Women In Gaming

*Cyjqim’s Manual (yes *man*-ual, it’s for you males) to Playing Female Characters*

by Lesslie Gibson

© 1997 by Lesslie Gibson. Originally posted on the champs-L mailing list, uploaded by permission.

Ok guys, I feel sorry for you, I’ll break the unofficial code of silence and explain:

Rule One: This is the "two out of three aint bad" rule. If you are totally clueless how a real woman functions, (and trust me unless you grew up with at least four sisters and/or are married you’re clueless) then play your character for, well, character. Concentrate on her nature as a human -pain, love, hate and taxes, are all pretty much universal. Focus on her career, a ‘Senior Sanitation Engineer’ faces much the same proffessional challenges whatever his/her/its gender. After you’ve mastered these elements of your character’s life if you foul up her nature as a woman at least you have a 2/3 valid person -which isn’t anything to sniff at.

Rule two: Don’t obsess on the female anatomy. A super powered woman would not say "keep leering at my breast that way and I’ll clean your clock". She’d clean his clock, and exlain why afterwords -if she felt like it (Admit it girls if we could we would.) We don’t stand around discussing breast, bras, or PMS unless we’re in groups of four or more and we’ve been consuming perception-altering substances like Beer or Pizza.

Rule Three: Don’t obsess on the *Male* characters either. I realize you may be playing with a bunch of self -designed and designated love gods, but trust me you’re character won’t think so. (Unless she’s been mind wiped and taken over by an invading alien).

Rule Four: If your worried about authentic female character play then. . . *Recruit *Recruit *Recruit!!* Having an actual female around will do more to improve the quality of your female character’s play than any book could. Move the frequency of your showers from seasonal to once a week, :), and start looking for female members to join your gaming group. Hang out in book stores and watch for women buying -oh say, Bradley, McCaffery, or (heaven help you) Cherryh. When you find one, strike up a conversation as a fellow reader (and you better be or she’ll see through you in a nanosecond). When she figures out you’re trying to invite her to gaming if she does’t start to walk away -you’re golden. If she does walk, falling on your knees and begging will probably work at least once. It might even help if you tell her I sent you . . . there *is* a conspiracy you know.

-Cyjqim

Comments? Let Lesslie know.
Written January 1, 1997

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