Gender and Character Traits (m)

[TheAuldGrump]

You were without a tinfoil hat, again, weren't you? The martians were just waiting for their chance, you know. If we're lucky, THEY are not the cause of your diswontful craving and life as we know it may be safe. But that's just empty hope speakin'.

*Pulls off rubber mask, revealing a face like a friendly mind flayer*

Actually I am a Martian. In reality we do not want your planet - we want your moon. We shall use the cheese that forms its outermost crust to create the largest quiche in the galaxy.

The Auld Grump

 

[Greylock]

Large Hit Dice

Great Caesar's Ghost! What a way with words!

 

[I'm A Banana]

I personally think the question is sexist.

Isn't that kind of the point? To ID kind of the stereotypification that governs are archetypes, even if we give lip service to equality in most ways in the game?

 

[Falkus]

Well, far be it from me to contradict the majority opinion. Other: None.

 

[the Jester]

Interesting. Based on my votes, I seem to think of men as barbarians and women as bards.

Never knew that before.

 

[Rystil Arden]

As with the other list, I don't find any of these to be masculine. There were plenty of things you could have picked that I would have picked, though, but more of personality traits than actual mechanical ones. For instance, "More likely to kill first and ask questions later."

 

[Zander]

Men are stronger (higher STR) and more physically resilient (higher CON) on average. D&D uses a 3-18 scale which is probably high enough granularity to differentiate men from women on these two metrics, especially strength.

Men are also more physically aggressive and less adept at social interaction, again on average, though it's difficult to translate these into D&D terms. CHA doesn't really cover the latter because it deals, among other things, with leadership qualities and in this respect the sexes are pretty much the same.

Women do have better balance than men on average but men have superior hand-eye coordination and aim, so the net effect on DEX is no difference IMO.

In my experience, women have better Search skills.

 

[S'mon]

In my experience, women have better Search skills.

Hm, my wife always gets me to find her missing keys/wallet/passport/glasses for her.

OTOH she definitely has higher CON than me (doesn't help I took "-4 CON: debilitating back pain" back in 2000).

BTW I voted Higher Fort Save = "Stereotypically Masculine" even though IRL women live longer, are more disease resistant, less temperature-sensitive, etc than men, ie there is absolutely no scientific truth in this, more the reverse. I voted High Will Save = Feminine even though I doubt there's any real-world basis for that either.

 

[Zander]

BTW I voted Higher Fort Save = "Stereotypically Masculine" even though IRL women live longer, are more disease resistant, less temperature-sensitive, etc than men, ie there is absolutely no scientific truth in this, more the reverse.

Hello, S'mon
There's no connection between Fort and life expectancy (i.e. max age) in D&D except to the extent that a fort save might save your life. In other words, a human with a high Fort save is just as likely to live to 100 as someone with a low Fort save ceteris paribus.
While men are more prone to congenital conditions, they have immune systems that are less likely to mis-identify antigens. In practical terms, women are more prone to auto-immune conditions.
With regards to temperature sensitivity, women are more pain-resistant, but on a 1-20 scale the difference isn't large enough to register.

 

[Starglim]

Higher proportion of muscle to body fat, other things being equal, which they seldom are. Predisposed to be better at spatial perception. Less physically resistant in various ways that would translate to a lower Constitution in D&D.