07-08-2015, 06:17 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Oct 2014
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dropping a US Marine Medic in a med-fan setting
Hello all!
So let's suppose a present day US Marine medic is quietly reading a book in the barracks, with only his Battle Dress Uniform, when a flash of light brings him in a medieval fantasy town. He doesn't know how to read the characters of his book anymore, but he now knows how to read the characters of the street signs and so on of the locale he was dropped in. Setting aside the typical US Marine Medic abilities (very fit, possibly combat reflexes, combat skills, medical skills, and everything a modern soldier will be having), what are his likely advantages and disadvantages? High TL is probably a given, Dead Broke since he doesn't have his gear nor access to his money anymore, Mundane Background (He'll be baffled at the 1st barbarian rage, the 1st mage casting a spell, the first bard captivating a crowd with a song, and so on), he won't have Rank since nobody there will recognize the rank he had back home, but what did I miss? (Assume he's not an RPG player and as such has no idea whatsoever what is awaiting him.) |
07-08-2015, 06:38 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Re: dropping a US Marine Medic in a med-fan setting
Sounds to me like although his Language(s) got switched, his Cultural Familiarity did not. So there will be the -3 to social skills for not knowing the local customs.
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07-08-2015, 06:39 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Dec 2012
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Re: dropping a US Marine Medic in a med-fan setting
One important correction: AFAICT, US Marines don't have medics, they have US Navy Corpsmen.
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Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life. "The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates." -- Tacitus Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted. |
07-08-2015, 07:25 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Re: dropping a US Marine Medic in a med-fan setting
Being TL8 without access to TL8 tech or starting funds is actually a disadvantage and should be priced accordingly (look at the skill penalties to use TL3-4 tech with TL8 skills).
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07-08-2015, 07:40 AM | #5 | |
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Re: dropping a US Marine Medic in a med-fan setting
Quote:
Second, if we took a Combat Engineer instead, I'm sure he could get creative with lower TL tools, he would surely take familiarity penalties, but a TL8 combat engineer could probably make improvised explosives with medieval tech and resources. Knowledge of engineering, chemistry and physics could be useful. Surely a TL8 engineer could craft a parachute or a glider even with low tech tools if he understands the principles behind those items. Okay, that's a tangent since I was talking about a medic, not a combat engineer, but check up Dungeon Keeper Ami if you wanna know what creative applications you can get out of TL8 knowledge combined with magic in a fantasy setting (A parachute, a gem furnace to fuel her dungeon heart, destroying an underwater dungeon by filling it with summoned Chlorine Trifluoride...). |
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07-08-2015, 07:42 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Sydney
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Re: dropping a US Marine Medic in a med-fan setting
Quote:
Instead you choose the base tech level of the campaign (in this case likely 3 instead of 8) then you work out the advantages and disadvantages. Also physician can be used as TL 5 with no equipment. |
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07-08-2015, 08:40 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Re: dropping a US Marine Medic in a med-fan setting
Quote:
In terms of combat, the medic might be basically trained in brawling, judo, knife, and staff. Give him a background as a recreational bow-hunter if you want a little extra survival advantage. I don't know if the Hippocratic Oath is followed by military doctors/medics, but that would surely limit combat effectiveness. |
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07-08-2015, 08:51 AM | #8 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: dropping a US Marine Medic in a med-fan setting
Actual doctors with medical degrees, yes. But doctors don't normally go out on the front line with the troops. Military corpsmen/"medics" have a lot of training, and ones who serve with Marines have combat training, but they don't have medical degrees.
Last edited by johndallman; 07-08-2015 at 08:52 AM. Reason: clarify |
07-08-2015, 09:47 AM | #9 | |
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Brighton
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Re: dropping a US Marine Medic in a med-fan setting
Quote:
I don't think the Hippocratic oath covers situations that don't involve medical treatment. |
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07-08-2015, 11:08 AM | #10 |
☣
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southeast NC
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Re: dropping a US Marine Medic in a med-fan setting
IDHMBWM, but I believe Physician is a specific exception.
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RyanW - Actually one normal sized guy in three tiny trenchcoats. |
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