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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elf Witch" data-source="post: 5738589" data-attributes="member: 9037">As a female who has been in the hobby forever it sometimes seems I can compare the hobby now to when I first started. Back then it was not female friendly at all between miniatures and artwork catering to adolescent boys, arguments over woman's strength never being as high as a male strength, and a game that seemed to only reward killing things and taking its stuff it was hard to get females I knew who loved fantasy interested in playing. I left DnD for a long time over it. I preferred other games like Hero, Shadowrun and Vampire the Masquerade.  They seemed to allow more role playing and the games didn't seem to attract the lets kill everything and let god sort out while we loot their dead bodies style of play.I eventually came back to DnD and I have introduced several female players to DnD. One thing I noticed was that while all of them like to kick butt and wanted effective characters none of them like dragged out combats or combats for no reason. They didn't like the classic we meet in a tavern and hear of a treasure and go out to get it they want more. They wanted story and character motivations. They want to play characters like the ones they read about in books or watch on TV or movies. When you asked them about their character they didn't tell you about stats or feats but the history and who their character was as a person. Character development didn't mean leveling and getting new feats or skills it was what the character went through during the game that shaped them. I am happy to see some improvements in the artwork I had one friend comment when looking through the 3.0 players guide about dumb Milee looked she asked if she was a hooker wizard. So I really think artwork that portrays female characters in a competent way instead of using the butt and boob pose and leaving them half dressed does help give the impression that this is not a game for boys only. I am not sure that there really is a way to bring more non geek leaning woman to the table to want to play a fantasy game they at least have to have an interest. The important thing is to keep them once they are willing to try. And that is where good DMs and  good players come in.  As you would do with any other player at your table find out what they like best about gaming and make sure you put that element in the game. If they like romance you can add it without much effort or making other players squirm. If they like story then give them story have a reason for going to the dungeon. This is no different then what you would do for a male player. As a female player I don't want to play in a game were the DM has decided to sacrifice fun for realism I am very aware that men are usually stronger then woman and that even well trained woman often lose in a fight against a stronger male opponent but in game I just want to kick butt if I am playing a fighter who is ever bit as good as the male fighter. I know all the female players I play with feel the same way. As someone else pointed out woman are human beings and we are not clones of one another so treat us as individuals.</blockquote>

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