Doctors & Daleks | A 5e Experience That's Bigger on the Inside

Creating your character

While character creation is very similar to 5e character creation in most ways, there are certain differences, primarily in the character classes and the available different Doctor Who species you can play. We'll roll up at least the basics of each character at the FREE Session 0, and I'll provide information for any of the Doctor Who 5e materials that are relevant or interesting to you. We will be starting at Level 1 in order for us to play through the introductory adventure that allows demonstration of the new concepts, any rules adjustments, and to introduce the worlds of Doctor Who to any player less familiar to the lore.

Preparing for the session

We'll be using Foundry VTT for this campaign and Discord for the voice channel. Once you join the campaign, I'll provide you with a link to my Discord server and assign you a role for the campaign so you can join the dedicated voice channel when we play, and access the information channels between games. Discord is also a free account if you don't already have it. All you need other than that is a microphone. Headphones are recommended, as we sometimes get sound echoes if the mic is picking up your computer audio. Some groups prefer to have webcams turned on, some prefer not to. You are welcome to have a webcam turned on during the game if you wish.

What The Rob of Wonder brings to the table

One of the perks of my games is an illustrated campaign guide, updated after each session (sometimes the illustrations take a bit longer, but the recaps are usually up within a couple of days!) An example from one of my other campaigns can be seen at https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/PUeU9pz3JIRq I'll bring the adventure along with curated music and ambient atmosphere tracks, any maps and handouts necessary for the game, and decades worth of acting, improvisation, and character voice experience. Nobody should feel pressured to put on a voice if they are not comfortable doing so, but I'll enhance the immersion with voices so you're able to differentiate NPCs when they speak! At my table, the default is to go with the "Rule of Cool" (ie. narrative storytelling trumps strict intrpretation and application of the rules), but this is your game as a group, so I'm open to being as strict on rules as the group decides. I strive to set a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Dramtic tension can be a lot of fun too, but once an intense or serious scene comes to an end, I encoutage breaking the tension either by jumping to a lighter hearted moment, or taking a brief break to reset and make sure everyone is ready to continue. Most of all, what I try to provide is a few hours of escapism and fun, so communication is important, and I'll check in frequently to make sure that the group is gelling and people are getting what they want out of the game. We can always adjust as long as the group is in agreement!

Homebrew rules

For this campaign we'll be sticking to the rules reasonably closely, at least until everyone is comfortable with how similar this truly is to the 5e rules as written, but are adjusted to the small differences necessary for moving into a less combat-oriented science fiction setting (most of the time at least... who is to say the TARDIS won't drop you right in the middle of Faerun, Barovia, or the Crusades... in a near-infinite universe, anything is possible!) As with the rest of the campaign, when people are comfortable I might suggest a homebrew rule, and I'm always open to suggestions.

How The Rob of Wonder creates a safe table

There will be a FREE Session Zero to begin where I'll go over safety rules and comfort rules for the table, and lay out topics that I won't stray into or will only lightly touch on if they come up. I'll also collect any topics that should be avoided from the players (anonymously). The Open Door policy is always in effect at the table. If you ever need to step away for any reason, you are free to do so. No explanation needed. I use Lines and Veils, but where those Lines and Veils are drawn is a discussion for the whole group. We'll also spend some time just chatting and getting to know each other at Session 0. It usually takes groups a while to fully gel, but its important to get a feel for other players, especially those you've never met, before we begin, or the campaign can go off the rails very early! I also have a channel on the Discord server for Stars and Wishes. You are always welcome to let me know what is going well in the campaign, and what you would like to see adjusted, changed, or dropped. A certain amount of retconning can be adopted (especially for your own character) for character reasons, but things that affect the plot and the broader party will be put to a vote. Collaboration at the table is very important to me. We're playing a game, yes, but also telling a story, so its important that everyone feels they are playing their part to their comfort level.