Is this offensive?

[S'mon]

Though the real issue is that - for whatever reason - you're trying to deny the existence of a basic and extremely significant physiological difference, which (since I'm a biologist by training) simply drives me nuts. It's like listening to someone argue against the theory of evolution.

Since the very large male-female median STR disparity in humans is directly observable in everyday life, as well as in all statistical records (eg all STR-based sports) I think it's a lot more egregious than arguments against the theory of evolution; speciation through natural selection is not something we observe in our daily lives.

BTW re female CON bonus; while there are good arguments for this, when I was doing military training along with female trainees it was often observed that the women were injured more easily, especially they got more broken bones, and this was due to less muscle mass sheathing their bones. In D&D terms women have fewer hit points IRL than men, but D&D HP are based purely off CON, not STR. If you want a system where women get a CON bonus then STR should apply to HP. I'd suggest a more realistic approach is giving women a Fortitude save bonus.

Edit: To reiterate, I'm not in favour of stat bonuses or penalties by sex for PCs. For NPCs though it would be useful to be provided with suggested medians for typical NPCs so I don't have to work out myself that eg the human male heavy infantryman at the bar is likely to have higher STR than the working girl on his lap.

 

[mara]

I promised myself I wouldn't read this one.

So here's one of the big questions--why should women get a +1 cha (even a bonus to bluff checks against men)?

And as to the question of who thinks a built naked man looks good? Well, uh, that would be me. Out-of-shape, well, not so much. But woohoo! there's another Bowflex commercial on...
.

Side effect of thinking straight men are the default setting of humanity, with painful implications for their personal relationships were it true. Women being attractive to some men and women isn't some weird power or advantage because men are also attractive to some women and men. It washes out.

 

[S'mon]

Side effect of thinking straight men are the default setting of humanity...

For standard D&D type games it makes sense to have (straight) young adult human males as the statistical default. For a game based off 'Tales of the City' or 'Sex and the City' or 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm' or 'The Wind in the Willows' the default should be different. Eg in a Sex and the City game all PCs would be sedentary females and the system probably wouldn't even have a STR stat as it wouldn't be relevant to play. Male NPCs would be defined by rudimentary stat blocks to aid interaction with the female PCs.

 

[loseth]

Side effect of thinking straight men are the default setting of humanity, with painful implications for their personal relationships were it true. Women being attractive to some men and women isn't some weird power or advantage because men are also attractive to some women and men. It washes out.

Actually, the suggested +1 Cha has absolutely nothing to do with attractiveness, as clearly stated in the OP.

Somebody posted without reading the OP...

 

[mara]

Actually, the suggested +1 Cha has absolutely nothing to do with attractiveness, as clearly stated in the OP.

Somebody posted without reading the OP...

Which was followed by people claiming men are naturally repulsive.

 

[pawsplay]

Instead, I'd be more inclined to give females a +1 Dex and males a -1 Dex (several studies have shown that women do have better reflex response times).

Show me. I have a BA in psychology and my knowledge of psychometrics is that, barring neurological defects, most people have about the same response time.

Also, my experience with combat sports suggests this is not the case. While women are slightly overrepresented in the top fighting ranks in proportion to women participating overall, men still dominate thanks to their demographic advantage. At least in Amtgard and SCA, experience suggests men and women have the same Dex score.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Now, getting away from strength, I wouldn't be inclined to give bonuses/penalties to Charisma. I'd be more inclined to give men a bonus to Intimidation and women a bonus to Diplomacy. I wouldn't touch either of the mental statistics either, since measuring them is unreliable and the sex that got the penalty would be insulted. Instead, I'd be more inclined to give females a +1 Dex and males a -1 Dex (several studies have shown that women do have better reflex response times). I'd also leave Con alone, it's debatable which gender can last longer (though I'll admit, I don't really follow endurance sports like marathons or mountain biking, so my info here is sketchy).

First, odd bonuses are bad things in 3E that lead to abuse. And why would women get a blanket diplomacy bonus against homosexual men? (Or men get an intimidation bonus? Against other guys? Huh? Take the skill points--that's what they're for.) It's not like they can exploit some kind of inherent weakness in all men--I'm almost notoriously blind to women unless I know them. Why wouldn't it be a situational bonus at best?

 

[Dinkeldog]

Actually, the suggested +1 Cha has absolutely nothing to do with attractiveness, as clearly stated in the OP.

Somebody posted without reading the OP...

Unfortunately I read all 6 pages before posting. Cost me 1d4 san...

 

[diaglo]

Unfortunately I read all 6 pages before posting. Cost me 1d4 san...

roll again too mang. you came back.

 

[pawsplay]

You know the 3e rules give quadrupeds a big bonus to carrying capacity?

But not to Str. Just as a for instance, the only bonus a horse gets to a Trip attempt is its size.