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Leliel
2008-03-27, 06:15 PM
And yes you read that right.

An idea that came to me while playing Trauma Center on the Wii was: "Wouldn't it be great if there were d20 mechanics for this? It ignores basic biology as it is!" From there, I came to the idea of what would happen if conventional medical science was needed in D&D (and why shouldn't it: Viruses and diseases being what they are, it's only probable that they would evolve an immunity to magic, and that positive energy can't fix everything: For example, cancer would probably be made worse by positive energy), and the players being surgeons in it. Thus came this idea:

Players are recent graduates from medical school, or nurses and interns at the clinic where the others go to work. There, after operating on a few patients with relatively normal magic-immune diseases (to a D&D world at least). After a few games, they discover a superbug in the vein of GUILT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trauma_Center:_Under_the_Knife) (Scroll down a bit if you click that link), that they have to solve the mystery of while doing normal PC things (It can be hard to get medicine when chief ingredient grows in illithid colonies!), and stereotypical medical drama problems (office courtships, running out of supplies, the statted version of the titular character (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Gregory_House) of a rather popular show, the strangely easy trasmissaibility of rare and obscure diseases, etc.).

So, is this a good idea? As a side note, how hard should I slap the wannabe player of the aforementioned painkiller addict?

Send in your ideas kids, and remember, it's never lupus!

Swordguy
2008-03-27, 06:20 PM
Shadowrun has specific rules for running a medical-based campaign, and the detailed nature of injuries there make it far more appealing. I just don't think there's enough about medicine in the d20 ruleset to make it worthwhile.

Brauron
2008-03-27, 06:22 PM
We had a theory in my group that if you pump enough healing spells into someone who is already at full HP, you will give them cancer.

The DM came up with this theory. Hence why we're more likely to say, "Ahh, this is nothing, I can walk this off" rather then ask for healing magic.

Rutee
2008-03-27, 06:24 PM
Shadowrun has specific rules for running a medical-based campaign, and the detailed nature of injuries there make it far more appealing. I just don't think there's enough about medicine in the d20 ruleset to make it worthwhile.

...Hm, yeah, I'm going to have to echo this. It's a good concept, but it needs a good system for it, and if Doctoring is to be important, that system probably shouldn't be D20.

Frosty
2008-03-27, 06:28 PM
Can we call this group Doc Wagon?

senrath
2008-03-27, 06:46 PM
We had a theory in my group that if you pump enough healing spells into someone who is already at full HP, you will give them cancer.

The DM came up with this theory. Hence why we're more likely to say, "Ahh, this is nothing, I can walk this off" rather then ask for healing magic.

That actually makes sense. I mean, look what happens on Greater Planes of Positive Energy (or whatever they're called). Enough positive energy (what healing spells use) and you explode!

Pie Guy
2008-03-27, 09:09 PM
Send in your ideas kids, and remember, it's never lupus!

Actually it was once.

SilverClawShift
2008-03-27, 10:17 PM
For example, cancer would probably be made worse by positive energy)


We had a theory in my group that if you pump enough healing spells into someone who is already at full HP, you will give them cancer.

In my Sig, the Whitelight Shakes. It's a disease caused by over-exposure to positive energy. It's a real pain too.

Also, Leliel, you might be interested in taking a peak at the Sawbones base class in my sig. It's not what you have in mind, but it's at least thematically relevant.

Icewalker
2008-03-27, 10:50 PM
Huuuuh...I never thought of that. Diseases growing immunities to magic...that is awesome. Also, lays groundwork so that things like plagues can still exist in a particularly high-magic setting and still threaten important figures (ie, the heir can die of a plague. Even in a high magic setting without magic immune diseases, the common people can't all get a cure disease spell).


I'm probably going to use that to some extent, fit it into my adventures somewhere. I do have some plans for one which involves a particularly closed society, maybe they will be forced to start culling the sick to avoid extinction.

Ascension
2008-03-27, 11:00 PM
Wasn't this same first post, under this same thread title, first made like a month ago? I thought this was necroposting until I checked the date/time stamps...

Weird...

Jastermereel
2008-03-28, 11:25 AM
So...a D&D Doctors without Borders?
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Actually...that could be sort of interesting.

kamikasei
2008-03-28, 11:31 AM
Wasn't this same first post, under this same thread title, first made like a month ago? I thought this was necroposting until I checked the date/time stamps...

Very nearly (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71559).

elliott20
2008-03-28, 11:39 AM
a very cool idea. But the d&d mechanics doesn't really allow an awful lot of diversity in that regard seeing as you can cover most medicinal stuff between heal skill, herbalist skill, and then healing magic.

gm_rand
2008-03-28, 11:59 AM
Playing doctor…wow all the innuendos I could use. But I wont.

Sounds like a challenging idea. Finding a way to get the mechanics of it down might take a bit. Try finding some skill intensive systems and bastardize them to make the best fit. I think the d20 rule set might not be as in depth as what you might need to keep the dice chucking interesting.

Honestly I’m not sure how much long term interest this sort of campaign would hold for most players but I might be good for a few one shot sessions or something to do now and again to shake stuff up from the normal D&D type stuff. But that’s really dependent on your player base.

It sounds like a lot of work and that a medical back ground would really be needed to help it keep it’s feel that most people would need it to have that find the concept appealing. So if you have not already, I say go to med school. I can see it now.

“Okay class tell me why you want to be a doctor? How about you Leliel?”

“Oh me. I’m not here to be a doctor. I’m just have a cool concept for an RPG and need some background information.”

The class is covered in gore as the professor’s head explodes.

Yeah that would be great.

Leliel
2008-03-28, 03:15 PM
Very nearly (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71559).

Funny. I thought people had forgotten about that.

Ah well. In case you're wondering, I had forgotten about that myself.