cross gender fun?

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

originally posted by Tonguez

I have rped three female characters,

You know, reading that quickly, I really thought that you said you have RAPED 3 female characters...

Anyhow, I'd agree Vaxalon: As a DM, it's pretty hard to avoid playing a female on a fairly regular basis. In game, I've never played a female, but in my first gaming group one of the players (a guy) played a female character. Not that he roleplays all that much anyway...

 

[333 Dave]

originally posted by Tonguez

You know, reading that quickly, I really thought that you said you have RAPED 3 female characters...

It gets weirder if you finish the sentence. I can (sort of) understand raping three female characters, but a transvestite orc and a hermaphodite? I mean, what kind of sicko are you?!

 

[drowdude]

Nope cant say that I have ever played a chick.... unless you count the ones I portrayed as DM...

 

[Westwind]

For a long time I tried to avoid playing female characters because I thought I couldn't do them justice in terms of giving their personalities depth. A lot of guys seem to play either the whore or the frigid lesbian archetypes (maybe it's a cry for dating help on their part )I still play males more often than not, but I have a few female characters I use from time to time.

 

[Teflon Billy]

As a player I never play female characters and as a DM I don't allow cross-gender RP'ing.

I have had bad experiences with guys playing "total sluts" who attempt to trade sex for anyting they want (and given the charisma involved, I usually can't find a compelling reason to deny it), or Steely-eyed Lesbians, who behave in no way different from their male brethen except to freak out at male sexual interest (usually violently).

Worse are the Immersion RP'ers who occasionally frequent my table playing out their transexual fantasies (this was most Vampire: the Masquerade mind you).

Every so often I'll get someone at the table who wants to simply "see the world through the eyes of a woman". They get turned down as well, usually with the explanation that they will, in fact, be "seeing the world through the eyes of a transvestite" : A Straight guy with a woman's appearance.

It all adds nothing to my gaming experience that I value, and more ofthen than not detracts from it.

So it's gone.

Women playing men have not been as much trouble, but are still no picnic. Most of the girls I've GM'ed tend to latch on to the worst aspects of "real world" male behaviour an claim them for their characters.

Pass.

 

[Darkness]

It gets weirder if you finish the sentence. I can (sort of) understand raping three female characters, but a transvestite orc and a hermaphodite? I mean, what kind of sicko are you?!

He's certainly a bit desperate, yesss...

Anyway, myself, I've played at least 2 female PCs over the time - and a couple more males ones. (I DM 95%+ of the time.)

 

[shadow]

I've played a female character once, and I swore I'd never do it again. I remember my friends (all teenage boys) joking about how they'd like to do my character, and constantly trying to hit on her. However, now that I'm out of high school and playing with a different (and more mature) gaming group, I might eventually try it again.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

I've played a few female characters over time. I've played them a variety of different ways. In a Star Wars game there was the teenage girl that ran away from home to explore the galaxy. There were a few other characters, but that one was the most rememberable.

As for the comment of men playing females as either sluts or lesbians... Well I've seen the same from female gamers. Granted I can only base this on the 2 female gamers I've ever meet personally. One almost always played a slut and the other often played a lesbian or just a man hater. Just my observation from my experience.

Currently in the Star Wars game I run online one of my male players is playing a female. He runs her as a bit flirty, but not slutty. All in all his female character usually acts fairly female like. Make of that what you will.

 

[Templetroll]

over the years (D&D since '79) I've played a few female characters.

an Eternal Champion of Law that was the MOST chaotic character I've ever played. My male dwarf, who was evil, went out to buy slaves to test a magic item. He ended up with two sisters, and he got a price break by agreeing to marry the 15 year old; her sister was 10. He figured the girls would die during the testing so no long term problem. Well... during the adventure one of the girls used the item to save his life but they all survived! Later, the dwarf died and I was "stuck" playing these two kids. The party took that dangerous item from her (a box that blasted out cold when opened) but left her with a Necklace of Strangulation!

While in the dungeon the party all advanced to fight ogres and left the girls behind them. the girls noticed the ogres coming up from behind the party, one paused to bash them. The 15 year old held up the necklace in offering to the ogre, smiling a pretty teen smile... first kill in that battle. The 10 year old ran up behind another ogre and backstabbed - the DM used hit location and she got it in the abdomen so *it* died also! The battle was so noisy and the girls were so stealthy, being without armor and all, they were able to kill a third ogre by the time the battle was over.

The 15 year old became an assassin, eventually 7(1e) then forced to become a fighter 16 and the Eternal Champion of Law ( I know, I KNOW! it was a lot of fun, though) She had several marriages, with NPCs and PCs, ended up married to the Eternal Champion of Chaos, who was soo calm and laid back and eventually retired to Tanelorn. She had several children that became noted NPCs and a couple of PCs. Her name was Lady Rowena Iceheart noh Toranaga Avatar Poluchek. FOr those who might care, Iceheart was the dwarf, noh Torunaga was the Shogun of Japan (based on the Gilbert and Sullivan version of Japan) Avatar was a PC wizard, they honeymooned in the Demonweb and the wizard was the only death (sigh) Vaclev Poluchek was the Eternal Champion of Chaos.

Different campaign I played a young Jewish wizard, Godiva, the Mildly Hysterical. She did well for herself, got married, gained a mountaintop holding and an iron golem. She made it to 10 level. She kept kosher well, which the DM found vastly amusing since I'm Christian.

Helen Highwater, the Hobbit Hooker - she went on one journey, married the sole survivor of the mercenary troop she was camp follower for and they opened an inn that catered to adventurers. They had several children together. She was a thief 6, btw.

A lesbian dwarf that really freaked my girlfriend of the time. Only played her for one scenario.

a female dwarf cleric in 3e that did very well helping to protect the party although the guy playing the dwarf fighter was *not* pleased. That entire party died trapped in a tomb with waaayyy too many undead.

There were others but there came to mind easily.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Eh....

It unnerves me, mostly because of the things that Billy mentioned. People latch onto stereotypes and images (which there's really nothing wrong with...I mean, what are classes?), and then play them without a shred of respect.

I've done it, and done it okay. A player of mine even played the evil lust interest of the evil rogue in the group without resulting to too much. They're reason "Hey, he's hot, she's hot, they're both evil, they'd probably get together...but we're not rp-ing the relationship!"

I try to encourage people to stick to their own gender. It's easier to play without being offensive. But I'll only forbid it if it becomes a problem.

You want to play a woman just so you can use sex to get your way? Okay. But don't be surprised when one of the female characters plays a guy who's only interested in sex and beating up stuff, either.

So I won't disallow it unless it becomes a problem. I've got no real problem with the women in my group (the majority) playing guys who are big, stupid, sexist pigs, and I've got no real problem with the guys in my group (the minority) playing sexed-up nympho lesbians.

D&D is about archetypes. Sexual archetypes are included in this. As long as everybody realizes it's fantasy and not realistic and not some kind of insult to the gender. As long as everyone's mature enough to deal with a little bit of immaturity, it's no big deal.

But if it ever becomes a big deal, I'll put a lid on it. IMXP, the guy who plays girls does so not because he's a great roleplayer, but because he likes to *think* he's a great roleplayer and playing a girl is some sort of badge of honor.

Besides, if you ever get the desire to play a girl, just play an elf. They're nearly the same thing anyway.