Combat Psychiatrist OCC

[taalismn]

Combat Psychiatrist
(aka ‘SuperShrink’)

“I’ve had to face a demented psychopath sitting at the controls of a fully armed gunship, about to blow away an entire village. I’ve also had to talk a twenty-five foot tall suicidally depressed ape off the top of a skyscraper. And I’ve listened to a baker’s dozen of aging soap opera stars talk about their path to happiness and how it relates to the cosmic all and their plastic surgeons....Those last ones almost did me in.”


“’Doctor’ Michiko Henkoi---I recognize her handiwork....She’s an ‘Adjustor’; a brain butcher certified by a corrupt system to break people into slaves....makes them happy they’re losing their freedom...She especially likes making sex slaves...I’ve seen enough of her handiwork to recognize it and I’ve taken care of some of her victims who were fortunate enough to be smuggled to freedom...Only the poor souls are so mind-ripped they’d go back to being abused if they could...Working with them, they’re either shamed to the point of suicide-by-catatonia, or so addicted to sex they’d try throwing themselves at me every opportunity...Saddest things....It’s a lot easier to break a bone than to heal it properly, and that goes especially for abuses of the mind....And there’s more than a few bones I’d like to break in Doctor Michiko’s body if I ever get my hands on her, Hippocratic Oath or not!”

“The voices in my head tell me they’re unhappy with what you’re trying to do to me. They say they should kill you now.”
(click)“The voices in your head are welcome to try. Bring it, fatasses.”

“Dunscon’s going to definitely do something to disrupt the peace summit, something that will look like somebody else’s doing, but it will benefit him directly. He CAN’T not pass up the opportunity; it’s not the way his mind works.”

The profession of psychiatry that burgeoned with the boom of industrialized society, advances in behavioral studies, and neural medications, all but died in the Coming of the Rifts. True, the world being ripped asunder and demons and other creatures previously thought to be only myth or nightmare appearing out of thin air, did tend to elevate everyone’s stress levels to previously unheard of levels, but psychiatrists tended not to last very long. Most died in the catastrophe, or else picked up skills more relevant to day-to-day, if not hour-to-hour survival, in a world where a counseling session might be interrupted by a gargoyle attack, or an angry patient might manifest a lethal paranormal ability. Gone were the days of leather couches and the leisure of multiple sessions in the quiet sanctuary of an office. Gone, too, were the chemical arsenals of psychiatrists; supplies of Valium, Prozac, Methadone, and the rest of the Golden Age pharmacopeia were all destroyed, or else became hoarded treasures, often for purposes other than therapeutic. The great psychiatric institutions also fell, or else became fortified structures, where the inmates ran the show, or used the tools of healing for other, less pleasant, purposes.
But like many good doctors in the great crisis, a few dedicated and exemplary healers of the mind survived, adapted, and took great care to pass on their knowledge to others, so that the future might benefit.
What few healers practiced psychiatry, had to relearn its intricacies, and more often than not, psychiatry was a commonsense, hit or miss, affair. What few serious practitioners there were in the CS, were more likely to be intelligence officers or police profilers. In the wilds, psychiatry tends to be limited to the empathy of an experienced rustic healer, the ministrations of a learned priest, or the psionic touch of a Mystic, when people seek something beyond toughing out mental illness or seeking solace in the bottom of a bottle, that is.
Still, in emerging pockets of civilization like the GNE and other industrialized pockets of civilization, people have enough time to actually think about stress. Furthermore, industrialized societies find it necessary to spot and treat mental problems as soon as they can, as workers’ minds and talents are far too valuable to lose to mental illness. This is particularly true of the space industries and communities, where people live perched on a technological tightrope for survival, and confined quarters make for lethal mental blowouts. The modern military also has a use for psychiatrists, especially when the enemy has mind-bending metaphysical abilities, Horror Factor ratings in the stratosphere, or overwhelming firepower of horrific proportions; spotting problems of morale, coping with shellshock, and detecting signs of possession, brainwashing, and treason are among the many duties of military field psychiatrists(and the less scrupulous will be used for interrogations). Police and security forces employ psychiatrists to profile criminals, assist in the interrogation of suspects, and counsel the victims of crime. Prisons use them to rehabilitate inmates, or keep them under control. Abolitionists use them to break the slave conditioning of former slaves, and rehabilitate them to better cope with freedom. SpecOps agencies use them to interrogate prisoners, psych-train agents, profile enemy leaders, and brainwash captured enemy operatives.
The modern Combat Psychiatrist bears little resemblance to the fad-conscious charlatans and well-meaning, but often helpless, physicians of olden days. The exigencies of modern life in the time of the Rifts have bred a hardier individual, who carries the lore of past advances in his or her head with the zeal of a Rogue Scholar, with an eye towards adaptation to circumstances like that of an Operator. The true CP has the dedication of the most altruistic Body Fixer, the perception of a Psi-Stalker, and the mindset of a CyberKnight in combating the demons of the mind. In addition, most CPs have developed some sort of psionic ability or innate talent for reading people’s actions, not merely their words, to ferret out the truths the patients are reluctant to tell. The CP has a working knowledge of drugs and other psychotropic chemicals, but also knows the power of persuasion, and a good hug. He or she is part detective, part interrogator, part confessor, part surrogate parent, and part traditional healer.
The ‘Combat’ aspect comes into play when the good doctors take to the field...Unlike their ancestors, and the truest students of the Hippocratic Oath, Combat Psychiatrists are not afraid to use force to terminate a suddenly disturbed session, provide motivation and direction to a foundering patient, or subdue a raving maniac. And when a seemingly normal case of schizophrenia turns to to REALLY be demonic possession, things can get violent in a hurry. Many CPs study Eastern martial arts styles and philosophies, in part due to the mental exercises and promotion of a controlled mind, and most are accomplished martial artists. CPs aren’t afraid to carry a handy taser, stun-gun, or zapstick to sessions, or carry more powerful weapons when taking to the field. If given enough time to study and observe an opponent in action, they can gain a good idea of their enemy’s most likely course of action, gain insight into their personalities and backgrounds, and can even anticipate their attacks. Their rigorous combat training also hardens them against being paralyzed by the thought of imminent death, allowing them to calmly administer to their patients under the harshest of conditions. It also provides them with added strength of will against psychic assaults and the intimidation efforts of others. Many a torturer, trying to extract information from a captive psychiatrist, has been reduced to ineffectuality by the prisoner’s analysis of their methodology and likely psychological medical history(“You were abused as a child by your mother...I can tell by the way you’re holding that pair of red-hot pincers...”).
For obvious reasons, Crazies and Combat Psychiatrists don’t get along very well, despite the obvious benefits of having someone around who can help smooth over the worse extremes of M.O.M. augmentation. Many CPs hope to find some form of ongoing therapy that can help Crazies overcome the degeneration of their psyches, much like Juicer De-Tox, but the majority of Crazies(almost always those who volunteered for M.O.M. conversion) regard this as a dangerous thing, noting that de-toxed Juicers suffer some of the worst withdrawal symptoms of any substance abuser, and regain their ‘humanity’ only at the cost of their augmented abilities.
It’s a world gone mad out there; the Combat Psychiatrist is here to help you face it.

“You no longer desire to use your magic abilities to hurt people....”
“I no longer desire to use my magic abilities to hurt people....”
“You wish to HELP people by doing good things...”
“I wish to help people by doing good things...”
“You want to help make people happy by doing things you find make you happy...*like, what makes you happy? I’m sure you can think of something. Tell me that something.*”
“I want to help make people happy by doing things I find make me happy...I can make cookies!
“Good, good. You want to be a GOOD person.”
“I want to be a good person.”

Alignments: Any, but most tend to be Good and Unprincipled. EVIL Combat Psychiatrists are infamous for their interrogation and brainwashing techniques.
Minimum Required Attributes: I.Q. 12, M.E. 14....A high M.A. is also desirable, but not required
Attribute Bonuses: +1d6 M.E., +1d6 M.A.
Other Bonuses:
+6 save versus Mind Control, Torture, Sensory Deprivation, and Operant Conditioning
+5 save versus Possession and Mind Control psionics and magics
+1 save versus Horror Factor at levels 1, 3, 6, and 12

Special Skills:
*Psychological Profiling---Given enough time and evidence to study, a Combat Psychiatrist can build a psychological profile of a person, and more accurately predict their future actions and tendencies; on a successful roll, the CP gets a +1 to Initiative and a +5% to Detect Ambush when anticipating an enemy’s actions, and a +1 to Initiative and Dodge in actual combat against them.
Base Skill: 45%+5% per level of experience, +10% if the individual being profiled is of a species the CP has taken a specialization in psychoanalyzing(see below).

Special Abilities:
About 30% of all CPs develop Minor Psionics, and another 20% acquire the Minor Superpower Living Anatomy(see Powers Unlimited One). Those without either psionics or superpower get an additional 1d4x1,000 credits in barterable items to start with.

O.C.C. Skills
Interrogation(+15%)
Psychiatry(+20%)
By spending an additional skill per species selected, the CP can specialize in the psychology of a certain species(such as Dragon, Elf, Werewolf, Brodkil, etc.), adding +10% to efforts to psychoanalyze them. Note that some species are harder to get information on than others, so GMs might want to adjust the bonus accordingly(as much as 10% in either direction for commonly known species like Humans, or more reclusive and private species like Vampire Intelligences)
Chemistry: Pharmaceutical(+10%)
Pilot: Automobile(+5%)
Math: Basic(+15%)
Computer Operation (+15%)
Language/Literacy
3 of choice(+10% to each)
W.P. Blunt
W.P. Handgun (especially dartguns or tazers)
W.P. Energy Pistol
Hand to Hand: Basic*
*May be upgraded to Expert for the cost of ONE ‘other’ skill selection, or Martial Arts for two(GM’s discretion, GMs might want to allow martial arts styles from Ninjas and Superspies, especially those that promote introspection and mental focus. )
Other Skills: Select 9 ‘other skills at Level One, plus an additional 2 at levels ,3 and 6, and and additional one at levels 12 and 15.
Communications: Any
Cowboy: None
Domestic: Any(+5%)
Electrical: Basic Electronics only
Espionage: Intelligence only
Mechanical: Basic and Automotive only
Medical: First Aid, Paramedic, and Holistic Medicine(+5%) only
Military: None
Physical: Any, except Acrobatics
Pilot: Any, except Robots and Power Armor
Pilot Related: Any
Rogue: Any(+5% to Sleight of Hand and Seduction)
Science: Any
Technical: Any(+5%)
Wilderness: None
Weapons Proficiencies(W.P.): Any, except Heavy Weapons
Secondary Skills: Select 5 Secondary skills at level one, +1 additional Secondary skill at levels 3,6, 9, 12, and 15 .
Experience Table: Use BodyFixer Exp. Tables
Standard Equipment:
Suit of Plainclothes Body Armor
Any additional body armor will typically be light to medium
Non-Lethal/Reduced-Lethality Weapon of choice, such as a tazer, nuero-mace, electroshock prod, or stun-gun.
Laptop Computer
Notepads and pencils
First aid kit and Auto-Hypo. About a dozen doses each of sedative, anti-psychotic, and antidepressant.
Portable Electrocardio Encephalogram(ECG) Machine
Biofeedback Machine---A simple headband and sensor-style device that measures stress and trains people in the conscious control of their body functions(breathing, heart rate, muscle tension) through auditory or visual cues.
Inflatable mattress/couch
Also carry 1d4 pairs of handcuffs or other restraints
Box of candy
Several changes of clothing, personal hygiene kit, and a few personal possessions.
Transportation can be a riding beast or basic automobile.
Money: Starts out with 4d6x100 in credits, and 2d4x1000 in barterable items.
Cybernetics/Bionics: None to start with. Most CPs regard cybernetic and bionic augmentation with prejudice, having seen enough cases of patients with cyberpsychosis or dissociative syndromes as a result of receiving artificial replacements or implants, and most CPs will only accept cybernetics/bionics for medical reasons, and prefer bio-systems.

[Rimmerdal]

Like it. Would be a busy job in a place like merctown. Would be very ideal for Lonestar or Psi-battalion.

[taalismn]

Like it. Would be a busy job in a place like merctown. Would be very ideal for Lonestar or Psi-battalion.

Thanks. Yep, post-Rifts psychiatry sees a lot things pre-Rifts psychoanalysts would run screaming into the wilderness at the thought of.
And imagine trying to psychoanalyze the problems of a Dyval crime-boss who's grown a conscience.

[Alpha 11]

Nice.

[nilgravity]

Neural Butterfly Net
Sometimes the only way to help someone is to control their environment. If institutionalization is not voluntary the Neural Butterfly Net is an excellent approach when dogboy restraints are not available or seen as inhuman toward people. The net is attached to an expanding hoop and telescoping handle. When pursing a patient simply drop the hoop over the head to effectively and safely restrain and guide them. If resistance warrants it, neural relays in the net can be activated to make the patient more complient
Effects: +2 to strike/control entangle. patient receives an additional -2 to all actions when trapped within MDC material net. Standard neural effect.

Cost: CR 11,000

Armored Straight Jacket
For patients who are a danger to themselves and others, this device keeps patients from using their arms to harm anyone/pick locks to escape institutionalization. Many are sold to non-patient MOM implantees as a fashion statement.
Effects: restrains arms 15 MDC.
Cost: CR 6,000 plus 2,000 per additional slieve for Dbee/cybernetics patients

[taalismn]

Neural Butterfly Net
Sometimes the only way to help someone is to control their environment. If institutionalization is not voluntary the Neural Butterfly Net is an excellent approach when dogboy restraints are not available or seen as inhuman toward people. The net is attached to an expanding hoop and telescoping handle. When pursing a patient simply drop the hoop over the head to effectively and safely restrain and guide them. If resistance warrants it, neural relays in the net can be activated to make the patient more complient
Effects: +2 to strike/control entangle. patient receives an additional -2 to all actions when trapped within MDC material net. Standard neural effect.

Cost: CR 11,000

Armored Straight Jacket
For patients who are a danger to themselves and others, this device keeps patients from using their arms to harm anyone/pick locks to escape institutionalization. Many are sold to non-patient MOM implantees as a fashion statement.
Effects: restrains arms 15 MDC.
Cost: CR 6,000 plus 2,000 per additional slieve for Dbee/cybernetics patients

Products from the Foam Rubber Acres Boutique?

See the stylish collection of MDC rubber, arachna-fiber mesh, and grig-leaper leather restraint jackets from the Setsuna Sanitarium Collection.

[Eclipse]

You can even play this music for your character: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8BWBn26bX0

[taalismn]

You can even play this music for your character: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8BWBn26bX0

Of course, 'become a psychiatrist' is one of the more interesting disorders available to Crazies, so unless you can immediately see the knobs in the head, sometimes telling a legit Combat Psychiatrist from a pretender can be rather difficult(especially during an open clinic/free firefight).