Appearances
The Silurians make their debut in the somewhat oddly titled Third Doctor story Doctor Who and the Silurians. This establishes many of the basics of the race, including the ambiguity about whether they count as ‘evil monsters’ or not. In the later Third Doctor story The Sea Devils, it becomes clear that there are multiple forms of their race, although the Sea Devils themselves are sufficiently different from the baseline Silurians that I’m going to leave them for a later post. The Silurians make a final classic series appearance during the Fifth Doctor’s run in Warriors of the Deep, teaming up with the Sea Devils. In the modern show, they’ve only really appeared as villains once, in the Eleventh Doctor story The Hungry Earth, which partly mirrors the plot of their original story. They have also been mentioned and made brief appearances in other stories, even if we ignore Madame Vastra.
Outside of the TV series, the Silurians proved popular enough to feature as antagonists in two of the original novels released in the 1990s. One of these features an alternative Earth in which the Silurians ‘won’ at the end of their debut TV story, while the other, Scales of Injustice, is probably the most detailed look at their society. Other ‘90s novels show the race as having peacefully integrated with humanity in the far future and calling themselves ‘Earth Reptiles’. They’ve also since appeared in an Eleventh Doctor novel. So far, they have appeared as major opponents in three of the audios, one of which is a four episode box set featuring UNIT, but not the Doctor, and has several links back to the Third Doctor’s time on TV. (And, again, I’m ignoring Vastra). In addition to all of this, their popularity is demonstrated by numerous appearances in comics and video games.
Description and Biology
The Silurians are unusual in that they aren’t really aliens. Indeed, they were introduced to the TV series in large part to demonstrate that present-day Earthbound stories didn’t have to feature either alien invasions or mad scientists. Instead, they are a reptilian race that inhabited Earth before humans came along but retreated into subterranean shelters when they thought a planetwide catastrophe was imminent.
Quite when the Silurians are supposed to have originally lived is unclear, with equally canonical stories giving us at least four different dates. The dating given by Madame Vastra in The Crimson Horror, and picked up by some of the audios since, has them living 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, at the same time as dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus. This seems superficially logical, since the Silurians are reptilian themselves, but doesn’t fit with other references from the TV series that state they also lived alongside ‘apes’ – animals that first evolved much later, around 20 million years ago.
The most common date given, however, is that they lived at some point during the Eocene epoch, which ended 34 million years ago. In our world, that’s both too late for dinosaurs, and too early for apes, but, in the Doctor Who universe, the former may have survived in some isolated pockets for much longer than they did in reality. Similarly, the references to ‘apes’ may really be to monkeys, which first evolved around 40 million years ago, and therefore just about fit. A line in The Hungry Earth where the Doctor estimates the Silurians as having lived 300 million years ago fits with a globe that we see in the original classic TV story that shows the supercontinent Pangaea. This would be at a time when early reptiles existed – but it’s far too early for dinosaurs, let alone apes.Finally, I should mention the date given in their original appearance, when a human scientist gives them their name because he believes that they lived during the Silurian period, over 400 million years ago. Although some other stories since have referenced the same date, it makes absolutely no sense from a real-world perspective, being well before the first reptiles… or, indeed, the formation of Pangaea. (Not that anyone would have known this when they wrote the episode in the ‘70s, but yes, there was a time before Pangaea).
Equally unclear is where Silurians would fit into real-world taxonomy if they actually existed. We know that they are reptiles and there’s an implication that they might be some sort of bipedal dinosaur themselves. However, what we cans see of their bone structures doesn’t resemble any real-world reptiles, fossil or otherwise, probably due to the necessity for fitting actors inside the prosthetics. They’re also cold-blooded, which dinosaurs weren’t (although, again, this wasn’t known in the ‘70s) and might suggest a closer link with lizards. Either way, we can assume that their internal anatomy matches that of real-world reptiles to at least some extent. For instance, they probably (but not certainly) lay eggs, as indicated in the novelisation of the original TV story.
An important point about Silurians, however, is that there are at least two radically different forms, perhaps the result of some sort of genetic engineering – and the novel Scales of Injustice states that there are others, unseen on TV. The Silurians seen in the classic series are relatively bulky and slow moving with small mouths and, most significantly, three eyes. It’s worth noting that some real-world reptiles do have three eyes, although the third one, up on the forehead, is tiny and covered with a thin layer of skin so that it’s hard to see in a living animal. The large third eye seen in Silurians therefore does not have a counterpart in real-world terrestrial vertebrates but isn’t anatomically or evolutionarily impossible.
In the tie-in media, the classic TV Silurians are sometimes referred to as the “scholar caste,” while those seen in the modern show are “warrior caste.” These latter are much more humanoid in appearance and have only two eyes. They also move more rapidly, at least in warm conditions. (Comparatively warm anyway; they’re first seen in Wales, which may not be Alaska, but isn’t Morocco, either). Although neither term is used on TV, I’ll use them in the stats as an indicator of which is which.
Game Attributes
From what we can tell, the basic attributes of Silurians are not that different to those of humans. The warrior caste may be slightly more agile than typical humans, although this might come from their training, rather than inherent biology. Their scaly skin might provide some slight physical protection, and some of them do wear armour, but they don’t otherwise seem especially resilient to injury.
Their mental statistics also seem broadly in line with humans; their technology is superior to that of 21st century Earth, but this is likely the product of a longer history rather than of an inherently higher intelligence. Nonetheless, since the scholar caste Silurians are mostly scientists and similar experts, we can probably rate them slightly above the human average, perhaps reflecting a more intense education. In terms of alignment, for those systems that have it, this clearly varies a lot between individuals, and we can therefore assume that it defaults to Neutral.
The skills possessed will also depend a lot on the role of the individual Silurian and there seem to be few that we could regard as universal. The warrior caste are all trained to use guns, and presumably other combat modes as well, while scholars might be trained in medicine, biochemistry, dinosaur-handling, or whatever else might be appropriate. As always, we’re not mapping significant individuals here, such as Madame Vastra, who would clearly have higher stats and skills than regular mooks.
Special Abilities
The scholar caste Silurians use their third eye for a variety of functions. Many of these involve triggering their own technology, which is really no different from a human using a retina scan or palmprint to open a door – a feature of the technology, not of the Silurian. More seriously, it can emit a ray of burning energy that can melt through rock but isn’t always lethal to humans. Biologically, this is hard to justify but there we are.
You’d think that this would be useful to the warrior caste Silurians, but they only have a vertebrate-typical set of two eyes. Instead, they have a tongue with a venomous barb on the tip that can inject a poison that can stun a victim. The venom has long-lasting effects, getting into the bloodstream and causing vaguely specified damage that can, apparently, eventually kill the victim. The barb is, however, under conscious control so that the Silurian can extend their tongue without using it.
If there are other castes of Silurian, as seems likely, it’s possible that they have other powers. Scales of Injustice, for example, mentions some that are adapted to living and operating in cold climates. A power that all Silurians are supposed to have is the ability to instil a deep and instinctive fear in humans, even driving them insane. However, we only see in this in their first appearance, so it might have something to do with the third eye rather than being the general trait it’s described as being. For our purposes then, we’ll assume that it’s unique to scholars.
A weakness that the race possesses is that they are cold-blooded, taking on the temperature of their surroundings. This would make them difficult to see with infra-red scanners, but the downside is that they become sluggish in cold weather, as real-world reptiles and amphibians do.
5E - Scholar caste
Medium humanoid, neutral
Armour Class: 11 natural
Hit Points: 17 (3d8+3)
Speed: 30 ft.
STR 10 (+0) | DEX 10 (+0) | CON 12 (+1) |
INT 12 (+1) | WIS 10 (+0) | CHA 10 (+0) |
Saving Throws: Constitution +3, Intelligence +3
Skills: Medicine +2, Science +3
Combat Skills: Melee Attack +2, Missile Attack +2
Senses: Passive Perception 10
Third Eye (Recharge 6): The third eye has the
same effect as a Fire Bolt cast by a 5th level user, doing 2d10 fire
damage.
Atavistic Terror: Each human (only) within 60
feet of the Silurian and able to see it must make a DC 13 Wisdom
save or become frightened for 1 minute. The human can repeat the saving throw
at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. If the saving
throw is successful, the human is immune to the Atavistic Terror effect for the
next 24 hours. If, at any point, a natural 1 is rolled on the saving throw, the
effect lasts for a full week, and no further saving throws against it can be
made until it ends.
Cold-Blooded: At temperatures below 10°C (50°F), the Silurian’s Speed is reduced to 20 ft., and they have disadvantage on all Dexterity checks and saving throws.
Challenge: ¼ (50 XP)
5E - Warrior caste
Medium humanoid, neutral
Armour Class: 16 light combat armour
Hit Points: 28 (5d8+5)
Speed: 30 ft.
STR 12 (+1) | DEX 14 (+2) | CON 12 (+1) |
INT 10 (+0) | WIS 10 (+0) | CHA 10 (+0) |
Saving Throws: Strength +4, Constitution +4
Combat Skills: Melee Attack +4, Missile Attack +5
Senses: Passive Perception 10
Venomous Tongue (Recharge 5-6): Melee Weapon
Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: The target must
make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) poison damage on a
failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On a failed save, they
are also subject to the poisoned condition and, if not cured by other means,
must make a further DC 13 Constitution saving throw every 24 hours. On a
successful daily save, the condition ends. On a failed daily save, the victim
takes a further 5 (1d10) poison damage and the condition remains.
Cold-Blooded: At temperatures below 10°C (50°F), the Silurian’s Speed is reduced to 20 ft., and they have disadvantage on all Dexterity checks and saving throws.
Challenge: ½ (100 XP)
BRP - Scholar caste
STR 3D6 (10-11) | CON 2D6+6 (13) | SIZ 2D6+6 (13) |
INT 2D6+6 (13) | POW 3D6 (10-11) | |
DEX 3D6 (10-11) | CHA 3D6 (10-11) | |
Hit Points: 13 | Move: 10 | |
Base SR: 5 | Damage Bonus: 0 |
Armour: 1-point scaly hide
Skills: Science (any one) 40%
Combat Skills: Brawl 40%, Third Eye 40% (1D8 damage, 10-metre range)
Atavistic Terror: A human seeing a scholar
caste Silurian for the first time must make a POW v POW roll or flee in fear
for the duration of the encounter. If a human who has failed such a roll
encounters a second Silurian, they must make a roll, but once they have
successfully passed, they have mastered their fear and do not need to roll
again. If using Sanity rules, seeing a scholar caste Silurian costs 1/1D10 SAN
loss.
Cold Blooded: At temperatures below 10°C (50°F), the
Silurian’s Move is reduced to 6 and their effective DEX is lowered by 5 (to a
minimum of 1).
BRP - Warrior caste
STR 3D6 (10-11) | CON 2D6+6 (13) | SIZ 2D6+6 (13) |
INT 2D6+6 (13) | POW 3D6 (10-11) | |
DEX 2D6+6 (13) | CHA 3D6 (10-11) | |
Hit Points: 13 | Move: 10 | |
Base SR: 4 | Damage Bonus: 0 |
Armour: 8-point light combat armour and scaly hide
Combat Skills: Brawl 50%, Energy Pistol 60%, Tongue 50% (1 point damage, 3-metre range, see below for effects)
Tongue Venom: A successful strike against
unarmoured skin delivers a POT 10 fast-acting poison. The victim must also make
a separate CON x5 roll to avoid contracting a mild disease that attacks CON.
Cold Blooded: At temperatures below 10°C (50°F), the
Silurian’s Move is reduced to 6 and their effective DEX is lowered by 5 (to a
minimum of 1).
GURPS - Scholar caste
ST 10 | DX 10 | IQ 11 | HT 12 |
Thrust: 1d-2 | Swing: 1d | ||
Speed: 5.5 | Move: 5 |
Advantages: Damage Resistance 1, Extended Lifespan 1,
Innate Attack 3 (burn, reduced range/2), Terror (always on, only affects
humans)
Disadvantages: Cold Blooded (50°F)
Skills: Animal Handling (dinosaurs)-11,
Bioengineering/TL8-10, Biology/TL8-10, Brawling-10, Innate Attack (gaze)-11,
any suitable science or academic skill-12
GURPS - Warrior caste
ST 12 | DX 13 | IQ 10 | HT 12 |
Thrust: 1d-1 | Swing: 1d+2 | ||
Speed: 6.25 | Move: 6 |
Advantages: Damage Resistance 1, Extended Lifespan 1,
Fit, Innate Attack (toxic, melee attack, cannot parry, reach 1-4, cyclic
[daily], resistible, contact agent)
Disadvantages: Cold Blooded (50°F)
Skills: Animal Handling (dinosaurs)-10, Beam Weapons
(pistol)/TL8-14, Brawling-13, Stealth-12
Savage Worlds - Scholar caste
Agility: d6 | Smarts: d8 | Spirit: d6 |
Strength: d6 | Vigour: d8 |
Skills: Fighting d4, Science d6
Edges: Scholar
Powers: Bolt (heat ray), Fear (only affects humans)
Cold Blooded: The Silurian gains the Slow
minor hindrance at temperatures below 10°C (50°F) and Agility drops to d4.
Pace: 6 Parry: 4 Toughness: 6 Size: 0
Savage Worlds - Warrior caste
Agility: d8 | Smarts: d6 | Spirit: d6 |
Strength: d8 | Vigour: d8 |
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d6
Tongue: Reach 2, does no damage but delivers a
Knockout poison and a Chronic disease on contact with bare skin.
Cold Blooded: The Silurian gains the Slow
minor hindrance at temperatures below 10°C (50°F) and Agility drops to d4.
Pace: 6 Parry: 5 Toughness: 8 (2) Size: 0
Gear: Armour +2
STA - Scholar caste
Control: 8 | Fitness: 9 | Presence: 9 |
Daring: 9 | Insight: 9 | Reason: 10 |
Command: 0 | Security: 0 | Science: 2 |
Conn: 0 | Engineering: 1 | Medicine: 1 |
Stress: 9 | Resistance: 0 |
Traits: Third Eye: Ranged attack; equivalent
to a phaser type-1 but can only be used once every 3 Turns.
Atavistic Terror: Any human seeing the Silurian must
make a Daring + Command Task against a Difficulty of 1 or flee in fear for the
duration of the encounter. If a human who has failed such a Task encounters a
second Silurian, they must make a second Task, but once they have successfully
passed, they have mastered their fear and do not need to roll again.
Cold-Blooded:
At temperatures below 10°C (50°F), the Silurian suffers a
Complication that raises the Difficulty of all Tasks involving agility or rapid
motion by 1.
STA - Warrior caste
Control: 10 | Fitness: 9 | Presence: 9 |
Daring: 10 | Insight: 8 | Reason: 9 |
Command: 1 | Security: 2 | Science: 0 |
Conn: 1 | Engineering: 0 | Medicine: 0 |
Stress: 11 | Resistance: 1 |
Traits: Venomous Tongue: Melee attack; a
successful hit does no damage but does inject a painful and debilitating toxin
that may render the character temporarily unconscious. A character affected by
the toxin may die within a few days if they do not receive appropriate medical
attention.
Cold-Blooded:
At temperatures below 10°C (50°F), the Silurian suffers a
Complication that raises the Difficulty of all Tasks involving agility or rapid
motion by 1.
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