Gender and Character Traits (f)

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

Okay, ENWorlders, I need help only you can provide.

I'm doing a paper on gender stereotypes in D&D archetypes, and I need your opinions on the following question. There are no right or wrong answers, just your opinions.

What traits from the list are most feminine?

Also, please complete the accompanying poll at: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=2203019

Thanks everybody! I rave about you all the time.

 

[Navar]

If you don't vote High Challenge Rating then you aren't a Married Man.

 

[Goblyn]

If you don't vote High Challenge Rating then you aren't a Married Man.

Hey, you're right ... I didn't and I'm not.

Psychic guy

 

[AlphaCelt]

Honestly, I'd think most gamers would associate a high Charisma score as most feminine. After all, what gamer guy doesn't want to think of a female character as the most beautiful/buxom/seductive whatever have you on the Plane?

 

[snarfoogle]

+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. Just like in real life, what with the different body structures.

 

[BlackMoria]

I voted Other. Color me 'gender neutral' in how I feel about the list of traits listed.

 

[Filby]

I clicked "good Will saves," "special abilities that do not apply to combat," "good spellcasting," and "other" for high Charisma scores. I mean, just look at any 1E or 2E book (especially those by Ed Greenwood ) with female NPCs: they were almost invariably tall, good-looking spellcasters or thieves, and even when they're fighters, they'd have a high Charisma score for no apparent reason (not to mention "armor" that doesn't seem to have any practical use whatsoever).

Thankfully, 3E has made the game a little more realistic in its portrayals of female adventurers... although we've still got a way to go.

 

[shilsen]

I'm with BlackMoria. I don't see any of the qualities listed above as inherently masculine or feminine.

 

[kyloss]

For me it would be charisma and dex with lower str- +2 dex and cha -2 or 4 str depending on where you fall on the ballance and importance of strength. That being said I Personaly as a guy would fall very low on the strength end of things but still find my self stronger, at least in upper body, than most women, which is to me mostly what the dnd version of strength represents. but may also give a possible plus 2 con with more thought on it

 

[Kirin'Tor]

I really don't find any of these basic traits to be feminine; I did vote the two "Special Does\Doesn't" apply to combat options. Here's why:

I find the following special D&D abilites to be feminine (IE not appropriate on a male creature): A Siren's song, a Medusa's gaze, any 'Seduction because I'm so attractive you can't attack\betray your friends' ability. That's really it...

I guess my opinion is "combat ability is neither masculine\feminie, but some speical abilites that were historically tied to females should remain so"...is that helpful?