Ask Me Anything with Karyn Logan (Kiraya TiDrekan)

First things first - who the heck am I and why am I starting one of these threads?

I am Karyn Logan, an out-of-the-closet transgender gamer girl. Ever since coming out of the closet, I have made it a mission to be open and available to anyone with questions to help folks understand what it is to be transgender and help clear up misconceptions.

Here on EN World, I am a prolific Play-by-Post GM and sometimes get in the thick of controversial discussions as well.

Some relevant links before we get started...

Transitionals - My Facebook page featuring daily content on a variety of topics.

My Play-by-Post Signature

Let's Read...Everything D&D

In the past I was Crazy Monkey, online community coordinator at Wizards of the Coast. I also have a few freelance editing credits to my old name (Quentin Small) with Rite Publishing and I am an assistant developer on Rogue Genius Games upcoming Feat Reference Document: Adventure, Campaign, and Companion Feats.

As for why I am starting this thread - well, it seems like Keith Baker shouldn't get to have all the fun.

So, ask me anything about me, Play-by-Post, LGBTQ+ gamer issues, my past projects, my current projects, or anything else (keeping in mind the politics rules here on EN World).

Edit (9/18/2015): I no longer have a patreon page, the Feat Reference Document is out in the wild, and I have a new job.

Question

Alright, I have a question for you:

First, let me preface my question by noting that I play in at least one of K_TD's games here, and I plan to continue to do so. Now the question -- Why do you feel the need to announce your status and sexual preference? Heck, I thought we were on here to play D&D or discuss D&D, or some other rpg, so what does any of that background stuff have to do with a game? Forgive me for saying this, but it almost seems like you're daring someone to judge you based on your preferences and your personal choices, and that kind of 'baiting,' well, it's not really cricket, is it? So, again I say, Aren't we here to play and discuss RPGs??

I absolutely do not mean this as an attack or insult of any kind, I just don't want any of these 'issues' to cut into my valuable D&D time!

And, come to think of it, I have followed you, as Crazy Monkey, in at least one game here, and probably more than one, and taken over your former character. So thanks for leaving me the cool characters! In particular, I think Logan the Cleric was yours in Scotley's Tomb of Horrors, or maybe not, it's been too long ago for me to be sure.

Leif said:

Alright, I have a question for you:

First, let me preface my question by noting that I play in at least one of K_TD's games here, and I plan to continue to do so. Now the question -- Why do you feel the need to announce your status and sexual preference? Heck, I thought we were on here to play D&D or discuss D&D, or some other rpg, so what does any of that background stuff have to do with a game? Forgive me for saying this, but it almost seems like you're daring someone to judge you based on your preferences and your personal choices, and that kind of 'baiting,' well, it's not really cricket, is it? So, again I say, Aren't we here to play and discuss RPGs??

Click to expand...

Good question.

I choose to live openly and honestly about everything. That means I read D&D books in public, identify myself as a gamer where ever I go, and speak about gaming whenever I get the chance.

I do the same about my status as a transgender person.

Why do I do both of those things?

Being a visibly open person, whether it be a gamer or a transgender person, lets others know they are not alone. It gives people who can't speak up (for whatever reason) a bit of hope to see someone standing up for them.

I'll admit, I'm a heck of a lot braver about it online than I am out there in the really real world, but, even so, if I can give hope or support to someone just by being willing to be open and honest about myself, than I'll do it.

The other part of that question is...am I "baiting" people to mock me or judge me? No. If I get some negative backlash that is ok, because showing people that LGBTQ+ gamers are real people is worth it. LGBTQ+ representation is important to RPGs, as evidenced by Green Ronin's recent announcement regarding the Blue Rose RPG, Paizo's introduction of a transgender iconic character in their Pathfinder line, and WotC's efforts at inclusivity in the D&D 5th Edition Player's Handbook. These things all came about because people like me stood up and said, "We are here and we play your games." I'm not about to stop standing now.

Fair enough. Stand away. ;-) But, please, let's not forget that this board is primarily for the RPG community, without regard to gender, preference, race, ethnic origin, disability, politics, or anything else.

What's the single best piece of GM's advice you've ever been given?

What's the single best RPG supplement you've read/used?

Single best piece of GM's advice - That's a tough one. I taught myself to DM via reading the "Red Box" basic set DM's book and then trial and erroring over the years, while also reading the various DMGs and the awesome little DMGR supplements from the AD&D 2nd Edition era. Chris Perkins' series of articles during the 4E era (The DM Experience I believe they were called) were also amazing. I think the best single piece of advice came in a context other than DM advice, though...

“In writing, you must kill your darlings.” --William Faulkner

I've heard that over and over again through the years and it applies as equally to GMing as it does to writing. Getting too attached to a plot, a NPC, or even a location can take focus away from where it should be - the player characters.

Best RPG/Supplement - Another tough one. I love several supplements for different reasons. in AD&D 2nd Edition there was a nifty little book called The Worldbuilder's Guidebook which was just gold for putting together campaign worlds. I also have a fondness for bizarre and non-traditional characters so supplements like The Complete Book of Humanoids (AD&D 2E), Council of Wyrms (AD&D 2E), Savage Species (D&D 3E), and In the Company of Monsters (Pathfinder 3rd party supplement from Rite Publishing) have a special place in my heart. Outside of D&D, I have a deep and disturbing love for obscure horror RPGs like Kult, Nephilim, and In Nomine (though I have never gotten a chance to play or GM any of them). But the single best RPG supplement ever? The one I've used and referenced the most or gotten the most inspiration from?

The D&D Rules Cyclopedia.

Granted, a lot of my fondness for the book is based in nostalgia but its also just an awesome single volume of everything D&D for me. D&D 5th Edition is my current love, but the RC will always be the book I open and just idly browse when stuck for inspiration.

Good questions. Thanks!

We've seen some mainstream recognition of LGBTQ+ in computer RPGs such as Dragon Age: Inquisition. One thing I liked was how normal and matter-of-fact it was presented. Any tips for including a full range of NPCs in tabletop RPGs while staying away from cliched stereotypes/comic relief? In other words, making it feel natural and not called out as the "token whatever".

There are a few ways, most of which are subtle. The best way, in my opinion, is to not make an NPC's gender or sexuality the focal point of the character. If the character's only reason for being there is for them to be the LGBTQ character, then they really shouldn't be in the adventure or supplement or whatever.

NPCs work best when created as fully fleshed out characters, with their own motivations, goals, and ambitions, even if the players never see most of those details. Think about the diverse range of people in the real world and ask yourself if the character's gender or sexuality matters to the role they play in the story or world. If it doesn't (and it usually won't) then play around with the details until you have a character that makes sense for the world and the story. Does it matter if the villain's lover is the same or opposite gender from the villain? If not, consider making them same gender if it makes sense for both characters. Does it matter if the Duchess is cisgender or transgender? If not, consider making her transgender if it makes sense for the role she plays in the setting.

An example that comes to mind - in the original Alien movie, the script was written specifically so that every role was gender neutral - any one of those characters could have been male or female. Only when it was time to cast the roles did they decide, based on the auditions, which characters were male and female. (Ripley, for example, didn't get a first name, Ellen, until the second movie).

Another example specific to D&D - its been long speculated that Burne and Rufus, the semi-retired adventurers building a castle in Hommlet in T1: The Village of Hommlet might be more than friends and former adventuring companions. The details are left vague enough that, even if that wasn't the original intention, individual DMs can build that relationship however they like specifically because the nature of their relationship is left vague in the official material.

With tabletop RPGs, the key component to consider is always the DM/GM - give them the tools to make the world or adventure their own. That includes tweaking details like gender and sexuality to suit their preferences. That said, including non-token NPCs here and there helps LGBTQ players and fans feel included and represented, which is important in and of itself.

I'm not sure if I managed to answer your question very well. I'm coming at it more from a fan perspective than a game designer perspective.

2 questions

There are several GMs out there who do not allow transgender play, based on the idea that it is not possible to play someone of the opposite sex in a believable way. Has this happened to you? Did GMs tell you you to stick with a male char or maybe insist you have to play a female? This problem just came up in a group I play in and it confuses several players in the group a lot.

My char in a d20 modern game is goint to be a transgender kid, which is fine with the GM. Is there any stereotype which tends to come up which really needs to be avoided?

I'm almost always the GM so it has never come up for me as a player. I am sorry to say that I imposed a restriction like this on my players - my kids, specifically, many years ago. This was before I realized I, myself, was transgender, and I wanted to avoid confusion at the table. There is a strong tendency to forget the gender of a character when a player is playing a character whose gender doesn't match their own, especially among more casual or beginning players. So a lot of play time gets eaten up by, "No, my character is a she." I went about "fixing" that problem in the wrong way; I believed I was keeping things simple so the kids could focus on learning the game mechanics but I was actually hindering their imagination and creativity. I've since learned from that mistake and try to ensure everyone at the table is playing a character they want to play.

In answer to your second question, the advice from my previous answer in this thread is also applicable here - don't make the character's gender the primary focus. Give them other interests and skills; round them out and make them a fully realized person whose gender matters as much or as little as a cisgender character's would. If the character's gender comes up in the story in a way that makes sense for the story then run with it. As an example, I am playing a transgender female-to-male ex-con in a D20 Modern play-by-post here on EN World. The GM and I discussed how the character's gender would affect the story and agreed to go with a "red tape delaying transition" angle which has pushed the character in to taking reckless risks. It makes sense for the story and the character while still keeping the character's share of spotlight time about equal to the other characters.