Journeyman Healer Guide

Basic Healing Skills for Journeymen Healers

A junior journeyman is the equivalent of an advanced skills nurse (an RN or PRN in the US). He/she practices without supervision for the most part, referring any cases beyond their knowledge and abilities to a senior journeyman or master. Always ask the patient persona's writer what happened and what they want to be wrong with their character. If someone doesn't want a broken leg, it's not nice to diagnose one. Treat it accordingly. Don't glob Numbweed on injuries indiscriminately. Look into alternates to this policy in the Healer Hall site.

A senior journeyman is the equivalent of a doctor, but with slightly lesser skills and still learning the broad range of treatment. Most journeymen do not seriously pursue a specialty until they earn their senior journeyman's knots. They are authorized to treat almost any injury or illness, referring only the most difficult or dangerous to a Master. A senior journeyman is the lowest rank that will be posted on a "lone" assignment, such as being the only full-time healer for a Hold or another Hall. To be on the safe side, you can send a copy of any post with question as to duty boundaries to the Hallmaster for review. This is just so that there are no accidental postings sent to the list that are out of canon.

Apprentices are only on Infirmary duty when there are journeymen healers also on duty there, so if your journeyman is on duty at the same time an apprentice group is, he/she is responsible for supervising their activities.

All Journeymen live at Healer Hall, where they still attend refresher classes, teach apprentice classes, perform Infirmary duty, and other duties as needed. If a journeyman needs to leave the Hall for any length of time (such as needing to return home for a family emergency), he/she needs to notify the Hallmaster or Hallsecond. Junior Journeymen share a communal bathing room with the rest of the Hall. Senior journeymen have much larger living quarters, with private bathing rooms. Those journeymen with families can either reside in the Hall or opt for one of the cottages assigned to the Hall by the Hold. The cottages are limited, and are reserved for couples with two or more children only.

Dragonhealing for Journeymen Healers

Most healers at the Hall do not have dragon healing skills. There are several levels of dragonhealers at the Weyrs, each under a master Dragonhealer. Healers who Impress have the option of beginning studies as a dragonhealer, and most healers after several turns at a Weyr will pick up basic dragonhealing skills. A few healers at the Hall have some basic skills in treating flit or dragon injuries, but these fall under the category of first aid. Anything more serious will require sending for the local Weyr's dragonhealer.

Pernese Herbs and Medicines for Journeymen Healers

There are no synthetic medicines on Pern. Everything we use comes from a plant of some sort. Most of you are already familiar with the most common ones: Numbweed, Redwort, and fellis from the Fellis Tree. There are many others, all of which you must become at least somewhat familiar. Use the herbal scrolls to learn what each herb does.

Promotions for Journeymen Healers

How does one get a promotion within the Hall? First, check your persona's age and length of time as a healer. Considering the average Pernese apprentices at 12, the earliest age for Sr Apprentice is 15 (or three turns of experience). To earn this promotion, the character must also gain the Hallmaster's approval. To make Jr Journeyman, one must be 18, or have 6 turns of experience and gain the Hallmaster's approval. For Sr Journeyman, one must be at least 21, or have 9 turns of experience and gain the Hallmaster's approval. For Master, club government must first approve a need for an additional Master, and the Hallmaster must approve the promotion to Master. The promotion is then put to the Hall's healers for a vote. It is strongly preferred that a member already have a senior journeyman/woman who is at least 30 and has at least 18 turns of experience before trying for Master.

Secondly, learn the basic Pernese herbs, how they are used, and what they do. You don't have to memorize them - that's what the herbal scrolls are for. But if you've earned a reputation for repeatedly slapping numbweed on every injury, you're unlikely to gain a promotion. The herbs are the basis for the healercraft, and one must post correctly with them.

Thirdly, post with your persona as a healer - get noticed. The Hallmaster is not going to approve a promotion for a healer if the first question when the persona name is brought up is "Who's that?"

Who is in charge of my journeyman healer at the Healer Hall?

In an attempt to consolidate the usual questions into one long FAQ, this information is presented in a very out of character fashion. Included are things that won't come up in normal club play, but that a member writing for a healer should know.

At Healer Hall, there are several people in authority. While the Hallmaster may occasionally teach a class or review a journeyman's progress, he doesn't usually mete out punishment unless the Hallsecond brings the offense to his attention or he witnesses it. He is available at all times for consultations and advice - so feel free to come by his office anytime. The Hallsecond is specifically in charge of the Infirmary and the journeymen. If a journeyman messes up, the Hallsecond will be the one to mete out punishment. The Master of Apprentices is duly authorized to reprimand any journeyman in the Hall, as well as his apprentices. Two junior journeymen act as apprentice dorm supervisors, but this gives them no authority over their fellow journeymen.