Surgery

Surgery covers medical procedures used to investigate or treat diseases and injury. It is performed using the Heal skill.

Performing Surgery
Surgery can only be performed on a patient in your care and, depending on the type of surgical procedure, can take anywhere between 1 and 48 hours. A surgery is performed as a series of surgical procedures that must all be successfully passed to complete the surgery without complications.

Types of Surgical Procedures
Entry Incision: This is the start of most surgeries. A cut is made at an appropriate place on the patient's body, allowing the surgeon easy access to the appropriate area. Complication: The cut is made improperly, increasing the DC of all further surgical procedures by 2.

Remove Tumor/Organ: An entity attached to the patient's blood supply is removed in such a way that minimizes the bleeding and trauma to the patient. Complication: The entity is removed poorly, the patient takes one wound penalty, and a further wound penalty for every 5 that the DC was failed.

Remove Foreign Entity: A foreign entity within the body, such as an arrow or stone, is removed from the patient in such a way that minimizes the bleeding and trauma to the patient. Complication: The foreign entity is removed poorly, the patient takes one wound penalty, and a further wound penalty for every 5 that the DC was failed.

Amputation: You remove one of the patient's appendages, such as a finger, hand, leg, or eye. Amputation is always traumatic and inflicts one wound penalty on the patient, regardless of success or failure. Complication: The amputation was botched and the patient must immediately save against mental and physical trauma, after taking the wound penalty from the Amputation, and a further wound penalty for every 5 that the DC was failed.

Transplant: You attach a new organ or appendage onto the patient. If an appendage or organ is already present at the location of the transplant it must be removed first. This procedure only covers properly connecting the transplanted organ or appendage onto the patient, the transplant may still be rejected by the patient's body or manifest possession syndrome. Complication: The organ or appendage was improperly connected and damaged in the attempt, rendering it useless and impossible to transplant within anyone.

Exploration: You perform exploratory surgery, assessing or diagnosing problems that would be difficult to discern from outside the body. Complication: Your explorations end up rupturing something vital, the patient takes one wound penalty.

Suture: You close an incision or cut. When performing a removal or amputation a suture is usually necessary to prevent the patient from bleeding out of the incision, in addition to the suture required to close an Entry Incision. Complication: The suture is done improperly, increasing the chances of infection and trauma. Increase the DC of any infection and physical trauma checks made by the patient as a result of this surgery by 2.

Trauma
Performing surgery on a patient inflicts trauma, which is a representation of the physical and mental damage the patient suffers as a result of surgery. At the end of surgery the patient must make a physical and mental trauma roll. The DC of each of these checks is equal to the DC of the most difficult surgical procedure performed. A physical trauma check is made using the patient's Fortitude save, and the Mental trauma check is made using the patient's Will save. Failing a physical trauma check inflicts exhaustion penalties on the patient, if the target is rendered unconscious by these exhaustion penalties (the sum of all physical penalties reaches 5), then the remainder of the exhaustion penalties are converted into wound penalties. In this way a patient can die from trauma by accumulating 5 wound penalties. Failing a mental trauma check inflicts mental exhaustion penalties on the patient. if the target is rendered unconscious by these mental exhaustion penalties (the sum of all mental penalties reaches 5) the the remainder of the mental exhaustion penalties are converted into brain damage penalties.

If a trauma check is successfully passed, no penalties are suffered. If it is failed, one penalty is suffered plus one additional penalty for every 5 the check fails to meet the DC.