Soliciting Seven

[Corone]

In the interests of mining the collecting experience of the forum,
I thought I'd ask what you might like to see in the Seventh (McCoy) Doctor book.

I'm most of the way through it (Dom is a harsh taskmaster!)
but it seemed a good idea to see if there was anything you guys would like to see in the book, now you know what the general format and style of these books looks like.

I can't promise to put anything specific in, or really to talk about it very much. But I am listening and I'd like to know what you'd be looking forward to seeing in it. Your input will certainly help make sure I don't miss anything important!

[infinitydoctor]

The Seventh Doctor's adventures (on TV) are split between being borderline pantomime (in the first half) and then portraying the Doctor as something of a dark manipulator (in the second) with numerous plots and schemes on the go.

Personally, I'd like to see a look at ideas for a play style where the Timelord character knows MUCH more about what is going on than the rest of the players, and how you can maintain an almost antagonistic relationship between characters without wrecking the game. (Not to mention how you clue the Timelord in without giving away the entire adventure, and and let the game still be fun for that person.)

[Siskoid]

I agree with infinitityDoc. How does the 7th Doctor's "Champion of Time" mastermind modus operandi work in game terms? I'm gearing up to introduce Fenric as a recurring villain in my games (couldn't wait for the book on our schedule and been forced into Norse themes early on when I let a player declare a "Bad Wolf"), and if the Time Lord isn't a timey wimey mastermind, at least my villain hopes to be.

Otherwise? How about adventure seeds that hint at the aborted season 27 material (one of the DVDs recounts the production team's plans for it, including Ace commanding a starship, a new companion in the Lady Christina mold, and I think Ace winding up at the Academy)? Is that fair game in a page of Adventure Seeds (I'm thinking specifically of p.11 of the First Doctor book)?

One last idea: Notes on a pre-UNIT campaign featuring Rachel, etc. from Remembrance of the Daleks.

[ninjaconor]

Would you be able to write original material to fill the gap between the series ending and the Movie? Maybe stuff about The Master going on trial on Skaro and that kind of thing. It's only mentioned in passing on TV but sounds like there's a lot of room to flesh things out.

[Corone]

I have been detailing the 'Doctor as mystery' but I shall see if I can expand that to help GM the all knowing Timelord. Good one.

I was having similar thoughts about Rachel and UNIT too after watching Remembrance. I think there is enough in the UNIT book to cover that really but there will be a few notes from me too.

I'm not sure what we're allowed to do about filling the gap before 8. (I still have my fingers crossed we'll be allowed to keep Shada in 4!). Original material may well be absolutely out of bounds, as will the aborted season 27 stuff I suspect. Although I must admit I'm quite glad we didn't see Ace in Time Lord academy.

As we're doing a book on the 8th Doctor I suspect Gar will make me end at Survival and pick up the string again with 8. However, there may be space to include something.

[Craig Oxbrow]

A sidebar about setting up arcs (and retroactively including things) when discussing Ace and the time storm.

Ideas for who and what Fenric is, and the future of the Haemovores - and how one time loop destroys another.

[Marnal]

Just spit-balling...

You could have a paragraph about how they ditched the TARDIS interior Set for Season 26 - forcing the writers to set ALL scenes outside the TARDIS. Such a restriction could be put in place on an RPG. The game only starts with the PCs leaving the TARDIS. And, even if they go back inside to make a space-time jump or find a gadget, no actually scenes happen.

An optional rule like this could remove the "The PC's hide in the TARDIS and just spend all their sessions making plans and gadgets" syndrome that often crops up in the games.

Just an idea...

[Doctor X]

You probably don't have the rights, but I'd like to see the story from the Doctor Who pinball game . What exactly WAS the Time Expander? How did Davors AND The Master team up? What role did the seven Doctors play?

[evildrpuma]

This might also require some original material, but would it be possible to account for the shift from the "borderline pantomime" of McCoy's first series to the "manipulative schemer" of the second and third? Could this be the result of some kind of prolonged regeneration crisis, or was there some other reason why the Seventh Doctor seemed to change his methods?

[Marnal]

With regard to WHY there was a shift in style, the novels stated that it was basically the 7th Doctor resisting/dreading the idea of becoming a manipulative so and so. You can think of the whole "Borderline Pantomime" as one big bachelor's party before "Dragonfire" drags him of to wedding and he starts working as Time's Champion full time.

[imajica]

Ferrets.