Adult: GUCK development forum III

[Sorn]

Ok, on the awkwardness thing, I can see both sides working... so I'll wait on some more comments.

The Magic & Pregnancy section was one of my favorites too, and I agree it was a little long, so let's trim that baby down. No pun intended.

Morning Sickness: Yes, checked daily upon waking up. Fort Save or nauseated for 1d3 hours.


Age & Conception

The idea is good here, but it seems a bit too specific. I propose instead that we make a section elsewhere that just talks about generic Prowess (and other sex-related penalties) based on age. It's something of a staple that old people have a harder time of doing it (guys and getting it up, for instance).

Good idea on the general notes. However, I am talking fertility here, not ED. Most people can skip these modifiers right away, as the majority of characters are younger than that anyway. All these modifiers do is simulate menopause and the drop in virility in older men. It won't take much room or complicate the conception roll.

Sorry Sorn, I agree with Asra here. The idea of adding in a "positive" mechanic for the sole purpose of merely balancing out the negative ones just doesn't seem right to me.

Okay, I guess we had a little miscommunication somewhere. I don't want any positive mods for balance purposes. So far, all we had been focusing on were the negative aspects, but we were forgetting about the positive ones (which are indeed less universal and more subject to DM's discretion).

And I agree with you on the other parts... it really depends on the culture the pregnant woman is in and a gazillion other circumstances. But we should mention the possibility of positive mods. Again, not to balance the negative ones, but to have a complete and comprehensive chapter on pregnancy.

 

[Death By Surfeit]

Just a quick idea: perhaps a maximum Dexterity bonus would be more in order to represent encumbrance, again armour-style? It would range from quite high at the upper stages to -1 or suchlike in the last stage.

I think the importance here is simplicity. Looking back on things, I'd favour dropping the whole monthly check thing entirely. Morning sickness is not too debilitating, so we won't include extensive rules for it. Awkwardness is best represented by a staggered maximum Dexterity bonus, and perhaps an increasing drop in overland speed or inability to run. Constitution drain is a little excessive, so just have some chance of miscarraige whenever the character undergoes massive damage, or something.

It's just a vague sentiment, but feel free to fill in the details if you like it.

DbS

 

[Sorn]

Actually, I like the Max Dex idea a lot. I just uploaded my latest proposal for Pregnancy mechanics to the site, but I will adjust the table for Dex and landspeed. Expect it within 10-15 minutes on the site.

Edit: File Uploaded. I am not going to repost it here, as there are 2 tables in there. Just check it out here

 

[brevdravis]

Off-topic.... sorry

Just a quick one, you guys are doing so good on the pregnancy rules that I worry about tossing in comments that disrupt the flow......

VVrayven was talking about starting a group to do the HEX expansion after the base mechanics were finished. I think that they're pretty much done, the basics, I mean, sooo

Is that starting up yet, or am I jumping the gun here again....

Stuart

 

[brevdravis]

Miscarriage rules....

I remember that in the old rules there was a big thing about the effects of adventuring opn a child, and a huge table listing the various effects with a lot of various things....

I think that's overkill personally.....

How bout something really simple, like a 1% cumulative chance, that goes down 1% every day, for every point of damage taken, real or subdual. It's simple and easy to keep track of.

Unless spells specifically mention effects on unborn children, there shouldn't be anything major. Just have the same effect that affects the mother affect the child....

(Yes, I realize this brings up things like haste spells, but I think that we should leave that up to the GM.)

Stuart

 

[Sorn]

My thoughts... for most purposes, mother and unborn child are a single entity. We don't have stats for the unborn child, so it's all dependant on the mother. Any spell affecting her automatically affects the child. Easy as that. Weird side-effects are nice and fine, but probably not what we really want.

Miscarriages induced by damage should require a Fortitude Save. Right now, I am thinking a modified Massive Damage system. Once the mother takes 20 or more points of damage in a single hit, make a Fort Save DC15. However, the problem I see already with that is that low-level mothers will never have miscarriages, as they will be long dead once they take 20 points of damage.

Instead, how about make a Fort Save DC = Damage taken - Stage #?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Hey! What's up with fertility modifiers for post-menopausal women? Their fertility is *ZERO*!

 

[VVrayven]

Just my thoughts:

Morning Sickness should not have a solid dehabilitating mechanic. After all, these adventuring women can take getting stabbed by a two foot sword and have no penalties to attack, yet a morning sickness troubles them? I realize this is a thin argument, but I think we should try to keep things as simple as possible.

I like the reduced speed and reduced dex ideas. Con drain makes no sense at all. The women's body is burning energy at a higher rate, however, her immune systems and other "CON" like systems are functioning at a hyper-active pace, not a reduced one.

I think Sorn is right about treating mother and child as one entity.

Loren Pechtel: You are very right. Women CANNOT have children post menopause.

Hex: I'm starting on it in about one week.

Sorry all about the spells. I'm quietly editing the rest of them now and will post them in the timeline. You can consider me suffciently chasitised and spanked.

::hugs to all::

 

[Sorn]

I took Morning Sickness off the site. So no worries there anymore. Same goes for Con drain.

Now, the menopause thing. The reason that there are modifiers is that there are always a few exceptions to the rule, namely women who give birth at an old age where most other women are way past the ability to become pregnant. Note that a MW contraceptive only gives a +2, which in turn leads to a vastly decreased chance of conception. The age modifiers are higher than that (and I am even considering bumping them up even more).

Since we have no rules for menopause, high DC modifiers will make sure that only very few women will become pregnant when they are older.

You can consider me suffciently chasitised and spanked.

Hmmm... spankings...
But seriously, no harm done... we all just got carried away a little. Keep up the great work!! The pregnancy chapter is coming along nicely, so I am definitely looking forward to them.

 

[brevdravis]

Another idea...

I like the Fort save idea for miscarriages, however, with the new rules Mary the first level commoner will never have a miscarriage....

How bout we add a clause that states if a woman takes half her hitpoints in one shot (maybe three quarters, I'll see what the response is) she also has to make a fortitude save.

That covers all the bases, but doesn't change the already great rule....

Stuart