Which books do I get?

[Koalanite]

Hi! I'm looking into GM'ing this rpg for my friends but I'm a little confused by which books to get. I see there's a sort of starter set for Ten, Eleven and Twelve, but also a GM's guide and sourcebooks for each Doctor.

I'm mostly interested in playing a campaign with monsters/characters/etc from Ten's era in it, which'd mean I should get Ten's set as it includes character sheets and all of that in it (if I understand it correctly), but I'm curious to what the difference is between getting his set and getting the GM's guide + Ten's sourcebook? Which is the better option, and is it still a good idea to get Ten's set as it's an older version? Thanks in advance!

[misterharry]

Sept 25, 2017 11:42:51 GMT Koalanite said:

Hi! I'm looking into GM'ing this rpg for my friends but I'm a little confused by which books to get. I see there's a sort of starter set for Ten, Eleven and Twelve, but also a GM's guide and sourcebooks for each Doctor.

I'm mostly interested in playing a campaign with monsters/characters/etc from Ten's era in it, which'd mean I should get Ten's set as it includes character sheets and all of that in it (if I understand it correctly), but I'm curious to what the difference is between getting his set and getting the GM's guide + Ten's sourcebook? Which is the better option, and is it still a good idea to get Ten's set as it's an older version? Thanks in advance!

The core rules are contained within the Tenth, Eleventh or Twelfth Doctor sets, so you need one of those as a minimum (but not more than one, as the rules don't change from one version to the next - it's just different branding and layout). The Tenth and Eleventh versions are box-sets which have the bonus of including a couple of introductory adventures to get you started, but they're both out of print - though you could still find copies available for sale. Or if you're not worried about physical books and pdf is OK for you, then you can get them from RPGnow.com

The GM's Companion is full of advice on designing and running adventures, but it's certainly not essential.

And the sourcebooks are guides to the TV stories, complete with game stats and suggestions for running them as scenarios.

If you're into the Tenth Doctor and you can find a set for sale, I'd say pick that up and see how you get on.

[bandersnee]

I'd second the thought that if you can get a 10th Doctor set on the cheap, then you're not going to go wrong.

If you're picking up new books I'd say whichever rule edition of the rulebook you can get your hands on (since there aren't really rule changes, but maybe the addition of an ability or two).  Then the 10th Doctor Sourcebook.  

What also may be helpful is the Timetraveller's Companion.  You might want the Black Archive, but only if you're interested in sprinkling in gadgets and gear here and there in your campaign.  But mostly those are things that the Doctor and UNIT would be happy to see locked up and would present plot complications if they happened to get out.

[Stormcrow]

The Time Traveller's Companion is useful if you want to put a lot of detail into being a Time Lord or piloting a TARDIS. If you don't want to focus on the intricacies of time travelers, and you don't need a TARDIS to be much more than a useful device to get from one adventure to another, with perhaps an occasional roll to make it do something special, the TTC is overkill.

[NurseRani]

Of course, the Core Rules (I really like the hard-back with #12 on the cover. Very complete) are a must have. I also rely, heavily on the Aliens and Creatures box set.