Quote from: TristramEvans;691887Lone Wolf and Cub?

You're the third person to notice this, so I hereby declare that, what with the Rule of Threes, IT IS SO. So says The Ent! *ba-da-boom*

Quote from: Nexus;691488In your experience, if you allow players to play characters of a different gender -

Quote from: vytzka;691852I don't like the implied mutual exclusion of "femininity" and "action". But then I don't buy male fighters necessarily being ripped hunks of muscle either.

One of the complaints about people playing the opposite gender that I ran into constantly (still do in some cases) that did bug me was that men (and it was usually directed at men) couldn't play a woman "right" or "accurately" like there was one type (or at best a very limited set) of personality and behavior that defined all women in the world. Which just made the time a woman in my game was being chastised for not playing herself "correctly" all the more amusing.

Gender is an aspect of the character (or a person) it doesn't totally define them and even then its going to define them in different ways in different cultures.

Quote from: Ravenswing;691864One wonders if there's any other legal, valid character choice they ban because they've allegedly "had bad experiences" with people playing them.  Other races?  No one's allowed to play a priest any more because the last two were played by asshats?  Can't say I'm holding my breath.

I've seen different character types restricted due to previous experiences with players a few times. For example: Kender, Malkavians, Assimites and Drow, Assassin type character classes, specific alignments among others*. In all fairness, most of the times I've seen such restrictions it hasn't been cause it happened a couple of times but been something that happened either continuously or it was players who were a fixture in the group and the Gm didn't want to institute a ruling focused on them to keep the peace ("Ron and Bob can't play women, but everyone else can.") and throwing the offending players out isn't an option.

*I'm not counting restricting character types due to the nature of the campaign (This game will be about a war against the Drow so no Drow PCs, please or in this setting Elves are a legendary race believed to have died out millennia ago) or something like that.

Quote from: jibbajibba;691867Personally I ban all the races that don't exist in the settign I am playing. That is usually an exhaustive list by the way.

Isn't it easier to list all the races that are allowed, rather than listing the ones that don't exist?

Quote from: Black Vulmea;691625Player: I'm thinking about running a noblewoman trained in the sword by her father.
Referee: No way, man. Dudes play dudes.
Player: All right, I'll just be a well-dressed noble fop, then.
Referee: That's fine. Okay, you're at a ball when you're approached by a beautiful woman in a ball gown with a plunging neckline. 'Greetings, monsieur, my name is Princess Pinkflower.'
Player: Uh . . .

Truly, it beggars the imagination.

There are all kinds of things GMs don't let players do that GMs do themselves.  Playing Dragons in a D&D game, for example, or playing Elder vampires in a standard vampire game.  GMs run the NPCs, which necessitates running people of another gender, unless you have a mono-gendered world.  That doesn't violate the rule of "no cross gender play" anymore than having evil orcs or direwolves show up in a D&D game might violate a "Only humans" rule.

Quote from: Mailanka;691928There are all kinds of things GMs don't let players do that GMs do themselves.  Playing Dragons in a D&D game, for example, or playing Elder vampires in a standard vampire game.  GMs run the NPCs, which necessitates running people of another gender, unless you have a mono-gendered world.  That doesn't violate the rule of "no cross gender play" anymore than having evil orcs or direwolves show up in a D&D game might violate a "Only humans" rule.

Last time I ran OD&D, one of my players played a dragon. He began play as a little wing-aling-ding dragon with 1HD, a 1d6 claw attack, limited flight ability, and 1/day small area breath weapon.

I didn't bother asking the player what gender the dragon was.

Quote from: vytzka;691852I don't like the implied mutual exclusion of "femininity" and "action". But then I don't buy male fighters necessarily being ripped hunks of muscle either.

You mean male fighters don't all look like a Frazetta poster?  ;-)

Actually, I'd expect that a good percentage of male fighters/adventurers would have issues staying well fed between jobs/dungeons, especially if they like to go carousing after cleaning out a nest of goblins.  Kind of like you never see pictures of heavyset gold prospectors.

I'd also imagine that male fighters wouldn't necessarily look ripped, either, because fighting for your life isn't the same as muscle training.

But hey, this is driven by the power of imagination, so whatever floats your boat.

As for "femininity" and "action", the first thing that popped into my head are the women I know who do aerobics or running or ballroom dancing.  They aren't tomboys at all --okay, one is a bit of a tomboy-- but they definitely are action oriented.

Why would anyone not allow it?


That's like saying a female dm can't roleplay a male npc.

Quote from: flyerfan1991;691931You mean male fighters don't all look like a Frazetta poster?  ;-)

I mean they often look like teenagers with awesome hair and swords they shouldn't be able to lift! So, kind of yes.

Quote from: vytzka;691947I mean they often look like teenagers with awesome hair and swords they shouldn't be able to lift! So, kind of yes.

I'm old enough that I pretend that Anime doesn't exist. ;-)

Quote from: jibbajibba;691817I wonder if any blokes here have ever tried to play the wicked witch archetype. I never have, if I play women they are fiesty tom boy types unless I get given a pregen at a con (I seem to recall playing a female reporter in one of Clash's games at Gen Con once).
Might be interesting to try for a change.
I could certainly never imagine a guy wanting to play a damsel in distress although I suspect that wouldn't be so popular with female players either.

Yes, you did, and most excellently too! It was a Cold Space game, IIRC, focusing on the treatment of the sub/semi-sapient natives of the planet. It was a role that did not require much in the way of tomboy-isms, and you played the lady straight up, as a reporter who happened to be female. Sneaking, subterfuge, lying, yes; but not much on the fisticuffs and shooting.

-clash

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;691891

Exactly.

Quote from: Nexus;691922One of the complaints about people playing the opposite gender that I ran into constantly (still do in some cases) that did bug me was that men (and it was usually directed at men) couldn't play a woman "right" or "accurately" like there was one type (or at best a very limited set) of personality and behavior that defined all women in the world. Which just made the time a woman in my game was being chastised for not playing herself "correctly" all the more amusing.

I've read that style of comment before and I have to a agree I have no idea what these people mean. Then again in my experience of roleplaying games the bar for acting and characterisation is set pretty low, as it should be. We try because its fun but no expects Oscar winning performances. Relax, it's a game.

Quote from: vytzka;691947I mean they often look like teenagers with awesome hair and swords they shouldn't be able to lift! So, kind of yes.

Or awesome swords and hair they shouldn't be able to lift.