TEXT: 1
  A guide to playing as and introducing children to 
  the world’s greatest role-playing game 
  Anne GreGersen
  LITTLE HEROES
  A Guide to Children at the Table
  
  2
  If you want your children to be intelligent, 
  read them fairy tales 
  If you want them to be very intelligent, 
  read them more fairy tales
  - Albert Einstein
  
  3
  Credits
  Lead Designer: Anne Gregersen
  Editing and Writing: Anne Gregersen
  Additional Contributors: Jesper Østergård 
  Frandsen and Tine Sabroe Graversen
  Cover Illustrator: Francisco Goya
  Interior Illustrations: Albert Bierstadt, David 
  Bates, Eastman Johnson, Henry Raeburn, James 
  Tissot, John Singleton Copley, Thomas Girtin, and 
  William-Adolphe Bouguereau
  Thanks: To my sweet players who are willing to 
  put up with me and my ideas, to Jesper Østergård 
  Frandsen for being my voice of reason, to Emmet 
  Byrne and Christopher Walz for their great advice, 
  to my younger siblings whose brutally honest 
  feedback spurned the creation of this document, 
  and to the wonderful DMs and creators out there 
  who are making this hobby the greatest in the 
  world. 
  Legal: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards 
  of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, 
  Eberron, the dragon ampersand, and all other 
  Wizards of the Coast product names, and their 
  respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the 
  Coast in the USA and other countries.
  This work contains material that is copyright 
  Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such 
  material is used with permission under the 
  Community Content Agreement for Dungeon 
  Masters Guild.
  All other original material in this work is copyright 
  [2018] by Anne Gregersen and published under 
  the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon 
  Masters Guild.
  Bibliography
  Below are some of the sources the information in 
  this document is based on. 
  Adams, Aubrie S. Needs Met Through Role-
  Playing Games: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of 
  Dungeons and Dragons. 2013. 
  Kestrel, Gwendolyn F. M, and Duncan Scott. 
  Book of Erotic Fantasy. 2006
  Knudsen, Ann-Elisabeth. Diagnosis or 
  Upbringing? (Diagnose eller Opdragelse?). 
  Lecture. 2018.
  Lewis, C. S. On Three Ways of Writing for 
  Children. 1952 (2002). 
  Stamm, Manuel. Role-Playing Games as an 
  Educational Tool. 2017. 
  Vinogradova, Maria and Natalia Ivanova. 
  Pedagogical Conditions for Role-Playing Game 
  Development in Senior Preschool Age Children. 
  2016. 
  Wagner, Baylen N. Roleplaying to Develop Self 
  Regulation. 2016. 
  Website. The California Department of 
  Education. Seen 2018. 
  Website. Office on Women’s Health. Seen 2018. 
  NB: Any used pictures and images in this 
  document that are not self-created are allowed 
  to be used in commercial products. If this should 
  change, the images in question will be removed at 
  replaced. 
  
  4
  Introduction
  Player Characters ....................................................5
  Keeping Children Safe ........................................5
  Not Every Child ......................................................6
  Chapter 1: Kids at the Table
  Should Kids Play D&D? .........................................7
  Character Creation .................................................7
  Making a Character ............................................7
  Keep Their Attention ..............................................9
  Session Length .....................................................9
  Minimize the Mechanics ..................................10
  Etiquette, Sensitivity, and Setting the Rules ......10
  Adults and Kids Playing Together ...................11
  Make the Rules Clear ........................................11
  Children Never Die! .........................................12
  Telling the Story ....................................................12
  Share the Story ..................................................12
  More Success, Less Failure  ..............................13
  Chapter 2: Playing a Child 
  Character
  Kids of Different Ages .........................................14
  Things to Avoid ....................................................15
  What Characterizes a Child? ..............................16
  Seeking Safety ....................................................16
  Testing Boundaries  ..........................................17
  Mature Beyond Their Years .............................17
  Chapter 3: Character Options 
  Racial Traits ...........................................................18
  Child Traits ........................................................18
  Backgrounds ..........................................................19
  Apprentice  .........................................................19
  Caregiver ............................................................20
  Messenger ...........................................................22
  Servant ................................................................23
  Squire  .................................................................24
  Street Performer ................................................25
  Student ................................................................26
  Generic Child Traits .........................................27
  Chapter 4: Having Children
  Birth and Pregnancy .............................................29
  Conception ........................................................29
  Pregnancy Effects ..............................................29
  Injuries While Pregnant ...................................31
  Childbirth ..........................................................31
  Kids of Two Races ................................................31
  Items of Reassurance ............................................32
  Chapter 5: Toys and Trinkets
  Magic Items ...........................................................33
  Little Trinkets ........................................................33
  Table of Contents
  
  5
  I
  n the universe of Dungeons and Dragons, 
  mighty adventurers frolic about the 
  countryside, saving people from cultists and 
  defeating ancient, powerful beasts thought 
  only to exist in myth and legend. Tales of 
  their actions are told far and wide, shared by many 
  a tavern dweller who delight those around them 
  with stories of these great heroes and the glorious 
  deeds they have done. 
  But how did they get to that point? Usually, 
  adventurers are already grown and capable when 
  they set out on their heroic crusades. Old enough 
  to know better, some would say, yet also young 
  enough that they don’t wish to settle down just yet. 
  Adventurers rarely leave ties behind them, having 
  little to no family and if they do, they are put in the 
  background to be forgotten as the adventurer dives 
  into yet another trap-ridden dungeon. 
  This book will explore a lesser known group of 
  heroes. Heroes who have not grown to greatness 
  and whose deeds are not yet tales told around 
  a campfire. These little heroes might stumble 
  onto the path of an already existing group of 
  adventurers, following them as they carve their 
  way into history, or they may have their curiosity 
  get the better of them and go explore the forgotten 
  crevasses of a haunted house. 
  Or perhaps they are sitting at your table, eagerly 
  waiting for their story to begin.  
  Player Characters
  Before proceeding with reading the hows and 
  whats found in this document, it should be made 
  clear to everyone that children are precious things. 
  In stories, they tend to play the role of plot device, 
  cleverly placed to move the party along the main 
  storyline and it is easy to understand why. Those 
  wearing the moniker of ‘hero’ will have a hard time 
  looking themselves in the eye if they let something 
  as pure and innocent as a child come to harm. 
  Involving children in the story, be it either as 
  a player character or an NPC, automatically 
  raises the stakes in a way that cannot be ignored. 
  Children NPCs can be controlled and kept 
  safe by the DM by placing them in non-hostile 
  environments, but the same cannot be said for 
  characters helmed by a player. Assuming that you 
  are playing a standard D&D adventure, combat 
  and injuries as a result thereof are bound to occur 
  at some point. The severity of these injuries can 
  be lessened somewhat by how the DM chooses to 
  describe them, but they are very likely to happen, 
  and with injury comes the risk of death as a result 
  of battle and combat. 
  If you choose to play a child character, you 
  should consider how this will affect your fellow 
  players, as it will most likely influence how they 
  will act around your character. You should not 
  surprise your table with your choice of playing an 
  adolescent character, and should discuss it with 
  both your DM and your fellow players. 
  Keeping Children Safe
  Not everyone will be alright with witnessing 
  children come to harm, be it either through 
  watching an NPC being in danger or witnessing 
  a player character participate in combat. The 
  presence of a child, even a fictional one, is likely 
  to change the behavior of those present, even if 
  they are not aware of it. Raunchy comments and 
  threats are stifled somewhat, as the apparent 
  innocence of the child must be protected. 
  This can make conversation and role-playing a 
  chore to some, as they are constantly having to be 
  aware of what they are saying. Combat is likewise 
  affected, as protecting a child is something that 
  comes natural to most characters and it will 
  most likely encourage a specific type of play that 
  protects the child from being injured. It would 
  also make sense for certain characters to actively 
  protest bringing a child into dangerous areas 
  where combat might occur, which could also 
  create tension within the party. 
  If a child character in your adventure is under 
  duress or is injured in some way, there are plenty 
  of ways this can be handled without it being too 
  gruesome for those sitting at the table. You should, 
  as a general rule, try to keep the gory details to an 
  absolute minimum when children are involved. 
  Your players might not mind detailed descriptions 
  of blood and violence when it concerns the 
  monsters they are fighting, but they might have 
  a whole other reaction when it is a child getting 
  hurt. If a child is harmed or injured, try to keep the 
  tone serious and calm and avoid using too detailed 
  or gruesome descriptions. 
  An unspoken rule that most people keep at 
  their table is that they do not kill or gravely injure 
  children. This means that children can come to 
  harm, but not so serious injury that they cannot 
  Introduction
  
  6
  recover, and that children can be in danger, but 
  never be brought to a stage where they would 
  perish from it. This also means stopping players 
  from attacking or harming children, and likewise 
  for the DM to not put children in a position where 
  the players would be forced to attack a child. 
  There are of course exceptions to this, where an 
  enemy might have taken on the appearance of a 
  child to mess with the adventurers, or a child has 
  become possessed or brainwashed and must be 
  saved. These are possibilities for great moments 
  of storytelling, but the people at the table should 
  discuss the matter of children taking this sort of 
  center stage before making them a point in the 
  story. 
  Usually when children are involved, the DM 
  should be wary of letting anything seriously 
  detrimental happen to them. In the same vein, the 
  DM should be careful about taking agency away 
  from the players and force them to harm or injure 
  a child while being, for instance, mind controlled 
  or otherwise compelled.
  Avoiding killing children becomes harder 
  when the child character in question is a player 
  character, which is yet another reason why the 
  topic of creating an adolescent character should 
  be discussed with everyone at the table, and not 
  just the DM.  
  Not Every Child
  The following chapters and paragraphs will 
  describe children in wide and somewhat generic 
  terms. Children are very complicated and should 
  be looked at as individuals, both when portraying 
  them and when having them as players in a 
  role-playing group. Some children might act very 
  differently from what has been written in this 
  book, or possibly in complete opposition. What 
  they need and want might be different from what 
  is written here, and you should assess the nature 
  of the child you’re interacting with accordingly.
  If the child you are playing with does something 
  that contradicts what has been written in this 
  document, do your best to fit the needs of the child 
  in question. In these situations, you should do your 
  best to know the kid you’re working with.
  With all that being said, I hope you’ll enjoy using 
  this document and I wish you all great adventures 
  ahead. 
  
  7
  A
  s most people know, players come in 
  all shapes and sizes, but also ages. 
  Children have become more involved in 
  the tabletop RPG scene in recent years 
  as the hobby has become increasingly 
  popular for many people. Several parents are 
  starting to introduce their children to D&D, 
  involving them in a great and ever-expanding 
  universe of heroics and grand stories. But not 
  everyone is entirely certain how to handle these 
  young people appearing at their tables. 
  This chapter will offer advice to those who are 
  planning to run games or are currently running 
  games with children as the playing party of excited 
  adventurers. Some of the information herein can 
  also be seen as generally good advice for running 
  any game, and might be obvious to some more 
  experienced players, but they have been added 
  nonetheless to emphasize their importance. 
  The ages of the children playing D&D can vary 
  greatly, and largely depends on how mature and 
  interested the individual child is in role-playing 
  games. Some groups can have players as young 
  as five or six years old, and the experiences they 
  have with their first games will shape how they 
  will view the hobby as they grow up. To many, this 
  might be scary to think about, but playing RPGs 
  with children can be an immensely enjoyable and 
  rewarding experience if handled with proper care.
  Luckily, most children find it very easy to let 
  their imaginations run wild, so playing with kids 
  can be great experience, not only for the child who 
  gets to act out adventures and fairytales, but also 
  for the adults who might be joining in at the table. 
  Should Kids Play D&D?
  Though D&D as a hobby is both engaging and 
  can be fun for all ages, questions from worried 
  parents and teachers still exist about the possible 
  detrimental effects of engaging in these sorts 
  of role-playing games. D&D has carried a lot of 
  stigma since its foundation, and many people 
  are surprised when they find out how beneficial 
  playing D&D can actually be, especially for 
  younger children.
  By participating in role-playing games, children 
  are practicing socializing, as well as problem 
  solving and critical thinking. In cases where D&D 
  has been used in the context of play-therapy, the 
  games have shown to advance children’s cognitive 
  abilities, and even help teach them anxiety 
  management. 
  While playing D&D, the players are engaged 
  with a fictional character and story on a much 
  deeper level compared to other forms of character-
  driven media, such as films or books. By stepping 
  into the shoes of a different character, a child 
  can practice visualization and creativity, improve 
  their social skills, and get to experience different 
  perspectives, all the while playing and having fun 
  with their friends.  
  The medium offers other avenues of learning 
  as well. The game involves complex rule 
  comprehension, and young children involved in 
  these sorts of role-playing games have shown 
  improvement in their spelling and reading 
  ability, as well as their ability to solve basic math 
  problems. 
  There are many benefits to playing D&D, the 
  most important of which is that is fun, engaging, 
  and inviting to all kinds of different people, no 
  matter their skill level or background. 
  Character Creation
  It should come as no real surprise that most 
  children don’t really care much about the nitty 
  gritty parts of the role-playing experience. Placing 
  the numbers in the most optimal or perfect way 
  can be a daunting and positively boring task, and 
  can result in them losing interest in the game 
  before it even begins. 
  To remedy this, you should do your best to 
  keep the rules very simple. Don’t worry too much 
  about the most optimal way to place the stats, 
  and instead have most of the number-crunching 
  done before the game begins. The step of making 
  a character sheet should not take too long, since 
  the attention of the children present will shift away 
  from the game very quickly if too much time is 
  spent on explaining all the intricate rules of the 
  game.
  Making a Character
  Despite children generally finding it rather boring 
  to make their sheet, they do not find it boring to 
  make their character. Because of the ease of it, you 
  might be considering giving them a pre-generated 
  character sheet with a class and race and tell them 
  Chapter 1: Kids at the Table
  
  8
  to go with that. Though it might seem like the easy 
  choice, chances are the child you’ve given this 
  sheet won’t feel connected to the game, story, or 
  character if you choose to do this. 
  Not only does a pre-generated sheet muffle 
  much of the child’s creativity, but it also forces 
  them into playing something they didn’t choose 
  and they won’t be as invested in playing as they 
  would have if they had been able to make their 
  own character. This is not just a good rule to keep 
  in mind with children, but a good rule for working 
  with anyone who is starting their first role-playing 
  game. 
  However, choice can be overwhelming. That 
  is not just the case for children, but for anyone 
  new to D&D and the many options the game 
  offers when entering into the process of character 
  creation can be daunting. There are several 
  classes, races, and backgrounds to choose from, 
  and it can be way too much to be presented with, 
  especially since each class and race have specific 
  bonuses and abilities tied to them, all of which 
  have to be learned and memorized. 
  You should remember that completely new 
  players won’t understand even the most basic 
  terminology when talking about the game, and 
  children are no exception to this. Try your best to 
  not use too many unknown terms and phrases, 
  especially early on when you are just getting 
  started.  
  The Character Template
  Instead of spending a long time trying to explain 
  all the rules of character creation to a group of 
  children who really just wants to play and have 
  fun, you can offer them a template character 
  instead. This character, typically a Human 
  Fighter or something equivalently easy to play 
  mechanically, will make up each character 
  sheet, giving the same stats and abilities to each 
  character. However, this Human Fighter is just a 
  template and the children are in no way forced to 
  play that class or race. 
  In the earlier section, it was suggested that 
  you do not give a pre-generated character to the 
  children playing. The Human Fighter template 
  differs from this suggestion in that the children are 
  now allowed to come up with whichever character 
  they want, completely ignoring what their sheet 
  says about what race or what class they are. 
  Using the template, the children can then be 
  allowed to be creative. If they want to be a pirate 
  pig or a dancing pony who’s also a princess, they 
  should be allowed to. Let them put down anything 
  they want for their race and class, but give them 
  the playable options of a Human Fighter. That 
  way, the children can be free of restrictions when 
  it comes to character creation, and use simple 
  stats that are easy to follow and understand when 
  playing the game. The children are totally playing 
  as a magical squirrel or a clever beaver, but they 
  are using the stats of something legal within the 
  context of D&D.
  Depending on the age and maturity of the 
  child playing in your game, they can be more or 
  less involved when putting down the stats on 
  the character sheets. It is suggested however, 
  especially for their first few games, that the sheets 
  are made by you before starting the game, so they 
  don’t have to sit and fill out everything required for 
  them to start playing. 
  
  9
  Collect the Sheets
  After playing, is a good tip that you or another 
  adult keep the children’s character sheets with you 
  between the sessions. Between coloring, doodling, 
  and all around handling by the younger players, 
  the sheets will most likely be lost or ruined in the 
  time passing between sessions.
  To keep from having to write up new character 
  sheets every other week, it is advisable that you 
  handle and take care of the sheets. If the children 
  really want to keep them, you can also make 
  photocopies you can easily reprint if the originals 
  should fall into harm’s way or disappear from one 
  week to the next. 
  Keep Their Attention
  When you are dealing with children at the table, 
  you are also dealing with the possibility of them 
  losing attention or becoming distracted. Unlike 
  older and more mature players, children don’t have 
  the stamina to play for several hours, and will most 
  likely become tired after playing for an extended 
  period of time. This means that the DM should do 
  their best with the time they have set aside for the 
  session and try to keep the attention  of the players 
  throughout the game. 
  Session Length
  The time frame for a session can vary depending 
  on the age of the children you are playing with, 
  how many of you are sitting at the table, and 
  how used they are to role-playing games. More 
  experienced and older players can play for several 
  hours at the time, sometimes stretching well past 
  the six or seven hour mark. 
  What you should aim for when playing with 
  children is short and sweet adventures that can 
  be wrapped up in a session and lasts 1-2 hours. 
  This time frame can be stretched to go longer or 
  shorter to fit the players, and you will have to read 
  the energy of the children present to determine 
  if you can continue longer. You should always be 
  gaging the attention of the players, and be careful 
  not to stretch the session too far beyond what the 
  energy of the table allows. 
  For this sort of session, two to three encounters 
  should be sufficient, and don’t get upset if you 
  didn’t make it as far as you hoped if it meant the 
  players at your table had a better experience.  
  When ending the session, try to do so on when 
  the energy among the players is still high. Doing 
  this will leave them wanting more and excited 
  about things to come. Having this energy means 
  
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  they are likely to stick their heads together when 
  you are done playing and then chat about what just 
  transpired in the session, both with each other and 
  with you. 
  When ending the session, you can also give the 
  players hints as to what might happen next time 
  you play, as this will give them something to look 
  forward to and talk to each other about between 
  sessions. 
  Minimize the Mechanics
  While playing, you should do your best to minimize 
  looking up game rules and clarifications while 
  you are playing. When you do this, you lose the 
  attention of your players and they will begin to 
  drift away from the game and start doing other 
  things. Bringing them back in can be hard, and it 
  will most likely break the flow of the session if you 
  have to recapture the attention of the table. 
  If there is a rule you become uncertain of while 
  playing, do your best to improvise around it. The 
  players will likely not know you are improvising 
  anyway. Instead of having the books at hand and 
  having to go through them every time there is a 
  specific rule you are uncertain of, have the few 
  rules you need printed out on a sheet of paper 
  that you keep next to you. You should avoid rifling 
  through the book every other moment as much as 
  you can. 
  D&D has a lot of rules, some more nuanced 
  than others, but they are not all required to enjoy 
  the game, especially when playing with children. 
  Conditions, such as prone, paralyzed, stunned 
  and so on, offer great strategic options for players 
  who are familiar with the rule system, but it can be 
  overwhelming for new players to be introduced to. 
  If you boil the game down it its most basic 
  components, it is about rolling dice and adding 
  a number to it to measure success. Start by only 
  involving this very basic part of the game, and 
  as the players become more comfortable with 
  the concept of role-playing and rolling dice, start 
  adding more options into the game. The idea of 
  advantage and disadvantage is also fairly easy to 
  understand, and can be introduced early on in the 
  playing process.  
  Simplify the Dice
  Some children might have trouble with 
  understanding the dice and how they are used. 
  That is not just an issue for younger players, but 
  is a problem most new players have to deal with 
  when first introduced to D&D. Be patient and do 
  your best to help them understand how and when 
  to use the different dice. 
  You can choose to remove a lot of dice from the 
  game if you feel it will unnecessarily complicate 
  the game. The d20 is a staple of D&D and is 
  used for pretty much every roll in the game, and 
  children will probably be able to identify this die 
  very quickly as it is the die they are using the most. 
  However, the other dice might turn out to be an 
  issue. They will most likely mistake the d20 for the 
  d12, and will be confused when you ask them to 
  roll an eight-sided die. 
  Not all children will be confused by this, but if 
  you think it will be a problem at your table you can 
  remedy it by eliminating all other dice than the 
  d20 and the d6. This means replacing the damage 
  and healing dice with a d6 instead of whatever it 
  was before. Children are probably already familiar 
  with the six-sided die from having played board 
  games and the like, and won’t be confused if you 
  then ask them to roll it. 
  Alternatively, if you have a lot of dice, you could 
  refer to the different kinds of dice by color instead 
  of by shape. That way, when they have to roll a 
  d10, you can tell them to roll the blue die, and 
  when they have to roll a d8, you tell them to roll 
  the red die, and so on. 
  Etiquette, Sensitivity, 
  and Setting the Rules
  A big part of having children at the table, is 
  knowing how to act appropriately around them. 
  There is the obvious part of it where you keep the 
  tone civil and don’t use inappropriate language 
  around them. If one of their characters is hurt or 
  wounded, keep the description vague and simple. 
  You should shy away from baby-talk and talking 
  down to the players as much as possible, but 
  don’t be afraid to go overboard with your role-
  playing. Your expressions and gestures can - and 
  should - be over-exaggerated, and it will greatly 
  help to draw the children into the game and the 
  experience, if you give yourself fully to telling the 
  story. 
  
  11
  Adults and Kids Playing 
  Together
  It is often the case that a parent or other family 
  member will sit with you at the table, playing 
  alongside the children. When this is the case, 
  you should skew towards catering the game 
  towards the children more so than the adults and 
  focus on making the experience enjoyable and 
  understandable for the younger players. 
  Having other adults at the table can also be very 
  practical for both you and the children playing. 
  The adults can be there to help the kids when 
  there is something they don’t understand, so you 
  don’t have focus on helping everyone at once. 
  For some children, it can also be a frightening 
  experience to admit that there is something they 
  are having trouble with, and having a person they 
  trust sitting next to them can help them feel more 
  comfortable at the table.
  If the adults begin to become impatient with 
  the children when there is something they want 
  to know or they don’t understand, you should still 
  keep your attention on the kids. The adults will 
  have to be adults about the situation, and wait 
  until every player is ready to take the next step in 
  the adventure. 
  Make the Rules Clear
  Before you start playing, it is important that you 
  set up the rules. Just like when playing any game, 
  the kids need to be told what they are allowed to 
  do and what they are not allowed to do. To make it 
  so the children better understand the boundaries 
  you’re setting, the list of rules should be short and 
  not take very long to go through. There’s already 
  a lot they are trying to remember when they start 
  playing, and adding too many additional rules to 
  something that is already taking a lot of energy to 
  understand means the children are more likely to 
  forget the rules you were just stating rather than 
  remembering them. 
  When explaining the “rules” of the game, you 
  should open up with the positive ones first. Some 
  suggestions could be that it is okay to talk loudly. It 
  is okay to get up from the table and jump around. 
  It is okay to make silly faces and voices, and so on 
  and so on. Children enjoy being active and move 
  around, so don’t be surprised if a child starts to act 
  energetically while you are playing. 
  After that, you should list off what is not okay 
  to do. Examples of such rules could be that it is 
  not okay to hurt the other characters, since they 
  are your friends and we don’t hurt our friends. 
  Remember to share the treasure you find while 
  exploring. No yelling at or being mean to the 
  other people at the table. It’s not okay to hurt 
  other people while we play, but you can hurt the 
  
  12
  monsters, since they are dangerous. The rules you 
  set up should fit the children you are with, and you 
  should tailor them so they make sense for your 
  table. 
  These boundaries are good for the children to 
  know, and it is important that they are established 
  before the game starts. 
  Yes, and...
  You should make sure the kids know that it is 
  always okay to ask the DM what they can and can’t 
  do while playing. Make sure they know they are 
  always allowed to pause the game if it gets too 
  intense or if they get scared, and they are always 
  allowed to ask the DM if a specific cause of action 
  is possible or not. 
  When they do ask if something is possible to 
  do, such as asking “do I have to fight them?” or 
  “I don’t know what to do,” then do your best to 
  help them through it. Work with them and offer 
  options if they are overwhelmed by the available 
  possibilities.  
  “Yes, and…” works wonders for this specific sort 
  of situation. By doing it, you are affirming what 
  a character has said and then you add onto it, 
  moving both the scene and the story forward. This 
  is true when dealing with players of all ages, and it 
  is no different when dealing with a younger group 
  of adventurers. 
  Children Never Die!
  If there is just one rule you should take with you 
  after reading this document, it is this: never kill 
  a child’s character, especially if it is a child you 
  don’t know very well. Losing a character can be 
  heartbreaking for an adult, mature player with 
  plenty of role-playing experience and know-how. 
  Losing a character can be traumatizing for a child 
  to experience and should always be avoided unless 
  you are absolutely certain the child can handle it. 
  Avoid setting up situations and encounters 
  where there is a likelihood of the characters dying, 
  and if you do make a mistake and accidentally kill 
  someone’s character, you should have some back-
  up ideas ready that can quickly bring the character 
  back to life. These could be a monster slipping on 
  a wet rock and dropping a healing potion into a 
  character’s mouth. It is allowed to be silly, children 
  enjoy silliness, but you need to have a plan so you 
  don’t accidentally kill a child’s character. 
  Especially when playing with very young 
  children, the topic of death and killing other 
  creatures can be much too dark for them to 
  handle. When in combat and a creature is brought 
  to 0 hit points, you can choose to make it so that 
  the creature or character runs away scared instead 
  of them dying from the blow. 
  Telling the Story
  The themes and topics that will be appropriate for 
  the children at your table should be determined on 
  a group by group basis. Children can come from 
  many different backgrounds, and though one child 
  will be totally okay with engaging with a particular 
  level of scariness or danger, another child might 
  have a completely different reaction. 
  You should always try to know and understand 
  your players, and this is true no matter the age 
  of the player in question. What is likewise a good 
  idea when playing a session is to move the focus 
  from character to character and player to player 
  throughout the game. That way no one gets left out 
  and everyone gets their moment in the spotlight. 
  Share the Story
  Being provided with choices when playing D&D 
  is a great feeling for the players, as it gives them 
  a chance to directly interact and influence the 
  world they are playing in. In most adventures and 
  settings, the DM will have prepared crossroads or 
  situations where the players can make decisions 
  about various things pertaining to the story they 
  are in. 
  Children love participating in stories, and they 
  love creating the stories they are in. Through a 
  child’s imagination, a small hill in the backyard 
  can be a massive castle or a bowl of water can be a 
  never ending ocean. When playing, you should give 
  the children plenty of options and moments where 
  they can participate in the story. They can do this 
  by telling you what they see, describing what a 
  creature or person looks like, or how a certain 
  interaction might go. Work with them while they 
  do this and ask them how they see the scene you 
  have presented for them. 
  
  13
  Hey, I Know That!
  Role-playing can be scary for many new players, 
  as they don’t fully understand the circumstances 
  and rules of the game they are playing or the world 
  they are exploring. Most D&D settings draw on 
  references from the real world, both to make the 
  setting feel more authentic and to make it easier 
  for the players to engage with the world. 
  These references are excellent for involving 
  children more in the story. Referencing their real 
  life interests or characters from popular media 
  makes a connection between them and the fantasy 
  world, which means they understand it better. 
  Where the involvement of a popular superhero or 
  magical little pony would take older players out of 
  the experience, these sorts of references are likely 
  to get children even more involved in the story 
  than they were before. 
  More Success, Less Failure 
  It can be extremely frustrating to be faced with 
  a seemingly unsolvable problem or to have been 
  exploring for a long time, only to run into yet 
  another dead end or false clue. The feeling of 
  getting nowhere is frustrating to all players, but 
  especially so for children. Being faced with defeat 
  after defeat can be extremely demotivating for a 
  child to experience, and is likely to make them lose 
  interest in the game. 
  This does not mean that you can have no tough 
  choices or negative consequences in your games. 
  Children can handle things being difficult, they just 
  cannot handle it being difficult all the time. Most 
  people aren’t able to do that, regardless of their 
  age or experience. 
  Providing the necessary clues or helping them 
  with a problem they are stuck on is preferable 
  to them feeling defeated and bad for not 
  understanding the problem presented to them. 
  
  14
  T
  his section is for DMs and players alike. 
  For certain adventures, the DM might 
  need some assistance in creating child 
  NPCs, and players who are making a 
  child character to play as can read about 
  ways they could more accurately portray their 
  character through role-playing. By knowing more 
  about how a child behaves and reacts to things, 
  the character they are portraying will seem more 
  child-like and authentic, instead of the common 
  effect of having them feel more like a adult in a 
  child’s body. 
  As with all things, these act more as guidelines 
  for role-play than actual rules and can of course 
  be bent to fit a specific character or circumstance. 
  Likewise, it should be noted that children, just 
  like adults, are very different, both with how they 
  behave and their personalities. The following 
  sections serve as a general look into how children 
  act and can serve as inspiration when making and 
  writing adolescent characters. 
  If you are considering making a child character, 
  make sure to discuss the matter with your DM 
  and your fellow players before settling on the 
  idea. If someone decides to play a child character, 
  it doesn’t only affect the player and the DM. It 
  affects everyone at the table, so you should discuss 
  the idea of playing a child with everyone before 
  starting the character creation process. 
  Kids of Different Ages
  Depending on the age of the child in question, 
  they might act in different ways and behave much 
  differently to someone just a couple of years older 
  or younger. In just a few years, a child can have 
  changed so much that they can sometimes be hard 
  to recognize. 
  Below you can read a short guide to children’s 
  personalities at different stages of development. 
  This is a very superficial description, but it can 
  be practical when thinking of making a child 
  character for use in an adventure or setting, or 
  just to get a general idea of how children act at 
  different stages of their lives. 
  The ages described below are tied to the 
  development and aging of a human child. If the 
  character you are making is of a different race, 
  such as a half-orc or elf, the child would mature at 
  a different rate than a human. 
  Babies (Birth - 1 year). At this stage, children 
  can’t do much - or really anything - by themselves 
  and needs constant attention, care, and affection 
  by those around them. They can’t emote or 
  communicate beyond crying and eventually 
  smiling. Babies rely fully on other people to take 
  care of them and are defenseless to any danger 
  that might befall them. 
  Toddlers (Ages 1 - 2). Children of this age 
  don’t care much for change, and will do their 
  best to remind you of it if you try to pick them 
  up or otherwise interact with them without their 
  consent. Like all other children, toddlers want 
  to feel safe and this need for safety shows itself 
  in clear ways when dealing with them. They will 
  want to stay with or close by people they know 
  and are familiar with, and will most likely cry and 
  protest if they are taken away from them, whether 
  it is calmly or by force. Though they might act 
  confident when moving around, they will make 
  sure to keep an eye on their surroundings at all 
  times so they are certain their parent or caregiver 
  is close by. 
  Young Children (Ages 3-5). At this age, children 
  begin to master walking, as well as speaking and 
  communicating. As they are still training this 
  newly found skill, they use their speech a lot. They 
  ask a lot of questions and are extremely curious 
  about the world around them. They mostly work 
  under the notion that they are much more grown 
  up and capable of taking on the world than they 
  actually are, and will try to do things by themselves 
  more and more. This includes exploring or playing, 
  but they still very much require both attention and 
  affection from their guardian. 
  Middle Children (Ages 6-8). It is during these 
  years when children become increasingly insistent 
  on being treated like grown-ups. Children around 
  this age will insist on doing things themselves, 
  and are mostly able to do so as well, within 
  reason. They don’t like to be talked down to, 
  and communicating with them with baby-talk or 
  deliberately talking over their heads or ignoring 
  them, will likely cause the child to become upset 
  or angry. 
  Chapter 2: Playing a Child 
  Character
  
  15
  Older Children (Ages 9-11). The development 
  of children in this age range varies greatly, and 
  can be hard to properly describe. Some are quite 
  mature, while others still act like younger kids 
  instead of the teenagers they are slowly turning 
  into. It is during this time that children begin 
  taking on more responsibility, and also when 
  children in most medieval fantasy settings would 
  find work or start to help our at their family’s 
  business, store, or homestead. As a result, children 
  of these ages will become more independent and 
  can strike out from home for longer periods at a 
  time to explore their surroundings, though they 
  will rarely do so for more than a few hours before 
  returning home. 
  Teenagers (Ages 12-15). This is a period 
  where the child’s body and mind change very 
  rapidly. Generally, teenagers become more self-
  conscious about how they move around in the 
  world and their characteristics are solidifying 
  into a clearly identifiable personality. They most 
  likely want to spend more time with people their 
  own age rather than people their junior or senior, 
  and sometimes care more about the opinion of 
  their peers than the opinions of their family or 
  the opinions of authority. They grow much more 
  independent during this stage, and are capable 
  of looking after themselves and others. In most 
  settings, this would result in them being given 
  more responsibility when in comes to their work 
  and actions.
  Young Adults (Ages 15-18). These children, 
  though still not fully into adulthood, can be treated 
  as grown-ups with very little life experience. How 
  they act can vary greatly, and can sometimes 
  change on a day-to-day basis. Some young adults 
  might be impatient to get out and make their mark 
  on the world, while others are still working to 
  figure out who they are and what they want to do 
  with their life.  
  Things to Avoid
  When writing and role-playing children, there are 
  several tropes and common characteristics that 
  people associate with the glamored version of a 
  child character. These tropes and characteristics 
  are rarely ever realistic, and should almost always 
  be avoided. 
  Withered and Wise
  The all-seeing, all-knowing mind of a child is 
  present in many different sorts of stories and tales, 
  and though it might be true that children are able 
  
  16
  to see some situations more objectively than their 
  adult fellows, they are not fonts of endless wisdom 
  and should not be treated as such. Children who 
  can calmly and confidently answer any question 
  the adventurers might have, and also have the 
  ability to give acute and detailed observations, are 
  a clichéd anomaly that should be avoided if you 
  want to stay realistic. 
  This does not mean that children see nothing. 
  Children see many things, they just might not 
  know what exactly it is they are seeing or if 
  that thing is important or not, and are likely to 
  accidentally blurt out important information, 
  simply because they don’t know it is important. 
  Being a Small Adult
  Making a child character should not be boiled 
  down to slapping a bunch of characteristics 
  found in mature, grown adults together, and 
  then putting it in a child’s body. Though children 
  can undoubtedly be clever and charming, it is 
  important to know that they are not just small 
  adults who already know everything there is to 
  know about the world.
  Baby-Talk
  While children, particularly younger children, 
  might have some trouble properly enunciating or 
  pronouncing certain words, this is mostly the case 
  with very young kids. Not to say that children over 
  that age don’t sometimes resort to baby-talk, they 
  just do it to much less of an extent than what most 
  people seem to believe. 
  As with most stereotypes in the context of a 
  role-playing game, it is alright to indulge in the 
  common, high-pitched child voice, but try not to 
  overdo the simplicity with which your character 
  talks. Instead of using baby-talk, try using short 
  and simple words, as that gives a much more 
  realistic depiction of a child’s speech pattern.
  What Characterizes a 
  Child?
  This is a big question and also the most difficult 
  one to answer. It’s important to note that children 
  have individual personalities, goals, and flaws, and 
  ignoring them would mean boxing them into an 
  uninteresting stereotype. 
  When creating a child character, you should 
  consider all the same things that you would when 
  making any other character. What motivates you? 
  What makes you likable or unlikeable? What kind 
  of flaws do you have? What makes you happy, or 
  sad, or angry? These are all aspects of a person, 
  and children have them just like everyone else. 
  However, there are a few things that can be 
  identified as definitively childlike in nature, and 
  can be added onto a character to make them seem 
  more authentically adolescent. 
  Seeking Safety
  If a child is given the option between going with 
  what they like and what they don’t like, they will 
  almost always go with what they like. This is true 
  especially for younger children. If a young child 
  is given the option between holding hands with 
  two different people, or playing with one toy over 
  another, they will choose the one they like the best. 
  
  17
  Children also have a need to feel comforted and 
  protected, and will seek to feel safe whenever they 
  can. This might show itself in trepidation when 
  encountering new people or situations, where the 
  child will hide behind their mother’s skirt or hold 
  onto their father’s hand. 
  Likewise, if a child is questioned by someone 
  they don’t know or they feel uncomfortable with, 
  they will look to an authority figure they feel safe 
  around before answering. An example of this could 
  be an adventurer asking a child about something 
  they possibly saw the day before. The child would 
  look to a parent or older sibling for confirmation 
  before answering anything. If the child was 
  cornered and alone when asked the same 
  questions, the child would have been robbed of 
  this sort of safety and would either start to cry or 
  attempt to get away. Either way, they will be mostly 
  unable to give any useful information. 
  Testing Boundaries 
  One of the more well-known defining 
  characteristics of a child is their desire to learn 
  about and explore the world around them. 
  Children are often curious and investigative, as 
  well as unafraid of things they don’t know could be 
  dangerous. 
  As a result of this, children often seek to test 
  their boundaries. Common examples could be 
  stealing apples from an orchard or climbing walls 
  and buildings they are not supposed to climb. This 
  is especially true for children who don’t encounter 
  many boundaries in their day-to-day lives. When 
  they then do encounter them, they often try to 
  push at and test them. 
  Wanting Attention
  Attention is something all children need to a 
  certain degree, and if they don’t get enough 
  attention they will perhaps start to act out in 
  various ways. The type of attention needed can 
  vary greatly, but the most common way the need 
  for attention presents itself, is through a child 
  acting out and doing things they know they are 
  not supposed to. They do this partially because, 
  by acting out, they get the attention they so 
  desperately want, even if that attention is someone 
  yelling at or berating them. 
  If the child starved of attention has found a 
  venue where they can get it consistently, even if it 
  means doing a bad thing, they will continue to do it 
  as the reward of the attention is more important to 
  them than the scolding they will most likely get. 
  Curious and Gullible
  Because of their limited life experience, children 
  have a habit of wandering into places they 
  shouldn’t be. For an adventurer, curiosity is an 
  important quality to have when exploring and 
  investigating ancient ruins and dungeons, but 
  children have so little experience that it can be 
  hard for them to understand the danger or severity 
  of the situation they are in. 
  Children can be easily duped because of this. 
  They have not yet realized that the world might 
  be out to get them, and tend to trust what other 
  people, adults especially, tell them. Promises 
  matter to a child as they haven’t been hardened 
  enough by reality to know that there are people out 
  there who will try to take advantage of them.
   In the same vein of thinking, children have a 
  hard time grasping their own mortality and will 
  most likely put themselves in danger, simply 
  because they don’t understand the seriousness of 
  the situation at hand. 
  Mature Beyond Their Years
  Depending on the child’s upbringing, they might 
  be more or less inclined to trust and help a band of 
  roaming adventurers. The way a child behaves as 
  to how they treat others, both among their peers 
  and people of authority, can often be traced back 
  to events in their past that incited a strong sense of 
  uncertainty and distress. 
  This is a wide generalization, and does not fit 
  each and every child, as this facet of their lives is 
  extremely complex and cannot be explained or 
  understood in just a few sentences. 
  Common tropes employed on child characters 
  who exist in the realm of a medieval fantasy 
  setting include a lessened likelihood to trust 
  strangers, a strong sense of independence and 
  capability, and the depiction of the children acting 
  older than their years. 
  This trope can be used in storytelling, but the 
  accuracy of it is debatable. Some children might 
  become this way, having to rely on themselves 
  instead of others, or they might become partially 
  dependent on an authority character for a large 
  portion of their development. 
  What is most important to remember is 
  that children are children, and no matter their 
  background, maturity, or capability, they should 
  still be treated as children, with love, care, and 
  affection. 
  
  18
  M
  aking a child character is not as 
  simple as making a character 
  who is an adult, as there are 
  many more things to consider in 
  the character creation process. 
  Logistically, it makes little to no sense to see a 
  ten-year-old running onto the battlefield wielding 
  a greataxe and a mind to murder, and most child 
  characters tend to fall into the categories of 
  rascals and pranksters, supporting spellcasters, 
  or magic users with little to no control of their 
  arcane powers. Martial characters do not mix well 
  with playing as a child, as many of them need to 
  rush into the fray and actively put themselves in 
  danger, which can be hard for other characters to 
  accept without issue. Children are also generally 
  weaker than adults, and having a small child win 
  over a fully grown man in a fight requires a large 
  suspension of disbelief. 
  In this chapter, you can read about some specific 
  options that might help make your character seem 
  a bit more child-like. These are all optional, and 
  should be discussed with your DM before using 
  them when creating your character. For DMs, this 
  section can also be very helpful, as it can serve as 
  an aid to help you add some flavor or uniqueness 
  to adolescent NPCs in your adventure or world 
  setting. 
  Racial Traits
  When playing a child, certain things are assumed 
  about your character. Thematically, children 
  tend to make poor martial characters as they are 
  physically much weaker and frailer than adults. 
  The following stats are an optional addition to 
  anyone who chooses to play a child character and 
  wishes to add some flavor to set them apart. These 
  stats are in addition to the benefits and traits 
  already granted to you by your chosen race, and 
  they do not work as a standalone playable race. 
  The traits gained by being a child disappear 
  when your character becomes a teenager or a 
  young adult. When exactly this change occurs is to 
  be settled between you and your DM. 
  If your chosen race is already a small race, such 
  as a gnome or halfling, you do not become Tiny as 
  a result of choosing to play a child of those races, 
  and you will continue to have a Small size. 
  Child Traits
  You gain the following benefits and traits when you 
  choose to play a child character in addition to any 
  traits granted to you by your race. 
  Ability Score Decrease. Your Strength score 
  decreases by 2. 
  Size. Since you aren’t fully grown, you are 
  smaller and lighter than an adult member of your 
  race. Your size is Small. 
  Negative Trait. Being a child comes with some 
  limitations. Choose one trait from the Negative 
  Traits list.
  Positive Trait. Children can do things adults 
  cannot. Choose one trait from the Positive Traits 
  list. 
  Chapter 3: Character Options 
  
  19
  Negative Traits
  You can pick one of the following traits to help 
  define your character. 
  Adorable. You have disadvantage on 
  Intimidation checks made against adults. 
  Illiterate. You cannot read or write.
  Monolingual. You can only speak, read, and 
  write Common. If one of your languages is tied 
  to your race, such as Elvish or Dwarvish, you can 
  choose to know this language instead.  
  Poor Constitution. You have disadvantage on 
  saving throws against poison. 
  Scared. You have disadvantage on saving throws 
  against being frightened. 
  Short Legs. Your movement speed is lowered by 
  5 feet. 
  Positive Traits
  You can pick one of the following traits to help 
  define your character. 
  Agile. You have advantage on Acrobatics checks 
  made to escape a grapple. 
  Innocent. You have advantage on Deception 
  checks made against adults.
  Light Weight. You have advantage on climbing 
  checks. 
  Nimble. You can move through the space of any 
  creature that is of a size larger than yours. 
  One With the Crowd. You have advantage on 
  Stealth checks made to hide in large groups of 
  people, and your movement isn’t restricted when 
  moving through crowds. 
  Slippery. You can disengage as bonus action.
  Backgrounds
  Most of the backgrounds provided in the Player’s 
  Handbook or similar material, tell of a character’s 
  life before they took on the career of being an 
  adventurer. For children, their lives have barely 
  even started, so they have not had the time to grow 
  strong enough to become a soldier or influential 
  enough to take on the mantle of a guild artisan. 
  With the exception of the urchin found in the 
  Player’s Handbook, most of the other backgrounds 
  make ill fits when trying to attach them to a child 
  character.
  The following backgrounds are meant to better 
  fit into the archetype of a child or young adult who 
  has not had a detailed life prior to adventuring. 
  They are here to offer some background variation 
  to a child character, but the backgrounds are not 
  exclusively tied to children and can also be used 
  by adult characters. Because of this, some of the 
  characteristics tied to a background will not make 
  sense for the character of a younger child. If you 
  need more options, you can go to the end of this 
  chapter of the document to find traits specifically 
  tailored towards a child character. 
  Apprentice 
  It is not unusual to have a child be heavily involved 
  in the family business as they grow up. For many 
  working families, it is assumed that the children 
  will take over the business when they become 
  an adult. If a family has the right connections, 
  they may choose to place their child under the 
  teachings of a craftsman or artisan so they can 
  learn a skill and trade. 
  You got your apprenticeship at a young age and 
  have been working hard to learn the intricacies of 
  your craft. You might be working as an assistant 
  in a store or shop, or work the bellows at the local 
  smithy where you are being taught how to work 
  on tools, weapons, or just simple horseshoes. 
  Regardless, you are tied to a specific profession 
  and are on your way to be fully trained with the 
  craft of your master. 
  Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Animal 
  Handling, Athletics, and Nature
  Tool Proficiencies: Two types of artisan’s tools
  Equipment: A set of common clothes, a small 
  knife, a sewing needle and a spool of thread, a 
  set of artisan’s tools, and a pouch containing 10 
  gp
  Feature: Working Familiarity
  You have an easy time talking to people of the 
  working class, especially with those whom you 
  share a trade. These people are more willing to 
  share information with you than they otherwise 
  would be, and you can make a modest living by 
  offering your working experience to relevant stores 
  and sites. 
  Variant: Farmhand
  You grew up on a farm, working with and around 
  animals. You spent your days tending the nearby 
  fields and orchards of a farmstead, either your 
  family’s or your master’s, and befriending and 
  feeding the animals giving life to your home. 
  
  20
  Suggested Characteristics 
  Apprentices are tied to the job they are being 
  trained to do. Their training is yet to be completed, 
  and they can be both diligent students who are 
  eager to learn, or daydreamers who are wishing to 
  do something else with their lives.  
  d6
  Personality Trait
  1
  I thoroughly enjoy doing menial tasks
  2
  I get easily distracted when I’m supposed to be 
  focused on something
  3
  I daydream when I should be working
  4
  I don’t like working with other people
  5
  I am proud of my craft and enjoy talking to other 
  people about it
  6
  I take on a leader role and like to work in groups
  d6
  Ideal
  1
  Teamwork. Everyone must chip in and do their 
  part (Lawful)
  2
  Improvement. I will remove anyone who stands in 
  my way (Evil)
  3
  Helpfulness. If someone is falling behind, they 
  should be helped (Good)
  4
  Effort. Everyone can be useful (Neutral)
  5
  Prowess. People should do what they are best at 
  and not what they are told to do (Chaotic)
  6
  Diligence. If you work hard, you’ll be rewarded for 
  it (Any)
  d6
  Bond
  1
  I want to improve on my craft
  2
  Everything I do, I do to support my family
  3
  My previous master was cruel to their staff, and I 
  am looking to make them pay
  4
  I want to find a true master of my craft and have 
  them teach me everything they know
  5
  Something I did ruined the life of a fellow 
  apprentice. I must right the wrongs I caused
  6
  I’ve never known my family, and I would like to 
  find out who they are
  d6
  Flaw
  1
  I don’t know how to think for myself and need to 
  follow orders
  2
  I feel stupid among people not in my field, and 
  keep quiet as a result
  3
  I am extremely gullible
  4
  I don’t wait for people, and move on if they don’t 
  appear on time
  5
  I lie to appear more smart and scholarly
  6
  I am disrespectful towards other types of 
  craftsmanship than my own
  Caregiver
  Growing up in a family with a lot of children, or 
  maybe being raised in an orphanage alongside 
  many other kids of varying ages, the eldest will 
  often be given additional responsibilities. 
  As a caregiver, you looked after the younger 
  children who you grew up with, taking on a more 
  parental role of authority and control. Your days 
  spent with these youngsters has helped with 
  developing leadership skills, as well as a dominant 
  and unwavering personality. 
  Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Medicine
  Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set and 
  one type of musical instrument
  Equipment: A set of common clothes, a gaming 
  set, a handmade toy, a worn book of stories, and 
  a pouch containing 10 gp
  Feature: Parental Aura
  Children, especially younger children, are very 
  comfortable with you and act much more calmly 
  than they usually would when you are around 
  them. You are able to quickly discern how a child 
  is feeling, and the child will be more willing to 
  trust you and do what you say, as well as help you 
  by answering questions or doing minor favors.  
  Suggested Characteristics 
  Caregivers are kind-hearted and protective by 
  nature and are always looking for ways to help 
  others or shoulder part of their burdens. They 
  tend to have a soft spot for those who can’t help 
  themselves and will defend their loved ones with 
  all their might. 
  
  21
  d6
  Personality Trait
  1
  I love children and taking care of children
  2
  I have a strong need to protect those who can’t 
  protect themselves
  3
  I often tell stories or sing songs out loud, even 
  when no one is listening
  4
  I expect people to behave properly and will 
  become cross if they have bad manners
  5
  I don’t like people telling me what to do
  6
  I have a hard time being alone and need other 
  people’s company
  d6
  Ideal
  1
  Manipulation. People who trust me can be made 
  to my bidding (Evil)
  2
  Kindness. Everyone deserves to feel loved and 
  safe (Good)
  3
  Consequence. You made your bed, now lay in it 
  (Chaotic)
  4
  Order. Rules mean structure, and structure is 
  good for everyone (Lawful)
  5
  Patient. We are only as fast as our slowest 
  member (Neutral)
  6
  Confidence. You should rely on others when you 
  have to, and on yourself always (Any)
  d6
  Bond
  1
  I once helped someone in a way that made them 
  hate me for it
  2
  I’ve lost many people in my life, and I don’t want 
  to lose any more 
  3
  No one gets left behind
  4
  I’ve angered a noble by speaking openly about 
  how poorly they treat those who work for them
  5
  My pain is my burden to bear, so I will share it 
  with no one
  6
  I am willing to suffer so others won’t have to
  d6
  Flaw
  1
  I am too quick to trust 
  2
  I hate being dirty  
  3
  I want things to be structured, perfect, and 
  flawless
  4
  I talk over other people and interrupt them 
  without realizing
  5
  I make decisions for other people without asking 
  them their opinion first, because I know what’s 
  best for them
  6
  I never forget if someone hurts someone I care 
  about, even when they apologize
  
  22
  Messenger
  When news needs to travel from one part of 
  the city to the next, speed is of the essence and 
  small children have talent for diving in and out 
  of alleyways and can push through crowds with 
  a speed and ease not found in adults. You made 
  a living running all over the city you grew up in, 
  taking orders and news from store to store and 
  street to street. 
  As a messenger, you are quick of both mind 
  and body and have knack for remembering 
  important information. People trust you to keep 
  their messages and deliver them accurately, and 
  you may even have been employed by a member 
  of the nobility or a wealthy merchant to carry their 
  messages from the city’s upper avenues to its 
  underbelly and outskirts.
  Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Persuasion
  Tool Proficiency: One type of musical instrument 
  or one type of gaming set
  Languages: One of your choice
  Equipment: A set of traveler’s clothes, a pair of 
  good shoes, a notebook with information about 
  local stores in your home city, and a pouch 
  containing 15 gp 
  Feature: Out of My Way!
  While you are in a large city and you a traveling 
  alone, you can move at a fast pace no matter how 
  many people are crowding the streets or how well 
  you know the city. In addition, you can get into 
  places and sections of the city that are usually off 
  limits for the common populace, as you put on the 
  guise of having important messages to deliver.
  Variant: Town Crier
  When news and announcements are relayed to 
  the citizens of a city or township, you were given 
  the responsibility of delivering this information. 
  You’ve spent hours of your younger days in the 
  town squares and busy streets of your home city, 
  bellowing about local events, news, and rumors. 
  This information was provided to you by the city’s 
  officials, whom you were also employed by. 
  Suggested Characteristics 
  As a messenger, you are the deliverer of news, 
  both good and bad, and people trust you to be 
  honest with the messages you give them. You 
  are quick witted, and have proven yourself to 
  be capable at memorizing spoken phrases and 
  orders. 
  d6
  Personality Trait
  1
  I speak a lot and very loudly
  2
  I enjoy having the attention of others, and I have a 
  commanding voice 
  3
  I like to finish a job quickly so I can efficiently 
  move on to the next one
  4
  People tend to not notice me until I speak
  5
  I never say more than is necessary
  6
  I always have stories to tell and will do so, even if 
  people have already heard them several times
  d6
  Ideal
  1
  Attentive. I don’t know what life will bring me, so 
  I am always ready for anything (Chaotic)
  2
  Conniving. I can use the information I gather 
  against those who slight me (Evil)
  3
  Sharing. Information should be shared so people 
  won’t be surprised by things to come. (Good)
  4
  Importance. The information I have is precious, 
  and it is my responsibility to keep it safe (Lawful)
  5
  Indifference. Other’s business is no business of 
  mine (Neutral)
  6
  Preparedness. I’m ready for anything (Any)
  d6
  Bond
  1
  I overheard some sensitive information about a 
  powerful individual who is now looking for me
  2
  I wish to become someone people tell news 
  about, instead of being the one who tells the 
  news
  3
  I have an unyielding respect for authority and the 
  rulers of my home
  4
  My employer is keeping vital information secret 
  from the public and refuses to share it
  5
  I have purposefully spread false information, and 
  others have suffered because of it
  6
  I was mistaken for a thief and lost everything I 
  had
  d6
  Flaw
  1
  I am a horrible gossip and can’t keep secrets
  2
  I am good at coming up with fantastical stories, 
  and they are rarely completely truthful
  3
  I follow orders blindly
  4
  I have no patience for long conversations
  5
  I sell all information and secrets I’m given 
  6
  I purposefully hide information from people I 
  dislike
  
  23
  Servant
  When a noble family or a wealthy merchant takes 
  on staff to work at their estate, it often ends up 
  being entire families they take into employment. 
  One parent might work in the stables, while 
  the other makes their living in the kitchen. The 
  children of such couples are given responsibilities 
  equal to a servant, and are expected to help out 
  with minor tasks around the estate. 
  As a child of these circumstances, you grew 
  up alongside the children of the family you were 
  serving, striking up friendships or rivalries with 
  them as you got older. As you grew up, this 
  relationship might affect how the family that once 
  employed you now see you and respond to you. 
  Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Animal 
  Handling, Insight, and Perception
  Tool Proficiencies: One set of artisan’s tools
  Languages: One of your choice
  Equipment: A set of ragged fine clothes, a small 
  knife, a set of fine but heavily used cutlery, and a 
  pouch containing 10 gp
  Feature: At Your Service
  Having spent a lot of time around the upper 
  classes, you know how to properly address them 
  and communicate with them. Likewise, you are 
  comfortable with talking to the serving staff of 
  a noble family, and can strike up conversations 
  with them more easily, and potentially make them 
  reveal some gossip or information about their 
  wealthy masters. 
  Variant: Stable Hand
  While others were working the interior of your 
  master’s house, you spent your days in the stables, 
  taking care of the horses of the estate. You were 
  charged with grooming and feeding them, as well 
  as cleaning out their stalls and keeping their tack 
  and saddles in good condition. 
  Suggested Characteristics 
  It is a common saying that the servants of a house 
  knows all there is to know about the family. It is 
  impossible to keep a secret from those who live 
  and breathe in the house around you, so servants 
  always have some fun stories to tell about their 
  masters. 
  d6
  Personality Trait
  1
  Serving something greater than myself is my 
  purpose in life
  2
  Hard work pays off, and a sloppy job needs to be 
  done twice
  3
  I have a familiarity with the higher classes that 
  means I see myself as an equal to them
  4
  I enjoy fantasizing about living the luxury life my 
  masters lead
  5
  I like giving advice and helping others
  6
  I do what I’m told, but I do it at my own pace
  d6
  Ideal
  1
  Decency. All people deserve to be treated 
  properly, regardless of their station or 
  background (Good)
  2
  Power. By serving someone powerful, I can make 
  myself valuable to them and use them for my own 
  purposes (Evil)
  3
  Dutiful. I do what I’m told within reason and 
  within the limits of the law (Lawful)
  4
  Dependability. I enjoy to play my part and don’t 
  go beyond it (Neutral)
  5
  Opposition. I stand up to any authority who 
  disrespect me because of my station (Chaotic)
  6
  Quality. I take pride in my job and will do my best 
  to excel at it (Any)
  d6
  Bond
  1
  My master’s family has become like my own
  2
  I know secrets about the family I serve that could 
  ruin their reputation
  3
  There have always been a separation between the 
  lower and higher classes. I want to change that
  4
  I have served others all my life, and will do so no 
  longer
  5
  I know that a rival to my master’s family is looking 
  to frame them for a crime
  6
  I have a strong relationship with a member of the 
  family I serve, and they must be kept safe
  d6
  Flaw
  1
  I have no patience for wealthy people who 
  talk about the minor difficulties they are going 
  through
  2
  I am lazy
  3
  I believe wealthy and noble people are always 
  trying to undermine me
  4
  I don’t make decisions for myself
  5
  I steal small things that I know no one will miss
  6
  I look for gossip wherever I go, and will reveal 
  sensitive information to get more secrets
  
  24
  Squire 
  If you were born into a noble lineage, your family 
  may have decided to place you into the service 
  of a knight or other military figure as a squire. 
  As a squire, you were given the responsibility of 
  keeping your knight master’s equipment in good 
  condition and to act as their servant when it was 
  required. In return, the knight was charged with 
  teaching you the ways of war and battle, and would 
  train you in the ways of combat. They would also 
  teach you how to behave when addressing people 
  of various social standings, and teach you the laws 
  and history of the land you traveled. 
  Depending on the knight you were serving, you 
  might have spent many years wandering the roads 
  of the nation, or you might have accompanied your 
  knight master to royal feasts and gallas, meeting 
  different people as you took on your training as an 
  upcoming knight. 
  Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, History
  Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set or 
  vehicles (land)
  Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a token from 
  your knight master, a scroll of pedigree, and a 
  pouch containing 20 gp.
  Feature: Knightly Manners
  You know how to act and talk to people of most 
  social standings, having traveled both among the 
  common folk and mingled with the higher nobility. 
  You have learned to carry yourself with a grace 
  and elegance that demands the attention of people 
  who see you, and you are treated with respect by 
  both the upper and lower class, as long as you 
  don’t insult or threaten them. 
  Suggested Characteristics 
  Young nobles in training are often made squires, 
  and much of their personality and character is 
  molded by the knight they end up serving. Noble 
  families take care to choose a good match for their 
  children, a match that either elevates their status 
  or is of equal merit to their own lineage. 
  d6
  Personality Trait
  1
  I speak slowly, as if every word I say is important
  2
  To dishonor myself would be the greatest shame
  3
  I protect those who cannot protect themselves
  4
  I am used to people doing what I tell them to do
  5
  I carry myself with righteous importance 
  6
  If the story isn’t about me, I change the story 
  
  25
  d6
  Ideal
  1
  History. I am a part of a noble lineage and 
  must follow their creeds to avoid shaming my 
  bloodline (Lawful)
  2
  Power. I am above all, both the commoners to 
  serve me and the family who seeks to control me 
  (Evil)
  3
  Equality. We are one people, and I aim to treat 
  everyone with equal respect (Good)
  4
  Freedom. I have depended on others my entire 
  life, but now I will live by own terms (Chaotic)
  5
  Serenity. I will live my life to the best of my ability 
  (Neutral)
  6
  Family. Those closest to me are all that matter 
  (Any)
  d6
  Bond
  1
  I always fight fairly, even when those around me 
  do not
  2
  I failed to protect someone who asked for my 
  help, and they suffered deeply for it
  3
  My family believes I am dead, and it is better that 
  way
  4
  I am loyal to my knight master before anyone else
  5
  I want recognition and infamy for my deeds
  6
  I wish to renounce my family name, but I fear the 
  repercussions
  d6
  Flaw
  1
  I am extremely arrogant
  2
  No one tells me what to do. Ever
  3
  I am secretly afraid of something harmless and 
  menial, such as spiders or heights
  4
  I take insults personally, even if they aren’t 
  directed at me
  5
  I act rashly without thinking of the consequences
  6
  I have never been told I was wrong about 
  anything
  Street Performer
  It is not uncommon to find children made victim 
  by unfortunate circumstances. These children 
  often end up on the streets, begging for money or 
  picking pockets to make a living, though others 
  might find an avenue of entertainment that can 
  help them earn their coin. 
  You have survived on the streets by playing 
  music or by performing tricks of entertainment 
  with an animal you’ve befriended. You have 
  become used to people giving you attention, and 
  also to people ignoring you if you don’t make your 
  self actively visible. 
  Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Performance
  Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit and one type of 
  musical instrument
  Equipment: A set of dirty common clothes, a pet 
  cat or other tiny animal, a gaming set you are 
  proficient with, a musical instrument, and 5 gp 
  Feature: Unseen Eyes
  Having been on the streets for a large part of your 
  life, you know that it is easy to remain unnoticed 
  when people don’t want to see you. You know how 
  to spot and find those who are usually an invisible 
  part of the landscape, and can convince them 
  to share any secrets or slander they might have 
  spotted. By offering them a few coins, you can hire 
  them as watchers and spies, though they will be 
  unwilling to put themselves in active danger for 
  you. 
  Suggested Characteristics 
  Your life on the streets may have turned you 
  hard and suspicious as you grew up in a cold, 
  unforgiving world, or you could have adopted a 
  more peppy, optimistic personality to try to keep 
  the grim thoughts of the streets out of your mind. 
  d6
  Personality Trait
  1
  I hate when people stare at me
  2
  I don’t have any idea how to talk to people of a 
  higher standing, and have terrible manners
  3
  I never finish my meal and always keep some of it 
  to eat later
  4
  I worry that I everything I own will eventually be 
  taken away from me
  5
  I never throw anything away
  6
  I have a great appreciation for the simple things
  d6
  Ideal
  1
  Loyalty. You never betray your friends (Lawful)
  2
  Jealousy. People who have good lives don’t 
  appreciate or deserve it (Evil)
  3
  Selfishness. You should always help yourself first, 
  and then maybe others second (Chaotic)
  4
  Honesty. You should always be honest, even 
  when you feel ashamed (Good)
  5
  Realistic. Not everyone makes it (Neutral)
  6
  Diligence. I am strong enough to live a life better 
  than this (Any)
  
  26
  d6
  Bond
  1
  I left many friends behind on the streets. I want to 
  help them have a better life
  2
  My family left me to fend for myself, and I want to 
  find them
  3
  I had a patron who helped me survive, but I don’t 
  know where they are 
  4
  I always give as much as I can to those who need 
  it
  5
  I once turned someone in for a crime they didn’t 
  commit
  6
  I am in debt to a seedy character who helped me 
  survive on the streets
  d6
  Flaw
  1
  I panic if people try to take my things away from 
  me
  2
  I am scared to speak my mind and always try to 
  be amiable in conversation
  3
  I don’t trust anyone other than myself
  4
  I am uncomfortable doing things others consider 
  normal, such as sleeping in a bed or bathing 
  regularly 
  5
  I don’t like sharing and will lie to make sure I get 
  to keep what is mine
  6
  I am scared of most things and can be threatened 
  into doing almost anything
  Student
  If your family had the funds or the right 
  connections, they could have chosen to send you 
  away at a young age to be taught the art of magic. 
  You were put in a school away from everything you 
  knew to be taught the intricate ways of the arcane.
  You grew up surrounded by talented 
  spellweavers and arcane casters, learning about 
  the lore and life of magic through studying and 
  practical lessons. 
  Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Arcana, 
  History, and Religion
  Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s tools
  Languages: One of your choice
  Equipment: A set of common clothes, a quill and 
  inkwell, a notebook, and a pouch containing 15 
  gp
  Feature: Arcane Pupil
  Having received training in the magical arts and 
  the lore hereof, you are able to identify various 
  symbols and signs pertaining to different kinds 
  of magic. If a symbol is tied to a specific school of 
  magic, you know which school it belongs to. 
  
  27
  Suggested Characteristics 
  Students can come in many different varieties. 
  Some might be enjoying the scholarly life and find 
  great value in spending days pining over books 
  and scrolls, where others will become bored by the 
  mere thought of spending a few hours inside of a 
  dusty library. 
  d6
  Personality Trait
  1
  I always share my latest library findings, even if 
  people don’t care
  2
  I don’t speak unless I feel like I can contribute to 
  the conversation
  3
  I am always looking for more stories
  4
  I get very excited when someone starts talking 
  about something that interests me
  5
  I never know when to stop asking questions
  6
  When I talk, I expect that people listen to me 
  d6
  Ideal
  1
  Excellence. Studying gives us a chance to 
  improve ourselves so we can better help others 
  (Good)
  2
  Paranoia. By learning everything, no one can take 
  advantage of me (Evil)
  3
  Knowledge. To learn and to teach is important no 
  matter who or where you are (Neutral)
  4
  Remembrance. Making your mark on the world is 
  the greatest thing you could strive for (Chaotic)
  5
  Protection. Knowledge is dangerous and should 
  be kept under control so it can’t be used against 
  us (Lawful)
  6
  Improvement. We should always seek to do 
  better (Any)
  d6
  Bond
  1
  The school that taught me everything I know has 
  secrets I want to uncover
  2
  I have heard stories of an ancient and powerful 
  artifact, and I wish to find it
  3
  While I studied, my family suddenly stopped 
  answering my letters and I don’t know why
  4
  I was expelled from my school and want to prove 
  to them that they made a mistake
  5
  I grew close with another student, but I have not 
  heard from them in a long time and I worry for 
  their safety
  6
  I found some detrimental information while 
  going through the school’s library and now I fear 
  someone might be after me
  d6
  Flaw
  1
  I don’t understand subtlety when it comes to 
  socializing
  2
  I experiment with everything. Especially things 
  that shouldn’t be experimented with
  3
  I always take notes about what I observe in the 
  world, often to the great dismay of those around 
  me
  4
  I am uncomfortable in loud and boisterous places
  5
  I love to hear myself speak
  6
  I often overcomplicate simple matters
  Generic Child Traits
  The aforementioned backgrounds were made 
  specifically to offer more options when making a 
  child character. However, though the backgrounds 
  may be thematically appropriate, some of the 
  traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws are more suitable 
  for an adult character. 
  Children, especially younger children, will have 
  personalities and characteristics that clearly define 
  them, but they do not have enough life experience 
  to have a solid foundation for having strong 
  opinions. At least not opinions strong enough to 
  define their entire character. 
  Alignment and Ideals
  Alignment has come under some scrutiny in 
  recent years, especially in the era of 5th edition 
  D&D. Though it can still be a valuable asset when 
  creating a character, as it can serve as a guide or 
  anchor when making decisions, it can also lock 
  you into behaving in a way that makes little to no 
  sense for how a situation is unfolding. 
  Young children want to feel safe and because of 
  their small stature are unable to properly defend 
  themselves in the ways a grown adult or teenager 
  would be. As a result, children tend to focus on 
  themselves before others out of necessity. From 
  an alignment standpoint, children can be seen as 
  falling into the Chaotic Neutral category, as they 
  are mostly focused on themselves and their own 
  well-being. There are of course exceptions to this, 
  as the personality and characteristics of different 
  children can vary wildly, but this alignment works 
  decently for creating generic child characters.
  Children change as they grow up, however, as 
  they are molded by the world they explore and 
  the people they encounter. It would make sense 
  for a child to start with one sort of alignment and 
  
  28
  then slowly grow into the alignment matching 
  the adult character they will eventually become. 
  The years of your adolescence are when you are 
  changing the most, so locking an alignment to a 
  child character would not really make sense. Be 
  open to changing your alignment as your character 
  grows more mature, and talk to your DM about the 
  changes your character will be going through.
  Because of the fluidity found in child characters 
  as they are in the process of developing into an 
  adult, choosing an ideal for them can be tricky. 
  Ideals are often extreme and absolute, giving little 
  opportunity for drastic development. Because of 
  the complexity of ideals and the alignments tied to 
  them, they are not offered in this section, but you 
  can still pick an ideal from your background if you 
  wish. 
  You can look over the provided ideals granted by 
  a background and try to water it down slightly so 
  it is not as intense. Alternatively, you can choose 
  to forgo having an ideal at first, and pick one along 
  with an alignment when your character reaches a 
  more mature age.
  Traits, Bonds, and Flaws
  If you are looking for specific characteristics 
  that are more suitable for young children and 
  adolescent characters, you can read through the 
  tables below. 
  The following traits, bonds, and flaws have been 
  written to appear generic enough that they can fit 
  to most backgrounds, and can be mingled with 
  traits, bonds, and flaws found in your character’s 
  chosen background. 
  d10
  Personality Trait
  1
  I don’t like when adults talk to me like I am a child
  2
  I always tell people where I’m going, even if they 
  don’t ask
  3
  I say “why?” to everything
  4
  People sometimes forget that I’m young because 
  of how tall I am or how clearly I speak
  5
  I have never been able to get along with children 
  my own age
  6
  If I’m accused of doing something, I will deny it, 
  even if I was caught doing it
  7
  I exaggerate the truth when telling stories
  8
  I give things away to people that need them, even 
  if they aren’t my things
  9
  I make gifts for people almost every day
  10
  I always say what I think about people out loud 
  d6
  Bond
  1
  I miss my family and want to be with them again
  2
  I lost something given to me by a family member, 
  and really miss it
  3
  I put on a brave face when I’m sad so others 
  won’t think they need to take care of me
  4
  I get angry if someone is treated unfairly
  5
  I’m busy learning and want to improve as fast as 
  I can
  6
  I love animals and sometimes prefer their 
  company over people’s
  d8
  Flaw
  1
  I don’t trust adults
  2
  I can’t fall asleep if I’m alone
  3
  I need someone to take care of me, but will never 
  admit it
  4
  I am gullible and believe everything people tell 
  me
  5
  My expectations of adults’ capabilities are not at 
  all realistic
  6
  I want to be the center of attention
  7
  I don’t want to share my things with others
  8
  I cheat at games if it can help me win
  
  29
  o
  nce an adventurer decides to leave 
  the road in favor of raising a family, 
  what happens? What happens if an 
  adventurer decides that they want to 
  settle down, away from the dangers 
  of crypts and dungeons, and maybe think about 
  starting a family? This chapter describes how one 
  might go about having children in a D&D setting.
  Before deciding whether or not to use these 
  types of mechanics in your game, you should take 
  care to discuss the matter with your fellow players 
  to make sure it is something people at the table 
  are interested in having as a part of their role-
  playing experience. 
  Birth and Pregnancy
  This section is tailored specifically towards player 
  characters becoming pregnant and eventually giving 
  birth to a child, but it can be used on NPCs as well if 
  necessary.
  Being pregnant and an adventurer can complicate 
  matters for both you and your party. If you become 
  pregnant, you body will start to change to accommodate 
  the child you are carrying, and you will not be able to 
  do the things you normally would. Moving around 
  becomes harder, food might have trouble staying down, 
  and if you are springing into combat and action you run 
  the very real risk of hurting not only yourself, but also 
  your child. 
  Before deciding to incorporate this system into your 
  game, you must discuss the matter with your players 
  first. Being around a pregnant character might make 
  some players uncomfortable for a variety of reasons, 
  so springing a surprise pregnancy on a group of 
  adventurers, either by way of a player character or an 
  NPC, should be avoided. Likewise, you should never 
  choose to make a player character pregnant without 
  first discussing the matter with the player in question. 
  Having a child is a lot of responsibility and it will affect 
  how the player behaves both in social situations and in 
  combat. Becoming pregnant means having to deal 
  with a lot of tough choices that the player might 
  not be interested in, and this should always be 
  respected. 
  The following options provide mechanics for 
  completing a pregnancy, ending in the eventual birth of 
  a little baby.  
  Conception
  Once you have discussed the matter of pregnancy with 
  your table, you can begin exploring the ways which 
  you can become pregnant. The most common way of 
  becoming pregnant is the traditional method, but in a 
  D&D setting other means of conception could be very 
  possible. Either through arcane means or by divine 
  intervention, a character becoming pregnant without 
  the need of a partner is entirely possible. This section, 
  however, will only explore the circumstances for 
  becoming pregnant using the traditional method.
  To become pregnant, you must be a female character 
  and have an intimate relationship with a male character.  
  Whenever you have intimate relations with a member 
  of the opposite sex, there is a 10 % chance of you 
  becoming pregnant as a result of it. 
  In the world of D&D, there might be specific magic 
  items that either increase the chances of someone 
  becoming pregnant or removes the risk of it entirely.  
  These items can be deployed into the game at the DM’s 
  discretion, and they can be found at the end of this 
  chapter. 
  Pregnancy Effects
  Depending on how far along you are in your 
  pregnancy, your body will be affected in different 
  ways. For simplicity’s sake, it is assumed that all 
  available playable races have a gestation period of 
  nine months, and that the effects of the pregnancy 
  change every trimester, or every three months. The 
  effects of a pregnancy can vary greatly from person 
  to person, so the sections below has generalized 
  some of the known effects of a pregnancy, a rather 
  complicated matter, and turned it into simpler 
  mechanics to accompany the 5e D&D rule system. 
  Chapter 4: Having Children
  
  30
  First Trimester
  The first trimester runs from week 0 to week 12, 
  and it is during this time the baby develops the 
  basic and vital parts of its body. It is also during 
  this period that the risk of losing the baby is 
  highest, as mistakes in the child’s development at 
  this stage of gestation are likely to mean that the 
  baby is unable to survive. 
  While in the first trimester, you character has 
  the following traits.  
  Morning Sickness. Every time you finish a long 
  rest there is a 20 % chance you will feel nauseated 
  when you wake up. If you feel nauseated, you must 
  succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw 
  after eating your next meal, or throw up the food 
  within the next hour and getting no value out of 
  the meal. After you’ve thrown up in this way, you 
  are no longer nauseated. 
  Second Trimester
  The second trimester goes from week 12 to about 
  week 22-24. It is during this trimester that the 
  baby will start growing in length and weight, and 
  your pregnancy will start to become visible to 
  others. People may react or comment on your 
  pregnancy and offer advice, whether you want it or 
  not, and you will begin to feel the baby move and 
  kick. 
  While in the second trimester, you character has 
  the following traits. 
  Cravings. There is a chance that you will have 
  cravings for strange or specific foods during 
  your pregnancy. You roll for a new craving at the 
  beginning of each month of your trimester, and the 
  craving lasts for the remainder of that month. 
  d8
  Craving
  1
  Pickles
  2
  Honey
  3
  Sugary foods
  4
  Sour fruits
  5
  Salted fish
  6
  Fruit juice
  7-8
  No craving
  Morning Sickness. Every time you finish a long 
  rest there is a 20 % chance you will feel nauseated 
  when you wake up. If you feel nauseated, you must 
  succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw 
  after eating your next meal, or throw up the food 
  within the next hour and getting no value out of 
  the meal. After you’ve thrown up in this way, you 
  are no longer nauseated. 
  Restricted Movement. Your growing belly is 
  making it harder to move around. Your movement 
  speed is lowered by 5 feet, and you suffer a -2 
  penalty to Dexterity saving throws. 
  Third Trimester
  The third trimester runs from week 22-24 and 
  until birth which is around week 40. During this 
  period, the baby is finishing its development and 
  is nearly ready to be brought into the world. You 
  can no longer hide your pregnancy, and you have a 
  harder time moving around. 
  
  31
  While in the third trimester, you character has 
  the following traits. 
  Big Belly. People will approach you and 
  congratulate you on your pregnancy. Parents and 
  mothers especially might come up to you and ask 
  to touch your stomach, and are more willing to 
  talk to you or answer your questions. You have 
  advantage on Deception and Persuasion checks 
  against adults because of your visible pregnancy. 
  Cravings. There is a chance that you will have 
  cravings for strange or specific foods during 
  your pregnancy. You roll for a new craving at the 
  beginning of every month of your trimester, and 
  the craving lasts for the remainder of the month. 
  d8
  Craving
  1
  Pickles
  2
  Honey
  3
  Sugary foods
  4
  Sour fruits
  5
  Salted fish
  6
  Fruit juice
  7-8
  No cravings
  Morning Sickness. Every time you finish a long 
  rest there is a 20 % chance you will feel nauseated 
  when you wake up. If you feel nauseated, you must 
  succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw 
  after eating your next meal, or throw up the food 
  within the next hour and getting no value out of 
  the meal. After you’ve thrown up in this way, you 
  are no longer nauseated. 
  Restricted Movement. Your large belly is 
  making it harder to move around. Your movement 
  speed is halved, you have disadvantage on 
  Dexterity saving throws, and getting up from being 
  prone costs your full movement.  
  Injuries While Pregnant
  When you enter into combat while pregnant, 
  you are not only endangering yourself, but also 
  the life of your baby. If you fall unconscious as 
  a result of dropping to 0 hit points, there is a 
  chance that your baby will take damage in the 
  process. 
  Right after you drop below 0 hit points, there is 
  a 50 % chance that your baby will have sustained 
  fatal damage by you being injured. If this is the 
  case, you will lose the child. 
  Childbirth
  Though a general due date for the baby can be 
  determined, there is always a bit of leeway when 
  waiting for the birth to start. You can never be 
  completely certain when the birth will begin, and it 
  can be hard to plan around. 
  Beginning seven days before the assumed due 
  date, which is after 40 weeks, the DM will roll a 
  d100 at the beginning of each day to see if you go 
  into labor. For the first seven days, there is a 20 % 
  chance that the birth will start, and the chances of 
  it starting increases when you reach the due date. 
  Upon reaching the due date, the chance increases 
  to 50 %, and upon going seven days past the due 
  date it increases to 90 %. After this point, the DM 
  may choose to not roll and instead simply start the 
  labor process if it hasn’t started yet.
  The duration of the labor can vary and is 
  determined by the DM secretly rolling 2d6+2. The 
  number rolled determines the amount of hours 
  the character will spend in labor. For every three 
  hours you spend in labor, you will receive one level 
  of exhaustion. Once labor ends, the birth will start.
  While giving birth, you will take damage and 
  depending on the severity of the labor, the damage 
  might end up being fatal. When the duration of 
  labor is over, the birth has started and you must 
  make five individual Constitution saving throws, 
  all with a DC of 10. You make the saving throws 
  at advantage if you are proficient in the Medicine 
  skill or if you have someone helping you who are 
  proficient in the Medicine skill. 
  For every Constitution saving throw you make, 
  whether you are successful or not, you take 1d3 
  Constitution damage, which means that your 
  Constitution score is lowered by the amount 
  rolled. This damage can be lowered by one (to a 
  minimum of 1 damage) if you are proficient in the 
  Medicine skill or if you have someone helping you 
  who are proficient in the Medicine skill. 
  You need to make at least two succesful saving 
  throws to give birth to the baby. If you have less 
  than two successes, the baby will not survive the 
  birth.  
  Kids of Two Races
  Many races exists within the settings of D&D and 
  they are all very different from each other. Though 
  all official races fall under the same category of 
  being humanoid, that doesn’t necessarily mean 
  that they would be able to produce offspring if 
  their bloodlines were mixed. 
  
  32
  How this is handled is fully decided by the DM, 
  as you could argue many sides of this case. Some 
  DMs might go by the ‘mule rule’ where half-breeds, 
  such as half-elves and half-orcs, are infertile and 
  cannot have children, whereas others might wave 
  that idea completely. Some might determine that, 
  with the exception of humans, the different races 
  cannot mingle and produce living offspring, and 
  have to reproduce within their own race. 
  Though it is widely recognized that humans can 
  produce offspring with many other races, the same 
  is not necessarily the case for others. Tieflings are 
  touched by their fiendish bloodline, and it could 
  be argued that this effect would persist even if 
  the tiefling were to have a child with a member of 
  another race, definitively turning any children they 
  would have into a tiefling also. Dragonborn are 
  another race also connected to powerful beings 
  and their traits could likewise be dominant if 
  mixed with that of other races. 
  Ultimately, the decision of which races can 
  and cannot breed, as well as the fertility of their 
  combined offspring is the decision of the DM, as 
  they are the deciding factor as to the laws and 
  rules of the setting you are playing in. 
  Items of Reassurance
  The following items can be deployed into your 
  D&D world if you wish to offer additional options 
  to characters planning on, or actively deciding 
  against, having children. 
  Pendant of Birth Control 
  Wondrous item, common 
  While wearing this small, iridescent pendant, you 
  can’t become pregnant by any natural means. 
  Philter of Fertility 
  Potion, uncommon 
  After drinking this potion, you become incredibly 
  fertile. The next time you attempt to become 
  pregnant or make someone else pregnant, there is 
  a 95 % chance that you will succeed.
  Potion of Small Death Ward 
  Potion, uncommon 
  After drinking this potion, the first time your 
  baby suffers damage that would be lethal, the 
  damage is blocked by arcane means and the baby 
  is protected from harm until the moment of its 
  birth. The potion stays in effect for seven days after 
  you’ve drunk it. 
  
  33
  T
  his chapter offers a small selection of 
  favorful trinkets and magic items well 
  suited for playing a child character. 
  At your DM’s discretion, you may roll 
  for a random trinket from the Little 
  Trinkets table when you make your child character. 
  How and why you have this item is up to you, and 
  can act as a safety blanket - sometimes literally - 
  against a big and scary world.   
  Magic Items
  The following magic items are centered 
  thematically around a child character, and is suited 
  best for being used by them, but any character, 
  regardless of their age, can still use the items as 
  they normally would. 
  Bear of Squeezing 
  Wondrous item, uncommon 
  This stuffed bear is made from soft material, and 
  looks to have been loved dearly by its previous 
  owner. This stuffed bear has three charges. As 
  an action, you can expend a charge by squeezing 
  the bear’s hand and cast the spell calm emotions 
  centered on yourself with a DC of 13. The bear 
  regains all expended charges each day at dawn.
  Lullaby Music Box
  Wondrous item, uncommon 
  This music box is made in light wood and has 
  inlaid designs made in silver. The music box can 
  be drawn up using an action, after which it plays 
  a harmonious and calming lullaby, which lasts 
  for one minute. After the minute has passed, any 
  creature who listened to the music and who is 
  willing, will fall into a restful, comfortable sleep. 
  They will sleep for at least one hour, until they take 
  damage, or someone uses an action to wake them 
  up. 
  Safety Blanket 
  Wondrous item, rare 
  When you would take damage from an area-of-
  effect spell, such as a fireball spell, you can use 
  your reaction to pull this blanket around you. 
  Doing so protects you from the effect of the spell, 
  negating all damage.
  Once you’ve used the blanket in this way, you 
  can’t do so again until the next dawn. 
  Little Trinkets
  When rolling a trinket for your character, you may 
  choose to roll on the Little Trinkets table instead of 
  the table found in the Player’s Handbook. 
  LittLe trinkets
  d20
  Trinket
  1
  A doll made of rags
  2
  A blanket made for an infant
  3
  A pet rock
  4
  A wooden animal figurine
  5
  A stuffed bear
  6
  A toy boat
  7
  A worn and torn blanket
  8
  A book of children’s stories
  9
  A notebook with child drawings inside
  10
  A toy wagon with functioning wheels
  11
  A hat made for an adult that has clearly been 
  worn a lot
  12
  A handcarved figurine of a monster
  13
  A spinning top
  14
  A music box
  15
  A stick with the head of a horse on one end
  16
  A toy knight
  17
  A set of three balls meant for juggling
  18
  A toy dragon
  19
  A porcelain doll
  20
  A baby’s rattle
  Chapter 5: Toys and Trinkets
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/DMsGuild/Non-Publisher Titles/Little Heroes - A Guide to Children at the Table.pdf