Dynastic D&D

There are four periods of time in the usual D&D game. From shortest to longest, they are: the Round, The Turn, The Day, and Downtime.

The lost time period in many, many D&D games is the down time. The seasons precess and the years turn into decades. People are born and they die. Even Dwarfs and Elfs gain venerability, given enough time.

The famous marriage of Burger King and Milkshake Princess

The way that I will attempt to correct this in our new campaign is to give each season its own purpose. 

• Carousing happens in the Wintertime, during which a PC might pick up a wife and/or mistresses. 
• Midsummers' Day is the day for all marriages. 
• And the next Spring, we will see whether any issue comes forth while the characters are on campaign (for adventuring happens in Spring when the weather turns ripe for it.)

Therefore here are the procedures I've chosen to follow at least for the start of the campaign. Maybe the players will be warm to it and maybe not. 

1. Players’ characters roll once a year on Table 7: Marriage to see if they become married, unmarried, or gain or lose mistresses.

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2. Characters with a wife or mistress roll once a year in Winter for each partner to see if they become pregnant. If no mistress, roll once and if there is a child, they have a mistress. Woman characters may choose to attempt to become pregnant by the same method, sired upon buy but one suitor per year, and at the same risk.

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Characters may take additional mistresses for free but if one becomes pregnant, they must pay until the youngest child reaches majority or dies.

Note that these are the costs associated with an idle spouse, and not to be paid to female adventurers. Tiens!