Cross-gender PCs

[blargney the second]

I was at a local convention this weekend, and had my first experience in a looooong time with cross-gender PCs. Dear god, were there ever a lot of guys playing vaguely female characters.

Only one was actually kind of fun (and the most believable), while all the rest were prissy, judgemental, and unfun for everybody at the table, and one was also stupid and uber-slutty to boot. My big realization was that it was simply the players making an excuse to be bitchy in-game. But what a feeble, condescending, and disrespectful excuse! It was so incredibly not cool that I was actually kind of flabbergasted.

We've had an informal house-rule for years that you only play same-sex characters, and this weekend was certainly a good reminder of why that was in place.
-blarg

 

[Crothian]

There are some people who can do it just fine, so i never had a rule that would punish those people. However, I am very critical of people that want to do this (be them male or female). I have ran into way more bad players that like to do this then good ones. At conventions games I run people are always the same gender as they are because it is just easiest.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Everyone in our group has played either sex. We usually don't play any differently, the main reason for choosing sex is if we feel the personality/background feels better for male or female.

So yeah never had this rule, since never been a issue.

 

[Graybeard]

I have played in games where players who had cross gender PCs were horrible at playing them. Of course, they were usually bad role-players as well. I have played same gender pcs mostly but have played a couple of female pcs. It usually just depends on the back story I come up with that determines it.

 

[Stormborn]

Huh. I wonder if it comes from playing with mostly women, or the fact that at 36 I am the youngest, but we have all played PCs of the opposite gender. Never been an issue. No one ever said "oh a boy wouldnt do that" or "you arent playing her right." I can certainly see how it could be a problem with some people, just never has been for anyone I have ever played with.

EDIT: In fact a very common question when stating a new campaign is "Are you playing a boy or a girl?" with subsequent decisions made because of that.

 

[Remathilis]

We don't have a rule, but few people I have met have done so. I have done it myself as a one shot character, but rarely as a long-term PC. I've seen a few that back the stereotype you brought; bitchy and/or slutty (of course, I've seen a few female player play female PCs in the exact same way. )

 

[Bullgrit]

I'm male. As a DM I have routinely played a female character as the encounters require. As a Player I have occasionally played a female character as the concept comes to me.

I don't see a problem with playing a cross gender PC. It's no different than playing a cross race/species PC.

Even playing across genders with an exaggerated or stereotypical personality is no problem. A male Player playing a female character with a bitchy, prissy, or slutty personality is no more a crime than a male Player playing a male character with an aggressive, overbearing, or in-charge personality.

No one would tell a male Player with an aggressive male barbarian that he's playing the gender wrong. So why tell a male Player with a prissy female wizard that he's playing the gender wrong. Both are stereotypical (or archtypical) personalities for their gender.

As for "believable," hell, I can introduce you to Real World females who are "prissy, judgemental, and unfun for everybody at the table, and one was also stupid and uber-slutty". I can also introduce you to males who are antagonistic, dismissive, and unfun for everybody at the table, and at least one who is stupid and uber-lecherous.

Playing an exaggerated or stereotypical personality is half the fun of playing an RPG. Some people consider playing like this better than just playing themselves.

Bullgrit
Total Bullgrit

 

[Lord Mhoram]

I tend to play about 45% guys, 45% gals, and 10% other*.

I've been doing that from the point I started gaming (my second D&D character was a female). I've only run into one game that disallowed playing characters of other gender. Never understood it personally, but have read horror stories on the internet.

Never been a problem with any group I have ever been in.

* In superhero games I've played gender neutral robots for example, and right now am playing a man sized amoeba with no gender.

 

[Benben]

I'm always stunned when this thread topic comes up on the Enworld.

In every game I've ever played there has been cross-gender player or more at the table. It's never been a problem.

Encountering so many posters with the same gender rule always leaves me scratching my head.

 

[Vayden]

I'm always stunned when this thread topic comes up on the Enworld.

In every game I've ever played there has been cross-gender player or more at the table. It's never been a problem.

Encounter so many posters with the same gender rule always leaves me scratching my head.

Yep. Count me in with the lucky ones who have never run into this problem. Seen cross-gender done fine both ways, do it myself when I'm a player about 40% of the time, never run into anyone who had a problem with it. Although the time that I missed a session after my char died and I came back to find the party had reincarnated my male dwarf as a female halfling did create some interesting moments for him/her . . .