Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

[Tasha]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

Really' date=' I find the whole concept of sex being related to powers, whether gaining or losing, to be, well, nonsensical. Probably not something I'd allow in a game, between the potential for offense and the general 'how in the world does that even work?' aspects of it. I can't even comprehend how someone could come up with that.[/quote']

 

That sex thing is usually for a character who gets their power from a "God" or "Godlike" being. Usually from the viewpoint that having sex somehow taints the person. Like it was mentioned before some believe that having sex diminishes the inner power of the person (usually male in this instance). Also could just be a psychological thing that becomes real due to the total belief.

 

I wouldn't have a problem with a character who loses their power if they partake in any sexual act (Hetero, Homo or even self satisfaction). That any sex would mess them up would be ok.

 

The flip of this was George RR Martin's character from Wild Cards who would become empowered by having sex.

 

Given that most Supers games (or RPGs in general) tend to gloss over any expression of sex or heck any real relationships. It would possibly introduce things that most groups would rather not deal with in a game.

[Bloodstone]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

What thoughts and feelings are elicited by the idea of a superpowered MALE whose powers derive from chastity' date=' or who would become weak and vulnerable if he were to experience sexual contact with a female?[/quote']

 

I've actually seen this concept played out before. We had a male paladin fall from grace due to it. It was a fairly well roleplayed scenario that occured over many sessions.

 

Other times that I've seen it with monks or clerics, it was mostly background fluff that came up in the occassional conversation but was otherwise easily forgotten.

 

Is such a concept misandrist?

 

Based on our society, I'm going to go with a pretty firm no. Somone might be able to cite some sources or make a compelling argument that convinces me otherwise, but I kinda doubt it.

 

If anything, the sexist double standard induced knee jerk reaction is probably going to be that some dude that deliberatly chooses to give up sex is either a closeted homosexual, bat-s#!+ crazy and/or not a REAL MAN.

 

While I am asking, how about a male character who refuses romantic involvement because he is waiting for a woman to prove herself worthy, say by defeating him in combat or meeting a specific challenge?

 

I've seen stories where a woman had to do something grand to earn the affections of a man, but I can't recall the challenge ever being defeating him in combat.

 

Culturally and biologically, women are seen as the softer, weaker sex. So the idea that a man would only get involved with a woman that can best him in a fight would seem preposterous to most.

 

I think something like this is only likely to appear in a setting where women are the roles are reversed, with women as the dominant sex and men as the pursued.

 

Or, at the very least, where the genders are some how on completly equal footing physically.

 

Or in a satirical context, of course...

 

Our cultural baggage also includes the paradigm that refraining from sexual contact brings a person - especially a man, as until recently it was only men who could be priests in Christianity - closer to God.

 

I don't think this is that big a part of our overall culture, but I may have a skewed view of things.

 

My biological family is a mix of Catholics and Jews, but I wasn't raised religious at all.

 

Frankly, I thought people only practiced abstinence when they didn't want kids.

 

The concept of a Vow of Celibacy was pretty mind boggeling when I first encountered it...

 

Is it the male gender that is painted as dangerous and polluting, or sexual contact, regardless of with whom?

 

No, clearly not.

 

Many a virtuous man has been corrupted by a vile temptress in stories... and real life.

 

However, the physical mechanics of the male sexual act seem to be a lot easier to paint in a darker light for reasons that seem pretty obvious to me...

[Bloodstone]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

It seems that it only counts when a Virginal Woman has sex with a man. Somehow sexual relations with another woman are somehow not counted. Probably comes from breaking the Hymen when a woman first has sex with a male.

 

Yeah, as a society we probably should redefine virginity to something a bit more sensible... though I admit my own experiences make it really hard to argue about.

 

I mean, it's not like I think of any of my lesbian friends as virgins (I'm sure you've encountered that attitude though, sadly)

 

But I assure you my high school girlfriend and I both would have both been considered virgins all the way up to the moment of penetration.

 

Infact we thought of ourselves and each other as virgins until that one single act.

 

Which is a pretty rediculous statement considering the stuff we actually had done with each other up until that point

[Ragitsu]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

Really' date=' I find the whole concept of sex being related to powers, whether gaining or losing, to be, well, nonsensical. Probably not something I'd allow in a game, between the potential for offense and the general 'how in the world does that even work?' aspects of it. I can't even comprehend how someone could come up with that.[/quote']

 

Sex as a way to recharge one's magical or psionic powers? Sex as the conduit through which one gleans information about the future? Could be interesting.

[phoenix240]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

It isn't that it's the Male that is poluting the woman. Most people perceive it as the Woman losing her Virginal Status by having sexual relations. It seems that it only counts when a Virginal Woman has sex with a man. Somehow sexual relations with another woman are somehow not counted. Probably comes from breaking the Hymen when a woman first has sex with a male.

 

Yeah, in some cultures if the hymen is intact even a number of other sexual acts don't "count" as removing virgin status. Some cultures have any odder standards. IIRC, Japanese culture doesn't define a woman as losing her virginity until a man actually ejaculates during vaginal intercourse.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

According to one myth, Hera would take a special bath after having sex with Zeus, that would "restore" her virginity. Why someone would want to keep regenerating their hymen is beyond me(that actually happens in True Blood, btw).

[Bloodstone]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

According to one myth' date=' Hera would take a special bath after having sex with Zeus, that would "restore" her virginity. Why someone would want to keep regenerating their hymen is beyond me(that actually happens in True Blood, btw).[/quote']

 

They didn't have Kegels back then

[phoenix240]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

According to one myth' date=' Hera would take a special bath after having sex with Zeus, that would "restore" her virginity. Why someone would want to keep regenerating their hymen is beyond me(that actually happens in True Blood, btw).[/quote']

 

I guess technically that would happen with allot sfx of regeneration...though the hymen isn't always broken during intercourse and even if it is it isn't always painful.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

I guess technically that would happen with allot sfx of regeneration...though the hymen isn't always broken during intercourse and even if it is it isn't always painful.

 

My HS girlfriends Champions character was a female teen-aged regenerating brick, who she figured was probably a virgin when she got her powers, and often pondered the problems this was going to cause her character in regard to intimate relationships. Of course, the point was moot until she bought off her "Doesn't Known Own Strength" Psych lim, which required her to make an ego roll to use anything less than casual strength (40 or 45, IIRC), and if she flubbed the roll by more than 3 she had to use her full Str instead of casual, so these thoughts in play were mostly along the lines of Rogue style "I can't ever have a boooooyfrieeeend..." wangst

[Tasha]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

According to one myth' date=' Hera would take a special bath after having sex with Zeus, that would "restore" her virginity. Why someone would want to keep regenerating their hymen is beyond me(that actually happens in True Blood, btw).[/quote']

 

Funny how the character has forgotten this thing that should keep making sex unpleasant.

[Christopher]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

The flip of this was George RR Martin's character from Wild Cards who would become empowered by having sex.

There was also "Empowered", whose powers included or where fuelled from an increased sex drive.

 

Sex as a way to recharge one's magical or psionic powers? Sex as the conduit through which one gleans information about the future? Could be interesting.

I think we migth have to determien what type of sex "counts". Is 5 minutes with the stranger from the next bar enough, or does it needs a full hour with a lot of "consideration" on the other side?

What abotu morals? Are teammembers otu of the question? What about one-night stands? What about real love with slow development, when the character has to hit the sack every 24 horus?

 

According to one myth' date=' Hera would take a special bath after having sex with Zeus, that would "restore" her virginity. Why someone would want to keep regenerating their hymen is beyond me(that actually happens in True Blood, btw).[/quote']

I think for this we would need to know what it meant for the greeks/a greek godesses to be a "virgin".

Could they produce a special kind of child?

One that is especially healthy/powerfull?

Perhaps they never produced childs that would try to kill their father (Zeus might have made precautions considering his origin story)?

Could it mean she was not considered his full wife (i.e. she had marriage under reservation - if she left him, she would be considered "umarried/virgin")?

[wrestlinggeek]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

To me, the whole chastity/celebacy thing is a show of devotion and commitment. A person is giving up a big part of the life of a normal human being in obedience to their god, creed, or whatever. I have no problem with a character who would lose their powers as a result of engaging in sexual acts, although forced sex (i.e. rape) would not count toward removing said abilities. Of course, rape would never come up in one of my games anyway. Yes, rape happens in my game worlds, but always "off-camera," never to a PC (as they wold have the ability to stop it anyway), and probably a lot less often than it does in RL.

 

I also would not have a roblem with a character who needs sex to recharge their powers in most games I run. Of course, it would probably just be obliquely referred to, unless I was running for a very special, very select group.

[st barbara]

Re: Alternate Sexualities in Champions and Supers settings

 

My character in the "Champions" game in which I play, "St Barbara" is bisexual, but that fact has had little effect on the game, so far !