This week we are taking a closer look at the First Doctor.
Doctor Who Time of the Daleks
 

"One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.”

Every story has a beginning and end. The Doctor’s story starts when he steals a TARDIS and runs away with his granddaughter Susan. They travel to many worlds before stumbling on earth where Susan decided to attend school. After awhile her school teachers Ian and Barbra became concerned with Susan’s well being and followed her home, to find she lived in a strange blue box with her Grandfather. And this is we begin our journey with the Doctor, and we haven’t stopped.

When Creating cards for the first Doctor I struggled a little bit, there is so much history in this one card and I really wanted to do it right. One of the feelings I wanted from this Doctor was the new beginning feeling where he didn’t know how to pilot the TARDIS correctly and never knew where he was going. As a game designer I didn’t want to force one Doctor to be always chaotic, as this would give him a handicap the other Doctors wouldn’t have so instead I landed on giving the first Doctor a bonus if he went to a random location without choosing it, and making it a choice whether he wanted to use this ability or not.  This worked out well in play testing and really gave the feel to this Doctor that I felt he deserved. 
 
 First Doctor's Model
Doctor Who Time of the Daleks
 
"Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension? Have you?... to be exiles? Susan and I are cut off from our own planet, without friends or protection. But one day we shall get back. Yes, one day. One day."

The First Doctor is linked to Susan who is in turn linked to Barbra and she to Ian. What does this mean? The Doctor always starts with his linked companions so the First Doctor gets to start with Susan. If the Doctor stays on earth for his first few turns he can use Susan to get Barbra and then Barbra to get Ian giving him access to a full set of Companions.   
 
 First Doctor's TARDIS Console
Doctor Who Time of the Daleks
 
Susan, being a Timelord herself adds a Black die, something rare for companions and found more often then not on Timelords. She also gives the First Doctor an extra Sonic Charge token each turn. There are several companions that give bonus to certain Doctors, which can be nice, but it also makes regeneration a tricky thing as this bonus will go away when they are not with the correct Doctor.

Whether you are a new Who fan, a classic Who fan or like me you love everything Doctor Who, we all owe William Hartnell a debt of respect and thanks for bringing this time loved character to life and starting a show that is loved by countless fans thought-out time and space.