So I decided to branch out this time and steal a feat. I must say, I feel really good about it. This is another translation from my old friend, D&D Wiki.
Here’s the original. Below, you’ll find what I’ve done with it.
New Feat: Doctor
Your passion for healing has led you down the path of the physician. Having completed rigorous schooling, you are now a qualified and well-vetted doctor.
Prerequisite: Any Good, 4+ ranks in Heal, must swear by the Hippocratic Oath*
Benefit: See below
Special: If you ever stop qualifying for this feat, you lose it’s benefit until you are able to sufficiently atone.
The bonuses associated with the Doctor feat are based on HD. All abilities are cumulative.
1-5 HD: Your ongoing medical training grants you a +2 training bonus to all Heal, Craft checks related to medical supplies, and Profession (Doctor) checks. You also acquire the honorific title, Dr. (Your name here)
6-10 HD: Your ongoing medical training grants you a +2 training bonus to all Heal, Craft checks related to medical supplies, and Profession (Doctor) checks 11-15 HD: Your ongoing medical training grants you a +2 training bonus to all Heal, Craft checks related to medical supplies, and Profession (Doctor) checks.
16-20 HD: Due to your extensive medical experience, whenever you roll a Heal Skill check, you roll 2 d20s and keep the better result.
21 or more HD: Your extensive anatomical knowledge grants you an expanded critical hit range (+1) with melee attacks.
*The full translation of the Hippocratic Oath, per Wikipedia.
I swear by Apollo Physician, by Asclepius, by Hygieia, by Panacea, and by all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will carry out, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture.
To hold my teacher in this art equal to my own parents; to make him partner in my livelihood; when he is in need of money to share mine with him; to consider his family as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they want to learn it, without fee or indenture; to impart precept, oral instruction, and all other instruction to my own sons, the sons of my teacher, and to indentured pupils who have taken the physician’s oath, but to nobody else.
I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but never with a view to injury and wrong-doing. Neither will I administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a course. Similarly I will not give to a woman a pessary to cause abortion. But I will keep pure and holy both my life and my art. I will not use the knife, not even, verily, on sufferers from stone, but I will give place to such as are craftsmen therein.
Into whatsoever houses I enter, I will enter to help the sick, and I will abstain from all intentional wrong-doing and harm, especially from abusing the bodies of man or woman, bond or free. And whatsoever I shall see or hear in the course of my profession, as well as outside my profession in my intercourse with men, if it be what should not be published abroad, I will never divulge, holding such things to be holy secrets.
Now if I carry out this oath, and break it not, may I gain for ever reputation among all men for my life and for my art; but if I break it and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.
If for no other reason than brevity alone, I would probably shorten it down to “I swear by (whichever deity’s name here)” and then skip to the “Into whatsoever houses I enter,” part. By all means, twist, tweak and change it to fit your game. Just make sure that it’s appropriately restrictive. These are some pretty sweet bonuses, after all.
It’s up to the DM to determine exactly what the Oath means in your game and what will be expected of characters that take this feat.
Enjoy!
-L. Doderman (just remembered, it’s time for my annual check-up!)
