[Banestorm] Female Adventurers

[JAW]

OK, I'we based my comment on 3rd edition GURPS fantasy - wich is about the same world as banestorm if I understand it right. There's a chapter where they state "Thorought christendom, it's genereally though that womans place is in home.. etc etc.." So I'd assume if it's not changed a lot in 4th edition that the attitudes towards women in ytarria are pretty close to those in medieval europe.

I'd see mages possibly making an expection but any armsmens guild would propably be composed mostly of men with macho attitudes ewen in medieval standards. How'd you think they'd react to a woman trying to join??? At least the woman would hawe to prowe her worth more decisively than a man would.

I'm not saying that there could not be a female member of an armsmen guild somewhere on Yrth but I'm saying that'd she'd be an expection and that should be taken into account in caharacter creation - that is if the 4thE banestorrm yrth is pretty much the same as in 3rdE and you wan't to stay consisten to that gameworld.

[LoneWolf23k]

Yeah, I imagine that while some macho die-hards might scoff at the idea of a swordswoman at first glance, once one has proven her mettle, she'd earn a bit more respect, especially from the guys she trounced in combat, like Red Sonja.

As for Female Wizards, well.. While the "Magic-wielding, seductive enchantress" concept might be a cliche, but it's one that works if said enchantress focuses on Communication and Empathy, Illusion and Creation, Knowledge and Mind Control spells. The concept of a "magic-wielding wise-woman" also works well, with a focus on Healing, Protection and Warning, and Plant spells.

And finally, as Lina Inverse may attest to, few people want to mess with a woman who can fling spells of mass destruction at you.

[Kromm]

I suspect that such chauvinism would be blown away in short order in a world where working supernatural powers exist and don't favor a particular sex. Just as I think that faith-based arguments wouldn't hold up very well in a world where you could know the unknowable by casting a spell or asking your god. If just about anybody could turn out to be a sorcerer, prophet, etc., then I imagine that "has powers/doesn't have powers" would quickly precipitate out as the dominant social dispute and dilute most lesser disputes to background noise. Such powers aren't like money, muscles, or skills, which can be developed by almost anyone and/or denied to certain individuals. They're innate and intrinsic.

I could be wrong, but I imagine that if the patriarchies that bred chauvinism here on Earth could have been wiped out in one generation by a ticked-off sorceress with a death spell, they wouldn't have lasted very long. And if magic existed to ease childbirth, feed kids, and so forth, even the shaky biological arguments for chauvinism would erode rather quickly.

At least IMY ("in my Yrth"). :)

[JAW]

Well I don't see yrth magic being any more effective than earth technology on easing childbirth etc..

Also an awerage man is more effective wileding a broadsword than an awerage woman. Magic could work as an equaliser but only for the mages or those that can afford magical equipment.

Also religions seem to be more powerful on yrt than on modern earth despite magic (or becouse it) and in genereal the forces wanting to preserve status quo hawe prewailed in Yrth longer than in earth, right?

So in conlclusion I'd see chauvinism and medieval gender roles to be much stronger forces on Yrth than on modern Earth. Of course it's always the GMs call how to treat it but the fact that this question came up in the first place indicates that it's not a trivial matter.

I see the difference between Banestorm and most fantasy worlds in that it uses actual real world religions and cultures as basis for it's cultures. Why discard gender roles from that? It'd just water it down IMHO.

[LoneWolf23k]

I'm of two minds on the subject of chauvanism on Yrth..

On one hand, I agree with the idea of magic being an equalizer, allowing men and women to stand on equal footing in some ways.

On the other hand, even magic can't change certain biological facts, like the fact that male humans have, on average, more body strength then women.

So yes, the domain of adventuring warriors will remain strongly male-dominated, although I can see exceptionally talented and willful women make a reputation for themselves.

After all, here on Earth, we've had historically famous warrior women in the past: Fa Mulan of China, Queen Boadicea of the Celts, Queen Aethelburgh of the Saxons, Emma Countess of Norfolk, Joan of Arc, Tomoe Gozen of Japan, and many others.

There have been historical laws forbidding women from participating in combat, which implies such things happened frequently. ...And records show that those laws were frequently broken nonetheless.

So yeah, I can imagine female adventuring warriors to an extent. Although I think they'd be more tolerated in christian lands then in muslim lands.

[shawnhcorey]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf23k

So, considering Banestorm's strongly traditional gender roles, aside from Caithness' female knights, how would one go about justifying female PC adventurers, like swordswomen or sorceresses?

Confucius says, "Do not agrue with women if you want to get laid."

You are the GM. Just say, "It shall be so." Banestorm is a guideline; nothing more, nothing less. Or should I point out, that in our (real world) history that there were plenty of women who disobeyed the "rules" and lived and fought as men?

[Qoltar]

...and addendum to that :

When you have 4 players, 3 of them are women

You BETTER have Female Adventurers possible!!


PLUS, its just more fun that way.


- Edmund W. Charlton

[shawnhcorey]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf23k

On the other hand, even magic can't change certain biological facts, like the fact that male humans have, on average, more body strength then women.

No, men do not. Men can grow muscles faster than women. If a man and a woman
started a weightlifting program, the man would plateau long before she did. At
which point he would get a new program and increase his muscles even more. But
his limit comes when he runs out of hours in the days. He has to spend certain
hours sleeping, eating, defecating. Eventually, the woman would catch up. Women
would be as strong as men if they were stupid enough to dedicate relentless
hours to building their muscles as men do.

But to tell you the truth, I like them strong and just a little soft and
squishable.

[Qoltar]

...Me being Klingon, I've always liked women with muscles.

Women bodybuilders with swords - OH YES!!!

- Ed Charlton

[shawnhcorey]

Originally Posted by Qoltar

...Me being Klingon, I've always liked women with muscles.

Women bodybuilders with swords - OH YES!!!

- Ed Charlton

In other words, you creamed your jeans (like I did) when Lady Sirella appeared http://www.startrek.com/startrek/vie...o/1115005.html