D&D 5E Roleplaying the opposite gender

[Sammael]

You could always just adjudicate that sexism doesn't exist in your game world. That solves the problem right there.

It does solve the problem, but the original post seems to suggest that sexism does exist and that it's an issue he's willing to explore. And I think it would be a pity not to explore it...

Though she is a female spy, do try not to use the "seductress" archetype. Yes, she will have probably used her sexuality sometimes to achieve her goals; no, it shouldn't be her defining characteristic because that's not a leadership quality. As a good leader, she must be a good judge of character - and because she is a fallen paladin, she probably has a penchant for discovering and eliminating threats. Perhaps she's a little paranoid, and perhaps she sometimes tests her own troops for loyalty - rewarding those who prove it, and severely punishing those who don't. Maybe she doesn't forget slights but allows the offenders to grow complacent before she takes revenge. It's hard to tell without more information about her... but maybe you can use Amanda Waller (DC comics) as inspiration?

 

[psychophipps]

The game world is a Banestorm knock-off set 50 years after the single biggest known magical event went catastrophically wrong.
She was in an area close to the Orcish territories when a major assault happened (which the secret magical event was supposed to stop) and was left to hold the Orcs off with the citizenry and a reasonable peacetime garrison. The Orcs and the Elvish forces realized no reinforcement was coming at pretty much the same time.
She basically went from fighting for honor, glory, and maintaining the beauty of Elvenkind to a D&D version of Stalingrad. Once you swap from defending others to just surviving at any cost, compromises are made. When you're forced into using depraved tactics that would turn an Orc's stomach, you leave the battle more than a little bit twisted.
Then you get back after finding out the full horror of 80%+ of the Elves wiped out in an instant, not knowing why, and humans now frolicking all over the place and assumptions start being made.
This is pretty much the character concept I'm running with.

Sent from my XT1254 using EN World mobile app

 

[Jester David]

My advice: when being a male going female, don't go higher, go softer. Quiet things down and avoid gruffness. A falsetto is more comedic.

Other than that, play the character not the gender. Find the individual and replay them, which may or may not be related to their sexuality.

General roleplaying tips apply. Find a quirk of the character to emphasise, either a physical tick or repeated phrase. Give them all a tell.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

My current character is a high elf woman, and my attempt at the voice of a high elven woman sounded a lot like famed chef Julia Child.

Nowadays, I don't even bother doing a voice and just roleplay the personality.

You know Julia Child was an OSS spy, right? Might be more appropriate for the thread than you think.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

So, the shortcut is to be more deliberate in your motions when portraying a woman than a man. Choose your words carefully, too. Women rarely cuss like a sailor.

Whut?

You clearly don't know many women.

 

[Mercule]

Whut?

You clearly don't know many women.

Maybe the part about exaggerations and generalities escaped you.

Or, maybe I just know more ladies.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Or, maybe I just know more ladies.

The entire concept of swearing is based on elitism and associating it with what constitutes a "lady" as opposed to "not a lady" thus becomes grossly sexist.

 

[happyhermit]

The entire concept of swearing is based on elitism and associating it with what constitutes a "lady" as opposed to "not a lady" thus becomes grossly sexist.

Only if the same standard is not applied to what constitutes a "gentleman".

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Only if the same standard is not applied to what constitutes a "gentleman".

First of all, it's not, and second of all, even if it was it would still be based on an elitist concept of "right" and "wrong" language.

And before anyone jumps in, consider that I qualified my statement with elitism, not racism. Racist words being right and wrong is an entirely different concept to elitist language discrimination.

In other words, just because you swear, does not make you a lesser person, with lower intelligence or capability. Being racist, on the other hand, does all of that.

 

[Iain_Coleman]

You're right that trying to do a falsetto is going to sound rubbish. Just not worrying about changing your voice at all is a perfectly valid and workable option. However, if you do want to try to differentiate, you could try this trick. Do all the male NPCs in a lower register, and the female NPCs in your more usual register. That way there will be a vocal distinction, but it won't sound unnatural.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

You could always just adjudicate that sexism doesn't exist in your game world. That solves the problem right there.

But--but--but what if the elvish Delta Force really needs tough warriors and is concerned that females can't have over 18/50 Strength?!?

 

[ExploderWizard]

Just play the character as if she were male and remove reason, and accountability.




What? No Nicholson fans here?

Seriously though, using a normal voice is fine. I am enjoying playing a female charlatan in a WHFRP 1st ED game right now.

 

[happyhermit]

First of all, it's not, and second of all, even if it was it would still be based on an elitist concept of "right" and "wrong" language.
...

Not looking for a debate on the subject, as it's relatively OT, just was pointing out that your statement was incorrect;

The entire concept of swearing is based on elitism and associating it with what constitutes a "lady" as opposed to "not a lady" thus becomes grossly sexist.

It doesn't "thus" become "grossly sexist", it could only become sexist if the standard does not apply to the distinction of gentlemen/not-gentlemen as well. Whether or not that is or isn't the case depends on culture and many factors, but wasn't the point.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

...just was pointing out that your statement was incorrect;

No, you just didn't understand it.

It doesn't "thus" become "grossly sexist", it could only become sexist if the standard does not apply to the distinction of gentlemen/not-gentlemen as well. Whether or not that is or isn't the case depends on culture and many factors, but wasn't the point.

You should really try to comprehend something before trying to "correct" it.

Here, I'll quote myself again to remind you of what I actually said:

First of all, it's not, and second of all, even if it was it would still be based on an elitist concept of "right" and "wrong" language.

So let's break this down:

I first refer to the notion that it's only sexist if it doesn't apply to gentlemen as well. My reply is that it does not apply and that a "gentleman" swearing is perfectly acceptable behaviour because of the different standards applied to men versus women.

I then–and this is really the key point here because there are two separate concepts being addressed and you need to be able to differentiate between them in order to understand the point–say that even if the standard was applied to men as well, it would still be elitist.

Elitism is not sexism, even though sexism is a form of elitism.

Putting someone down for swearing is elitism, whether done to a man or a woman.

Do you get it now or do I have to explain it in simpler fashion?

 

[happyhermit]

No, you just didn't understand it.


You should really try to comprehend something before trying to "correct" it.

Here, I'll quote myself again to remind you of what I actually said:


So let's break this down:

I first refer to the notion that it's only sexist if it doesn't apply to gentlemen as well. My reply is that it does not apply and that a "gentleman" swearing is perfectly acceptable behaviour because of the different standards applied to men versus women.

I then–and this is really the key point here because there are two separate concepts being addressed and you need to be able to differentiate between them in order to understand the point–say that even if the standard was applied to men as well, it would still be elitist.

Elitism is not sexism, even though sexism is a form of elitism.

Putting someone down for swearing is elitism, whether done to a man or a woman.

Do you get it now or do I have to explain it in simpler fashion?

There really is no need to insult my intelligence, if it makes you feel better about yourself that's fine, but it is unnecessary.

Where you quote yourself to repeat what you "actually said" you are referring to a post that I never was "correcting" to begin with. If you will read my posts it should be quite clear that I never argued about elitism. So what you are supposedly trying to explain to me I never expressed any issues with, unlike the section I actually quoted twice, highlighted, underlined and explained. I don't think I can make it any more clear and you seem unwilling to see it so we should probably leave it here and let the thread go back to it's original topic.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

There really is no need to insult my intelligence, if it makes you feel better about yourself that's fine, but it is unnecessary.

Then don't try to correct someone when you don't even understand the subject matter.

 

[Morrus]

Then don't try to correct someone when you don't even understand the subject matter.

You are being particularly obnoxious. If you can't be polite, you'll be invited to leave the thread.

 

[Li Shenron]

Hey,
Im having trouble with something I know a lot of people have trouble with when roleplaying which is as Im sure you can guess... Roleplaying the opposite gender (which in this case would be females). So I was wondering if anybody had any tips or tricks, oh and I should mention that I am a Dungeon Master that gives "voices" to my characters and this is where I am having most of my trouble. Thanks in advance. Leave you tips in the comments.

My suggestion is: do not focus on the character gender, instead pick a known real-life person or existing character from a movie/book (without telling anybody), and think of her/him while roleplaying your character. Let's say you're playing a female Wizard, you could choose for example Lana Parrilla's "Evil Queen" from Once Upon a Time or Cate Blanchett's Galadriel*, and then just say what you think she would say in the way you think she would say that! You don't need to mimic the voice pitch at all, you can mimic the accent (but not necessarily), but just imagine you're seeing her on the screen and your roleplaying will be affected.

*But anyone can do really... you could pick Rachel from Friends, Judy Dench, or Piggy from Sesame Street and they will work for a Wizard just as well, only differently.

 

[Bitbrain]

. . . 18/50 Strength?!?

I'm not familiar with this reference. Is it something from an earlier version of D&D?

As far as voicing someone of the opposite gender, everyone at my table either softens their voice (if guy playing female), or deepens it (if girl playing male).

 

[Mercule]

I'm not familiar with this reference. Is it something from an earlier version of D&D?

Yeah. In 1E AD&D, there were different stat caps by sex. Female humans couldn't get as high of a strength as males could. As far as the 18/50 part goes, the best way to explain it, if you aren't familiar, is that there was some space in between 18 and 19 (for strength, only) that was measured with a percentile. It was kinda wonky. I can't remember whether anything besides strength had a sex-based cap, and it probably isn't particularly important.

Much internet blood has already been spilled on the matter of whether sex-based caps to stats is sexist in all cases, in only some cases, or whether game simplicity and narrative license should trump whatever realism may or may not be present. Hopefully, we can avoid yet another tangent that isn't helpful to the OP's question. (Note: I think both the quip and the request for info are fine. Just calling out the "no politics" rule.)