Giving Birth


3.5/d20/OGL


Okay, next session a PC's cohort is giving birth. I'd like to make it dramatic and interesting for my player. What do you recommend?

Info to work with:

  • PC is a bard
  • her cohort and BFF is a sorceress
  • the hubby is the PC's brother
  • there might be a cleric nearby, but he's a first level cleric of the knowledge god
  • it is the first birth for the cohort
  • they've fought against the forces of Lamashtu and Dagon
.

Any ideas?


I dunno how much you know about home births but in and of itself it can be a very intense narrative. Look some up for details and edit as necessary to fit your group. As for the other drama, I ran one in our last session in which part of the party were involved in quelling and investigating a riot in the city they were in while the other part were dealing with this difficult birth.


Have you seen "It's Alive."?


MrFish wrote:
I dunno how much you know about home births but in and of itself it can be a very intense narrative. Look some up for details and edit as necessary to fit your group. As for the other drama, I ran one in our last session in which part of the party were involved in quelling and investigating a riot in the city they were in while the other part were dealing with this difficult birth.

How so? Wikipedia seemed to be obsessed with a safety dispute on this topic.

And, hmmmm... you think there should be a second plot element. Is that for making the story better or for the other players at the table. Because I'm DMing just the one player.

Silver Crusade

Fought against the forces of Dagon, huh? Is there a chance that there might be something "different" about the child?


Having the birth take place as part of another plotline is just for fun, really. I got the idea from David Gemmell actually.

I wouldn't bother with wikipedia, just look up home birth stories. The thing is that unless your cohort npc is going to go to some kind of hospital in Eberron with magic-tech then it's probably going to happen with a midwife or with a priestess or something like that.


How long do non-hospital births take?

What effect would spells have on the process?

What crazy beliefs might a book-knowledge cleric have about the safest way for a woman to give birth?

How incapacitated would the woman be after the birth and for how long? (I'm thinking of a dramatic scene sometime AFTER the birth.)

In home births, is it necessary to watch the child at all times or is it plausible that it might be left in a crib at some point?


roguerouge wrote:
Any ideas?

General ones unrelated to the specifics you gave, but:

  • Gypsies/faeries/dire rats want to steal the baby

  • "Mad Prophet" has a vision on the street corner outside as the child is being born and a cult begins to believe the child may be a messiah

  • "Excuse me, you don't have a home-birth-with-no-midwife permit (we have a powerful midwife guild in this city) so you're all going to jail"

  • The Adventurers Make Unfit Mothers Brigade comes knocking at the door and has the local magistrate place the child in an orphanage

  • "Wow, that kid doesn't look anything like (insert name of presumed Father here). In fact the baby looks a lot more like (insert name of other character here)"

    Note - This actually happened to my GF's cousin. Mother was white, the man she claimed was the father was dark black. Kid came out a pasty white. Surprise !!! Turns out Dad is Dad and the kid just started life very light-skinned but may darken a little with time. Thank goodness for modern science and DNA testing to avoid family trouble, though ...

    Could play out as, "hey, she has red hair, just like ... um" or "hey, that kid looks entirely human with no elven/orcish features ... how do you explain that mother-I-love-you-and-want-your-baby-even-if-you're-not-human-and-our-love- will-overcome-society's-bigotry ???"

  • Tusks? (ever read Dominic Deegan)

  • Oddly Gylph-like Birthmark ("So I see the DM just bought this new Hardcover called Shackled City")

    HTH,

    Rez

  • Grand Lodge

    "Ray" is a great name. You should name the little tyke "Ray."

    -W. E. Ray

    Liberty's Edge

    Timing......
    my first son; my wife went in to labor at midnight and....they finally did a c-section at 1 p.m. the next day; 13 hours later; so it can go that long or longer.
    my first daughter; my wife went into labor at 4pm and she was out by 6pm; the daughter had a little wetlung (little fluid in the lung) so I think that sped things up; IDK I'm not a Doctor.
    So, it depends.

    The Exchange

    I would just have a fairly normal birth and some cool details. If you make the kid into a spawn of Dagon or the offspring of Lamashtu or something then not only are you doing a very obvious "screwing with the PC" move, but they may feel punished for roleplaying or may have some secret in Real Life that would really stir up some f'ed up emotions (like a sibling/friend's sibling that died shortly after birth and had some defects) and they just never mentioned it.
    Fairly normal, maybe fend off an attack or something in the town nearby, try not to go over the top.
    That's my 2.

    The Exchange

    Honestly I would avoid any "story" hooks for the kid, leave the demon/godess they delt with out of it, IMO. You can always have the lil' one kidnaped later for drama if you like. Just remember, if you have many ladies at the table, messing to much with a baby can get you some pretty nasty looks at the least. ;P

    On a side note, my wifes last labor lasted only 45 minutes.... talk about needing an express lane. lol

    Liberty's Edge

    roguerouge wrote:

    How long do non-hospital births take?

    What effect would spells have on the process?

    What crazy beliefs might a book-knowledge cleric have about the safest way for a woman to give birth?

    How incapacitated would the woman be after the birth and for how long? (I'm thinking of a dramatic scene sometime AFTER the birth.)

    In home births, is it necessary to watch the child at all times or is it plausible that it might be left in a crib at some point?

    Spells--cure light wounds would be nice postpartum. Aid for h.p.'s during I'd think. Some kind of Int boost for the midwife's skill checks.

    Ideally, etherealness to just transporter beam the kid out of there...

    Incapacitation--with cure light wounds, I'd say not long; there's some damage and all. Without it, I'd think two or three days of bedrest, then maybe a week or so of extremely light activity. Around the house; no "let's ride our horses 6 miles today to get to the dungeon." Maybe a month or two before you're ready for "heroic exertion."

    A kid....you gotta feed a kid every 2-3 hours or so for 8 weeks. But you can swaddle them in between times; they need lots of sleep. I think the first few hours, mom's gonna try to hold them as much as possible and teach mom and the baby how breastfeeding works....

    Okay: here's how it works.
    Kid squawks. He wants at least one of three things:
    1)to be changed
    2)to be fed
    3)to be held
    then he goes to sleep. Rinse and repeat for about 6-8 weeks, man.

    The Exchange

    You know if you did want to add a sense of danger to the event, how about a "terrible storm", cliche I know, but sometimes that helps in giving the players a good mental reference.

    Liberty's Edge

    Or for the cleric.....
    he's actually delivered 4-5 kids before. That gives a sense of comfort to the story.
    Until the kid comes out breach. Which this cleric's never done before.
    Instant tension; don't need anything as over-the-top as "Spawn of Yog Sothoth baby."

    Dark Archive

    Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
    roguerouge wrote:

    How long do non-hospital births take?

    What effect would spells have on the process?

    What crazy beliefs might a book-knowledge cleric have about the safest way for a woman to give birth?

    How incapacitated would the woman be after the birth and for how long? (I'm thinking of a dramatic scene sometime AFTER the birth.)

    In home births, is it necessary to watch the child at all times or is it plausible that it might be left in a crib at some point?

    Do you mean the actual birth aka the pushing time or you mean the total time in labor cause thats different.

    Depends on the spell i think.

    2-3 days of bed rest and then 6-8 weeks before fully recovered.

    Well yeah it is fine to leave them in the crib for awhile. Once you are sure they are healthy and fine.

    Liberty's Edge

    Apocalypto spoiler:

    Spoiler:
    just please don't let her have it alone at the bottom of a cenote filling with rain.

    Silver Crusade

    Moorluck wrote:
    On a side note, my wifes last labor lasted only 45 minutes.... talk about needing an express lane. lol

    That was like my delivery, so I've been told. My mother went into labor around dinnertime and I was out in time for Three's Company.


    Hmm...

    /puts DM/Dad hat on
    Don't take it wrong, but maybe the job of the DM is not necessary always ruin the life of the characters...
    Maybe another way to celebrate the event for the character and the player to be happy would be to make the day special, with some mysterious visitor, bringing gifts for the mother and newborn, along a prophecy about his/her high destiny, as a chosen one...
    An idea for the present could be a pet, destined to become the familiar or animal companion of the child, in the meantime serving as a friend - and bodyguard. Or make it a plush toy, bringing warmth and sweet dreams, destined to awake as an actual companion at teenage.
    /removes DM/Dad hat

    Grand Lodge

    I can see the bookish cleric fumbling around reciting all kinds of wives tales about childbirth as he tries and deliver the baby. I can see him rambling about encounters with Lamashtu and hoping the baby is human, then freaking out there is an umbilical cord attached! "It has tentacles!"

    A storm is brewing and there are hordes of demons or zombies on the streets looking for a fresh new snack! ewwwwwwww

    Lots of screaming by the woman in labor followed by screams by the bookish cleric. Bookish cleric needs pain killers.

    Baby is born and there is an ominous knock at the door. Someone opens the door and NO ONE IS THERE, but a gust of wind blows into the house putting out flames. Everyone freaks that spirits are after the baby.

    The baby is born, but an annoying wizard or sorcerer casts invisibility just as it is being born, and seemingly NOTHING IS COMING OUT! Or baby is teleported by evil bad guy the PCs have been fighting.

    And it smells bad... nuff said.

    Grand Lodge

    Seldriss wrote:

    Hmm...

    /puts DM/Dad hat on
    Don't take it wrong, but maybe the job of the DM is not necessary always ruin the life of the characters...
    Maybe another way to celebrate the event for the character and the player to be happy would be to make the day special, with some mysterious visitor, bringing gifts for the mother and newborn, along a prophecy about his/her high destiny, as a chosen one...
    An idea for the present could be a pet, destined to become the familiar or animal companion of the child, in the meantime serving as a friend - and bodyguard. Or make it a plush toy, bringing warmth and sweet dreams, destined to awake as an actual companion at teenage.
    /removes DM/Dad hat

    naw... happy endings are for 4E and romance novels! lol

    make their lives miserable! >;)


    roguerouge wrote:

    Okay, next session a PC's cohort is giving birth. I'd like to make it dramatic and interesting for my player. What do you recommend?

    Info to work with:

    • PC is a bard
    • her cohort and BFF is a sorceress
    • the hubby is the PC's brother
    • there might be a cleric nearby, but he's a first level cleric of the knowledge god
    • it is the first birth for the cohort
    • they've fought against the forces of Lamashtu and Dagon
    .

    Any ideas?

    Have the mother make an extended Fort save. Set the DC at something like 12 or 13, and after she successfully makes a certain number of saves, say 5, with each save taking 10 minutes, then the baby is delivered. If any of the Fort saves are a critical fumble, it cancels one of the successes, and if the mother ever goes into a negative number of successes, then the kid comes out breach. If the cohort ends up having any more kids, maybe it will take fewer successful Fort saves for a birth.

    Women sometimes die in childbirth too, and it was a lot more common before current medical tech. Maybe each Fort failed Fort save does some HP damage.


    Krome wrote:
    I can see the bookish cleric fumbling around reciting all kinds of wives tales about childbirth as he tries and deliver the baby. I can see him rambling about encounters with Lamashtu and hoping the baby is human, then freaking out there is an umbilical cord attached! "It has tentacles!"

    I second this for the Cleric.


    Thanks everyone! Okay, here's what elements I've decided on, but let me know if you have refinements:

    It's a medium-long birth (6 hour variety) with twins. (The demi-goddess of good fortune prophesized that the parents wouldn't die until they had three kids, although said demi-goddess is flighty, unreliable and does not have fate in her portfolio.)

    Odd glyph-like birth mark is a go.

    Terrible storm is a go. The midwife is the elven druid that my player hates, as she stole her man back at first level. Will they bring her in or trust to the knowledge cleric? Will they be able to find the druid in the storm?

    Worrying about Lamashtu inappropriately is a go.

    Knowledge cleric beliefs: to speed labor, walk up and down the stairs (false); lying flat on a table makes labor harder, so the mother should squat or recline at an angle (true); pain control techniques (true); and the mother needs to eat the placenta to shore up her health after labor (animals do this to aid the uterus and to foster milk-production; some in China, the Pacific Islands and the West do the same.)

    Breech birth with C-section by cleric or druid is a go.

    Wife crushing husband's hand is a go. Blaming husband and luck goddess for getting her into this is a go at 4 hour mark.

    A fainter has been scheduled. Specifically, the father, in trying to get the mother to "breathe", demonstrates and hyperventilates.

    The hubby will indeed offer Ray as a possible name, 'cause it's like a spell-type. Now, will it be accepted?

    Oh, if the mother had etherealness, she'd totally use that. Boilling water by prestidigitation is a go.

    The noise, odors, and fluids of birth attract the attention of a quasit, the very first antagonist of the campaign.

    In the very first adventure of the campaign, the player defeated a wizard, but never investigated the hole in front of his idol depicting hezrou demon Frogroth. In that pit was the REAL bbeg, which was a quasit. (The quasit recruited the wizard and was the one with the connection to the demon.) So, the quasit, left in this tiny farming village, recruits the only person left to free Frogroth... the wife's much-disliked wizard mentor!

    So, after the birth, the quasit steals one of the babies for sacrifice, because the stars are right. The PC and the husband should be able to guess where a tiny demon might take the baby, which leads them to the climactic battle at the site of the player's first climactic battle. And mummy stays behind to guard the other twin with a readied magic missile.


    roguerouge wrote:


    Oh, if the mother had etherealness, she'd totally use that.

    This kinda bothers me. I mean, since they're still connected by the umbilical cord, wouldn't the effect affect both of them, thus just making her continue to have a regular labor, but now cut off from the help that the Material Plane (i.e. the Cleric or Druid, the Father, and the PC) was providing her?


    ChrisRevocateur wrote:
    roguerouge wrote:


    Oh, if the mother had etherealness, she'd totally use that.
    This kinda bothers me. I mean, since they're still connected by the umbilical cord, wouldn't the effect affect both of them, thus just making her continue to have a regular labor, but now cut off from the help that the Material Plane (i.e. the Cleric or Druid, the Father, and the PC) was providing her?

    Which is exactly why she'd try it: give birth and do ground-breaking magical and biological research? That NPC would be all over that.

    Liberty's Edge

    ChrisRevocateur wrote:
    roguerouge wrote:


    Oh, if the mother had etherealness, she'd totally use that.
    This kinda bothers me. I mean, since they're still connected by the umbilical cord, wouldn't the effect affect both of them, thus just making her continue to have a regular labor, but now cut off from the help that the Material Plane (i.e. the Cleric or Druid, the Father, and the PC) was providing her?

    Or, if they're both ethereal, you could just whip the kid right out and be totally done with it(?)

    That would be niiiiiiice.

    Oh, and.....here's another random tip: don't stand in front of all that business if the water hasn't broke yet. You can get exploded on.


    Heathansson wrote:
    ChrisRevocateur wrote:
    roguerouge wrote:


    Oh, if the mother had etherealness, she'd totally use that.
    This kinda bothers me. I mean, since they're still connected by the umbilical cord, wouldn't the effect affect both of them, thus just making her continue to have a regular labor, but now cut off from the help that the Material Plane (i.e. the Cleric or Druid, the Father, and the PC) was providing her?

    Or, if they're both ethereal, you could just whip the kid right out and be totally done with it(?)

    That would be niiiiiiice.

    But if they're both ethereal, wouldn't they treat each other as physical? When you're on the ethereal plane, you can't walk right through an Ethereal Filcher, and your sword doesn't just pass through it.

    It would only "pop" out if one were ethereal and the other one wasn't. Which brings me back to my original point, since they're still connected by the umbilical cord, as well as the baby being INSIDE of her, wouldn't they still be considered one creature, and thus BOTH be affected by anything that turned one or the other ethereal?

    The Exchange

    Heathansson wrote:


    Oh, and.....here's another random tip: don't stand in front of all that business if the water hasn't broke yet. You can get exploded on.

    Ah.... the things we learn from experience. :|

    Grand Lodge

    I still say you should name him "Ray"

    -W. E. Ray

    Liberty's Edge

    You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me Johnny or you can call me Sonny, or you can call me RayJay, or you can call me RJ... but ya doesn't hafta call me Johnson


    roguerouge wrote:

    How long do non-hospital births take?

    What effect would spells have on the process?

    What crazy beliefs might a book-knowledge cleric have about the safest way for a woman to give birth?

    How incapacitated would the woman be after the birth and for how long? (I'm thinking of a dramatic scene sometime AFTER the birth.)

    In home births, is it necessary to watch the child at all times or is it plausible that it might be left in a crib at some point?

    Sorry for the delay in response, but it took me a while to find this reference:

    According to Icon of the Midwife* on pages 57-58 of the Pathfinder Chronicles: Gods & Magic book, being able to cast cure light wounds, resistance, and virtue once each is 'enough to usually ensure that a mother and newborn both live through a difficult birth'.

    * An item associated with the goddess Pharasma, whose portfolio includes birth.

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