Sexism in D&D

[technoextreme]

It sounds to me like someone learned a new word today!

No. I'm just know how to use the correct terminology instead of spouting off "its biology" like someone whose never taken a biology class.

 

[S'mon]

Gender equality is perfectly realistic. Maybe it's true that the average female character should have lesser Strength than the average male character, however the average female player character is certainly much higher above the female average compared to how higher a male player character is above the male average, simply because female player characters are less numerous than male player characters.

That's my normal default assumption: the STR 16 female Fighter is mechanically balanced vs the STR 16 male Fighter, she's simply much further from the norm than he is. If you want to allow warrior-woman PCs then don't impose a female STR penalty. A STR cap might be ok, if set high enough, though probably not in 4e type systems that strongly encourage maxed-out STR in Fighters to be effective.

 

[Dausuul]

No kidding.

Hell i have a wife and 2 daughters at home. I'm outnumbered there. Gaming is something I do to get away from women for a few hours and hang out with the guys.

Ever since i stopped trying to date through gaming I find i actually dont want women at the table. Since my wife no longer plays she just gives me grief about going if theres too many women at the table and the game runs late or I dont answer the phone when she texts.

My ideal gaming group at this point in life looks like a sports bar. Guys, beer, pizza and a friggin mess that no one gives a crap about.

That explains a lot. However, this forum is a long way from your ideal. There are quite a few women on ENWorld--and quite a few men who don't share your desire for gaming to be a boys' club.

I'm not concerned with "impressing" the women at my gaming table. I'm concerned with them feeling like they're accepted and welcome as part of the group, and not putting unnecessary restrictions in the way of their playing the characters they want to play. Likewise, I want women in general to feel like they're accepted and welcome in D&D. If you want your gaming group to be "No Girls Allowed," that's your privilege (in more than one sense), but I hope the designers take a more inclusive view.

As far as realism is concerned, D&D already allows characters to transcend normal human limits in a variety of ways. A 20th-level fighter in 3E, unenhanced by magic, can climb, jump, fight, and walk all day while carrying 600 pounds of gear. We're not talking about real-world athletes; we're talking about heroes with heroic abilities.

 

[Piratecat]

I have so little patience for people who don't want women at their gaming table. You know what? Waah. It wouldn't be any more okay to say here if you substituted the word "women" with "gays," "blacks," or jews." It's still discriminatory. You're welcome to disagree, but do so privately because we won't tolerate that sort of exclusion on this site.

Every time this topic appears it reminds me why some women don't game, and it makes me want to ban people. As a result, I'm just closing it.

Klunk.