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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JohnBrown" data-source="post: 752664" data-attributes="member: 2243">Count me among those that don’t allow cross gender characters, mainly for the reasons stated by Teflon Billy and fusginite have already stated.  In my case, call it a few bad apples spoiling the bunch.   If a few people behaving badly is usually seen by the masses as an acceptable reason to ban lots of things (pornography, firearms, drugs, fireworks, cars without seatbelts, etc.) in real life, the application of the same logic in this case shouldn’t be as big of a surprise as it is to some of you.  Granted, a male playing a female character isn’t likely to kill or maim anyone – like say a .32 might – but you get the general idea.  You don’t have to know someone who has been the victim of bad behavior, or witnessed it, to know that it goes on.  I have seen it, both firearms and gender crossing D&D, and it wasn’t pretty in either case.Simply put, it is a headache I don’t need.  It is a headache my players (male and female) have expressed they don’t want.  So, for the common good of my game, I don’t allow it.  It is only fair.  I do have to say, however, the “I wouldn’t play if I can’t play the opposite sex” argument just strikes me as a tad immature.  It’s kind of like saying “I won’t play Monopoly unless I get to be the thimble,” or “I won’t play Trivial Pursuit, unless I get to be the blue pie.”  My 6 year-old used to say things like that when we played Candyland.  Suffice it to say, we didn’t play Candyland for a while, until she learned to behave better.  I did the same thing when I was a child, so I guess the whole Bill Cosby routine about what you did as a child coming back to haunt you is truer than I wanted to believe. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  As far as the caveat of: “but what if they are mature, responsible people that have demonstrated that they can play cross-gender roles?”, try this scenario.  How would you feel if you were new to a group and didn’t get to play a female character, while others did, and the reason you got for this situation from your new DM was:  “You haven’t demonstrated to me that you can role-play a female (or male)?”   I don’t know about you, but I would feel pretty insulted by that.In addition, the issue of what sex a character has only really has importance if sexuality plays a part in your game.  It doesn’t in mine.  My dragons don’t care if you are a male or female, they are equal opportunity eaters.  Anyone trying to explore their sexuality through my game, is likely to receive a response something along the lines of “The Diamond Cabaret is just across the river, head over there if that is what you are looking for.  We’re here to play a game.”(Homer Simpson:  “I would like a ticket to St. Louis”Attendant:  “Don’t you mean East St. Louis?”Homer: “Is there any other?”  Sorry, that scene from the Simpsons just popped into my head)As far, as the whole “but gender forms the basis of thought” argument, I say it your character, you can have it behave anyway you want it too.  Who cares about real life tendencies (real or imagined)?  The fact that your character is male or female is as irrelevant to the rules of a D&D game as is your character’s hair color.  No extra feats.  No extra skill points to spend.  No ability modifiers (at least not since 1E).  Apply whatever personality characteristics to your character, as you want.  Want your character to give birth to a child?  Get yourself a wish spell if you are male and it is that important to you. Although, after watching someone go through labor, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone who didn’t really want to go through it <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />.Just in case anyone might interpret that last paragraph as reason to not to ban, think again.  It doesn’t justify you playing a gender-opposite it my game.  It is a statement about exploring character concepts without using the gender crutch.  Remember, just because most people don’t blow their fingers off with firecrackers, doesn’t convince me that it is a good idea to just hand them out to people willy-nilly. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  Lokigc, although I believe you have already made up your mind on this subject, if you want to ban cross-gender characters, then ban them.  It doesn’t make you close-minded, homophobic, or imply that you have unresolved issues about your mother.   Neither does playing cross gender roles make you open-minded, comfortable with your sexuality, or mean that you love your mother.  Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.  On the flip side, if you are ok with it, then have at.  Nobody is going to come take your D&D manuals in either case.</blockquote>

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