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kyrin
Commander
3171 Posts
    
 | | 03/10/2006 9:55 AM |
| Hello all!
Over at the Order of the Stick website, they just got done with a spirited / heated discussion over people playing characters that are the other gender. I say they are "done" because the topic got locked. So naturally I'm bringing it over here... [:D]
Seriously, some people over there had REAL problems with it -- as in "I wouldn't play in a game with cross-gender characters" kind of problems. I didn't join in that conversation, first because it got so heated, and second because there's a guy over there who thinks I'm the Antichrist, and would have made it even uglier. But this forum is typically polite and "safe," so I thought I'd broach the subject here.
It's never been a problem in our group. People occasionally play characters of the other gender, and things seem fine. I mean, as DM, I play NPCs of both genders, so what's the big deal?
Thoughts? Opinions? Repectful disagreements? Enthusiastic agreements?
JIM
aka kyrin | |
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Count Dooku
Commander
4637 Posts
New York
| | 03/10/2006 10:12 AM |
| Hmm....I dont like Players making a differnt gender PC. I dont know why. Its just.....weird.
But as a DM I wouldnt dissalow it if a player really wanted to do it.
I will make this statement though:
"It is easier to roleplay a different race than to roleplay a different gender." | |
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Ghendar
Warlord
13069 Posts
Mud Lick, Kentucky
| | 03/10/2006 10:16 AM |
| Not being a woman, I am TOTALLY unqualified to play a female pc. Thus, I would never do it.
As a DM, I wouldn't necessarily forbid it as long as the group was mature enough to handle it. | |
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I dont mind butting heads every once in a while. It makes thing interesting. Thats why I'd be heartbroken if Ghendar ever left - Posted By Count Dooku on 04/03/2006 11:58 AM
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Talistran
Warrior
310 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 10:17 AM |
| I have DM'ed for the last 12 years exclusively, never really playing until the last 4 months.
I never allowed cross-gender roleplaying. I had several bad experiences with it. IME, it generally turns out to be hormone filled teenagers and young men who just want to have sex with everything in the game playing their young CHA driven female.
I have played female NPC's quite a bit as DM (obviously there ARE females in the world), but that is quite different in my opinion.
Conversely, I don't allow homosexual characters either. Lets see the buzz around that statement :)
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kestrel.ca
Underboss
1687 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 10:20 AM |
| In my games, we've been unfortunate enough to rarely have enough players to build a survivable party with only one PC per player. Thus, most players have often had two or three characters. When you're running more than one player, I've often seen players create one of the opposite gender and play them reasonably successfully. OTOH, I haven't yet seen one of my players choose a cross-gender PC as their primary character. But it doesn't bother me at all.
It's all pretend anyway. What's harder, pretending to be a six-inch tall flying male fairy who can shoot fire out of his fingers, or a human female who hits things with an axe? | |
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ChristopherGroves
Warlord
6093 Posts
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Benimoto
Underboss
1125 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 10:35 AM |
| Playing at conventions, each game is usually with entirely different players, and I see plenty of guys playing female characters (and a few gals playing male characters as well.)
I, personally, could care less. I find it slightly annoying when a guy playing a female character feels that every diplomacy check should get a +2 "cleavage modifier". But people do a lot of annoying things when playing their characters, and that's one of the least of them. | |
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ilarue
Underboss
1259 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 10:40 AM |
| | In the game I currently run, my only female PC is played by a female. In the past I have had males play female characters and I've never had any problems arise from it, but then I also game with grad students who for the most part have gotten past the immature teenage stage. | |
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nyjastul69
Commander
2731 Posts
Rhode Island
| | 03/10/2006 11:04 AM |
| | I've played a female character before as have a coupla players in my group. I've never seen a problem with it. I think it's more of an alien mind set to try and play an Elf that lives for thousands of years as opposed to the same race. It's less of a leap for me to play a female than an Elf basically. I've never seen it cause any problems. Sometimes a female just fits the character concept better. | |
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Wayne
Underboss
1371 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 11:26 AM |
| I don't have a problem with it in principle, but I've never seen it work out well in practice. When I've been in groups with young or immature RPers, playing a female character -- it always seems to be men wanting to play women, for some reason -- is nothing but an excuse to act offensively stereotypical at best, and play out their hopeless sexual fantasies at worst.
The vast majority of mature male roleplayers I know have no interest in playing a female character. Speaking personally, I simply can't pull it off ... I'm 6'5" tall and built like a linebacker, so it wouldn't matter if I were the world's greatest actor (and I'm not), nobody is going to be able to imagine me as female.
That said, I could see giving it a try in online gaming, but even then I'm a little afraid I'd fall into stereotyping. | |
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Zenako
Commander
3472 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 11:36 AM |
| Our gaming group has had no real issues with crossing those lines. Most of the gamers are mature (ie 40+) so the foolishness is minimal, and the young generation of players are clearly more comfortable playing within gender. 11 Year old girl plays a female Ranger with the name of Mulan (it is an OA themed campaign) and that gave her a handle on a way to portray the character. The 9 year old boy has a Male Barbarian who loves to whack things, HARD. Again fits the mind set of a young male. The teenage male is such a rules geek that sometimes it is hard to know the gender of the character beyond its array of spells.
I also agree that merely changing gender is a lot easier to grasp than changing race. Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Vanara, Rat Folk, Spirit Folk and so on. None of us have any real life experience that directly gives us insight into how those beings would behave. OF course that lack of knowledge also gives us the freedom to portray them in whatever manner suits our games without stepping over the lines of expected behavior.
It can also depend on the type of roles the character is playing in the game. The girly/sexy thing is not as much an issue if the character is a Paladin/Samurai/Holy Warrior. That whole part of their persona might be shut down within character. (Think Miko for example). While a rogue character (Haley) might have another whole nuance of play available, if it is suitable for the gaming crowd at the table.
Bottom line, it really depends on the gamers involved for how much success or heartache extending roles beyond normal yeilds. | |
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Sammael
Underboss
1881 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 11:36 AM |
| | I'm a DM most of the time, so I often get to play female (non-player) characters. I've had several female PCs, some of which rank among my most memorable characters. I don't have a problem with cross-gender roleplaying any more than I have with cross-race roleplaying (i.e. humans playing elves, dwarves, or even more monstrous and alien-minded creatures such as mind flayers and outsiders). | |
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Sulaco
Underboss
1605 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 11:42 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Ghendar
Not being a woman, I am TOTALLY unqualified to play a female pc. Thus, I would never do it.
As a DM, I wouldn't necessarily forbid it as long as the group was mature enough to handle it.
Yes you are not female, but neither are you an elf, dwarf, half-orc, halfling, half-elf, barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue sorcerer or wizard - so I guess you're just boned.
I've never understood why it is an issue for anyone. It is truly unfathomable to me. Women (or men for the distaff) are not an alien species. Yes there are difference but none so large that they are an obstacle to playing the game. Personally I have a much harder time trying to grasp the psyche of a male character who resorts to violence to solve problems than I do a female who does not (for example).
Here is a sugggestion: rather than trying to play an "cross-sex character" why not try to play a character who also happens to be a differtn sex than your own? It is very simple and works remarkably well. | |
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griffrat
Commander
3507 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 12:31 PM |
| In my current game I have two guys that are playing females. I know that I have creeped out one of the guys through RP. To the point that he has said that of all the times that he has played a female character I am the first DM that has made him feel creeped out.
Sulaco, is right. Not alien just different. But as a DM, I always try to strive to put my mind into that of the NPC. The above creep session was with a tentacled half abberent/ half man. The character was having nightmares about abberations and this guy was in the temple of knowldge. I played this creepy guy as he had never had a pretty woman come to him before. Creepy
But in the same vein, when there was a premier of a play and the male-female charcter went to get fitted for a dress. The character learned about things going on that would only be talked about "among the girls"
I think that it is all good as long as there is a level of maturity...[:D]
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maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 12:40 PM |
| In my group we had 3 to 4 guys(depending who showed up) and one girl and most of them played there own gender. We did have one guy in our group that was a toss up about half the time he played a female character and other than a few off color jokes every once in a while we didn't have any problems even the female player would engage the guys female PC in roleplaying without any difficulty.
The only real difficulty was on my part with one of his female PC's. The PC had an 18 charisma and during extensive roleplaying sessions would try to charm or seduce male NPC to gain information. For me it was sometimes difficult to roleplay a seduction with a large bearded man playing a beautiful half elven woman it remined me an old Phil & Dixie cartoon [:)]. | | | |
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jacksonm
Warlord
5560 Posts
River City
| | 03/10/2006 1:04 PM |
| I play both and have for a long time. I can't say there's been any problems in any of the groups I've had the pleasure in playing in.
Sometimes a female character is just better suited to the concept in mind. Sometimes I find a really cool Reaper mini that I want to paint up that just happens to be female and suddenly a new character concept is born.
The whle immature angle isn't really a problem to do with a female character, that type of player is likely only giving a one-dimensional flavor to whatever they're playing anyway. | | | |
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reezel
Sergeant
555 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 1:22 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Ghendar
As a DM, I wouldn't necessarily forbid it as long as the group was mature enough to handle it.
And we both know that our group is not. | |
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doubtofbuddha
Commander
3371 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 1:51 PM |
| In my current campaign Sam (lalato) is playing a woman disguised as a man.
That takes the cross-genderism to a whole new level. [:D]
I don't particularly mind though, because as was stated, people like playing different races, why should cross-gender characters be that much different? (Though personally I don't really like having campaigns with PC races beyond human. But thats another subject entirely...) | |
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Ghendar
Warlord
13069 Posts
Mud Lick, Kentucky
| | 03/10/2006 2:12 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by reezel
quote:
Originally posted by Ghendar
As a DM, I wouldn't necessarily forbid it as long as the group was mature enough to handle it.
And we both know that our group is not.
Boy, you got that right.
quote:
Originally posted by Sulaco
Yes you are not female, but neither are you an elf, dwarf, half-orc, halfling, half-elf, barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue sorcerer or wizard - so I guess you're just boned.
You know what, you're absolutely correct. That's it then, I'm giving up role playing. I'm off!
[)] | |
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Some of my favorite Maxminis quotes
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
Could somebody explain Snatch to me? I understand the basics, but not how to enter/use it. - Posted by orcmonk220
G's the man. - Posted By greyhaze on 11/11/2008 8:58 AM
I dont mind butting heads every once in a while. It makes thing interesting. Thats why I'd be heartbroken if Ghendar ever left - Posted By Count Dooku on 04/03/2006 11:58 AM
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IanB
Commander
3112 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 2:15 PM |
| I'm not especially bothered by it, as we have a mature group of players (only one of us [my wife] is under 30) and I don't think it would be a big problem.
However, an interesting note is that I can't think of a time that it has ever come up. The players just don't seem interested in playing characters of the opposite gender. This is also perfectly fine; while I don't expect it would be a problem, you never know quite how other players will react to something. Especially in a mixed-gender player group, it would behoove people to try and stay away from playing things stereotypically, which I suspect is often how such things end.
I don't think I've ever played a female character outside of NPCs while I was DMing. I guess I still have plenty of other concepts to work through before I need to tap that particlar line of inspiration. | |
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Tasmanian_tiger
Warrior
300 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 2:15 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by kyrin
I didn't join in that conversation, first because it got so heated, and second because there's a guy over there who thinks I'm the Antichrist
Never realised we had the Antichrist himself here.[)]
I think Zenako is right. It all depends on the players.
My group now exists out of four female players and two male players. We have five male characters and one female character. So, lots of crossplay. I dm this group and I have no problem with this.
I find it easier to play the other gender in text based (online) rp's. You don't see the real person, so it helps to get more quickly into the character. But, with the group I have now (I also play a character there), we played for so long, it isn't a problem anymore.
Of course, I don't know how it is to be a boy and I assume the same vice versa. We just try our best and rp.
As for the 'sexual' adventures.. there has been some relationships in our campaign, though not that much and not implicit.
One situation I had, that I found very annoying, and that's why I said it all has to do with who is playing (and dm'ing) the game, is the following. I once played a male character, with two male players. All went fine, until we came across a 'stunning' nearly dressed female. My character found her way of doing quite annoying, so he choose to ignore her. (Also counting in the fact that he just lost his wive.) Now, a battle happened and the 'stunning' female lost more of her cloths. My character didn't react to this, immediatly getting me the response of the whole male population of the group that I was playing out of character and.. well, I won't tell sexual inituations they made...
I found this all annoying. (It wasn't the only remark they made.) Plus, the female character was actually played by a male player.. none of the female players (three then) commented like this on his play of his character. (I don't think it had crossed our minds.. I don't know the reason.)
Like I said, it depends from player to player. After all, it's a game and we all play to our best to have fun and do what we like. If you don't like cross-play, don't play it, that's fine. Everyone makes his or her choise according to what she or he feels the most comfortable with.. But if you do choose to cross-gender play..please act like an adult. (Still grumbly..) | |
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Sir Bozak The Damned
Commander
2854 Posts
Québec
| | 03/10/2006 2:22 PM |
| | Personnaly, I would never do it as a PC. As a DM, I would only allow it if the player had a great reason to do so, not just for comic relief and he/she had a VERY complete backstory for that specific character. I would feel very weird if it were more than one player doing so. | |
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madda
Sergeant
714 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 2:48 PM |
| | I don't see any trouble with cross-gender PCs at all. I'm currently a DM in one game and a player in two. In one of them I play a female whisper gnome. There are no problems with it as far as I can tell. It's not the first time I play a female characer. It's just another experience. Why would playing a female be more difficult than playing imaginary race ? After all I have far more experience and interaction with females than I have with orcs, skeletons and dragons. You should really try it yourself if you haven't done it. It's part of the role playing experience. | |
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elf_ranger
Sneak
57 Posts
Delson (South Shore Montreal)
| | 03/10/2006 3:26 PM |
| | I almost always play a cross-gender character (namely a female) cause almost all player I know are guy and they always play guy... So to be different and have a woman in the group I play female (sometime there quest that only a woman can do) | |
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Sulaco
Underboss
1605 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 3:53 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Sir Bozak The Damned
Personnaly, I would never do it as a PC. As a DM, I would only allow it if the player had a great reason to do so, not just for comic relief and he/she had a VERY complete backstory for that specific character. I would feel very weird if it were more than one player doing so.
Shouldn't that be the criteria for every PC, regardless of sex?
Seriously, what is the big deal. This is such a non-issue for me that I was shocked to find that anyone considered it an issue at all. In a game where you can play characters of thousands of different types and species why is something as everyday and relatively inconsequential (in terms of the game) as the character's sex (often referred to erroneously as gender) such a sticking point? I just don't get it.
Most fo the time I actually prefer to play a female PC. This is largely cos, until relatively recently, most fiction featured male characters largely or exclusively. As such there are far more timeworn and clichéd character who are male rather than female. Thus playing a female PC gives me more leeway in creating a new an unique PC than does a male one.
A perfect example is Tomb Raider. Tough-as-nails men seeking out treasure and fortune - from Ulysses to Alan Quartermain to Indiana Jones - are a dime a dozen, but when they dropped in a female lead into the same role she became a cultural pehnomenon.
One of my favourite PCs ever was a female netrunner I ran in my wife's Cyberpunk 2020 game back at university. It was a little awkward at first for everyone to not see me - all 6'4", 260lbs and goatee - but to see my PC, but after a few sessions it became efortless. The character took on a life of her own in a way that few PCs of either sex ever do. A large part of this was that it was a very character-driven rp-heavy game my PC's sex allowed me to explore aspects of her character, background, persona and psyche that were intrinsically linked to or derived from her sex. | |
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Agent Oracle
Skirmisher
19 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 4:30 PM |
| I've never spoken up about it, but, while I don't have a problem about it as a GM, I do have a problem about it as a player. particularly because, thanks to the strong tide of anime and whatnot, I frequently get female characters who play the following character archetypes:
a)Ultra-effeminate Bishonen:
I blame Japan for 99.9% of all female players that play men.
quote:
Girl Player: "I have long, blonde hair done in a pony tail, a slight bild, delicate features, and wear a rose in my hair. My robes are low cut showing plenty of my well defined chest."
Boy Player: "'A pleasure to adventure with you my lady.'"
Girl Player: "I'm a man."
Boy Player: (Lays head on table.)
b) meterosexuals:
Don't get me wrong! I have had NPC's tell player characters that they smell badly (after being on the road so long) but generally all i want is for my PC's to clean themselves up.. i've NEVER suggested a makeover.
quote:
GP: Since i'm in town, I want to buy a new kimono. I was thinking red with gold trim... and i'll do up my hair, 'cause the spiky blonde look is starting to wear on me... (blah blah blah)
c) Homosexuals
I have nothing against people who like having kinky sex, as long as I don't have to hear about it... but when one of my players begins making non-passes at another of my players in-character, it leads to nothing but problems and discomfort.
quote:
Girl Player: "Even though I'm playing a male character, I don't want to be hampered by gender constraints, I would like to express my character's affection for your character. Oh, and this love is merely my character for your character, i have no such feelings for you or any other gamer in real life."
Boy player: (puts head on table, sobs gently.)
d)Excessive backstory baggage carriers.
I don't mind when a character writes a backstory, but life is not one series of miserable events leading to the next! nobody has THAT much tragedy in their lives.
quote:
Girl Player: "We can't go there! there's WATER there!"
Boy player: What? You're in light armor and have a decent strength score, why can't you go swimming?
Girl player: My best friend DROWNED when I was a child... it all happened after that female doctor molested me and before my parents were killed by the red dragon.
Boy player: "Was that before or after the druidic ritual that tatooed you with the image of a mountain lion?"
Girl player: "After, weren't you paying attention?"
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Sulaco
Underboss
1605 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 4:47 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Agent Oracle
I frequently get female characters who play the following character archetypes
I feel sorry for you that your experience with female players is so limited, so stereotypical, and so poor. I have been, I suppose, quite blessed in that I have gamed with many dozen different girls and women in the past 20+ years and not a single one of them falls into any of the categories you list above.
By the way, and I ask this fully cognisant of that fact that I may regret knowing the answer, what in the name of holy hell is a "bishonen"? | |
Champion of the Gelatinous Cube. Nemesis of Gnomes and Dinosaurs.
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kyrin
Commander
3171 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 5:04 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Agent Oracle
I've never spoken up about it, but, while I don't have a problem about it as a GM, I do have a problem about it as a player. particularly because, thanks to the strong tide of anime and whatnot, I frequently get female characters who play the following character archetypes:
Well, a great many of the world's ills can be traced to anime...
I'm glad to hear such diverse viewpoints on this issue. And I'm especially glad to see the discourse being so respectful. Over on the OoTS board, people were psychoanalyzing other people and making broad statements about fetishes and hangups and whatnot and things went downhill from there. Thanks everyone for keeping it polite. Y'all are great! [:D]
JIM
aka kyrin | |
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Can of the Cave Beer
Commander
2838 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 5:12 PM |
| I typically stick to playing male characters, but I used to know a guy who played female characters almost exclusively and I did have a memorable female character.
Unfortunately, she was so dissimilar from my own personality that it became very taxing to play her and she had to be retired.
As an unusual occurance, in that campaign all of us were playing female characters--and we all ended up knocked up after an elven fertility rite.
That same rite led an older character of mine into marriage with another character (played by our usual gender-bender). It was very strange. | |
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kyrin
Commander
3171 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 5:13 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Tasmanian_tiger
quote:
Originally posted by kyrin
I didn't join in that conversation, first because it got so heated, and second because there's a guy over there who thinks I'm the Antichrist
Never realised we had the Antichrist himself here.[)]
Yes, well, that's certainly what *he* believes. Former player, former friend. Long story. I may rave about him in Off-Topic sometime...
quote:
My character found her way of doing quite annoying, so he choose to ignore her. (Also counting in the fact that he just lost his wive.) Now, a battle happened and the 'stunning' female lost more of her cloths. My character didn't react to this, immediatly getting me the response of the whole male population of the group that I was playing out of character and.. well, I won't tell sexual inituations they made...
Sounds like you just hooked up with a bunch of guys without a lot of experience with women. I think you had a GREAT in-character reason to not want anything to do with her. And as the saying goes: "No matter how good she looks, somewhere there is a guy who is tired of her crap."
quote:
But if you do choose to cross-gender play..please act like an adult. (Still grumbly..)
Exactly, it's all about maturity.
JIM
aka kyrin | |
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maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 5:33 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Sulaco
quote:
Originally posted by Agent Oracle
I frequently get female characters who play the following character archetypes
By the way, and I ask this fully cognisant of that fact that I may regret knowing the answer, what in the name of holy hell is a "bishonen"?
Sadly I know this,being an anime fan. Bishonen is a word from japanese literature meaning a young man of extraordinary beauty often mistaken for a woman.
The female player in my games is a roleplayer primarily but she comes up with some great and memorable characters. Our favorite was Booga, the power hitter of the party a half orc female with a char of 8. But she played her like Mimi from the Drew Carry show. She even went as far as to dress in massively clashing colors and pay blacksmiths to paint her many many many weapons hidious clashing colors. She was convinced hers was a great beauty that was just misunderstood and unapreciated. We liked her character and approach so much we actually built the campaign around her creating a stronghold and carving out a small kingdom (with the help of the other PC's).
some of her other characters were a gnome bard,investigative reporter for a tabloid paper, a humorless half elven monk,a dwarven cleric on the search for the perfect beer, and a money grubbing dwarven fighter. | | | |
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devasque
Sergeant
874 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 6:28 PM |
| I'd say like many have thus far, it's all about maturity and handling it... well like a game. I currently play in two games where males play female characters and we've never had any issues creep up or anyone wig out. On the flip side I've played a few female PCs in my time. We had a drow campaign going on for a long while and everyone played a matron mother in control of a house. My other favorite was a sorceress in cahoots wiht the Demon Graat'tz.
All in all you got to remember its all a game, its using your imagination and its fantasy - have fun with it. | |
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kestrel.ca
Underboss
1687 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 7:22 PM |
| Although I agree with most of the topics here, and there's not much more that I feel needs adding, I just have to add at least one more point.
To those that would never allow it, does that mean you would never read a book with a protagonist of different sex than the author? I think that good RP and good writing both require the actual person to get inside the thinking of the character -- and I've seen it done brilliantly in so many books. There should be no reason, IMO, that it can't work in RP so long, as everyone else has agreed, that it's done with maturity and sensitivity (or insensitivity depending on the ability modifiers involved!). | |
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taliesin
Underboss
1113 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 7:53 PM |
| As DM, I have to cross-play all of the time, but I'm more comfortable in my own "skin," and my male NPCs reflect that.
My regular players dislike the practice, so I have no need to ban the practice. I have had the odd player pass through my group that did insist on cross-playing (3 total), and while I did allow it, it made all of the other players uneasy (my core group has 4 women and 3 men, myself not included), and the cross-players eventually moved on to other groups. I don't think it's the cross-playing itself that was annoying, just a leading indicator of other personality clashes that made it onerous to game with those individuals. | |
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easytiger1
Warrior
231 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 8:21 PM |
| Our rp group is probably more unique than most, we have a hermaphrodite. He/she can be strange at times, and the rl issues do spill over into the character, he /she has tried hiotting on both male and female npc's. WHen we first met her she was known as Edna*, but about halfway through the campaign she went to a he and became known as barry*. Unfortunatley the char has also had this change, and constantly we refer to the char as she then he then she again. No simple way to resolve it just simply a interesting story, oh and we have a militant lesbian in the group. Who plays a militant lesbian barbarian.
* names have been changed. | |
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Scarecrow
Sergeant
788 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 9:24 PM |
| As has been mentioned, it's all about the players.
Example: I host a D&D game day every 2nd and 4th saturday at the library I work at. I dm'd an RPGA game the other day, all adults, and it was fine. A female player used a male barbarian. A male players was using a female cleric. No problems. Everyone had a great time.
BUT.... we also have a homebrew teen game. The DM keeps it pretty simple for the kids, usually just a dungeon crawl until they get the rules down a bit, then he adds some story in. The kids love it. The other day though a kid played a female character. During a dungeon crawl, the kid said his character wanted to have sex with so and so badguy... and things just went downhill. The adventure came to a complete stop because the kids could no longer focus on the game (they were all teens between 12-16). So we had to implement the rule that there was no cross gender playing (the teen only, not the adults in the rpga game.) Since then, we've had no problems.
So yes, In my opinion it's all about the players. | |
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frogrodeo
Sergeant
706 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 9:26 PM |
| | In a receent first session of a new campaign, 2 of the 3 players were playing cross gender characters. It was confusing to roleplay with all of the differences in he/she that at the end of the night the players agreed to change the gender to match for future sessions. Thankfully they wanted the sex changes, because it was very confusing! | |
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True_Blue
Underboss
2386 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 10:10 PM |
| | My players pretty much end up playing the same gender as themselves. I havent really seen any instances of anyone wanting to play the opposite gender, but if someone really wanted to, I'd let them. Its not a real big deal to me, as long as they didnt get "stupid" with it. | |
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PhibbyRizo
Warrior
207 Posts
Good Ol' Minnesota
| | 03/10/2006 10:47 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by doubtofbuddha
In my current campaign Sam (lalato) is playing a woman disguised as a man.
That takes the cross-genderism to a whole new level. [:D]
My sister played a female character who pretended to be a guy. There was a good after adventure moment, when one of the male characters walked in on her. The group got a good laugh. After that, the group treated her a little awkwarly for a while but the game progressed
Back on topic, I play female characters every so often and no one has had a problem with it. As long as you treat it no differant than a male character (personality aside) it goes fine. I've also had a few girls play males, and those where very memorable characters.
As long as the group is mature, no prooblems are found. | |
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Agent Oracle
Skirmisher
19 Posts
| | 03/10/2006 10:50 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Sulaco
quote:
Originally posted by Agent Oracle
I frequently get female characters who play the following character archetypes
I feel sorry for you that your experience with female players is so limited, so stereotypical, and so poor. I have been, I suppose, quite blessed in that I have gamed with many dozen different girls and women in the past 20+ years and not a single one of them falls into any of the categories you list above.
I said frequently, not "exclusively".
Yeesh. I have gamed regularly with members of both genders. I've gamed with drunkards and temperests, with old and young, with brilliant minds and persons devoid of common sense, i have been the only man at a gaming table (as a player, then as the GM). I have played in college games where the DM goes completely insane because there are 15 of us and no cohesive plot. I would like to think i have played quite a lot of the game in the last few years, and while i may not have your experience, i think i have gotten around a bit.
And when I wrote that article, I wrote it with all due respect to the myrid of females I have gamed with, from the ultra-chibi whose female character had a magical girl outfit, to the serious dramaticist, who enjoyed playing with people's heads as much as rolling the dice.
However, I cannot help but comment on what i had observed reguarding the female gamers i played alongside who crossed genders. They tended to put high stake in roleplaying over playing their role. occasionally they would let their character's inter-gender hangups override their ability to play. As one sorcerer/ess remarked "Alter self could be useful, but it's such a girly spell"
when the character you are pretending to be overrides your decision making process, it's time to put down the dice.
Oh, and in case you were wondering: this is a Bishonen:
Note the long, bonde hair? the pretty eyes? the puffy shirt? the absence of defining secondary sexual charicteristics? For comparison sake, this is a woman in Anime.
See? so veruy obviously female! She has eyelashes! | |
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