anybody got rules for the odds of getting pregnant?!

[Celebrim]

Tewligan: Your suggestion sounds like it has good motivations, but ultimately it falls into that class of 'PC's should not have to pay for the results of thier own actions' style of gaming which to be frank utterly and completely offends me.

If a female PC dallies with another character, usually it is ran by a female player who almost certainly has given thought to the consequences of thier action and is perfectly understanding if she discovers that she is pregnant 2 game months latter, and furthermore is probably perfectly willing to accept the consequences of this desiscion or purchase an abortifact and accept the consequences of that decision.

And it generally makes for good role playing.

Just as in the real world, male PC's (or rather their male players) generally aren't prepared for the consequences of thier relationships, but I'd no more encourage them to not give thought to the consequences of those actions, than I would allow PC's to go about murdering and stealing without consequence. I don't protect PC's from themselves.

And it generally makes for good role playing.

I don't run games to be juvenile male fantasies, and generally I find any player that would rather that I stroke thier egos with wenching, wine, and murder without consequence is far too immature to be at my table. (Which isn't to say that you couldn't play an interesting character who acted like life should be wenching, wine, and murder without consequence.)

 

[Tewligan]

Tewligan: Your suggestion sounds like it has good motivations, but ultimately it falls into that class of 'PC's should not have to pay for the results of thier own actions' style of gaming which to be frank utterly and completely offends me.

No need to take offense - I'm a firm believer in the PCs paying the piper when they do something stupid. However, if I had to find or make up a mechanic for possible results of everything they do, then the game would grind to a rather dull halt. There aren't rules for characters getting scurvy or something if they go for weeks of living on iron rations, and there aren't rules for broken limbs or any other lingering effects if a character is slashed and pummeled to near-death with 15 pounds of pointy steel. They shake it off, and they move on to get themselves into more trouble.

I don't run games to be juvenile male fantasies, and generally I find any player that would rather that I stroke thier egos with wenching, wine, and murder without consequence is far too immature to be at my table. (Which isn't to say that you couldn't play an interesting character who acted like life should be wenching, wine, and murder without consequence.)

I agree with you on this. A player who wants his character to start swilling ale and rolling dice to see if he seduces "that hot barmaid chick with the big boobs" isn't going to have a place at my table for very long. However, since Paulewaug didn't elaborate very much on the nature of his players, I'm (perhaps naively) assuming that they're mature gamers who aren't giggling like 8th-graders over the whole affair. Maybe a romance between the two makes sense in the campaign. So, which is it, Paul? Is it a tasteful thing that makes sense given the characters' natures, or are they going into detail about how they go off to "do it" behind a tree while the rest of the party makes camp? If that's the case, just have them eaten by a dire bear and be done with it. However, if they're actually interested in character development and story, then ask the players for their input as to where this could go, and take it from there.

 

[S'mon]

I typically use a 1 in 20 chance for a single tryst, or a 1 in 6 over a month, I read somewhere that with a fertile couple being together over the year, presumably usually having sex at least once per ovulation, the chance of pregnancy was ca 60%. Sometimes if I think the chance of pregnancy is particularly high I'll give it a straight 1 in 6 chance, I think that should be the limit for most trysts.

 

[paulewaug]

However, since Paulewaug didn't elaborate very much on the nature of his players, I'm (perhaps naively) assuming that they're mature gamers who aren't giggling like 8th-graders over the whole affair. Maybe a romance between the two makes sense in the campaign. So, which is it, Paul? Is it a tasteful thing that makes sense given the characters' natures, or are they going into detail about how they go off to "do it" behind a tree while the rest of the party makes camp? If that's the case, just have them eaten by a dire bear and be done with it. However, if they're actually interested in character development and story, then ask the players for their input as to where this could go, and take it from there.

Ok well the blessed event has occured and I decided to use my divine power as DM and just cause it to happen.
(Hey in RL it happens all the time where they are together 'just that one time' or it happens on the Honeymoon, so the odds are "Murphy's odds"; the chance may be low but be sure it'll happen if you don't want it too)

So here more details (sorry to be vague before but my players read the board from time to time)

Two of my players characters, over the last few sessions have been developing a heavy flirtation with each other and decided to take it to the next level.
One of the PCs (the Male one) is a total womanizer, he virtually worships the female form. He's always looking around and flirting. He's pretty Charismatic and comes off more as a James Bond type really (rather than just a male fantasizing 'horndog').
So somehow the parties Cleric (of Ehlonna) has started to become attracted to him, and as I said- after several game sessions they decided to get intimate.

Now the fun part for Me is that one of the Other Female PCs hates this womanizer and is best friends with the Cleric so hopefully she will flip out. (That is what she does best, go off on these very funny rants and get worked up- it should be worth lots of role play awards for her.)

But I decided that there should at least be a Chance of something more than just a good time coming of this. I liked a lot of the ideas here for ways to make it up to chance but then it just wokred out to well for the story that I just had to Make it happen.

In the future I would probably use a random role for unprotected sex but for the story it seemed to need to be done. (I like to complicate their lives)

He has had several trysts with other NPCs and I haven't really even thought it with them. He has shown a degree of honor, that is very in character, by not taking advantage of a extremely gorgeous NPC that is basicaly 'kind of out of it right now'. He has taken to watching over her and may be developing serious feelings for her. Time will tell.
But in the meantime the womanizing human fighter has just 'knocked up' the party's female Elf cleric. hehe
It's good to be the DM!

If you want to read the story go to the Slaves of fate link in my sig.
Although it is not up to that part yet it shouldn't be too far off.

Also to complicate matters even more for him is the fact that in his Secret Backgound that he wrote for himself and has Not been revealed to the other PCs, When he was young he had been out currousing (sp?) extensively and got a young lady pregnant. He comes from a well to do family and they somehow caused the loss of the unborn child when they found out he was going to marry her. His family was very well off and she was of a much lower station in life. This caused a Huge falling out with his family and he left the area and dis-owned himself from the family.

 

[Shade Murphy]

Also my thought is that an actual pregnancy on an adventurer doesn't have to put them out of commission. This is fantasy. Have the baby be the strongest little boy/girl the midwife has ever seen. All because the Player didn't stop adventuring.

Kinda like letting kids play outside to help their immune system.

But, in exchange they should suffer a penalty to attack for the ackwardness.

Just my rambling.

 

[MerakSpielman]

It seems perfectly reasonable in a D&D world that there should be magical methods of birth control (potions, amulets, etc). It's their own fault if they didn't use protection.

 

[paulewaug]

That is a good point too merak,
niether one of them ever mentioned the idea or asedk about contraception or trying to "be safe"