Pregnancy and newborns...

[Jfdlsjfd]

We've never dealt with PC pregnancy in my group, but had two occasions of NPC pregnancy with the PC being the father... Though I don't know how we'd deal with it if it occurred, the presence of the babies can also have a considerable impact on the storyline, so I guess I wouldn't roll dice for that.

Foster care seems to be the obvious solution... so the father PC quickly dumped his offsprings with his clan ; this was natural and accepted by most of the group... except the two younger players (young adults, children of other players in the gaming group) who reacted strongly to the "carelessness" of the father, horrified he could abandon his children.

 

[Tonguez]

Yes. And there are stories of surgeons removing their own goose egg sizes kidney stones unnassisted in the middle of traffic jams to the hospital successfully. The common thread is that these are doubly abnormal in that they are not just freak individuals or fluke successes. They are freak individuals having flule successes. All that and its not a year long journey into the pits of hell fighting pitfiends who are very smart and very much so intentionally aiming for your protruding gut which you cant guard effectively all while taking advantage of your impeded movement and not to mention damage that would occur to the baby if you non stop shook your womb up and down on a frequent basis. And sustaine blunt slashing piercing and who knows what else damage all the time.

I would penalize the heck out of pregnant characters (depending on scenario). My players also encourage me to (female players included). Really whether this happens or not is directly modulated by how much your group likes realism. If you are in a less realism-heavy group then i would find it strange for a dm to penalize it frankly. But in a realism heavy group the opposite is true. Id find it strange NOT to penalize it. We penalize old age. Pregnancy is as debilitating as old age in many scenarios.

So you dont consider Adventurers who voluntarily fight dragons and take year long journeys into the pits of hell to be freak individuals having a string of fluke successes?

PCs are exceptional and also have access to magic and good fortune, so if real world women can be actively riding horses, lifting heavy weights and surviving accidents then so should PC women be able to do those things - possibly with disadvantage, but not with penalty.

 

[Ovinomancer]

also your dex is often crap often within the first few days (not always) and only gets worse (always). The distended belly isnt the only issue. Pregnancy messes with you in multiple ways.

The alterations i make to pregnant characters are gemerally the following with some not appearing until later stages (with allowances for unusual anatomy, class, or other non-irl effects):

Always prone (disadvantage also applies to ranged attack ac whereas normally its an advantage)
Penalty to dex skills
Penalty to charisma skills (present or kot depending on percentile roll beginning of day)
Penalty to wisdom skills (like above paranthetical)
Penalty to will saves
Penalty to con saves
Penalty to initiative
Reduced movement speed
Reduced hustle
Reduced number of extra attacks per round
Modified fatigue rules

shrug

Thats just how my group rolls. And although ive already said some of this let me say it again with more context. No woman has ever had a problem with these rules and as a matter of fact they came up with some of them.

Well. This happened.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Well. This happened.

different people want different things in their games.

This is the condition constellatiom for pregnant characters in my group. Not just when i dm. Many players came up with it together. Its consistantly accepted.

Perhaps you disapprove. But in some groups, consequences like these not being present is what is disaproved of.

All genders decided this was a good idea. There's nothing hateful about it. Its just born oit of a hardcore desire for a heavy dose of realism.

 

[Ovinomancer]

different people want different things in their games.

This is the condition constellatiom for pregnant characters in my group. Not just when i dm. Many players came up with it together. Its consistantly accepted.

Perhaps you disapprove. But in some groups, consequences like these not being present is what is disaproved of.

All genders decided this was a good idea. There's nothing hateful about it. Its just born oit of a hardcore desire for a heavy dose of realism.

You've taken what could be a very interesting circumstance for generating fun and engaging play and turned it into nothing but a list of penalties. I guess you need to do you.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

Actually...this has me thinking though. Im about due to play a pregnant character. Never done it so maybe i should. The challenge should prove entertaining. And maybe i can come up with a way to leverage it.

Oh $#!÷ i just had an idea! Ring of awakening on my infant and ring of telepathy (both made of extremely sterilized pure gold and phased into the womb before birth)! Then, the untols cheese i could unleash! (Completely realistically with the right magic items and spells)

MuhahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

sorry. Had an evil moment.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

You've taken what could be a very interesting circumstance for generating fun and engaging play and turned it into nothing but a list of penalties. I guess you need to do you.

Some of us consider penalties fun.

Literally an entire circle of rp'rs (not even just one party) came up with this. It was not devised wothout fun in mind. We like settings with harsh cold elements present. Realism giving you a kick to the face is great. This is our mentality.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

You've taken what could be a very interesting circumstance for generating fun and engaging play and turned it into nothing but a list of penalties. I guess you need to do you.

That said realstically it is absolutely mostly a handicap. As it should be. A big one. Bigger than missing a hand in most scenarios.

 

[Salthorae]

Bigger than missing a hand in most scenarios.

... wh... huh?

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Yes. And there are stories of surgeons removing their own goose egg sizes kidney stones unnassisted in the middle of traffic jams to the hospital successfully. T

You seem to think that pregnant women having to work hard is some sort of rare occurrence on the level with performing surgery on yourself. It isn't. My mother worked as a cleaner up until a few days before I was born. A good friend of mine works in childcare, also worked right up until a few days before labour (4 times!) My pump instructor was still teaching classes (4 a week!) up until two weeks before she was due. These are all physically demanding jobs.

And these stories come from the rich, well-to-do West. In developing countries many women don't get the luxury of things like maternity leave. Women work hard as long as they can and get back to work as soon as they can.

Does pregnancy slow a person down? Not at all in the early stages. Somewhat in later stages. Can a heavily pregnant woman say to herself "naughty word that!" and power on through discomfort to do what needs to be done? Yes. Obviously. And all of this before we assume that PCs are made of sterner stuff (in the classic heroic mould) than we mere mortals.

If you want to give a penalty to attack because of a large belly and out of whack abdominal muscles?* Go for it. But if you're going to be this " realistic" don't forget to give pregnant women increased hit points & fort saves to represent better tolerance for pain.

As for the penalties you list to mental prowess, really? "Baby brain" is not a real thing. A pregnant woman in a dangerous situation is going to have more Will** to fight and survive than most.


*You can compensate for this with back muscles. Tiring? Sure. But you know, higher pain tolerance and all that.
** capitalised to indicate it's being used in the game jargon sense, as well as the common English usage.