CONTROVERSIAL QUESTION: Difficult Subject Matter.

[Visigani]

SPOILER


..sorta. This question pertains to violent acts of an intimate nature. If that sort of thing offends you, I apologize but it may be wise for you to not read the following question.

I ask because it is a moral question I am having difficulty grappling with in relation to the D&D universe. Again, the subject matter is distasteful but there are few resources available to have this discussion.




The question: In the event that a male Orc violently impregnated a female Dwarf against her will do you believe that dwarf would be more likely to terminate the pregnancy, and if not do you feel that the Orf child would be accepted as a member of an average clan by the clans leadership? in other words, would the majority or the minority view this offspring as an abomination and seek to terminate, exile, or otherwise destroy the child?

 

[BENINHB]

Can that even happen?? I'm not familiar with any half dwarfs except for the Muls from Athas, but Dark Sun is its own, very different, campaign setting.

Edit: Actually that doesn't really matter cause if the DM says it happens it happens.

I would think that the average dwarf clan would ostracize the half breed and actually most likely destroy it. They may or may not banish it but i'm not sure they would even want such an abomination to exist. There is always the exception to the rule though. For example a Dwarf King with two Human adopted children and a Drow Son in Law...

 

[Visigani]

Can that even happen?? I'm not familiar with any half dwarfs except for the Muls from Athas, but Dark Sun is its own, very different, campaign setting.

If humans can mate with orcs, and dwarves can mate with humans.... further, there's nothing expressly in the game that says it can't and the lack of a ton of them running around only suggests that it would be extremely rare.


Further, if an orc was evil villain enough and aware of the horror this would be to a Dwarven heroine... well, there ya go.

 

[Dandu]

Depends on the clan. Dwarves are a varied and diverse people, after all.

 

[jonesy]

Visigani, are you the DM? I think it would be really nice to try and surprise the players by having the clan be absolutely supportive of the mother and decide to help raise the child together as one of their own.

With the attitude of "The dwarven half is strong and sure to weed out the other."

By the way, what happened to the orc? Is he still around?

 

[Visigani]

Visigani, are you the DM? I think it would be really nice to try and surprise the players by having the clan be absolutely supportive of the mother and decide to help raise the child together as one of their own.

With the attitude of "The dwarven half is strong and sure to weed out the other."

By the way, what happened to the orc? Is he still around?

Negative. The mother slew the father during the escape.

 

[the Jester]

Re: the viability of such a cross, here's a quote from the 1e MM: "As orcs will breed with anything, there are any number of unsavory mogrels with orcish blood, particularly orc-goblins, orc-hobgoblins and orc-humans. Orcs cannot cross-breed with elves. Half-orcs tend tofavor the orcish strain heavily, so such sorts are basically orcs although they can sometimes (10%) pass themselves off as true creatures of their other stock (goblins, hobgoblins, humans, etc)."

So there is an established precedent for dwarf-orc crosses (otherwise they would've been called out as an exception like elves).

As to the social attitude, depends on the campaign and likely the mother's position in society. IMC the dwarves of her clan would support her and encourage her to abort the child or abandon it atop a pile of stones upon its birth, same as with other deformed dwarven offspring (if it survives a night, the clan would accept it as having had its life validated by the gods).

 

[frankthedm]

The question: In the event that a male Orc violently impregnated a female Dwarf

Dwarf Clan would be very supportive of killing the orcspawn. But the campaign setting's background and how the GM rules alignment on such matters might change the situation since Dwarves are typically lawful good.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If it were me as the DM, I wouldn't have such a union be viable, but I agree with jonesy's idea: Having the dwarves view this as something that could be overcome is a very dwarvish attitude. Dwarves know a whole lot about making something amazing out of challenging circumstances and might well even view this child as one with potential for greatness.

 

[akbearfoot]

Is reproductive management even an option? This is medieval medicine we're talking about. Sure there is magic, but a cure-light woulds isn't going to save someone with internal bleeding.

Then again, maybe the problem could be harmlessly cured with a simple remove disease or neutralize poison, without resorting to things like wire-hangers or jumping down stairs.

IMOHO this is exactly the sort of topic that I would feel very uncomfortable with if it came up at our gaming table. Rape and abortions are way too graphic, especially with certain types people.