Christopher Samuel Stone’s unofficial interactive adventure Doctor Who and the Fescan Threat is available to preorder again for a limited time due to popular demand, with all proceeds raised from book sales going to MIND in the UK – the non-profit mental health charity providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
In Doctor Who and the Fescan Threat you take the role of the mysterious traveller in time and space known as the Doctor. As a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, he has the power to regenerate, and you can choose to play him in any one of his first ten incarnations.
The Doctor has encountered the Fescans on ten occasions and there is a distinctly separate and different route for you to defeat them within the planetary system you are about to visit. By playing as the ten characters you should be able to obtain clues as to where each Doctor is supposed to visit, determining what tasks each should perform to successfully complete the adventure. Aims vary from just getting out alive to thwarting an alien invasion or maybe even freeing a planet.
There is only one true way for each Doctor, so to defeat the fish people from Fesca will not be an easy task. It is advisable to take notes and create a map of visited locations so you can keep track of where useful items must be and keep clear of any dangers you should avoid.
“So,” the Doctor remarks to you as he raises his fear inducing eyebrows, “have I ever told you about the Fescans?”
“The Fescans?” You are puzzled. “I’ve never heard of them.”
“They are one of my greatest enemies.” He states matter-of-factly.
“I know about the Daleks, Cybermen, Ice Warriors and Sontarans. But not the Fescans. Who are they?”
“Fish people from the planet Fesca. Humanoid creatures which can survive in the sea and on land.” The Doctor scratches his head. “I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned them before. They took over a whole planetary system and they tried to invade Earth as well.”
“I suppose you defeated them?”
The Doctor smiles. He turns away from you and begins rummaging beneath the TARDIS console. It is clear he is looking for something, probably his chalk which is sitting innocuously next to the Fast Return switch.
“Well, why don’t you tell me about it?” you ask. “I’d really like to know.”
“Yes, yes, yes…”
“Doctor, what is it that you are doing?”
“Questions, questions, questions!” He turns back to you still beaming, triumphantly holding a rather dull looking headset. “I have a much better idea. With this you can experience my adventures with the Fescans. You can make the choices I made and discover exactly how malicious they are.”
“I don’t know if I want to experience fish people.”
“It’s all right,” he reassures you, “I can turn the smell off.”
Depending on which of the ten Doctors you choose to be, you will have differing abilities, strengths and weaknesses, and objects that are available for you to use. These various attributes will either help or hinder you along the route you choose to take through the adventure.
As well as recording your attributes, possessions and Special Skills, you will also need to note further details on the included Adventure Sheet, as you are sure to find helpful items (the Doctor has capacious pockets!) and clues during your journey. This will be very important if you hope to succeed, whichever Doctor was chosen.
Additionally, although you start your adventure alone, you might encounter someone who will become your companion. This character will accompany you for the remainder of your travels unless instructed otherwise. You may or may not need to join forces with a companion to successfully complete your adventure.
Published by Long Scarf Publications, Doctor Who and the Fescan Threat is an A4-sized paperback featuring 600 pages and over 2000 choices. A minimum number of orders are required to make this reprint possible, so head to the project’s website to place your preorder and support a worthy charity before it’s too late to stop General Varzi’s evil plan!
Note that the BBC does not endorse this gamebook, and that Doctor Who remains their copyright. No infringement of their rights is intended.