A serious character creation question

[UnholyWon]

So late into my graveyard shift, it has come to me how does one play a transvestite character?

Does one solely base the character on the ability score of charisma? A high charisma allows for the character to be far more believable, allowing for higher bluff and persuade skills.

Does a person build the character and invest in Skill Focus feats of bluff or persuade?

Even more puzzling, what character model does a player use? Does a player use the male model, showing masculine features while using the discription to explain the character's choice in lifestyle? Or does a player use the female character model to show the feminity of the character, while describing the tale, tale signs of the characters actual masculine nature?

Also should such a character require an application before creation?

I understand that I may not be applying all likely variables, but these are just my initial inquires.

I bring this to the community of EFU:A, your thoughts?

[Noesis]

When you say transvestite do you mean strictly someone who is cross-dressing, or assuming more in depth gender roles/gender swapping, or actually transgendered?

If just cross-dressing or gender roles, I'd probably go with the gender model that the character actually is. (Elves are ambiguously fantastic for that.) I'd leave the majority up to my actual emotes.

If it's a matter of a gender swap or transgendered, then it depends on the extent (and rules of the server?), but as a personal opinion, I'd go with whatever was default for that character. If the character is/was male but identifies female to the point you can't distinguish and it would be more apparent he is actually a she, I'd want to go with a female model and just fill in the rest between bio and emotes; but the first impressions last, as if he portrays female with no second guessing, then female model makes the most sense to me.

As for the skills, to me it's a matter of intention. If someone alters themselves enough, they're no longer lying about it any more, even if it could be considered deceptive to have become a gender you were not born, or pretending to be the other.  I don't know, that one is more ambiguous for me; I think that the related social/Charisma skills certainly wouldn't hurt to take, but that should be more of a defensive measure than preemptive - if that makes sense to you.

[DaWarBeast]

Model wise its just not possible. Ability score wise it depends like any other character. A high charisma tranny might be able to act a LOT more womanly I guess.

I really wouldn't base a character around sexuality though, it can make some people uncomfortable ooc'ly and thats not cool!

[KjetilofNorway]

There's a female dwarf head with a neat, braided beard. Might be a start.

[Velve]

Eh, not to rain on your parade DaWarBeast, but sexuality wasn't in question. That a character was born one sex but identifies as another, was.

Though truly, I don't think skills should come into it. Perhaps if they have high persuade/bluff they could make more people believe they were born the gender they are not, but other than that... Seems unimportant.

As for the model.. I guess it (In my opinion, and I am certain many disagree), it merely depends how successful they are at appearing the desired gender. I've known plenty of people who, had they desired to and put a bit of effort in, could quite easily pass for the opposite gender, both male and female.

In the end however, I think it may all be too much effort to be worth while. Playing an effeminate man, or a masculine woman, can be portrayed easily enough without going to the confusing (Especially on such a limited game platform) extremes of transgenders.

[The Beggar]

IMO, Characters that in the past have been solely created around a quirk such as this fail to get past their "quirk", and end up being defined completely by it. We have had everything possible created in the past and to my knowledge all of them were dropped within a few weeks for a character of more substance.

[lakhena]

Having played a crossdresser on my last server for something fun and frivolous, I'd say go with the model of the original sex and then use the descriptor field, voice set, and clothing choices on top of descriptive emotes to let people know what's going on.  Be ready to have people roll eyes at you for being over the top or different, but that's just the way it goes.

As far as skills, I'm not sure what to recommend since there's no disguise skill here.  If you think you're a different sex, even if you're not, it's not quite bluffing.  Persuade, maybe, if you care about having others believe you.  Or don't dump any points in either and simply appear delusional to everyone around you.

Enjoy!  I know I had lots of fun with mine, though few took her seriously until they found out why she was crossdressing.

And yes, the whole male / female elf ambiguity was precisely what I played off of. :D

[derfo]

lol fags

[athousandyearsofpain]

Sounds like a gay concept

[Caddies]

DNW trannies on EFU.

[UnholyWon]

Caddies, this is EFU:A. :D Think Eddie Izzard.  

derf, the term fag(s), was needlessly inappropriate.  

Thanks everyone for the constructive feedback!

[Daemonic Daz]

I suppose if we wanted to play along, we could make a widget that changes the PC's phenotype at will. But its by no means a disguise.  

I did have a PC that had a potion that changed his gender afterall.

>_>

[DaWarBeast]

Eh, not to rain on your parade DaWarBeast, but sexuality wasn't in question. That a character was born one sex but identifies as another, was.

Your gender has defines your sexuality, so yes it has everything to do with it.

But as mentioned above huge quirks like this are usually the sole basis around such characters.

[Noesis]

Your gender has defines your sexuality, so yes it has everything to do with it.

But as mentioned above huge quirks like this are usually the sole basis around such characters.

... This is probably too early in my forum presence to get involved in this, but...

Gender and sexuality are essentially separate, and definitely different things. A woman can be heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual - being a woman does not define her sexuality right off the bat. A transgendered woman might have started being attracted to only women, and that preference remains even after the switch. Another transgendered woman may pursue men, instead.

All of that applies to men and transgendered men, also. One could consider heterosexual the default sexuality, but that isn't an indication that gender necessarily controls sexuality, especially since gender is more than just your chromosomes.

/tangent

In my view, transgendered, transexual, et al. characters can be great concepts in themselves as he base, or as the addition within a concept.

Sexuality or gender is not required to be the core aspect or focus of the character - some characters may never let on, and the general community might never be none the wiser that Samantha is really a man. On the other hand, some characters might put in front and center - gender-bending might be very handy for a Bard, for instance, whether as a conscious decision or as a preference.

[Halfbrood]

penis