A thought occured to me recently that I don't think I've seen an answer to in any of the PS material. That is, since Petitioners are living a second life (albeit an afterlife) but do indeed have material bodies and usually retain the same form they held in their previous lives, are they capable of reproduction? I mean, I would assume that some Petitioners would be likely to marry, possibly even the same person they married in their old lives (even if they didn't realize it), but could children result? And, if they did, would the children be normal Planars or also Petitioners? Could this even explain the origin of Prime races on the Planes?
About Petitioners...
Mon, 2006-07-31 15:09
#1
About Petitioners...
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Tue, 2006-08-01 13:33
#3
About Petitioners...
That is, since Petitioners are living a second life (albeit an afterlife) but do indeed have material bodies and usually retain the same form they held in their previous lives, are they capable of reproduction?
I think most petitioners are too preoccupied serving their deity, melding with the plane, suffering their punishments or enjoying their rewards too be concered with biological urges they had when they were alive. Some petitioners probably lack the "equipment" to reproduce, like the incorporeal ones, the lemures and manes and whatnot.
However, I would suppose part of the reward for petitioners in Ysgard or the Beastlands could include a little, uh, physical recreation.
Also, consider this quote from the Planar Handbook:
Pg. 17 Wildren
Over time, the petitioners (spirits of the departed) who arrive in the Wilderness of the Beastlands acquire animal traits, eventually becoming celestial beasts or animals. Some instead mingle with the beasts they will one day become, creating new races that are perpetually half-animal, half-humanoid. Prominent among these are the wildren, beings descended from the union of partially transformed dwarf petitioners and celestial badgers.
So there you have it, dwarven beastiality, petitioner's that "mingle" and form a "union", Fear and Loathing in the Beastlands, cats and dogs living together in peace, the end of the planes as we know it!
Bet you'll never look at a dwarf or a badger the same way again eh?
-420
Tue, 2006-08-01 14:50
#4
About Petitioners...
Sat, 2006-10-14 19:57
#5
About Petitioners...
I guess some places allow for the odd reproduction, but why can't the baby be a new petitioner? Sort of a reincarnation thing and not suitable for everyone, but I guess that some powers could want it that way.
Especially all those Arborean powers of corpulation.
Mon, 2006-10-16 11:53
#6
About Petitioners...
Dwarves and Badgers of unusual (in this case celestial) size? That isn't really beastiality, afterall they are practically the same. One is a squat hairy ill tempered mammal, and the other is a squat hairy ill tempered mammal that burrows.
Mon, 2006-10-16 13:53
#7
About Petitioners...
Dwarves and Badgers of unusual (in this case celestial) size? That isn't really beastiality, afterall they are practically the same. One is a squat hairy ill tempered mammal, and the other is a squat hairy ill tempered mammal that burrows.
Which one burrows? I mean, the dwarves do like mining...
Tue, 2006-10-17 09:52
#8
About Petitioners...
Dwarves and Badgers of unusual (in this case celestial) size? That isn't really beastiality, afterall they are practically the same. One is a squat hairy ill tempered mammal, and the other is a squat hairy ill tempered mammal that burrows.
Which one burrows? I mean, the dwarves do like mining...
My point exactly.
Wed, 2006-11-29 16:19
#9
About Petitioners...
Bet you'll never look at a dwarf or a badger the same way again eh?
:shock: No, I won't.
So are these creatures Outsiders, or Monstrous Humanoids? I'm curious whether Petitioners can give birth to creatures with souls. I guess I would expect not.
Wed, 2006-11-29 17:52
#10
About Petitioners...
I cannot imagine a badger consenting to this; yet it is an upper plane so evidently they do... If you were DMing and one of your dwarven players wanted to do such a thing, how would you handle it?
Wed, 2006-11-29 19:01
#11
About Petitioners...
Has anyone here actually found a way to tastefully use wildren in one of their campaigns or are we all just using them as a punchline?
btw, does anyone else worry about dragons? With the variety of types of half-dragons that you see it does get a bit disturbing, I mean in Savage Species (I think) there's a picture of a half-metallic dragon dog :shock: ! Seriously, what is wrong with those creatures?!
Wed, 2006-11-29 19:06
#12
About Petitioners...
I understand the dragon thing. You know, you are an extremely intelligent and powerful being living in virtual solitude with hundreds of years at your disposal. You're going to experiment, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
Wed, 2006-11-29 19:09
#13
About Petitioners...
Maybe I'm just closed-minded or not as enlightened as dragons are but I just don't think I could get to the stage of looking at my border collie that way 
Thu, 2006-11-30 00:23
#14
About Petitioners...
I doubt it is a matter of attraction or anything like that; just sitting around for a few decades and the thought occurs to you, "I wonder what kind of offspring I could father with that dog?" And then you do it because you can.
Thu, 2006-11-30 00:34
#15
About Petitioners...
This thread certainly ended up going a different direction, lol.
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Thu, 2006-11-30 11:02
#16
About Petitioners...
he he
Badger,badger, mushroom mushrOOm 
On the serious side Soul Child is an ineresting find, and it's a great answer to this theme.
Thu, 2006-11-30 12:52
#17
About Petitioners...
But remember Dragons usually polymorph when they do it. Those Dwarves definately did not.
Thu, 2006-11-30 12:58
#18
About Petitioners...
But remember Dragons usually polymorph when they do it. Those Dwarves definately did not.
To some extent, they did. There's a phenomenon in the Beastlands that causes all humanoids who remain there for a significant amount of time to take on increasingly animal-like features. Eventually, most petitioners become entirely animals (although they retain their intelligence).
So this was a matter of furry, badgerlike dwarf souls mating with celestial badgers. Not so gross at all.
Thu, 2006-11-30 16:47
#19
About Petitioners...
Sure they were somewhat changed, but they were still Dwarves. Otherwise Wildren wouldn't be half Dwarf.
I think it is indeed, very gross. But also hilarious!
A potent source of jokes to come, I think.
Very interesting question! I suppose the drive to reproduce simply does not exist in the dead :s Of course, the living who are native to each of the outer planes would be able to have children but I would imagine a petitioner simply has no desire to have children.
This idea is blown out the water by the spirit of someone who was known to love and care for children, surely removing such a drive is not a true reflection of her soul. But then again, it could be argued that she would simply know that it is not her place to create life. She would not know why, just that it was the 'right' thing to do. Of course a lower planar petitioner stands every chance of being promoted to some form of fiend and therefore able to reproduce...but the idea of it makes my stomach lurch.
My two greens,
Hugz
BW
P.S I am well aware I have not answered your question
Please excuse my mindless blabbering