Topic: First Aid vs. Medical Practice

[E-Warden]

Medical Practice says it can treat injuries among other things. What can First Aid do that Medical Practice cannot do? I would assume a medical practitioner could stop bleeding and the like...
Thanks

[pyrotech]

I look forward to seeing a somewhat official answer to this.

There seems to be two schools of thought on this issue in my gaming group.

1)  First Aid is the emergency treatment of injury.  It is the skill used to minimize shock and bleeding and keep someone alive long enough for someone else to fix the real damage.  Medical Practice is the skill to actually fix the damage.  An emergency room doctor would have lots of both skills.

2)  First Aid is a small subset of Medical Practice in the more accessible General category.  Medical Practice can do everything First Aid can and more.

I can see both ways, but I would hazard towards interpetation 1 for purposes of game mechanics.

Regards,

[markc]

I have an analogy that applies to RMSS/FRP if you are interested but not an official HARP stance or an official stance that I can remember right off the top of my head. So Nicholas H M Caldwell is going to be your source on this question (unless you want my analogy from RMSS that may aid you in the short term)
MDC

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

First Aid does the emergency fixup: 
"This is a character’s skill in performing emergency medical
treatment and using appropriate rapid-acting medications. First
Aid can be used to stop bleeding, relieve pain, set broken bones,
and stabilize patients who have suffered fatal injuries."

Medical Practice has a greater breadth and depth:
"Medical Practice is the diagnosis, study, and treatment of illnesses,
injuries, poisons and diseases. It includes the ability to accurately
prescribe suitable medications in proper doses to treat physical
and psychological conditions – failures in drug therapies can lead
to addiction, harmful side-effects, or even death in some extreme
circumstances.
Medical Practice also covers surgical procedures, both therapeutic
and elective (e.g. cosmetic)."

Some HARP SF equipment can be used with either First Aid or Medical Practice. In such cases, Medical Practice will have a lower maneuver difficulty because its practitioners know more. Some HARP SF equipment is only usable with Medical Practice.

Characters need both skills.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[pyrotech]

I hadn't remembered that some of the medical gear uses First Aid.  Thanks Nicholas!

Taking a look at which medical items in HARP S-F that require First Aid and not Medical Practice I see the following:

Catalysis Bandage (all three of them)
Instant Cast
Instant Splint
Life Support Unit
Suture Pen

Just as Nicholas indicated, most of the other Gear in the Medical section either requires Medical Practice or either Medical Practice or First Aid.

hmmm.  Now I know <time for a GI Joe moment>

Regards,

[markc]

As a side note, I think the only difference in my post was going to be that first aid would help in almost every situation that was not an emergency or just basic first aid, with medical practice covering second aid, surgery and all the other stuff.


But I am glad for an official answer.
MDC

[E-Warden]

Thank you all for your quik replies.