This is a scenario for 'Time Lord', the Doctor Who role-playing game. It was originally designed and run for the Third Doctor without any companions, but should work for any Doctor from the Second onwards with one or perhaps two companions. If using the Third Doctor, it is set between 'The Green Death' and 'The Time Warrior'.
A patrol of two Cyberships has discovered a Lepton Array, a weapon of awesome power, orbiting a sun in a remote system. One of the ships approached the Array, docked and boarded it, but the crew set off a security system and were deactivated by a Theta particle field. The docked ship attempted to escape but was disabled when the crew was deactivated by a burst of the same particles.
The Cyberleader in charge of the second ship recognised that Cybermen could not access the Array unless they could get someone to shut down the security system. He therefore decided that they would lure an Earth ship to a nearby planet, capture it, and use the crew to board the Array.
The Doctor needs a holiday, and decides that a 24th century space liner will be just the thing. Planning to materialise on board one of these luxury ships, he sets off in the TARDIS. Unfortunately, the temperamental time machine has other ideas. The Doctor materialises on the cargo hold of a freighter, the 'Alzarian Moon' in 2215AD. He should not know this of course, the hold is gloomy, and could be just about anything, even the hold of a star liner. As the Doctor explores it he will discover that it is carrying mining equipment and textiles. Labelling on the containers will identify the name of the ship and possibly a rough idea of the date. Awareness difficulty of 5 to spot it.
+----------+----------+
----+----+ 3 + 3 +----+
+ 1 + 2 +---------------------+ 4 +
+ + +---------------------+ +
----+----+ 3 + 3 +----+
+----------+----------+
1 - Bridge, Weapons Locker, Shuttle Bay
2 - Living Quarters, Sick Bay
3 - Cargo Pods
4 - Engineering
Eventually the Doctor's explorations should bring him into contact with one or more of the crew. They will react to him as a stowaway and some will be more hostile than others. Avar and Pascal will be the most hostile, Scobie, Corven and Glyde will be less aggressive but still suspicious. The Doctor should be able to convince them that he is a simple traveller who is lost, and will be able to use this opportunity to get to know the crew. Avar will remain suspicious, Corven and Scobie the most trusting.
By this point the Doctor, and some or all of the crew should be on the bridge. Their conversation will be interrupted by the ship's sensors picking up a signal from a nearby star system, Jura. Analysis of the signal will show that it is an automated distress signal and that it is coming from the planet Jura Minor. There is no information in the signal; it is merely designed to allow rescuers to home in on it.
Data on Jura Minor - Two thirds Earth Size, 1G, breathable oxygen atmosphere, no major life forms, single moon. A scientific research station was set up on the planet, but was abandoned three years ago. The system is not on any major space lanes, but is close enough that a distress signal from it is not suspicious.
Captain Glyde decides to respond to the signal and changes course to Jura Minor. Arriving in orbit he asks Avar to take a landing party down to investigate. Corven will fly the shuttle and Pascal will volunteer to go for the potential excitement. The Doctor should also be intrigued enough to go as well. He will have trouble convincing Avar, but should be able to convince Glyde. If he stresses any potentially useful skills then even Avar can be persuaded though. In any event, the crew should regard this mission as a break from the routine, but nothing too desperate.
The signal is coming from the abandoned scientific station. A sensor sweep will reveal nothing suspicious and show minimal energy readings. If the Doctor suggests a wider scan than just the station a difficulty 6 check against Awareness will show a faint energy trace just south of the station, but no details. This is the hidden Cyber Ship, but it is impossible to determine this just from the readings.
The shuttle will travel down to the planet. The scientific research station consists of three domes in a triangle, with a small landing platform just to the south. It sits low rocky rise. Jura Minor is gloomy, rugged and windswept.
----- -----
! 1 ! ! 2 !
! !===! !
--+-- = --+--
-----
! 3 !
! !
--+--
Landing Field
1 - Living Quarters
2 - Labs
3 - Storage
+ - External Doors
= - Linkage Tunnels
Pascal will stay with the shuttle whilst the others enter the domes. The complex is deserted, and appears to have been stripped of anything useful before being abandoned. The only illumination is via dusty plexiglass windows and skylights. The storage dome is split into two sections divided by a corridor and contains some empty shelving and containers. The lab dome has the same structure; both labs contain empty benches and cupboards. The living quarters consist of a communal area to the south and 6 living quarters. Again, bits of junk and furniture.
The investigation of the domes could be spiced up by the Jura Minor's equivalent of rats, bats and insects.
A low, continuous bleeping noise can be heard from one of the living quarters. It will be seen to be coming from a functional looking 1' cube with a few simple controls and a flashing light on top. This is the distress beacon. By now, someone should suspect a set-up, and at this point a panicked message will be received from Pascal, cut off before any information can be imparted. This is rapidly cut off after sounds of a scuffle.
At this point, a Cyberleader will burst through the exterior door of the living quarters, followed by three others. They will demand the surrender of the group, with only Avar showing any inclination to fight. Whether she does or not should be down to the Doctor. The Cybermen will seek to subdue rather than kill as they need the crew alive.
Regardless, by the end of this scene the group will be prisoners of the Cybermen.
Cue credits - End of Episode 1
The Cybermen return their prisoners to the shuttle where they find two more Cybermen holding Pascal. The Cyberleader and two Cybermen stay on the shuttle; the others are told to follow on the Cybership. Avar, Pascal, Corven and the Doctor return to the freighter in the shuttle. The Cyberleader will do all communication with the freighter. Glyde will reluctantly surrender his ship in order to protect his crew.
At some point the identity of the Doctor will be revealed. The Cybermen have a desire to destroy the Doctor, but recognise that he may be useful to their mission.
The shuttle returns to the shuttle bay on the freighter, the Cybership follows and docks with one of the cargo pods. The Cybermen take the uninjured crew to the bridge, and bring some equipment from the Cybership that they link into the freighter's sensor system. This can be recognised as a radiation field analyser. By this time it should become apparent that there are six Cybermen and the Cyberleader.
The 'Alzarian Moon' is given a new course and the crew is taken to the mess area where they are held prisoner. Two Cybermen stand guard outside the door.
The 'Alzarian Moon' travels for about 12 hours (48 research turns). During this time the Doctor and the crew may plan an escape or attempt to retake the ship. Avar and Pascal will be for getting hold of weapons and fighting for control. Glyde is only willing to entertain ideas that do not threaten the lives of the crew. Scobie suggests disabling the freighter. Corven has no ideas. This is also a time to come up with a MacGuffin.
Any attempt to get out of the mess area will require getting past the two guards on the door. At any one time there will be two Cybermen on the bridge (50% chance that one is the Cyberleader), and one moving about the ship. The other two will be on the docked Cybership recharging.
At any event, an attempt to prevent the 'Alzarian Moon' reaching its destination should fail. Some of the crew may become casualties; if any must die or become seriously injured then Pascal should be first, followed by Avar (who should be allowed to go out in style). Glyde should die bravely, preferably protecting his crew. Scobie and Corven should not be killed. Of the Cybermen, only the Cyberleader has a charmed life, but leave at least three others to take part in the next episode.
Eventually the 'Alzarian Moon' arrives at its destination It is an un-named planetless system, LZ-2-31. The freighter moves in close to the single sun. The Doctor and Glyde are brought to the bridge.
An crystalline large device is seen orbiting the sun. It resembles a six-pointed caltrop made of crystal with subsidiary points radiating from the central axis. The Doctor recognises it a Lepton Array, a powerful weapon built by a long extinct humanoid race called the Kline during their war with the Collective, a machine race. It uses Lepton particles to accelerate stellar processes and send suns nova.
This weapon, capable of destroying a star and all its planets, is what the Cybermen are after.
Cue credits - End of Episode 2
The Cybermen state that they are going to take over the Array, but that they will be sending a boarding party made up of the freighter crew. Captain Glyde will be told to select two crewmembers to accompany himself and the Doctor. He will choose Corven (as pilot and medic) and Scobie (as engineer) if they are still alive. Otherwise he will take Avar by choice. The rest of the crew will be held as hostages.
Glyde is told that he must take the shuttle across to the Array, board it and find the control centre. Once there the party must shut down the security system using a special inhibitor device that that will be given. They will not be told why. They are allowed tools, but no weapons. They will take communicators and be expected to report progress at regular intervals.
As the shuttle crosses to the Array, the crew will see that another Cybership is close to it, but appears to be drifting. No information will be forthcoming from the Cyberleader on this vessel. 'It is irrelevant' he tells them. A close examination shows that the airlock is open; this is because the Cybership detached from the Array in a hurry.
It takes an hour (4 research turns) to cross to the Array. Docking with the Array is relatively straightforward (Difficulty 5 against Pilot skill).
Once in the airlock (Difficulty 7 to open, relevant skills allowed) the boarding party will find two Cyberman bodies. Investigating them will show that their neural processes were shut down - they were 'switched off' (Difficulty 7 to spot this). The Cybermen have blasters, which could be requisitioned if the party think about it.
The Array's primary security system is designed to thwart boarding attempts by machine entities and consists of a Theta particle field generator. This can flood the whole Array and its local space with radiation disruptive to cybernetic and robotic forms. It has no effect versus organic life forms.
The layout of the Array is confusingly alien, with well light corridors and chambers with pulsing lights. Pale red and silver is the predominant colour make up, and white light pulses pass along the walls. There are lots of curves, tubes and circular rooms. Controls are coloured touch pads and small embedded crystals. Access to different levels is via floating platforms in tubes. Finding the control centre is a task against Awareness with a difficulty of 10. Each research turn spent searching decreases this difficulty by 1. However, each research turn spent on the Array will subject the boarding party to a fear inducer. This will attack with an initial force of 1, increasing by 1 each research turn. It attacks against Determination, but should not be noticed until the character has to make a roll, at which point they begin to feel uneasy. If a roll is failed the character will collapse in terror and refuse to move. Hypnotism, Indomitable Will, Command and Strong Passions can help resist the effects. The field will be deactivated when the security system is deactivated.
Eventually the boarding part will reach the Array's control centre. Scobie and the Doctor will be able to connect the device to the security system (Difficulty 6 to find it, 5 to connect the device). It will cease functioning in an obvious manner. Their success can then be reported to the Cyberleader.
The ultimate weapon now belongs to the Cybermen.
Cue credits - End of Episode 3
With the Array now safe for the Cybermen to board, they will bring the 'Alzarian Moon' across and dock with it; there is another airlock to do this with. Five Cybermen, including the Cyberleader, will board, bringing cases of equipment. The other two will detach the Cybership from the freighter and proceed to the other Cybership. During the time that the Cybermen are travelling to the Array (about four research turns, plus one to get to the control centre), the boarding party may try and disable the inhibitor device or activate some of the Array's systems. They will discover that the device is tamper-proof and seems to have allowed the Cybermen on the freighter to remotely access the Array's systems to prevent them being used. If they try and tamper with the device the Cyberleader will communicate with them and warn them not to, threatening the prisoners if necessary. If the party persist, just make tampering with the device too hard even for the Doctor.
The Doctor and the crew of the 'Alzarian Moon' will have to come up with some way of defeating the Cybermen and, if possible, destroying the Array. Left to their own devices, Three Cybermen, including the Cyberleader, will stay on the Array to make 'modifications'. The other two will escort the prisoners back to the 'Alzarian Moon', where they will be confined in the mess area. This time, only one Cyberman will be left on guard. After four hours (16 research turns) the two Cyberships will return and dock with the Array at the third airlock. Work on the Array will take twelve hours (48 research turns). During this time there will be some rotation of Cybermen as they return to the Cyberships to regenerate. Essentially there will be five Cybermen active at any time, one guarding the prisoners and four others roaming between the Array, the Cyberships and the freighter. Once the Array has been modified, the Cybermen plan to ditch the 'Alzarian Moon' and the shuttle. The Cybermen will then take the Array to join their fleet, bringing the humans for conversion to Cybermen, and the Doctor for conversion after his mind has been milked of useful information.
From this point onwards the scenario can continue by a number of different routes as the Doctor and the crew struggle to prevent the Cybermen from triumphing. The deactivated Cybermen should give them some clue that the Array has a means of doing something fairly terminal to cyborgs and the proximity of the star gives them some method of destroying the Array. Don't forget that the TARDIS is still in the hold of the 'Alzarian Moon', and can probably be coaxed into short trips that end up at the location desired.
The following points may be of use. It should be possible to make some sort of device to use Theta particles. See below for possible effects. It may also be possible to remotely access the Array, if the bridge of the freighter can be recaptured. This can allow its systems to be activated, although reactivating the security system will be 2 levels harder than any other activation because of the inhibitor. If the inhibitor is remotely deactivated then this penalty no longer applies. Setting the Array to crash into the star will destroy it, as will using it to send the star nova, as it is too close to survive the experience. Indeed, all ships involved are too close, and are docked with the Array as well, so a desperate race against the leading edge of the nova will result. Moving the Array could be achieved by remotely activating its systems and flying it, or it might be possible to force its orbit to decay by realigning it using the freighter's engines as the two are connected.
Essentially any solution that is suitably dramatic and imaginative should succeed.
With the help of the crew and the referee the Doctor should be able to destroy the Cybermen and the Array, leaving everyone back where they started, on the 'Alzarian Moon'. Then it's time to say goodbye to everyone who survived. As a possible development, Corven would make a suitable companion, and could easily be motivated to leave with the Doctor.
The crew of the 'Alzarian Moon' watch as the TARDIS fades into invisibility.
Cue credits - End of Episode 4 and 'The Ultimate Weapon'
The Array's Theta particle field causes Wounds 4 attack each turn it is active, attacks vs. the Cyberman's Strength and ignores armour and special immunities.
Theta particle beam: Counts as a Wounds 6 weapon, but ignores armour and special immunity. A MacGuffin with a difficulty of 2, plus 1 per Wound and one charge. Double the charges for an increased difficulty of 1. To make it a field emitter add 1 difficulty for 0 areas, and one for each area range after that. Each time it is fired the user must roll the difference between the number of shots tried (including this one) and the 'safe shot' level. If the roll is not made then the beam emitter burns out and is useless. If a beam is made by converting an existing weapon, subtract 2 from the difficulty.
The following are the character write-ups for the freighter crew. They were written with the following points in mind. Glyde and Scobie should be the ones most in tune with the Doctor. Avar and Pascal are more aggressive, indeed Pascal was designed pretty much as an expendable character. Corven is a surrogate Jo Grant - she can show a certain degree of competence, but at times can be wetter than a Sea Devil. She is therefore ideal companion material.
Weapons: Blaster (Wounds 6 on kill, Wounds 2 on stun)
Captain Glyde
Strength: 3, Cheat Death 1
Control: 4, Marksmanship 1
Size: 3
Weight: 4
Move: 3, Running 1, Piloting 1
Knowledge: 4, Astrogation 2, Electronics 1, Engineering 1, First Aid 1
Determination: 3, Command 1, Indomitable Will 1
Awareness: 3, Bargaining 2, Bureaucracy 1, Striking Appearence 1
Captain Glyde is an experienced freighter captain with many years experience.
Glyde is tall, with black curly hair, a neatly trimmed beard and brown eyes. He appears to be in his late 30s
His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. He is willing to ignore the faults of other people as long as the job gets done. This means that although he does not come into conflict with his crew, he sometimes fails to notice the friction that exists between Avar and Corven.
His experience and fairness however make him popular with his crew. He keeps himself to himself though. Avar is the closest thing he has to a friend, although this is because he has known her the longest. He is beginning to recognise the pivotal role Scobie is playing in keeping the crew together however.
First Officer Avar
Strength: 3
Control: 4, Marksmanship 2, Brawling 2
Size: 4
Weight: 4
Move: 3, Running 1, Piloting 1
Knowledge: 4, Astrogation 1
Determination: 3, Command 1, Independent Spirit 1
Awareness: 3, Bargaining 1, Bureaucracy 1
Avar has served with Glyde for about ten years and is pretty used to his ways. Although competent, a quick temper has prevented her from commanding her own ship, but she has now reached the point where this no longer concernes her. She is a good subordinate to Glyde, although stern to the other members of the crew, and quick to take offence. She respects Glyde's experience and leadership, but does her best to make her own mark on the crew.
Avar is a plump, attractive woman in her early forties. She has short curly light brown hair and green eyes.
Engineer Scobie
Strength: 4
Control: 3
Size: 3
Weight: 3
Move: 3
Knowledge: 4, Computing 1, Electronics 1, Engineering 2, Mechanics 1, MacGuffin 1, Science 1, History 1
Determination: 3, Striking Appearance 1
Awareness: 4, Artist 2
Scobie is a tall, awkward looking man in his late 30s, with thinning brown hair and blue eyes. Although thin and pale looking, he is actually stronger than he appears. A quiet, gentle man, he is the ship's engineer, and a friend to all of the crew.
Scobie is the moderating infuence that keeps the crew working as a team.
He is a skilled engineer and mechanic, although not to the point of obsession. He reads voraciously and is a skilled water-colour artist.
Corven
Strength: 3, Cheat Death 2
Control: 3
Size: 4
Weight: 3
Move: 3, Pilot 2, Running 1
Knowledge: 4, Astrogation 1, Engineering 1, First Aid 1, Medicine 1
Determination: 2, Strong Passion (Captain Glyde) 2
Awareness: 3, Screaming 1, Serendipity 1
Corven is a nervous, young woman in her mid 20s. Small, with a long blonde ponytail and blue eyes she is on her first assignment to a ship's crew, and uncertain as to whether she has made the right choice of career. She tries hard though, despite being permanently shouted at by Avar, and she has found a companion in Scobie, who looks after her and teaches her what he can. She idolises Captain Glyde.
Corven is a skilled shuttle pilot with some rudimentary medical training, which is about the only reason she is employed on the freighter.
Pascal
Strength: 3
Control: 4, Marksmanship 1, Leaping 1
Size: 3
Weight: 4
Move: 3, Running 1
Knowledge: 4, Electronics 1, Law 1, Astrogation 1, Computing 1
Determination: 3, Independent Spirit 1
Awareness: 3, Bargaining 1, Bureacracy 1
Pascal is a man of action, who joined the freighter crew a few year ago to see excitement and adventure. He has yet to see any and is becoming disillusioned about the whole thing. He is in his late 20s, with short blonde hair and green eyes. Impulsive and impetuous he often gets into trouble.
A recently qualified navigator, Pascal is the least skilled of all the crew with respect to the ship, but is a good negotiator and helps Glyde buy and sell cargos.
This scenario uses Cybermen as described in the 'Time Lord' rules. I chose to give them the voices and appearences of 'Earthshock' Cybermen though, as I liked that episode.
When I ran this scenario things went pretty much as described above. The Doctor was still explaining his presence to the crew of the freighter when the distress call was received, but was able to go with the landing party. When ambushed by the Cybermen, Avar elected to fight and was stunned. The Doctor and Corven tried to run away, but were captured when they came back for Avar.
Whilst being held prisoner the Doctor first tried to unlock the door with his sonic screwdriver. He succeeded, but hadn't counted on the two guards outside. they then converted an entertainment console into a transmitter and used it to send a mayday signal. This seemed to work, but they later found out that the Cybermen had detected the signal and jammed it.
The Array was boarded, but only the Doctor made the control centre, as the fear inducer got everyone else. The Cybermen were eventually defeated after Corven was able to use the shuttle to get the crew back on the freighter undetected by the Cybermen. Freeing the other prisoners, the Doctor and the crew gained the bridge, and the Doctor was able to access the Array's systems remotely. Failing to reactivate the security system he elected to blow up the star the array was orbiting instead. Whilst Corven and Scobie made sure the freighter could escape the ensuing nova, Glyde, Avar and Pascal fought off two Cybermen attempting to retake the bridge using a captured Cyberman blaster and a jury-rigged Theta Particle Emitter. Avar killed a Cyberman by shooting its chest grille at point-blank range, but its companion shot and killed her, before succumbing to the Theta particles. The Array and the Cyberships were destroyed by the nova, but thanks to Scobie boosting the freighter's engines and Corven's skill as a pilot the freighter escaped.