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Post by missyfan45 on Feb 17, 2021 21:31:03 GMT
little seds of inspiration and even your own fan "series"!
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753 
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Post by Catsmate on Feb 18, 2021 9:34:23 GMT
little seds of inspiration and even your own fan "series"!
1. Caistor.
I've lived and worked in Norwich and explored the area. Full of history, the drainage of the fens (which got one Oliver Cromwell involved in politics), their use in earlier times for smuggling, the isolation of the monastery at Ely (surrounded by water and marsh, very different to today) and more. Read The Nine Tailors for an evocation of the area.
Then there was the Roman settlement of Caistor (was about 8km from where Norwich was founded). Several interesting legends about the area, a monster trapped underground by the Romans, the martyrdom of Simon the Zealot, and the proximity of the capital of the Iceni tribe, a settlement located near the village of Caistor St. Edmund approximately 8km to the south of modern-day Norwich. After the suppression of the uprising led by Boudica around 60CE the Caistor area became the Roman capital of East Anglia, Venta Icenorum.
2. Dunwich.
By the lost town of Dunwich
The shore was washed away
They say you hear the church bells still
As they toll beneath the waves
Dunwich (wiki) was once an important place. In the Anglo-Saxon period Dunwich was the capital of the Kingdom of the East Angles.
Later it was a hugely important port and harbour, similar in size to London. Until 1286 when the first great storm almost wiped the town out.
Later it became a notorious Rotten Borough. Earlier it had had a Preceptory of the Knights Templar. Later still there was a WW2 RADAR installation there, part of the CHAIN HOME LOW network. There are still legends of ghostly ringing of the church bells now underwater.
A lot of scope for weirdness: time travellers, artefacts collected by the Templars (and later looted), strange storms that devastated the town, mysterious wartime experiments, aquatic aliens....
3. The Sittaford Mystery.
As I've said before I'm fond of Golden Age mysteries and using them as the basis for time travel scenarios, somewhat in the manner of The Unicorn and the Wasp and Doctor vs Doctor1.
Recently I re-watched the television "adaption"2 of the Agatha Christie novel The Sittaford Mystery (aka The Murder at Hazelmoor) and I'm considering using it as the basis for a scenario.
Isolated, snow-bound hotel near Dartmoor. An escaped convict straight out of The Hound of the Baskervilles, a disparate group of people thrown together in adversity. And then one of them is murdered....
A good collection of characters: the ambitious, war hero, politician and friend of Churchill3, tipped to become Prime Minister; his wastrel ward and the latter's far more competent fiancée; the elderly spinster who knits; the bumbling political agent; the mysterious Egyptian servant; the stereotyped American businessman and his doctor, who crawls about on the roof with electrical apparatus and has secrets of his own; the staff of the hotel; Mister Smith-Jones; a deceptive journalist looking for a story. There's even a séance.
Such stories provide an excellent skeleton for a Who scenario; there's already a set of characters, a location and at least one plot. Now add time travellers and you have a quick and easy game.
1. In the Doctor Who Annual 2006, with the Ninth Doctor and Rose encountering a thinly disguised expy of John Dickson Carr's Dr. Gideon Fell.
2. Other than snow and a few character names the television version bears no resemblance to the book.
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Post by grinch on Oct 26, 2021 20:20:08 GMT
Brush Strokes
Plot: Your PCs have to rescue Louis Wain who has been abducted by Cat People who wish to use him to paint a picture of their beloved monarch.
Definitely one for your sillier or "abstract" adventures.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Oct 27, 2021 8:24:20 GMT
Brush Strokes Plot: Your PCs have to rescue Louis Wain who has been abducted by Cat People who wish to use him to paint a picture of their beloved monarch. Definitely one for your sillier or "abstract" adventures.
Hmmm, perhaps his pictures became some sort of religious/cultural icon amongst felinoids?
As you say, perhaps one for a lighter toned scenario.
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Post by grinch on Oct 27, 2021 10:14:38 GMT
Brush Strokes Plot: Your PCs have to rescue Louis Wain who has been abducted by Cat People who wish to use him to paint a picture of their beloved monarch. Definitely one for your sillier or "abstract" adventures.
Hmmm, perhaps his pictures became some sort of religious/cultural icon amongst felinoids?
As you say, perhaps one for a lighter toned scenario.
That was my line of thinking as well. On the planet of the Cat People or Felinoids his work is held to an extremely high regard. It is valued so highly to the point that only he could be trusted to paint a picture worthy of her majesty. Definitely an interesting figure in his own right Louis Wain. |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Oct 27, 2021 10:30:39 GMT
Fascinating, I'd never heard of Wain.
Hmmm, perhaps his pictures became some sort of religious/cultural icon amongst felinoids?
As you say, perhaps one for a lighter toned scenario.
That was my line of thinking as well. On the planet of the Cat People or Felinoids his work is held to an extremely high regard. It is valued so highly to the point that only he could be trusted to paint a picture worthy of her majesty. Definitely an interesting figure in his own right Louis Wain.
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Post by grinch on Oct 27, 2021 15:56:45 GMT
Joanna Southcott en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_SouthcottA fascinating woman who I’m a little surprised Doctor Who has never done their own take on her. Maybe it’s because she’s alleged to still have some followers to this day? Would work as a the basis for a historical or pseudo historical adventure or even as the main villain of a campaign. |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Oct 27, 2021 18:14:25 GMT
Joanna Southcott en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_SouthcottA fascinating woman who I’m a little surprised Doctor Who has never done their own take on her. Maybe it’s because she’s alleged to still have some followers to this day? Would work as a the basis for a historical or pseudo historical adventure or even as the main villain of a campaign.
Perhaps he hadn't recruited sufficient bishops....
Or it wasn't the genuine box.
As you say a vast range of possibilities. Interestingly she connects to everyone from Byron to Dickens too. |
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Post by boredeternal on Oct 29, 2021 15:33:35 GMT
I think this could make an interesting adventure. The Baltic Sea Anomaly is rumored to be a UFO. Some enterprising DMs could have all kinds of aliens or tech in the 'UFO', maybe time travel to when the crash took place? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea_anomaly |
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Post by grinch on Oct 29, 2021 22:33:56 GMT
Joanna Southcott en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_SouthcottA fascinating woman who I’m a little surprised Doctor Who has never done their own take on her. Maybe it’s because she’s alleged to still have some followers to this day? Would work as a the basis for a historical or pseudo historical adventure or even as the main villain of a campaign.
Perhaps he hadn't recruited sufficient bishops....
Or it wasn't the genuine box.
As you say a vast range of possibilities. Interestingly she connects to everyone from Byron to Dickens too.There’s definitely a lot you could do with her. Maybe she was in contact with the Great Intelligence or another some other ethereal entity that manipulated her? In fact, considering the amount of historical figures she was linked in you could have her appear numerous times in the background (akin to Harold Saxon in Series 3) through what appears to be unrelated historical events building up to the finale where she ends up being the big bad? |
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Post by grinch on Oct 29, 2021 22:35:12 GMT
I think this could make an interesting adventure. The Baltic Sea Anomaly is rumored to be a UFO. Some enterprising DMs could have all kinds of aliens or tech in the 'UFO', maybe time travel to when the crash took place? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea_anomaly Be a good way to introduce a recurring NPC now that I think about it. With your PCs having to rescue them after they sent out a distress call from their downed ship and the alien in question later returning to pay the favour? |
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Post by grinch on Oct 29, 2021 22:36:52 GMT
Lambert Simnel www.britannica.com/biography/Lambert-Simnel-English-pretenderA curious bit of English history here. And obviously would make for a good basis for a Meddling Monk adventure where Simnel was successful in his deception and ascended to the throne? Would require a change in history but he might make for good companion material as well. |
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Post by grinch on Oct 30, 2021 15:53:58 GMT
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Post by grinch on Oct 30, 2021 19:15:32 GMT
Pluckley Hauntings mysterioustrip.com/pluckley-village-england-haunted/Often reported as being the most haunted village in England, packed full of ghosts and other such hauntings. Feel like this could make for ripe material for a Torchwood or UNIT game. With the ghosts being a result of the village lying upon some temporal leyline perhaps? |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Oct 31, 2021 11:38:03 GMT
Lambert Simnel www.britannica.com/biography/Lambert-Simnel-English-pretenderA curious bit of English history here. And obviously would make for a good basis for a Meddling Monk adventure where Simnel was successful in his deception and ascended to the throne? Would require a change in history but he might make for good companion material as well.
Of course it'd be an interesting sequel to The Kingmaker.
Then there's the question of his significant resemblance to the children of Edward IV, was he a royal bastard perhaps? While opens a second set of possible adventures regarding his conception and the effects of preventing it.
So here are four options:
1. Someone meddles with the Yorkist rebellion. This could be subtle (spreading a stomach bug through Henry's army) or not (I favour the Davy Crockett option, it'd fit with the Monk's MO). So the rebellion succeeds, what next?
2. The PCs arrive and discover Symonds is not whom he appears to be. He may be a time traveller, or be under the control of one, but Simnel is bring groomed for the throne and plans are more advanced for the rebellion. What do they do?
3. The PC accidentally prevent the Yorkist rebellion. Maybe they prevent Simnel's conception. Now the rebellion is important as it helped neutralise much of the opposition to his reign (though suppressing the Simnel and Warbeck affairs cost a large amount of his treasury).
4. The PCs arrive and encounter someone investigating the mystery of Symonds (who is, in this case, perfectly normal). Perhaps it's a mission by Mad Max and the historians of St. Mary's. However the two groups become suspicious and history is altered. Now fix it.
Hmm, perhaps such a light is possessed by something?
The 'psychic residue' of the stone tape hypothesis fit rather well into the Whoniverse's take on ghosts (well some of them).
Also Kneale's The Stone Tape is an excellent base for a scenario.
Pluckley Hauntings mysterioustrip.com/pluckley-village-england-haunted/Often reported as being the most haunted village in England, packed full of ghosts and other such hauntings. Feel like this could make for ripe material for a Torchwood or UNIT game. With the ghosts being a result of the village lying upon some temporal leyline perhaps?
Though the snippet that The Darling Buds of May was filmed there intrigues me. Perhaps the PCs arrive and get involved in the oddities, while keeping the filming from being effected?
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Post by grinch on Nov 3, 2021 12:52:37 GMT
Lovely, some great ideas for a historical or pseudo-historical story there.
With regards to Pluckley, it does make me wonder whether someone knew of the area being susceptible to temporal echoes or lying on a temporal leyline and yet deliberately chose to construct a village there. Maybe out of mere scientific curiosity or with the entire village acting as a means to channel said energy?
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Post by grinch on Nov 3, 2021 13:08:40 GMT
50 Berkeley Square haunted-london.com/50-berkeley-squareAllegedly one of the most haunted houses in London. It's the sort of location which would work as the basis for a Scooby-Doo type adventure where someone is faking hauntings in order to hide their criminal activities or even a more typical DW story where some unearthly monstrosity has been summoned there, just waiting to prey on those poor unfortunates curious or perhaps stupid enough to enter its domain... Definitely a location that would suit a Torchwood or Paternoster Gang adventure. Who knows? Maybe this is where Gentleman Ghost makes his home? dwaitas.proboards.com/thread/4290/dc-comics-gentleman-ghost |
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Post by grinch on Nov 7, 2021 18:27:08 GMT
Your PCs land on a planet that is seemingly the loudest in all of creation. A planet where the inhabitants are engaged in neverending parties and merrymaking. A place where all manner of noise is not only encouraged but required by law. With a bit of investigation, your PCs soon discover the reason behind such bizarre behavior and customs. The entire population lives in constant fear of the thought of the silence and the Quiet that comes with it...
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Nov 7, 2021 20:23:26 GMT
Your PCs land on a planet that is seemingly the loudest in all of creation. A planet where the inhabitants are engaged in neverending parties and merrymaking. A place where all manner of noise is not only encouraged but required by law. With a bit of investigation, your PCs soon discover the reason behind such bizarre behavior and customs. The entire population lives in constant fear of the thought of the silence and the Quiet that comes with it...
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Post by grinch on Feb 19, 2022 20:40:09 GMT
In the year 20XX, various households across England experience a strange phenomenon. Posted through their letterboxes is a leaflet on ‘How to Build a Time Machine’ At first, it seems like a mere hoax constructed by some particularly inventive teenagers. The trouble is, the instructions actually work leading to your investigators to get involved. However, with the leaflets having been distributed in the early hours of the morning with few witnesses, this mystery will require a lot of hard work to solve.
One for a UNIT/Torchwood/Misfit Mob I think although with some tinkering it might work for your regular Time Lord campaign.
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Post by grinch on Aug 18, 2022 15:51:49 GMT
“One Final Voyage”
Your Time Lord PC and their crew have to face off against their most dangerous opponent yet..... their own TARDIS!
Admittedly not a lot of detail for this one but I’d be curious to see how such a character would work as the basis for a campaign villain.
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Post by soultaker666212 on Aug 18, 2022 16:41:47 GMT
Hmm
What really is the origin of saying "bless you" when we sneeze? Strange question I know but it certainly sounds intriguing.
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Post by grinch on Aug 18, 2022 17:22:41 GMT
Hmm What really is the origin of saying "bless you" when we sneeze? Strange question I know but it certainly sounds intriguing. A cursory Google search reveals that apparently it dates from the time of the plague. For, obvious reasons. Better safe than sorry after all. |
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Post by soultaker666212 on Aug 18, 2022 17:44:40 GMT
Hmm What really is the origin of saying "bless you" when we sneeze? Strange question I know but it certainly sounds intriguing. A cursory Google search reveals that apparently it dates from the time of the plague. For, obvious reasons. Better safe than sorry after all. I meant more of the Whoniverse explanation not the real world explanation, meaning something alien. |
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Post by grinch on Feb 16, 2023 12:01:27 GMT
The Collyer Brothers en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothersInteresting but yet very tragic figures from history. Considering their reclusive tendencies, they probably wouldn't fit into the mold of recurring historical figures such as Houdini or Churchill but an adventure could be made out of encountering them in the early stages of their hoarding. Or perhaps your PCs have to break into their apartment to retrieve an item of great power? Such an environment would also be the perfect place to deliberately hide something. |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Feb 16, 2023 15:43:55 GMT
Oooo, I'd forgotten about this thread........
126 years ago, in July, a Swedish explorer, balloonist and invented named Salomon August Andrée (wiki) set out with two others on a mammoth expedition by means of a hydrogen balloon, to pass over the North Pole.
It didn't work, and all three died.
The plan was to launch the balloon from Svalbard and use the prevailing winds, aided by Andrée's 'drag steering' system to make it to either Canada or Russia, passing over the North Pole on the way. The scheme was immensely popular in Sweden, who felt they were being beaten in Arctic explorations by other countries. The period was known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration (wiki) with many explorers heading into the snowy south and north to see what was there.
Some of them even made it home.
The problem was Andrée was, frankly, a bit of an idiot, who willfully ignored the massive defects in his plan. His steering system simply didn't work. The balloon wasn't properly tested and leaked gas far more than had been anticipated. The expedition members were poorly equipped and prepared for life on the ice (partially down to weight limitations).
The 'voyage' lasted two days, the balloon crashed and the trio died that October on an uninhibited rock named Kvitøya or White Island, in the Svalbard chain.
Though their fate wasn't known until the accidental discovery of their camp in 1930.
Of course in the Whoniverse their fate may have been different, did they drift through a crack in reality and meet the Sky Gipsy?
Or will their remains turn up centuries hence on an entirely alien planet? Or will melting ice reveal their bodies, frozen for sixty thousand years?
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Post by grinch on Feb 16, 2023 17:16:15 GMT
I rather like the frozen in ice approach. Maybe centuries pass to the point where the Earth is basically dying and some curious alien explorers find their frozen corpses and choose to reanimate them. The first thing Andrée says as he is brought back to life?
“Did it work?”
Actually, if we use the idea that this takes place in the year “The End of the World” is set Andrée alongside his fellow travelling companions may be taken into the custody of the National Trust as a living example of a perfectly preserved Earth relic.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Feb 20, 2023 9:32:37 GMT
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Post by grinch on Feb 20, 2023 10:23:38 GMT
With regards to the Primords, I seem to recall there being a Big Finish audio where UNIT were working on a cure when they had the startling realisation that the slime could erupt practically anywhere! A prison, a playground, etc. This could be such an event they were worried about finally made manifest. |
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Post by grinch on Feb 20, 2023 23:56:40 GMT
Ghost Boat (2006)
An ITV Drama which starred David Jason. The plot is as follows; a fantasy tale of His Majesty's Submarine Scorpion vanishing during the Second World War, leaving only one crew member (David Jason) surviving. 38 years later, in the Cold War year 1981, the Scorpion reappears; the crew have disappeared, but the vessel is otherwise unchanged and has not aged in the intervening years. A Royal Navy crew along with the sole survivor of the original voyage is given the mission of retracing the last days of the boat prior to its 1943 disappearance. A supernatural influence takes hold of most of the crew, and they start showing characteristics of the old crew.
Sounds like the perfect basis for a Who adventure or even an adventure in. Sapphire and Steel campaign with the theme of Time breaking through. Especially if you explore the idea of what force infected the Scorpion back in 1943. Plus, Professor Harding would make for a great one off NPC.
(Didn’t think it had enough material for a whole separate thread so I posted it here)
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