In the vast and diverse universe of Cybercore, countless diseases, infections, and other maladies lurk, often unique to specific alien species or planets. The Medic with the Diagnosis skill is the first line of defense against these threats, with the ability to analyze symptoms, scan for microscopic pathogens, and determine the best course of treatment.
A skilled Medic can identify everything from common colds to exotic, otherworldly plagues, often with little more than a few simple tests and a sharp eye for details. They must be well-versed in the biology and anatomy of numerous alien species, as well as familiar with the latest medical technology and treatments.
With a deep understanding of the intricacies of disease and injury, the Medic with the Diagnosis skill is often the difference between life and death in the harsh and unforgiving reaches of space. Their expertise is essential for the survival of crews and colonies, making them a vital member of any spacefaring team.
Each diagnostic challenge will have a difficulty rating based on the rarity of the disease, subtlety of symptoms, available diagnostic equipment, and species familiarity. The more exotic the condition and the less obvious the symptoms, the higher the difficulty.
When you attempt to identify diseases, analyze symptoms, diagnose conditions, interpret medical scans, detect pathogens, or determine treatment courses, you will make a Medic - Diagnosis skill check against the task's difficulty rating. The GM may apply Boons or Banes based on factors such as quality of medical scanners, patient cooperation, access to medical databases, or availability of samples for testing.
Rather than spending skill points to move up skill levels, you may instead spend skill points to purchase any of the following tricks.
Cost: 2 Skill points
Requires: Tactical Training
Frequency: Once per Lockdown
Effect: You can perform rapid preliminary diagnosis with exceptional accuracy. Given 2-3 minutes with a patient and basic medical scanner, you can identify the most likely condition, rule out immediately life-threatening diseases, and determine urgency of treatment. This quick assessment grants a +1d6 Boon to your full diagnostic check if you proceed with detailed analysis.
Cost: 2 Skill points
Requires: Tactical Training
Frequency: Once per Lockdown
Effect: Your experience allows you to spot disease patterns others miss. When examining symptoms, you automatically recognize standard disease presentations, identify unusual symptom clusters that suggest rare conditions, and notice subtle signs that inexperienced doctors overlook. You can diagnose common conditions without needing tests or scanners.
Cost: 2 Skill points
Requires: Tactical Training
Frequency: Once per Lockdown
Effect: You excel at differential diagnosis - systematically ruling out similar conditions. When faced with ambiguous symptoms, you can create a comprehensive list of possible conditions, efficiently design tests to eliminate wrong diagnoses, and rapidly narrow down to the correct condition. Reduces diagnostic time by 30% for complex cases.
Cost: 6 Skill points
Requires: Expert Training
Frequency: Once per Op
Effect: You have extensive knowledge of alien biology and diseases. When diagnosing alien species or treating alien pathogens affecting humans, you gain a +1d8 Boon. You understand how alien physiology differs from human, can identify xenological diseases, and know how to adapt human treatments for alien patients.
Cost: 6 Skill points
Requires: Expert Training
Frequency: Once per Op
Effect: You can interpret the most complex medical imaging with exceptional skill. When using scanners, MRI, X-ray, or other imaging technology, you spot abnormalities others miss, identify tumors and internal injuries at early stages, diagnose structural problems, and read scans from unfamiliar alien species. You gain a +1d8 Boon when using imaging equipment for diagnosis.
Cost: 6 Skill points
Requires: Expert Training
Frequency: Once per Op
Effect: You can diagnose patients remotely using telemedicine and sensor data. Without being physically present, you can analyze transmitted vital signs, review scanner data, interview patients via video link, and provide accurate diagnoses. Your remote diagnoses are as reliable as in-person examinations, allowing you to treat patients across vast distances.
Cost: 10 Skill points
Requires: Master Training
Frequency: Once per Mission
Effect: Your diagnostic skill approaches supernatural levels. Once per mission, you can instantly and correctly diagnose any condition - no matter how rare, exotic, or unusual. One look at the patient, a quick scan, and you know exactly what's wrong, how advanced it is, what will happen next, and how to treat it. No tests needed, no uncertainty.
Cost: 10 Skill points
Requires: Master Training
Frequency: Once per Mission
Effect: You can track down the source of disease outbreaks with remarkable precision. For one investigation, you can: identify patient zero, trace the pathogen's origin, predict its spread pattern, determine how it's transmitted, and locate where it came from (contaminated water, alien artifact, bioweapon, etc.). Your epidemiological expertise can stop plagues.
Cost: 10 Skill points
Requires: Master Training
Frequency: Once per Mission
Effect: Your medical knowledge spans all known species and conditions. For one mission, you can diagnose and treat any sentient species - even ones you've never encountered before. You intuitively understand their biology, recognize their diseases, and know how to adapt treatments for their physiology. You're the doctor everyone needs in first contact situations.
Each diagnostic database grants a stacking Boon to Medic - Diagnosis rolls when examining related conditions:
Boons apply when:
Diagnostic databases provide practical advantages:
GM Note: Databases represent deep expertise in specific disease categories. New variants may require database updates.
Diagnostic databases require occasional updates:
Dr. Keiko Tanaka specializes in alien pathology:
Colonial Medical Center maintains extensive records: