Post by omega on Jun 30, 2010 12:56:19 GMT
Special Trait:
Mildly Telepathic
Prerequisites: Alien or Time Lord
Cost: (Special: see below) Costs 1 Story Point to use
The character can on occasion if necessary use innate Telepathic powers to communicate with or scan minds but typically must touch or hold the target's head or be at close distance from them if they are of the same race. This power does not work over larger distances so as such, the normal Telepathy Ranges are ignored.
The character must spend the whole time touching the other person or being motionless and in close proximity and performing no other actions.
(The Girl In The Fireplace)
If interrupted, they must begin again or if the action was vital to the plot, the GM may allow another Story Point to be spent to ensure they luckily received enough time to achieve their purpose.
The character can plant messages in a willing targets mind, to work on a conscious level or subliminally, or communicate by sending a large amount of thoughts, instructions or memories in a quick burst, typically to update the target on a situation or explain things to them very quickly.
(The Lodger, The Big Bang)
They can also share what they are experiencing telepathically with a non-telepathic target.
(Planet Of The Ood: The Doctor shares the Ood Song with Donna)
The target character may be slightly stunned for a moment or two while she processes and comprehends the information (unless she possess this trait herself).
At GM's call, the player may be allowed to simply whisper a few words in close proximity to the target to plant a subliminal message at the cost of 2 Story Points.
(The Christmas Invasion -"Doesn't She Look Tired?")
If the character is not in close proximity with those he wants to convey information to Telepathically, he can place the information in a suitable 'Psychic' container of some kind and transport it through some means to those it is intended for. This typically takes a little longer (GM's call as to the duration) and requires an object that is capable of storing Telepathic messages.
(The War Games)
If several characters possess this trait, they can take a moment and temporarily link their minds together to transmit information or communicate amongst themselves using the rules as detailed above.
(The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors)
This Special Good Trait also allows a character to sense if a target is Telepathic and also to pick up on unusually strong Telepathic signals.
(Planet Of The Ood)
All of the above assumes your target is willing. If they resist use the rules for Being Possessed (p.p. 52, Gamemaster's Guide)
Unconscious targets are treated normally, if the purpose is to help them in some way but not harm them.
Optional Rule
If the character doesn't want to spend a Story Point (or can't), he can opt to strike the target is some manner (a head-butt?) at a cost of 1 point of injury to both the character and their target. The GM is encouraged to develop any consequences of this aggressive action in a suitable dramatic or comical way. The injury is painful but heals by the next scene.
(The Lodger)
This Special Good Trait is free for any character who has the Alien or Time Lord Trait but if the character is an Alien it must be chosen during Character Creation as part of that race's natural innate traits (all of your race has it) and always costs 1 Story Point to use, each time, every time.
A player cannot choose this trait at a later date after Character Creation without strict GM's approval and only as a way of developing the series and it also must be justified in a suitably dramatic way.
Design Notes:
This explains The Doctor's ability and facilitates a mechanic that explains his limited use of it (e.g. why doesn't the Doctor use this all the time?).
It's also written in a way that provides easy insertion into the existing official rules with little fuss.
I have quoted series episodes examples to illustrate use and provided classic series examples also to show the Doc has always had this trait.
It's free because:
- its not full Telepathy
- it's limited to alien species with natural inborn abilities
- it costs 1 story point to use
Personal Notes:
-After receiving the game I created this trait since my group wasn't satisfied with the Doctor's initial writeup.
-One great creative use of this from my players was during an adventure called 'The Empty Eden' where my group (The Tenth Doctor, Rose, Micky) encountered a sentient planet.
This Pseudo-Planet was especially nasty as it was a life-force vampire.
Previously it had entered the solar system of a pre-space faring dying world and offered that planet's inhabitants a new start. Once the exodus was complete and the inhabitants has landed and settled on it's surface, it sucked the life energy out of all of them.
After the mystery of an empty paradise and some grisly and dangerous discoveries, once the nemesis was revealed, it demanded the Doctor reveal his knowledge of Time Travel to it so it could sate it's great hunger throughout all time and space.
Seeing no escape, and to spare the lives of Rose and Micky, The Doctor agreed (after conferring with me as the GM), and instead of the concise and easily-transferred info the planet desired, the Doctor gave it everything in one massive burst after telepathically linking with it.
With the sentient planet stunned and overwhelmed with the sum total of all of The Doctor's knowledge and memories, he sent it uncontrolled plunging into the sun. A great session and great play.
Mildly Telepathic
Prerequisites: Alien or Time Lord
Cost: (Special: see below) Costs 1 Story Point to use
The character can on occasion if necessary use innate Telepathic powers to communicate with or scan minds but typically must touch or hold the target's head or be at close distance from them if they are of the same race. This power does not work over larger distances so as such, the normal Telepathy Ranges are ignored.
The character must spend the whole time touching the other person or being motionless and in close proximity and performing no other actions.
(The Girl In The Fireplace)
If interrupted, they must begin again or if the action was vital to the plot, the GM may allow another Story Point to be spent to ensure they luckily received enough time to achieve their purpose.
The character can plant messages in a willing targets mind, to work on a conscious level or subliminally, or communicate by sending a large amount of thoughts, instructions or memories in a quick burst, typically to update the target on a situation or explain things to them very quickly.
(The Lodger, The Big Bang)
They can also share what they are experiencing telepathically with a non-telepathic target.
(Planet Of The Ood: The Doctor shares the Ood Song with Donna)
The target character may be slightly stunned for a moment or two while she processes and comprehends the information (unless she possess this trait herself).
At GM's call, the player may be allowed to simply whisper a few words in close proximity to the target to plant a subliminal message at the cost of 2 Story Points.
(The Christmas Invasion -"Doesn't She Look Tired?")
If the character is not in close proximity with those he wants to convey information to Telepathically, he can place the information in a suitable 'Psychic' container of some kind and transport it through some means to those it is intended for. This typically takes a little longer (GM's call as to the duration) and requires an object that is capable of storing Telepathic messages.
(The War Games)
If several characters possess this trait, they can take a moment and temporarily link their minds together to transmit information or communicate amongst themselves using the rules as detailed above.
(The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors)
This Special Good Trait also allows a character to sense if a target is Telepathic and also to pick up on unusually strong Telepathic signals.
(Planet Of The Ood)
All of the above assumes your target is willing. If they resist use the rules for Being Possessed (p.p. 52, Gamemaster's Guide)
Unconscious targets are treated normally, if the purpose is to help them in some way but not harm them.
Optional Rule
If the character doesn't want to spend a Story Point (or can't), he can opt to strike the target is some manner (a head-butt?) at a cost of 1 point of injury to both the character and their target. The GM is encouraged to develop any consequences of this aggressive action in a suitable dramatic or comical way. The injury is painful but heals by the next scene.
(The Lodger)
This Special Good Trait is free for any character who has the Alien or Time Lord Trait but if the character is an Alien it must be chosen during Character Creation as part of that race's natural innate traits (all of your race has it) and always costs 1 Story Point to use, each time, every time.
A player cannot choose this trait at a later date after Character Creation without strict GM's approval and only as a way of developing the series and it also must be justified in a suitably dramatic way.
Design Notes:
This explains The Doctor's ability and facilitates a mechanic that explains his limited use of it (e.g. why doesn't the Doctor use this all the time?).
It's also written in a way that provides easy insertion into the existing official rules with little fuss.
I have quoted series episodes examples to illustrate use and provided classic series examples also to show the Doc has always had this trait.
It's free because:
- its not full Telepathy
- it's limited to alien species with natural inborn abilities
- it costs 1 story point to use
Personal Notes:
-After receiving the game I created this trait since my group wasn't satisfied with the Doctor's initial writeup.
-One great creative use of this from my players was during an adventure called 'The Empty Eden' where my group (The Tenth Doctor, Rose, Micky) encountered a sentient planet.
This Pseudo-Planet was especially nasty as it was a life-force vampire.
Previously it had entered the solar system of a pre-space faring dying world and offered that planet's inhabitants a new start. Once the exodus was complete and the inhabitants has landed and settled on it's surface, it sucked the life energy out of all of them.
After the mystery of an empty paradise and some grisly and dangerous discoveries, once the nemesis was revealed, it demanded the Doctor reveal his knowledge of Time Travel to it so it could sate it's great hunger throughout all time and space.
Seeing no escape, and to spare the lives of Rose and Micky, The Doctor agreed (after conferring with me as the GM), and instead of the concise and easily-transferred info the planet desired, the Doctor gave it everything in one massive burst after telepathically linking with it.
With the sentient planet stunned and overwhelmed with the sum total of all of The Doctor's knowledge and memories, he sent it uncontrolled plunging into the sun. A great session and great play.
