Playing cross-gender PCs

[n3dst4]

My first ever female character was in a SLA Industries campaign when I was about 16 or 17. Thinking back, I started that character in all the wrong ways: she was tall, blonde, sexy, and, yes, flirty. That's right people, I rolled up my fantasy babe. I even had a fairly porny picture which I used as "her". Not my finest hour in roleplaying.

I played that character for a few years, and got over the adolescent fantasy thing. She evolved into a playable, suitably dark character, with all the suppressed neuroses and loyalty issues you'd expect in SLA Industries. She even got de-feminised by having a crew cut and muscle implants when she became a Dark Finder and the campaign ended.

There may not be a point to this post, but I thought I'd share.

 

[rom90125]

I run a group of 5 players (4 men and 1 woman), but our character group is comprised of 5 women and 3 men.... go figure.

 

[diaglo]

i've done it before. depends on the concept, campaign, and what i want to do to have fun.

 

[Cor Azer]

I've played a few female characters, but only when it seemed appropriate to the idea I wanted to explore. Specifically, although (or perhaps because of) I usually DM, when I do get a chance to be a player, the other players tend to look to my character as a leader, no matter what concept I have for my character. So in the current campaign, I wanted to completely avoid that - I'm playing a young female, completely timid and shy (entire sessions have gone by with me saying nothing at all audible (a lot of hushed whispering). Of course, the character is soemwhat modelled on Willow and Tara from Buffy, so she'll find her strength eventually.

 

[Buttercup]

I'm female, and when given a choice, I always play a female character. However, when playing in a one-shot or the like, I'll play whatever I'm handed. I guess I just don't find it all that appealing to play male characters, maybe because it's too difficult to get into their heads.

Even in computer games I always play a female character. That's the main thing I hated about Planescape: Torment--your only choice of protagonist was male, so I couldn't get into the game.

 

[fusangite]

I filled in that I only play male characters. That's not 100% true. In one 3-episode campaign, I played a female character because of a rules loophole in third edition Runequest. By playing a Voria priestess, I could start with Rune/Divine magic so that by five adventures into the campaign, I could switch to a different earth goddess and get on the priestess track right away.

I was terrible at playing a woman and began to regret my decision almost immediately so I'm hoping that 3-episode indiscretion can be viewed outside by 24 years of playing well.

 

[Bagpuss]

I do find it odd DM's that don't allow cross-gender roleplaying. For a start are all the NPC's they play the same sex as them? Its a bit arrogant for them to think they can play cross-gender characters but their players arn't capable.

I don't know about you put I grew up with my mother, and a sister, and have had considerably more contact with women than I've ever had with elves, dwarves, half-orcs or gnomes. The DM's that won't let me play female characters, are fine with me playing completely alien creatures, which surely I'll have less chance of roleplaying convincingly.

I would say about 30% of the characters I play table-top are female, and about 90% in computer games (I'ld rather watch some female characters butt running across the 3D fantasy realm than some butch fellas).

 

[Bagpuss]

I'm a DM now, so I'm basically genderless. I do have a slight problem with people playing cross gender characters, but it's mainly due to the vast majority of players being incapable of doing so without adding an aspect that is either annoying or creepy.

Gotta add that I have only come across one or two people from this "vast majority" of players. And thats 20+ years of gaming experience, about 10 different regular groups, and attending conventions for 10 years, several hundred gamers in all. Where abouts do you live prehaps its a localised phenomenon?

 

[vraad]

Yeah, I've played female characters. But I'm also a GM.

 

[n3dst4]

Where abouts do you live prehaps its a localised phenomenon?

I don't know where Undead Pete lives, but I'd wager that it's a small town. The less cosmopolitan a place is, the worse people are at pretending to be female/black/gay/whateveritisthattheyaren't.

My group is slowly developing, but the last guy who had a go at playing a female character, despite making a good go of it, had to suffer contant booby jokes and worse.