Nurse
| Nurse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Occupations |
| Type | Occupation |
| Points | 0 |
| Skill Boosts |
|
| Free Traits | Night Owl |
The Nurse brings a solid medical start, a quiet step and a body that needs little sleep. It suits a survivor who wants to treat injuries well without paying for it in trait points.
The occupation costs no points from the trait budget. It starts with three levels of First Aid. It also starts with one level of Lightfooted and one extra level of Fitness. The Night Owl trait comes free.
The Nurse sits between a free start and the Doctor. It brings half the Doctor's First Aid, but adds quieter feet, a fitter body and better sleep. In a group, the Nurse makes a natural medic who keeps the team on its feet. Solo, the medical start still saves a great deal of slow training.
Nurse Skills
Three levels of First Aid speed up every medical action. Bandages and poultices last longer, and broken bones heal much faster than at level 0. The health panel also shows more about how serious each wound is. First Aid is slow to train, so the head start saves a lot of time.
At level 0, a broken bone heals at half the normal speed. Each level adds a large boost, so three levels make a real difference to a fracture. Splints also work better with more skill, and a splinted limb slows the character less.
First Aid grows only from treating real injuries. Removing a bullet gives the most experience. Removing glass, stitching a wound and applying a splint each give a good amount. The First Aid tapes help only in the first three levels, so the Nurse gains more from the skill books.
One level of Lightfooted quietens every footstep. Moving through a building or past a group is a little safer. The skill shrinks the radius in which footsteps can be heard, from sprinting to crouching.
One extra level of Fitness raises melee attack speed and endurance. Climbing gets faster, and the character tires more slowly. Fitness is very slow to train, so a free level is worth a lot.
A new Nurse starts with these skill levels.
| Skill | Levels | Skill Group |
|---|---|---|
| First Aid | +3 | Survival |
| Lightfooted | +1 | Physical |
| Fitness | +1 | Physical |
Nurse Free Traits
Night Owl comes free with the occupation. It means the character needs little sleep. It also keeps the character extra alert while sleeping. Fewer hours spent asleep leave more time for looting, building and training.
The trait makes each hour of sleep remove more tiredness. The bonus is largest when the character goes to bed only a little tired. A character who is utterly exhausted wakes fully rested either way, so the bonus fades out at that point. An exhausted Night Owl can still wake fully rested sooner with an alarm.
Night Owl also softens an interrupted night. A nightmare or a noise that wakes the character early hurts less.
A Nurse gets these traits for free.
| Name | Image | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Night Owl | 
|
Occupation Trait |
How to Play Nurse
A Nurse plays as a medic who can also move quietly and stay active for long hours. Injuries heal faster, and the free Fitness level helps in fights and on the move.
The occupation costs nothing, so the full trait budget stays free. Traits that fill the combat gap fit well. In multiplayer, a Nurse can treat the group and train First Aid steadily. Treating other players counts toward the skill just like treating the Nurse's own wounds. The First Aider trait adds one more level of First Aid for 2 points. Former Scout adds a level of First Aid, Foraging and Fishing. Either trait pushes the Nurse's medical start a little closer to the Doctor's.
Wakeful works well alongside Night Owl. Slower tiredness and better sleep together give a character many waking hours. Restless Sleeper is a poor match, since it cuts sleep efficiency much more than Night Owl raises it.
The Nurse has a strong foraging bonus for medical items and a smaller one for medicinal plants. Bandages, pills and herbs turn up more readily while searching.
Early goals include bandages, disinfectant, splints and a needle and thread. Tweezers or forceps make removing glass and bullets less painful.
Good habits make the skill count. Bandage scratches and lacerations at once, since untreated wounds stay open. Disinfect wounds with disinfectant, bourbon or alcohol wipes to prevent infection. Splint a broken limb, then add a comfrey poultice to speed up healing. Being well fed adds its own boost to the healing of injuries.
Notes
- Night Owl means less time lost to sleep.
- First Aid at level 3 makes fractures heal much faster.
- Treating other survivors trains First Aid in a group.
- The occupation leaves the full trait budget free.
- Medical items are easier to spot while foraging.
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