A Who question

Okay, I'm not sure if this was explained in the original series of Doctor Who, 'cause I've seen hardly any of it (except for some of the Tom Baker series with the cool scarf), but there's something I don't get about Time Lord regeneration.

Do Time Lords age? Well, obviously they AGE, but do they age physically? Like, if nothing or nobody kills them, will their bodies eventually die of old age before they regenerate, or will they just keep on living until something other than old age causes their death - like vampires in Buffy, or the elves in LoTR? I'm a bit confused.

:D

Im not sure if its answering your question 100%, but when the Doctor is near death, he regenerates and becomes a new doctor. Its annoying to explain cause it doesnt get fully explained. Ive only ever seen Christopher Eccelston regenerate, never the other docs. So if it was explained, I missed it!

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Originally Posted by ~SapphireStar~

Im not sure if its answering your question 100%, but when the Doctor is near death, he regenerates and becomes a new doctor. Its annoying to explain cause it doesnt get fully explained. Ive only ever seen Christopher Eccelston regenerate, never the other docs. So if it was explained, I missed it!

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Yeah, that part I already knew. xD I'm just wondering whether they die of old age.

also the time lord can only regenerate a certain mount of times :( :choc:

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Originally Posted by Brian The Pink Shark

also the time lord can only regenerate a certain mount of times :( :choc:

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Yeah, but they got around that fact with the Master, didn't they? :o

Timelords can regenerate exactly twelve times. It's unclear as to how this occurs. The current Doctor has regenerated a total of nine times (David Tennant being the tenth "official" doctor, with an age of over 900 years). However considering the popularity of the current series I wouldn't be surprised if they happen to skip over this particular quirk.

I raided Wikipedia!

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Originally Posted by Wikipedia

It is not known how long a Time Lord can live, although the Doctor claimed in The War Games that Time Lords could live forever, "barring accidents."

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As for regenerations, The Master gained additional regenerations by possessing another person's body, although the Doctor is unlikely to do that, as he isn't evil.

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Originally Posted by Wikipedia

It may be that the Time Lords have the ability to circumvent the limit — in The Five Doctors the Master is offered a new cycle of regenerations by the High Council in exchange for his help.

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And here's one about the Valeyard (another Time Lord, and possibly a future regeneration for the Doctor himself)

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Originally Posted by Wikipedia

To prevent the Doctor discovering the secret and revealing it, they used the Valeyard to try to have the Doctor executed under the pretence of a trial. The reward for the Valeyard's actions would have been to give him all of the Doctor's remaining regenerations and make his existence concrete.

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So there's no doubt The Doctor will be given additional regenerations instead of being allowed to die once and for all.

Apparently Time Lords can live forever 'barring accidents'

Psychotic just said exactly that. :p

My question is basically answered now, so thank you! :D

I think it works a little like the body dies but the mind lives on. A littel too Descartes for my liking. Didn't the 10th in "The Christmas Invasion" say something like his genes being reason for his hand growing back? Perhaps his genes repair the body and in doing so alter the shape of the base print in order to survive. Like out with the old, in the new.

Also, they've all had different regenerations. The 4th into the 5th was traumatic and the Doctor's body didn't repair correctly 1st time. Wheras the 5th into the 6th was simple.

I thought the 6th doctor immediatly tried to strangle his travelling companion after regenerating.

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Originally Posted by starseeker

I thought the 6th doctor immediatly tried to strangle his travelling companion after regenerating.

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I also recall him constantly going crazy (and his fassion sense was really bad as well)

And I always thought the master didnt die and regenerate, i always thought he just didnt die... But I guess Im wrong, I just assumed because he gennerally always looks the same