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Art Challenge

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:25 am
by Solomoriah
This came up in a discussion with my players... nobody has ever seen a female half-ogre PC. I think this is because, while it's okay for a guy to be big and ugly (in fact, in some ways for guys ugly can equal sexy), women prefer to imagine being attractive.

But thinking about it, I'm not certain it's impossible to imagine a sexy half-ogre woman. So here's the challenge... show me one. In fact, let's leave this challenge open indefinitely, and see how many we can get.

I'm not looking for cheesecake here. Practical armor and adventuring gear, if she's ready to hit the dungeon; reasonable clothing if she's hanging out in the tavern (waiting to meet an adventuring party, for example). Not against a low-cut shirt, but do not want to see a chainmail bikini. She should be obviously a half-ogre, tall and lanky, pointed ears, whatever.

Show me something cool. Wow me.

Re: Art Challenge

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 3:59 pm
by LibraryLass
Solomoriah wrote:This came up in a discussion with my players... nobody has ever seen a female half-ogre PC. I think this is because, while it's okay for a guy to be big and ugly (in fact, in some ways for guys ugly can equal sexy), women prefer to imagine being attractive.
I've played a few half-orcs, and in Shadowrun the occasional troll, but never a half-ogre.

Re: Art Challenge

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 4:41 am
by MedievalMan
...women prefer to imagine being attractive
Correction, I think you meant to say "men who play female characters prefer to imagine being attractive." ;)

Also while I can imagine an attractive half-orc (feral beauty or what-have-you) for some reason I can't picture an attractive half-ogre. Or a female half-ogre for that matter.

Re: Art Challenge

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 7:36 am
by Solomoriah
MedievalMan wrote:
...women prefer to imagine being attractive
Correction, I think you meant to say "men who play female characters prefer to imagine being attractive." ;)
I'm pretty sure I meant what I wrote.

I have a female player in my current group, and over the years have had a number of other girls in the game at one time or another. None of them have ever played a character who could not be described as at least average in appearance, and I've only ever seen one female player use Charisma as a "dump stat."

I've also been fortunate not to have any male players who wanted to play female characters for the fantasy-sexual aspect. I consider it a blessing... you can have whatever fantasies make you happy, but I don't need them in my game.
MedievalMan wrote:Also while I can imagine an attractive half-orc (feral beauty or what-have-you) for some reason I can't picture an attractive half-ogre. Or a female half-ogre for that matter.
Well, there you go. I actually can... I just can't draw.

Re: Art Challenge

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 8:57 am
by MedievalMan
Personally I have never had players who really describe a characters physical appearance as either attractive or ugly. Male or female.

And yeah, I was joking in my last post.

Re: Art Challenge

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 10:14 am
by dymondy2k
All the female characters my daughter plays are attractive.. just to back up Chris' point :D

Re: Art Challenge

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 10:54 am
by Solomoriah
MedievalMan wrote:Personally I have never had players who really describe a characters physical appearance as either attractive or ugly. Male or female.

And yeah, I was joking in my last post.
I have two guys playing half-ogres in my current game (one fighter, one cleric) and both are described as being rather homely, to put it mildly. This does not impair the fighter's wenching much, as women are willing to put aside his appearance in light of his well-publicized prowess. I've had other players who, having dumped a low score in Charisma, have explicitly stated their characters are ugly... I even had one who seemed proud of it.

But not one of those players was female. Just sayin'.

Re: Art Challenge

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 11:19 am
by MedievalMan
Huh you know now that you mention it. One of the girls I used to play with back in the day never had a CHA lower than 13 (we used point buy). I never really thought about it before...

Re: Art Challenge

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 11:22 am
by Hywaywolf
I have never played with a female who specifically claimed her player was not attractive. In fact, many of them desire to keep the loot that makes them look more attractive instead of selling it. On the other hand, I have played a PC that is a burn victim and looks like a demented ghoul when firelight falls on his face. :)

Concerning the question in the original post, I would have to think that any female half-ogre that the average human considered attractive would probably appear hideous to an ogre :)

Re: Art Challenge

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 3:04 pm
by LibraryLass
Solomoriah wrote:
MedievalMan wrote:
...women prefer to imagine being attractive
Correction, I think you meant to say "men who play female characters prefer to imagine being attractive." ;)
I'm pretty sure I meant what I wrote.

I have a female player in my current group, and over the years have had a number of other girls in the game at one time or another. None of them have ever played a character who could not be described as at least average in appearance, and I've only ever seen one female player use Charisma as a "dump stat."
I can anecdotally confirm. My brother always rolls randomly for gender, but I always play female, and he's more likely to play his female characters as unattractive than I am mine. I have played low-Cha characters, but mostly they were mean or un-confident rather than ugly. I have played ones with scarring or whatever, but it was always of the type that made them look tough and sexy.

Personally, I chalk it up to the differing nature of male and female power fantasies. The same way there are plenty of unattractive male superheroes, but female ones are almost always pretty. For women we are taught that a lot of our power is in our appearance. Maybe it's not healthy but it's hard not to internalize it. And the reason most RPGs are adventure-type genres are because those tend to be a good way for people to get our power fantasies out.