Doctor Persona

By HernerJade, in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG

Hello everyone, so the next few weeks I'll be visiting friends and one is currently running an EotE campaign and said I could jump it. He said the balance of the group is such that it could use a doctor, so I've come up with two different character concepts and I just can't decide which one to go with.

The first idea is a spiritual healer from a tribal background. This character was raised to be a medicine man for his people, using chants, prayers, and herbs to heal his people. He learned of the chief's plan to do some illicit business that would be bad for the tribe and killed him before he could enact the evil deeds. Of course he was banished for his crimes before he could defend himself. He has now traveled the galaxy and learned the miracles of modern medicine, but still uses his tribal techniques as efficiently as ever (for a typical medicine check, he won't just bandage up the wound and call it a day, he would chant and pray the pain away and it would just work. Could it be the force or some other magic? Who knows, plus certain herbs and salves would "count as" a stimpack for example) He would roleplay as a very calm and caring healer, but at times of stress would unleash his inner demons that were responsible for bringing down his old chieftain. I'm thinking either Twi'lek or Duros with proper reasonings why.

The second idea is a gruff old Mon Calamari doctor who served during the Clone Wars as a medic on the battle of Mon Calamari and beyond. He was in private practice until the Empire came along, and joined the Rebellion for a little bit, but after seeing the occupation of his planet and the death of too many good kids against such a powerful force, he left the Rebellion, thinking it was a foolish game to fight against such a powerful military might. He's seen war and knows this one is far from over, and even with the destruction of the Death Star he thinks "there'll just be another galaxy wide war in thirty years time, you watch. It's the way of this blasted galaxy." Ever the cynic, he's very sarcastic to any one he treats, Like in the party if someone needs healing or a stimpack it would be like him to say "maybe if you had better reflexes the blaster would've missed ya," and if he gets hit he would just yell, "I'm old damnit." (He would be similar in role play to McCoy from Star Trek, with the sarcasm side) This character would be old too, like 57-60 something while the spiritual healer would be 30.

So what do you think? Which one sounds more fun to roleplay as? I need help making a decision. Thanks

Go the old Medic, sounds fun!

I like the tribal idea, and how you re-skin gear like stimpaks to fit with flavor.

Old curmudgeons are always more fun! They have the ultimate argument of more experience (even if that doesn't apply to ingame XP) so go for that!

I like them both. I modeled my doctor off of Hawkeye Pierce from MASH. I think using a popularcharacter for inspiration is a great for you to get in character and also for the other players to quickly get to know who your character is. That might be a really good thing since you're only joining this group for a few weeks. Also makes it easy to remember once you've returned home. I like both ideas but I'd go with the old mon cal.

I like them both. I modeled my doctor off of Hawkeye Pierce from MASH. I think using a popularcharacter for inspiration is a great for you to get in character and also for the other players to quickly get to know who your character is. That might be a really good thing since you're only joining this group for a few weeks. Also makes it easy to remember once you've returned home. I like both ideas but I'd go with the old mon cal.

I agree with you. We had a Ghostbusters game recently and my brother played a new recruit for the german Ghostbusters we play. (Info we play in the year 1999). He was a janitor in the Reichstag and very cross about all those communist ghosts who invaded it during the 10 year celebration of the fall of the wall. He modeled him after the janitor from scrubs. It was hi-lar-ous! We couldn't stop laughing especially since he always squinted exactly like the janitor on the show! Since Ghostbusters is comedy horror this worked exceptionally well.

The same applies to Star Wars, my corellians is modeled after Clint Eastwood's man with no name.

(Addendum: My brother later wiped the ghost of Erich Honecker into the ghost trap with his mob. How'd he do that? He reasoned since he's a good catholic and wants to see some holy influence on his government he would always wipe the floor with holy water. I let it slide (I'm the Ghostmaster there) since it was funny and because I had planned to introduce the Ghost of Bismarck who haunts his old hunting grounds and he has some history with catholics. He was not amused, but at least his haunting ground was now free of those darn communists!)

I modeled my doctor off of Hawkeye Pierce from MASH.

Your parents are raising you right.

That is all.

Edited by kaosoe

To be perfectly honest the two concepts are loosely based on tv show doctors/healers who I wanted to emulate. The old guy was going to be a more cynical and moody McCoy from Star Trek, while the healer would be like Zhaan from the Farscape series.

This discussion has definitely helped in me making a decision, I'll have it narrowed down by tomorrow night lol

If you want to go the mystic healer route, Force and Destiny has the Consular/Healer spec and the Heal Force power, both of which would be right up your alley. If your group isn't using books outside of EotE, maybe go with the Mon Cal and save the shaman for later. I recommend Ewoks.

Edited by The Grand Falloon

I modeled my doctor off of Hawkeye Pierce from MASH.

Your parents are raising you right.

That is all.

I agree! But MASH was my grandmother's influence.

To be perfectly honest the two concepts are loosely based on tv show doctors/healers who I wanted to emulate. The old guy was going to be a more cynical and moody McCoy from Star Trek, while the healer would be like Zhaan from the Farscape series.

This discussion has definitely helped in me making a decision, I'll have it narrowed down by tomorrow night lol

If it matters at all, I can name episodes of Star Trek episodes like balance of terror, city on the edge of forever, plato's stepchildren, spock's brain (omg). Until this very moment, I had never heard of farscape.

To be perfectly honest the two concepts are loosely based on tv show doctors/healers who I wanted to emulate. The old guy was going to be a more cynical and moody McCoy from Star Trek, while the healer would be like Zhaan from the Farscape series.

This discussion has definitely helped in me making a decision, I'll have it narrowed down by tomorrow night lol

If it matters at all, I can name episodes of Star Trek episodes like balance of terror, city on the edge of forever, plato's stepchildren, spock's brain (omg). Until this very moment, I had never heard of farscape.

Your family sure has done well, Firefly I hope too?

I wanted to put House M.D. in a game but I never did

To be perfectly honest the two concepts are loosely based on tv show doctors/healers who I wanted to emulate. The old guy was going to be a more cynical and moody McCoy from Star Trek, while the healer would be like Zhaan from the Farscape series.

This discussion has definitely helped in me making a decision, I'll have it narrowed down by tomorrow night lol

If it matters at all, I can name episodes of Star Trek episodes like balance of terror, city on the edge of forever, plato's stepchildren, spock's brain (omg). Until this very moment, I had never heard of farscape.

Your family sure has done well, Firefly I hope too?

To be perfectly honest the two concepts are loosely based on tv show doctors/healers who I wanted to emulate. The old guy was going to be a more cynical and moody McCoy from Star Trek, while the healer would be like Zhaan from the Farscape series.

This discussion has definitely helped in me making a decision, I'll have it narrowed down by tomorrow night lol

If it matters at all, I can name episodes of Star Trek episodes like balance of terror, city on the edge of forever, plato's stepchildren, spock's brain (omg). Until this very moment, I had never heard of farscape.

Your family sure has done well, Firefly I hope too?

Yes and no. It came out too late or my dad to have it on the list of movies and shows I had to see whIle I could. It isn't currently available with descriptive audio. My dad loved the series and has played narrator for me but there are a lot of reasons why that seems never to do a show justice. Sadly, Firefly is just visual enough that it is hard to follow and really enjoy without good narration.

If the only books weren't comic books, i'm sure I would read them!!

I modeled my doctor off of Hawkeye Pierce from MASH.

Young woman, I used the very same inspiration for my doctor in the Star Wars Galaxies MMO. I would call you a genius but that would be self-serving and I'm above such...

Actually, never mind. You're a genius.