Angel Tarragon
Dawn Dragon
What you think it should be lowered to 18? I knew plenty of 18 year olds that were pretty darn immature and quite sexist.Lasher Dragon said:
When Bob wants to play a female PC
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Henry
Autoexreginated
It doesn't bother me, because, as a game, it's an issue similar to letting a player choose whether the character wears a baldric or a sword-belt. If your concept of your PC involves they be a woman instead of a man, then that's fine, too.
The only time I DO have a problem with it is if the player gets offensive with it. If the player starts trying to describe bedroom scenes, or playing misogynistically, or stereotyping, then I bring the game to a halt, talk to the player, and either the character changes behaviors or gets retired. But then, I also try to stop players who are trying to wreck others' fun, too.
Heck, I've played female PCs once in a while (I had a concept of a druid halfling female a couple years ago, and it worked well for the couple of games we played), and one player plays about 70% male, 30% female characters. It's never been an issue for us.
The only time I DO have a problem with it is if the player gets offensive with it. If the player starts trying to describe bedroom scenes, or playing misogynistically, or stereotyping, then I bring the game to a halt, talk to the player, and either the character changes behaviors or gets retired. But then, I also try to stop players who are trying to wreck others' fun, too.
Heck, I've played female PCs once in a while (I had a concept of a druid halfling female a couple years ago, and it worked well for the couple of games we played), and one player plays about 70% male, 30% female characters. It's never been an issue for us.
Barendd Nobeard
Explorer
Do you get just as spooked about women playing male characters? Just curious.
But, really, if it makes you uncomfortable in your game then don't allow it. Sounds like you handled it well (asking the player to change the gender, instead of ordering him to do so).
It never bothers me, but I don't think I've ever had a player make a cross-gender character.
But, really, if it makes you uncomfortable in your game then don't allow it. Sounds like you handled it well (asking the player to change the gender, instead of ordering him to do so).
It never bothers me, but I don't think I've ever had a player make a cross-gender character.
Belen
Legend
It happens in my games, although I am never that comfortable with it.
IME, males or females who play a character of the opposite gender usually cause minor problems. People tend to refer to the character with the pronoun that connects with the player rather than the character. It requires a bit more thought with NPC social interaction etc.
None of these problems are huge, but they do tend to cause a disconnect with the game. I find it much harder to get into the game when someone plays a character opposite their gender.
I will not ban it from my game, yet I reserve the right to ban it on an individual basis. Some people just cannot pull it off and I will not let them ruin the game for everyone. In that instance, the same goes with homosexual PCs. If the person cannot pull it off, then the answer would be no. I have had way too many bad experiences with people who choose a gender or sexual preference just to mock it or stereotype it.
IME, males or females who play a character of the opposite gender usually cause minor problems. People tend to refer to the character with the pronoun that connects with the player rather than the character. It requires a bit more thought with NPC social interaction etc.
None of these problems are huge, but they do tend to cause a disconnect with the game. I find it much harder to get into the game when someone plays a character opposite their gender.
I will not ban it from my game, yet I reserve the right to ban it on an individual basis. Some people just cannot pull it off and I will not let them ruin the game for everyone. In that instance, the same goes with homosexual PCs. If the person cannot pull it off, then the answer would be no. I have had way too many bad experiences with people who choose a gender or sexual preference just to mock it or stereotype it.
Angel Tarragon
Dawn Dragon
I should probably iterate that I am 28 going on 29 in exactly two months.
Lasher Dragon
First Post
Frukathka said:
I think that if someone is *mature* enough to be playing D&D in the first place, then there should be no issue with what gender they are playing. I mean, seriously, have you had that many problems with someone playing a gender other than their own? Even if you HAVE had a lot of problems, then the fault should rest solely on the DM for allowing the problems to continue. As Henry said, if someone were gaming anything - be it their own sex or the opposite - and were wasting everyone's time by delving into things normally left behind closed doors, then it is up to the DM to rectify the situation. That's not to say outlaw opposite-gender PCs, what I'm saying is this is something that would have to be dealt with on an individual basis. I would probably find the first such episode amusing (depending on how much it detracted from game), and subsequent episodes would get something along the lines of "OK, we don't need to spend a half hour seducing the bartender, let's get back to the game."
If that were not enough, well, I don't know what I would do, because quite frankly I don't play D&D with people too immature to listen to rules & what the DM says.
Destan
Citizen of Val Hor
It seems that most of the other folks that would have problems with this type of thing are concerned on grounds of whether the player would somehow mock/stereotype the proposed back-up character. I must admit - that's not the case, here. I think the player could probably play a pretty balanced and good female PC.
And with that admission, it looks like I lost my only somewhat "justified" defense for my actions.
The very fact I'm posting this question here is probably because, somewhere deep down, I feel guilty about asking the guy to change the back-up character's gender.
Please note his request didn't "spook" me. The Exorcist spooks me. Clowns spook me. This just, um, doesn't sit well. Again, I don't know why. As one of you kindly suggested, I should talk to my therapist. But he - er, she - is on vacation this week. So no help to be had down that path.
Another interesting question was whether I'd feel the same about a female player that wanted to play a male character. I don't know, to be honest. I've never run into that situation, and we don't have any female gamers in my current campaign.
I'd say a quick sampling of the replies thus far confirms my fears: I'm weird. I wish I were more surprised.
If you folks think this hang-up of mine is odd, you'd get a hoot from the fact that I mandate all my players wear muscle shirts during game nights. The only character classes I allow are artificer and...well, just artificer. And any time someone rolls a "9" I leap atop the table and hurl feces at them.
But I suppose those peccadillos belong in another thread.
Whee,
D
And with that admission, it looks like I lost my only somewhat "justified" defense for my actions.
The very fact I'm posting this question here is probably because, somewhere deep down, I feel guilty about asking the guy to change the back-up character's gender.
Please note his request didn't "spook" me. The Exorcist spooks me. Clowns spook me. This just, um, doesn't sit well. Again, I don't know why. As one of you kindly suggested, I should talk to my therapist. But he - er, she - is on vacation this week. So no help to be had down that path.
Another interesting question was whether I'd feel the same about a female player that wanted to play a male character. I don't know, to be honest. I've never run into that situation, and we don't have any female gamers in my current campaign.
I'd say a quick sampling of the replies thus far confirms my fears: I'm weird. I wish I were more surprised.
If you folks think this hang-up of mine is odd, you'd get a hoot from the fact that I mandate all my players wear muscle shirts during game nights. The only character classes I allow are artificer and...well, just artificer. And any time someone rolls a "9" I leap atop the table and hurl feces at them.
But I suppose those peccadillos belong in another thread.
Whee,
D
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