Male Playing A Female [Archive] - Wizards Community

Male Playing A Female [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Penguintine
03-19-08, 01:03 AM Hi

This post probably crops up from time to time. I'm thinking about playing a female character in my next campaign. I'm male. Does anyone have any links to sites that have some great tips about developing opposite gender characters?

Also, any tips YOU may have for me would be great. How can I enhance my RPing skills as a man playing a woman?
ReaderOfPosts
03-19-08, 01:34 AM There are a few good websites, such as this one (http://www.geocities.com/poetess47/gamerchick.html).

I generally find it's best the first time to play a stock character, preferably one that has nothing to do with any sort of feminine wiles. Good examples are the loyal daughter (Cordelia from King Lear), the introverted slightly flaky seer/mystic, or the introverted fair maiden dedicated to a cause seperated from the rest of the world. Feminine wiles are hard to play because 1) your group has to be comfortable/mature enough to deal with them, 2) they're often horribly stereotyped and the least realistic. If you do want to manipulate your femininity to your advantage, rely on chivalry to protect you (will the Paladin strike down your character before she does anything to attack him?)

In truth, I find it little different than playing any other personality type sufficiently different from yours. I know in real life there are plenty of girls that I'm more similar than than many guys. It still comes down to a good, coherent, and interesting theme and character concept.
Darknight303
03-20-08, 01:10 AM think of every stereotype that could possibly be applied to your character. Now you have a list of things not to do. I've played in a group with a player who insisted on playing a female toon, it was AWEFUL, his character was a pile of stereotypes going as far as o get all of his equipment pink, being a paladin in addition, played this toon lawful stupid. In short, be careful how you play this one out or your group will want to string you to a ceiling fan by your ankles, just to watch you get dizzy and puke in a circle.
CrimsonDeath
03-20-08, 01:55 AM think of every stereotype that could possibly be applied to your character. Now you have a list of things not to do. I've played in a group with a player who insisted on playing a female toon, it was AWEFUL, his character was a pile of stereotypes going as far as o get all of his equipment pink, being a paladin in addition, played this toon lawful stupid. In short, be careful how you play this one out or your group will want to string you to a ceiling fan by your ankles, just to watch you get dizzy and puke in a circle.

I played in a campaign once where a woman played a female character like this. (Well, she was a ranger, but still...)
elliott20
03-20-08, 10:28 AM your character's gender, while an important defining aspect of your character, should not automatically dictate what your character will be like. What you need to do is define your character's major tempermants, and then tweak it to match the gender role.

I believe that there is a time and place for everything, including stereotypes in characters. The trick here is that if you're going to play a female stereotype, do it so that it's actually interesting. It doesn't matter if you're male or female. If you play up a stereotype just to play up the stereotype and be obnoxious about it, it won't matter what your real gender is, it's going to be offensive.

i.e. there are places for seductress and such in literature and all that. (Morgan La Fey anyone?) but the difference is they do so in the context that it furthers their agenda and their goal and they can do it in a way that doesn't come across as offensive. this, however, requires you have a mature group who can handle this kind of thing and you requires that you yourself can actually play this out in a way that is tactful and interesting.

and also, if this character is going to be something that you believe might find objectionable, you definitely want to talk it over with them first.
ReaderOfPosts
03-20-08, 04:38 PM I believe that there is a time and place for everything, including stereotypes in characters.

I agree with the sentiment: stereotypes exist for a reason, usually that there are visible people who follow them. The problem really comes when people think that a certain stereotype is a necessary part of playing a certain character type (i.e. there is nothing wrong with playing a ditzy pink loving female paladin in a sufficiently silly campaign: I've heard of someone (a female) who did this and everyone loved it).

All in all, it really isn't that much different than playing a male character: come up with a realistic concept that you like, and do the best you can to roleplay it.
elliott20
03-20-08, 05:30 PM yeah, actually, I gleaned over the website you posted. There's a lot of really good information there. I would suggest the OP to take some time to really digest the material there.
brassbaboon
03-24-08, 09:19 PM I play a fourth level female druid. I'm male. Here is what I do (not saying it's good, bad or indifferent)...

First, I don't go looking to see what other people recommend doing. ;) I just think that would not be ME role-playing a female, that would be me role-playing how someone else recommends role-playing a female.

Second, I try to take the approach that sex differences are frequently less evident than species differences. So my druid is a half-elf/half dryad. I try to play off on the elf and dryad aspects of her character more than her female-ness. For example, dryads are generally depicted as seductive practical jokers, so I try to work that into her character.

Finally, I try to take some of the most recognized "stereotypes" of females and play off of them on occasion on the presumption that some stereotypes exist because there is some truth to them. Sometimes just for laughs. For example, I play her as somewhat more maternal than my male characters. That manifests itself both in her desire to protect the young and defenseless as well as her willingness to support the other members of the party, both with healing and with buffing. In this way I try to have her demonstrate a certain selflessness.

But for the most part her femaleness is a character attribute, not a game-changing role-playing effect. She is more inclined to do certain things, but not more compelled to do them.

I pretty much stay away from sexual nonsense. It has been my experience in the real world that small teams who work together manage to keep their professional behavior more or less asexual, and that's how I play her in a party of adventurers. They are a team, and she is a member of the team.

On occasion we have some fun with her sexuality, but not much. About the most overtly sexual comment was made when she was near death and needed a heal check, and the party rogue made a comment about her physiology underneath her armor. It was funny, but I don't think it would have offended anyone.

If we had someone in the group who felt a need to make sexist comments or react profanely to a female in the group, that might be different. But that has not been the case. Besides the group is almost all lawful good, so that sort of thing would go against alignment in most cases.

Maybe things would be different in a group of evil characters...
Akordya
03-25-08, 02:54 PM I am a woman who play/have played both male and female characters. When I was playing a men, here is what I did to try to make my roleplay realistic and not stereotyped, and maybe it can help you.

I looked at the men I knew, father, friends, husband and tried to see how they react to this and that, their posture, habits, what made them go wow! or blah! etc. Then I choosed what would best fit my character.

The same thing can be done with women! Even can do it when you go buy something at the store. It makes a totally realistic character with real reactions and you can still add whatever you want to make the character more unique. DON'T try to do this by watching tv, actors most of the time are not playing real people lol.

One of my friend, like you, decided to play a woman warrior in our current campaign... OMG I never saw so many stereotypes lol, it's like he got his ideas for creating his character from every stupid but funny movies out there picturing women as girlie-girls sex-kittens without any brains. Can be funny but in a serious campaign it's more humiliating for the girls playing, would be cool to see a guy play a normal girl for once.
EscherEnigma
03-26-08, 09:01 PM So, you want to play a female character. That's just reproductive organs, there. The real question is whether or not you want to play a feminine character.

Face it, in the real world there's plenty of woman who are just as masculine as the best (and worst, depending on your perspective) examples of masculinity in men. There are also women who are so damn feminine that in many parts of the world a man trying to be that feminine is likely to get killed.

So first thing you should do is get it out of your head that female = feminine. While you CAN have a female character who is purely feminine, you don't see too many in the real world who don't borrow at least a little bit from the 'masculine' column, and quite frankly, most women that stand out in popular media straddle the line between masculinity and femininity.

Anyway, enough on that rant. The biggest thing about playing opposite your gender, in my experience, is trying too hard. Face it, women are a lot more like us men then many men like to admit. Oh, and depending on your roleplaying/acting ability and the maturity/roleplaying/acting ability of your friends/other players, flirting/sex jokes can be safe territory, or might be out from the get go.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Penguintine 03-19-08, 01:03 AM	Hi This post probably crops up from time to time. I'm thinking about playing a female character in my next campaign. I'm male. Does anyone have any links to sites that have some great tips about developing opposite gender characters? Also, any tips YOU may have for me would be great. How can I enhance my RPing skills as a man playing a woman?
ReaderOfPosts 03-19-08, 01:34 AM	There are a few good websites, such as this one (http://www.geocities.com/poetess47/gamerchick.html). I generally find it's best the first time to play a stock character, preferably one that has nothing to do with any sort of feminine wiles. Good examples are the loyal daughter (Cordelia from King Lear), the introverted slightly flaky seer/mystic, or the introverted fair maiden dedicated to a cause seperated from the rest of the world. Feminine wiles are hard to play because 1) your group has to be comfortable/mature enough to deal with them, 2) they're often horribly stereotyped and the least realistic. If you do want to manipulate your femininity to your advantage, rely on chivalry to protect you (will the Paladin strike down your character before she does anything to attack him?) In truth, I find it little different than playing any other personality type sufficiently different from yours. I know in real life there are plenty of girls that I'm more similar than than many guys. It still comes down to a good, coherent, and interesting theme and character concept.
Darknight303 03-20-08, 01:10 AM	think of every stereotype that could possibly be applied to your character. Now you have a list of things not to do. I've played in a group with a player who insisted on playing a female toon, it was AWEFUL, his character was a pile of stereotypes going as far as o get all of his equipment pink, being a paladin in addition, played this toon lawful stupid. In short, be careful how you play this one out or your group will want to string you to a ceiling fan by your ankles, just to watch you get dizzy and puke in a circle.
CrimsonDeath 03-20-08, 01:55 AM	think of every stereotype that could possibly be applied to your character. Now you have a list of things not to do. I've played in a group with a player who insisted on playing a female toon, it was AWEFUL, his character was a pile of stereotypes going as far as o get all of his equipment pink, being a paladin in addition, played this toon lawful stupid. In short, be careful how you play this one out or your group will want to string you to a ceiling fan by your ankles, just to watch you get dizzy and puke in a circle. I played in a campaign once where a woman played a female character like this. (Well, she was a ranger, but still...)
elliott20 03-20-08, 10:28 AM	your character's gender, while an important defining aspect of your character, should not automatically dictate what your character will be like. What you need to do is define your character's major tempermants, and then tweak it to match the gender role. I believe that there is a time and place for everything, including stereotypes in characters. The trick here is that if you're going to play a female stereotype, do it so that it's actually interesting. It doesn't matter if you're male or female. If you play up a stereotype just to play up the stereotype and be obnoxious about it, it won't matter what your real gender is, it's going to be offensive. i.e. there are places for seductress and such in literature and all that. (Morgan La Fey anyone?) but the difference is they do so in the context that it furthers their agenda and their goal and they can do it in a way that doesn't come across as offensive. this, however, requires you have a mature group who can handle this kind of thing and you requires that you yourself can actually play this out in a way that is tactful and interesting. and also, if this character is going to be something that you believe might find objectionable, you definitely want to talk it over with them first.
ReaderOfPosts 03-20-08, 04:38 PM	I believe that there is a time and place for everything, including stereotypes in characters. I agree with the sentiment: stereotypes exist for a reason, usually that there are visible people who follow them. The problem really comes when people think that a certain stereotype is a necessary part of playing a certain character type (i.e. there is nothing wrong with playing a ditzy pink loving female paladin in a sufficiently silly campaign: I've heard of someone (a female) who did this and everyone loved it). All in all, it really isn't that much different than playing a male character: come up with a realistic concept that you like, and do the best you can to roleplay it.
elliott20 03-20-08, 05:30 PM	yeah, actually, I gleaned over the website you posted. There's a lot of really good information there. I would suggest the OP to take some time to really digest the material there.
brassbaboon 03-24-08, 09:19 PM	I play a fourth level female druid. I'm male. Here is what I do (not saying it's good, bad or indifferent)... First, I don't go looking to see what other people recommend doing. ;) I just think that would not be ME role-playing a female, that would be me role-playing how someone else recommends role-playing a female. Second, I try to take the approach that sex differences are frequently less evident than species differences. So my druid is a half-elf/half dryad. I try to play off on the elf and dryad aspects of her character more than her female-ness. For example, dryads are generally depicted as seductive practical jokers, so I try to work that into her character. Finally, I try to take some of the most recognized "stereotypes" of females and play off of them on occasion on the presumption that some stereotypes exist because there is some truth to them. Sometimes just for laughs. For example, I play her as somewhat more maternal than my male characters. That manifests itself both in her desire to protect the young and defenseless as well as her willingness to support the other members of the party, both with healing and with buffing. In this way I try to have her demonstrate a certain selflessness. But for the most part her femaleness is a character attribute, not a game-changing role-playing effect. She is more inclined to do certain things, but not more compelled to do them. I pretty much stay away from sexual nonsense. It has been my experience in the real world that small teams who work together manage to keep their professional behavior more or less asexual, and that's how I play her in a party of adventurers. They are a team, and she is a member of the team. On occasion we have some fun with her sexuality, but not much. About the most overtly sexual comment was made when she was near death and needed a heal check, and the party rogue made a comment about her physiology underneath her armor. It was funny, but I don't think it would have offended anyone. If we had someone in the group who felt a need to make sexist comments or react profanely to a female in the group, that might be different. But that has not been the case. Besides the group is almost all lawful good, so that sort of thing would go against alignment in most cases. Maybe things would be different in a group of evil characters...
Akordya 03-25-08, 02:54 PM	I am a woman who play/have played both male and female characters. When I was playing a men, here is what I did to try to make my roleplay realistic and not stereotyped, and maybe it can help you. I looked at the men I knew, father, friends, husband and tried to see how they react to this and that, their posture, habits, what made them go wow! or blah! etc. Then I choosed what would best fit my character. The same thing can be done with women! Even can do it when you go buy something at the store. It makes a totally realistic character with real reactions and you can still add whatever you want to make the character more unique. DON'T try to do this by watching tv, actors most of the time are not playing real people lol. One of my friend, like you, decided to play a woman warrior in our current campaign... OMG I never saw so many stereotypes lol, it's like he got his ideas for creating his character from every stupid but funny movies out there picturing women as girlie-girls sex-kittens without any brains. Can be funny but in a serious campaign it's more humiliating for the girls playing, would be cool to see a guy play a normal girl for once.
EscherEnigma 03-26-08, 09:01 PM	So, you want to play a female character. That's just reproductive organs, there. The real question is whether or not you want to play a feminine character. Face it, in the real world there's plenty of woman who are just as masculine as the best (and worst, depending on your perspective) examples of masculinity in men. There are also women who are so damn feminine that in many parts of the world a man trying to be that feminine is likely to get killed. So first thing you should do is get it out of your head that female = feminine. While you CAN have a female character who is purely feminine, you don't see too many in the real world who don't borrow at least a little bit from the 'masculine' column, and quite frankly, most women that stand out in popular media straddle the line between masculinity and femininity. Anyway, enough on that rant. The biggest thing about playing opposite your gender, in my experience, is trying too hard. Face it, women are a lot more like us men then many men like to admit. Oh, and depending on your roleplaying/acting ability and the maturity/roleplaying/acting ability of your friends/other players, flirting/sex jokes can be safe territory, or might be out from the get go.