The Vorpal Tribble
2007-03-01, 10:56 AM
After reading something about half-fiends, and wondering how you can possibly have such wonky combinations, I wrote this up to help explain how you can have, say, for example, a half-fiend milndflayer. Don't know if it's already been covered in some other book, but if so, heres another possible explanation.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Though most demons and devils do not specifically possess a gender, there are those who are capable of causing another to give birth and those that can recieve the seed of another.
The former is 'male' for the purpose of conceiving, and the latter 'female'.
Demon Males
Babau
Balor
Bebilith
Cerebrillith
Dretch
Glebrezu
Hezrou
Nalfeshnee
Quasit
Vrock
Demon Females
Marilith
Nalfeshnee
Succubus
Devil Males
Barbed Devil
Bearded Devil
Bone Devil
Chain Devil
Erinyes
Hellcat
Horned Devil
Ice Devil
Imp
Lemure
Pit Fiend
Devil Females
Chain Devil
Erinyes
Hellcat
Imp
Any of the above that can assume other forms such as through the Polymorph spell can choose to be male or female.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The male is capable of impregnating any female, both true and pseudo, as well as gender neutral beings, such as elementals. Though the conceiving may be performed in standard ways, and is often the case with females or pseudo-females, those such as elementals do not possess the appropriate physiology. Either way this is not a difficulty for the fiend, who does not so much impregnate another as infect a host with its own particular strain of supernatural evil. This infection acts however as pregnancy, combining the hellish substance of the fiend with that of the mother.
Fathers who wish their act to specifically produce offspring normally choose a female or pseudo-female so that their child may grow under optimal circumstances. Gender neutral creatures however are often killed by the process, along with the child most of the time.
The mother-to-be, reguardless of type, usually experiences the full disagreements of pregnancy compressed into an almost continuous session of agony. The gestation period of most half-fiends only take between two weeks and a month, the process accelerating at a phenomenal speed. The first week the mother experiences little physical discomfort.
However, they do gain an insatiable appetite that keeps them eating almost without stop. The mother must consume ten times the normal ammount of food required every day this first week. Her cravings are of the most gruesome kind, specifically raw meat, organs and fresh blood, along with eggs and milk on occassion. Though she can survive upon other sustenance, she will seek out the latter above all. Though many seem not to notice the oddness of their cravings, mothers, unless of a particularly evil or beastia; bent, will no more slay another to eat them than they would normally. They may however feel forced to slaughter animals to satisfy their cravings. This behavior is well documented and those that show such a hunger are normally labled as a consorter with demons or at the very least a witch.
Creatures that do not eat still tend to see out nourishment of some kind, such as an elemental that subsists on the raw elemental energies will feel a great longing to seek out areas of particuarly strong energy. Otherwise the child merely drains its parent of their life energy, normally killing them upon birth.
After this first week however the mother begins to feel nauseated and can barely force herself to eat anything else. This is the least of their worries however as they begin to feel the full wracking agony that is the growing child. Typical carriers of half-fiends experience the following conditions.
Aura of Evil (Ex): The mother radiates an aura of evil as if she were a 1 HD outsider, though it is in fact her child that is being detected. If the mother is already evil she gains an aura of evil equal to her HD + 1.
Unholy Anguish (Ex): The mother is considered to be permanently sickened by the pain of her pregnancy. This condition even occurs to creatures who normally are immune to such a condition. If the mother enters the temple of a good deity or hallowed locale she automatically becomes nauseated.
The birthing of a half-fiend is a particularly vicious, the mother usually dying or collapsing from the strain, taking 2 points of non-lethal damage per HD of the father fiend. If this damage exceeds the hit point total of the mother, the remainder becomes lethal damage.
Gender neutral creatures that do not possess the neccessary physiology take lethal damage as they are literally ripped open.
Animals within 60 feet of the birthing sense the dread arrival and become frightened unless they succeed on a Will save (DC = 10 + half father fiend's HD ).
-=-=-=-=-
Female fiends on the other hand have full control over their pregnancy. They may decide whether or not they concieve, and can, at any time, kill the child, halt its growth, or even prolong it if they wish, to pose as a standard female of the race they are mimicking. They suffer none of that mentioned above.
Normally male fiends who are polymorphed into female must remain polymorphed through the entire gestation period or the child is killed instantly upon reformation.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Though most demons and devils do not specifically possess a gender, there are those who are capable of causing another to give birth and those that can recieve the seed of another.
The former is 'male' for the purpose of conceiving, and the latter 'female'.
Demon Males
Babau
Balor
Bebilith
Cerebrillith
Dretch
Glebrezu
Hezrou
Nalfeshnee
Quasit
Vrock
Demon Females
Marilith
Nalfeshnee
Succubus
Devil Males
Barbed Devil
Bearded Devil
Bone Devil
Chain Devil
Erinyes
Hellcat
Horned Devil
Ice Devil
Imp
Lemure
Pit Fiend
Devil Females
Chain Devil
Erinyes
Hellcat
Imp
Any of the above that can assume other forms such as through the Polymorph spell can choose to be male or female.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The male is capable of impregnating any female, both true and pseudo, as well as gender neutral beings, such as elementals. Though the conceiving may be performed in standard ways, and is often the case with females or pseudo-females, those such as elementals do not possess the appropriate physiology. Either way this is not a difficulty for the fiend, who does not so much impregnate another as infect a host with its own particular strain of supernatural evil. This infection acts however as pregnancy, combining the hellish substance of the fiend with that of the mother.
Fathers who wish their act to specifically produce offspring normally choose a female or pseudo-female so that their child may grow under optimal circumstances. Gender neutral creatures however are often killed by the process, along with the child most of the time.
The mother-to-be, reguardless of type, usually experiences the full disagreements of pregnancy compressed into an almost continuous session of agony. The gestation period of most half-fiends only take between two weeks and a month, the process accelerating at a phenomenal speed. The first week the mother experiences little physical discomfort.
However, they do gain an insatiable appetite that keeps them eating almost without stop. The mother must consume ten times the normal ammount of food required every day this first week. Her cravings are of the most gruesome kind, specifically raw meat, organs and fresh blood, along with eggs and milk on occassion. Though she can survive upon other sustenance, she will seek out the latter above all. Though many seem not to notice the oddness of their cravings, mothers, unless of a particularly evil or beastia; bent, will no more slay another to eat them than they would normally. They may however feel forced to slaughter animals to satisfy their cravings. This behavior is well documented and those that show such a hunger are normally labled as a consorter with demons or at the very least a witch.
Creatures that do not eat still tend to see out nourishment of some kind, such as an elemental that subsists on the raw elemental energies will feel a great longing to seek out areas of particuarly strong energy. Otherwise the child merely drains its parent of their life energy, normally killing them upon birth.
After this first week however the mother begins to feel nauseated and can barely force herself to eat anything else. This is the least of their worries however as they begin to feel the full wracking agony that is the growing child. Typical carriers of half-fiends experience the following conditions.
Aura of Evil (Ex): The mother radiates an aura of evil as if she were a 1 HD outsider, though it is in fact her child that is being detected. If the mother is already evil she gains an aura of evil equal to her HD + 1.
Unholy Anguish (Ex): The mother is considered to be permanently sickened by the pain of her pregnancy. This condition even occurs to creatures who normally are immune to such a condition. If the mother enters the temple of a good deity or hallowed locale she automatically becomes nauseated.
The birthing of a half-fiend is a particularly vicious, the mother usually dying or collapsing from the strain, taking 2 points of non-lethal damage per HD of the father fiend. If this damage exceeds the hit point total of the mother, the remainder becomes lethal damage.
Gender neutral creatures that do not possess the neccessary physiology take lethal damage as they are literally ripped open.
Animals within 60 feet of the birthing sense the dread arrival and become frightened unless they succeed on a Will save (DC = 10 + half father fiend's HD ).
-=-=-=-=-
Female fiends on the other hand have full control over their pregnancy. They may decide whether or not they concieve, and can, at any time, kill the child, halt its growth, or even prolong it if they wish, to pose as a standard female of the race they are mimicking. They suffer none of that mentioned above.
Normally male fiends who are polymorphed into female must remain polymorphed through the entire gestation period or the child is killed instantly upon reformation.