This character type all started when a fellow shield, Tymonger, reached out with some questions about making a custom character type. We chatted for a minute about how we’d go about it and called it a day. Except, my brain kept going.
I kept having thoughts about this “medical commando” character that was focused on healing and how it might be a fun addition to the WARP SHELL setting since there isn’t really a focused healer in MASTER EDITION. After a few days of work, and bouncing ideas off of JD, I landed on the Medic!
Note: As with any custom character type, this was my approach to the character focus, but that doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. When I showed Tymonger my progress, he already had a bunch of other options and ideas he could swap in easily.
My focus for this character type was this “healing commando”. Someone who is out on the battlefield keeping their teammates alive during the fight, when everything is chaotic and dangerous. Tymonger was originally aiming for something along the lines of Ana from Overwatch. I’m not familiar with Overwatch so I was treading in unfamiliar waters but thought it could be fun. I ended up with something very support heavy and the healing potential is through the roof!
Starting Abilities
HAPTIC LINK: Every good medic has visibility on their teammate’s vitals and current condition. That extra information makes it easier for them to diagnose and treat any issues that during triage. That’s why any attempts to heal an ally or stabilize them while dying are EASY.
MUTATED ADRENAL GLAND: It’s very important for your healer to stay up. Once a healer drops, the rest of the team has a good chance of following suit. Taking that reality into the Medic’s hands, the mutated adrenal gland helps boost recovery but uses a character’s CON and BASIC bonus to heal instead of the standard CON+1.
ACCELERATION FIELD: When things get dire, the medic can be the voice of reason and spur the group to leave a dangerous situation. The Acceleration Field can quickly pull a team out of the area with a few DASHES without losing their actions. There is a recharge afterward, but I’m also pretty sure this defensive tool can be used for offensive opportunities.
Starting Loot
MEDGUN: I’m imagining a beam of regenerative energy blasting out of this little pistol that boosts teammates up from a distance. It does use DEX so your aim must be true, but I thought it would be fun to include a “healing spell” type of thing without losing that sci-fi element. Plus, can you imagine what would happen if your Medgun broke or ran out of juice? Oof!
LAZURUS DEVICE: Advanced technology can do crazy things. Even bring people back from the dead! The Lazurus Device lives up to its namesake by reviving a character who has recently died with their dying timer reaching zero. In the last moments, the Lazurus device sparks just enough energy in the deceased brain to get them moving again. It is a once-per-session power, so use it wisely.
NANO DARTS: What would happen if you could give your friend a boost, but from a distance? Well, hitting your friend with a DEX check (against the TARGET) will inject them with a small sample of nanobots. Those nanobots put your friend into overdrive for D4 ROUNDS and grant them a +1 to all their rolls. For every subsequent round within that D4 limit, add another +1 each round. In round 1 they get a +1. In round 2 they get a +2, etc… Once the time is up, the nanobots go inert and everyone drops back to normal. You do only have six shots though.
Milestone Abilities
EVEN STRONGER: Repeatable or customizable milestones are a great way to add variety without me having to think of every variation. Working with your own GM, you can quickly come to an agreement on a new type of dart that has its own special effect. Adrenaline, poison, smoke, acid, etc…
BIO-SYRINGE: A med-pack is crucial to any space-faring team of adventurers, but you don’t always have one nearby or the med bay is blocked by a horde of raving xenomorphs. Well, with the Bio-Syringe, the Medic can sacrifice and store a little bit of their health, one point at a time, before passing it off to another character. Keeping it to just 5 HP max at one time can prevent the Medic from overexerting their health and maintaining a good balance for the rest of the team.
HEALING BUOYS: This one I think will be a favorite because you can place up to three buoys per session and any ally within NEAR will receive 2 HP per ROUND for 4 ROUNDS as long as they stay within range. I can only imagine the clever use of these as players overlap them and protect them during a fight. I would consider these destructible so you better make sure no one sneaks in and smashes them from behind.
DYING BEACON: Another once-per-session ability is the Dying Beacon. A Medic can place this beacon and any ally that falls to 0 HP within NEAR of the beacon after it has been activated will receive a 4 on their dying timer. If a medic can be wise and anticipate an ally falling, this can give the whole team plenty of time to take care of one another. But if they misjudge, the beacon can’t be moved once placed so you’ll have to wait until the next session.
KNOCK-OUT DARTS: A little dose of anesthetic can go a long way. Maybe you need to knock out an ally or an enemy without killing them? Maybe you just want that big monster to go to sleep? Either way, this variation of darts could go a long way as enemies try to resist with CON every ROUND. I would consider certain enemies to be immune or resistant to this or for a limited number of attempts before it stops working, but I’ll leave that to the GM.
HEALING PRESENCE: The Miracle mechanic is a dramatic element of ICRPG games. Watching your dying timer tick down and hope for that miraculous nat-20. Well, with the Medic around and their healing presence, we can open that window a little bit and see a miracle on an 18, 19, or 20. It always pays to keep a doctor around.
LONG SHOT: Lastly, a small offshoot to all the healing powers and support skills. Long Shot makes long-ranged attacks only fail on a natural 1. While that is powerful if the Medic is too far away, how can they expect to heal their friends when they need them?
GM Thoughts
This was quite a challenge to provide new healing and support opportunities that weren’t exactly found in other Character Types, but I’m really happy with how it turned out. There was one thing that JDHull brought up as we discussed the type and I thought it was a fascinating way of seeing it.
What he presented was that this type could absolutely shine when the characters around them are dying, but may fall flat when they aren’t. That means that if you’re going to play a medic, you almost want to be in a high-lethality game where the likelihood of dropping at least a character is always there. That may take some discussion with the other players and the GM to ensure everyone is on board, but it could be fun!
But what do you think? What do you think of the Medic type and how would you build a character? I’d love to hear your feedback and any stories you might have if you include one in your game. I, personally, can’t wait to see what happens.
