Trauma Medic

Overview

The Trauma Medic is Rifts' wasteland trauma specialist — the doctor who treats wounds, manages disease, and keeps people alive without the cybernetic-installation focus that defines a Chopper. Where a Chopper installs metal limbs, a Trauma Medic stitches flesh wounds, sets broken bones, treats infections, and dispenses pharmaceuticals. They are the party's emergency medical specialist — the character who can stabilize a dying ally in combat and run a clinic in downtime.

Trauma Medics in canon are practical, often weary, and tend to keep their hands clean. They range from formally trained Federation medics to wasteland traveling doctors who treat refugees and farmers for whatever payment can be arranged. Some Trauma Medics operate alongside or in opposition to Choppers — one heals flesh, the other installs metal — sometimes in the same clinic dividing the work, sometimes as competitors arguing over whether a patient should keep their natural limb or accept a cybernetic replacement.

The Trauma Medic is moderately combat-relevant — more so than a Chopper, less than a martial class. Its combat value is keeping allies alive; its downtime value is standard medical care without the cyberware focus. The class's identity comes from its medical Specializations, with Field Triage as the signature.

At a glance

Class features by level

Sub-Specs

Wasteland Doctor

• L1: Folk medicine specialization, Nature-related ailment bonus.
• L7 Greater: identify and prepare a wasteland remedy (spend 2 Clinic Reserve).
• L15 Master: Wasteland Cure-All — universal remedy.

Combat Medic

• L1: Field Triage as a 1-action activity, military background.
• L7 Greater: Field Triage loses its 10-minute per-creature cooldown; Combat Heal available.
• L15 Master: Combat Heal as a free action, 1/round, usable on multiple allies.

Holistic Healer

• L1: Anti-cyberware focus. Bonus to Surgery on non-cybered patients; reduced effectiveness on cybered patients.
• L7 Greater: Restoration of Spirit ritual.
• L15 Master: Restoration of Spirit usable without long-rest limit.

Class feats

Class feats available at each feat level — you gain one at every even level, and can always pick a feat of your level or lower.

Level 1

• Skill Specialist. Gain an additional Specialization.
• Field Tools. +1 status bonus to checks made with field medical kits, surgical instruments, and pharmaceutical equipment.
• Bedside Manner. +1 status to Diplomacy and Medicine checks involving patient interaction.
• Quick Triage. Once per round, you can use Field Triage as a single action instead of two when targeting an adjacent ally.

Level 2

• Battlefield Stabilizer. Trigger: an ally within 30 ft is reduced to 0 HP. That ally immediately becomes stable.
• Field Medic. You can use Field Triage at a range of 15 ft (a tossed kit and shouted instructions) instead of by touch.
• Combat Stims. Once per round. Administer a stimulant to yourself or an adjacent ally, granting temporary Hit Points equal to your level (until the start of your next turn) or a +1 status bonus to their next saving throw.

Level 4

• Trauma Specialist (Combat Medic only). Field Triage gains a +1 status bonus to healing rolls. Stabilize Critical restores the target to HP 1 + Medicine proficiency × 2.
• Folk Remedy (Wasteland Doctor only). Pharmaceutical synthesis can use locally foraged ingredients (Nature check at −2 DC to find appropriate plants/animals).
• Restorative Touch. Once per round, perform a 1-action Combat Heal that restores HP equal to your Medicine proficiency × 1d4. Independent of normal Combat Heal frequency.

Level 6

• Greater Field Triage. Your Field Triage heals 1 additional die and removes one additional mild condition.
• Triage Priority. Your Trauma Triage bonus increases to +2, and creatures you assess with it gain fast healing 2 for 1 minute (or until they return to full HP).
• Antitoxin Expert. Attempt a Medicine check against an adjacent creature's poison, disease, or persistent-damage effect; on a success, reduce that condition's value (or the persistent damage) by 1 step.

Level 8

• Mass Triage. Your Trauma Triage affects all wounded creatures in a 60-ft area (vs. 5 creatures in 30 ft). Useful for large encounters.
• Holistic Mastery (Holistic only). Restoration of Spirit can substitute for one major Cure Disease or Major Surgery activity, treating the equivalent condition.
• Field Surgeon. In combat, perform emergency surgery on an adjacent wounded or dying ally: restore Hit Points equal to (2 × your class level + WIS modifier) and remove one serious condition. You can't use it on the same creature again until 10 minutes pass.

Level 10

• Battlefield Resuscitate. Trigger: an adjacent ally dies. Attempt a Medicine check (DC = 20 + the creature's level); on a success, the ally is restored to 1 Hit Point and stabilized. Usable once per 10 minutes.
• Triage Sweep. Apply Field Triage to every ally within 15 ft at once (roll once, apply to each). The per-creature cooldown applies to each as normal.
• Pharmacological Edge. Once per round. Administer a prepared compound to an adjacent ally: until the start of your next turn they gain a +1 status bonus to attack rolls, AC, or saves (your choice), or you remove their fatigued condition.

Level 12

• Field Hospital. You can convert your Clinic into a Field Hospital, treating up to 10 patients simultaneously in 1 hour of work. The hour of work is the limiter; no daily cap.
• Cross-Class Surgery. Your Surgery Specialization can perform Chopper-level cyberware adjustments without full installation — minor cyber-mods, replacement of malfunctioning cyber-eyes, and similar. Brings the Trauma Medic slightly into Chopper territory.
• Master Triage. Your Field Triage's per-creature cooldown is removed, and it restores the maximum value of its dice.

Level 14

• Battlefield Sanctuary. Designate a 15-ft area within 30 ft; until the start of your next turn, allies in it gain fast healing equal to half your level and a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws. You can Sustain it each round.
• Trauma Surgeon. Your in-combat heals can restore a dying ally to consciousness without the usual recovery check, and remove the wounded condition from any ally you heal to full.
• Greater Antitoxin. You are immune to disease and poison, and your Antitoxin Expert can cleanse two conditions on an ally with a single action.

Level 16

• Master of Wounds. Field Triage and Combat Heal heal additional HP equal to 2d6 + Medicine proficiency. Independent of standard scaling.
• Living Sanctuary. Your Clinic gains a reputation as a sanctuary — combatants generally won't pursue the wounded into your Clinic. A reputation-based class feature with narrative weight.
• Miracle Medic. Usable once per 10 minutes. As a 2-action activity, restore an ally to full Hit Points and remove all conditions of value 1 or 2 affecting them.

Level 18

• Mass Resuscitation. Your Resuscitation Ritual can revive multiple creatures at once, and your Battlefield Resuscitate can target any ally who dropped this combat (not only an adjacent one).
• Deployable Field Hospital. You can establish a Field Hospital anywhere in 10 minutes (no facility required); allies who rest within it recover Hit Points rapidly and remove one lingering condition.
• Master Healer. Your Field Triage, Combat Heal, and Field Surgeon restore the maximum value of their dice plus your level, and their per-creature cooldowns are removed.

Level 20

• Perfect Resuscitation. Your revives and Instant Resuscitation work on creatures dead up to 24 hours and no longer require their material cost.
• Avatar of Mercy. 1-minute activity. You radiate a healing field: allies within 30 ft gain fast healing equal to your level and immunity to the frightened condition, and once per round you can restore a fallen ally within 30 ft to consciousness as a free action.
• Living Legend Medic. Your healer's reputation is legendary; your Clinic's capstone abilities function anywhere, and your Field Triage and stabilization can reach any ally within 60 ft.

Where the class fits the scene

Combat

• Field Triage is a real in-combat support tool (revive downed allies, heal active allies).
• The Combat Medic Sub-Spec excels in combat.
• Combat output is low; the Trauma Medic is a healer, not a damage dealer.

Downtime

• The Trauma Medic is the party's primary medical specialist for non-cyberware concerns.
• Sub-Spec features (Wasteland Cure-All, Restoration of Spirit, Resuscitation Ritual) become major plot tools at high level.

Spotlight situations

• Trauma-heavy / combat-medic-heavy campaigns: the Trauma Medic is central. Field Triage keeps the party alive.
• Disease-heavy / wilderness-heavy campaigns: the Wasteland Doctor Sub-Spec excels.
• Anti-cyberware / restoration campaigns: the Holistic Healer Sub-Spec fits perfectly.
• Combat-heavy without medical complexity: the Trauma Medic plays as a moderate support character.