Pregnancy (5e Variant Rule)
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When a mature male and a mature female humanoid have sexual intercourse, there is a chance that the female may become pregnant.
Fertility Check. To determine if a female becomes pregnant, two separate rolls are needed. The first is made by the female, and is a straight 1d20 roll, with the results of this role determining that female's level of fertility, as determined on the following tables, based on the mother's race:
Highly Fecund Race (e.g. goblins, kobolds)
| Roll on 1d20 | Fertility DC | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | Infertile | |
| 5-8 | DC 20 | |
| 9-12 | DC 15 | |
| 13-16 | DC 10 | |
| 17-20 | DC 5 |
Moderately Fecund Race (e.g. humans, orcs)
| Roll on 1d20 | Fertility DC | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Infertile | |
| 6-10 | DC 20 | |
| 11-15 | DC 15 | |
| 16-19 | DC 10 | |
| Natural 20 | DC 5 |
Less Fecund Race (e.g. dwarves, elves)
| Roll on 1d20 | Fertility DC | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | Infertile | |
| 11-15 | DC 20 | |
| 16-18 | DC 15 | |
| 19-20 | DC 10 |
The second roll, to determine if conception happens, is made by the male, and is a Constitution save, with the DC of the check determined by the Fertility DC on the table above. This check is modified as follows:
- Highly Fecund Race: +2
- Moderately Fecund Race: +0
- Less Fecund Race: -2
If both are actively trying to conceive, they both receive advantage on their rolls.
If conception is successful, have one of your players roll a percentile dice. If their roll equals or is lower than the percentile in the chart below, the conception will result in twins.
| Type | Rate of Twins | |
|---|---|---|
| Highly fecund race (goblins, kobolds, lizardfolk) | 20%-1% | |
| Moderately fecund race (centaurs, humans, orcs) | 15%-1% | |
| Less fecund race (dwarves, elves, halflings) | 5%-1% |
If twins result, have your players roll a percentile die to determine the type.
| % | Twin Table | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-50% | Non-identical twins | |
| 51-99% | Identical twins | |
| 100% | Identical triplets or more* |
(*) Rates can be adjusted for races that have higher rates of multiple births.
Prevention. To prevent conception, the participants may use some form of birth control. Choose one participant to role a percentile die. If they equal or exceed the percentile, they role for conception.
| Quality | Type | Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Best | Magical, most effective means | 95% protection |
| Moderate | Alchemical, highly effective means | 75% protection |
| Minor | Common herbal and other methods | 50% protection |
| Poor | Rhythm and coitus interruptus | 25% protection |
Pregnancy. The parent will be pregnant for around 9 months, where they will go through three trimesters. Each trimester brings new changes to the carrying parent. Since a wide variety of fantasy races exist, the carrying parent will not always be female; these rules, however, cover the basics for any race that gestates in a womb. Many changes do not need mechanics to govern them; they can be described by the DM or decided by the player. While they can be the source of jokes and fun, they should not be used to ridicule characters. As the body transforms to give birth, major shifts will affect a character in notable physical ways. If you wish to add mental/emotional changes and the group is on board, you may do so, but be aware that such mechanics can make a character into a caricature quickly and can make the player feel stymied in their ability to participate.
- First Trimester. Sex begins to form in offspring of human-like races at the end of the first trimester; divination methods used before then are notoriously unreliable. Nausea may strike at inopportune moments. Each week, roll a DC 15 Constitution check; failure indicates that nausea will be a problem that week. The character will make the same Constitution check at random each day, but not more than 1d4 times. Failure means the character is nauseated for 1d20 rounds. Each successful check grants a +2 bonus on the next roll. At the start of the second trimester, the check should be made again. If the roll is a 1, then nausea will continue to be a problem into the second trimester. Otherwise, it will fade away.
- Second Trimester. The character’s movement rate is reduced by a quarter and a -2 penalty applies to Dexterity as the body takes on weight and their center of gravity shifts. The character will also has disadvantage on all saving throws. Magic can be used to ease or negate these penalties, but they will recur once the magic fades.
- Third Trimester. The character’s movement rate is reduced by half. They also suffer a -4 penalty to Dexterity and -2 to Strength. The character will also has disadvantage on all saving throws. These penalties do not stack with those from previous trimesters and can be affected by magic, but they will automatically recur when the magic fades.
At the end of the third trimester, the character will give birth. Roll a percentile die to see what the child's gender is. If there are non-identical twins, roll twice for each child. If gender does not apply to the parents, do not role.
| % | Gender | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-50% | Male | |
| 51-100% | Female |
Variant: Egg Laying Species. Humanoids that lay eggs go through a slightly different reproduction process. Post intercourse, instead of becoming pregnant as other races do, they lay an egg. A male and a female of that race will go through the normal fertilization process and roll on the fertilization table. They have different rates of producing eggs and incubation times.
| Race | Fertility | Time Between Fertilization and Egg Laying | Quantity | Incubation Time | Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aarakocra | Highly Fecund Race | Forty-Eight to Sixty-Two Hours Post Fertilization | (1d4) Eggs) | Two to Three Weeks | For reproduction, Aarakocra have a cloaca. Female Aarakocra will still lay eggs, every forty-eight to sixty-two hours, even though they are unfertilized once they have reached maturity. Additionally, Aarakocra breasts do not function the same way that other humanoid's breasts function. Female Aarakocra will produce a type of pseudo-milk which will be stored in special sacks on their chest. Then, to feed their young, they will regurgitate this pseudo-milk into the mouths of their young. | ||
| Dragonborn | Moderately Fecund Race | Three to Five Weeks Post Fertilization | (1d4 - 1) Eggs - Won't be Less Than One | Three to Four Months | For reproduction, Dragonborn have a cloaca. Many people believe that Dragonborn breast feed due to the female Dragonborn having the appearance of having breasts. Instead they have a reinforced sternum that covers the upper chest, and when they stand up straight it protrudes in such a way that it gives the profile of breasts. It supports the female's lungs to permit their breath attack. Male Dragonborn do not have them due to their larger muscles in their upper bodies. | ||
| Kenku | Highly Fecund Race | Forty-Eight to Sixty-Two Hours Post Fertilization | (1d4) Eggs) | Two to Three Weeks | For reproduction, Kenku have a cloaca.. Female Kenku will still lay eggs, every forty-eight to sixty-two hours, even though they are unfertilized once they have reached maturity. Additionally, Kenku breasts do not function the same way that other humanoid's breasts function. Female Kenku will produce a type of pseudo-milk which will be stored in special sacks on their chest. Then, to feed their young, they will regurgitate this pseudo-milk into the mouths of their young. | ||
| Kobold | Highly Fecund Race | About Two Weeks | (1d8 + 16) | About 60 days | For reproduction, Kobolds have a cloaca. Male Kobolds are much more common than female Kobolds. Use these statistics for determining a the Kobold's gender. 88% Male - 12% Female | ||
| Lizardfolk | Moderately Fecund Race | Three to Five Weeks Post Fertilization | (1d4 + 2) Eggs | Three to Four Months | For reproduction, Lizardfolk have a cloaca. Male Lizardfolk eggs in unfavorable conditions will switch their gender to female while still in the egg. They still appear male, but are able to produce offspring, laying twice as much eggs as a normal female. Additionaly, Lizardfolk eggs have a leathery shell rather than the hard shells that other races and creatures lay. | ||
| Merfolk | - | Merfolk don't have intercourse in the same way most humanoids do. They essentially have large reproductive, orgy parties. Once every few years, the Merfolk will all gather, in which the female Merfolk will release their eggs and the males would swim up alongside them and release their sperm. | (1d8 + 50) Eggs, but only about 10% are either fertilized or able to survive in open water | Three to Four Months | Merfolk have internal reproductive parts in order to produce offspring. Before hatching, the male Merfolk will safeguard the eggs until they hatch. Female breasts have scales spaced out in a way to allow for the secretion of a mucus-like milk where then the Merfolk young may feed on the mucus secretions coating their breast. | ||
| Tortle | Moderately Fecund Race | Female Tortles only reproduced near the end of their natural lifespans. After sexual intercourse, they store the male sperm inside their body to fertilize their eggs. They will do this with multiple partners, usually 5-6 so that they may diversify their offspring | A Tortle will lay (1d8 + 12) fertilized eggs | Two to Four Months | For reproduction, Tortles have a cloaca.. Before laying a clutch of eggs, the female Tortle will first need to find a suitable nesting site. They prefer areas with a lot of sunshine and well drained earth. Upon finding a suitable location, they will dig a hole in which they lay a clutch of eggs in, before covering the hole back up and waiting for the eggs to hatch. When their young hatched from their eggs, they spent the remainder of their lives sharing all their life experiences and teaching survival skills. Young Tortles would become orphans after about one year, by which time they were expected to be able to fend for themselves. | ||
| Yuan-Ti Pureblood | Moderately Fecund Race | Three to Five Months Post Fertilization | (1d4 + 3) | Two to Three Months | For reproduction, Yuan-Ti have a cloaca. When Males are in short supply, mature female Yuan-Ti are capable of fertilizing their own eggs. But sexual reproduction with a male is still preferred. Additionally, Yuan-Ti breasts are only remnants form their human origins and have no functional purpose other then assisting them in blending in with society. |
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