D&D 4E Women in 4E

[Geron Raveneye]

To compare, this is Achilles, the trojan hero, as he was depicted for his "fans" back then...not meant as an actual war illustration.

 

[Rechan]

My point is, the game (and its art) is total fantasy. If anybody wants to bring up "realism" let's know what we're really talking about. Pre-modern life was horrible. That's why we stopped living that way. We want fantasy worlds were people are clean, woman can keep full breasts past the age of 20, and there is a measure of gender equality. We want fantasy worlds were female armpit hair never needs to be depicted in paintings of barbarian women, and people don't die of the common cold.

Sigh.

The last time I checked, even in fantasy, fire burns, water's wet, and gravity still works. I could be just as hyperbolic as you and say "Since that's not FANTASTIC, let's throw it out." Anti-gravity for the win!

No matter how "Fantasy" you go, if you're a fighter and you walk out on the battlefield with naked thighs, a bare stomach and chest, you are going to die. We can skip the lecture on Medieval disease and talk about blatantly obvious things like getting stabbed in the stomach.

 

[Fenes]

No matter how "Fantasy" you go, if you're a fighter and you walk out on the battlefield with naked thighs, a bare stomach and chest, you are going to die. We can skip the lecture on Medieval disease and talk about blatantly obvious things like getting stabbed in the stomach.

I have to disagree. If the skimpy leather/robe works for rogues and mages in Fantasy, then there is no reason why a fighter could not do withouth armor either - especially a swashbuckler/duelist.

 

[Rel]

No matter how "Fantasy" you go, if you're a fighter and you walk out on the battlefield with naked thighs, a bare stomach and chest, you are going to die.

Unless you're maybe adding your Wis bonus to your AC.

And have a whip of pure PURPLE energy!

 

[Aloïsius]

That's a plate armor for a woman.

This one is already less realistic : note how her waist is accentuated

However, not all women were using armors when fighting during the middle age : Jeanne Hachette , another "Jeanne" who played a role in the 100 years war, was just happy with throwing an axe upon ennemy soldiers, and leading (successfuly) the women of Beauvais against the invading army of the Duc de Bourgogne.

 

[AllisterH]

I personally don't believe this.

As I've said before multiple times, I just think the "fighter in armor that shows her boobs and exposes her thighs" = bad. Skin for rogues/mages/psions/etc = okay. I've used this picture multiple times as an example of perfectly acceptable art. Though, I think there's a range that we can go: this is just tacky*.

*That's in a WotC book, btw.

*Strange*

I honestly think this picture

is less exploitative than this

I mean, the previous picture, at least she has full movement and nothing will fall out. Sure, she's showing skin but that's all she is showing. She can do flips, tumble and pretty much anything athletic in that outfit (looks like a slightly more risque lyrca sportwear for women)

The other one? Seriously, how the hell does she adventure? The first time she walks, we'll know if the curtains match the drapes. If she bends over, how the hell doesn't she fall out of that outfit?

 

[mara]

I will venture that most female gamers would NOT want to play a realistic warrior women, if they knew it meant binding their breasts, keeping themselves furry, and smelling like an old tin can all the time (from the vinegar and salt used to clean metal armor). Not to mention what they would stink like after a summer day, unshaven under layers of padding and metal in a world without deodorant.

So the secret of the stinky gamer reputation is a passion for historical accuracy?

Debating over which type of women are fit to be seen in public is not helping to dispell the sexist gamer image, people.

 

[Geron Raveneye]

The other one? Seriously, how the hell does she adventure? The first time she walks, we'll know if the curtains match the drapes. If she bends over, how the hell doesn't she fall out of that outfit?

Player: "I bend over to retrieve my wand from...uh...why are you rolling all those 20siders?"
DM: "All male opponents make a Will save to not be distracted for one round by the sight. All female opponents make a Will save or exclusively target you for a round."

 

[Clavis]

Debating over which type of women are fit to be seen in public is not helping to dispell the sexist gamer image, people.

Definitely NOT my intention. I just wanted to remind people what truly realistic would mean.

 

[AnonymousOne]

I personally don't believe this.

As I've said before multiple times, I just think the "fighter in armor that shows her boobs and exposes her thighs" = bad. Skin for rogues/mages/psions/etc = okay. I've used this picture multiple times as an example of perfectly acceptable art. Though, I think there's a range that we can go: this is just tacky*.

*That's in a WotC book, btw.

Right, but tacky =/= unacceptable, objectifying, and crude. It's just mildly irritating. So, how's about you give it a rest. There are several examples of females wearing things that I find to be completely acceptable.
Like this.

You're getting too worked up over this whole thing like there is some sort of vast TSR/WotC conspiracy to objectify women. Which is clearly on it's face absurd. The fact that certain artists have chosen to portray women in a tacky manner in no way is a reflection of the opinions of the company.

On a second note, we all know that sex sells and that in a fantasy setting people want to play as an attractive character Hell even the 10 CHA score types would rather think of themselves as socially awkward that ugly or simply average looking. *eyeroll* Get over the idea that everyone is trying to victimize everyone else.

-A1