Using Haste to speed up First Aid at TL3

[thom]

I'm running a TL3 Fantasy game (mostly DF rules plus extra stuff I like from Basic). The group healer wants to use the Haste rules to speed up his Treating Shock on his fellow PCs after fights. I'm presuming he can take up to -9 on his skill check in order to get the time down to 3 minutes per patient. Is that correct?

Also, I'm a bit uncertain about the Bandaging rules (p. 424 Campaigns). If Joe the barbarian is bludgeoned to -20 by a Troll's club, he's not exactly bleeding per se (at least in my mind). Or am I overthinking the verbiage on this?

Thanks for any help!

thom

[johndallman]

This has been worked up already. See "Combat Medic" on p. 22 of DF11: Power-Ups.

[Christopher R. Rice]

You can actually take a -10 and do it in a second if the game is cinematic enough.

[thom]

Hmmm...let me clarify a few things:

1] the group's healer is not a cleric; so "Combat Medic" is out...

2] Chris, are you talking about the bandaging rules, or the Treating Shock rules?

thom

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by thom

I'm presuming he can take up to -9 on his skill check in order to get the time down to 3 minutes per patient. Is that correct?

-9 will mean you can do it in 10% of the normal time, which is indeed 3 minutes up to TL 4. I'm not finding anything in GURPS Biotech to contradict this, so as long as you feel it fits within your setting, go for it.

Originally Posted by thom

Also, I'm a bit uncertain about the Bandaging rules (p. 424 Campaigns). If Joe the barbarian is bludgeoned to -20 by a Troll's club, he's not exactly bleeding per se (at least in my mind). Or am I overthinking the verbiage on this?

GURPS Biotech suggests that bandaging may well be useless on wounds that aren't bleeding, and that GM's may wish to state it does nothing on such wounds, and specifically calls out crushing damage and blunt trauma as cases that typically won't cause bleeding. For something with strong DF elements, however, I'd be inclined to allow it - the Biotech rules lean heavily toward Harsh Realism (for example, a Major Wound from burning damage when below TL5 is invariably fatal for anyone without at least Normal Regeneration, if using the relevant rules from Biotech).

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by thom

2] Chris, are you talking about the bandaging rules, or the Treating Shock rules?

Treating Shock. -10 isn't "instant" instant - it still takes time, but it's doable in a round of combat.

[edk926]

The Efficient (First Aid) Perk can negate -2 worth of penalties for haste, so you can slightly reduce the overall penalty to the rolls with a 1 point perk.

[thom]

Thanks everyone! That's cleared it up for me. Yep, the player is already angling for the Efficient perk to help; he's clever that way. And Chris, I'm willing to let the game be cinematic enuff to go for the -10; I'll use the DF rules and require the healer to have bandage in hand, and the other hand free. That'll make him consider carefully before doing it during combat.

thom

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by thom

Thanks everyone! That's cleared it up for me. Yep, the player is already angling for the Efficient perk to help; he's clever that way. And Chris, I'm willing to let the game be cinematic enuff to go for the -10; I'll use the DF rules and require the healer to have bandage in hand, and the other hand free. That'll make him consider carefully before doing it during combat.

thom

It actually works out pretty well for stuff you see in movies. I'll note I did some more on this in GURPS Monster Hunters Power-Ups 1 (p. 11).