by Lowell Kempf

I recently read a Doctor Who graphic novel, The Forgotten. The short version is that the Doctor finds himself with a case of amnesia in a museum devoted to himself, which is, of course, a trap.

It was published in 2009 and the David Tennant Doctor was the protagonist. However, the museum is really just a framing device for vignettes about the previous nine doctors.

One particularly nice touch is the Hartnell and Troughton stories are black and white, just like their television serials. In general, the graphic novel is drowning in continuity shoutouts and references.

Because it’s really ten different stories, some bits are stronger than others. I feel the Hartnel story really captures the feel of his pure historical stories in only a handful of pages. And the Baker Doctor dealing with a Minotaur in Paris who wears a beret captured the absurdity of Graham Wilson’s time as the show runner.

Which actually makes the Forgotten very hard for me to judge. Did I enjoy it? Yes. I had a lot of fun with it. But I have spent decades immersed in Doctor Who. Would the Forgotten have worked for someone who doesn’t know Who that well or even someone only started watching Doctor Who in 2005?

Truth to tell, l have always struggled with Doctor Who comics and comic books. Part of it is because every character from the television show has a definitive visual interpretation, that of the actual actor. I can handle Wolverine look like whatever because he was a drawing first and Hugh Jackman later on. However, no drawing will ever look more like Tom Baker than Tom Baker himself.

But the other problem is that there is just so much content out there. The earliest Doctor Who comic strips date back to 1964. Multiple publishers, including Marvel Comics, have made Doctor Who comic books. Where do you start? And if there is any kind of internal continuity in any given series, that just makes it even more confusing.

So, from that perspective, as a standalone work I was able to sit down and enjoy, Doctor Who - The Forgotten is a resounding success for at least me.

by Bruce McG

Since I'm preparing for Snowmeggedon, here's an Artic Fox!



Hopefully, I'll see you next week.

New releases at your FLGS (sourced by Leisure Games)

Age of Vikings
:star: The Cursed Farm - Chaosium
:star: Gamemaster Screen Pack - Chaosium

ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game: Evolved Edition
:star: MU/TH/UR Screen - Free League Publishing

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game (2nd Edition)
:star: Draconic Codex - Paizo Publishing

Pendragon (1st - 6th Editions)
:star: The Sauvage King - Chaosium

Starfinder Roleplaying Game (2nd Ed)
:star: Starfinder GM Core (Pocket Edition) - Paizo Publishing

New PDF releases @ DriveThru

Achtung! Cthulhu
:star: The Norway Projekt - Modiphius Entertainment

Codex Martialis
:star: Drum and Pike: The Fog World - Codex Integrum LLC

The Covens of Midnight
:star: The Covens of Midnight - Crossed Paths

Daggerheart
:star: Menagerie of Mayhem, Volume 1 - Gray Fox Literary

Demon Lord Engine
:star: Demon Lord Engine: Book of Demons - Schwalb Entertainment

Generic / Universal
:star: Miscellany of Many Things - Raging Swan Press

Lewd Dungeon Adventures
:star: Scandal in Silk and Shadow - Community Content

Scion Second Edition
:star: War Games - Onyx Path Publishing

A new episode has been added to the database: Wheel of Time Genesys 082 - Comes Together

A new episode has been added to the database: Hunting Party Season 2 Episode 2: "Queen's Judgement"

A new episode has been added to the database: Eat the Reich #2

A new episode has been added to the database: This Week in TTRPG (23rd January 2026)

A new episode has been added to the database: 184 - Staked and Confused

A new episode has been added to the database: 381 | Jean Rabe Passes, D&D x Fortnite, T-Rex Bone Dice

A new episode has been added to the database: 3TROLLS N°18 : Les Femmes dans le Jeu de Rôle...

A new episode has been added to the database: 971 - Curse of Nineveh 12

A new episode has been added to the database: #293 Gamehole 2025 Running Games for Kids Live Panel

by sdonohue

The Blessed Ringers of Gamelan is a supplement for Realms of Pugmire. It was release in 2025 and designed by Alain Giorla. It is part of the Canis Minor community content program for Pugmire.

Presentation
This is a 7-page pdf with a cover image, a table of contents and introduction, and the OGL. The remaining 4 pages are content. It uses the layout and assets of the community content program, so it looks like other Pugmire content.

Content
This book introduces the Gamelan to the world of Pugmire. A Gamelan is a platform of bells, gongs, and other percussion instruments found in the areas of Bali and Java in our modern world. In Pugmire, the instrument becomes a relic of man which has power over the Unseen. The relic can be used to initiate new members, to grant the trick Smell the Unseen, to provide Protection from Evil, to removed charms or possession by the Unseen, and finally to hallow an area. The Gamelan requires attunement and demands respect. Dogs who remove parts will eventually attract the Unseen unless they return them.

After explaining the relic, we receive details about a new background: Blessed Ringer of Gamelan. This background provides access to three new tricks: Gong of Clarity, which can reveal the Unseen; Hypnotic Rhythm, which can stun the Unseen; and Ring of Resonance, which can directly damage the Unseen. We also learn that the Church of Man finds the claims of the Blessed Ringers to be suspicious and they have been know to interrogate or even torture those with this background.

Evaluation
This is a cool idea for a character background and the Gamelan itself was new to me. The idea of taking a real world element and translating it to game terms makes a lot of sense for Pugmire, where relics of man are often an important source of power. The new background is interesting and provides a wealth of options for those who might like to interact more with the Unseen than the standard characters allow.

The book could have been improved with some explicit adventure hooks. As it is, the GM will have to figure out how and why the Gamelan might figure into a game.