Sunday, 28 April 2013
Another random Whovian hook generator
in the style of the classic Ghostbusters one, from Playing In The Vortex. Lovely, go look. Go!
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Journey To The Centre Of The Tardis
Happy birthday Jenna-Louise Coleman!
No, I have no idea what her character is.
No, I have no idea what her character is.
Thursday, 25 April 2013
Ella Fitzgerald's 96th birthday gets a very cool Google Doodle, a few days after Leonhard Euler's 306th... probably the only notable connection between the two, but now I'm imagining them both in the TARDIS at the same time.
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Monday, 22 April 2013
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Friday, 19 April 2013
Doctor Who? Doctor WHO? DOC-TORR WHOOOO?!
My 700th post, so it seems fitting to mark an historic occasion.
The final batch of posters has been revealed, including at last the title of the series’ final episode. One of my news feeds was good about it being a spoiler, than I scrolled down and another showed the whole poster and gave the name in big capital letters.
Not that it was really a surprise anyway. It was something of a “that’s it?” moment.
I suspect it will be a fakeout, the MacGuffin for the episode never really revealed. “The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture.”
Maybe someone will learn, but we won’t, perhaps as we see through Clara’s POV and the TARDIS doesn’t translate as it doesn’t like her...
... The Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS Escher style poster is cool, isn’t it?
The final batch of posters has been revealed, including at last the title of the series’ final episode. One of my news feeds was good about it being a spoiler, than I scrolled down and another showed the whole poster and gave the name in big capital letters.
Not that it was really a surprise anyway. It was something of a “that’s it?” moment.
I suspect it will be a fakeout, the MacGuffin for the episode never really revealed. “The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture.”
Maybe someone will learn, but we won’t, perhaps as we see through Clara’s POV and the TARDIS doesn’t translate as it doesn’t like her...
... The Journey To The Centre Of The TARDIS Escher style poster is cool, isn’t it?
Thursday, 18 April 2013
"Everyone wants to go out there and be the hero of their own story."
Jane Espenson, among others, on the role of women in Doctor Who, and indeed the role of a woman as Doctor Who. I like her casting suggestion.
Monday, 15 April 2013
I am sonic-ed up!
More on Conpulsion soon, but in the meantime, check out the very nice minimalist a-bit-like-Nine sonic screwdrivers I found on dA, complete with YouTube demonstration. I can imagine this being what a Time War sonic was supposed to look like before acquiring various additions settings and personalisations.
Saturday, 13 April 2013
Cold War
Well, I’m glad I ran my Conpulsion Doctor Who adventure this morning instead of tomorrow, because...
Thursday, 11 April 2013
Don't go wanderin' off!
This may lead to recursive Blog feedback like a Hartnell title sequence, but Siskoid's nice ideas for cards to introduce complications to DWAITAS adventures reminded me of Rose Bailey's which I contributed to and...
Travellin' Through Time
Cute pop video in which a passably-Smith-y Doctor manages to offend people across history and has to be rescued by his singing companions.
Sunday, 7 April 2013
Playing In The Vortex
A new Who gaming blog
- which starts with a namecheck for me that in no way lead to this endorsement.
- which starts with a namecheck for me that in no way lead to this endorsement.
Saturday, 6 April 2013
The Eleven Doctors' Episodes
Someone on RPGnet spotted that Clara will have featured in ten episodes when this series ends, which is one per Doctor before the Eleventh for the anniversary special...
With the alien mummy and the Vigil who look rather like the guys from Underworld, this week would be the Tom Baker episode? In terms of some style choices sure, but not really in content. Last week’s episode was definitely rather Pertwee, however - modern Earth, mundane things turned fearful, riding a bike, UNIT at the end. The Snowmen would then be the Troughton - it rather fits with a Troughton villain returning from an episode of a related title. And presumably Asylum Of The Daleks would be the Hartnell? Can’t say I noticed in that case, barring the fact it was about Daleks.
The theory gets a bit wonky next week as it all sounds very Troughton, Base Under Siege and returning Troughton monster last seen in the Pertwee era and all...
It could a great basis for a season-sized run, however, particularly in a celebratory year - throw the TARDIS travellers into an homage to a different era of the show every week, emphasise the stylistic differences between Doctors and their stories. As a multi-Doctor story does, emphasising the distinctions between Doctors rather than the constant core.
Follow the stylistic advice from each Doctor’s sourcebook to get the right feel, bring back era-specific characters and monsters... So a Historical for the First Doctor, a Base Under Siege for the Second, a UNIT story for the Third, a horror pastiche for the Fourth...
With the alien mummy and the Vigil who look rather like the guys from Underworld, this week would be the Tom Baker episode? In terms of some style choices sure, but not really in content. Last week’s episode was definitely rather Pertwee, however - modern Earth, mundane things turned fearful, riding a bike, UNIT at the end. The Snowmen would then be the Troughton - it rather fits with a Troughton villain returning from an episode of a related title. And presumably Asylum Of The Daleks would be the Hartnell? Can’t say I noticed in that case, barring the fact it was about Daleks.
The theory gets a bit wonky next week as it all sounds very Troughton, Base Under Siege and returning Troughton monster last seen in the Pertwee era and all...
It could a great basis for a season-sized run, however, particularly in a celebratory year - throw the TARDIS travellers into an homage to a different era of the show every week, emphasise the stylistic differences between Doctors and their stories. As a multi-Doctor story does, emphasising the distinctions between Doctors rather than the constant core.
Follow the stylistic advice from each Doctor’s sourcebook to get the right feel, bring back era-specific characters and monsters... So a Historical for the First Doctor, a Base Under Siege for the Second, a UNIT story for the Third, a horror pastiche for the Fourth...
The Rings Of Akhaten
... turned out to be less Egyptian than I was expecting from the title and the pyramid and the Mummy-ness of the monster.
First episode from Neil Cross, who created Luther and is therefore responsible for the Evil RPG Fans story, but I’ll try not to let my prejudices get in the way...
First episode from Neil Cross, who created Luther and is therefore responsible for the Evil RPG Fans story, but I’ll try not to let my prejudices get in the way...
The troubles of coming up with a sixth PC for a convention game
So I have the following PCs mixed up with an alien crash in 1960s Berlin:
The Doctor, Amy and Rory. (It’s a bit early to try and stat out Clara, I think.)
A pair of childhood friends, now student age, living on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall. Hopefully fun to play even if the players don’t go for the star-crossed lovers angle.
And a secret agent who could either be an obvious badass or an apparent nobody. Same stats, but I imagine the picture would really affect how the character was played...
Opinions?
The Doctor, Amy and Rory. (It’s a bit early to try and stat out Clara, I think.)
A pair of childhood friends, now student age, living on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall. Hopefully fun to play even if the players don’t go for the star-crossed lovers angle.
And a secret agent who could either be an obvious badass or an apparent nobody. Same stats, but I imagine the picture would really affect how the character was played...
Opinions?
Friday, 5 April 2013
The War Machines From Warmachine
Behold The Convergence Of Cyriss!
Via Derek, the Toclafane invade Warmachine?
Their faction symbol looks rather Cybermanly too, while the standard troops look a bit Spoonhead and apparently they’re also rather like the Clockwork Men, being, well, clockwork and man-shaped.
In any case, if you play Who with miniatures, I’m sure you can find a use for a big army of various kinds of creepy robot things.
So how to deal with a full-sized army of robots? Dropping out of the sky and attacking Earth, or another planet, maybe a future colony?
Sure, the Doctor could make each of them fall apart with careful use of the sonic screwdriver, but that would take a bit too long.
Ultimately, any time you have the PCs take on an army, you have to build in sneaky a way for them to defeat them, unless they happen to have an army (or a Hulk) too.
Let’s assume they have interconnecting communications, and possibly a central control system. Something that will take them out at one stroke. The master system will of course be well defended and require a mad attack plan that no logical computer would think of.
Or they’re electronic and can be EMP-ed. Good if they’re invading a pre-electric civilisation, still better than nothing for higher Tech Levels if the people under attack can survive and rebuild.
Or, of course, you could try and negotiate. This may not work if the robots’ core programming is too simplistic or restrictive (the Replicators from TV Stargate are essentially mindless, they’re here to break stuff into useful component parts and don’t care what the stuff has to say about it) but can lead to a debate on the meaning of life or the old Star Trek confuse-the-computer-so-it-explodes trick.
Via Derek, the Toclafane invade Warmachine?
Their faction symbol looks rather Cybermanly too, while the standard troops look a bit Spoonhead and apparently they’re also rather like the Clockwork Men, being, well, clockwork and man-shaped.
In any case, if you play Who with miniatures, I’m sure you can find a use for a big army of various kinds of creepy robot things.
So how to deal with a full-sized army of robots? Dropping out of the sky and attacking Earth, or another planet, maybe a future colony?
Sure, the Doctor could make each of them fall apart with careful use of the sonic screwdriver, but that would take a bit too long.
Ultimately, any time you have the PCs take on an army, you have to build in sneaky a way for them to defeat them, unless they happen to have an army (or a Hulk) too.
Let’s assume they have interconnecting communications, and possibly a central control system. Something that will take them out at one stroke. The master system will of course be well defended and require a mad attack plan that no logical computer would think of.
Or they’re electronic and can be EMP-ed. Good if they’re invading a pre-electric civilisation, still better than nothing for higher Tech Levels if the people under attack can survive and rebuild.
Or, of course, you could try and negotiate. This may not work if the robots’ core programming is too simplistic or restrictive (the Replicators from TV Stargate are essentially mindless, they’re here to break stuff into useful component parts and don’t care what the stuff has to say about it) but can lead to a debate on the meaning of life or the old Star Trek confuse-the-computer-so-it-explodes trick.
Weekly roundup thing
I haven't really been up to posting this week, so have some links:
HeroPress talks to author Philip Reeve about his Fourth Doctor story for the ebook series.
Dan Davenport talks to Darren Pearce about C7's First Doctor book among other work.
Steven Moffat (via DWM) discusses what a final series with the Tenth Doctor might have involved. The roots of The Impossible Astronaut would have been the basis of the first story...
A gallery of sketches and promo art for a recent Doctor Who animated series pitch featuring the First and possibly all the Doctors.
HeroPress talks to author Philip Reeve about his Fourth Doctor story for the ebook series.
Dan Davenport talks to Darren Pearce about C7's First Doctor book among other work.
Steven Moffat (via DWM) discusses what a final series with the Tenth Doctor might have involved. The roots of The Impossible Astronaut would have been the basis of the first story...
A gallery of sketches and promo art for a recent Doctor Who animated series pitch featuring the First and possibly all the Doctors.
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Return Of The Best-Loved One-Shot Monster
Bit of a spoiler this, assuming it isn't a late April Fool...
After the return of a monster from before I was born in a week and a half, the return of a monster last seen shortly after my first birthday.
By this reckoning, we should see the Haemovores again around Christmas 2026. Looking forward to it already!
After the return of a monster from before I was born in a week and a half, the return of a monster last seen shortly after my first birthday.
By this reckoning, we should see the Haemovores again around Christmas 2026. Looking forward to it already!
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
New Google Doodle celebrates a naturalist and artist and a bold explorer who travelled from Amsterdam to Suriname to study its flora and fauna, having at least a few adventures along the way.
Monday, 1 April 2013
Conpulsion 2013 RPGs
Blatant cross-promotion but hey, it includes some C7 games including my own Doctor Who adventure, and Peter Cakebread GMing Airship Pirates with spaces sold in the charity auction (as well as Stew Wilson doing the same for Werewolf 20).
I Spy With My Little Eye
GM: Craig Oxbrow
One-Line Description: Berlin! 1963! One of the most dangerous times in human history! Oh good!
Description: The Doctor, Amy and Rory follow an alien distress signal to 1960s Berlin – the front line of the Cold War at its height. Suitable for new players.
More on my adventure as and when I have it nailed down.
I Spy With My Little Eye
GM: Craig Oxbrow
One-Line Description: Berlin! 1963! One of the most dangerous times in human history! Oh good!
Description: The Doctor, Amy and Rory follow an alien distress signal to 1960s Berlin – the front line of the Cold War at its height. Suitable for new players.
More on my adventure as and when I have it nailed down.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)