Forums of the Megaverse®

So, hopefully this is the most awkward question the forum's gotten, but a bit ago my friends and got into the discussion on magical contraceptives (because of a manga) and the discussion turned to what RPGs you could definitively have a ward against pregnancy.

Now, we decided fairly concretely that we could do this with a Diabolist's wards using Protection from Life/Fertility(male) to render a woman protected from pregnancy. This however has raised another question, which we have not thus far be able to resolve. So i'm putting it to you, the palladium forums.

Does the semen get a saving throw against the ward, and what profile for saves does it use?

I hope this will inspire some healthy discussion and will not be taking any questions about my group's campaigns in relation to the matter at this time.

or any other time.

I'd say it wouldn't matter if either person willingly failed their saving throw.
Otherwise I'd say it would activate as soon as the male came into range of the ward, and would then go off the males save vs wards.

I would say that talk about specific ward phrases is pointless.

Yes, ward mage could make a single use magic object that would protect vs pregnancy. It could even be a wedding ring. Thou it would need to be reactivated before each use, and the duration defined.

And alchemist would be able to make ether a 3 per day activation or constant activation (always on) magic items.

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:I would say that talk about specific ward phrases is pointless.

Yes, ward mage could make a single use magic object that would protect vs pregnancy. It could even be a wedding ring. Thou it would need to be reactivated before each use, and the duration defined.

And alchemist would be able to make ether a 3 per day activation or constant activation (always on) magic items.

Could use dragonbone to make it permanent, and put it on the bed.

I think if someone didn't want a protection ward that it might be fair to allow a resistance roll against the effects similar to you would against an infliction ward.

Using established examples, if you were an insomniac who WANTED magic/psi aid getting to sleep, you wouldn't want to be imprevious to it.

Or if your job is to tank mummies/zombies so they don't attack allies, you would not necessarily want the benefit of Protection from Undead.

I would defer to Pg 126 for justification:
"Each individual character in the radius of affect is allowed a savings throw vs magic."
"A successful save means the character is not affected or hurt by its magic in any way".

This is technically under "Area Affect Wards" and would not necessarily justify applying this rule to non-Area wards...

When reading 128-129 there is no case-by-case mention of savings throw but it's preceded with "only those who succesfully roll a save vs magic are not affected" implying you can resist stuff not just obvious stuff like Agony but usually-beneficial stuff like invisibility...

Kind of makes me wonder if a savings throw is optional or mandatory. IE if you WANT to be invisible, can you intentionally fail, or do guys with high magic bonuses have a really hard time enjoying the benefit of that ward?

kiralon wrote:

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:I would say that talk about specific ward phrases is pointless.

Yes, ward mage could make a single use magic object that would protect vs pregnancy. It could even be a wedding ring. Thou it would need to be reactivated before each use, and the duration defined.

And alchemist would be able to make ether a 3 per day activation or constant activation (always on) magic items.

Could use dragon-bone to make it permanent, and put it on the bed.

Dragons do object mightily to have their bones being taken.
Perm. in like it will always have the enchantment or perm. always on? If always on, are you leading up to making a 'love hotel' or brothel for in game business?

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:

kiralon wrote:

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:I would say that talk about specific ward phrases is pointless.

Yes, ward mage could make a single use magic object that would protect vs pregnancy. It could even be a wedding ring. Thou it would need to be reactivated before each use, and the duration defined.

And alchemist would be able to make ether a 3 per day activation or constant activation (always on) magic items.

Could use dragon-bone to make it permanent, and put it on the bed.

Dragons do object mightily to have their bones being taken.
Perm. in like it will always have the enchantment or perm. always on? If always on, are you leading up to making a 'love hotel' or brothel for in game business?

it was more of a "naval-gazing" type of question...

Then put the orange down write up a campain about stopping Little Finger from expanding his franchises into the Western Empire.

No, they would not get a saving throw.

Because the diabolist used the "protection from" major ward, the individual affected is the woman so protected. Now, the standard Protection From ward only reduces the effects by half, so "Protection From" + "Life" (I would probably throw in the runic symbol for birth, here, too) will cut the chances of pregnancy in half. Apply a Power ward to make it fully effective.

Mark Hall wrote:Now, the standard Protection From ward only reduces the effects by half, so "Protection From" + "Life" (I would probably throw in the runic symbol for birth, here, too) will cut the chances of pregnancy in half. Apply a Power ward to make it fully effective.

Couldn't doubling a "half effect" be seen as making it 25% (x0.5 x0.5) rather than 0% (-50% -50%) ?

Not all Protection is halving either, you're not half immune to magic sleep after all.

Axelmania wrote:

Mark Hall wrote:Now, the standard Protection From ward only reduces the effects by half, so "Protection From" + "Life" (I would probably throw in the runic symbol for birth, here, too) will cut the chances of pregnancy in half. Apply a Power ward to make it fully effective.

Couldn't doubling a "half effect" be seen as making it 25% (x0.5 x0.5) rather than 0% (-50% -50%) ?

Not all Protection is halving either, you're not half immune to magic sleep after all.

True, as far as "not all protection from" is half, but while "Half again of half is 75%" is mathematically correct, I tend to view it as "the first took away half, and doubling it took away the other half", which is closer to doubling the original effect.

Axelmania wrote:

Mark Hall wrote:Now, the standard Protection From ward only reduces the effects by half, so "Protection From" + "Life" (I would probably throw in the runic symbol for birth, here, too) will cut the chances of pregnancy in half. Apply a Power ward to make it fully effective.

Couldn't doubling a "half effect" be seen as making it 25% (x0.5 x0.5) rather than 0% (-50% -50%) ?

Not all Protection is halving either, you're not half immune to magic sleep after all.

magic has never listened to what math has to say. after all, math is for suckers, and wizards are no suckers.