Doctor

You were a surgeon, barber, country doctor, field medic, nurse, or other medical professional. Healing wounds, treating diseases, and creating medicines for others in need was how you spent your days. While illness and injury make many uncomfortable, they are areas in which you thrive. When others panic, you're working on a cure or stopping the bleeding.

Skill Proficiencies

Investigation, Medicine

Tool Proficiencies

Herbalism Kit, Poisoner's Kit

Equipment

A preserved medical anomaly (such as a deformed skull or appendix), an herbalism kit, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp.

Feature

If you work as a healer during your downtime from adventuring you are able to afford a modest lifestyle for yourself. In addition, whenever you and your allies are in a civilized settlement, you are able to provide them with free medical care and hospital beds, provided they are sick or injured. This is provided as a professional courtesy from your others in the field of medicine.

Suggested Characteristics

Many doctors share a passion for healing the human body, whether or not they have bedside manner. Their studies and experiences have given them an edge and they are often the smartest person in the room. This quality can make some haughty know-it-alls, but those who are kind are often mentors who are sought out for advice by others. Many societies hold their healers in high esteem for good reason. It's up to you if this goes to your head or not.

Personality Trait

1 I often talk about bodily fluids and other subjects most find gross, but I do not.

2 I constantly give out unsolicited medical advice.

3 Where there is a problem I cannot solve or diagnose, I talk it through until I figure it out.

4 I can never give an answer with 100 percent certainty because nothing is certain... I think.

5 When I give instructions I just tell people what to do, never why.

6 I stare openly at people who have medical ailments.

7 When I see a problem which needs solving I become obsessed with finding the answer.

8 I speak up whenever I see a person doing anything I don't like.

Ideal

1 Reason. There are no coincidences because everything can be explained with logic. (Lawful)

2 Charity. All creatures have a right to proper medical care. (Good)

3 People. Governments do not have the best interest of their people at heart. (Chaotic)

4 Knowledge. True power over the anatomy can fix any problem. (Neutral)

5 Mercy. To take the life of any creature without first exhausting all other options is unthinkable. (Good)

6 Independence. I only provide help to those who ask for it. (Neutral)

Bond

1 A relative owns a scalpel I covet which has been in my family for generations.

2 An incurable disease took a loved one and now I'm determined to find a cure.

3 I am devoted to the school where I learned my trade and hope to return as a professor someday.

4 Whenever I'm in civilization, I feel draw to other medical professionals and seek out their company.

5 I have a fascination with a particularly specialized field of medicine, such as leeching or amputation.

6 I have a precious research diary which contains all my medical observations and thoughts.

Flaw

1 My opinion is always factually correct.

2 If someone asks me a question and I don't know the answer I'll lie rather than say I don't know the answer.

3 Whenever someone does something even a little foolish I can't help but berate them.

4 I do not have a sense of humor, especially when it comes to jokes at my expense.

5 I am very worried about the long-term effects of magical healing, but I will rely on it in a pinch.

6 In cases of extreme suffering I will take the life of patients even when it is against their wishes.

Variant

Variant Doctor: Veterinarian

If you want to play a doctor who treats animals instead of people, you gain proficiency in the Animal Handling skill instead of the Investigation skill. In addition give yourself the Sure Thing, Doc background feature in place of The Doctor Is In feature.

Variant Feature: Sure Thing, Doc

If you work as a vet during your adventuring downtime you are able to afford a modest lifestyle for yourself. In addition when you require an animal (such as horses for mounts or bloodhounds for tracking) you are able to borrow them from a client, provided you return the animals in good health. The actual terms of the agreement with the client are between you and DM.

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/5ebackgrounds/showentry.php?e=27&catid=1#ixzz3eyd6PLoJ