amazon: Confessions of a Part-time Sorceress: A Hip Girl's Guide to the D&D Game

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Oh, I'm aware of--and agree with--that viewpoint. I just don't think that anyone cares about the terms used for fantasy characters the same way they care about the terms used for themselves.

Given how greatly many players identify with their characters, I'm amazed you don't believe this would occur.

 

[Bad Paper]

Lizardfolk, merfolk, spawn of kyuss.

Well, our game has never used "lizardfolk." They are "lizardmen" and "lizardwomen," which is somehow more amusing. If I ever introduced mermen and mermaids, then yeah, we reject the stupid "merfolk," WtF? But please tell me about the spawn of Kyuss. I wasn't aware there were gendered terms for them.

not like the rest of us, who approach D&D from the default view of no particular sex

yeah, but I thought the basement-dwelling no-sex-having gamer was the bad image we were trying to avoid...

 

[drscott46]

I guess it's worth a try, huh?

D&D has always been the kind of thing that could appeal to women in theory (witness the runaway popularity of the Sims with the female audience).

I was going to make a crack about the game's overemphases on mathematics and violence as torpedoing some of its chances with the ladies, two things sacred to men everywhere, but I didn't want to come off as misogynist. (Oh, well. Too late.)

Good for WotC for thinking about expanding their audience. From Shelly's writings on the web, it seems like the book might be in a tone that will manage to be introductory without being condescending or oversimplified.

I remember showing (with considerable trepidation) the Bioware PC games to my ex-girlfriend a few years back, and within a couple of weeks she was staying up all night and beating Throne of Bhaal while I slept. She didn't even know 95% of the game's myriad nuts and bolts and still turned out to be better at it than I was. (Even though that may be more of a comment on my lack of PC gaming skillz.)

 

[GreatLemur]

Given how greatly many players identify with their characters, I'm amazed you don't believe this would occur.

I know, I know. But the specific situation still seems too absurd for me to buy. My wife immediately referred to her first D&D 3.x character as a sorceress, and she does not use the word "actress".

 

[Prince of Happiness]

This sounds like a funny book.

 

[catsclaw227]

I am all for books like this. I imagine that a "hip-girl" perspective about D&D could only help squash the (still rather pervasive) perception that D&D is a game for only socially inept nerds.

My game group has two women, two guys (and one of them is me, DM). So my buddy Dave is a minority among the player genders in the party. Now, it helps that one is my wife, and the other is his girlfriend, but..... that's beside the point.

I like Shelly's style. I think this is good for the game.

 

[thedungeondelver]

Guys! This is a scam to try and get copies of a vacuous grimorie into stores! Look at the last name...

"Mezzanoble"

Mezzodaemon - coincidence? I THINK NOT.

 

[Aeric]

Well, our game has never used "lizardfolk." They are "lizardmen" and "lizardwomen," which is somehow more amusing. If I ever introduced mermen and mermaids, then yeah, we reject the stupid "merfolk," WtF? But please tell me about the spawn of Kyuss. I wasn't aware there were gendered terms for them.

They used to be known as Sons of Kyuss.

 

[Piratecat]

I figured she was Mazzanobleberanzaan.

 

[thedungeondelver]

I figured she was Mezzanobleberanzaan.

Egad. It's even worse than I'd thought.