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This is an write-up of Doctor Who game I ran for my family using Savage Worlds. I created the stats for Dr. Whitehouse (the Time Lord) and let everyone else play human companions (except for my wife's character, who joined during play).
The adventure was called Folly of the Wise, originally written by Marcus Rowland for the Forgotten Futures RPG. I ran it more or less exactly as written. The original can be downloaded from Marcus's website.
WARNING! Spoilers for the adventure ahead!!
Episode One
With the familiar groaning sound, the TARDIS materialised in a left - luggage office on a sleepy railway station called LOWER POOLFORD. The console indicated that they were in England, in 1908. The door opened and out stepped Ben Five Seven, a teenager from the 22nd Century (played by my son Ben), Lissia One Three, a telepath from the 22nd Century (played by my daughter Lisa) and Dr. Whitehouse (played by my son-in-law Jon). Jon's Dr. Whitehouse is still learning about who he is and about his past, he bought an old police box in an antique shop and woke up in the Zero Room.
Outside the station was a pony and trap, driven by a mad old tramp called 'Old Harry'. "Be you Lord Starling's party? (sounding like a cross between Long John Silver and the Ancient Mariner). Of course, Dr. Whitehouse agreed with this. On the way to Starling Manor, 'Old Harry' pointed out the top of the pagoda over the trees.
"There it be, yon heathenish tower. Built by his Lordship to spite a man of the cloth, so oi've heard. Much good did it do him. Now the spirits of the pit howl and yammer there of a night."
At Starling Manor they were met by Lord Starling, a young man in his late-20's, who expressed surprise to see them but readily accepted them as guests. He introduced them to his other guests, including Alan Longbaugh, a cousin from California, Marianne Stevens, a guest of Alan's, and Isadora Downes, daughter of the late Reverend Downes and Lord Starling's old tutor (Isadora was played by my wife Jenny). Dinner was served at seven o'clock in the dining room. The night was warm and the French windows were wide open, facing the pagoda across the lake. At around eight o'clock, a terrible groaning sound was heard, coming from the pagoda, it rose and fell for around half an hour and then stopped.
"Well", said Lord Starling. "There it is. What do you think?"
They went out to look at the pagoda and enquired about why it was built. Lord Starling and Isadora supplied the story; back in 1875 Lord Alfred Starling had the pagoda built to house a Focault pendulum, to prove to the Reverend Downes that the Earth rotated and was not flat, as the vicar believed and often preached in his sermons. Once seeing the pendulum in operation and seeing first-hand that it performed exactly as predicted, Reverend Downes accepted the facts and they became good friends. The pagoda is 150' high, made of cast iron and glass, standing over a 30' deep pit. The massive pendulum and bob hangs down into the pit.
The current Lord Starling inherits the bulk of his father's estate in a week's time. An unusual clause in the will states that he must have no belief in the supernatural, other than that in accordance with the teachings of the Christian Church. Now the pagoda appears to be haunted and he stands to lose his inheritance.
The following day, Lord Starling travelled up to London on business, having first demonstrated the pendulum working. They spent some time making enquiries; it turned out that Marianne was a medium, invited here by Longbaugh. If Starling didn't inherit then the estate would be split between four cousins, Longbaugh is one of them. However, he only recently arrived in England and the haunting started before he arrived. He is intending to hold a seance, to prove once and for all about the hauntings. Asking around the village and the staff of the Manor; the general consensus is that it is the restless spirit of Reverend Downes, returned to seek his revenge. Miss Downes refused to accept this, stating that her father was not a vengeful man. Speaking to the current vicar at the church and reading some of the old parish records indicated that Reverend Downes and Lord Alfred Starling remained good friends until death.
Meanwhile, Ben and Dr. Whitehouse went out exploring the grounds of Starling Manor. Beyond a small copse of woodland they found the cottage of Ferguson, the estate manager. Ben sneaked inside and found a large sum of money hidden beneath a floorboard in the bedroom. A quick count made it around £500, far more than an estate manager could earn or save. Outside, Dr. Whitehouse saw Ferguson returning, a dour scowling man carrying a double-barrelled shotgun, he managed to stall him long enough for Ben to escape out of the back door of the cottage. Hiding in the woods; they watched Ferguson head off down the track back towards the drive.
Returning from the village, Lissia and Miss Downes saw Ferguson moving through the woods by the banks of the river running through the grounds of the Manor. They followed him, only to lose him somewhere near to where the bridge carrying the drive crossed over the river.
Before dinner, they met with Longbaugh and Marianne and arranged to hold a seance in the library that evening (they knew Starling would not agree, so it was arranged secretly). A storm was brewing, with slate-grey clouds marching out of the east. Dinner was served at 7 o'clock, around 8 o'clock the noises started again. Lissia, Ben and Dr. Whitehouse headed out to the pagoda; Miss Downes headed back to the river where they had lost Ferguson. Ben went into the pagoda; Lissia and Dr. Whitehouse waited outside
The storm broke just after 8 o'clock; a massive bolt of lightning struck the pagoda's lightning conductor. Down by the river, Miss Downes saw a black shape emerge from the bushes surrounding the bridge and head up the bank on to the driveway...
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