[Landmine]

So I was evaluating things on my character sheet and was lookin at different DocWagon contracts. My street samurai has the platinum contract because I anticipate getting shot up at least a little bit despite my efforts to the contrary. However if i downgraded to the Gold contract, I could free up 25k.

So my question for you Shadowrun veterans is, how useful is DocWagon in practice? I notice that plenty of characters don't even have a contract. I can also see how if things went south so badly that I needed them, then there would be very little chance of actually being able to save my character. What are your experiences with DocWagon?

[SnowDragon]

First and only time I used a docwagon contract, I was laid out in corp territory and the bastards just left me there to die.

So, uh, millage may vary.

[El Lanzador]

If you are shot up enough to need DocWagon's help, you are probably somewhere they can't get too quickly. And if you are, you probably fragged up against gangers or something, so you overpayed for service.

Best get a cheapie on the off-hand chance you are in a place DW can get to, and you haven't payed too much for your contract.

[Whiskeyjack]

I have never ever found purchasing DocWagon to be a useful investment. Characters who have been in that bad a state...the team either evac'd and treated well before DW would show up or they straight-up died in the field.

[Michael Chandra]

I never would take it, though maybe at the cheapest rate sure. It's not really worth it for PCs in most campaigns.

[Top Dog]

I never would take it, though maybe at the cheapest rate sure. It's not really worth it for PCs in most campaigns.

Taking it at the lowest level might be useful. It won't be useful often (especially if you do your job), but if it is, it saves your life, so yeah. I took it on mine since I'm usually the one patching people up (so noone to patch me up).

The highest levels, no. Even if you actually use the bonuses (and again, that means you failed) the higher levels give you, you'd be cheaper off just straight paying for them, unless you end up calling Docwagon more then once a month.

[Jack_Spade]

Considering that:
"Doc Wagon does not respond to calls on extraterritorial government or corporate property without permission from the controlling authority."
it's pretty useless when you need it most.

Trauma Patch/Crash, Stim Patch and a bit of Kamikaze within your Autoinjector allows you to extract yourself.
Hell, for half the gold contract you can buy your own Aeroquip Dustoff and have it on stand by during your runs. Fit it with Spoof Chips and Chameleon Coating (or paint it before every mission) so the on site personal thinks it's from their own corp.

[JD]

DocWagon is for people who move in the light.

[farothel]

I once used it during a campaign in the following way (4th edition, in case things have changed in 5th):
-I had the basic contract, which I never used.
-I also had a contact in a large docwagon clinic (a doctor)
-when I needed some ware installed, if it wasn't too illegal (anything up to R rating), I could go there and have it done no questions asked.  In fact, I used them as a street doc and since they already had a sample on file and my medical files, I didn't have to give them to someone else. 
-Also after getting shot up once, I went to that hospital and I was treated at a discount (as I had a contract) and again, without questions asked.  Very nice given that you get a full hospital service instead of some street doc where you don't even know if he actually is a doctor.

[Mirikon]

DocWagon (and their equivalents) doesn't go onto corp property, they have extradition agreements with security providers, and they keep all kinds of records. Oh yeah, and there's always the chance that you get to play test subject in any experiments they might run. On top of all that, those same bracelets/tags that allow DocWagon to track you down also allows anyone else who gets the signal to track you down. From a professional criminal's point of view, I'll go with a first aid kit, trauma patches, and healing magic until I can get to the street doc. Just sayin'.

[Landmine]

Thanks for all the replies. It seems funny to me that the safety net the authors tried to establish is so universally rejected. I started to pick up on that, but felt like I might have been missing something.

[Poindexter]

I once used it during a campaign in the following way (4th edition, in case things have changed in 5th):
-I had the basic contract, which I never used.
-I also had a contact in a large docwagon clinic (a doctor)
-when I needed some ware installed, if it wasn't too illegal (anything up to R rating), I could go there and have it done no questions asked.  In fact, I used them as a street doc and since they already had a sample on file and my medical files, I didn't have to give them to someone else. 
-Also after getting shot up once, I went to that hospital and I was treated at a discount (as I had a contract) and again, without questions asked.  Very nice given that you get a full hospital service instead of some street doc where you don't even know if he actually is a doctor.

That's a great freakin idea.

[psycho835]

My first two characters had basic DocWagon contract. Both of 'em got killed and DocWagon didn't come into play even once. I stopped buying it after the second death.

[MijRai]

I've never ended up using DocWagon.  At the same time, farothel's idea is ingenious. 

[farothel]

they have your files and their hospitals are top notch, so why give them to someone else when you don't have to.