[Jack_Spade]

Unless you give them arms...
But we'll probably have to wait for the Rigger book for that.

[Halinn]

I meant that RL medical kits can't operate on their own. Shadowrun medkits can.

[ScytheKnight]

I meant that RL medical kits can't operate on their own. Shadowrun medkits can.

Well my point being that they're at least a starting point, because hay 60 years of miniaturization at work.

[Tecumseh]

Minus two Matrix crashes.

[prophet42]

Yep - part of my initial query was wondering if the difference in Rating values might be as much based off of the more powerful expert systems vs having a more meds & tools in the kit.

[Zweiblumen]

Yep - part of my initial query was wondering if the difference in Rating values might be as much based off of the more powerful expert systems vs having a more meds & tools in the kit.

I would argue that it is a combination of the two rather than a one or the other.

[psycho835]

Up until B&B came out, our table always used medkit's roughly the size of a satchel - in fact, it often was stored in a satchel. These days we are operating on B&B rules. Personally, I prefer an R3 upgraded to R5.

[Rooks]

Or use the handy dandy concealment table as rating -2 as the standard

[SmilinIrish]

We houseruled that medkits can't work by themselves.  Its just silly.  How are they going to apply bandages, see the patient, put on electrodes, start an IV?  We also ruled that they don't run at Rating X2 by themselves.  Otherwise, whats the point in the first aid skill at less than 6.  We just rule that you roll Log + First Aid + Medkit Rating.  No wireless bonus.  We decided it works like an  AED.  You hook up the patient, put in the IV, all while it is talking to you. We figure the bigger ones (4-6) have a some kind of endoscopy connections that you would hook up, kind of the size of a vaccum cleaner hose.  it removes bullets, angry gall bladders, seals up leaks in internal organs, etc.  Our picture of the size is more like baseball players gear bag, hockey bag, something like that. 

[Marcus Gideon]

I've never really thought a Medkit can operate itself entirely. Either it's a box full of medical supplies for someone with First Aid training to use... or it's a box full of medical supplies with a Knowsoft installed that tells some random user how to apply them. But either way, there still needs to be a person handling the supplies.

That's why previous editions eventually came out with medical drones that can scoop you off the battlefield and fly you to a treatment center, while using robotic arms to doctor on you during the trip. Nowhere in the Medkit descriptions does it say they have tiny little arms to work on you in the field.

[Rooks]

right because a drone with arms with auto soft able to do remote surgery or programed to do surgery or attach itself to a patient and adminsiter drugs to stabilize them is well beyond the scope of the 2050 universe let alone 25 years later

[falar]

right because a drone with arms with auto soft able to do remote surgery or programed to do surgery or attach itself to a patient and adminsiter drugs to stabilize them is well beyond the scope of the 2050 universe let alone 25 years later

Oh, it's totally not. You just don't get it for 500xRating. If you want that, you need to at least spend 5000 nuyen, but possibly 10,000 nuyen.

[Marcus Gideon]

SR4 had the CrashCart Autodoc drone, which was 4,000¥ and was equipped with a Rating 4 Medkit, and could immediately stabilize any patient hooked up to it.

The medkit includes drug supplies, bandages, tools, and a (talkative) doctor expert system that can advise the user on techniques to handle most typical medical emergencies (including fractures, gunshot wounds, chemical wounds, and poisoning, as well as offering advice for the treating of shock, handling blood loss, and of course performing resuscitations).

All that right there says it contains materials for a person to use. And if the person is clueless about First Aid, the medkit will talk them through it. But there needs to be a person there to attach the medkit to the patient at the very least.

The ability to "operate itself" is listed as a Wireless bonus, which doesn't necessarily mean that the wireless antenna doubles as tiny arms. I would imagine that is basically just the device feeding you pain killers through an IV, since the books refer to the medkits being attached to the patient, I'm picturing an IV and the finger thing for O2 and sticky pads with leads for defilabusting.

[falar]

I myself hold that the (talkative) doctor expert system starts by saying, "Please state the nature of your medical emergency."

[Darzil]

The ability to "operate itself" is listed as a Wireless bonus, which doesn't necessarily mean that the wireless antenna doubles as tiny arms. I would imagine that is basically just the device feeding you pain killers through an IV, since the books refer to the medkits being attached to the patient, I'm picturing an IV and the finger thing for O2 and sticky pads with leads for defilabusting.

Also probably using matrix information / processing to aid diagnostics and tell you what to do based on comparison of your vitals/what it can detect with millions of case histories.

Only house rule we do use is to not have a second limit on wounds healed based on First Aid skill. One limit is enough.