D&D 4E Women in 4E

[RPG_Tweaker]

Lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater eh? Magic works in D&D. Monsters exist. We get that. It doesnt mean everything is automatically gonzo wahoo crazytime.

Thus the inevitable, "how much reality in fantasy" argument begins...

Certain assumptions about reality MUST be abandoned to accept a fantasy world.

Each player around the table must be willing to suspend their disbelief to accept elves, wizards, and dragons. We define our own levels of acceptance or rejection. Despite accepting all the other wild bits of unreality that are clearly laid out in D&D, some people still have "lines" they don't care to cross. i.e. Some players incorporate these outrageously huge "buster swords" as okay, while many don't.

I'm definitely not interested in getting in a fight over the innumerable intricacies that make one bit of non-reality (magic) okay to say, "WTF I accept," but another (chainmail bikini) suddenly some form of apocalypse.

Suffice it to say, one person's ideas of what's not plausable is highly suspect when the whole basis of the discussion is about a game that is simply not plausable.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

"Hookerplate Boobmail" is my favorite phrase of the thread.

I ran one adventure where a couple of npcs wore Boobmail. The adventure took place in a gladiatorial arena, and in the training room, the PCs saw a couple of women "sparring", one a 'high' elf in gold bikini armor, and the other at first glance a drow in similarly revealing silver and black armor. A slightly longer look at the close range afforded there revealed that the "drow" was a human woman in a wig and extensive makeup, and the two of them were not sparring but practicing a well choreographed fight scene. They were the professional wrestlers of the gladiatorial world and treated with contempt by the ranked competitors, male and female alike.

Not to say that the other gladiators were above flashy and distinctive armor, but hookerplate was not an option for serious competitors.

 

[GreatLemur]

Titillation IS common sense when marketing to teen boys as your PRIMARY demographic.

Maybe I'm alone in this, but that ain't really the road I want to see this game go down. Nor is it the one that I think would be most profitable for it.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Thus the inevitable, "how much reality in fantasy" argument begins...

Certain assumptions about reality MUST be abandoned to accept a fantasy world.

But why automatically assume that its the case? I mean, maybe people explode into piles of gold that reform into corpses moments later after being killed. Would you defend that with the same argument?

Hey, its FANTASY! ANYTHING GOES! Leave your brains at the door folks, because its fantasy. Dont like it? Tough, wizard did it.

 

[Voadam]

Sometimes I get tired of posting the same pics over and over again...

He was critiquing a paizo series of fantasy art pictures. Not a Pozas one.

 

[RPG_Tweaker]

I sort of agree with this from a cold, hard, marketing perspective. But how far are you going to take this?

I'm not taking it anywhere. All I said was that I understand why WotC has apparently decided to capitalize on it. Sex sells.

I myself would've preferred something more akin to the 1E PHB.

I mean, honestly, if I have to hear one more time about "this one gamer chick I know who totally doesn't mind chainmail bikinis, in fact, she players characters who wears them and one time she wanted to roleplay sex!" I swear I'll snap.

Really‽‽ I'm sorry for you. I must be quite lucky to never have met such a sad creature.

Also, please avoid writing this

Titillation IS common sense when marketing to teen boys as your PRIMARY demographic.

and this

Wow, a sexist generalization of males. How deep.

so close together.

Eeeee.... Well, I guess I have the dichotomies of the situation rattling around in my noggin as well.

 

[DandD]

Fine. I wil continue to pour derision on the assertion that a woman in skimpy armor is a whore; it is prudish & sexist.

Seeing as these fictional drawn woman in skimpy armor in especially reveling poses are nothing more than eye-candy meant for males in the first place, I see no problem in depicting them to be nothing more than whores. Prudish and sexist it may be, but true nonetheless.

 

[RPG_Tweaker]

Maybe I'm alone in this, but that ain't really the road I want to see this game go down. Nor is it the one that I think would be most profitable for it.

I agree completely... I don't support it, I was just suggesting that that is the current fashion to sell everything nowadays.

It's why practically every TV show is filled with teen-models, and somehow beer will make you sexxxy.

 

[RPG_Tweaker]

But why automatically assume that its the case? I mean, maybe people explode into piles of gold that reform into corpses moments later after being killed. Would you defend that with the same argument?

Hey, its FANTASY! ANYTHING GOES! Leave your brains at the door folks, because its fantasy. Dont like it? Tough, wizard did it.

You must've missed the rest of my post...

Despite accepting all the other wild bits of unreality that are clearly laid out in D&D, some people still have "lines" they don't care to cross.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater eh? Magic works in D&D. Monsters exist. We get that. It doesnt mean everything is automatically gonzo wahoo crazytime. Physics *generally* operate as they do in our world. Water flows downhill, and armor plates designed to deflect blows INTO unarmored areas will do so as well.

Or maybe the armor is made from whatever magic operates on shields of missile attraction, and all blows are automatically drawn into the metal bits. Yeah... thats the ticket!

For the record, that's how I've explained the operation of +X armour for the last 3 editions.