Time Lord (5e Race)
Time Lord
“ | People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective point of view, time is more like this big ball of wibbly-wobbly, time-wimey...stuff. | ” |
—The Doctor |
Physical Description
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A Time Lord's many faces. |
Time Lords look completely identical to standard humans, with two somewhat noticeable variations. First, Time Lords have a binary vascular system. This means that instead of having one heart, like humans, Time Lords have two hearts. The other major difference between Time Lords and humans is their life span. Whereas humans usually live for barely a century, Time Lords can live for millennia, partially because they can regenerate their bodies and emerge with a new one, and partially because each body can live for centuries.
History
The Time Lords have a very long history, and have lived in the universe almost since it was born. They originate from a planet called Gallifrey, but have influenced great portions of the universe. Time Lords were the first beings to invent time travel along with many other significant inventions, such as black holes, TARDISes, and interdimensional travel, technology equaled only by the Daleks, several millennia later. Time Lords used to be common sights across the universe, but ever since their Time War against the Daleks, they have moved themselves and the entire planet of Gallifrey billions of years into the future, and live quiet lives, away from the chaos of the universe. Time Lords have since vanished from the memories of most, and they, along with the Daleks, are now regarded as little more than fairy tales.
Society
Time Lords, while highly advanced, tend to remain far away from other species' affairs, and abide to strict codes of non-interference. In spite of this, Time Lords are fairly pompous, and some believe that Time Lords' removal from other cultures is a result of arrogance and a mindset that most other races are inferior to them.
Time Lord Names
Time Lords do have names, but many prefer to be referred to with a title or rank. These titles are often gender-neutral or have variants for each gender, seeing that Time Lords can change their sex upon regeneration. Some Time Lords will also adopt somewhat human names if necessary.
Titles: The Doctor, The Master, The Monk, The Visionary, The General
Time Lord Traits
The most advanced of any race in the universe.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1 and your Intelligence score increases by 2.
Age. For every body that they use, Time Lords typically live to about a millennium.
Alignment. Time Lords do not like to interfere with others, and are usually lawful or true neutral. Being an adventurer, however, you are probably much more inclined towards a chaotic good or neutral.
Size. Time Lords, like humans, vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Binary Vascular System. As a result of having two hearts, when you roll for death saving throws, you may reroll 1's.
Regeneration. When you reach 0 hit points, instead of making death saving throws, you may instead choose to regenerate. When you decide to regenerate, two lines of radiant energy originating from you extend to 30 feet in any direction of your choice, along with a third beam, which shoots directly upward for 30 feet. Any creatures touching these beams make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d10 radiant damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. The regeneration process lasts for one round, during which if you take damage, you must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 8 plus the amount of damage taken; on a failed save, you are automatically killed. After regenerating, the beams of light disappear and you are restored to full health with a new body. In order to create your new body, take the following steps:
- 1. Re-roll for your height and weight.
- 2. Re-roll for a new personality trait (this must be different from your last three bodies).
- 3. Roll 1d4 (1=if your Charisma score is greater than 1, decrease your Charisma score by 1, otherwise, do nothing; 2-3=do not change your Charisma score; 4=if your Charisma score is less than 20, increase your Charisma score by 1, otherwise, do nothing).
- 4. Describe your new appearance, including selecting a gender, eye color, skin color, and hair color (at least one of these must be different from your previous body). Note that no two bodies can be identical; there must be some noticeable differences between your new body and all of your other ones.
For 8 hours after regenerating, you heal of 1 hit point at the beginning of each round, you subtract 5 feet to your speed, and you have disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. Additionally, you are afflicted with a form of long-term madness for the first 24 hours after your regeneration. You cannot use this ability more than 12 times, unless your DM creates some circumstance which gives you another regeneration cycle (12 regenerations) from the Time Lord government. After you have exhausted all of your regenerations, you must make death saving throws as usual if you reach 0 hit points. Even if you are resurrected after dying through a different process, you do not regain spent regenerations.
Foreign Physiology. Because of your highly alien biology, you may take different effects from certain potions and medicines. Whenever you consume a healing potion that you have never consumed before, roll 1d8. On a 1, you take a number of damage equal to the amount you would have normally healed of. This trait does not take effect with spells.
Languages. You know Gallifreyan (the language of the Time Lords), and two other languages of your choice (though Common is highly recommended in most campaigns).
Random Height and Weight
Base Height | Height Modifier* | Base Weight | Weight Modifier** |
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4′ 8″ | +2d10 | 110 lb. | × (2d4) lb. |
*Height = base height + height modifier |
Suggested Characteristics
When creating a Time Lord character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.
d8 | Personality Trait |
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1 | I love to wear the fanciest clothes I can find. |
2 | I respond to perilous situations with excessive humor. |
3 | I have an aversion to showing affection for others. |
4 | I collect curious objects from the places I've visited. |
5 | I switch my interests from time to time, always trying to learn new things. |
6 | I quite like my current body and personality. |
7 | I feel I should be well-known for my accomplishments, and am startled when people have never heard of me. |
8 | I am very embarrassed whenever I am wrong about anything. |
d6 | Ideal |
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1 | Adventurousness. I want to see the universe, away from the confines of my own species. (Chaotic) |
2 | Superority. I am on of the most powerful beings in any plane of existence, and I deserve to rule over all other peoples and races. (Evil) |
3 | Duty. It is my duty as one of the universe's most advanced cultures to police time and space, preventing less adequate creatures from tampering with natural law. (Lawful) |
4 | Charity. We Time Lords are such a technologically advanced species; we should use our advantages to help the cosmos. (Good) |
5 | Community. I must do my part in Time Lord society to ensure that our culture and laws remain intact. (Lawful) |
6 | Absence. Our race is too powerful to do anything but dictate others, and as such we should interfere as little as possible in the affairs of other cultures. (Neutral) |
d6 | Bond |
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1 | I was exiled to this backwater planet by a corrupt Time Lord authority, and I hope to return to Gallifrey so that I may deal justice to him/her. |
2 | My family is imprisoned in a Dalek concentration camp. Soon I will have the power to free them and destroy the Daleks. |
3 | There is one in my party whom I feel to be my greatest companion. I wish I could adventure with him/her for the rest of my life, but he/she will die so quickly. |
4 | I owe my life to another Time Lord, who showed me the vastness and wonder of the universe. I hope that I can see him/her one last time, just so I can say thank you. |
5 | There was a(n) [insert race name here], one of my greatest friends, who died in my arms. It is my unwavering goal to strive for the changes he/she so desperately wanted to see in the universe. |
6 | My ancestors did so much for Gallifrey, and I work hard to live up to their standards. |
d6 | Flaw |
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1 | I will frequently speak using long, convoluted scientific terminology, typically only understandable by other Time Lords, making me difficult to relate with other people. |
2 | I like to make my self seem as brilliant as possible, and I dislike sharing the spotlight. |
3 | I see regeneration as my dying and a new person being born, and I would almost rather die than regenerate. |
4 | I hate the Daleks, the archenemies of the Time Lords, and sometimes my obsession with destroying them distances me from or even scares others. |
5 | I secretly feel like everyone else is much less smarter than me, and my arrogance results in severe distaste for other people. |
6 | I find it hard to make friends with people of other races, as they always seem to die in mere moments for me. |
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