Polymorph & Pregnancy

[thundershot]

*wanders into a thread where sperm is compared to poison*



Anywho, it would greatly depend on the DM, but I would say yes to all. Anything that creates more avenues for me to create new plots is okay by me.



Chris

 

[Kahuna Burger]

That's right - It's an [Ex] ability.

Kahuna burger does a quick check then seriously mocks and insta houserules this silliness. Then has amusing thoughts about waste removal in polymorphed form that erics grandmother wouldn't want to hear...

There is no legitamate difference between a natural and extraordinary ability that is inherent in a non supernatural creature...

Kahuna Burger

PS, since my responses were how I would call it, they remain unchanged.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

*wanders into a thread where sperm is compared to poison*

Recalls ongoing "toxic substance/biohazard" joke but doesn't go into details due to grandma rule...

Kahuna Burger

 

[Hypersmurf]

There is no legitamate difference between a natural and extraordinary ability that is inherent in a non supernatural creature...

Except the descriptor and the way they interact with the Polymorph chain, yeah.

-Hyp.

 

[Monte At Home]

Well, the polymorph spell has been through a lot of changes since I left, but I can tell you that what I wrote was our original intention. That, in fact, is why that line is in the spell description.

 

[Tonguez]

My answer to the result of all the above = Scorcerers

oh and maybe some 'natural lycanthorpes' (Garou) and one or two Templated Abberations (or Abberant Humanoids)

but then I have a major hero in my campaign who is the daughter of a Half-Fiend Otyugh and his human bride and natural lycanthorpes are a dime a dozen (well maybe not quite that common)

 

[Iron_Chef]

Polymorph Other say the creature "retains its own type" so a dwarf turned into an ogre (giant) is still considered a humanoid (dwarf) for all practical purposes. Does this help at all?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Polymorph Other say the creature "retains its own type" so a dwarf turned into an ogre (giant) is still considered a humanoid (dwarf) for all practical purposes.

I'd say for most practical purposes he's considered an ogre

For some abstract purposes he's still a dwarf, and the occasional practical one - like "Does Hold Person work?"

But to Joe Peasant, that thing what walked past were def'nitly un Ogger.

-Hyp.

 

[Umbran]

There is no legitamate difference between a natural and extraordinary ability that is inherent in a non supernatural creature...

Well, let's see. For the most part, spiders are Fine creatures. The Polymorph Other only gets you down to Dimunitive. There are only a couple of really big spiders that the spell might allow. And they are known for their size, not for having particularly valuable poison or silk-spinning abilities.

So, in those terms, a spider with lots of silk and powerful poison large enough for the spell is not found in nature - thus, they are supernatural.

Plus, let's not confuse "legitimate" with "good in the game". It may seem illogical to you to classify something as "extraordinary", even though it is a normal functioning of a critter. But what makes the game work well isn't necessarily what's logical. Giving access to every single power of animals that seems "natural" (like strong silk and nasty poison) in that single spell is simply too much. It makes the one spell grant far too many possible powers, it becomes too flexible and useful for it's level. Thus, the restriction.

 

[David Argall]

remember to give the player problems

"First, can a person under the effects of a polymorph spell become pregnant?

Second, Could a person induce pregnancy while under the effects of a polymorph spell?"

Obviously yes in both cases. Under rules - The polymorphed critter gains the "natural abilities" of the new form, which would clearly include doing what comes naturally...
And we do want complications for the PC, which means pregnancy should be a definite possibility.

"If pregnancy is possible under 1 or 2 above, what would happen to the fetus when the spell is reversed? What happens to the child when the pregnancy comes to term?"

1st point is that the PC won't know, and should be quite worried about the worst [however defined by the PC] happening.

The DM should likely rule according to what keeps life most interesting for the PC. This means the kid is still there in most cases. [A male polyed to female and becoming pregnant should still be pregnant, with both father/mother and child in danger unless they gain some magic aid. As a technical point, a man can give birth, with the assistance of a few million$ in highly skilled doctoring, who preferably have tried this about a dozen times before to work out the kinks. Those of us who are not insane billionaires of course prefer the more regular methods.] Most likely the child appears a normal member of the mother's race, but some odd points will start to appear. Where the DM wants a quest for magic correction, the child should be born the wrong race or of mixed race.

"Third, what happens to an existing fetus when Polymorph is cast onto someone who is already pregnant?"

Here again, eliminating the child is too dull. So the kid survives the experience, with complications. The kid would be an apparent member of the mother's apparent race when born. Whether she is currenly polymorphed or has been changed back, there will be signs that there is something odd about the kid.

"Fourth, what if the form the person is polymorphed into is of a different Type than that of the persons natural form. For example, a humanoid is transformed into a giant or a dragon."

The standard rule of fantasy is that 1 [female] + 1 [male] = 3. The race of either parent is not important. One prefers the same race, but successful mating with just about any other is entirely possible. So our humanoid/dragon can get kids by either race, or by a 3rd, tho the polymorphed will likely prefer the old race who will reject him/her while he/she may be sought by members of the new race despite his/her disinterest in the idea.