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.