The George System

11th Doctor version coming out soon

Re-reading the Doctor Who Adventures In Time and Space RPG books/boxes. I was reminded how much I liked it. Back when I first got into the game I recognized the system as something that could be used outside the Doctor Who setting.

Like most RPGs the character is made up of Attributes. (Awareness, Coordination, Ingenuity, Presence, Resolve, and Strength) which typically range from 1 through 6- 1 being nearly incompetent, 3 being human average, 5 is human maximum and 6 is supernatural. Unlike most RPGs there are no hit points. Instead when a character takes damage it temporarily comes directly from the Attributes themselves. This automatically makes characters suffer penalties from wounds or fatigue. Physical attacks would come out of Strength or Coordination or both, a head shot injury or a mental attack might reduce Presence or Resolve. Which ever makes the most sense.

This is not the first time damage comes out of the Attributes, it's been used in the Traveller game from Mongoose and Tunnel & Trolls had something like it, too. I'm sure there are others. This is just my first game using them. And I love it.

The other neat system mechanic that many people talk about for Doctor Who Adventures in Time and Space, and thus George, is the initiative system. In this game the order of action in conflict or combat is 1. Characters that are going to talk go first. 2. Next are the characters that are going to move, run, crawl, etc. 3. The doers are next. and finally 4. the Fighters. It discourages combat and fits the Doctor Who setting perfectly. I'm not sure if this will carry over to

To best discuss that it seemed this game system needed it's own name.  This is how that turned out:

Jeffrywith1e: The game engine that powers Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space is great. I've heard that it will be used for an upcoming Primeval game. Does this system have a name?

Jeffrywith1e: Lets name it then. the DWAITAS system,  the Yes And Yes But system, the Talkers Runners Doers Fighters system- (this is what most focus on when reviewing), it seems, the Story Point system. I don't know. Anyone got something better? 

NeilFord : I don't believe it has a name, but if it really does need one, and I need some convincing on that, I would think George would be most suitable.       - Neil.

Imajica: I like George. It's perfect.

Kaemaril: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JlVqfC8-UI It's certainly a classic. 

corone: One of the names we all liked was 'Vortex system' but that sounds too close to Cortex. My vote would go for Challenge system as its about how you choose to face each challenge situation rather than rollnig what you're told to roll. 

link to this Cubicle 7 forum discussion

I just find it hilarious because I've seen people still refer to it as the George System. I hope they continue 'cause I'm going to...

The game is set to be re-released with updated imaging with Matt Smith (as pictured above) rather than David Tennant. There will also be an update to bring the new creatures and companions up to date, as well. This version is long overdue to the frustration of many fans on the official unofficial game forum where there is a pretty strong sense of disgruntlement.

There are some other products for Doctor Who in the production line.

The Time Traveller's Companion will be about the wibbly wobbly time stuff:

Time flies when you're having fun, but flying through time can present a whole host of problems. Whether accidentally creating paradoxes, upsetting the course of history or trying to Put Things Right, you're going to need to know your way around the Vortex. You need a guide…a companion.

This supplement for Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space gives more information on Time Lords, temporal mechanics and time machines. It also takes an in-depth look at earth's important role in time and space, covering prehistory to the 51st Century - a vital aid for running historical campaigns at any time in earth's colourful history.

Defending the Earth will be about U.N.I.T. etc.

Front and centre, soldier! You're part of UNIT now, the Unified Intelligence Taskforce. We are the Earth's best defence against the myriad alien forces who would try to subjugate and conquer our planet. Try they might, but they will meet UNIT: a global military force tasked with protecting the planet and researching the alien threat.

It's not an easy job, and even those recruited for their scientific knowledge can find themselves on the front lines of combat against an almost unstoppable foe. It's dangerous, violent and not everyone will survive, but for the good of the planet we will do everything in our power to protect humanity from extraterrestrial terrors.

Defending the Earth is an expansion set for the Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space roleplaying game. Within this box you will find:

• 160 page rulebook detailing the history of UNIT, along with additional information for creating UNIT characters, including new Traits and Areas of Expertise, as well as expanded firearms and combat rules, including mass combat and skirmish rules.

• 32 page Adventure book, featuring a whole new ready-to-play adventure and many ideas for additional stories.

• Character sheets for major UNIT personnel, including the legendary Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

As mentioned in the forum discussion above, a different game is in the making using the same "George" system based on the television series Primeval. Only because of this coming game did I gave a few episodes a try and thought the show was rather weak. I don't know if I'll pick up the game. However, I do wish to see more support for "George" and am glad there's at least something.

Who am I kidding? Of course I'll buy this book. I'll probably watch more of the show, too.

There is another game in production that will be using "George". It is a pulp campaign setting from Battlefield Press producing a game called  Pulp Fantastique and will be compatible with Doctor Who Adventures in Time and Space and Primeval. Someday we may see Pulp Fantastique with a "Powered by George" logo in the corner of the back cover. We'll keep you updated on the progress of this book.

My Doctor Who RPG was a gift from my wife two years ago for Christmas. This year I got The One Ring RPG from the same company. In fact, many of the further releases for Doctor Who have been delayed due to The One Ring's production! (and from the look of this game, it was well worth it.)

Cubicle 7 is making some fine product these days. This blogger is a fan of this system so we'll keep you updated on future releases from the Doctor Who game, Primeval, AND Pulp Fantastique.

Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space

My lovely wife gave me what I wanted for Christmas, the Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space roleplaying game. I wanted to own this from the moment I heard about it. But it was the fine fellows at the Source Comics and Games that clenched the deal. A few weeks ago, they had about 4 copies of the game. I asked and Bob let me open one of the boxes even though I wasn't going to buy one at the time. Together he and I sorted through the books and studied the character sheets, deciphering the game system and came to the conclusion that this was a good game. Now I have my very own copy.

The game is written assuming the reader is familiar with the current Doctor Who series. It also assumes the reader is new to roleplaying. I think this is a smart direction with the hope that more young people will discover this fulfilling and wonderful hobby. The production quality is top of the line. Cubicle 7 did an amazing job with art and themes from the BBC show. What I liked the most about the presentation was that the game comes in a box. This was very reminiscent of RPGs from the late '80s and early '90s, like Top Secret/S.I. from TSR. Included inside is a player's manual and a gamemaster's manual, again reminiscent of the old-school games. Several blank character sheets as well as character sheets for each of the major characters of the program. There is a set of six 6-sided dice, a quick start sheet, and an adventure booklet. There are also sheets of accessories that you can use for gameplay- a sheet of tokens that are used for Story Points and a few sheets items you can use for your character's inventory. The latter seemed odd where with most games listing the character's gear on their sheet seems enough. The Story Point system has been a pretty popular feature in many games these days. There is a lot packed into the box and you can tell by the weight of it (it almost might seem the inside is bigger than the outside- wink wink).

One thing that was very interesting is the lack of hitpoints or similar way to measure damage. This lends itself to an unusual philosophy for RPGs and that is this game frowns on violence. While this fits the spirit of the television show, it may be a challenge for experienced gamers who are far more accustomed to kill 'em-and-take-their-stuff type gaming.

This is the only product out as of the writing of this post. There are three other supplements planned so far. There is a Gamemaster Screen and a bestiary of sorts- Aliens and Creatures, both to be released early February. Then in April another supplement will be published- Defending the Earth: The UNIT Sourcebook.

For whatever reason Cubicle 7 doesn't have a forum dedicated to the Doctor Who RPG at their site. I suspect it has something to do with BBC or whatever. No matter. There is a fantastic resource created for and by fans. The DWAITAS is the Doctor Who Adventures In Time And Space forums.

DWAITAS - Doctor Who: Adventures In Time and Space forums link.