Systems for Breeding & Genetics in WtA of Mortality Mocked

As nearly all White Wolf players have seen, there's not a lot of concrete information about systems to determine probability rolls for the reproduction of Werewolves and Kinfolk.  But I dug out my books and started searching for all of the information that *is* set forth by White Wolf, and I set out to "fill in the blanks" for our use here in Mortality Mocked.  Here is what I came up with, the simplest system I could think of which will involve only a few rolls:

-- First Roll - Conception

System:  Both Characters roll Stamina, base difficulty 6; need 5 combined successes to conceive

This was the easiest, most logical system I could come up:  both characters engaging in the act should make a Stamina roll, with a base difficulty of six, adjusted as shown on the chart below.  Together, the couple must accumulate 5 successes to have conceived (Willpower cannot be spent for automatic successes on this roll).

+1   If a condom is used
+4   If oral (or similiarly affective) contraceptives are used
-1    Feral Appearance Merit (Kinfolk) - I included this because part of what makes Feral Appearance attractive to Garou is that the kinfolk's vitality; this suggests that the Kin is the "ideal breeder or mate."

Characters who are barren or sterile need not worry about this roll.  Or about this entire system, for that matter.

GESTATION PERIODS - OOC vs IC

Let's face it.  Nine months is a long time to be pregnant, especially while playing a game as fast paced as our online games are.  So to adjust this system for homid and lupus characters, here is the length of time you will be pregnant in game, followed by the length of time in real life that you will play your character pregnant:

9 mos.   HOMID       4 mos.
9 wks.   LUPUS       4 wks.
 

-- Second Roll - Number of Progeny

System:  Lupus mothers will roll one 8-sided die (since wolves typically have 1-8 pups per litter) some time before the female goes into labor.  All Homid characters may skip this roll and accept that you will have only one child, or you may go ahead and roll one 100-sided die.  If you roll a 1, you have triplets, 2-5, twins.  This roll must be made in the storyteller's company prior to delivery.  Players of parents may not know how many children they are actually expecting unless an ultrasound is performed.

-- Third Roll - Sex of Progeny

System:  Storyteller will roll one 100-sided diefor each child or cub conceived.  1-50 indicates a female child or cub, 51-100 indicates male.  I thought it was fitting to have the female be the first set, since all fetuses begin as female and some eventually become boys as the fetus matures.   Players of parents may not know the sex of their progeny unless the mother is a homid who has an ultrasound performed (because of the smaller sizes of the fetuses and because there is usually more than one puppy, veterinarians can rarely determine sex by ultrasound).

-- Final Roll - WHAT is it!?!

System:  Storyteller will roll one 100-sided die to determine whether each cub or child is garou, kin, or regular old human.

Okay, this is the most confusing part, but luckily, it's not something you as a player really has to worry about, since the storyteller will be making the roll for you and will be able to tell you exactly *what* the result of your mating will be.  ;-)

First, the Storyteller will roll one 100-sided die for each child/cub, and look up the result on the chart below based on the parents:
 
 
 

Union	Shifter	Kin	Normal
Garou/Kin	1-10 (10%)	11-100 (90%)	won't happen
**Garou/Other Shifter	1-20 (20%)	21-100 (80%)	won't happen
Garou/Mortal	1 (1%)	2-100 (99%)	won't happen
Kin/Kin	1 (1%)	2-51 (50%)	52-100 (49%)
Kin/Mortal	0	0	1-100  (100%)

**If Two Shifters of different breeds mate, the offspring has a 10% chance to be a shapeshifter of the father's kind (if a 1-10 is rolled), a 10% chance to be a shapeshifter of the mother's kind (if an 11-20 is rolled), and an 80% chance to be a normal kin to either.  If the mother is NOT HOMID - lupus, feline or whatever -  any children will be normal Kin to her Changing Breed or shapeshifters like herself - a lupus cannot give birth to a Khan or to tiger cubs.

Note: if the child/cub is the product of a garou mating with garou, it is automatically Metis.  No ifs ands or buts.
 

If one parent is a Kinfolk with the Pure Breed Background (in a Garou/Kin mating only) then an adjustment to the Shifter column of +5 (5%) for each dot in the Kin's background (Garou's Pure Breed will not affect this) is made to the above chart.  In cases of Kin/Kin pairings, the chance for werewolf offspring increases by 1% for every dot of Pure Breed.  Kin/Mortal pairings will ALWAYS produce mortal offspring, no matter what the kin's purebreed is.  Please see your storyteller if you have any questions.

Breed of the cub/child is the same as the mother's breed. For example, if the mother is a wolf-kin, and she mated with a homid Garou, the resulting progeny would be lupus.

The tribe is usually determined by the Garou party in the union.  If a Red Talon mates with Get Kin, the result is usually considered a Red Talon.

Pure Breed will be established like this, since I could find no applicable White Wolf System:  take the pure breed ratings of both parents and divide the total by 1/2.  All half-numbers should be rounded down.
 
 
 

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RESOURCE & REFERENCE
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Genetics isn't an exact science, but the mating of werewolves and Kinfolk produces roughly 90% Kinfolk and 10% Garou offspring.  The mating of two Kinfolk changes the numbers to 50% Kinfolk and 1% Garou, with the remainder of children being plain folks.  Kin who mate with normal mortals usually bear non-Kin children, though certain factions among the Children of Gaia have a highly secretive rite that can alter this outcome.  The Background Pure Breed on the part of either Kinfolk or Garou improves these statistics somewhat."  - Kinfolk: Unsung Heroes, pp 13

"Pure Breed [possessed by kinfolk] also figures quietly into the chances for conceiving a garou child.  For every level of this Background you purchase, the chance of producing a full Garou offspring with a werewolf partner increases 5%. (Note: The Garou's Pure Breed, if any, does NOT figure into the odds.)"  - Kinfolk: Unsung Heroes, pp 51

"In cases of Kin/Kin pairings, the chance for werewolf offspring increases by 1% for every dot of Pure Breed."  - Kinfolk: Unsung Heroes, pp 51

"...if two Shapeshifters of Different Breeds conceive a child, the child has a 10% chance to be a shapeshifter of the father's kind, a 10% chance to be a shapeshifter of the mother's kind, and an 80% chance to be a normal kin to either.  If the mother is lupus, feline or whatever, however, any children will be normal Kin to her Changing Breed or shapeshifters like herself - a lupus cannot give birth to a Khan or to tiger cubs."  - Werewolf Players Guide (2nd Edition), pp 190

"In no cases can a shapeshifter be of two separate Changing Breeds; a Garou with Bastet blood is simply Kin to the Bastet and nothing more.  There isn't room for two shapeshifter souls in one body."  - Werewolf Players Guide (2nd Edition), pp 190