Can all changelings get pregnant?

[Frosty]

When a Changeling shifts, the change is not merely an illusion. He/she actually feels different. But, exactly how much internal plumbling is changed? Can a male Changeling shift to a female form and get pregnant? What if he shifts back to male form while pregnant?

Hell, what species can a Changeling get impregnated by? If one shifts into the form of a bear (can a changeling do that?) can she bear cubs?

[Guildorn Tanaleth]

Based on what I've read about changelings on these boards, it's a complete physical transformation, so if you shift into a form that can get pregnant, you can get pregnant. However, I think that the book that covers changelings (Sharn: City of Towers?) explicitly states that while a changeling is pregnant, (s)he can't change form.

You should probably get confirmation from someone who's read the book, though.

[Frosty]

Does anyone know how big of a transformation changelings can handle? I mean, it's not Wild-Shape to be sure, since you don't get any stat changes, and you don't gain any natural attacks or anything. But can you actually make yourself look and feel like a wolf or bear for example?

Imagine a Changeling Druid wildshaped into a Fleshraker/other cool animal, and then shifted back into human form. All the bonuses, and you can talk to your allies!

[Learnedguy]

Does anyone know how big of a transformation changelings can handle? I mean, it's not Wild-Shape to be sure, since you don't get any stat changes, and you don't gain any natural attacks or anything. But can you actually make yourself look and feel like a wolf or bear for example?

Imagine a Changeling Druid wildshaped into a Fleshraker/other cool animal, and then shifted back into human form. All the bonuses, and you can talk to your allies!

Well, the changeling characteristics only let you change into humanoids in your size category, so I'm somewhat uncertain if that'll work.

[Nero24200]

The change a changeling can undergo has the same limits as the Disguise Self Spell. It's only minor changes, such as a different skin colour, eye colour, moving one or two facial features a little. What defines as a "little" change can be interpated though, some might consider growing a tail or horns a bit too much.

To my knowledge, changlings can change gender, and if they do change into female, they -can- get pregnant. They can still shapchange whilst pregnant, but not into a male during the pregnancy.

Remember that the change is appearences only, so changing into somthing in an attempt to gain it's abilities won't work this way.

[Frosty]

Right. The question is 1) What constitutes a minor change and 2) since you can only disguise yourself as a humanoid your size, can you disguise yourself as a humanoid after wildshaping?

[alchemyprime]

I'd say no, a wild shaped changling cannot use change shape, just as a wild shaped dwarf can't weild his urgosh or craft a warhammer (no thumbs unless you're a monkey). So you know, i think it just goes that such an ability is part of changeling physiology, not bear/cow/racoon/animal physiology.

I also hold that when a changeling becomes something with a natural attack, they don't have the musculature or bone to do it. Like a mind flayer (i've allowed it). The tentacles are no stronger than lip muscles. Not good for grappling. A changeling that looks like a warforged is not really metal, just textured and colored correctly.


Though that brings up the question of changeling liches/vampires. Can they still shapechange? Or do they become undead versions of humanoids.

[TRM]

Spoiler

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Minor Shape Change (Su): Changelings have the supernatural ability to alter their appearance as through using a disguise self spell that affects their bodies but not their possessions. This ability is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of a changeling's facial features, skin color and texture and size, within the limits described for the spell. A changeling can use this ability at will, and the alteration lasts until she changes shape again. A changeling reverts to her natural form when killed. A true seeing spell reveals her natural form. When using this ability to create a disguise, a changeling receives a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks. Using this ability is a full-round action.

Spoiler

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Disguise Self
Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1, Trickery 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
You make yourself—including clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment—look different. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change your body type. Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to you. You could add or obscure a minor feature or look like an entirely different person.

The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form, nor does it alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment.

If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on the Disguise check.

A creature that interacts with the glamer gets a Will save to recognize it as an illusion.

I wouldn't be sure what to rule. The wording making the changes real (rather than illusionary) messes with the effects of disguise self because no real effect (such as natural weapons, etc...) is normally available through disguise self.
I would rule that no tangible benefit can be receive through the transformation; so if you change your fingernails into inch-long claws, they're still only as strong as normal fingernails. But the wording, imho, is ambiguous and confusing.

In the case of getting pregnant, I would rule that the changeling could change into a female then get pregnant. But I'd say that the baby would die due to lack of sustenance when (s)he switched back to male and would have to be removed by surgery/magic to avoid the death of the "host".
(Assuming the, now male, changeling doesn't retain the special organs that are needed to keep a growing baby alive.)

[nargbop]

Check the Book of Erotic Fantasy for a few more rules on pregnancy. Some groups and DMs don't want to touch the BoEF , but it's got some straightforward rules if you want to use them.

[Admiral Squish]

All changelings can father children, and all changelings can get pregnant. However, if they do get pregnant, they can't change into a male form, though they can disguise their pregnancy to a point, and still shift between female forms. 50% of the time a child born to a changeling parent is a changeling, however if they take the racial emulation feat, they can make the child always be of the other race their genes are toting.

As for wildshaped shifting? Maybe between specific representatives of the race you're shaped to? But something as major and humanoid voicebox, tongue, teeth and lips would be a bit much. So, you could wildshape into a dog, and minor shape change into a different kind of dog. MAYBE a wolf, but that's pushing it.

[TRM]

All changelings can father children, and all changelings can get pregnant. However, if they do get pregnant, they can't change into a male form, though they can disguise their pregnancy to a point, and still shift between female forms. 50% of the time a child born to a changeling parent is a changeling, however if they take the racial emulation feat, they can make the child always be of the other race their genes are toting.

Is that official from an Eberron book, or personal interpretation?

[Frosty]

You cannot change your body type.

What exactly does that mean? Under the Disguise skill, you can actually make yourself look like members of another species even, but the bigger the change, the bigger the penatly to the skill check.

So can a Changeling use Disguise Self to only emulate (visual and tactile and audio and olfactory emulations included) races that are humanoid or relatively close to humanoid in appearance, or can he/she Disguise (at a penalty) to wierder races?

Can a Changeling grow wings and look like a Raptoran? I think he could, but the wings are not good enough to fly with.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Is that official from an Eberron book, or personal interpretation?

That's from Races of Eberron, almost word for word. A lot of people, especially Eberron fanatics, don't like the book, but I take the parts about Changeling biology, at least, at face value.

And Disguise Self is pretty explicit, I think. You can change your appearance to things of your current approximate body-shape within the height and weight limits given in the spell. This also effectively gives you a bonus to your disguise check, which is then penalized for how far it is from your normal appearance as a Changeling of a particular age and gender.

[kamikasei]

What exactly does that mean? Under the Disguise skill, you can actually make yourself look like members of another species even, but the bigger the change, the bigger the penatly to the skill check.

So can a Changeling use Disguise Self to only emulate (visual and tactile and audio and olfactory emulations included) races that are humanoid or relatively close to humanoid in appearance, or can he/she Disguise (at a penalty) to wierder races?

Can a Changeling grow wings and look like a Raptoran? I think he could, but the wings are not good enough to fly with.

I would interpret it as meaning you can't alter your body plan, such as by giving yourself extra limbs, or wings, or six fingers on each hand, or two heads, or a hole through your torso.

[Admiral Squish]

Is that official from an Eberron book, or personal interpretation?

From races of eberron. It's under changeling reproduction in the changeling life section.

[Frosty]

I would interpret it as meaning you can't alter your body plan, such as by giving yourself extra limbs, or wings, or six fingers on each hand, or two heads, or a hole through your torso.

Having an extra finger doesn't seem like that big of a change...

[kamikasei]

Having an extra finger doesn't seem like that big of a change...

No, but I figure it's of a kind with sprouting an extra limb, and would fall under "body plan". The intent of the rule is presumably to avoid extra arms, or wings, or other potentially highly abusive shapechanges, so it wouldn't be worth fighting over in a game.

[Frosty]

If the wings aren't functional, what's the hoopla?

[Admiral Squish]

Wouldn't changing gender be less 'minor' than growing another finger?

[Kyeudo]

Here is the wierder thing about changlings. They can become hermaphrodites at will. This means a pair of changlings could get each other pregnant at the same time.

Changlings have some serious potential for sexual deviancy of the most extreme kinds.

[Reel On, Love]

Changlings have some serious potential for sexual deviancy of the most extreme kinds.

You're just scratchin' the surface, there.
Consider what even a slight change to the internal musculature of any given orifice could accomplish.

[Admiral Squish]

You're just scratchin' the surface, there.
Consider what even a slight change to the internal musculature of any given orifice could accomplish.

One word: fangs. That's all I'm sayin'...

[Reinboom]

This thread has convinced me that being a changeling would be a wonderful thing...

[Frosty]

This thread has convinced me that being a changeling would be a wonderful thing...

+1

It's a wonder Changeling Beguilers don't rule Sharn.

[Reel On, Love]

This thread has convinced me that being a changeling would be a wonderful thing...

Well, duh. I'd never leave the bedroom.

Changeling Beguilers don't rule Sharn.

That's exactly what they want you to think.

[Collin152]

+1

It's a wonder Changeling Beguilers don't rule Sharn.

They do, you just don't know that yet.

Note, changelings are the reason villages sell mirrors. Wouldn't you be entertained if you had a mirror and the changeling's powers?

[kamikasei]

Wouldn't changing gender be less 'minor' than growing another finger?

Yes, but for some reason it's specifically mentioned as something they can do, despite being tremendously more thorough than any other change they can perform.

[Bag_of_Holding]

They do, you just don't know that yet.

Note, changelings are the reason villages sell mirrors. Wouldn't you be entertained if you had a mirror and the changeling's powers?

Oh, definitely

[Frosty]

I mean seriously, with all the gossip they have access to, Changelings should be ruling Sharn. If you're a Changeling and a prostitute. You *will* have blackmail material. You can band together with other changeling and form a criminal organization to rule things behind the scenes at the very least.

Mmm...changeling brothels...

Prboably very expensive.

[Collin152]

I mean seriously, with all the gossip they have access to, Changelings should be ruling Sharn. If you're a Changeling and a prostitute. You *will* have blackmail material. You can band together with other changeling and form a criminal organization to rule things behind the scenes at the very least.

Mmm...changeling brothels...

Prboably very expensive.

Definatley. You can get exactly what you want, as you describe it.
This is why Movie Magneto dates Movie Mystique.