rocky seaside cliffs of feudal Japan…a power play among the samurai warlords who wield absolute power in an ancient and mysterious realm. For the Time Lord and his Companions, those were only the first steps in a dangerous game, where one man’s ambition could bring the collapse of human history. Stranded, cut off from help or contact with Gallifrey, the time travelers must band together to free themselves from old Japan, history from a madman’s plot, and humanity itself from oblivion in a distant but all-too-real future. To achieve their goals, the adventurers must learn to understand the shifting politics and timeless culture of the Land of the Rising Sun. They must come to understand the samurai and their Bushido…The Warrior’s Code."1986 - FASA 9207 - ISBN 0931787735
See also
- Time LordTime Lord (role-playing game)Time Lord — Adventures through Time and Space is a Doctor Who role-playing game, written by Ian Marsh and Peter Darvill-Evans and published in 1991 by Virgin Publishing. This game is totally unrelated to the previously released Doctor Who RPG by FASA, having different and simpler mechanics that...
, another Doctor Who RPG - http://www.cubicle7.co.uk Cubicle 7 Entertainment - Makers of the new Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space RPG.