Medical

Animal Husbandry: This area of study provides the character with a knowledge of the care, feeding, breeding, reproduction, treatment and behavior of domestic animals, as well as very basic veterinary skills for minor illness, setting a broken leg and giving birth. The animals included under this skill are cattle, sheep, goats, horses, mules, donkeys, ducks, chickens, and similar livestock and domesticated animals like dogs (see horsemanship for breeding horses and breeding animals for dogs). The percentile number indicates the degree of knowledge and skill one has about animals and their care. Reduce the skill ability by half when caring for captive or injured wild animals. Base Skill: 35% + 5% per level of experience.

Bioengineering: Use of engineering and biological principles for the identification of the functions of living systems and for the development of (1) therapeutic devices, especially artificial body parts and systems, e.g., artificial blood vessels, pacemakers, dialysis equipment, and artificial limbs that function like their prototypes; and (2) equipment for monitoring the performance of healthy and diseased organisms. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience. Requires: Biology, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

Brewing: The understanding and methods of making fermented alcoholic beverages from grains and fruits. This specifically includes wine, mead, ale, beer and moonshine. Stronger alcohol, such as brandy, rum and whiskey, are not included, nor are champagnes or fine wines. The first percentile number indicates the chance of success (a failed roll means an undrinkable batch of booze). The second indicates the quality of the brew - the higher the number rolled the tastier the drink. Base Skill: 25%/30% + 5% per level of experience.

Criminal Sciences & Forensics: Basic knowledge of police skills including basic criminal law, fingerprinting, ballistics (matching bullets to weapons and angles of impact), and general investigative techniques.
  Forensic medicine is the methods and techniques which enable the character to find evidence regarding the cause of death, time of death, and other details when examining a corpse. Base Skill: 35% + 5% per level of experience. Requires: Biology, Chemistry, Chemistry Analytical, Math Advanced, and Literacy.

Dentist: Take care of and treats the teeth and associated oral structures. Dentists are concerned with tooth decay, diseases of the supporting structures (such as gums), faulty positioning of the teeth, and tooth replacements, as well as prevention of these problems. Specialized fields of dentistry include orthodontics (corrective dentistry) and periodontics (treatment of gum disease, such as gingivitis). Base Skill: 35% + 5% per level of experience. A failed roll means that the teeth are not cleaned properly, or the root canal was not done correctly, or braces were improperly placed. Note: Specializing in a specific type of Dentistry such as orthodontics, will add +15% to the skill, but the overall Density skill stays the same. The skill would be listed like this Dentist/Orthodontics: 35%/50%, if you are a first level character.

Diagnostic: This doctor of medicine is a specialist in diagnosing the causes of disease and illness. He/she cannot actually treat patients although he/she may be able to suggest treatment. His/her special skill is determining and locating the cause of a malady. Emphasis on anatomy, physiology, immunology, pathology, and requires the additional skills of microbiology and chemistry. The same conditions (and penalty) applies to incomplete study in this fields Listed under M.D. A PHD is required to practice. Requires: Math: Basic and Advanced, Literacy, Writing. Base Skill: 30% + 8% per level of experience.

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM): The veterinarian is a trained animal surgeon capable of treating most commonly domesticated animals. Has knowledge in basic anatomy, physiology, body chemistry, and so forth. However, since he is not specializing on one particular animal, the information tends to be more broad, though still in depth. When dealing with largely unfamiliar animals (such as animals not usually domesticated) a -25% penalty is imposed. Alien creatures are even more difficult: -40 to -70%, depending on how strange/different they are. The first number is the vet's ability to accurately diagnose the problem. The second is the ability to treat. Base Skill: 60/50% + 5% per level of experience. Requires: Biology, Pathology, Chemistry, Math Advanced, and Literacy.

Entomological Medicine: Insect biology and medicine are completely different from the normal medical skills of doctors, and require a separate specialization. A character with First Aid skill can help a wounded insect mutant, but anything more complex than that sill require assistance from a medic with this skill, who will be able to cure most insect complaints, from diseases to broken chitin. Base Skill: 40% + 5% per level of experience.

First Aid: Rudimentary medical treatment which includes how to bandage wounds, stop bleeding, administer CPR/artificial respiration, and use antiseptics and common anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers. Base Skill: 45% + 5% per level of experience.

Field Expedient Surgery: is the same as the Field Surgery skill found on below. Base Skill: 16% + 4% per level of experience.

Field Surgery: This skill reflects training in emergency, life-saving surgical procedures that can be performed in the field to keep critically wounded characters alive. Given the proper tools, the surgeon character can perform amputations, suture torn arteries, check internal bleeding, cauterize wounds, give blood transfusions and even install cybernetic implants (penalty of -15% except if character has basic cybernetics skill). Field expedient surgery is a dangerous proposition that too often results in the death of the patient. Because of the risk involved, field surgery is attempted only when it is the only chance the wounded character has for survival! If the operation is successful, the patient lives and can be evacuated to a hospital, but a failed roll results in the immediate death of the patient. Base Skill: 16% + 4% per level of experience.
  Optional Guidelines for Fatal Injury Treatment: In the violent world of Rifts, regular human and similar non-maga-damage beings are at an extreme disadvantage. Once a human's body armor is destroyed, a single M.D. blast will usually obliterate him/her. These guidelines are provided to give player characters a chance, however slight, to survive a blast that would normally evaporate the character. If the GM agrees, the character can survive a mega-damage intensity wound if a trained medic makes a successful field surgery skill roll.
  Unless the attacker made a called shot or rolled an unmodified 19 or higher, the character has the chance to live. The basic idea is that the M.D. blast was partially absorbed by nearby cover or merely sheared off a limb (G.M.s, give some reasonable explanation). Within 1D4 melee rounds after the character's being hit, a medic character must attend to his/her injuries. If the medic makes a successful skill roll, the character is incapacitated but survives the attack, though just barely (reduce S.D.C. to zero and hit points are at 1D6 above zero). A failed roll means the injured character was beyond saving and dies an instant later. Even if the field operation succeeds, the wounded character is in chock, crippled, may require additional extensive surgery and is likely to require cybernetic or bionic reconstruction and a long recovery period before he is able to adventure again. Although crippled, the character lives (it may be appropriate to also determine an insanity and permanent physical side-effects from the injury). Note: This optional survival rule is also applicable to Medical and Cyber doctors.

General Practitioner: Or family doctor, is versed in clinical skills and most of the biological skills as listed under M.D. in the treatment and care of the human body. The major difference is the G.P. is not trained in the art of surgery. The same conditions for incomplete studies as listed under M.D. also apply to this category. Base Skill: 30% + 8% per level of experience. Requires: Math Basic and Advanced, Chemistry Pharmaceutical, Microbiology, Literacy, Writing, and Diagnostic.

Genetics Engineer: Group of research techniques that manipulate the DNA (genetic material) of cells in order to change heredity traits or produce biological products. The techniques include the use of hybridomas (hybrids of rapidly growing cancer cells and cells that make amounts of desired antibody) to make monoclonal antibodies, gene splicing or recombinant DNA technique (in which the DNA of a desired gene is inserted into the DNA of a bacterium, which then reproduces itself, yielding more than a desired gene), and polymerize chain reaction (which makes copies of DNA fragments and is used in DNA Fingerprinting). Genetically engineered products include bacteria designed to efficiently break down oil slicks and industrial waste products, drugs (human and bovine growth hormones, human insulin, interferon), and plants that are resistant to diseases and insects or that yield fruits or vegetables with desired quantities. Because genetic engineering involves techniques used to obtain patents or human genes and create patentable living organisms, it has raised many legal and ethical issues.
  Questions have also been raised about the safety of releasing into the environment genetically altered organisms that might disrupt ecosystems. GM's remember there is a difference between the military use and the civilian use of Genetics Engineer. Please keep this in mind when the characters are using this skill. Base Skill: 15% + 5% per level of experience. Requires: Biology, Botany, and Math Basic and Advanced.

Holistic Medicine: Training in the recognition, preparation, and application of natural medicines usually made from whole plants and/or their parts (roots, leaves, fruit). The holistic doctor is basically a natural pharmacist and naturalist who creates drugs from vegetation and studies common ailments. He can find and use plants to create salvs, balms, ointments, and lotions, to soothe burns, boils, rashes, and insect bites, reduce swelling, as well as create local anesthetics, and to heal wounds faster (twice as quick as normal). Potions and tonics are created to settle upset stomachs, induce drowsiness, or hallucinations. The individual can also make alcohol and poison (hemlock and mandrake for example).
  The student of herbology also has a good knowledge of plant lore and when and where to find healing plants, edible fruit, roots, and bark, as well as how to use and/or avoid dangerous flora. The character can also preserve foods and knows how to set and mend bones, bandage cuts, and suture cuts.
  Note: Plants are seasonal and the right root or leaf may not be readily available in certain times of the year/season, or may be found exclusively in remote regions. Game master should use a certain amount of common sense and drama with this skill. Base Skill: 20% + 5% per level of experience. A failed roll means the treatment or concoction did not work.

Medical Doctor: The medical doctor is a trained surgeon and has a doctorate in the medical sciences.
  Areas of training include: clinical skills, medical discipline, code of ethics, physiology (muscle, respiratory, blood, body fluids), pathology (diseases, their structure and function), rudimentary pharmacology (use, reaction, and interaction of drugs), laboratory skills, and techniques and methods of data collection. The medical doctor (M.D.) is also a trained surgeon and has a basic knowledge regarding cybernetics. This means the M.D. can remove and attach most cybernetic mechanisms (although at a penalty of -10%, and -40% on bionics). Base Skill: 60/50% + 5% per level of experience. The first percentage number is the doctor's ability to accurately diagnose the problem. The second percentage number is the doctor's skill at successfully treating the problem. Requires: Biology, Pathology, Chemistry, Math Basic or Advanced and Literacy.

M.D. in Cybernetics: This doctor is a specialist in the science of cybernetics and a master surgeon. The character has all the basic knowledge and requirements of the regular M.D., although his diagnostic skills are nowhere near as honed, but is a specialist in surgery and the removal of limbs and internal organs and the surgical attachment of cybernetic replacements (artificial organs and prosthetics). He can also repair cybernetic prosthetics (if not too badly damaged). Base Skill: 40/60% + 5% per level of experience. The first percentage number is the "Cyber-Doc's" ability to accurately diagnose and treat a non-surgical problem/illness. The second percentage number is the doctor's ability to perform complex surgery, remove and install all types of cybernetic organs and devices. The cyber-doc can also work on bionic implants and systems but suffers a -15% skill penalty. Bionic sciences is much more complex and machine oriented than cybernetics.
  Note: An M.D. in Cybernetics can become a bionics surgeon (M.D.B. in cybernetics) by selecting this cybernetics skill twice and Electrical Engineering (and must have all the M.D. requirements). This will make him a master in all of the cybernetic and bionic sciences. There is now no penalty for installing bionics and there is a special bonus of +10% added to the character's surgery skill. The M.D.B. can also repair, modify, design, and build bionic and cybernetic devices. Game Master's Note: One can not create a bionic implant in a garage. The character will need access to a cybernetics or bionics laboratory to build or modify an artificial implant. Even a high-tech medical facility will not have the necessary components to create a cybernetic or bionic mechanism, although it may have access to them.

Medical - Juicer Technology: This is a medical specialty dealing with the Juicer conversion. Note: A character needs this skill and an M.D. in Cybernetics or Medicine to install the bio-comp and other Juicer implants. This skill allows a doctor to supply the right drugs to a Juicer, recognize Juicer variants, and diagnose most Juicer side effects and syndromes. Base Skill: 40% + 5% per level of experience.

Medical Instruction: The ability to instruct others in basic medical skills and the use of medical equipment.
  With this skill the character is familiar with and trained in, the style of mental and physical pedagogy (education). The character can instruct another individual or group in any skill they posse if it's at least 60%.
  For every 10% of the base skill, there will be one weeks worth of training (ex. If the base skill is 30%, then it will take three weeks for a trainee to learn. A base skill of 45% will take four and a half weeks of training). The trainee will receive upon completion of training, a base skill score in that skill if they successfully roll equal to or beneath the base skill number (ie. if the base skill is 56%, then after 5 weeks, 6 days of instruction if they roll 56% or less then they have learned that skill).
  Should a trainee not pass the base skill roll then they roll one six side die (1D6) per week of training and that will be the number of additional hours of retraining before they can reroll and attempt to gain the skill. For base skills with odd end numbers, round up. If on the third try they still don’t pass, they are not eligible for that skill.

Nurse: Male or female, highly trained in the care of the sick and injured. Skills include: CPR, first aid, the administering of drugs, and medication; fundamental use of common medical instruments and tools, knowledge of hospital and clinical procedure, and a working knowledge of anatomy and physiology (enabling them to recognize/ interpret any symptoms of disease, drugs and laboratory tests). Requires: Math: Basic and Advanced, Chemistry Pharmaceutical, Microbiology, Literacy, Writing and Diagnostics. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience.

Paramedic: An advanced form of emergency medical treatment which includes all first-aid techniques, the setting of broken bones, suturing of wounds, use of oxygen and emergency medical equipment, administering of drugs, knowledge of how to move a critically injured person, the removal of cybernetic prosthetics, and other life-saving techniques.
  A failed roll means the patient has not responded to treatment or that the treatment has been improperly administered. Note: For serious injury or coma, roll three times, consecutively, on percentile dice. A roll of two successful out of three means the wound has been properly treated or that the patient's condition has been stabilized. Failure means the patient's condition is unchanged. Another character can immediately attempt to apply medical aid or the same player can try again, but only after the character has spent six minutes for reexamination and/or concentration on the problem. Base Skill: 40% + 5% per level of experience.

Parapsychology: Study of paranormal or psychic phenomena not explainable by accepted principles of science. Modern experiments have concentrated principally on Extrasensory perception (ESP) and psychokinesis (mental influence on physical objects). Scientists differ to the validity of the results. Base Skill: 30% + 3% per level of experience.

Pathology: This branch of medicine deals with the nature of diseases, their cause and symptoms, and the functional and structural changes caused by disease. Training includes anatomy, physiology, cell biology, manifestation of disease, tissue injury and repair, abnormal cell structure, metabolism, diagnosis of human diseases, tissue culture methods and applications, analysis of drugs in biological samples and laboratory research, investigative methods, and use of instruments and equipment. Base Skill: 40% + 5% per level of experience. Requires: Biology, Chemistry and Literacy.

Plastic Surgery: The ability to manipulate a persons features, under surgery, to correct problems, or to create a whole new appearance. Base Skill: 60% + 6% per level of experience.

Psychiatry: Branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are licensed physicians who complete a three-year residency in psychiatry after their medical training. Modern techniques such as psychotherapy and psychoanalysis can be traced to the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud, who turned to the behavior and emotional history of the patient for clues to his or her psychological disorder. Research has discovered that biological, genetic, psychological, and social components contribute to many types of mental illness. This causal diversity is reflected in treatment, which may include the use of drugs that influence neurotransmitter functions in the brain, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), psychotherapy, and behavior therapy. Base Skill: 30 + 5% per level of experience.

Psychobiology: Study of anatomical and biochemical structures and processes and their effect on behavior. It is closely related to physiological psychology. Areas of investigation include hormonal and biochemical changes in nerves, glands, and muscles, and how these changes influence development, emotions, and learning. Base Skill: 45% + 5% per level of experience.

Psychology: Science or study of the thought processes and behavior of humans and other animals in their interaction with their environment. Psychologists study sensory perception, emotion and motivation, problem solving, use of language and other mental tasks group interaction, adjustment to social and physical environment, and the normal and abnormal development of these processes. The file is closely allied with such disciplines as anthropology and sociology in its concerns with social and environmental influences on behavior physics in its treatment of vision, hearing, and touch; and biology in the study of the physiological basis of behavior. Psychology encompasses a very broad range of specialties and approaches including behaviorism; gestalt; neuropsychology, which studies the interaction of brain function and behavior; and clinical psychology, which focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience.

Psycho-Therapy: This training deals with the principles, theories and evaluation of human behavior as they apply to psychology. Includes, analysis, understanding and treatment of emotional, mental, motivational, perceptual disorders; interaction of emotion, nervous system, sensory motor mechanisms, personality assessment, alcoholism, drug addiction, and treatment. Requires: Math: Basic and Advanced, Chemistry: Pharmaceutical, Microbiology, Literacy, Writing and Diagnostics. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience.

Sea Holistic Medicine: Training in the recognition, preparation, and applications of natural medicines derived from aquatic plants/seaweed and animals, including ink, blood, poisons and other secretions and chemicals. This skill also includes the knowledge of where to find the necessary plants or animals, how to extract the necessary components and some knowledge of legends as they pertain to the healing properties of the sea and sea animals. Otherwise, the skill is fundamentally the same as the standard holistic medicine skill. Note: The standard skill does NOT include medicines derived from the oceans and seas, likewise, the sea holistic knowledge does NOT include most of the land herbs and plants (only a handful of the very most common and basic items). Base Skill: 20% + 5% per level of experience. A failed roll means the treatment or concoction did not work.

Specialist: This is a doctor of medicine who specializes in one or two areas of study/medicine. General knowledge includes biology, anatomy, physiology and clinical/laboratory skills and instruments. Specific areas may include: Audiology (Sound/hearing), bio-chemistry, internal medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology (muscle/skeletal), otolaryngology (ear, nose, throat), pediatrics, physiology (internal organs), radiationoncology, and radiology. A PH.D is required. Requires: Math: Basic and Advanced, Chemistry: Pharmaceutical, Microbiology, Literacy, Writing and Diagnostics. Base Skill: 20% +5% per level of experience.

Surgeon: This person must study most of the same medical areas as listed under the M.D., with an emphasis on anatomy, physiology, pathology and expert in surgical techniques. This doctor of medicine is a specialist in surgery. The same conditions (and penalty) for incomplete studies as noted under M.D. also apply to this category. A pH D is required to practice. Requires: Math: Basic and Advanced, Chemistry: Pharmaceutical, Microbiology, Literacy, Writing and Diagnostics. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience.

Radiation Technology - Medical: This training includes a knowledge of radiation and its interaction with matter; use as a diagnostic tools (radiography, X-ray, fluoroscopy, mammography, topography, etc.), the physics of nuclear medicine with emphasis on imaging, radiation therapy, radio biology (interaction with cells) and a practiced familiarity with techniques, interpretation, and instruments. A master's degree is required for professional activities; incomplete studies in this area could provide a position as a radiological lab assistant. Requires: Math: Basic and Advanced, Microbiology, Literacy, Writing and Some Nuclear Physics as relating to this skill. Base Skill: 30% + 5% per level of experience.

Toxicology: This is a specialty in medicine that deals with poisons, venoms and toxins, their manufacture, composition and antidotes. This skill is useful for both healers and assassins. A successful skill roll will help determine if poisons have been used on somebody and even the general type of poison/toxin used (a definite answer may require an autopsy and the forensics skill). Base Skill: 40% + 5% per level of experience. Requires: Biology, Chemistry and Literacy.

Veterinarian: Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of animal diseases. They usually specialize in either small animals such as pets, or large animals, or such as horses and farm animals, and/or reptiles. This involves the anatomy, behavior, etc. of the specific type of animal that the veterinarian is specialized in. The character will also know how to create antibiotics for certain animal diseases only.
  The veterinarian skill also gives the character specific knowledge about the behavior, habits, evolution, physiology, cells, anatomy, and genetics of animals. This knowledge enables the character to prepare antidotes for various diseases like rabies, venom from snakes, disarming skunks, etc. This knowledge enables the character to perform surgery, remove glands and sacs of poison or chemicals, prepare antidotes to poisons (from all reptiles and animals only) and the care, keeping, and medical treatment of wildlife animals, including bears, cougars, etc. Base Skill: 35%/25% + 5% per level of experience. The first number is the character's general knowledge. The second number is specific medical and scientific applications, including making antibodies to poison, capturing animals without killing them (+10 to hunt/kill), surgery (animals only; -60% on humanoids), and the care, keeping and medical treatment of animals. Note: -30% when dealing with alien and mutant life forms. Requires: Microbiology, Math: Basic and Advanced, Literacy, Writing and Chemistry Pharmaceutical.

Next section Medieval Skills.

Skill List

Medical.html -- Revised: 980807
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