Birth control in D&D

[Loren Pechtel]

1) The level of magic needed is small compared to most of the magic out there. Thus I would make a birth control spell of limited duration (say 1hr/level, suitable for one encounter) be a level 0. I would make a long duration version (say 1day/level, or for women a flat one cycle) at level 1. I would put a permanent (but reversible) one at level 2.

1a) Note the fairly low cost of a permanent item based on the level 1 version of the spell. I believe such items would be common in society--they're quite expensive for a commoner but they would be passed down through the generations.

2) Chemical means of early abortion are common in history. Ru-486 is nothing new, just a scientific version of what's been known in practice for ages. Note that the easy means of doing this only works for 7 weeks.

3) As for a spell that actually performs an abortion--I believe there would be two versions of this. At probably level 1 I see a spell that acts like Ru-486--makes the woman's body think it's not pregnant (although I wouldn't limit it to 7 weeks.) The result is a miscarriage.

3a) If she wants something more pleasant I would put it at probably level 3--a spell that empties the contents of the uterus. Again, no line-of-sight issues as it's targeted on her, not the fetus.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Do you consider yourself a "negative consequence"?

Better term might be natural consequence.

Unwanted pregnancy is a negative consequence. I was planned, I'm not a negative consequence.

 

[PureGoldx58]

Why does this keep happening? Book of Erotic Fantasy, read it, don't like it? Adapt it.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Only if you consider pregnancy to be a parasitic infection or disease.

Last time I looked, it wasn't.

On the other hand, wouldn't it be nice if it could do something about my brother the bum? He's always hitting me up for money...

The only possible out on it's being a parasite is that it's of the same species as the host. Otherwise it most certainly is a parasite. It may be a desired parasite but that doesn't make it not a parasite. It only takes, it returns nothing to the host.

 

[PureGoldx58]

The only possible out on it's being a parasite is that it's of the same species as the host. Otherwise it most certainly is a parasite. It may be a desired parasite but that doesn't make it not a parasite. It only takes, it returns nothing to the host.

Nothing in the sense of nutrients but later on it can totally help with bills, keeping you out of a nursing home, finding you the right man/woman after a nasty divorce.

 

[jonesy]

Unwanted pregnancy is a negative consequence. I was planned, I'm not a negative consequence.

Whether someone is planned or not doesn't necessarily have anything to do with whether someone is wanted or not. And neither of those is necessarily connected to whether it's a positive or negative consequence. Three separate issues.

 

[anest1s]

This thread isn't about if babies are parasites, a curse, wanted or unwanted, if it is right or wrong to prevent pregnancy or if abortion is, if they pay you back later or not, or anything like that. It will probably be locked if it keeps on to that direction probably.

Well I wouldn't care, but I just had one of those bright ideas...(or not so bright ones)

What about a spell, that would turn the unborn baby into a zombie/skeleton before it got born? I mean without killing it (or the mother) first. It sounds something awful enough to shake the PCs, and a truly evil spell worthy of a truly evil necromancer (animate dead isn't evil enough, me thinks)

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

This thread isn't about if babies are parasites, a curse, wanted or unwanted, if it is right or wrong to prevent pregnancy or if abortion is, if they pay you back later or not, or anything like that. It will probably be locked if it keeps on to that direction probably.

Well I wouldn't care, but I just had one of those bright ideas...(or not so bright ones)

What about a spell, that would turn the unborn baby into a zombie/skeleton before it got born? I mean without killing it (or the mother) first. It sounds something awful enough to shake the PCs, and a truly evil spell worthy of a truly evil necromancer (animate dead isn't evil enough, me thinks)

On a related note of ideas for evil, I just had an idea. Inspired by the awesome Tumor Familiar in Pathfinder, anyone remember the Mother Cyst feat from Libris Mortis to give someone cancer? What if you could mature that into some sort of horrific living offspring?

Too far off-topic?

 

[Andras]

On a related note of ideas for evil, I just had an idea. Inspired by the awesome Tumor Familiar in Pathfinder, anyone remember the Mother Cyst feat from Libris Mortis to give someone cancer? What if you could mature that into some sort of horrific living offspring?

Too far off-topic?

You have, by chance, come very close to the main plot of Patlabor III:WXIII

 

[Elf Witch]

There is a simple way to handle this without going nuts. In our games we handle it by having available special teas made of herbs that prevent pregnancy.

If you wanted to you could also have herbs that cause miscarriages.