Gamer Grrls

[Tuzenbach]

Hello all. Long time lurker, first time poster.

Forgive me for the fairly silly title. It just felt appropriate at the time.

This question/rant is directed mostly to the female gamers in the forum, but anyone is welcome to add their input.

I find when I play D&D and other d20 roleplaying games I tend to have difficulty with some of the male gamers. They expect me to play some sexed sorceress in barely there clothes or a fighter chick in a chainmail bikini.

What is even more frustrating is how it comes as some huge surprise that I can play my character effectively. If I do have a character that shows some prowess then I've had many assume my significant other must have built and written it up for me. I got the half minotaur template banned from the local PvP on my own merit. (A naturally large Hextor worshipping, flail wielding, monkey gripping cleric can be especially dangerous when you put divine favor and righteous might into the mix.)


Don't get me wrong. I'm not up on my soapbox glaring at the male population as a whole. I've just had some very frustrating experiences of this nature. I just wonder if anyone else has and just how they dealt with it.

Thanks for seeing this through and not getting horribly bored with my rambling.

OK. This may sound very strange to you and/or many persons here, but so be it.

One of the myriad reasons I'll play D&D is to escape from females. Why? Hmmm. Let's see. I started playing D&D when I was seven. Back then, girls were the "bad guys". For me, that association never changed nor have I wished for it to.

And so I get involved with some ludicrous female in the REAL WORLD who invariably ends up breaking my heart. What then? I turn to D&D. In that FANTASY WORLD, heartbreak just isn't possible. Sorry, no girls allowed! I'll not have my "safety zone" compromised.

A few years ago I found myself in a campaign with a dude who's live-in girlfriend/fiance'/whatever supposedly liked D&D as much as he did. Or so he convinced her. And us. Needless to say, when he announced boldy that she would be joining the campaign and that the two of them would be playing characters that were "in love" with one another, I almost projectile-vomitted all over him.

Love and relationships are for the REAL WORLD. I like D&D because it isn't real. I can't kill orcs & such in real life, that's why there's D&D. I play D&D to cast spells and fight monsters, and I'll go out with girls to see my paycheck evaporate before my eyes and have to worry about stupid things like did I or did I not apply deodorant before leaving the house?

My point is this.......I don't mix the two. Playing role playing games with females is the same thing (for me, anyway) as that argument in "When Harry Met Sally" pertaining to why men and women CAN'T be "just friends". Eventually, one of the dudes gets involved with the girl and the campaign collapses. It's the Yoko Ono effect. The best way to counter it is to not let it happen in the first place.

To this day, if I'm DMing, I only very reluctantly create any sort of female NPC. And yes, I may be taking it extremely too far, but I've never been able to shake my associations with first playing D&D way back in 1979. NO GIRLS ALLOWED!!!

 

[Taneel BrightBlade]

sense when can't I kill orcs in real life???

 

[PA]

and have to worry about stupid things like did I or did I not apply deodorant before leaving the house?

Uh, I don't have a girlfriend, but I still find it necessary to use a deodorant, above all when I go work out. Some of the guys at the gym stink so much, they make me want to run away. Girls are not the only human beings with a nose, ya know?

This said, I understand the rest of your post; I understand that you may want to game in a guy-only group, just the same as many girls, or married women actually, seem to enjoy some "girls only" time. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[PA]

sense when can't I kill orcs in real life???

They're so rare nowadays that they've become a protected species.

 

[PA]

But the true problem is that...

 

[Taneel BrightBlade]

darn, what about demon lords?

 

[Snoweel]

They're bad gamers too.



-Snow "But not as bad as gurls" eel

 

[PA]

darn, what about demon lords?

Demon lords are also known as politicians and they rule you.

 

[Buttercup]

And so I get involved with some ludicrous female in the REAL WORLD who invariably ends up breaking my heart.

I suppose it never occurred to you that your problem might be that you consider females ludicrous?

A few years ago I found myself in a campaign with a dude who's live-in girlfriend/fiance'/whatever supposedly liked D&D as much as he did. Or so he convinced her. And us. Needless to say, when he announced boldy that she would be joining the campaign and that the two of them would be playing characters that were "in love" with one another, I almost projectile-vomitted all over him.

Had I been a player in that game, I would have joined you in hurling.

Love and relationships are for the REAL WORLD. I like D&D because it isn't real. I can't kill orcs & such in real life, that's why there's D&D. I play D&D to cast spells and fight monsters,

I agree, and so do I.

have to worry about stupid things like did I or did I not apply deodorant before leaving the house?

You think hygeine is stupid? :Backs away:

To this day, if I'm DMing, I only very reluctantly create any sort of female NPC. And yes, I may be taking it extremely too far, but I've never been able to shake my associations with first playing D&D way back in 1979. NO GIRLS ALLOWED!!!

Well, it's your game, so do what you want. That's the beauty of D&D, we can all make it our own.

 

[Belen]

OK. This may sound very strange to you and/or many persons here, but so be it.

One of the myriad reasons I'll play D&D is to escape from females. Why? Hmmm. Let's see. I started playing D&D when I was seven. Back then, girls were the "bad guys". For me, that association never changed nor have I wished for it to.

And so I get involved with some ludicrous female in the REAL WORLD who invariably ends up breaking my heart. What then? I turn to D&D. In that FANTASY WORLD, heartbreak just isn't possible. Sorry, no girls allowed! I'll not have my "safety zone" compromised.

A few years ago I found myself in a campaign with a dude who's live-in girlfriend/fiance'/whatever supposedly liked D&D as much as he did. Or so he convinced her. And us. Needless to say, when he announced boldy that she would be joining the campaign and that the two of them would be playing characters that were "in love" with one another, I almost projectile-vomitted all over him.

Love and relationships are for the REAL WORLD. I like D&D because it isn't real. I can't kill orcs & such in real life, that's why there's D&D. I play D&D to cast spells and fight monsters, and I'll go out with girls to see my paycheck evaporate before my eyes and have to worry about stupid things like did I or did I not apply deodorant before leaving the house?

My point is this.......I don't mix the two. Playing role playing games with females is the same thing (for me, anyway) as that argument in "When Harry Met Sally" pertaining to why men and women CAN'T be "just friends". Eventually, one of the dudes gets involved with the girl and the campaign collapses. It's the Yoko Ono effect. The best way to counter it is to not let it happen in the first place.

To this day, if I'm DMing, I only very reluctantly create any sort of female NPC. And yes, I may be taking it extremely too far, but I've never been able to shake my associations with first playing D&D way back in 1979. NO GIRLS ALLOWED!!!

I understand that you may just want some guy time. As long as your group agrees, then no prob.

However, you do seem to have a little vitriolic rage where women are concerned. Just because you've had some bad experiences does not mean that all female gamers or even women gamers are bad.

Personally, I love female gamers. They add a different dynamic/ perspective to the game. Yes, I have had bad experiences with lady gamers, but I have had just as bad experiences with male gamers, so I see no differences on that count.

Just a matter of taste, and no one here faults you for that; however, there was no reason to rant about women or get nasty just to argue your taste.