Adventuring while pregnant

[Azul]

I tend to think the fate of the universe is a good enough reason to adventure while pregnant. And, she may not have a choice-- if the character is sexually active, the DM determines whether or not she is pregnant randomly based on ovulation charts and the like...

While on the dangerous adventuring path, if she were to discover she was pregnant, it's not like she can just turn around and go home... sometimes, it's a little more complicated than that... additionally, we can't just hit "save" on the game...

There are lots of other interesting options that we are looking at for this character-- ie, sending her to a plane where time passes differently... but, we're just wondering what how the rules would apply to a situation like this.

Ovulation charts? Whoa, now there is a DM who is *way* too chart-happy. Major events like PC pregnancy should be decided upon based upon the furthering the story, not ovulation charts. In fantasy worlds where wizards toss balls of flame, warriors slay dragons and the gods themselves grant divine power to their priests, it doesn't seem far-fetched to assume that highly effective contraception, probably in the form of an herb or apothacary's mixture, is both available and used by female characters.

I'd see no need to really roleplay using such a contraceptive (except perhaps just establishing that the PC was using it) since such details part of the mundane everyday details of everyday life (e.g. my group kind of assumes that bodily functions get taken care of and don't normally roleplay them). If the character decided to not use contraception, or the events suggested she could have been careless, then maybe.

I've had a female PC get pregnant in my campaign (I'm the DM). It happened as an in-game plot twist (a dalliance with a fey disguised as an ogre strongman in a circus) and the PC spent much of the later part of her pregnancy resting (a little adventuring during her earlier months, notable for bouts of morning sickness and the party being remarkably protective of their pregnant orc barbarian). The rest of the party took some downtime during that period, waiting out a particular cold winter in a warm underground city.

After the birth, they tried keeping the child with them at first but realized this put her in danger, so they had her fostered out at the same orphanage most of the original party members grew up in.

Still, I have to say that an raging orc barbarian makes a very intimidating protective mama.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Ovulation charts? Whoa, now there is a DM who is *way* too chart-happy.

We have a pregnant NPC right now... so, he has the charts handy because he determined her pregnancy randomly (it's the child of a PC)... so, not chart happy... just wants to be random.

 

[Ashy]

I had a pregnant PC once - she was about a month along and we got into a battle. One of the mages cast haste on her - and we all know what happens then (at least in 2e) - you age a year. The someone said - what about the baby? Welp, all of a sudden, my character experienced 9 months of pregnancy in a single instant and had a bouncing baby boy...

Granted, it was not that simple, easy, or painless (it was actually made more complicated as we were going through a portal at the same time) but that is the way it happened. Her son became a major plot element as we went along - because of the unusual nature of his birth, he had unusual characteristics and it added perfectly to the story...

 

[Zappo]

Ovulation charts? Whoa. I'd just assign a fixed percentile chance of pregnancy (that's what the BoEF does, depending on species). A chart would only be needed if a PC has some mean of finding out before having sex; otherwise, a percentile roll is exactly as accurate.

 

[kenobi65]

but a D&D world is not neccessarily one "with very unreliable birth control." It's just not a topic covered in the rules.

Depends on the game world. The Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting gives specific rules for several herbs that cause short-term infertility (one for males, one for females).

 

[d20Dwarf]

I tend to think the fate of the universe is a good enough reason to adventure while pregnant.

I'd say getting pregnant while the fate of the universe rested in her hands was a damn sight irresponsible in the first place!

 

[Piratecat]

Time and tide wait for no man. . . I suppose that holds for the vagaries of pregnancy, too.

I once had a female PC think she was pregnant. Turned out to be an implanted slaad egg, but made for some great roleplaying.

 

[d20Dwarf]

Time and tide wait for no man. . ..

Basia was your DM?

 

[threshel]

I once had a female PC think she was pregnant. Turned out to be an implanted slaad egg, but made for some great roleplaying.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!
You are my freakin' hero.



On topic, I can only remember once having a PC (mine) get pregnant. No charts or rolls, I just told the DM that she was determined. We didn't have to deal with the effects in game, as she was retiring to start a family. My guess would be to keep it simple, with a penalty to encumbrance starting at the second trimester (increasing at third, natch) and a -2 to dex. I'd probably give circumstance bonuses for saves involving the baby.


J

 

[BOZ]

I once had a female PC think she was pregnant. Turned out to be an implanted slaad egg, but made for some great roleplaying.

well, she was pregnant. just not in the way she expected.