Level 0 specialities

[rinku]

Also worth noting that a character's characteristics come into some medical proficiencies. Dex 2 just isn't going to cut it as a surgeon, though they may make a good GP (Edu) or researcher (Int/Edu).

Another way of addressing it is to require complementary rolls from an appropriate science. i.e. A medic with no skill in Life Science would need to make an unskilled Life Science (Cybernetics) roll if they were operating on enhancements, drastically reducing their chances. This is a good way of dealing with Xeno-medicine, too. Micro- or telepresence surgery would need Remote Operations, genetic therapy would need Life Science (genetics), radiology would need Sensors, etc.

 

[FentonGib]

Ay... I'd thought of that too and already informed my players that a lot of things (especially medicine) won't be one roll, it'll be a sequence. I also told my medic player who seems to want to buy every medical item possible that they won't normally stack...

E.g. to analyse a patient he could get the bonus for his scanner (but not his medikit or drugs) and would have to make an Int and Medicine roll. Then to actually treat the patient he'd have to roll Edu and Medicine and could use his medikit or sick-bay equipment (whichever higher). However if it was very precise surgery and he was using a drone or machine then he'd have to roll Remote Ops before the surgery too. I would also expect him to make a complimentary Edu + Science roll which would reflect how his scientific knowledge would help/hinder his application of medical techniques.

On the plus side, potentially this could end up with several nice chain bonuses.

 

[locarno24]

Interesting alternative. I suppose a similar variant could be done with Engineering [starship], Engineering [capital ship] or Engineering [small craft] which would allow you to work on any system on that category of ship, but nothing else - kinda like pilot.

That makes sense; you will get hangar techs who know every nut and bolt on a fighter but naff all about the ship they actually live and work on.

Using the High Guard capital ship rules, you get one technician per small craft, so unless he's going to have one hell of a lot of Engineer (System) skills he's basically going to have the main engineering deck on speed-dial most of the time....

 

[badpixie]

With a Level 0 skill only I'd play it that you only get ONE of the possible specialisations- not defaults in all of them.

Thus you choose Melee: Unarmed Cbt 0, meaning that done some basic self defence or martial arts training in your time. However you've not learned to use blades, axes, bludgeons, polearms or any of the other possible melee options- just unarmed combat.

Simialrly if you have say Animals (Riding) 0 that is all you can do- you don't immediately become a Horse trainer, breeder, vet etc.