Fudgerylog

[This article is in support of my project to design an unofficial (and free) Fudge role-playing game adaptation of Doctor Who (the original show).]

In a previous article, I incorrectly referred to the Celestial Intervention Agency as an “invention” of FASA for their Doctor Who role-playing game. I had forgotten that it had previously been mentioned in the Fourth Doctor episode, “The Deadly Assassin.” Whilst they did not invent the Celestial Intervention Agency, they did alter its nature to make it a more useful role-playing tool. Far from being a renegade group that hijacks TARDIS units, the real C.I.A. of Gallifrey is a powerful government organization with the authority to conduct covert operations that may contradict the official non-interference policy. When the Doctor is given a mission by the Time Lords, it can reasonably be assumed that the orders were given to him by the Agency. The game designers probably deemed the Agency’s proximity to Gallifreyan politics too close to be palatable, and so it was recast as an organization more in line with the Doctor’s philosophy.

Upon reflection, I have decided that the game ought to allow for both traditional and nontraditional styles of adventures. I have decided, therefore, to provide the option of three modes of play (or excuses for adventure) in Classic Doctor Who: The Unofficial Role-Playing Game. Any can be chosen by the GM at any time.

Excuse #1: Random

The most common cause of the Doctor’s adventures is random materialization. Whether it is due to a faulty circuit, a temporal anomaly, or the Doctor’s absent-mindedness, the TARDIS will usually materialize in a time and place that is quite unexpected, but rich with possibilities. The Doctor’s TARDIS is a rather old model, which accounts for many of its mishaps, but even Time Lords with the most advanced TARDIS units may find that some of its experimental components are not as reliable or effective as advertised, and sometimes the prototype can be as much of a nuisance as the antique.

Excuse #2: The Celestial Intervention Agency

Sometimes the Doctor finds himself at specific time-space coördinates intentionally. Usually such pinpoint materializations are directed by the Celestial Intervention Agency for the purpose of thwarting a major threat to the timestream. The Agency neither trusts nor inspires trust, bound as it is to the politics of the Inner Council, and it rarely involves itself with the likes of the Doctor, but when it does, it is best not to refuse coöperation. Such missions can be characterized as a combination of temporary impressment and voluntary assistance.

Excuse #3: The Temporal Integrity Preservation Society

Time Lords may become involved in another world’s affairs as a result of the activities of the Temporal Integrity Preservation Society (q.v.), a benevolent and independent organization of Time Lords dedicated to preventing or repairing damage done to the timestream in a manner that is a bit more proactive than the C.I.A. This enables player characters to act with fewer political entanglements and greater freedom.

[This article is in support of my project to design an unofficial (and free) Fudge role-playing game adaptation of Star Trek: The Original Series.]

Lest I give a false impression, there is far more to Federation spacefaring than the ships of Star Fleet. The more densely populated areas of Federation Space and the more active trade routes are busy with the traffic of a multitude of starships of various designs manufactured by the competing shipbuilding companies of a multitude of worlds. There are ore freighters, cargo freighters, mining ships, passenger liners, yachts, survey vessels, research vessels, and more. Some are privately owned by individuals or corporations; others are owned by planetary governments. The Federation has a thriving economy amongst its member planets and via trade outside the Federation, and Star Fleet is there to protect the trade routes as well as the planets themselves. There have, at times, been conflicting views on the nature of the Federation’s economy, but there is substantial evidence within Star Trek: The Original Series that there is trade, private enterprise, and a monetary system even if there is also a more enlightened view of society’s responsibilities to the welfare of its citizens. Thus, Star Fleet is powerful, but not as numerous as the civilian shipping it protects.