Hi friends, I’m planning on joining my first empire game this September and have one question that’s been bugging me.
How do folks role play the surgical skills?
I’m playing an alchemist/healer and know that potions are handled by GOD, but for things that require like 30 seconds of appropriate roleplay, what do people usually go for? Things like applying herbs with the physick skill or stabilising someone with chirurgeon. I’d love to know what people usually go for with these in terms of what you do to fulfill these and what, if any, extra props/phys ref stuff they incorporate.
(I played a physick my first character, it does require a little more preparation and roleplay than thumping folk with an axe )
In terms of the physical fixing I was often using bandages (with the appropriate prop being actual bandages, or rolled strips of torn cloth, sometimes pre-stained with blood), manipulating joints back into place, and giving them a quick drink of water.
For the herbs I made some that were edible: lemonade with green food colouring for true vervain, have a drink
A little wooden tub of cucumber moisteriser for Cereleun Mazzarine (you can rub it on, and it actually helps with sunburn!)
I made up a small pouch of stuff* for Imperial Roseweald as a purgative, so people would have a sniff and break out in coughs and sweats.
*Chilli powder and crushed peppercorns.
For the bigger bits of surgical work, I have a roll of “surgical tools” to get out and poke people with… these sorts of kits are best observed first at the Imperial Hospital, but there are a lot of traders on-site selling bits to make your own.
As for extras… there are folks using bunches of dried/plastic herbs, icons of the Way, mystic crystals, fake blood, jars of leeches, and all manner of other props.
To a fair extent, it depends on what YOU want to do
First of all, moment of “come by and see the variance of RP! Get advice! Meet other players playing that side of the game!”
The Anvil Hospital does an OC healer/physick session most Fridays before time in. It’s usually around 1600 at the Hospital tent (big garage tent near the Sentinel Gate)
Personally? My big physick RP space is mid-combat, which means my character is a little less props and a lot more “okay, this is gonna taste foul, but you need to swallow it…” (Other person usually goes to spit it out, insert very grumpy draughir noises on my part) “You swallowed that? Have some water. You good? Good, get up and get going”
Oh wow I didn’t know they did a session like that! Will info on the timing of that be given with the rest of the load in info once we get closer?
As I’m planning to be completely non combat (I’m a hyper mobile, chronic pain babe lol) I was assuming I’d probably be in the hospital during battles.
I’m bit uncertain on when it gets announced, as I’m not on FB, but have helped with it for the past few seasons
(Probably best checking on the broader Empire FB, etc spaces)
A lot of my not-in-combat time is spent just chilling out in the space…and OC helping get the tent up every so often on the Friday early afternoon
One thing I will state is that, whilst folks are usually quiet good at not directly attacking the Anvil Hospital space IC…
…This can fall way side as people do come back from conjunctions (through the Gate adventures) cursed, angry, and sometimes just combative as all hell. Expect occasionally light/mild violence to break out.
(Especially since there’s a few bits on the conjunction chart this season that suggest one of my OC favourite (IC, different opinions) curses are going to be more prevelent…and the ongoing “you’re prone to solving problems with violence” curse that’s bouncing about due to some Star Nonsense ™
)