Originally posted here with full reviews of all the Doctor Who Doctor Sourcebooks: https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2023/05/review-doctor-who-sourcebooks.html

Not content just to give us a great game and material we can use to make our own adventures, Cubicle 7 took a huge leap and gave us guides and sourcebooks for all Thirteen of the major versions of the Doctor that have aired since 1963.

The covers feature the Doctor with some of his (and her) enemies from their run. The Thirteenth Doctor is not pictured, played by Jodie Whittaker, only because it has not hit the stores yet. I will review the PDF here.

The logo on the cover of the first 11 is from the Jon Pertwee era (1970-1973) and for the 8th Doctor's movie in 1986. Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor uses the logo from Jodie's 13th Doctor era, and Jodie's 13th Doctor book uses the "new" logo which is the reuse of the old Tom Baker logo.

For this review, I am going to consider all the hardcover books I have, doctors 1 to 12, and the PDFs, Doctors 1 - 13.

All books differ in length but all have similar content. Each book begins with an introduction to that Doctor's era and some of the special things about it. For example, in the 3rd Doctor book we get a lot about his exile on Earth. Each book is filled with photos from that Doctor's time period, so a lot of black and white for the First and Second Doctor and of course ideas for adventures throughout.

If that is all it was, well, you need one book for that, and this is not what makes these books special.

Each book details every adventure that Doctor had on screen. While it is written from the point of view of the RPG (and this RPG in particular), the details are such that each one of these books is fascinating reading all on their own. This is great since so many of the early adventures/episodes are now lost and the old Target novelizations go for a king's ransom.

Also, each book details all the Doctor's companions and provides stats for them, the Doctor in question and most, if not all, the creatures they encounter.

Doctor Who - The Third Doctor Sourcebook 160 pages. Color photos. Jon Pertwee as the Doctor

This covers the time the Doctor was exiled on Earth and working with UNIT. We get stats for all his companions, the Brigadier, Liz Shaw, Jo Grant, Sgt. Benton, Capt. Yates and of course Sarah Jane Smith. We also get details on the Doctor's disabled TARDIS. One would think lacking the ability to travel in time and space would be dull, but some of the greatest enemies of the Doctor has ever had. Including the proper introduction to the Master, the greatest enemy the Doctor has ever known.

There are some tips on running UNIT based games, all the great vehicles that Pertwee seemed to love (and if the rumor is true was terrible at driving), and more. There are tips to running adventures in the Third Doctor area and of course, the guide to all the Third Doctor's episodes. All of these books are absolutely fantastic. Not just in terms of episode guides but also additions to the RPG (both editions). Kudos to Cubicle 7 for these.

Moving on to the third regeneration of the Doctor (played by Jon Pertwee), this series of comprehensive surveys of the complete broadcast history of the TV show opens with notes on what makes this incarnation of the Doctor distinctive. Of note is the fact that, due to a spot of bother with the other Time Lords at the end of the Second Doctor's tenure, the Third Doctor finds himself exiled to Earth in the (then) present, unable to travel in space and time... fortunately the aliens were not backwards in coming to visit!

The first chapter introduces the Third Doctor and his companions, giving loads of detail about how he was more of an 'action hero' than his previous selves, with a fondness for flamboyant fashion and interesting vehicles. There are two different groups of companions, the conventional sort and members of UNIT who are more co-workers - at least as far as the Doctor ever trusts the military. Character sheets as well as loads of detail to aid in play are provided for all involved: the Brigadier, Liz Shaw (who was assigned as the Doctor's assistant), the two 'real' companions - Jo Grant and Sarah-Jane Smith - as well as Sergeant Benton and Captain Yates of UNIT. This chapter also talks about the TARDIS - which spends most of the time non-functional although the Doctor does manage occasional temporary repairs to make a few jaunts to other times or places.

Chapter 2 continues the useful theme by looking at (and providing game details for) new NPCs and gadgets that typify this period, as well as things like new traits - used here and often useful in the game in general. New monsters/adversaries get the next chapter to themselves, and here we meet Daleks (again) and the Master (a rival Time Lord). Ogrons, Silurians, the Nestene Consciousness, and the Autons also feature. This 'game' section of the book ends with a chapter entitled Designing Third Doctor Adventures, full of good advice that is of general application as well as material specific to this regeneration. There are three main types of adventure: those tasked by UNIT, missions from the Time Lords and occasions when the Doctor got lost. Although he does get to visit other planets, there's little historical travel.

The rest of the book is dedicated to detailed accounts of each of the Third Doctor's adventures, some twenty-four of them. Each begins with a synopsis of the adventure itself. Then there's a look at how to use concepts from it (or even the complete adventure) in your game, and notes on key individuals, monsters and gadgets (if not mentioned earlier in the book) that turn up during it. Further adventure ideas are included, and there is increasing use of cross-linking to both earlier and later adventures, which can suggest ways in which to create your own plot arcs outside the sequence followed by the TV show.

With classic adventures (like The Sea Devils and The Three Doctors), fascinating ideas including time paradoxes, alternate futures and the use or not of violence to achieve ones ends, and a host of long-running themes and recurring monsters, there is a lot to like about this period in the Doctor's history. However you want to use it, there is plenty here that will be of use and interest.

This sourcebook once again (like the other two in the series) underscores the key elements of the featured doctor's personality, how it differs from prior incarnations, how it affected the stories and adventures of the Doctor and his Companions.

Here's an excerpt: "By contrast, the Third Doctor is less a renewal and more of a reboot. He is an active crusader against evil, utilising not only his wits but his martial skills as well. Neither of his previous incarnations took the fight to his enemies so directly. The Third Doctor also has a flair for fashion and a love of gadgets, particularly vehicles. He is not a reluctant hero or an underestimated schemer; he’s an action hero."

Another benefit of this concisely-written, well-laid out book in the series is an example of how initial ideas in revamping an ongoing campaign (especially a Doctor Who campaign) can impact future adventures. There's also a lot of material concerning U.N.I.T. campaigns, making this a great companion sourcebook to the DWAITAS U.N.I.T. Sourcebook.

Finally, fans of the series: will get writeups and history on The Third Doctor, the Brigadier, insights on how to craft a campaign with (most) adventures set on earth, the treatment of earth as a prison for a normally time-and-space spanning campaign, episode synopses with lots of adventure ideas and crunchy bits for villains and NPCs! A must-have for Doctor Who and DWAITAS fans.

[from my blog: armchairgamer.blogspot.com]