Question for female players of Champions

[Susano]

Can you help me RP my PC as more of a female?

 

I ask as our current Champions game, Vendetta Rhapsody has 7 people in it, 1 GM and 6 Players. Of the Players, there 5 guys and 1 girl (the wife of one of the players). However, there are 3 male and 3 female PCs. It was mentioned that the 3 female PCs aren't friends and the female Player said, in effect, "That's because there's only one girl in the game" (meaning the other female PCs don't act like it).

 

So... I'm looking for tips on how my character can be less like a guy and more like a girl. Little things, any way, do's and don'ts.

 

There character in question is an operative from Canada (the RCMP specifically) who is in St. Louis in an effort to break up organized crime operations that lead up into Canada. She's undercover and acts as just another street-level vigilante. Her current, not yet re-written to account for new ideas, character sheet is here:Koyotie. I have since hit upon an idea on how to make the character much more interesting, and add the following:

 

1) KOYOTIE -- Code-named for the trickster, Koyotie is the violent one. She lives for the adrenaline rush and enjoys getting to fights. She shows little restraint is combat, is willing to use use her body as a means to an end (no, she won't sleep with the enemy, but provocative clothing and come-ons are just fine!), drives too fast, tends not to back down, and rushes into danger without a second thought. Dresses in the costume on the website.

 

2) MARY TOWER -- Risk-taking photographer. She enjoys life, is full of laughter and wit, and verbally spars with her "boss" constantly. She will go to great lengths to get her photos, but isn't stupid -- she knows when to run, and will use "I can make you famous" as a line of defense against paranormal criminals unhappy with their picture being taken. She's also a smart ass. Tends to dress... not counter-culture, but close. Stetson, jeans, shirts with slogans, that sort of thing. She's the one who will use the "FBI = Full-Blooded Indian" line and wear the "Homeland Security -- Fighting Foreign Aggression since 1492" shirt.

 

3) MERRIYA HIGHWOLF -- RCMP. Tends to dress like a fed. Suits, dress boots, hat with Navajo hatband, that sort of thing. Wears her hair tied back. Is polite, attentive to details, formal, and business like. Carries a laptop/suitcase, notes, badge, ID, and so on. Unlike 1 & 2, uses the system, doesn't buck it.

 

4) MICHELLE TAHU -- The mouse. Hair bound up in a bun, fake glasses, conservitive business attire, quite, soft-spoken, and so on. The "I need to do X and draw no attention to myself" personality. The one who doesn't fight. The one the other PCs might have to rescue at some point....

 

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Question for feamle players of Champions

 

What's a feamle?

[aylwin13]

Re: Question for feamle players of Champions

 

Isn't it the opposite of an amle?

[hooligan x]

Re: Question for feamle players of Champions

 

My game has a 4/3 female to male player ratio. Maybe you shoud come up to CT and workshop your character. It's pizza season in New Haven.

[Susano]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

What's a feamle?

 

It's someone in need of a Mod to change the thread title.

[Susano]

Re: Question for feamle players of Champions

 

My game has a 4/3 female to male player ratio. Maybe you shoud come up to CT and workshop your character. It's pizza season in New Haven.

 

Uhm.... I don't think I have the time free.

[Bloodstone]

Re: Question for feamle players of Champions

 

It's pizza season in New Haven.

 

The idea of pizza being a seasonal food terrifies me beyond the capacity for rational thought.

[Steve]

Re: Question for feamle players of Champions

 

The thought of pizza being a seasonal food terrifies me beyond the capacity for rational though.

 

And apparently affects your spelling ability.

[Steve Long]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

Administratively edited to correct typo in title.

[Bloodstone]

Re: Question for feamle players of Champions

 

And apparently affects your spelling ability.

 

I was.. umm... trying to make Susao feel better!

 

[Steve]

Re: Question for feamle players of Champions

 

I was.. umm... trying to make Susao feel better!

 

 

Hmmm... maybe it's still affecting your spelling.

 

Susano, the multiple personalities, are they going to occur through some sort of Mental Group Shapeshift? You could take a small VPP for pre-written lists of skills that could shift between personalities, if your GM will go for it. A friend of mine did something like what you describe and took Deep Covers for the other identities.

 

As for acting more girlish, hobbies that round out the character's personality along more feminine lines might help.

[Susano]

Re: Question for feamle players of Champions

 

Hmmm... maybe it's still affecting your spelling.

 

Susano, the multiple personalities, are they going to occur through some sort of Mental Group Shapeshift? You could take a small VPP for pre-written lists of skills that could shift between personalities, if your GM will go for it. A friend of mine did something like what you describe and took Deep Covers for the other identities.

 

That's going to be just SFX. I'm not gong to make it a power. I might rewrite the character and give her a Psych Lim to the effect of MPD... or it might be just really good agent training. Or not....

 

As for acting more girlish, hobbies that round out the character's personality along more feminine lines might help.

 

I'll think about it, but I don't know if that sort of thing will come up.

[Steve]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

One thing that might help get the character into a more feminine mode would be to observe the women you know at work and elsewhere and model her personality after them.

 

Roleplaying has taught me to be a student of humanity, and it helps to think about people I know when I find myself having difficulty getting into a role.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

If the complaint is that the female characters don't get along, perhaps it just calls for your character paying more attention to the other females just because they're females. There are certainly activities where females prefer to sequester themselves from males (not just chick flicks and shoe shopping), and so any excursion often means a woman will invite her female friends along for company before she asks the guys. Going to a dinner with a female friend is a wonderful way of eating out without eating alone, and without the pressure to maintain a certain level of conversation while out, or the uncertainty of what happens when the "date" is over.

 

As a note, even with male friends, many females feel uncertainty and some stress about how they're viewed by males, especially if they're single. Many women feel just as uncomfortable rejecting a friend as the friend feels being rejected. Going through that kind of situation just once is enough that one is prepared for its eventuality in the future, which adds a level of strain to the interactions. On top of that, many females feel an attraction on one level or another to male acquaintances, and wish to be viewed in as positive a light as possible, whether there's potential for that to turn into more or not.

 

But going out with female friends doesn't have that underlying tension. One can relax and be oneself a lot more easily if the idea of sexual tension is a moot point.

[Susano]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

Thanks, Alice, that's some ideas to ponder.

 

The one problem is... there's not of lot of SID interaction right now.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

*nods*

 

That definitely makes it difficult to flesh out a character and her relationships with the rest of the group. You can't exactly be making friendships and setting up dinner plans during a superfight. Or, at least, you probably shouldn't.

[Susano]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

*nods*

 

That definitely makes it difficult to flesh out a character and her relationships with the rest of the group. You can't exactly be making friendships and setting up dinner plans during a superfight. Or, at least, you probably shouldn't.

 

Any ideas for ... in costume do's and don't? It's hard to quantify, but are there comic tropes you don't think (most) women would do?

[Weldun]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

I know the question has been put to the ladies, but I'll weigh in anyhow.

 

Don't wear anything that can be mistaken for underwear.

Don't wear anything that can let people know if you wearing underwear or not.

 

I mostly play female characters in a fashion based on my observations of my female friends. Namely, I play them no differently than most of my male characters. For me, sexuality doesn't play into it, because I'm comfortable enough in my own heterosexuality that I'll play almost any sexual orientation. Hell, I once played a gender-disporic mage in Shadowrun. She was trapped in a man's body (and was frugal in her spending, for obvious reasons), but was attracted to women.

 

Basically, women are people too? Sometimes, as gamers, I think we tend to forget that.

[Susano]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

Basically' date=' women are people too? Sometimes, as gamers, I think we tend to forget that.[/quote']

 

I realize that, but this came about based on an observation that "a woman wouldn't do that"... so, I was looking for ideas on what a woman (based on the four personalities I have so far) might do. Something like "Koyotie wouldn't do X," or "Mary Tower would do X" (or suggestions as opposed to absolutes).

 

I was told once that two of my female characters didn't come across as men, which was great... but that was via PBEM, which allows greater leeway in how to present characters.

 

(I was also told that another two characters of mine were some of the most realistic lesbians the reader had encountered in "fanfic" (same PBEM, BTW). That made me feel pretty good too.).

[BcAugust]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

Hmm, my thoughts from running my characters, usually female(Yeah, I'm female).

 

1) Females tend to be more socially focused in general. How this works out in play... you likely have far more of a "network" then your male counterparts. Not even in the sense of allies, but just people she knows and hangs out with. The group is less likely to be "People I have a common goal with" and more "I work with them because I like them". If your character doesn't, why? Also, females tend to be more verbal. Which works both for talking down people... and hitting their weak spots in banter. Cutting remarks will be more common... and nastier.

 

2) "It's a man's world." Especially true for people with police or military ties. There's a good likelihood none of your character's superiors are female. While not as bad as it used to be, there should be an awareness that your character might be held up as an example, both good and bad. And that your behaviors are considered to be part of your sex's as a whole. For example, female correct deductions are more likely to be dismissed as "feminine intuition" then being intelligent or skilled. How does she deal with that? Becoming one of the boys?

 

3) Relationships/children: Trust me, your character has heard a ton about this subject. Especially if she's single. What's her angle on the whole thing? Does she want kids? Not now? Not ever? Or heck, even a relationship, what's her view on those?

 

4)Physical: No one likes to say this, so I will. Females tend to be, on average, weaker then men. Not only that, but a fair number of sports are geared for male bodies and strengths. However, females(again on average) tend to have more endurance and greater pain tolerance then guys. If your character breaks any of those above generalities, expect to have it come up in small ways, either surprise, disapproval or even respect.(Though really, that's more of a GM reminder, it can help you as well)

 

 

On specifics

1) KOYOTIE: ... I'll be honest, if you brought this character to a game of mine, you'd be asked to rewrite. She reads like a step above the sex kitten stereotype. Or a male in female's clothing. I really can't suggest much to improve her that wouldn't send her into annoying drama territory. One thing might be to flesh out why she is the way she is... why does she like to play headgames with "the boys"? (Because yes, that is what she's doing with the "provocative clothing" line.) I'd actually remove that entirely, if it hasn't come up in play. Cause the rest reads like someone who doesn't like being stereotyped as a female... and is fighting to let everyone know she's just as good as a man.

 

2)MARY TOWER: Now, This is a beautiful character. As written, I can't suggest much... maybe have her have some form of backup against angry paranormals?

 

3) MERRIYA HIGHWOLF: Hmm, first comment, she will not be wearing a Navajo hatband unless she is Navajo. That would be... well, a major insult in the Native circles I've run in. Other then that... seems fine, if a little dry on personality. You might want to flesh her out a bit more, especially relationship wise and personality.

 

4)MICHELLE TAHU: There is... well, not enough detail, really. I can't give you anything until I had heard more.

 

...Well, that was a bit harsher then I expected it to be early on, but I hope it helps.

[Ockham's Spoon]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

In my years of gaming, the big difference between male and female players (regardless of the gender of their respective characters) was that the female players were much more interested in having conversations and developing the characters while the males saw any action that did not advance the plot as an unnecessary distraction.

 

So... with that in mind I would say that a female character would probably be interested in developing friendships for their own sake and not just because they need someone to watch their back next time they are in a fight. Which means lots of conversation exploring the character personalities and backgrounds instead of just coming up with battle plans.

 

As for attire, I think the costume should reflect the personality of the character. If the heroine is a nun by day and crimefighter by night, then she is probably going to have a conservative outfit. If she is a stripper by night and crimefighter by day, she might wear something only barely legal if she can't actually be legally bare. That said, I think it is pretty obvious most superheroine costumes are designed by men, so it would probably be better to err on the side of full coverage.

 

________________________________________________________

Hobbes: "Is Amazon Girl's super power the ability to squeeze into that outfit?"

Calvin: "No, they can all do that."

[Susano]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

Before I comment on your comments, I just realized something... these four personalities are all for the same person. Just in case I wasn't clear.

 

On specifics

1) KOYOTIE: ... I'll be honest, if you brought this character to a game of mine, you'd be asked to rewrite. She reads like a step above the sex kitten stereotype. Or a male in female's clothing. I really can't suggest much to improve her that wouldn't send her into annoying drama territory. One thing might be to flesh out why she is the way she is... why does she like to play headgames with "the boys"? (Because yes, that is what she's doing with the "provocative clothing" line.) I'd actually remove that entirely, if it hasn't come up in play. Cause the rest reads like someone who doesn't like being stereotyped as a female... and is fighting to let everyone know she's just as good as a man.

 

Well, she's not a sex kitten. She's supposed to look like Rachel McLish, who was a Miss Olympia. 20 STR (and looks it), most others stats are 20, DEX of 33, martial arts skills, and so on. She has a 20 COM and has used it to her advantage (dressing in tight biker's jumpsuit for example). Mainly because she feels it will make men underestimate her (or, distract them from what she's really doing). But did it once, and that was because we needed to infiltrate a truckstop.

 

2)MARY TOWER: Now, This is a beautiful character. As written, I can't suggest much... maybe have her have some form of backup against angry paranormals?

 

A winning smile? If things get really bad, she'll use her 7 SPD and 9" or Running to vanish, probably to return as Koyotie.

 

3) MERRIYA HIGHWOLF: Hmm, first comment, she will not be wearing a Navajo hatband unless she is Navajo. That would be... well, a major insult in the Native circles I've run in. Other then that... seems fine, if a little dry on personality. You might want to flesh her out a bit more, especially relationship wise and personality.

 

My Navaho hatband I meant one of decorative silver and turquoise things you see... but I'm an idiot, she's Souix, she should have a feathered hatband or some such. The one spot of color to offset her "dress like a fed" look. Of course, for true color, she gets out the RCMP uniform, scarlet jacket and all.

 

Her personality is dry on purpose, I am thinking. This is the all-business personality, the one who deals with the system as the system. Ohh... that might be a hook right there -- make her like Joe Friday, as opposed to her maniac Koyotie and Mary Tower sides.

 

4)MICHELLE TAHU: There is... well, not enough detail, really. I can't give you anything until I had heard more.

 

I just thought this one up recently and don't know how or if to have her see play. She's a wallflower and in a comic she's appear in the background, in the game, I can only work with the GM to allude to her existing. This is also the rarest of Merriya's personalities to appear.

 

...Well, that was a bit harsher then I expected it to be early on, but I hope it helps.

 

Yes it does, it has given me some idea and so things to think about. I do need to rewrite the character sheet, though, to reflect this MPD idea I have.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

Hmm.

 

The only superheroine tropes that really make me roll my eyes are the sexy poses they always seem to make when in the middle of something. Taking a hand away from the bus they're holding up to straighten their hair?

 

But, otherwise, I can't really think of anything anyone else hasn't said. Socialization for the sake of socialization tends to be more important to females, and a woman who prides herself on appearance is likely to feel jealous, on some level, of a woman she perceives as being prettier or more likable. This doesn't always manifest itself in cattiness; many women deal with this by being even sweeter and nicer to the person. Guilt-induced niceness isn't rare.

 

Women are also more likely to face off against other women, especially if they have a sense of fairness. Chivalry isn't dead, no matter what people say, and some males are reluctant to hit or hurt a woman. And so, to keep things balanced, most heroic women will attack other women instead of male opponents, unless it tips things in the opponents' favor.

 

Women are also marginally more likely to watch out for teammates, especially the ones they have a particular fondness for. If they're in place to notice a teammate getting overwhelmed, they might do something to tip the scales in the ally's favor, temporarily ignoring their own safety until the crisis has passed.

 

Of course, all that makes it sound like women are emotionally-driven train-wrecks who have no place on the battlefield. But of all the female characters I've played, those are differences I noted between characters I played and the characters the males in the group played. None of the above should define a character or her tactics, but they might be helpful to integrate.

[Susano]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

Heh, Alice, these battle field comments are great. Due to the fact everyone else was playing a male character in the Shadow Angelus game I'm in, and since it was an anime game, I opted to play the female character. I know some of what you've mentioned (all of you) I didn't do, but she does look out for her teammates and is one of the more sociable with members of the group. And yes, she does care deeply about one of her teammates.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Question for female players of Champions

 

Cool. ^ v ^

 

So what do you need US for?