Doctor Who's 5E-Based Doctors & Daleks Explains In-Game Combat

By Christian Hoffer

Cubicle 7 has explained how its upcoming Doctors & Daleks game takes the Dungeons & Dragons 5E combat system and modifies it to match the Doctor's non-violent philosophy. This week, Cubicle 7 will release Doctors & Daleks, a new Doctor Who tabletop roleplaying game that uses Dungeons & Dragons 5E rules. Cubicle 7 already publishes the Doctor Who Roleplaying Game, which includes rules for playing in any era of the beloved BBC sci-fi franchise, so Doctors & Daleks is specifically designed for TTRPG players who are familiar with 5E. Of course, a large chunk of Dungeons & Dragons' ruleset is its combat system which seemingly flies in the face of one of the core tenets of Doctor Who - a show that usually seeks out problem-solving and conflict resolution as an alternative to fighting. Last week, Cubicle 7 explained how it modified 5E's combat rules to better fit with Doctor Who's outlook on conflict and violence. 

Instead of hit points, a stat that measures a character's physical fortitude, characters in Doctors & Daleks use Plot Points instead. When characters lose plot points, it represents how close a character is to being cornered or incapacitated by their enemies. When a player reduces an NPC's plot points, it represents how much a character's plans are being foiled or how persuasive a player is at changing their mind. Cubicle 7 also revealed that many players will have Quips as a central ability. Quips are the equivalent to spells in Doctors & Daleks and represent a character's ability and their strength of persuasion. Quips can be used to reduce an opponent's plot points, create technological effects, or simply help a person in need. 

The initial Doctors & Daleks line will include a Core Rulebook, an Alien Archive providing 5E statblocks for various Doctor Who aliens and foes, and The Keys of Scaravore, a Level 1 to Level 5 adventure. The game launches on July 19th. 

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