Miscellany: Sex and Pregnancy
We've been handling sex and pregnancy on a case by case basis in the game so far. So let's open up the discussion further. This is what I (and some of you who've spoken with me) have been thinking:
First and foremost: should you decide to play out a pregnancy in game, it will run the full length of the pregnancy in real time (so plan to deal with a cranky, hormonal character for 8-9 months).
1. There are probably magical charms, spells, or potions to have "protected" sex. This could prevent pregnancy and/or STDs (I'm not sure if we have STDs in Aylasia, but with all the hookers in New Meridian, probably).
A) Long term birth control. Potions, pills, or long acting spells that prevent pregnancy. They are not always effective (it depends on how well the potion/pill/spell was made, how and when it was used), maybe a little less effective than "real world" contraceptives.
B) Immediate protection. The Aylasian equivalent of condoms. These could be akin to barrier spells/charms that are used in the heat of the moment.
2. Sex between a faerie and a mage (and any other such beings of different sizes) only works when the faerie is mage size. I think there is some sort of universal law that applies to this that prevents the faerie from popping back into faerie form (some exceptions may apply, I'm looking at you Joey).
3. Some pregnancies are magical in nature. Ex: a half-faerie mom will stay in mage form for the length of her pregnancy to protect the baby, even if the half-faerie mom doesn't have that kind of control over the ability normally. A shapeshifter may still shapeshift, but he/she will only be able to shift into female forms during the length of the pregnancy, this is also to protect the viability of the fetus.
A vampire can only get pregnant with another vampire (and their offspring is considered a half-vampire); this is a previously established rule in the mod journal. Most other races can have children with other races, for example werewolves can get pregnant with non-werewolves, though the results are unsure in each case (will the baby be born with lycanthropy or not?). Stars can have children with mages, though most stars know that it is strictly forbidden (there's a reason for it, I haven't stumbled on it yet) and it is
not known at all by the general public.
I'm sure there are other magical afflictions that occur with pregnancy (maybe backfiring magic symptoms with fluctuating hormones to go with the physical symptoms). This could be decided by the players for their individual pregnancy storylines.
4. Magic is genetic (for the most part). Children usually receive a combination of their parents magical abilities. Some abilities are not passed through family lines (like immortality, though this is changing with the influx of new and random magic). Sometimes magic abilities skip a generation; so a kid can end up with grandpa or grandma's skills even though mom or dad didn't develop it. A baby born of two parents who have suffered the full extent of the BP would be born without magic.
