Witchcraft • Legacy Birth and Growth Magic
Control Outcome of Birth
Control Outcome of Birth is a legacy d20 spell that alters specified aspects of an ongoing pregnancy or developing plant. Its mechanics belong to the older Witch archive and are not a modern-edition spell.
Control Outcome of Birth at a Glance
| 5.5e / 2024 | No direct conversion published here |
|---|---|
| 5e / 2014 | No direct conversion published here |
| Pathfinder 1e | Not a default Pathfinder Witch spell |
| D&D 3.x Legacy | Cleric 6, Druid 6, Witch 6, Fertility 6 |
Spell Rules by Edition
5.5e / 2024
Status: no conversion is published here. Do not treat this legacy spell as part of the modern Witch list.
5e / 2014
Status: no direct 2014 conversion is presented.
Pathfinder 1e
Status: not part of the default Pathfinder Witch list.
D&D 3.x Legacy
| School | Alteration |
|---|---|
| Level | Cleric 6, Druid 6, Witch 6, Fertility 6 |
| Components | V, S, M, AF |
| Casting Time | 1 hour |
| Range | Touch |
| Target | One target |
| Duration | Permanent |
| Saving Throw | Will negates |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
The legacy spell lets the caster determine a specific outcome before birth, such as sex, number of offspring, or removal of an inherited supernatural curse such as lycanthropy. Plant life can be affected in a comparable way.
The older rules increase the base DC by +1 for each month, or equivalent developmental period, after conception. The spell has no effect after birth.
Material component: a small clear crystal used to scry on the developing subject.
What Changed?
No modern conversion is assumed. The permanent biological outcome rules and developmental DC system remain confined to the legacy archive.
Using Control Outcome of Birth in Play
This spell works best as worldbuilding or plot magic: dynastic succession, inherited curses, magical breeding programmes, sacred groves or rare plant cultivation. It should create choices and consequences rather than override player agency.
Counterplay and Rulings
- The spell cannot be used after birth.
- Spell Resistance and the legacy Will save apply where the target is entitled to them.
- Removing a supernatural curse does not create unrelated powers or traits.
Related Legacy Witch Magic
Make Fertile restores ordinary fertility instead of predetermining an outcome. Bounty / Strength to the Unborn concerns protection during development, and Curse of Lycanthropy supplies related legacy curse context. None of these archive links grants automatic access in 5.5e or Pathfinder 1e.
Mythical Context
Taweret, the protective Egyptian goddess associated with childbirth, was imagined as a formidable guardian of new life. Her presence provides a mythic contrast to magic that tries to determine a child’s future: protection and control are not the same thing. See the British Museum’s account of Taweret.
Historical Context
Amulets of Taweret were worn and kept as protective objects. A surviving rock-crystal figure dating to roughly 1450–1300 BCE holds the hieroglyph for protection, documenting ancient concern for a safe birth rather than any ability to determine its outcome. See the British Museum’s rock-crystal Taweret.
Rules Sources and Licensing
Legacy source: Liber Mysterium: The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks. Modern-edition panels are status notes only.
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