Playing a Woman

It is a worldwide truth : Roleplaying Games are essentially a male hobby. We won't talk about our female partners, but from our male fellows who try to play a woman. The result is generally... caricatured. We'll try to give here some advices for male Players who want to play correctly a woman.

The Caricature

Many Players try to embody a woman. Most of time, the "Womankind" is reduced to three pejorative archetypes :

                    _ The Male : in fact, The Character is only female by it's gender. The Player who plays it is only himself and sometimes he's even more... virile! It involves situations like : "I jump on him and I hit with my battle axe so as to tear him into two parts. I hope that his fellows will be splashed with his blodd and bowels and then I yell an intimidation shout!". Then the GM answers : you see the sweet Penelope rushing to her enemy and then all occur as she said!. The problem is that the "sweet Penelope" is a little bit doped with testosterone.

                    _ The Nymphomaniac Prostitute : the woman try to have an intercourse with anybody and in any circumstances. This degrading way to play a woman reveals a frustration from the Player with women. sometimes, the goal is to be humoristic, but it's not always a good way to play a women for a serious Character.

                    _ The "Blond Goose" : universal archetype, the blond woman is gorgeous, sensual and... stupid. This problem is generally caused by GMs more than by Players. It shows the incapacity of the GM to play a woman. This may be funny unless permanent.

These caricatures may vary. Itr's a problem and a reducing method to play a woman. Try to avoid it.

Notice that some official RPGs convey a hideous image of womaen as a divinity because she is reduced to three simulacres : the protective mother-goddess, intrusive and condescending, the whore-goddess, hidden under the term "Love" which is a goddess of sex and the warrior-goddess, aggressive and chaste. Try to enrich these goddess and don't reduce them like this. A woman is a little bit more complex than this!

The Behavior

The female behavior is complicated and structured and very different from the male behavior. By playing a woman, the Player must try to speak one octave up from his original voice and must refine his language. The woman is not aggressive immediately and always try mediation to avoid conflict. A woman tries to be seducing but only for the pleasure of the eyes, not always for sex. On the other side, a woman is not always a frigid warrior. Playing a Woman implies trying to live her feelings. Sentimentality is important, but woman are not always romantic. Try to balaace between these extremes. Men! If you want to play a woman correctly, try to ava woman in a tabletop game and look at her. Then you'll have to try to reproduce her behavior. You'll then maybe a convincing Woman!

The Prejudices

Here's a list of  prejudices you must sweep of your mind aso as to avoid errors. Clearly, if you want to play a woman in a bas manner, believe in the following arguments :

                _ Women faint the first in a situation of stress

                _ Women are more romantic than men

                _ Women never speak of sex

                _ Women are less aggressive and cruel than men

                _ Women are unable to lead a group

                _ Women are victims

                _ Women are venal

And in the particular case of RPGs :

                _ Women are worthless with weapons and good with magic

                _ Women are splendid, gorgeous and sexy or totally ugly like witches

Changing Mind and Reflex

The most difficult for a man who wants to play a woman is to change the global reactions of the Character than normal life. A woman will take care of her appearence and a man is not careful toward that. A good training consists id to try to imagine your Character without giving it a known face (face which is often the object of the secret desire of the Player!). By finding the Character a specific look, the Player "appropriates" the Character and the will to give it life willl reinforce.

Seduction is the prerogative of men but this truth is more and more questionable in the modern occidental society. It's then difficult for a man who plays a woman to accept the seduction from another man. However, the Character will accept it more easily from a NPC rather than a PC.

This page will enrich in the next updates!

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