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9 months ago ::
Oct 03, 2012 - 7:54PM
#1
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I admit, this may seem like a niggling point to many, but I think the online character builder should replace the drop-down list for gender with a blank field that players can type whatever they want into. Currently, the online CB has a drop down list where the player must select either "male" or "female", with no provision for leaving it blank once you've clicked on the box.
First, there are two races (Shardmind and Warforged) which are basically androgynous (although the flavour-text in PHB3 seems to for no good reason make an attempt to introduce a gender binary to a vaguely humanoid rock creature, it's still pretty weak), and one other (Deva) where the concept of gender is at least somewhat questionable.
As another exaxmple, I was recently trying to make a character who essentially was the spirit of a dead female character occupying the body of a living male creature. This doesn't really fall neatly into either the "male" or "female" box, however the online CB forces me to pick one or the other.
In addition, leaving a blank field would make the character builder more inclusive of adventurers who don't fall neatly into either box - transgender, intersex, or androgynous adventurers, for example.
As the concept of gender binary is being questioned in society, I think fixing the CB to take that into account wouldn't be a bad idea.
And, this leads me to a more general point: I think the online CB should include some support for refluffing - allowing players to rename powers, items, races, etc. on their character sheet, - so it can generate a character sheet for printing that has (for example) Grippli instead of Pixie in the race slot instead of me having to go at it with photoshop or white-out.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 16, 2012 - 2:53AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Nov 25, 2010
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Excellent ideas all.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 16, 2012 - 9:57AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Oct 11, 2010
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You can leave the gender field blank if you want. Then just write it in after you print.
I agree with the refluffing. Not sure of all of its details, but have you checked out Herolab? May offer more customization.
Wizards of the Coast can suck it.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 17, 2012 - 8:18PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Jun 21, 2008
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With no powers or attributes being dictated gender, why even have it as a drop down menu?
Free text entry like age, height etc. Or are they afraid of too many people filling in "Sex: yes please"?
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9 months ago ::
Oct 18, 2012 - 1:04PM
#5
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Date Joined:
Mar 21, 2011
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I agree that the field should be an open field much like age or height. Although I do believe that there is an actual game mechanic that specifies gender selection. From Heroes of the Feywild I believe that there were two character races that specified male-only and female-only respectively.
Also, has anyone used HeroLab recently? Last I checked it still didn't "play nicely" with some of the essentials-style classes.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 18, 2012 - 2:58PM
#6
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Date Joined:
Jun 21, 2008
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I haven't tried those races in CB, but I think that would have more to do with that you pick in the "Race" option rather than the "Gender" option. I.e. I don't think leaving the gender option blank breaks any of the powers and ejects you from the race. I mean, large videogame companies are moving towards being more inclusive of people outside of the standard Male/Female category. For a product like D&D where you get to play the character you want and your way, it's pretty important to be as inclusive as possible. I mean you can play goddam intelligent psychic collections of floating mineral if you so choose. Tl;dr version: Open field is a step towards inclusion. I don't think anyone is asking WotC to start including trans people in their art or including, err, alternative romances in their fluff articles. But seriously, changing the CB field to an open text is such a minute change but can be totally touted as "look how progressive we are!"
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9 months ago ::
Oct 18, 2012 - 7:54PM
#7
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I agree that the field should be an open field much like age or height. Although I do believe that there is an actual game mechanic that specifies gender selection. From Heroes of the Feywild I believe that there were two character races that specified male-only and female-only respectively.
Which was utterly stupid.
Another day, another three or four entries to my Ignore List.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 18, 2012 - 9:28PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Nov 30, 2010
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I also think some of the drow themes from dragon magazine a few months ago had gender restriction.
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8 months ago ::
Oct 28, 2012 - 10:53AM
#9
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Date Joined:
Mar 21, 2011
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I agree that the field should be an open field much like age or height. Although I do believe that there is an actual game mechanic that specifies gender selection. From Heroes of the Feywild I believe that there were two character races that specified male-only and female-only respectively.
Which was utterly stupid.
I agree completely!
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