I'm female and I tend to play a lot more female characters, but my male characters generally wind up being my favorites.
Yes, the whole 'ran away from home to become an adventurer/prove myself to my family/defy my critics instead of marrying a man three times my age for politics' character concept kind of falls over if you don't have that gender distinction in society, and that matters to some players.
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Yes, the whole 'ran away from home to become an adventurer/prove myself to my family/defy my critics instead of marrying a man three times my age for politics' character concept kind of falls over if you don't have that gender distinction in society, and that matters to some players.
Although Monty Python and the Holy Grail shows us a young *male* heir who wants to escape such a fate.
"Oh. I'm terribly sorry, sir. I thought your son was a lady!"
"Well, I can understand that."
:)
Granted, I think I'd rather play a female character, than risk a terribly offensive caricature of a gay man...
Did you see the bride-to-be? You wouldn't have to be gay to not want to marry her ... ;)
Personally, I only played a woman twice in a Chthulhu roleplay. She was a femme fatale with a drug problem and loose sexual morales. It took me great effort to stay in the female mindset, but I had loads of fun doing so. She died however (actually, she was wiped from history so no one remembered her) and the next thing I knew, I was playing the girlfriend of one of the other characters. This was fun as well because this girl was more housewife-like and caring towards others.
But I also played with a group for a while in which two group members almost exclusively played women. But they could not roleplay them... I think that if you play a woman you must have the balls (pun intended) to create her personality as a woman, which is hard for a man (and vice versa)...
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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I 'flip back and forth' a lot, but for me, playing a female, and doing it right, is a character study. I often observe how women act, to better RP habits.
My only attempt at playing a gay character suffered from Matt stupidity.
"Thank you ladies, the pleasure was all mine. And in the end, that's all that matters!"
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I used to disallow opposite gender characters in my game because of some bad experiences. I've never been in a game where a male player played a female character the same way a female player would have... and vice versa. Usually it just ended up being a stereotype which offended the other genders at the table.
I'm more open to it nowadays... though I haven't run into it too much in home games that I'm in. I've been lucky that I've always had players of both genders at the table so there's been less of a need for someone to play an opposite sex character in an attempt to diversify the group.
I see opposite gender characters more often in Pathfinder Society but there's not as much roleplaying going on there so it often doesn't matter if your male or female or neither or both really.
as a GM i have to play female characters all the time anyway and i like to play females as my own characters, too. i have a heavy roleplaying party, so it really differs which sex you're playing and both is fun.
I admit I typically play more males than females. My reason is simple: I'm better at it. I do get some practice in from time to time, though a lot of my character concepts seem like a more "male" character, I have thought about making some of them female, in particular a polearm fighter who tended to have a very military mindset and was very "cranky", and my spellsword who was a knight, though I figured I could play the code of chivalry more to the hilt if I was male, and due to time constraints that's what I ended up doing.
The thing I normally do is play "monster" races (Gnolls, lizardmen (Like the avatar wasn't a dead giveaway), tengu, kobolds, and at one point a gay bugbear that was rolled for me). What does THAT say about me?
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The thing I normally do is play "monster" races (Gnolls, lizardmen (Like the avatar wasn't a dead giveaway), tengu, kobolds, and at one point a gay bugbear that was rolled for me). What does THAT say about me?
Watch the 'OMG, the world is falling down!' news for a half hour, and you'll want to be anything other than human for a while, too. :)
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As a transgender girl, I'm a bit biased, but I almost always play female characters, except when GMing.
And for some reason this thread reminds me of an old idea of mine...where all the elves are female and the dwarves are male. The two are actually one species, but they're somewhat embarrassed by it and try to keep it secret. You never see dwarven 'women' about, and elves are somewhat ambiguous to begin with, so...
Haha, now that's just plain awesome!
Me, I'm also a bit burned by the 'lonely geek trying to fullfill sexual fantasies by playing a girl'-stereotype and stick to male characters.
As a GM I flat-out disallow crossgender in my games (*gasp*) because I tried it and it didn't work. The simple question of "how do we adress him/her" was a horrible distraction from the game in itself, but sadly not the only one. Mind you that it's not an aversion of mine to any kind of questioning gender roles, but the experience that chances are high at least one person at the table is somehow uncomfortable with it...
And it's really just not necessary. There's tons of fun roles to play, of both genders, so you can easily stick with your own. There are places/occasions/stories a lot better suited to exploring cross-/transgender ideas than the casual playing-with-friends kinda games I usually run.
This is where I have to be a bit weird, but I always wanted to play a gender neutral character. Basically someone who was genderless and androgynous. Since most races, except dromites, have a obvious gender it makes it a hard concept. I don't know what this says about me as a person.
Otherwise I happily play mostly male characters, since I am male, but there was this one time back in the 2e era that I played a female elf mage/thief. The concept was that she was a bit of a jinx, bad things just seemed to happen when she was around, the GM really got into it and had almost everything she'd say or do have a bad side effect. Lots of fun, and surprisingly everyone went along with it.
This is where I have to be a bit weird, but I always wanted to play a gender neutral character. Basically someone who was genderless and androgynous. Since most races, except dromites, have a obvious gender it makes it a hard concept. I don't know what this says about me as a person.
You might consider a reptilian race, most would be indistinguishable to mammalian races. Or a gnoll, if their females are like hyena females, the gender might be a bit hard to determine (false penises and all). Or maybe a race like changlings from eberron (doppelganger relative). Or warforge.
This is where I have to be a bit weird, but I always wanted to play a gender neutral character. Basically someone who was genderless and androgynous. Since most races, except dromites, have a obvious gender it makes it a hard concept. I don't know what this says about me as a person.You might consider a reptilian race, most would be indistinguishable to mammalian races. Or a gnoll, if their females are like hyena females, the gender might be a bit hard to determine (false penises and all). Or maybe a race like changlings from eberron (doppelganger relative). Or warforge.
Nice suggestions, I guess I had more options then I originally thought.
Thanks
Question for those of you who say you don't allow cross-gendered characters - how do you/would you handle a transgendered player? Would you force them to play their biological sex, which they're (if they're like me anyway) horribly uncomfortable as and hate having been forced it IRL, or would you let them play their mental/spiritual/whatever-your-favored-term-is?
Question for those of you who say you don't allow cross-gendered characters - how do you/would you handle a transgendered player? Would you force them to play their biological sex, which they're (if they're like me anyway) horribly uncomfortable as and hate having been forced it IRL, or would you let them play their mental/spiritual/whatever-your-favored-term-is?
I think if someone presented themselves as female, then in those cases I would suggest they play female characters (or play a character that presents themselves as female). Same with if they present themselves as male. I don't think players need to do DNA test as if they were Olympic runners.
I think if someone presented themselves as female, then in those cases I would suggest they play female characters (or play a character that presents themselves as female). Same with if they present themselves as male. I don't think players need to do DNA test as if they were Olympic runners.
Well, I meant more pre- or mid-treatment and all. If they can't "pass" as their chosen gender yet (it's a long process to get to the point where you can).
I think if someone presented themselves as female, then in those cases I would suggest they play female characters (or play a character that presents themselves as female). Same with if they present themselves as male. I don't think players need to do DNA test as if they were Olympic runners.Well, I meant more pre- or mid-treatment and all. If they can't "pass" as their chosen gender yet (it's a long process to get to the point where you can).
Are they dressing and looking like Grizzly Adams and calling themselves "Amy"? Or are they trying to dress and look like a woman, even if it is still pretty easy to tell they are in "drag"? If everyone calls them Amy, and they dress and act like an "Amy", then they should be treated the same way as any "Amy", at least that is how I feel.
Are they dressing and looking like Grizzly Adams and calling themselves "Amy"? Or are they trying to dress and look like a woman, even if it is still pretty easy to tell they are in "drag"? If everyone calls them Amy, and they dress and act like an "Amy", then they should be treated the same way as any "Amy", at least that is how I feel.
Usually somewhere in between. For myself, for example, I tend to dress pretty gender neutral, and am still addressed by my birth name, because I don't yet think I look feminine enough to pass and I don't want to draw extra attention. But I definitely don't intentionally dress masculine either.
But I exclusively play female, because every minute I'm OOC, I'm sort of stuck roleplaying a male character, until I'm able to pass as female. If that makes sense. So being forced to play a male character in a game too...would be an instant "thanks but no thanks, have fun without me".
Are they dressing and looking like Grizzly Adams and calling themselves "Amy"? Or are they trying to dress and look like a woman, even if it is still pretty easy to tell they are in "drag"? If everyone calls them Amy, and they dress and act like an "Amy", then they should be treated the same way as any "Amy", at least that is how I feel.
Usually somewhere in between. For myself, for example, I tend to dress pretty gender neutral, and am still addressed by my birth name, because I don't yet think I look feminine enough to pass and I don't want to draw extra attention. But I definitely don't intentionally dress masculine either.
But I exclusively play female, because every minute I'm OOC, I'm sort of stuck roleplaying a male character, until I'm able to pass as female. If that makes sense. So being forced to play a male character in a game too...would be an instant "thanks but no thanks, have fun without me".
I guess it would seem strange for me if a friend who believed they were female acted as if they were male, until a point where they can "pass" as female. As if they didn't trust me enough to treat them as female until then. What is going to happen when that person gets far enough along? Are they going to quit the group because they don't want those people to know they "changed"? I guess, I just find it a bit confusing.
I guess it would seem strange for me if a friend who believed they were female acted as if they were male, until a point where they can "pass" as female. As if they didn't trust me enough to treat them as female until then. What is going to happen when that person gets far enough along? Are they going to quit the group because they don't want those people to know they "changed"? I guess, I just find it a bit confusing.
It's not so much acting male as not making a production of being female until I can fit in right. I act...well, like me. Personality wise, everyone tells me I come off as female, but I don't specifically try to act extra feminine, and since I wouldn't fit into "feminine" clothes right, I don't wear them (jeans and t-shirts, mostly - like I said, gender neutral).
As for quitting the group, that depends on the person and the group. If they feel comfortable enough, they may well tell the group, and if the group was willing and able to treat them as female (or male, as the case may be), then they might use a female name with the group and almost certainly wouldn't quit once they got far enough along. But if the group made them uncomfortable, you might well be the only one that would ever know, because they wouldn't want to be teased and treated poorly while they're trying to just play the game and have fun, y'know?
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I have no issues with it. I am a guy so normally play males but For me it's about concepts. If the concept and background make the pc a female then I make her female and play her as such. I am playing a female pc now in an eclipse phase game as that is just how she came out{ even though that game gender is dependent on the day sometimes :)}
What seeker said. The biggest issue I encounter in playing opposite sex PCs is that the other players continue to refer to "her" as "him" while in play which disrupts the immersion.
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Question for those of you who say you don't allow cross-gendered characters - how do you/would you handle a transgendered player? Would you force them to play their biological sex, which they're (if they're like me anyway) horribly uncomfortable as and hate having been forced it IRL, or would you let them play their mental/spiritual/whatever-your-favored-term-is?
I was kinda wondering whether I should get into that in my post, but thought it was long enough already.
The thing is, if I'm playing a roleplaying game with somebody, they're usually friends or at least acquaintances. So, I'm guessing I'd know what gender they would prefer being or being called or whatever. So it shouldn't really be an issue for them to play what they want.
In your case, with you still "playing" male in the real world, I'm guessing it would take some getting used to and it might get awkward for people who don't know your story and just met you at the game table. Nothing adult human beings can't talk through, though...
What seeker said. The biggest issue I encounter in playing opposite sex PCs is that the other players continue to refer to "her" as "him" while in play which disrupts the immersion.
That's really the point. "I follow her. No, him. God why can't I get it right?" *laughter all around*
It might fit for a gits-and-shiggles-campaign, but it can get very distracting in normal games.Worst place for it to happen to me: A Cthulhu-group that barely knew each other, two of the three players playing cross-gender characters. There wasn't much tension and horror when everybody was just laughing about the guy mimicking a bimbo/hussy/whatever. He even managed to get derogatory in his portrayal of women. Seriously, that's not what I play RPGs for...
It's a gamer. Roll dice.
That should be on a T-Shirt. Sorry for getting off topic. My group took the "roll dice" approach and it was never an issue.
I have played an... intensely stupid female paladin once.
And by intensely stupid. She lost her prestige class if her magical headband ever came off.
But that was a long time ago... She also had a Celestial Charger that get very annoyed at her constant stupidity.
Now. I have a witch. That is insanely fun to roleplay.
This is where I have to be a bit weird, but I always wanted to play a gender neutral character. Basically someone who was genderless and androgynous. Since most races, except dromites, have a obvious gender it makes it a hard concept.
One word for you: Warforged. As they are constructs, they don't have gender, although some have distinctly masculine or feminine personalities.
The thing is, if I'm playing a roleplaying game with somebody, they're usually friends or at least acquaintances. So, I'm guessing I'd know what gender they would prefer being or being called or whatever. So it shouldn't really be an issue for them to play what they want.
In your case, with you still "playing" male in the real world, I'm guessing it would take some getting used to and it might get awkward for people who don't know your story and just met you at the game table. Nothing adult human beings can't talk through, though...
Well, yeah. If you're already friends with someone, I'd expect you'd already know. My question was more about if you had someone new coming in (around here, gaming groups are very rare to begin with, so it's often people that don't know each other coming together to play).
I guess what I'm getting at, for those people who won't allow cross-gendered characters, is this - if you have someone that seems really set on playing opposite gender, it may just be because that's the only time they get to be who they want...you really shouldn't take that from them - the real world is already hard enough on them, I promise you.
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This is where I have to be a bit weird, but I always wanted to play a gender neutral character. Basically someone who was genderless and androgynous. Since most races, except dromites, have a obvious gender it makes it a hard concept.
One word for you: Warforged. As they are constructs, they don't have gender, although some have distinctly masculine or feminine personalities.
Aren't changelings also androgynous? Or hermaphrodites?
If not, they should be.
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Worst place for it to happen to me: A Cthulhu-group that barely knew each other, two of the three players playing cross-gender characters. There wasn't much tension and horror when everybody was just laughing about the guy mimicking a bimbo/hussy/whatever. He even managed to get derogatory in his portrayal of women. Seriously, that's not what I play RPGs for...
Any older gamers out there remember the article in Dragon 144, the 'Field Guide to Game Convention Ornithology'?
It had some great examples of player types, many of whom I had the (mis)fortune to play with. Bull-Headed Slashers, The Why-Me Bird, Point Hounds, etc.
What you describe above is probably a 'Great Crested Falsetto Bird'.
Aren't changelings also androgynous? Or hermaphrodites?
If not, they should be.
A changeling can become either sex, but actually has an intrinsic sex of it's own (male or female). Any children it helps produce in it's natural or intrinsic sex are changelings, any that it helps produce in the other sex to it's natural sex are members of the race it was emulating and presumably getting busy with.
So changelings are functionally hermaphrodites (in so far as they can be male or female as they wish) but do actually have a specific gender (just as they have a specific form, although it is rarely seen).
Edit: needless to say, changelings are rather more 'flexible' in their views on sexuality than other races.
Thinking it over, warfordge would be the most logical choice, even though the would still have some concept or understanding of gender. I don't think changelings gender straddling is what I'm looking for.
Anyway, the concept is most people in the real world have some sort of gender identity, even if that doesn't jive with their birth sex. It's really rare to have someone who wouldn't have a gender identity, or even understand the concept of male or female, or at least not fully. I'm not sure why I want to explore such a concept, but it interest me to a small point, likely because it would be so hard to pull it off effectively. In real life I'm happy being me, and I'm happy being male.
Anyway, thanks to everyone for the suggestion.
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I think those that play opposite genders and think that they are "advanced roleplayer elite" or whatever are really just kidding themselves.
I think that moose are pretty thick-headed, and that's about as relevant to the discussion, in which I don't recall anyone but you using the term 'advanced roleplayer elite.'
You're pretty much arguing with yourself, setting up a straw man and vociferously beating it up. Carry on! Let us know who wins.
About the only useful thing I could infer from your diatribe, is that people who go out of their way to play a male character or female character 'a certain way' to 'get it right' probably haven't been around enough men and women to realize that there is no way to 'get it right,' since men and women are all over the place in the real world, and most of them don't spend their entire day worrying about whether they are coming off as 'manly enough' or 'feminine enough,' unless they have some deep-seated insecurities (or their friends are real jerks, and socially police any behavior that isn't 'manly enough' or 'tomboyish').
If the character, of either gender, is acting like a *person,* you're doing it right.
If someone can't accurately pretend to be a *person,* or has the notion that a person is completely defined (and behavior-restricted) by a single biological, physical or psychological detail, then that person might benefit from meeting some real-life women (and some people of other colors, religions, etc., in case they also have the similar notions that someone 'doesn't act black' or 'isn't a real Christian' because the individual doesn't act like some cardboard cut-out caricature of what the viewer expects 'women' to act like, or 'Jews' to act like).
Labels (like 'female' or 'handicapped' or 'southerner') are shorthand. Shorthand is never as useful as the text it replaces.
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I think those that play opposite genders and think that they are "advanced roleplayer elite" or whatever are really just kidding themselves.I think that moose are pretty thick-headed, and that's about as relevant to the discussion, in which I don't recall anyone but you using the term 'advanced roleplayer elite.'
You're pretty much arguing with yourself, setting up a straw man and vociferously beating it up. Carry on! Let us know who wins.
I'm still confused about what's going on in that post.
Also, SET!
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I have a player that plays a female character about 80% of the time. He doesn't make it a defining point, other than to correct me and any players that refer to his character as a he. Which is technically our failing not his.
The only thing that got weird for me was when I was role playing a succubus or whatever the male form is called was trying to get one of the groups 2 females pregnant (It failed) but I felt very awkward trying to seduce my buddy of 15 years character. It was much easier trying to seduce my fiancé's character. (FYI we play PG13).
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I recently ran into an unforseen drawback to playing an opposite sex character during a Pathfinder Society game today.
We had a DM who was Baaaaaad, as in "I should have read scenario before I came today" being a direct quote. His rulings were were not well thought out, he skipped players and many of the players took turns correcting him on the rules.
Needless to say, I had a much harder time staying 'in character' then I would if I had been playing a male character. That said, I would not stop playing female characters, something I do often.
All the Best,
Kerney
I used to play female characters almost exclusively back in High School, but now that I've had a little more experience, I play male characters more often than not. It's not because of the experience, I think I just changed as a person, and I've found that gender matters less, so I usually just go with the flow. My current gaming group is totally male, and no one cross-dresses in game. I mainly play male to simply not be different really. In another group, I might cross-dress again, but the gender of the character doesn't really matter all that much, especially if the character concept is good (and I always try to make the character concept good).
I think those that play opposite genders and think that they are "advanced roleplayer elite" or whatever are really just kidding themselves.
You are correct. It takes no special roleplaying talent whatsoever to play a person of the opposite gender, because as Set has said, you are playing a person at the end of the day, not a gender. If you think men and women always act in particular ways, you are stereotyping them - there are always exceptions.
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I've played a few female characters, and the one time one of them was accussed of "corrupting a paladin with sins of the flesh" she got pissed and used her breath weapon on the Ursine. Then went at it with tooth and claw.
I do have one that is a runaway, but not because of a traumatizing event. No, she ran away because the first time she saw the world outside her parent's estate, she saw the sick and homeless, and couldn't understand why nobles could sit in their mansions getting fat instead of helping the less fortunate. She ran away to help them.
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If the character concept fits better as a female elven druid, this then is what I play. That being said most of my characters are male. Quite a number of them however tend to be left handed. I don't quite know why I do this, being right handed myself and having no in game benefit most of the time. I just do it.
I have gamed with a girl who likes to play effeminate male characters a lot however. It can be quite entertaining at times.