FASA stats : Emergency Med. Hologram PC or NPC (draft)

If a PC chooses to play an EMH Mark I, he starts with the following stats (no variation) as this is his basic programming.

We will assume a Mark I is built on a 1,000 “pts” of pregenerated programming. ( A point is all the attributes and skills added together. i.e. STR of 20 is 20 pts; Carousing 32 is 32 points. Together it is 52 points).

As the campaign progresses, he is allowed to learn new skills like normal, up to 1,200 points in total for the Mark 1. A Mk 1's memory banks have only enough room for 200 more points before destabilizing his matrix. This means that the character can only add 200 more points in skills as 1000 points of memory are built into his programming.

A gamemaster may give the character more than 200 points by “deleting” skills.
For example. The character has 1200 points but wants to learn the Violin. The character’s memory banks are full. He chooses to delete his Administration sub-routines for 5 points. Thus freeing up 5 points. He would need to roll on his Holodeck Tech skill to delete the sub-routines safely.

An optional rule is to allow more than 1200 points, but the GM can roll for malfunctions, temporary amnesia of skills, etc.

Starting Templates

Mark 1 Template 1000 points (additional 20 % or 1200 points max)
Mark 2 Template 1200 points (additional 30% or 1560 points max)
Mark 3 Template 1440 points
Mark 4 Template 1728 points


Starting Mark 1 Template (1000 points).

STR 10 END 20 DEX 20 INT 80 CHA 30 LUC 00 PSI 00


Administration 10
Communication Systems Op 10
Computer Op 60
Computer Tech 40
Holodeck Op 80
Holodeck Tech 60
Instruction 10
Leadership 20
Life Sciences
----->Exobiology 40
----->Genetics 20
Life Support Systems Tech 20
Medical Sciences
----->General-Humanoid 80
----->Surgery 60
----->Pathology 40
----->Psychology (Humanoid) 20
Negotiation/Diplomacy 20

Physical Sciences
----->Chemistry 20
-----> Physics 20
----->Mathematics 20

Planetary Sciences
-----> Biology 10
----->Hydrology 10
Small Eq. System Op 40
Small Eq. System Tech 20

Social Sciences

----->Federation History 10
----->Federation Law 10
Space Sciences
-----> Astronomy 10
----->Starship Sensors 20
Transporter System Op 20
Transporter System Tech 40

An EMH (mark 1 at least) can’t change his attributes or his appearance.

An EMH cannot leave the sick bay as only the sick bay has a holo-grid for him to move around in, unless he has a mobile emitter, like the doctor in Voyager.

An EMH cannot harm other life forms in any manner.

Special rule on damage:

An EMH can take damage like everyone else. However, if his end of 20 goes down to zero, he merely fades out and does not die. He needs to be reactivated again by someone making a holodeck tech roll.

However, if an EMH is attacked by a weapon specifically built to destroy holograms, his end of 20 is treated as normal.

If his ship is destroyed, or the sick bay hologrid is destroyed, or the mobile emitter is destroyed, the EMH is killed also.

A GM may have someone “back up” or (with alien technology) “transmit” the EMH somewhere else of course, but may say that only x amounts of points can be saved permanently (for instance, 900 points of skills and attributes) based on a PC’s holodeck tech and computer tech roll and or communications systems op roll.


An EMH can malfunction (get “sick”) with computer viruses and holo specific viruses, etc.


Special Rule on Evasive Rolls


As long as the EMH is on a hologrid (and not outside wearing a mobile emitter), the EMH can instantly disappear and reappear anywhere else on the hologrid unless wrestling with another holodeck character.

To do so, replace his Dex roll with his holodeck op roll.

If outside the hologrid with a mobile emitter or fighting another holodeck character, his Dex of 20 is to be used.



Note: the mobile emitter originates in the 29th century and is not normally available. The Voyager doctor just happened to get lucky.



Background
---------------

To be used only in emergencies. If all the doctors are killed, the EMH is to be activated until replaced by a human.

Place of Origin: Jupiter Station, Holo-Programming Center

The Starfleet Emergency Medical Holographic (EMH) program was introduced in 2370 in the new Starfleet Intrepid-Class Starships. The EMH was programmed by Dr. Lewis Zimmerman of the Jupiter Station Holoprogramming Center, assisted by diagnostic engineer Lt. Reginald Barclay. The Mk. 1 is also modeled after Dr. Zimmerman's appearance. The EMH is meant as a short-term supplement to a starship's medical staff during an emergency. The EMH is only able to function in areas equipped with holographic projectors. The projectors generate the humanoid image and a magnetic containment field. The field allows the doctor to manipulate physical objects. The EMH is programmed with over 5 million treatments from 2,000 medical references and 47 physicians. The program also uses a learning algorithm, allowing it to learn and adapt to new situations. In 2372, the EMH's appearance was updated to reflect the new Starfleet uniforms. The EMH is now featured in all new Starfleet vessels.

The mark I has been bounced out of the medical corps and reprogrammed to scrub plasma conduits on waste transfer barges (see Voyager episode Lifeline). The current version of the EMH is the Mark 4. The Mark Is were known as “Emergency Medical Hotheads,” “Extremely Marginal Housecalls”

For the basic EMH-1 as portrayed in Caretaker, drop all non-medical skills. The EMH can only be "injured" by taking out the holoemitters in the sickbay - it's not solid and matter passes right through it - this was explicitly shown early on. Remember, the hologram is only a projection. Likewise, destroying the holoprojectors will not "kill" the EMH - the programme which makes the EMH up is in the ship's computer. There could be a chance (maybe 10%) that certain subroutines may have to be reinstalled if damage is severe enough, due to feedback. The same thing could happen with a computer hit in starship combat.

The main problem I see with the writeup is that it sees the EMH as an independant character. While this is true of the HoloDoc after he's been running for a year or so, it's not true of the base model - it's just a series of complex AI programmes running a holoprojection. The base model is just another piece of ship's equipment.

The so-called "photonic lifeforms" from Voyager are either (in the case of the Hirogen training programmes) rogue AI routines with dedicated holoprojectors, or (in the case of the holobeings which invades the Captain Proton game) energy beings which have a natural ability to project a holographic "body."

>>For the basic EMH-1 as portrayed in Caretaker, drop all non->>medical skills.

I can't see a starfleet hologram doctor not having non- medical skills. He must know the basic history of the UFP, starfleet regulations, basic astronomy, etc to work in starfleet.

>>The EMH can only be "injured" by taking out the holoemitters >>in the sickbay - it's not solid and matter passes right through >>it - this was explicitly shown early on.

Well, there were episodes implying something else. Matter does not always pass through a hologram. The doctor needs to be tangible to hold tricorders, etc.

Plus, there were episodes of fighting between organics and holos. I seem to remember Worf fighting holodeck monsters and cowboys who packed a wallop and took damage.

The doctor in Voyager wrestled with another holo in the episode "Repulsion", and had a villain snatch a weapon from him in another (and was pushed away I think).

The problem is that you need to have Player Characters aware that they are limits to their indestructibility, else they will act irrationally in a campaign.

>>The main problem I see with the writeup is that it sees the >>EMH as an independant character.


No one is going to want to play a character that is not independent. Besides, to quote the judge in the episode "Author, Author", " the issue of holographic rights is not going to go away." There were episodes that implied that holodeck characters are more than automotons.

It is not, as you imply, a cut and dry issue.

Actually, as per all holograms in the TNG onwards Trek universe, the TMH does not have a physical substance, Owen is right. What he does do is simulate physicality by the use of tractor technology. Which is how he can pick things up and have physical contact with other beings.

Check out the TNG tech manual.

As for the existence of not of basic skills, could see that argument either way. Though I seriously doubt the EMH would be knowledgable about such things as astronomy The EMH 1 certainly didn't even have basic social skills, which was pretty obvious from watching Voyager in the first couple of seasons.

That's a nice writeup, bu I have to agree with Owen on sme of those points.

I see your point that the EMH shouldn't be 'indestructable' if someone wants to play one as a PC, but the point is it's simply played differently; if someone wants to delete a hologramme, then they need authorisation to do that, but then they could always hack like anyone else - they CAN have subroutines built in to stop that, but then that's something you would have to gain as a skill or advantage of some kind (as was said this is a base character, so they are ALL the same out of the box - why would someone be bothered if the EMH was deleted, because the base one can be reinstalled from scratch if need be)

With respect to any sort of physical damage - the EMH is just a holoprojection, composed as any other sort of hologram. Holograms CAN take physical injuries because it's part of their programme - but EMH's don't have that subroutine installed (there were a few episodes when the doctor played with both illness and pain, which are not part of his normal programme) - Yes technically the EMH could feel pain, and take wounds, but they would all be simulated, so i doubt any player in his right mind would take such an ability (baybe as a flaw to get some points ??) - However while they may be technically invulnerable in body they are not infallible - if the dedicated medical computer core is damaged, then he will go offline. If the hologrid is damaged, then he'll go offline - and most importantly he's incredibly vulnerable in that form, because all EMH's out of the box don't have any sort of self actualisation subroutines installed - he can't turn himself on when he wants too - he's off, so how would he know that someone was doing something to his code!

Their physical resence is composed of Holographic optical interference patterns and a containment forcefield generated by the holosystems in the sickbay - either of these can be disengaged (with comical results) - but if you disengage his forcefield projector - then he drops whatever he is holding - also if you think about it, if you disabled his forcefield when he was using a mobile emmitter, then the emmitter would hit the floor! ( I wouldn't allow players to just 'have' mobile emmitters, since it was 29th century technology, and since Voyager never made another one it must be unreplicateable). Energy beams (such as a phaser) also disrupt both emmissions, so for example if you hit a doctor in the hand, while he was holding a tricorder, he would drop the tricorder involuntarily, as he wouldlose his containment in that area - he wouldn't be damaged by that - but it could be important in tactical situations.

So in the sense of invulnerability, he's certainly not invulnerable, it's just that you have to attack things other than him in most circumstances (such as his emmitters, or attack him using computer invasion methods.)

Another thing I noticed in youw writeup is the buffer problem. While I agreed with what you'd written, you can take that with a pinch of salt. - Voyagers EMH had it's buffer increased to twice the size - it took damage from that, but tha was becuase it was not done under the best crcumstances.. In lab conditions in Jupiter stations I can't see why it couldn't be 'upgraded' with improved subroutines, buffer etc, because that's exactly what Louis Zimmerman was going to do with the EMH Mk1

I would also add something about alternate identities. these take up valuable buffer size.. While the doctor does seem to be able to take chumks of his skills and delete and or back them up for later use.. (He did this when he was transmitted down the Midas array, to save space) - when he was changing appearance alot in tinkor tailor doctor spy, he had to have 'useful' subroutines (such as his medical skills!) removed so they could add alternate identities.. so again, they take space if layers want to do that - and sacifice skills for that story ..

In that sense it does appear to be possible to chop and change exactly what you do have in your memory buffer, but I would say that each of these subroutines and skills are totally unique only to that one EMH, and can't be used by another one.

Just some ramblings :D

Concerning the debate on an EMH having non-medical skills, in FASA terms, a skill of 10 means that one has the very basics only. It means that one has a 10 % chance of doing an easy task for that skill. Modifiers for difficulty > 10 means you can't do it.

So, the EMH having an astronomy skill of 10 means he has the general idea of astronomy, but that' s it. It does not mean the EMH knows astronomy like the back of his hand.

In FASA terms, you are only a professional in that skill if it's at least 40 % or higher.

I know how the FASA skills work - I ran a FASA game for almost 15 years.

However, I think you misunderstand the EMH's capabilities and intrinsic nature. It's a decicated medical database with a holographic interface. If it needs to know something non-medical, it simply accesses the appropriate database on the computer, but these are not part of its own database. An EMH is just a tool, not a character - the HoloDoc in Voyager is an anomalous special case, and not representative.

The doctor is a special case.

Fine, so would a PC or special NPC have to be in order to play a holo-character.

Assuming your interpretation is correct (and I'm not saying that), then there will be no point in having a holo-character under any circumstances because - except for the Doctor on Voyager- they are just tools.

I'm not sure why you're so against it, but I think one can have a PC character with a few adjustments.

By the way, it's nice to see someone with extensive FASA experiences like myself. I got the game in 1983 and loved every minute of it. Too bad we were abandoned by FASA in 1988 after their dispute with Paramount. Too bad their version of the ST universe was abandoned as well. I miss the John M. Ford version of the Klingons as depicted by FASA, I miss the Triangle etc.

TNG is just not the same for an old timer like myself.

Byteknight, I think you're misunderstanding what Owen is trying to say. He is not against the idea that you can't take a template EMH and turn it into a player character; it's simply that a template EMH would not have some of the skills listed, because all of them START as tools... If you want to create a special case player character 'template' - which is an EMH plus 1 year or so's worth of experience of being switched on, then that is a 'special case' EMH.

It's like when you get a new computer. Every computer is, out of the box, a production line model. it has very little but the base operating system you need to boot it up. - take a selection of those same computers a year on - every one would be different. Some will have hardly been used and will be barelly different - and some will have tonnes of extra software, information, pictures, and customisations to the interface.

Out of the box, an EMH is a production line medical tool - so any player wanting to start a player character as 'just switched on' will have to take the disadvantage of having any other knowledge than just medical skills.

However, I'm not that sure the EMH wouldn't have a base in some skills - he is still a very sophisticated program, and out of the box he would have language skills for dozens of species, the ability to operate the equiptment in his lab - and probably an understanding of who and where he is, so I think he would have at the least a limited database on the Federation, since the Doctor's ethics and morals were all very Federation - like.

The doctor was also capable of psychological work, so that implies he must have had knowledge of the various cultures associated with that psychology - I.e. a Klingon is not going to respond the same way as a human, so the EMH must have knowledge of the culture and taboos of alot of races.. That said the EMH MK1 wasn't very good at it, so it'd be a low score! :D