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Old 05-28-2013, 01:40 PM   #4
Sunrunners_Fire
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Default Re: What level Physician skill should an MD have?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DangerousThing View Post
I know that 12 is the normal level of skill for a professional, but does an MD need a higher skill than 12 or just more skills (Physician, Diagnosis, and maybe Surgery or Psychology)?

I'm asking because one character in my SF campaign wants to be a doctor as well as a master martial artist.

And if this is in the rules, can you tell me where?

Thanks.
Ta da! Assuming you want it for a realistic level of skill anywise ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
When telling writers how to norm skills for realistic characters (not fantasy monsters, Buffy-esque slayers, Buckaroo Banzai-level generalists, and so on!), we just point to p. B172 and p. B447. Tactical Shooting adds some other useful guidelines.
  • Average People: 8-13
    • Skills remembered from school days: 8-9
    • Most skills, including hobbies, secondary job skills of volunteers, and primary skills of draftees: 10-11
    • Primary job skills of most normal people (including cops, doctors, pilots, and soldiers): 12-13
  • Experts: 14-19
    • Someone good enough to work under life-or-death conditions (including commandos, field surgeons, and ace pilots): 14-15
    • Someone good enough to stand out in his field, however rarefied (top commando, ace of aces, etc.): 16-17
    • Best of a generation (e.g., the world's best sniper): 18-19
  • Masters: 20-25
    • Top master alive (presumably good enough to teach the best of a couple of generations): 20-21
    • Confirmed top master of all time: 22-23
    • Mythic masters, verging on the cinematic: 24-25
As p. B172 says, you don't achieve great fame by piling on more skill levels. You do it by adding attribute levels and advantages that enhance skills, bypass rolls, remove penalties, etc., and by learning subsidiary skills. A top MMA competitor isn't notable because he has Karate-20. He's notable because he has high ST, DX, and HT; improved HP, FP, and Basic Speed; Judo-16, Karate-16, and Wrestling-16; one trademark technique at 16 for each skill; the maximum number of Style Perks that those skill and technique points allow; and a few advantages like Enhanced Dodge, Flexibility, Hard to Subdue, High Pain Threshold, and (let's face it) Luck. Having points in Ally (Top trainer) and Ally (Top manager) doesn't hurt, either.
EDIT: ... and Kromm ninjas me. Heh.
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