D&D General I really LOVE Stomping Goblins

[Gradine]

Some of my personality choices are inherently predetermined by my gender which is the result of my genetics. Therefore, according to your own words above, I cannot be sapient. Nor can anyone else who has a gender or is gender neutral.

I'ma stop you right there. First, your sex is determined by your genetics, not your gender. Second, personality is not tied to sex at all, but to gender, which is entirely socially constructed.

There are tons of ways to poke holes in "sapient creatures can't have inherent traits", but this definitely isn't the business. For instance, I'm inherently hot AF.

With regards to personality and free will and choice, well yeah, the debate of nature vs nurture has not been settled, but I think most people have settled the answer lies somewhere in the framing of "both, but..."

 

[Lanefan]

But people want their cuddly puppy PCs, ...

The nearest I've ever got to a cuddly-puppy Goblin was when a party killed an Ogre and on looting its lair found a stuffed Goblin in its bed, which it had been using as a teddy bear.

 

[Cadence]

The nearest I've ever got to a cuddly-puppy Goblin was when a party killed an Ogre and on looting its lair found a stuffed Goblin in its bed, which it had been using as a teddy bear.

Like fake stuffed, or like taxidermied?

 

[Vaalingrade]

Like fake stuffed, or like taxidermied?

With diced mushrooms and cream cheese.

 

[Gradine]

I once had an evil PC hafling who wore dwarven hide

 

[Lanefan]

New plan: goblins are enchanted to polymorph anyone who kills them permanently into goblins.

Most. Bizarre. Reproduction. Method. Ever!

Love it!

 

[Maxperson]

I'ma stop you right there. First, your sex is determined by your genetics, not your gender. Second, personality is not tied to sex at all, but to gender, which is entirely socially constructed.

There are tons of ways to poke holes in "sapient creatures can't have inherent traits", but this definitely isn't the business. For instance, I'm inherently hot AF.

With regards to personality and free will and choice, well yeah, the debate of nature vs nurture has not been settled, but I think most people have settled the answer lies somewhere in the framing of "both, but..."

Gender is also influenced by genetics.

Neurobiology of gender identity and sexual orientation - PMC

Sexual identity and sexual orientation are independent components of a person’s sexual identity. These dimensions are most often in harmony with each other and with an individual’s genital sex, although not always. The present review discusses the ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Behavioral Genetics: Gender bender

New research suggests genes and prenatal hormones could have more sway in gender identity than previously thought.

www.apa.org

Genes Influence Gender Identity

Hormones are not the only influence in sexual development and identity.

www.psychologytoday.com

Genetics of gender identity

Gender identity is the gender with which a person identifies. Studies suggest that prenatal hormonal or postnatal social determinants affect gender identity. This project is investigating the role of genes in patients with gender identity disorders. Currently, the team is undertaking genetic...

hudson.org.au

 

[Cadence]

With diced mushrooms and cream cheese.

The non-demi-human party in one recent game was dining with a hobogoblin tribe in the caves of chaos, and was offered adventuring company members for dinner...

 

[Lanefan]

You can't be a sapient being with the ability to make choices and also be 'inherently' anything. That's not how any of those words work.

Sure you can - you can be inherently [whatever] and still have the ability to make detailed, nuanced, and intelligent choices as to how you go about being that [whatever].

 

[Maxperson]

2) Everyone clearly knows I wasn't talking about physical characteristics and this is just a disingenuous reading.

Bull. You bolded, "Let's presume a goblin is a sapient being with the ability to make choices but is also inherently evil." in your response to @Reynard's post and then gave the response that you can't be sapient if anything is inherent. You were talking about "inherently evil" which is NOT a physical characteristic. Below is the link to your post so you can refresh your memory.

D&D General - I really LOVE Stomping Goblins

Regrettably, I did. I know you're referring to the band of ex troopers on Endor. Compared to the sheer number of stormtroopers in the galaxy, that is certainly "a few". Comparable to the number of "good drow" PCs and characters from Salvatore novels. I wouldn't use them as the exception that...

www.enworld.org