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Message: <blockquote data-quote="shadow" data-source="post: 6211000" data-attributes="member: 2182">As part of my graduate sociolinguistics class, I am examining the question of pronoun usage in D&D.  Most older D&D players will remember back to 1st and 2nd edition when the masculine pronoun (he, him, his) was used generically.  However, when 3e was released both masculine and feminine pronouns were used with the gender of the pronoun dependent on the character being described.  I remember the online debates provoked by this switch to both masculine and feminine pronouns.  Some players felt that it was more inclusive to female gamers while others felt that it sounded awkward. As part of my project, I'd like to hear your opinions on pronoun usage.  The way I understand it there are 4 main strategies for handling pronouns.1. The generic masculine.  All generic pronouns are masculine with the assumption that female characters are included.  (The traditional rule of English writing.)2. Switching between masculine and feminine pronouns.  There should be a balance between masculine and feminine pronouns, so some characters or situations should use a masculine pronoun and some should use a feminine pronoun.  (For example, the DM would be described by a feminine pronoun whereas players would be described with masculine pronouns.)3. Using 'they' as a generic.  Even when the referent is a singular, 'they' is used as a pronoun.4. Avoiding pronouns altogether.  This may get a little tricky because English speakers generally find it unnatural to repeat the subject over and over without resorting to a pronoun.I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter.</blockquote>

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