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Medicine (Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition)

Skills

Definition

Medicine represents comprehensive medical knowledge—diagnosis, treatment, surgery, pharmacology, and long-term patient care. Unlike First Aid (which handles immediate emergencies), Medicine covers the full scope of medical practice. In Call of Cthulhu, Medicine is invaluable for treating serious injuries, diagnosing mysterious illnesses, performing autopsies, and identifying poisons. In the 1920s, medicine is advancing rapidly but still lacks antibiotics and many modern treatments. A doctor investigator brings both healing capability and forensic expertise to the group. Medical knowledge also helps identify unusual causes of death that might point to Mythos involvement.

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How it works

**Base Value**: 1% **Key Uses**: - Treating serious injuries and illness - Performing surgery - Conducting autopsies and forensic analysis - Identifying poisons and drugs **Special Rules**: Medicine restores 1d3 HP when treating wounds (compared to First Aid's 1 HP). Can only be used after First Aid or instead of it. Surgery may be required for major injuries. Successful Medicine rolls can also diagnose mysterious conditions.

Tips

**Build Advice**: Having one investigator with strong Medicine dramatically improves the group's survivability. Essential for longer campaigns. **Occupation Synergies**: Pairs with First Aid for complete medical coverage, Science (Biology/Chemistry) for understanding poisons and diseases, and Psychology for understanding mental conditions. **Character Concepts**: Doctor, surgeon, nurse, medical examiner, paramedic, pharmacist.

Frequently asked questions

How does Medicine differ from First Aid?

First Aid is emergency care (1 HP, within 1 hour). Medicine is comprehensive treatment (1d3 HP, ongoing care). First Aid stabilizes; Medicine heals. Many injuries require First Aid first, then Medicine for recovery.

Can Medicine identify Mythos-related conditions?

Medicine can identify that symptoms don't match known diseases, that injuries have unusual characteristics, or that a death has no conventional explanation. It won't identify Mythos causes specifically, but it flags anomalies.

Further Reading

First AidPsychoanalysisAll CoC7e Skills
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