So one of the things I really liked about Doctor Who RPG 1st edition was being able to create a TARDIS with the rules in the Time Traveller's companion.
The level of customisability and the like was a bit lost in 2e, as TARDISes were made with the same system as your run-of-the-mill time machine, so I decided to write up an alternative homebrew system that's based on the 1e rules that basically models TARDISes as NPCS.
I also chucked in rules for playing humanoid TARDISes, which is actually shockingly achievable in 2e if you're willing to forgoe a lot of the more powerful aspects of being a ship.
Full creation rules below the cut
Step 1 - Choose a Template
TARDISes are constantly being improved upon and designed, currently almost 130 “types” of TARDIS exist. Talk with your GM about the kind of TARDIS that’s allowed, and pick from the following list of templates
Ancient TARDIS (Types 1-30)
An old, wise ship, with millennia of experience. It may be a little run down, out of date, and hell it’s a surprise it can even fly - but it’s yours.
Attribute Points: 16
Skill Points: 20
Distinctions: Ancient TARDIS (+Telepathy, +Vortex, -Barely Functioning), Chameleon Circuit (+Shapeshift, -Fragile System, prone to breaking).
Story Points: 10
Decommissioned TARDIS (Types 31-60)
A ship found decaying in an old repair bay, quadrigger station, or only used as an academy training ship. A decommissioned TARDIS can be bothersome and a bit old.
Attribute Points: 18
Skill Points: 18
Distinctions: Decommissioned TARDIS (+Telepathy, +Invulnerable, +Vortex, -a flaw of your choosing), Chameleon Circuit.
Story Points: 15
Modern TARDIS (Types 61-90)
Top of the line, but not as experienced as other ships, a modern TARDIS is strictly monitored and hard to come by. Modern TARDISes tend to be quite argumentative, and stubborn - they are quite young after all.
Attribute Points: 20
Skill Points: 16
Distinctions: Modern TARDIS (+Telepathy, +Invulnerable, +Vortex, -Flaw of Your Choice), Chameleon Circuit.
Story Points: 20
Battle TARDIS (Types 91-101)
Born for war, the battle TARDIS is a heavily armed time ship designed to be deployed en masse. Some are even equipped with the ability to remove entire planets from the timeline
Attribute Points: 22
Skill Points: 14
Distinctions: Battle TARDIS (+Telepathy, +Invulnerable, +Vortex, -flaw of choice), Chameleon Circuit, Armed (+Carries shipscale 4/L/L weapons, -personality is impulsive and battle-ready)
Story Points: 25
Humanoid TARDIS (Types 102-106+)
TARDISes with the ability to take on a humanoid shape, walking, and talking with their operator. These ships are very rare and still experimental. Humanoid TARDISes are made as player characters (although they may be an NPC), with the Humanoid TARDIS distinction. This distinction gives them the ability to travel through the Vortex, and Shapeshift. However, it comes with the drawback that they are incredibly sensitive to temporal distortion, and can often become seriously ill in their presence.
Step 2 - Concept and Focus
Now you have your TARDIS template, decide its concept (e.g. Ancient Timeship, Stolen Training Craft, Traumatised War Machine), and its focus (e.g exploration, battle, survival, knowledge).
Step 3 - Distribute Attribute and Skill Points
TARDISes are varied and unique individuals, so distribute the attribute and skill points that you see fit. TARDISes, particularly older models, may have very high knowledge skills, whereas younger models may have a more physical distribution. The TARDIS skills are used when the TARDISes sentience decides to pilot itself, or in symbiotic operation as described in the Time Traveller’s Companion.
Step 4 - Experiences
Like player characters, TARDISes learn and grow from their past. Decide one experience that your TARDIS has before the start of the game.
Step 5 - Distinctions
A TARDIS template comes with a number of prepackaged distinctions (with its story points already including their cost), however each ship can be further customised. Perhaps they have a cloaking device, or a weapon that can remove things from the timeline, etc.
Each Distinction costs another 2 story points, as a PC. PCs may further customise the individual distinctions working with the GM, I’m not the boss of you.
You may wish for a system to be significantly ‘broken’ and for the distinction to be lost, like the Chameleon circuit. This increases the number of story points a TARDIS has by 2, and fixing the system would involve purchasing the distinction with XP, and then reducing the number of story points again. Damage to an individual system within the main TARDIS distinction might instead be represented by an appropriate flaw.
Step 6 - Finishing Touches
Decide what your TARDIS’s interior dimension looks like, if there are any particular rooms of note (each player may want to decide on 1 or more room to add), and you’re done.
In procrastinating, I have created a character sheet for Narvin in the three Cubicle 7 doctor who RPGs. 1e, 2e, and Doctors and Daleks.
I've tried to keep each one relatively "playable", not going too overboard with traits in 1e, or storypoint depleting gadgets in 2e. Although I did use the Time Traveller's Companion rules to make him a patrex in 1e, so there's a decent chunk of traits there.
In my heart(s) I'm a 1e fan, so I apologise if the other character sheets aren't really up to scratch. And doing it in doctors and daleks has reminded me that, while it's impressive how they managed to get relatively close to something Doctor Whoy in 5e, it still really isn't my thing at all.
I wish I could peer into an alternate universe where multiple series of Gallifrey set in the Intervention Earth timeline were released and we got a bunch of old man Brax and Trey.
I wish I could peer into an alternate universe where multiple series of Gallifrey set in the Intervention Earth timeline were released and we got a bunch of old man Brax and Trey.
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