Medic

In the Wasteland, death comes quick and mercy comes quicker. The medics are those rare souls who learned to stitch flesh, set bone, and brew remedies from the scraps of Old World medicine and post-Fall herbalism. They walk the razor's edge between healer and butcher, performing surgeries in blood-soaked tents with rusted instruments and homemade antiseptics. Most started as field medics for warbands, caravan surgeons, or plague-town doctors—people who saw so much suffering they either broke or became something harder.

A Medic's pack is a treasure trove: stims scavenged from military caches, bandages torn from pre-war linens, syringes filled with cocktails that blur the line between medicine and poison. They know which mushrooms stop bleeding, which Old World pills still work, and how to keep someone breathing when all hope is lost. In the gritty rest economy where a full recovery takes a week, a good Medic is worth their weight in clean water.

But healing in the Wasteland has a cost. Every saved life is a moral calculation—who gets the last stimpack? Who's worth the risk of infection? Medics carry the weight of every patient they couldn't save, every amputation they performed without anesthetic, every mercy killing. Some maintain their Humanity through rigid ethical codes. Others become cold, efficient triage machines. All of them know: in this world, keeping people alive is the hardest job there is.

Core Statistics

Proficiencies

Weapons: Simple weapons, sidearms Armor: Light armor Saving Throws: Will, Fortitude Skills: Medicine, Science, plus 2 of your choice

Starting Equipment

• Medical kit (20 uses, DC 10 Medicine check to stabilize)
• Light armor (scavenged surgical scrubs + makeshift padding, DV 11 + AGI mod)
• Simple weapon of choice (scalpel, baton, or sidearm)
• Field bag containing: 3 stims (Tier 1, heal 1d8+2 HP each), 10 bandages, 1 vial of antiseptic
• Surgical tools (improvised, grants advantage on Medicine checks for surgery)

Level Progression Features (Levels 1-5)

Level 1: Field Medic

Field Medic (Class Feature, not a spell): As 1 action, touch a creature and restore 1d6 + WIS modifier HP. Uses per short rest: WIS modifier (minimum 2). This does not require a spell slot.

Special: This ability can be used during combat without provoking opportunity attacks from enemies adjacent to you (you've learned to work under fire). At Level 5, healing increases to 2d6 + WIS modifier. At Level 10, it increases to 3d6 + WIS modifier.

Level 1: Triage

Action Cost: Free action (at start of your turn) Range: 60 feet Effect: Your trained eye instantly assesses battlefield injuries. You learn the exact current HP of all visible allies within range. Additionally, you can identify which visible creatures are poisoned, diseased, or suffering from ongoing conditions (you see a faint shimmer around affected creatures).

Special: This is always active—you don't need to declare it. Your GM simply tells you ally HP totals when you ask.

Level 2: Emergency Stabilization

Action Cost: 1 action Range: Touch (5 feet) Effect: You can instantly stabilize a dying creature (0 HP and making death saves). The creature regains 1 hit point and is conscious but prone.

Special: This doesn't count against your Field Medic uses. You can do this even if you've exhausted other healing abilities. The creature gains 1 level of exhaustion (you shocked their system back to function—there are consequences).

Level 3: Combat Medic

Passive Feature Effect: You've trained to heal under fire. You gain the following benefits:

• Healing an ally with Field Medic or any healing spell doesn't provoke opportunity attacks from any enemies
• You can move up to half your speed while administering Field Medic (you work as you move)
• You have advantage on Medicine checks made during combat
• Allies you heal can immediately use their reaction to move 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks (you pull them to cover)

Level 4: Attribute Improvement

Increase one attribute by +2 or two attributes by +1 each (maximum 20).

Level 5: Miracle Worker (Capstone)

Action Cost: 1 action Range: Touch Frequency: 1/long rest Effect: You perform one of the following medical miracles:

Option 1 - Resurrection: Touch a creature that died within the last 1 minute. That creature returns to life with 1 hit point and 1 level of exhaustion. You cannot revive creatures that died of old age or are missing vital organs. The creature's soul must be willing to return.

Option 2 - Cure All: Touch one living creature. You immediately end ALL of the following conditions affecting them: diseased, poisoned, blinded, deafened, paralyzed, stunned. You can also neutralize one curse, remove one level of exhaustion, or cure one chronic condition (GM's discretion on what qualifies).

Special: This represents the peak of field medicine—part skill, part desperation, part miracle. Even in a world of magic, bringing someone back from death or curing the incurable is legendary.

Skill Trees

Trauma Surgery (Healing Power)

This tree focuses on raw healing capability and surgical intervention.

Tier 1 Abilities (5 AP each):

• Rapid Suture: Field Medic healing +1d6
• Pressure Points: Spend 1 action to grant one ally temporary HP = your WIS modifier + your level (lasts until next short rest)
• Painkiller Injection: When you heal an ally with Field Medic, they gain +2 to their next attack roll or saving throw

Tier 2 Abilities (10 AP each, requires one Tier 1):

• Mass Triage: Field Medic can now target up to 3 allies within 10 feet (roll healing once, each receives that amount)
• Surgical Precision: 1/short rest, perform a 10-minute surgery on a willing creature. Restore 2d8 + WIS modifier HP and remove one lingering wound or chronic condition
• Adrenaline Spike: When you use Field Medic on an ally at 0 HP, they gain +10 feet movement and advantage on their next attack (you flooded them with combat drugs)

Tier 3 Abilities (15 AP each, requires Level 5+ and one Tier 2):

• Battlefield Surgeon: You can use Field Medic as 1 action (bonus) (costs 1 action in 3-action economy, but only half your turn)
• Life Support: You can use Emergency Stabilization on allies at 1-5 HP to immediately restore them to half their max HP (1/long rest, emergency procedures)

Pharmacology (Crafting & Chemistry)

Master the creation of drugs, poisons, and chemical enhancements.

Tier 1 Abilities (5 AP each):

• Stimpack Crafter: During short rest, spend 1 hour and scavenged materials (DC 12 Science check) to create 1d4 stims (heal 1d8+2 HP when consumed as 1 action)
• Toxin Resistance: You have advantage on saves vs poison and disease. You can identify poisons/drugs by smell or taste (no check needed)
• Combat Stim: Craft combat enhancers. 1/short rest, inject an ally (1 action) to grant them +2 to attack rolls and +10ft speed for 1 minute (afterward, they suffer 1 level of exhaustion)

Tier 2 Abilities (10 AP each, requires one Tier 1):

• Poison Crafter: Craft poisons during downtime (1 hour, DC 14 Science check). Basic poison: 2d6 damage, DC 13 Fortitude save for half. Can coat one weapon or 3 ammo.
• Biochemical Analysis: Spend 10 minutes examining a substance. Learn its exact properties, effects, and any antidotes. You can reverse-engineer drugs you encounter.
• Enhanced Stimpacks: Your crafted stims now heal 2d8+4 HP, and you can craft them during short rest without a check (automatic success)

Tier 3 Abilities (15 AP each, requires Level 5+ and one Tier 2):

• Antidote Specialist: 1 action, touch an ally—immediately end one poisoned or diseased condition. Additionally, you can craft universal antidotes (1 hour, 50cr materials, works on any toxin)
• Performance Enhancers: Craft military-grade combat drugs. During rest, create doses that grant: +4 MIG/AGI/END for 10 minutes (pick one per dose). After effect ends, 2 levels of exhaustion. Dangerous but effective.

Field Support (Buffs & Condition Removal)

Keep your team fighting through protection and condition removal.

Tier 1 Abilities (5 AP each):

• Protective Injection: 1 action, touch ally—grant resistance to poison damage and advantage on Fortitude saves for 1 hour
• Cleansing Touch: When you use Field Medic, you can also remove one minor condition (prone, grappled, or 1 level of exhaustion)
• Shield of Vitality: 1 action, 2/short rest—target ally within 30ft gains temporary HP = 2 × your WIS modifier (lasts 10 minutes)

Tier 2 Abilities (10 AP each, requires one Tier 1):

• Greater Restoration: 1/short rest, spend 1 action to touch an ally and remove one major condition: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, or diseased
• Combat Awareness Protocol: All allies within 30ft of you gain +1 to DV (you're shouting warnings and tactical advice)
• Second Wind Injection: 1/short rest, touch an ally—they immediately regain HP = half their hit die + your WIS modifier, and can reroll their next failed saving throw

Tier 3 Abilities (15 AP each, requires Level 5+ and one Tier 2):

• Prevent Death: 1/long rest, when an ally within 30ft would drop to 0 HP, you can use your reaction to have them drop to 1 HP instead (you inject a last-resort stimpack from range)
• Mass Cure: 1/long rest, 1 action—all allies within 30ft regain 2d8 HP and end one condition of their choice affecting them

Magic: Half-Caster Progression

Medics are half-casters with access to healing and support magic. They learn the modular spell-crafting system but are restricted to cantrips with healing, protective, or support themes.

Spell Slot Progression

Spell Slot Recovery: Regain all expended spell slots on a long rest (1 week). During a short rest (8 hours), you can regain up to half your maximum slots (rounded down, minimum 1).

Cantrip Access

Medics start with 2 cantrips known. They can learn additional cantrips by spending 10 AP per cantrip.

Allowed Cantrip Themes:

• Healing (restore HP, stabilize, regeneration)
• Protection (shields, resistance, barriers)
• Support (buffs, condition removal, temporary HP)
• Diagnosis (detect disease, sense injuries, identify poisons)

Restricted: Medics cannot learn damage cantrips or offensive spells through their half-caster progression. If they want offensive magic, they must buy it separately with AP (same as non-casters: 15 AP per cantrip).

Spell Crafting

Medics use the modular spell-crafting system:

• Base Cantrip (Minor Heal, Shield, Cure, etc.)
• Delivery Shape (Touch, Ranged, Area, etc.)
• Effect Modifier (Increased healing, extra duration, condition removal, etc.)

The combination determines the final spell level and slot cost.

Example Crafted Spells:

• Minor Heal (cantrip) + Touch + Amplify (×2 effect) = 1st-level spell: Cure Wounds (2d8 healing, touch)
• Shield (cantrip) + Target Ally + Extended Duration = 1st-level spell: Shield of Faith (+2 DV, 10 minutes)
• Cure (cantrip) + Area (15ft radius) = 2nd-level spell: Mass Cure Minor Wounds (1d6 healing to all allies in area)

Sample AP Expenditures

Here's how a typical Medic might spend AP from Level 1-5:

Level 1 (10 AP total):

• Rapid Suture (Trauma Surgery Tier 1): 5 AP
• Remaining: 5 AP

Level 2 (20 AP total):

• Stimpack Crafter (Pharmacology Tier 1): 5 AP
• Protective Injection (Field Support Tier 1): 5 AP
• Remaining: 5 AP (saved)

Level 3 (30 AP total):

• Mass Triage (Trauma Surgery Tier 2): 10 AP
• Cleansing Touch (Field Support Tier 1): 5 AP
• Remaining: 10 AP

Level 4 (40 AP total):

• Greater Restoration (Field Support Tier 2): 10 AP
• Enhanced Stimpacks (Pharmacology Tier 2): 10 AP
• Remaining: 10 AP

Level 5 (50 AP total):

• Battlefield Surgeon (Trauma Surgery Tier 3): 15 AP
• Mass Cure (Field Support Tier 3): 15 AP
• Remaining: 10 AP (can save for later or buy cantrips)

Advanced Specializations (Levels 6-10)

At level 6, the Medic selects one of three Advanced Specializations. These specializations unlock new skill tree branches, powerful abilities, and define the Medic's role in the wasteland's ongoing struggle.

Field Surgeon (Healing Focus)

Flavor: Steady hands in the chaos. Field Surgeons can pull a bullet and stitch a wound while under fire. They are the lifeline of any squad, performing miracles with scalpel and suture where others see only death.

Prerequisites: Medic archetype, level 6

Level 6 Features:

• Surgical Precision: Your Field Medic healing die increases to 1d8+WIS (from the base Medic die). When you heal a creature, you can also remove one minor condition affecting them: poisoned, bleeding, or blinded.
• Triage Protocol: At the start of combat, as a free action, designate one ally within 60ft. They immediately gain temporary HP equal to your WIS modifier + proficiency bonus. This represents your rapid assessment and preventative care.

Level 8 Features:

• Emergency Surgery: You can spend 3 actions and one medical supply to perform emergency surgery on a creature you can touch. The target is healed for 4d8 + your WIS modifier and you remove one lingering injury that has been present for less than 24 hours. This ability can be used once per short rest.
• Adrenaline Injection: As 1 action, you can inject an ally with a powerful stimulant. The target gains advantage on all saving throws and +10ft movement speed for 1 minute. Usable once per short rest.

Level 10 Capstone:

• Lazarus Protocol: Once per long rest, you can perform a 1-minute medical procedure to revive a creature that has been dead for no more than 10 minutes. The creature returns to life with 1 HP and 3 levels of exhaustion. Alternatively, you can touch a living creature and heal them completely, restoring all lost HP, removing all conditions, and curing one lingering injury.

New Skill Tree: Surgery (advanced healing techniques, lingering injury treatment, condition removal, revival procedures)

Pharmacist (Buffs/Drugs/Chemistry)

Flavor: Better living through chemistry. Pharmacists brew stims, combat drugs, poisons, and powerful concoctions from wasteland flora and pre-war chemical stockpiles. They believe every problem has a chemical solution.

Prerequisites: Medic archetype, level 6

Level 6 Features:

• Combat Stimulants (Class Feature): As 1 action (bonus), grant an ally within 30 feet temporary HP equal to 1d8 + WIS modifier and +2 DV for 1 minute. Uses per short rest: WIS modifier (minimum 1). This is NOT the same as using a stim item. During a short rest, you can also craft a number of combat stimulant doses equal to your WIS modifier.
• Antidote: As 1 action, you can touch a creature and end one poison or disease affecting them. You can use this ability once per short rest for free; additional uses require expending one medical supply.

Level 8 Features:

• Formula: Berserker Juice: You've perfected a volatile combat enhancer. When injected (1 action), the target gains +1d4 damage to all attacks, resistance to physical damage (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing), and cannot be frightened. The effect lasts 1 minute, after which the target gains 2 levels of exhaustion. Requires one medical supply per dose.
• Formula: Clearwater: You can create a cognitive enhancement serum. When injected (1 action), the target gains advantage on all INT, WIS, and PRE checks and saves for 1 hour with no side effects. You can craft one dose per long rest.

Level 10 Capstone:

• Masterwork Serum: Once per long rest, during any rest period, you can craft one masterwork serum. Choose one effect: +2 to any one attribute score for 24 hours, immunity to one damage type of your choice for 1 hour, or regeneration of 1d4 HP per round for 10 minutes (concentration not required).

New Skill Tree: Chemistry (drug crafting, poison synthesis, performance enhancers, chemical weapons, refinement techniques)

Plague Doctor (Poison/Disease/Debuff)

Flavor: They know death intimately — and they've learned to weaponize it. Plague Doctors wield diseases, toxins, and biological terror as their arsenal. Behind their masks, they are scholars of mortality itself.

Prerequisites: Medic archetype, level 6

Level 6 Features:

• Toxic Strike: Once per turn when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can add 1d6 poison damage. The target must make a Fortitude save (DC = 8 + WIS + proficiency) or become poisoned for 1 minute. They can repeat the save at the end of each of their turns.
• Plague Mask: You are immune to disease and have advantage on saving throws against poison. You can diagnose any disease or poison by examining a patient or substance for 1 action, learning its nature, effects, and potential cures.

Level 8 Features:

• Miasma: As 1 action, you create a 15ft radius cloud of toxic gas centered on a point you can see within 30ft. Creatures in the area when it appears take 2d6 poison damage and must make a Fortitude save (DC = 8 + WIS + proficiency) or become poisoned. The cloud persists for 1 minute (concentration required) and provides half cover. Usable once per short rest.
• Weaken Constitution: As 1 action, target one creature within 30ft. They must make a Fortitude save (DC = 8 + WIS + proficiency) or suffer -2 to all saving throws for 1 minute. They can repeat the save at the end of each turn.

Level 10 Capstone:

• Outbreak: Once per long rest, you can touch a creature and infect them with a virulent disease, making them Patient Zero. At the end of each of their turns, all creatures within 10ft of Patient Zero must make a Fortitude save (DC 18) or take 3d6 necrotic damage and become carriers themselves for 1 minute. The disease spreads from carriers to other creatures in the same way. You and designated allies (up to your WIS modifier) are immune to this disease.

New Skill Tree: Contagion (disease vectors, advanced toxicology, area denial tactics, debilitating biological effects, biological warfare)

Level 16: Miracle Medicine (Archetype Ultimate)

Your medical expertise borders on the supernatural. Your Field Medic ability now heals 3d8 + WIS modifier HP. You can stabilize dying creatures within 30ft without touching them (requires line of sight and 1 action (bonus)). Whenever you heal an ally, you may also remove one condition (blinded, deafened, poisoned, frightened, or stunned) from them.

Level 17: Specialization Final Evolution

Field Surgeon — Trauma Specialist

Your healing abilities no longer provoke opportunity attacks. You can perform Surgery in 10 minutes (instead of 1 hour). Your Surgery ability can now restore lost limbs and cure diseases. Creatures you bring back from 0 HP gain temporary HP equal to your WIS modifier + proficiency bonus.

Pharmacist — Pharmacological Mastery

You can create advanced stims and drugs in 1 hour (instead of 8). Your stims have double duration. You gain immunity to poison and disease. Once per long rest, you can create a miracle drug: one dose that removes all exhaustion, cures all diseases, and grants advantage on all rolls for 1 hour.

Plague Doctor — Battle Healer

You can heal and attack in the same turn. When you heal an ally, that ally can immediately make a weapon attack as a free action. You gain proficiency with all weapons and medium armor. Your healing abilities can target yourself without disadvantage or penalty.

Level 20: Phoenix Protocol (Apex Ability)

Once per long rest (1 week)

You channel the ultimate healing power—the ability to resurrect life from death and restore any injury. This is your magnum opus.

Effects:

• Touch one creature (requires 1 action)
• The creature is immediately restored to full HP
• All conditions, diseases, poisons, curses, and lingering injuries are removed
• All levels of exhaustion are removed
• The creature gains advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws for 1 minute
• If the creature is dead (deceased within the last 1 hour): they return to life at full HP with all the above benefits

Drawback: The life force required for Phoenix Protocol is immense. You immediately gain 4 levels of exhaustion after using this ability. You may collapse immediately after saving someone's life—consider this carefully.