CapnZapp
Legend
(Feel free to answer "none")
In my case, however, it would be rpgs about Conan.
I can't help it - I know Howard's Conan is sexist (and racist), and yet, that's (part of) what draws me to that universe and those stories. Does that make me a sexist or racist in real-life? No, not more than killing monsters makes me a murderer in real-life, but whatever - that's not the point, so if it makes you feel better let's say my answer is "yep; now moving on".
Yes, I consider Frazetta-like imagery (in text as well as actual images) an important value-adder to the prospect of playing in the Hyborian Age.
Note: in many games (including 5E D&D) you can play a straight-up Fighter with no Strength at all. In other words, this isn't about restricting access to particular classes.
My answer is: if I get to choose one game where stereotypes doesn't just exist, but are put front and center, I'd choose a Conan game. (Note how Barsoom, normally considered a close relative, doesn't qualify. There you can have incredible Strength with a medium build just as long as you come from another planet.)
If we're using 5E D&D as our example game (not because it does Conan particularly well, but because it's the game most people are familiar with), I'd probably go with -4 to Strength (minimum 8).
No compensation. (That doesn't mean I'm dismissing findings of other gender-related biological differences, just that I don't consider them significant enough in this context).
Remember, the goal is very simple, very direct: if your hero is a hulking brute in this universe, he's male. Every other archetype is left unregulated.
Also remember: if you think my goal is "to piss off gamers", you're free to not join the game (and this thread too). I'm not intentionally trying to piss you off. I'm trying to discuss if the "no gendered stats, ever" rule can have exceptions.
PS. You might wonder: but if we're going with this (warped for sure) "Hyborian logic", isn't every other female a beautiful seductress? Well, since I expect players to put their high scores elsewhere (than Strength) this kind of happens automatically. That is, the character is more likely to end up with a high Charisma. But if the player wants Dexterity or Intelligence, that's fine too. (If anything, adding +4 Charisma (max 20) to Barsoom/John Carter females makes more sense. After all, it's imagery is even more cheesecakery than Conan, which is saying something.)
In my case, however, it would be rpgs about Conan.
I can't help it - I know Howard's Conan is sexist (and racist), and yet, that's (part of) what draws me to that universe and those stories. Does that make me a sexist or racist in real-life? No, not more than killing monsters makes me a murderer in real-life, but whatever - that's not the point, so if it makes you feel better let's say my answer is "yep; now moving on".
Yes, I consider Frazetta-like imagery (in text as well as actual images) an important value-adder to the prospect of playing in the Hyborian Age.
Note: in many games (including 5E D&D) you can play a straight-up Fighter with no Strength at all. In other words, this isn't about restricting access to particular classes.
(I took this quote out of context. Visit the original thread for that context. It is not important here)For a significant period in the eighties and nineties, it was not uncommon for a game to present stat modifiers based on the gender of the character. More often then not, men would have a bonus to Strength and women would have a bonus to Dexterity or Charisma or something. Some particularly egregious examples would just give women penalties across the board.
And then one day, someone realized that it was a bad idea. They realized that most of it was based on out-dated stereotypes, it didn't have a place in modern gaming, and it was better to let female characters be on an equal footing with their male counterparts. Eventually, the rest of the community got on board with that, and now the only games that include gender-based stat modifiers are those old games which we critique for being so ridiculous.
Now imagine that you're excited for this new Conan game that's coming out, and the first thing you notice when you crack open the .pdf is that women are -2 to Thews and +2 to Seduce. How would that make you feel about the game as a whole? Would you just accept it as something common in a lot of other games? Or would you find it distasteful, and be disappointed in the game for including it? Would you house rule it away? Would you be comfortable joining a group that was playing the game, without knowing how they handled the issue? Or would you cringe, every time it came up?
My answer is: if I get to choose one game where stereotypes doesn't just exist, but are put front and center, I'd choose a Conan game. (Note how Barsoom, normally considered a close relative, doesn't qualify. There you can have incredible Strength with a medium build just as long as you come from another planet.)
If we're using 5E D&D as our example game (not because it does Conan particularly well, but because it's the game most people are familiar with), I'd probably go with -4 to Strength (minimum 8).
No compensation. (That doesn't mean I'm dismissing findings of other gender-related biological differences, just that I don't consider them significant enough in this context).
Remember, the goal is very simple, very direct: if your hero is a hulking brute in this universe, he's male. Every other archetype is left unregulated.
Also remember: if you think my goal is "to piss off gamers", you're free to not join the game (and this thread too). I'm not intentionally trying to piss you off. I'm trying to discuss if the "no gendered stats, ever" rule can have exceptions.
PS. You might wonder: but if we're going with this (warped for sure) "Hyborian logic", isn't every other female a beautiful seductress? Well, since I expect players to put their high scores elsewhere (than Strength) this kind of happens automatically. That is, the character is more likely to end up with a high Charisma. But if the player wants Dexterity or Intelligence, that's fine too. (If anything, adding +4 Charisma (max 20) to Barsoom/John Carter females makes more sense. After all, it's imagery is even more cheesecakery than Conan, which is saying something.)