
The biologist stares, mouth agape at the sample under the microscope, which seems to regenerate faster than anything they have ever seen before in their life. A psychologist listens patiently to the former soldier who talks energetically about his recent family get-together – a family which the psychologist knows from the patient’s file, does not exist. The surgeon, blood on his hands, works tirelessly to keep the one person alive who might be able to get them out of the cave they both find themselves trapped within.
Physicians are responsible for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of not only Equinox’s members but also the public which they seek to protect. Faced with challenges that fall outside the usual scope of their practice, they have to adapt on the fly and work closely with researchers to find solutions – lest lives be unnecessarily put in jeopardy.
Examples of characters who fulfil the physician role in fiction include:
- Doctor Owen Harper (Torchwood);
- Doctor Jemma Simmons (Agents of Shield);
- Doctor Abraham Van Helsing (Dracula);
- Doctor Alan Hill (Until Dawn); and
- Doctor Gregory House (House TV Series).
Class Skill: Lifesaver
The character can carry out emergency care on another individual who is bleeding out. The individual must be human with the procedure taking thirty seconds to carry out. For the avoidance of doubt, all paranaturals for the sake of this skill are presumed human unless they have the Alien Biology background.
During this period the character’s bleed out timer is paused and the character cannot be moved in any capacity. Once one minute has passed the character will be brought back to consciousness and will be considered ‘Wounded’. You can also spend five uninterrupted minutes worth of roleplay to bring a location to full hits.
LARP safe medical equipment required to use this skill will be provided by the Game Team and clearly labelled as such at the event.
Specialisations
Physicians can take one of the following specialisations below:
Alien Biologist
Whether a trained veterinarian or simply passionate about cryptozoology, your character is an expert in managing a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals and paranatural entities of an alien persuasion. Your character can:
- In relation to non-human entities, your character can:
- Use the ‘Lifesaver’ Class Skill;
- Observe an entity for one minute without distraction to identify any unusual behaviour or traits which might not be readily apparent; and
- With a period of appropriate roleplay, carry out an autopsy on a deceased or unresisting alien entity to determine information relevant to the creature’s biology.
- Safely collect samples from dead non-humanoid bodies for use in Research; and
- Once an Act strike for Stun with a melee weapon. The character is also considered to be trained in the use of Stun Guns but does not start play with one of these.
Take this specialisation if you want to be able to heal or stabilise non-human entities or creatures. You may also enjoy watching these creatures in the field to determine their weaknesses or carrying out investigations into the biology of paranatural creatures and entities.
Cognitive Psychologist
Your character is a specialist in treating issues relating to human mental processes including sensory and memory issues. Your character is able to identify any conditions which affect a character’s senses and memories and may be able to treat them (or identify alternative means of resolving these). The character is also a rare individual in Equinox who knows how to identify, safely use and apply amnestics (drugs that induce memory loss) and mnestics (drugs that enhance a user’s memory) – both of which are heavily controlled substances. To summarise your character can:
- After a period of appropriate roleplay with an individual, you may read any Condition Cards with the “Amnestic” or “Mnestic” trait that another character may have. Alternatively this answer may be given to you via a member of the Game Team;
- Apply an amnestic or mnestic to unresisting person or entity;
- Identify and administer treatment for individuals under the effects of amnestics or mnestics; and
- With five minutes contemplation, identify if they themselves are under the effects of an Amnestic or Mnestic but cannot resolve this condition themselves unless the Mental Condition Card says so.
Take this specialisation if you want to be able to be able to provide assistance to characters suffering from issues relating to their memories or senses. Similarly you may enjoy playing this character if you want to delve into the memories of others or assist in the continued cover-up of the paranatural. Please note that use of amnestics and mnestics is heavily monitored by members of the Game Team to prevent attendees from using these in a manner which is against The Equinox Institute’s policies.
Toxicologist
Your character is an expert on poisons, venoms and other chemical substances which have adverse effects on others. People come to you for guidance on how to identify, prepare and wield these dangerous substances. Your character can:
- After a period of appropriate roleplay with an individual, you may read any Condition Cards with the “Toxic” trait that another character may have. Alternatively this answer may be given to you via a Game Team member;
- With five minutes of contemplation, also identify if they themselves are under the effects of a Condition Card with the “Toxic” trait;
- Where appropriate, identify toxic substances and the best means of treatment (if any) if the toxin is known to your character;
- Apply an appropriate adverse chemical substance to a weapon or object. This can be used by you or by another character where they have had a period of appropriate roleplay guiding the individual on how best to apply the substance; and
- Identify, safely use and administer all forms of Antitoxins and Tranquilisers.
Take this specialisation if you want to be able to identify potentially harmful substances and the means of treating them. You may also want to take this speciality if you want to use toxic substances or guide others in their use. Please note that this ability does not give the character the ability to create poisons. Poisons can be obtained by Intelligence Analysts or created by Researchers with the appropriate skills but are not commonly available and may take time/resources to obtain. Please bear this in mind when taking this skill.
Pathologist
Andromeda. Captain Trips. The Red Death. Myths, legends and stories are full of diseases that strike down humanity with ease. To the uninitiated these are merely fictional but the pathologists of Equinox know not only do paranatural diseases exist but that they can be far stranger than any traditional disease. Your character is an expert on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all manner of diseases and infections. Your character can:
- After a period of appropriate roleplay with an individual, you may read any Condition Cards with the “Disease” trait that another character may have. Alternatively this answer may be given to you via a Game Team member;
- With five minutes of contemplation, also identify if they themselves are under the effects of a Condition Card with the “Disease” trait;
- Where appropriate, identify diseases and the best means of treatment (if any) if the disease is known to your character; and
- Identify, safely use and administer Antibacterial and Antiviral
Take this specialisation if you want to be able to identify illnesses and infections and find methods of treating and curing these. You are also able to use all forms of medication except amnestics and mnestics making it useful for assisting and helping other physicians specialising in triage and surgery.
Trauma Expertise
Your character has extensive experience managing and treating traumatic injuries. Your character can:
- After a period of appropriate roleplay with an individual, you may read any Condition Cards with the “Physical Trauma” trait that another character may have. Alternatively this answer may be given to you via a Game Team member;
- Carry out surgery to resolve Condition Cards with the “Physical Trauma” traits;
- Always tell if they are effected by a Condition Card with the “Physical Trauma” trait; and
- Identify, safely use and administer Analgesics (aka Painkillers).
Take this specialisation if you want to specialise in healing or managing the worst physical injuries a character can receive during the course of the game – making you invaluable to Equinox and its membership.
Counselling Psychologist
Working for a secret organisation is stressful enough, let alone one which deals with the strange and the occult. Equinox understands these difficulties and accordingly, employs some of the world’s most experienced or renowned therapists to offer support to its staff. You are one such counsellor. After at least five minutes of appropriate, one to one roleplay with an individual character, your character can:
- After a period of appropriate roleplay with an individual, you may read any Condition Cards with the “Psychological” trait that another character may have. Alternatively this answer may be given to you via a Game Team member;
- Where appropriate, identify the best means of treatment (if any) for a Condition Card with the “Psychological” Trait;
- Three times per Act you may grant another character the ability to ignore the effects of a Condition Card with the “Psychological” Trait for five minutes during the course of the current Act; and
- With five minutes contemplation, identify if they themselves are under the effects of a Condition Card with the “Psychological” Trait .
Take this specialisation if you want to be able to help other characters overcome and deal with the stresses of working for a secret organisation. You may also enjoy investigating strange paranatural influences on the human mind or taking on a supportive role with deep interpersonal roleplay with other characters as the focus.
Mortician
Interacting with the paranatural is always risky and more people end up dead as a result of it than Equinox would like to admit. Your character is someone who is usually called upon after the fact to investigate those deaths which are unnatural, violent or where the cause of death is unknown. The character can
- With a period of appropriate roleplay carry out an autopsy on a deceased humanoid entity to determine:
- How that humanoid died (for example how many stab wounds a victim suffered);
- Whether the humanoid was suffering from any other physical injuries prior to their death;
- Whether the humanoid was under the effect of any substance or disease which may have led to their impairment and death; and
- The approximate time at which the death took place.
- Safely collect samples from dead humanoid bodies for use in Research; and
- Once per Act, the Mortician may call resist to any Condition Cards with either the “Disease” or “Psychological” traits.
Take this specialisation if you enjoy undertaking in-depth investigations primarily through interacting with dead bodies. You may also enjoy taking this role if you want to be in the field, assisting others in the removal of dead bodies and being somewhat more resilient to the more horrific elements of Equinox’s work.