Playing cross-gender PCs

[Falkus]

Many stupid jokes at my characters expense.

If you want stupid jokes, try playing a female lasher.

 

[Abraxas]

OK, having read all these gender threads around at the moment, I have 2 questions.

Exactly what is the challenge of playing a character of the opposite sex as yourself?

Can someone give me an example of a character concept that requires it be female or male only (that isn't due to a campaign restriction)? die_kluge's example at the beginning of a female personna better fitting a naive, youthful character is lost on me.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I have played a misogynist ghost who only possessed women (based on an Arlo Guhtrie song, of all things);

Which song? Haven't heard many, though.

Anyway. I haven't played a female character, and for adventurers, to me, it doesn't matter too much. These are people who put themselves in harm's way for a living, getting smashed and hurt and endangered. What does it matter the shape of the body?

OR These are socially distant, unconnected people usually. So, gender role doesn't matter quite so much as skills.

Although I am loath to make a NPC fighter or barbarian female ...just seems odd because IRL, women are definitely at a disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat.
But then, erhaps the harsher world of D&D changes that...

 

[fusangite]

Only 3-6% (likely 3.5%) of the people who have responded to this poll are female. What does that say?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Only 3-6% (likely 3.5%) of the people who have responded to this poll are female. What does that say?

That less females have voted...?

 

[Oryan77]

This poll doesn't really tell you much except support the fact that rpgers are "creepy" "abnormal" people in general. It's embarassing enough that us grown men hang out together pretending to be warriors & spellcasters of various races. It doesn't help our image anymore when the general public knows that most of you grown men pretend to be women too.

 

[Harmon]

Who, exactly, is saying no cross-gender PCs? I see about 30% of the responses to the poll have been "I only play PCs my own gender" does that constitute them barring cross-gender PCs? Seems like specious reasoning to me. Of the replies to the thread only one has said they discourage cross-gender PCs that I can tell. Does that imply a lack of imagination? I think you might be projecting a little much into the actual results of the poll.

I guess I project everything <shrug>

Thank you for clearing up my confusion, regarding why so many- I mean, just a few get.... not sure what to call it without coming off like an a whole.

Reason why I did not ask this in the other thread was there was an obvious tone about the thread that I would prefer to avoid. I thank you for keeping your tone kind and considerate.

I guess I should have taken a count and figured the percentage, my humblist of apologizes, it just seems that so many people were "cross gender character" bashing, I guess it was just a few of people.

 

[Psychic Warrior]

That less females have voted...?

What?! How can that be!

 

[Psychic Warrior]

I guess I project everything <shrug>

Thank you for clearing up my confusion, regarding why so many- I mean, just a few get.... not sure what to call it without coming off like an a whole.

Reason why I did not ask this in the other thread was there was an obvious tone about the thread that I would prefer to avoid. I thank you for keeping your tone kind and considerate.

You're welcome. The other thread is simply a spin off of a spin off thread so I haven't read ,uch of it past Crothian's post. I don't think this poll is terribly scientific but it's the internet so you gotta have a huge salt lick handy when reading anything into it.

I guess I should have taken a count and figured the percentage, my humblist of apologizes, it just seems that so many people were "cross gender character" bashing, I guess it was just a few of people.

Nah, nothing to apologize for. Sometimes the 'devil's advocate' side can get things a little hot but I don't think anyone got 'burned' here. Actually it's been a fascinating discussion as my experience with cross-gender PCs has been limited (and not terribly favourable). Maybe I should be the one saying ban 'em all!

 

[Corsair]

I read the entire other thread but never posted. I'm male, but play female characters "often". I'd say about 40% of my characters are female. I actually used to only play male characters up until college, when I decided I was reusing too many old ideas. In an effort to expand my collection of character concepts, I've included gender and sexual persuation as a possible variable.

I am currently playing a male human druid in one game, and a female middle-aged grey elf wizard/loremistress in another. (yeah, even my female characters are munchy, so sue me) I do my best to avoid playing into stereotypes too much, and I hate the cross-gendered oversexed bimbo stereotype, so my Loremistress is being played as a subdued, bookish librarian type of noble blood, who occasionally lets her emotions get the better of her (resulting in occasional rash acts such as storming the). Ironically, she is in fact a lesbian, and has a crush on the NPC lady paladin in our group, but she's afraid to "come out of the closet" so to speak, for a number of reasons (not the least of which is the fact that the lady paladin is an otherwise good friend who she would hate to make uncomfortable if her feelings became known).

I like to believe that I play all my characters with enough depth of character and complex, realistic emotion that none of them are too stereotypical or cardboard cut outs, regardless of gender. They are more than just numbers on a page to me, but in fact living breathing people, even if only in my mind.

Ok, so maybe I'm a nut, so sue me.