Companions: Doctor Who with AW

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Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« on: September 26, 2011, 06:30:13 PM »
Hey, all.  I'm working on a hack of Apocalypse World to tell stories in the universe of Doctor Who, and I would like to share. :) 

The conceit of the setting is that the players play the former companions of the Doctor after his death.  The TARDIS has started acting on its own, and mysteriously fulfilling his agenda, forcing the companions back into their old lives as its agents.  I chose AW as the engine for the game because the idea of making horrible choices is something common to both Doctor Who and AW.

The setting allows for the companions to acquire Timelord-like powers during play, but not as advancements.  Instead, when they die, the TARDIS brings them back with a Vortex move, and sometimes with psychic scars.  This is done via a move, so there's also a small chance they won't come back at all.

Here's an example of one of the playbooks, named the Agent.  It is for playing a Captain Jack-esque Time Agent.  I also have other playbooks for various Companion archetypes.

Meet The Agent

The Time Agency.  Its name alone commands attention and respect across thousands of years and dozens of galaxies.  It selected the best and brightest from the apex of Humanity’s development.  They acted alone in the most hostile of environments, surviving on their charisma, luck and daring.  Naturally, they chose you for duty. 

The Doctor taught you that the Corps doesn’t know everything, and shouldn’t be obeyed without question.  But at heart you are still a Time Agent, even if you find your own way to adhere to the spirit of your mission.  Plus, running around with him was fun!

Rank:
Lieutenant, Major, Captain, Colonel, Commander, or none at all.

Names:
Drake, Bauer, Smiley, Bourne, Steed, Rosenberg, Phelps, Flint, MacLean, Harkness.
Modesty, Mata, Sydney, Vesper, Salt, Nikita, Plame, Marlene, Elektra, Iselin.

Look:
Man, woman, androgynous, trans.
Formal wear, vintage military wear, nondescript wear, modern BDUs, high fashion.
Earnest face, average face, striking face, soft face, lovely face.
Inscrutable eyes, weathered eyes, knowing eyes, dark eyes, dead eyes.
Perfect Body, wiry body, compact body, soft body, graceful body.

Stats:  Choose one set.
(Cool +2, Bold +0, Hot +1, Clever  -1, Vortex +1)
(Cool +2, Bold +1, Hot +0, Clever +1, Vortex  -1)
(Cool +2, Bold  -1, Hot +2, Clever  -1, Vortex +0)
(Cool +2, Bold +1, Hot +1, Clever +0, Vortex  -1)

Agent moves: You get this one.

Not My First Time at the Dance: You’re from the future, with direct experience with technologies from all over spacetime.  When presented with a device from a period other than your place of birth or modern Britain, roll +Clever.  on a 7-9, hold one.  On a 10+, hold three.  Trade hold 1 for 1 to ask the MC questions:

    What is it?
    How do I use it?
    Who made it?
    Is it safe?


This does not apply to items with +vortex.

Then choose one:

Storm of Death:  When you are in combat against a gang, add +area and +loud to whatever weapons you use for the duration of the fight.  Afterwards, if your harm is below nine, raise it to nine.  If it is at nine or higher, it goes to twelve, and you die. 

You Don’t Stand a Chance: When convincing or seducing someone, roll +Cool instead of +hot.  Additionally, you may seduce just about any living thing that values reproduction.

Tradecraft: When you are in a dire situation, roll +Clever, then describe a brief flashback scene, where you foresaw your predicament and used your experience as a spy or available advanced technology to save you.  On a 10+, it works; you get out of the situation without serious harm. On a 7-9, take +1 forward to get out of the jam.   

Been There, Done That:  Cool +1 (Cool +3).

The Voice of Experience: When someone asks you for advice, roll +Cool.  On a hit, they get a +1 ongoing while the advice applies.  On a 10+, mark an experience circle.

Gear:  You start the game with the following:

    Damaged Vortex Manipulator
    Clothing appropriate to your look with integrated armor (+hi-tech), worth 2-armor
    Small holdout weapon (1-harm close reload hi-tech), you describe the details
    Choose 2 weapons from the following:
        Modern sub-machine gun (2-harm close area loud)
        Modern assault rifle (3-harm close loud autofire)
        One of the Exotic Weapons as described in the Savage playbook



You also get the trappings and stuff from the cover story life you have set up for yourself in modern Britain.  The lifestyle is never higher than middle class.  Best to stay under the radar.

Damaged Vortex Manipulator (+vortex +hi-tech +valuable)

This device resembles a large, heavy wristwatch on a stout leather strap.  The technology incorporated into it is the pride and joy of the Time Agency.  Once, it could open the Vortex and fling you across time and space.  Most of its higher functions burned out long ago, but it still has a few tricks left.

When reading a dire situation, it allows you to access information normally hidden to your naked senses.  Magnetic fields, tachyon bursts, perception filters, anything that involves exotic energies or technologies can be detected by this baby.  It also senses dangerous environmental conditions, such as radiation, poison atmospheres or gasses, weapons fire, etc.

It also has sensors that can detect subtle shifts in the physiology of living things, giving you a +1 forward when you use it while reading a person.  It has detailed files on alien anatomy, letting you identify the species or species type of any creature you encounter, even if you’ve never heard of it.

The range of its senses is hundreds of miles.  It used to do whole planets, but the damn thing has been wonky for years.

Bonds & History
Select one or more of the following bonds, filling in the name of one of the PCs for each.  It’s better to fill in more than one, but not required.  Once you are finished, the total number of bonds each character selected for you is your History rating with them.

    ________ knows something about me that I wish they didn’t.
    I once left ________ to die.
    Before I was a companion, the Agency gave me orders to sanction ________.
    ________ and I once fought our way out of impossible odds.



Romance Move:  When you kiss someone with whom you are romantically entangled, gain two hold.  Spend 1 for 1 to instinctively know where that person is.  As long as you have any hold, gain +1 ongoing to any move you are trying to save that person’s life.

Mark XP when:

    You hit with a 12 or more.
    You roll using a stat at 0 or less.
    History with someone resets.
    A move tells you.
    You lie to someone you care about.
    You take harm trying to save someone.





Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2011, 01:12:49 PM »

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2011, 03:34:09 PM »
I want to see more. Oh, I so want to see more.

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2011, 03:52:41 PM »
Ok!  Here's the link to the Google Doc for the setting and rules.  Comments are enabled.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wGbSWxQiWn3jVTFosJFQDugdLGi_5se5PiDO_-mObf0/edit?hl=en_US

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2011, 10:57:26 AM »
Nice! But you definitely need "Ordinary bloke", one who was nobody before he met the Doctor.
And an alien, for sure.

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2011, 02:11:19 PM »
The Savage and the Whiz both have options to be aliens, and the Looker was an ordinary person before meeting the Doctor.  Do you mean someone who hadn't been a companion long before the Doctor died?

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2011, 04:58:28 PM »
ordinary:
I mean Rory Williams. Or Mickey. Or this last one, Craig. I'd dare to say, that even Donna was not exactly the "Looker" kind, though YMMV.
Playbook I'd say should be something like "normal" book in "Monster of the Week" hack - someone who inherently didn't "get" the doctor, but who learned to cope with it.

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2011, 07:14:13 PM »
That's a damn good idea.  Fortunately, Mike just gave me permission to mine his Mundane playbook for that purpose.  Thanks, man! :)

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2011, 07:57:15 PM »
and don't forget that almost each one of them inevitably became badass after a certain while, hunting Cybermen, becoming the Last Centurion...
For what I see, they always manage to remind the Doctor, how incredible and unique is each "ordinary" human, if you bother to look deep enough

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2011, 08:44:44 PM »
That's a damn good idea.  Fortunately, Mike just gave me permission to mine his Mundane playbook for that purpose.  Thanks, man! :)

No problem!

I'm interested in hearing why you aren't allowing players to be the Doctor (or another Timelord).

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2011, 12:20:21 AM »
I do that for two related reasons.  The first is that the majority of stories in the series focus around the Doctor, and I didn't want that happening in the game.  That's a lot of weight for one player, and tends to detract from ensemble play.  The second is that the Doctor tends to have (in my opinion) plot-fulfillment powers.  Kind of like Superman. :)  He's just so powerful that anyone who wasn't a Timelord would generally get pushed aside.  That kind of power and spotlight imbalance tends to make for a bad game, to my way of thinking.

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #11 on: January 18, 2012, 05:39:38 PM »
I just can't find the words to express my excitement and gratitude.
I have a small Doctor who campain ongoing and I was looking for a system more tailored for my tastes ...Thanks you so much  for that gem!

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2013, 06:52:10 AM »
This hack looks very cool!

Is it still in development? Is the Google doc still the latest version? Are you interested in comments?

Re: Companions: Doctor Who with AW
« Reply #13 on: December 02, 2013, 01:28:36 PM »
Thank you! 

Yes, it is in active development, and I am interested in comments.

I've put together a site with all the game resources, as well:

http://www.companions-aw.org/