Eberron: no sexism

[S'mon]

Frankly, NPCs don't really have any genuine rights - in any game setting. However, players do - they have the right to be entertained. And if their characters are being subject to sexism, their enjoyment of the game might or might not suffer, depending on the player and the situation. Hence the disclaimer.

My impression is that players/GMs like Buzz won't stand for female NPCs being subject to sexism, unless it's as a critique of sexism. Personally I don't like subjecting PCs to sexism unless that's what the player wants, so I'll look for ways to avoid it in-game; usually by running "You are treated as what you act like" cultures - eg most women may be at home rearing children, but if the female PC acts like a competent warrior, she's treated as a competent warrior. It seems to me that that was historically very common, certainly far less of a stretch than trying to run no-sexism societies that still bear any resemblance to any historical societies.

 

[hong]

My impression is that players/GMs like Buzz won't stand for female NPCs being subject to sexism, unless it's as a critique of sexism.

You say that like it's a negative thing.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

My impression is that players/GMs like Buzz won't stand for female NPCs being subject to sexism, unless it's as a critique of sexism.

Well, I hope my treatment of it in Urbis qualifies - it should be pretty clear from reading that many social customs people adhere to and believe in within the setting are wrong and often just plain disgusting. But just how much social commentary the GM wants to use for his own campaign is up to him.

 

[ssampier]

I find it hard to believe that in a world where combat consists of hitting people with swords and where war is relatively common women would be treated exactly like men. Concripting females into an army during a long term war is suicidal for a nation as it would severely reduce birthrate. As such, in my Eberron campaign women were never conscripted and only during the latter years of the war, when the nations were desperate, were they allowed in the infantry at all. However, no one has ever doubted a womans ability to run a business, study magic, or lead a nation.

Maybe, but why bring of the nastiness of the real-world into it? Further, the genders of the gods are fairly equitable, so why assume the world can be fairly equitable?

I think there's no reason to punish a female character because it's more "realistic".

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Maybe, but why bring of the nastiness of the real-world into it? Further, the genders of the gods are fairly equitable, so why assume the world can be fairly equitable?

I think there's no reason to punish a female character because it's more "realistic".

Well, bigots make great targets for cathartic release. After all, wish fulfillment has been a part of RPGs from the start, so why not dealing with your frustration at real life sexism by beating up (or otherwise showing up) a sexist NPC?

 

[Nifft]

I think there's no reason to punish a female character because it's more "realistic".

Right. You should only punish female characters if it's more fun.

Spoiler

Like in Gor: The Spanking.

-- N

 

[buzz]

Well, bigots make great targets for cathartic release. After all, wish fulfillment has been a part of RPGs from the start, so why not dealing with your frustration at real life sexism by beating up (or otherwise showing up) a sexist NPC?

I can understand this. My main concern are the rules themselves and the treatment of PCs. PCs are exceptional people in the setting. As for NPCs, well, a good game needs villains, so they obviously can't be all shiny happy people.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

I can understand this. My main concern are the rules themselves and the treatment of PCs. PCs are exceptional people in the setting. As for NPCs, well, a good game needs villains, so they obviously can't be all shiny happy people.

Well, I didn't introduce any rules for sexism in Urbis - just flavor text. Mind you, some organizations won't let women join (and the reverse is true as well), but that's about it.

Incidentally, it's humans who tend to be the most sexist in the setting - the other races tend to be more egalitarian than humanity. This ranges from the clear but equal gender roles of halflings, to the pragmatic approach of gnomes ("We don't really care about this one way or another, but since it matters to those humans we will play along with it in their territory for our benefit"), to the relatively minor discrimination among the dwarves (all professions are open to both genders, but women are still expected to give birth to at least two children and rearing them, thus making it harder for them to reach the top of their profession), to the truly egalitarian approaches of both elves and hobgoblins.

So it's easy to sneer at the stupidity of sexism even within the setting - just play a nonhuman, and you can look down on the stupidity of it all...

 

[Particle_Man]

IIRC, Keith has suggested that a pregnant changeling can't change to male. That would open a can of worms best left unopened.

"It's not a tumor!" {/Arnold Swartzenegger}

 

[S'mon]

You say that like it's a negative thing.

I don't mind either way.