Physician Vocations

Primary Attribute: ...............................Intellect (INT)

Secondary Attribute: ..........................Agility (AGL)

Strictly speaking, the role of the chirurgeon and the physician was separated until recent times, with chirurgery being performed by Barbers, while the diagnosis of disease and its treatment was left to Physicians. Indeed, it was only in the 19th century that surgeons were recognised as physicians by the medical fraternity and accorded a much higher social status than they hitherto enjoyed.

If the Gamemaster believes it is desirable in his campaign to reflect the realities of the distinction between Chirurgeons and Physicians, he may make Pharmacology the +20 to PSF% skill for a Physician (+30 PSF% if chosen for Mastery). Chirurgery can be relegated to just a normal Primary skill category to reflect the fact that a Physician would not necessarily choose it but could become skilled with a scalpel.

Since a Chirurgery involves knowledge about vital points on the human body, any skill acquired with a weapon might be more lethal than normal. Consequently a +1 modifier might be added to the Crit Die when the Physician is wielding an edged or pointed weapon once he has acquired PSF 33% skill with it.