All right, I think they're gone.
"And in the Great Days of Rassilon, five great principles were laid down. Can you remember what they were, my children?"
The above quote is from a Gallifreyan nursery book that you had when you were a Time Tot. Time Lords look human and are similar to humans in some ways, and there are some theories that Gallifreyans and humans share the same genetic sourrce. It is even possible for regular Gallifreyans who are not Time Lords to have families with humans (for instance, Susan and David Campbell, or Leela and Andred). However, there are some great differences in Time Lord physiology for which the normal rules do not apply.
Time Lord character creation works much like it does for humans. However, Time Lords do have a greater mental fortitude and thus roll POW on 2d6+6 instead of 3d6.
- Roll 3d6 each for STR, CON, DEX, and APP.
- Roll 2d6+6 each for SIZ, INT, and POW.
- Roll 3d6+3 for EDU.
- Do not roll for personal wealth. This is normally irrelevant for a Time Lord. You are exiled to Earth, but since you work for UNIT, they'll issue you equipment for this assignment.
Those are the only rolls you need to make for character creation. You are free to distribute the 3d6 rolls amongst the four stats that are rolled on 3d6, as well as to distribute the 2d6+6 rolls among SIZ, INT, and POW. EDU can be raised by making your character older. If you're still not satisfied with your rolls, let me know and we'll work something out. If your rolls are abnormally low, I may permit a reroll of the entire set.
There are a variety of ways to name your Time Lord, and often a Time Lord will have multiple names, though you should use one primary name. Some Time Lords are named for what they are or what they do (such as The Doctor, The Master, The Monk). Others are referred to by a designation of a pair of Greek letters (such as Theta SIgma). Still others have actual names (for example, Romanadvoratrelundar or Borusa). For longer names, it pays to have a shortened version, such as in Romana's case. As an exile who has been living on Earth for some time, you'll likely have an alias that sounds like an Earth name.
You'll also need to decide on your character's age. The minimum age allowed is EDU+6, but you can always choose to make your character older. For every 10 full years above the minimum, you get +1 to your EDU (which also gets you an extra 20 occupational skill points). However, for every full 10 years above 40 (i.e., starting at age 50), you must reduce one of the following stats by 1: STR, CON, DEX, or APP. While Time Lords can live a very long time, their physical bodies will "wear thin" eventually. The ability to regenerate can restore a body to a fresh state, but it comes at a cost. For a newly created Time Lord, we'll assume you're on your first incarnation. Be wary of making your character too old to get the extra EDU, as your other attributes will suffer for it.
Your character has the following derived stats:
Idea: INT x 5
Luck: POW x 5
Know: EDU x 5 (maximum of 99)
Damage Bonus: Calculate STR+SIZ and consult the following table
- 12 or less: -1d6
- 13-16: -1d4
- 17-24: +0
- 25-32: +1d4
- 33 or more: +1d6
Maximum Magic Points: POW
Starting Sanity: POW x 5
You get 20 x EDU occupational skill points that can only be used to increase skills for your chosen profession. You also get 10 x INT hobby skill points that can be spent to increase any skills (even the ones for your occupation if you really want). Use the modern skill list, though it is possible to add skills to this list from past or future eras.The only skill that cannot be raised is Cthulhu Mythos, which always starts at 0%. The other skills have base levels of 1% or higher, and the points you spend add to those base levels. To see the list of skills and their starting levels (as well as other useful info), see the Quick Start rules for Call of Cthulhu: http://www.chaosium.com/article.php?story_id=87 (the modern list is identical, except that it also contains Computer Use and Electronics, both of which have a 1% base)
Your chosen occupation will depend on what sort of TIme Lord you are. A historian might use the Professor template focusing on History and Archaeology, while a tinkerer/inventor could use the Engineer template. If you let me know your character concept, I can give you a suitable list of occupational skills. I believe you said you wanted to be an inventor, so the occupational skill list for that is: Chemistry, Electrical Repair, Geology, Library Use, Mechanical Repair, Operate Heavy Machine, Phsyics, and one other skill of your choice. The occupational skills for many professions are listed in the rulebook. Some of these lists allow you to choose one or two of your occupational skills. Just make sure it's within reason for your chosen occupation.
Speaking of the History skill, due to a Time Lord's ability to travel in space and time, this skill helps you to know things about all of history, whether it's happened yet or not. This is a very useful skill to have as a Time Lord. Another useful skill is Pilot TARDIS. It has a base skill of 01%, but you should raise it to at least 15% at character creation. While many of the TARDIS systems are automated, some basic knowledge is required. The Physics skill is useful for repairing the TARDIS, but there are limits to its application. Some faults in the TARDIS cannot be corrected outside of a Gallifreyan workshop, as certain specialized parts and tools will be required. As an exile to Earth, your TARDIS is incapable of traveling through time and space, as its dimensional stabilizer has been locked out. All of your attempts to restore it have failed, as your memories of how to do so have also been blocked by the Time Lords.
You do not need to take languages. Your native language is High Gallifreyan, but thanks to your bond with the TARDIS you can understand any language as if it were your own, whether spoken or written.
I won't be imposing a cap for starting skills, but you should justify any exceptionally high skills you have in your character background. 75% in a skill means that you're an expert. 90% means that you're one of the best in the world. Spend all your skill points during character creation, as they're of no use once the game is underway.
All Time Lords have the ability to regenerate when their bodies break down or take lethal damage. This ability is connected to the Time Lord's mental bond with the TARDIS, and it can only be used twelve times. However, regeneration carries a heavy price. Time Lords can regenerate voluntarily, and they often do after their bodies age a good deal. This mitigates some of the costs. When regenerating involunatarily, such as after being killed, you bear the full brunt of the process.
Regeneration completely renews a Time Lord's body, and it also completely changes it. You will reroll all of your physical stats in order: STR, CON, DEX, APP, and even SIZ. Whatever you roll for your new stats, you are stuck with these rolls. You cannot swap them around, and you cannot take a mulligan. This will also cause your Damage Bonus and Hit Point total to be recalculated, and when the process is complete you will be restored to full HP. Your appearance will completely change. While your clothes do not change automatically, your sense of fashion will, and newly regenerated Time Lords usually find a new outfit at the earliest opportunity. Your mental stats (INT, POW, and EDU) will remain unchanged, but your mind will not be untouched. Regeneration will change your personality drastically. While many things about who you are will remain the same, in some ways you will be a different person. There is also a high cost. Undergoing an involuntary regeneration causes a 2/1d10+1 Sanity roll, and it often results in temporary insanity. This mental instability lasts for a varying amount of time, from hours to days, and can last still longer if severe enough. Regeneration is not something to be taken lightly, but is a last resort to avoid death.
Finally, there are some ways to die that even preclude regeneration. If your body is disintegrated, dissolved, or eaten, there will be nothing left to regenerate. Time Lords are powerful, but they are not immortal.