Doctor
The Doctor is much more than just the party healer. By the time our physician has progressed to the top of their Journeyman Tier, they’ve become adept at social situations, know how to handle themselves in a physical fight, and can travel to the next patient on their own horse, thank you. It’s time, though, to move from the field hospital to Harley Street, to go from staff surgeon to Chief of Staff.
At Warden, the Doctor gains a great deal of personal advantage. Disarming Smile and Resist Pain contribute to victory in armed conflict, because sometimes a physician has to stand their ground to care for their patients. More, though, the Doctor becomes a social force to b e reckoned with. They can sway large crowds with their Oratory, overcome morale issues with Inspire Others, and either fend off insults with Witty Repartee or just ignore them with Resist Taunt. If Engaging Banter doesn’t keep their foes preoccupied, dealing with the damage from having their reputation Undermined will. The Doctor has also mastered the art of medicine sufficiently that what they have ready to hand can be Close Enough, allowing them to pull a patient through in adverse circumstances.
Master sees the Doctor prepare for the possibility of a rise in Social Level, as great authority in medicine tends to get one onto the Honours List. Cutting Words, Winning Smile, Truth Through Lies, and Knowledge (Secrets of the Aristocracy) will all be useful both at a hospital board meeting and at court. Knowing some of the deeper secrets of the human mind, a study parallel to understanding the brain and its function, gives the Doctor the ability to whip a mob into a frenzy – and they can do it with a speech, their Incite Mob Skill being usable in conjunction with Oratory. At the last, though, the Doctor is a hero who saves lives. The Master Tier special ability gives the Doctor a chance to pull a patient through at the cost of their own health, because sometimes the life of another person is more important than one’s own. And understanding that is what makes a true healer.
Skills and Abilities
- Warden
- Core Skills
- Disarming Smile, Engaging Banter, Oratory, Resist Taunt, Undermine
- Optional Skills
- Inspire Others, Poison Resistance, Resist Pain, Safe Thought, Witty Repartee
- Abilities
- The character gains +1 to their Social Defense.
- The character gains +1 to their Mystic Defense.
- The character’s Recovery Step increases by +1.
- Close Enough: In an emergency, the Doctor can treat a patient without the proper equipment, using what’s ready to hand. The character makes a Physician Test against the patient’s Current Damage and takes 4 Strain. If successful, the Doctor bodges together the equipment necessary, remembers an obscure technique that doesn’t require anything fancy, and makes a Physician Test at +2 Steps to treat the patient, ignoring any situational penalties. For example the Doctor might defibrillate a patient in cardiac arrhythmia by dunking their head in a bucket of water, thus invoking the diving reflex.
- Core Skills
- Master
- Core Skills
- Cutting Words, Incite Mob, Perfect Focus, Second Chance, Winning Smile
- Optional Skills
- Knowledge (Secrets of the Aristocracy), Lion Spirit, Soul Aegis, Truth Through Lies, Vicious Wound
- Abilities
- The character gains +2 to their Social Defense.
- The character’s Max Karma increases by 15.
- I’ll Save This Patient if it Kills Me: The Doctor may transfer any or all of their remaining Recovery Tests for the day to a patient, at a cost of 5 Strain each. They may purchase additional Recovery Tests (up to the Doctor’s Recovery Tests Per Day) to transfer for 8 Strain each, a total cost of 13 Strain. Each Recovery Test requires fifteen minutes to transfer. This represents the extra effort and heroic measures used by the Doctor to save the patient, and is not a magical effect.
- Core Skills
Notes:
- The Doctor can use Oratory as a trigger for Incite Mob, relieving the physician of the indignity of having to run around and scream like an anarchist.