Healing is a task best suited for those with a good tolerance to gory things: particularly in such a confined space that comes with working on such a vessel and the copious quantities of people that come with it. Helping the wounded and caring for the injured has always been a priority for you, whether that was thanks to your good nature, or perhaps your thirst for blood... perhaps both.
When you choose this background, work with your DM to determine how you started your profession, which organisation you were associated with (military, merchant, ect.) how long you served in that position and how (if so) your role has been terminated.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose Medicine and then one more from: Acrobatics, Nature or Sleight of Hand
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, musical instrument or vehicles (water)
- Languages: As a well travelled healer, you may pick two languages of your choice.
- Equipment: A Surgeon's Kit, a game set or musical instrument of your choice, a set of common clothes, set of fine clothes, or a set of costume clothes, a dagger or small knife, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Prior to your job as Ship's Surgeon, you may have had a different role to play. These determine your character's Surgeon skills. Roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below to determine your role:
| d8 | Specialty |
|---|---|
| 1 | Physician |
| 2 | Surgeon |
| 3 | Specialist Ship Surgeon |
| 4 | (ex) Carpenter |
| 5 | (ex) Hairdresser |
| 6 | Herbalism Specialist |
| 7 | Naturalist |
| 8 | Drunk Sailor |
As a surgeon, you have had lots of experience in the field of healing and medicine, as well as exposure to anatomy. You get advantage on any medicine checks you do to heal patients. You also can use this knowledge to gain an extra +1 for each character level on any Potion of Healing you deal.
Suggested Characteristics
The horrors of war combined with the rapid necessity to save lives affects all surgeons, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and hatred.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’m always polite and respectful. |
| 2 | I’m haunted by memories of war. I can’t get the images of violence out of my mind. |
| 3 | I’ve lost too many friends, and I’m slow to make new ones. |
| 4 | I often nitpick about the lack of caution people take in dangerous circumstances. |
| 5 | I must admit I quite enjoy the sounds of bones under my saw |
| 6 | I deprecate violence. My part is to heal rather than to kill. |
| 7 | It hurts when someone dies under my knife or to some subsequent infection |
| 8 | I have no idea what I'm doing. I guess I'll have a few more drinks and get on with the job. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Aiding those in Need. My role is to help and heal. (Good) |
| 2 | Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Experimentation. Blood must be spilt sometimes to learn the best methods.(Chaotic) |
| 4 | Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil) |
| 5 | Live and Let Live. Ideals aren’t worth killing over. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Nation. My city, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I continue to regret my mistakes, and the people that had to pay the price for it. I would do anything to make it up to them. |
| 2 | Someone saved my life. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind. |
| 3 | My honor is my life. |
| 4 | I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it. |
| 5 | Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for. |
| 6 | I heal for those in dire need. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am terribly antisocial, having spent my life in the shadows. |
| 2 | I have little respect for anyone who is not of high class. |
| 3 | I made a terrible mistake in my career that cost many lives—and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret. |
| 4 | My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning. |
| 5 | I obey the law, even if the law causes misery. |
| 6 | I’d rather eat my surgeons tools than admit when I’m wrong. |
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