Delivering a baby

[Trellian]

The characters will visit a shabby, run-down hostel in search of a young woman. While there, they are contacted by a guy who freaks out because his wife is giving birth. One of the character is a cleric, so I guess he will step up. I figured out a Heal check is in order, but what DC should I set the task? It is dirty and he has almost no equipment. Still, they are only 1st level, so it shouldn't be to high either. Is 15 ok? Maybe if you miss by 5 or less,
the baby is sort of ok, but with a birth defect.. 5-10 the mother or the baby dies. 10 and more, both dies.
What do you think ?

 

[IronWolf]

I think I would start at DC15 but then apply modifiers for conditions (either positive or negative depending on the conditions of course). In the scenario you describe I would probably add 2 to the DC for the dirty conditions. If the cleric did happen to have a healer's kit you can always allow a bonus to his roll to help compensate. Just my two coppers.

 

[irdeggman]

Why even check?

I mean that giving birth has been a natural thing for centuries before "modern medicine" and hence should almost always be successful regardless of the midwife (cleric in this case).

If anything a FOrt save since it is more dependant on the mother than any outside help. Basically the help is only necessary if there is a problem during the childbirth. Then it might be better to give a bonus to the fort save based on the heal check.

 

[werk]

Interesting situation...

I like what you are trying to do, and trying to make it skill based so they feel like they are 'playing' instead of roleplaying.

Let's look at healing skill. It helps with several things, the most applicable is First Aid...you can make a person stable that is dying. I think that is largely what you are doing, helping to make the mother more stable and to aid in the delivery. DC on first aid is 15, maybe lower it a bit because she's not dying, but raise it for conditional modifiers. I don't think that childbirth requires tools or a sterile environment or anything like that, so I would overlook those and focus on stressors in the area. Are they in a private, quiet area; is there enough room to move freely; is the mother in a condusive position; stuff like that.

I'd then have the mother making the rolls to birth the baby, with the heal skill checks either helping or hindering her progress. If she rolls well, your cleric may just hold her hand and watch...if she rolls poorly, the baby and mother will die without help.

just ideas...

 

[cmanos]

Why even check?

I mean that giving birth has been a natural thing for centuries before "modern medicine" and hence should almost always be successful regardless of the midwife (cleric in this case).

Birth itself isn't always perfect. Modern medicine makes sure mom and baby come through OK. The midwife/doula is there to take care of 'labor complications'. I like the idea of the mom making a Fortitude save (not sure on the DC), with those helping out making a Heal check to successfully aid the mom in making the save. So if you have a couple people with the Heal skill, they can all aid the mom. Failed fort save on mom's part means there is some kind of complication...breach...excessive bleeding...cord gets wrapped around the kid's throat on the way out....

Also, I'd allow the PC's to be creative in 'offsetting' the 'DIRTY' penalty. Good wine could be used as an antiseptic in a pinch, as can boiling water. You don't need the entire facility in priostine condition, just the 'area of concern'.

Nice idea for a non-combat oriented encounter!!!

 

[werk]

Also, I'd allow the PC's to be creative in 'offsetting' the 'DIRTY' penalty. Good wine could be used as an antiseptic in a pinch, as can boiling water. You don't need the entire facility in priostine condition, just the 'area of concern'.

Nice idea for a non-combat oriented encounter!!!

The PCs should not think that the conditions are dirty.
Meet Louis Pasteur http://ambafrance-ca.org/HYPERLAB/PEOPLE/_pasteur.html
Microbiology was not even considered until mid 1800s. Antiseptic and autoclave after that.

I'm just saying...

 

[Felix]

You need a Sorcerer with Prestidigitation to sterilize everything.

I mean that giving birth has been a natural thing for centuries before "modern medicine" and hence should almost always be successful regardless of the midwife (cleric in this case).

Not that "modern medicine" had anything to do with dropping a mother's chance of dying in birth or from infection from 1/3 to nearly nothing. Oh no, not at all.

But, I do agree with irdeggman that the check itself is kinda unnecessary. Have him roll to make him feel like he did something, but then just have the consequences play out how you've decided; be sure to phrase appropriately.

E.g., If you decide that the baby will come out ok, but with the mother hurt, but not seriously...

• If the player rolls a 1, you can say "Your mistake caused this hurt".

• If the player rolls a 10, you can say "You did well enough to have a fairly smooth operation and the mother will recover in a few days from the delivery."
  • If the player rolls a 20, you can say "Your expertise and quick-thinking saved the mothers life, and likely the baby's as it would have died in utero had you not arrived when you did.
  
  That way you have a predictable outcome, and happy players who still think that dice rolls mean anything.

 

[Anti-Sean]

Fortunately, this is already covered in the rules:

SLEIGHT OF HAND (DEX; TRAINED ONLY; ARMOR CHECK PENALTY)

<snip>

If you try to take something from another creature, you must make a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check to obtain it. The opponent makes a Spot check to detect the attempt, opposed by the same Sleight of Hand check result you achieved when you tried to grab the item. An opponent who succeeds on this check notices the attempt, regardless of whether you got the item.

<snip>

Sleight of Hand DC Task
10 Palm a coin-sized object, make a coin disappear
20 Lift a small object from a person

You may want to increase the DC, given the rather obvious attempt at taking the item.

 

[werk]

SLEIGHT OF HAND

OK...that^ is awesome!

Yoink!

 

[ARandomGod]

Fortunately, this is already covered in the rules:



You may want to increase the DC, given the rather obvious attempt at taking the item.

But don't forget to take into account the "distracted" modifier, as the mother will be very heavily distracted by the labor pains in general. You might get 'aid another' checks by having some other PC's do things like "hold her hand" or "talk to her" or "put a soothing cool rag on her forhead, and don't forget to try and block her view of me!"