PC Children

[Wraith]

I have thought of an interesting way to encourage PC to PC or PC to NPC love affairs. With this new alternative to determine racial ability modifiers characters are more likely to try and fall in love with characters of the opposite sex. I am just looking for some constructive criticism on weather this is a good idea or not from a min/max view point. I would rather you don't write in if you just don't like this idea and think it would slow play or add a factor that you don't want in your game. Please let me know if the numbers would be over powering, or the like. What my intent with this rule is, is that after generations of heroes that they would be better and stronger then their ancestors.

Creating a Child From Two PCs or a PC and NPC
When creating a child from either two player characters, or a player character and an NPC you first take and average out of the two characters ability scores. You then find the average of all the characters ability scores, this is the middle line for all the characters stats and determines if an ability score is a plus or a minus. With the new middle line you take the average ability scores and any score over the middle line is given a plus modifier and any score under the middle line is given a minus modifier. These modifiers are the characters starting ability modifiers and take the place of its racial ability modifiers. When figuring out a child's ability modifiers never add racial modifiers since they are already added into the parents ability scores and the higher stats will be past on to the child.
Example 1
A fighter (Str 18, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 11), marries a mage (Str 8, Dex 16, Con 8, Int 18, Wis 11, Cha 10) they would have an average of (Str 13, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 10) so the middle line for these two characters would be 11. Under this rule any children these two characters have would start character creation with (Str +2, Dex +2, Con +1, Int +4, Wis -3, Cha -1).
Example 2
A barbarian (Str 20, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 8), marries another barbarian (Str 20, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 8) they would have an average of (Str 20, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 8) so the middle line for these two characters would be 13. Under this rule any children these two characters have would start character creation with (Str +7, Dex +5, Con +3, Int -5, Wis -5, Cha -5).

[Sorontar]

Yes the numbers could be overpowering and in all honesty it makes absolutely no sense to me.

Sorry :(

[Hamish]

I'm always game for a bit of number crunching, and I had a look at your formulas. If I understand them correctly, there are scenarios in which the children end up weaker than their parents:

Consider the following lovers:
PC1: Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8
PC2: Str 14, Dex 9, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 17

Pretty decent scores. (Lucky PC1, getting a Cha 17 partner with Cha 8 him/herself!)

The averages are:
Rounding up: Str 16, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 13
Rounding down: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 12

This averages to 13,5 and 12,7 respectively. As we're rounding up, the first equals 14, the second obviously to 13. So the ability modifiers would be:
Rounding up: Str +2, Dex -1, Con -1, Int -1, Wis -1, Cha -1
Rounding down: Str +3, Dex -1, Con -1, Int -1, Wis -1, Cha -1

Both sound like orc-food to me.......

[Valarian]

Pretty decent scores. (Lucky PC1, getting a Cha 17 partner with Cha 8 him/herself!)
Obviously goes for the strong, silent type.


Both sound like orc-food to me.......
Kiddie Snax - available at all your good Orc retailers. Crunch!

[Oberoten]

Hmmm.

I'd probably move with giving a bonus on the intial roll for the child based on the medium of the parental stats.

IE, if the medium is 13, it'd give +1 on the roll, but the roll would still be capped at a 18 maximum. Downwards I'd do the same but cap at 3 minimum and maximum of the 3d6 rolled.

And yes... This does bring in all kinda of ethical issues of course especially with the min/max crowd starting to breed for effect. ;)