Greetings

Welcome to Lug Who. To date, there have been two officially licensed Doctor Who RPGs. The best of the two has always (in my mind) been the game published by FASA, based on their Star Trek RPG. So, when Last Unicorn Games published a new Star Trek RPG, I felt its system (with its highly detailed character stats) was ideally suited to a Doctor Who RPG. Alas, this never came to pass. So, after thinking about it all these years, I've decided to create this site. Here I will post original species templates, advantages, disadvantages, skills, equipment, ships, etc. I will be accepting submissions from anyone who might be interested in roleplaying with the Icon system.

To submit content send an email to: lugwho@gmail.com

P.S. Feel free to submit alternate ideas for things already posted.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Badger Species Template

The race of anthropomorphic Badgers were created in the far future after the extinction of the European badger. Humans gathered DNA from the badgers, and other Earth animals, before they became extinct in an attempt to repopulate the species through cloning and genetic engineering. The Humans decided rather that than bring them back as plain old badgers, they would instead reform them as humanoids in order to function as slave labor and thuggee enforcers.. The Badgers were artificially grown in test tubes. The Badgers were low on the average human intelligence scale and slow to work things out. They were also easily prone to using violence as a solution. At least one large group of Badgers were used as a pirate force due to their aggression and mental malleability. However, this group revolted and slagged off their slavers. While they may be a bit slow, Badgers have often shown a surprising level of bravery and loyalty when it is called for.

Attributes

Fitness 3 [5]
- Vitality +1
Coordination 2 [5]
- Dexterity -1
Intellect 2 [5]
- Logic -1
Presence 2 [5]
Psi 0 [5]

Skills
Artistic Expression (choose specialization) 1 (2)
Athletics (choose specialization) 2 (3)
Culture (Badger) 2 (3)
History (Badger) 1 (2)
Language
- Standard 2
World Knowledge (Earth or other homeworld) 1 (2)

Advantages/Disadvantages

Submitted by Noah Soudrette
Source: "Doctor Who: The Pirate Loop" by Simon Guerrier

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Skill: Strategic Operations (Intellect)

Strategic Operations covers the waging of large-scale interstellar and intragalactic warfare, specifically the planning of fleet operations, target selection, and so forth. The Narrator can use this skill to obtain general outcomes for theater-wide actions in specific sectors or other strategic zones.

Routine: Maintaining a patrol along a border
Moderate: Defending against pinprick raids by an inferior enemy
Challenging: Defending against an in-depth attack by an equal enemy
Difficult: Mounting an in-depth attack against an equal enemy
Nearly Impossible: Successfully invading and conquering a superior enemy
Specializations: Defense-in-Depth, Invasion Strategies, Border Strategies, Specific Naval Strategies (Dalek, Sontaran, Cyberman, Draconian)

Skill: Starship Tactics (Intelllect)

Starship Tactics covers the handling and disposition of starships in space combat or in support of ground forces. This skill is important during full scale space combat.

Routine: Defeating a technologically backward ship in a straight firefight
Moderate: Defeating an outnumbered force in a straight firefight
Challenging: Defeating a slightly superior force in a straight firefight
Difficult: Defeating a superior force while surprised
Nearly Impossible: Defeating a superior force at odds greater than 5-1
Specializations: Planetary Support Tactics, Specific Naval Tactics (Dalek, Sontaran, Cybermen, Draconian)

Skill: Planetary Tactics (Intellect)

Planetary Tactics covers all military tactical and strategic operations on the surface or in the atmosphere of a planet. Successful use of this skill by a commander can give her forces a -1 Difficulty modifier (for movement, attack and defense actions) for one round. Routine: Defending a well supplied strong point against technologically inferior attackers.

Moderate: Defeating an outnumbered force in a single battle
Challenging: Defeating an outnumbered army in a single campaign
Difficult: Defeating a superior force
Nearly Impossible: Defeating a superior force at odds greater than 10-1
Specializations: Guerrilla Warfare, Mechanized Ground Warfare, Sea Combat, Small-Unit Tactics

Skill: Persuasion (Presence)

The Persuasion skill represents the character's ability to put forward plausible and reasonable arguments in order to influence the beliefs or behavior of another character. Persuasion attempts should always be roleplayed when possible; the Narrator adds or subtracts dice based on good or bad roleplaying. Persuasion attempts require an Opposed Test against an unwilling target's Persuasion skill. If the target doesn't have the Persuasion skill , either use the target's Intellect or allow the target to use Persuasion untrained. Unlike Fast Talk — which is similar to Persuasion - the character is attempting to convince someone to go along with him without lying to or tricking the target. The Charm skill uses emotional contentions, or subconscious cues, and only attempts to influence a target favorably by making the character and his opinions seem attractive. Persuasion can be used to influence a target negatively (against someone or something else) without building up a positive view of the persuader.

Routine: Persuading a friend, fellow crewman, or relative who has similar views
Moderate: Persuading a neutral target to a position bolstered by obvious or well documented facts
Challenging: Persuading a neutral target to a position the character does not actually believe in; persuading an opposing target to a position bolstered by obvious or well documented facts
Difficult: Persuading a hostile target to a position supported only by strong logic
Nearly Impossible: Persuading an irrational, hostile target during combat
Specializations: Debate, Oratory, Storytelling

Friday, February 1, 2008

Skill: Espionage (Intellect)

The Espionage skill represents the character's knowledge of intelligence agencies, espionage operations and various techniques for gathering information covertly. Espionage also covers those skills specifically used by undercover agents, such as setting up covert communications systems, using codes and ciphers, and forgery. It also involves separating vital facts from random data or enemy disinformation,

Routine: Using a computerized encryption/decryption system
Moderate: Identifying a foreign code or item of covert equipment
Challenging: Establishing a network of informants on a foreign planet
Difficult: Using traffic analysis to determine the course plots of an enemy agency's fleet
Nearly Impossible: Turning a Martian official into a Earth double agent
Specializations: Covert Communications, Counter intelligence. Cryptography, Forgery, Intelligence Techniques (Martian, Draconian, etc.), Traffic Analysis

Skill: Diplomacy (Presence)

Diplomacy represents the character's ability to conduct negotiations between governments, planets or even corporations. Diplomacy also covers knowledge of the state of intergalactic politics and alliances. Diplomacy is related to Persuasion and Charm, but these skills have significant differences as well. Diplomacy provides a character with knowledge of how to negotiate with others to reach a mutual solution (and, one hopes, to achieve concessions from the persons with whom the character is negotiating). Persuasion is the ability to argue skillfully and forcefully, and thus convince others to agree with you. Charm is the ability to use personal charisma and emotional appeals to win friends and influence people. A successful Diplomacy Test directly affects the reactions of those involved in the negotiation; they view the character's position in a more favorable light. In game terms, reduce the Difficulty of any Tests involving the target's responses or reactions. An Opposed Diplomacy Test can also be used at a critical juncture to determine if a negotiation succeeds or fails.

Routine: Keeping an allied ambassador friendly
Moderate: Bringing a willing government into the UN
Challenging: Negotiating a boundary with a new, but not unfriendly, species
Difficult: Negotiating a peace with an enemy species
Nearly Impossible: Building a long-lasting alliance with an enemy species
Specializations: Commercial Treaties, Government Law, Intergalactic Affairs, Intergalactic Law, Planetary Affairs (Earth, Mars, Draconia, and so forth)

Skill: Command (Presence)

Command is a measure of a character's ability to convince other characters particularly subordinates - to follow instructions. It is very important that Command not be used against other player characters to force them to do something against their will - these situations should be handled through roleplaying interaction, not dice rolling. Command is also used when coordinating projects with many workers — such as overseeing engineering operations on a starship. It can also be used to coordinate the actions of several people working together, including other characters. When coordinating a Combined or Extended Test, a character who makes a successful Command Test may subtract his skill level (or specialization level) from the cumulative Test Result needed to complete the task. Alternately, the Narrator may rule that a successful use of the Command skill reduces the Difficulty of a Test by one (two for a Dramatic Success). Of course, characters can also use Command to convince others to follow their orders during times of emergency or crisis.

Routine: Military officer leading Miltary Academy cadets
Moderate: UNIT commander leading trained UNIT officers
Challenging: Military officer leading random civilians in a crisis
Difficult: UNIT officer leading allied but proud Torchwood personnel
Nearly Impossible: UNIT officer leading enemy alien personnel
Specializations: Combat Leadership, Military Training, Starship Command

Monday, December 24, 2007

Skill: Behavior Modification (Intellect)

Characters with the Behavior Modification skill can change the behavior of other persons, sometimes against their will. To use this skill requires an Opposed Test against an unwilling target's Behavior Modification skill. If the target doesn't have the skill, the Test is made against the target's Intellect or Presence (whichever is higher), modified by Perception or Willpower. Depending on the method used, a target may get an additional Test when ordered to act against his nature.

Routine: Generally, there is no routine use of Behavior Modification
Moderate: Hypnotizing a willing subject Challenging: Brainwashing an untrained draftee
Difficult: Hypnotizing an unwilling, but untrained, subject
Nearly Impossible: Brainwashing an elite subject
Specializations: Brainwashing, Hypnotism

Skill: Administration (Intellect)

The Administration skill measures a character's familiarity with bureaucratic systems and their procedures, the ability to manage datawork, organize tasks within a department and work within a hierarchy. It also encompasses logistics — the ability to organize the supply and deployment of personnel and material for an objective. The Administration skill can be used to improve the efficiency of groups of people attempting to accomplish the same task. If a character with the Administration skill "takes the lead" during certain Combined or Extended Tests, the Narrator may lower the target cumulative Test Result by an amount equal to the character's Administration skill level or specialization (assuming he makes a successful Skill Test first). Alternately, the Narrator may lower the Difficulty of the Test by one (or two if the character achieves a Dramatic Success). Administration represents pre-mission planning — requisitioning the proper equipment, making sure the most qualified people are involved in a task, ensuring that team members who work well together are paired and so on.

Routine: Managing a disciplined, professional group (i.e., a starship crew, a hospital staff) under non-crisis conditions
Moderate: Planning a mission to a known planet
Challenging: Planning a mission to a strange planet; managing a disciplined, professional group under crisis conditions
Difficult: Running a planetary government
Nearly Impossible: Planning an interstellar economy
Specializations: Bureaucratic Manipulation, Logistics, Specific Planetary Government, Starship Administration