Greetings!

"Women were also believed by Germans to hold within them an element of holiness and a gift of prophecy; and so the Germanic warriors do not scorn to ask for their women's advice or lightly disregard their replies." Tacitus.

In my reading through many historical texts and mythological studies, it becomes very clear that not just the Germanic tribes, but the Slavs, the Norse, the Celts, the Finns, the Baltic peoples, and even the typically stoic and "modernistic" Romans and Greeks also held some enduring beliefs in the idea that women--as a sex--possessed special spiritual and magical powers that were different from that of men, and often surpassed or otherwise exceeded men's capacities and abilities in embracing mystical powers. Certainly, men routinely had a wide range of abilities if they were so gifted in such areas, and yet, everyone in the ancient world seemed to know that women brought something extra special to the table when it comes to spiritual and mystical powers.

A similar dynamic can also be seen with the Jews, the Persians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Turks, the Mongols, Indians, and Chinese. The idea seems to be pretty universal amongst ancient peoples everywhere.

Thus, it makes me wonder, should women in our campaign worlds be provided with some kind of special spiritual and mystical abilities different from men?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Title is a bit clickbait, since I don't think it was a widespread belief that women had greater abilities than men.

Should women be considered to have a different sphere of abilities (up to and including magical abilities)? Sure. Wheel of Time makes this a central worldbuilding feature. In general actually representing the significant differences between the sexes mechanically would make for an evocative setting hook

Quote from: SHARK on July 16, 2021, 04:15:40 PM
Thus, it makes me wonder, should women in our campaign worlds be provided with some kind of special spiritual and mystical abilities different from men?

I don't know about "should", but it's an interesting choice that can lead to fun play. This was the intro for my section on Norse Seidr for my Vinland campaign:

QuoteSeidr is a type of spirit magic practiced among the Vinlanders, originally borrowed by the Norse from their Lapp neighbors many centuries ago. It is sometimes known as "platform magic" for how certain major rituals are cast, where the sorcerer rests in a trance a raised platform. Among the Vinlanders, its practice is restricted to women (at least publically). Male sorcerers are viewed as effeminate, deceitful, and worse. In the sagas, every male sorcerer meets with a miserable and shameful death, though many cast powerful curses as they die.

Female practitioners -- known as gydja (priestess) and sometimes volva (prophetess) -- are more tolerated, although still not common. They rarely engage in full platform magic, at least not publicly. More often, they will go into trances by singing to prophesy, bestow blessings, and act as seers. They may also direct sacrifices to appease dangerous spirits, usually on autumn "winter nights". A young woman will generally learn her craft from an elder female relative. The degree of dedication varies, ranging from religious devotion to a hobby craft. A dedicated gydja (priestess) will generally be rewarded by gifts in return for prophecy and aid. She will act as a priestess of Freyja, the goddess of passionate love -- who is associated with the Virgin Mary in semi-Christianized Vinland.

Thus, in the campaign, the only Norse PC magicians were female. On the other hand, Algonquian shamans were always male.

In general, gender roles were strongly enforced in historical societies. I think the key is to make things equally fun for players of female PCs.

We also had some strong gender roles in campaigns set on Harn, but there the magical difference was less important - in part because Shek-Pvar (magicians) are so rare on Harn.

While I don't feel a need to have special rules for it, my internal design guidelines for sample PCs and NPCs in my game default to female adventurers having some type of magic or other inhuman source of power in contrast to men who are more often straight up warriors.

Basically, in my fantasy world, magic is the equalizer that allows women to be equal to the overwhelming physical superiority of men in much the way that modern firearms do more to level the playing field for women in terms of personal defense than any sort of martial arts ever could.

The 14 female sample PCs include;
- a kobold gadgeteer
- a dwarf "arcane cyborg"
- a dryad
- an elf priestess
- an elf sharpshooter/sniper
- a fetch nightmare
- a gnome mastermind (schemer who creates openings for allies)
- a golem wizardess (only female in shape; basically a robot)
- a human sorceress
- a human theurge
- a malfean mystic
- a malfean shapeshifter
- a mutant (half-orc) templar (6'6"/280 lb.)
- a mutant (spiker) acrobat

The other 16 (plus a few companions granted by background features) are men and far more likely to be straight up warriors;
- a ravenkin storm priest
- a minotaur warrior
- human mercenaries (companion characters of the minotaur)
- a dwarf knight
- a dwarf squire (companion character of the dwarf knight)
- a dwarf gadgeteer
- dwarf apprentices (companion characters/sons of the dwarf gadgeteer)
- a young glacier dragon
- a young fire giant
- an elf knight
- elven house guards (companion characters of the elf knight)
- a fetch shadow wizard
- a fetch outlaw mastermind
- a gnome beastrider
- a gnome monk
- a golem swordmage
- a golem warpriest of the forge god
- a human captain
- a human bodyguard (companion of the human sorceress)
- a malfean monk
- a mutant (troll) warrior

I believe that, historically speaking, woman have approximately 20% more Mystical Abilities then men.

And if he were here today I am sure that Tacitus would agree.

Women were often considered more in tune with nature (because of the lunar menstruation cycle and childbirth), and nature (and the Moon) has often had a connection with magic/mysticism in earlier societies.  So it would not be beyond the realm of supposition to suggest that these connections influenced how people though about women and spirituality and magic. Not, as was suggested above, that this was some nefarious "enforced gender role." 

There is a reason that, in the archetypical hero's journey, the hero receives different kinds of help from the Magi and the Wise Woman...

I'm not terribly familiar with the history, but it certainly makes sense from a gamist point of view.  If you want a realistic difference in the game between the strength of men and women, it makes sense to balance it with a similarly important difference in magical power.

Obviously, not true in real life, but in some stories, myths, or religions women might be more mystical. There are also cases of men being or mystical or spiritual, it depends on the source.

Are there reasons to go with idea in an RPG? Sure. If we have a more realistic historical take on female warriors - that they are rare - then it stands to reason that in a setting with magic, women might be more likely to distinguish themselves with magical ability than combat prowess. For more feminine female characters, magical ability might seem thematic and fighting ability might not.

I don't know if we would want to balance male and female characters with something along these lines though. Just looking at D&D, let's say we give males +2 Strength and females +2 Wisdom, giving us advantages at being druids or priestesses. Well, I guess that seems balanced, but it kind of encourages men to be combat classes and women to be divine casters. I'm not sure if rewarding or punishing certain choices is that good.

Maybe a DM might say that in some particular setting that only women are druids and that only men are paladins, just as an example. Well, there is something kinda cool about that, men can be holy knights and women can be nature mystics. Those kinds of limitations give settings flavor and I'd say that generally they're good flavor. In a published setting would be want that limitation? It's a little more questionable. Also, what if you're running a game and one of your players really really wants to play a male Druid or female paladin? Do you let them? It's hard to say, the game is about having fun, but it's limitations that give a setting flavor, not anything goes.

So I'm all for different kinds of thematic roles for males and females within a setting, or within certain cultures in a setting, but it's a complex issue once we look at a setting not merely as a sorry but the backdrop of a game where players want to customize their characters.

Quote from: ShieldWife on July 17, 2021, 05:05:36 AM
Obviously, not true in real life, but in some stories, myths, or religions women might be more mystical. There are also cases of men being or mystical or spiritual, it depends on the source.

Having worked in the advertisment business I can say that I have seen way more ads for women practicing new age, wicca, feng shui, biorythm, selling healing crystals and more than I have seen men advertising the same stuff. While that is purely anecdotal, it does show that even today, in modern times real life there is a uneven distribution of the ratio of men to women when it comes to mysticism and willingness to advertise about it asa business.

Quote from: ShieldWife on July 17, 2021, 05:05:36 AM
Are there reasons to go with idea in an RPG? Sure. If we have a more realistic historical take on female warriors - that they are rare - then it stands to reason that in a setting with magic, women might be more likely to distinguish themselves with magical ability than combat prowess. For more feminine female characters, magical ability might seem thematic and fighting ability might not.

I don't know if we would want to balance male and female characters with something along these lines though. Just looking at D&D, let's say we give males +2 Strength and females +2 Wisdom, giving us advantages at being druids or priestesses. Well, I guess that seems balanced, but it kind of encourages men to be combat classes and women to be divine casters. I'm not sure if rewarding or punishing certain choices is that good.

I was thinking, give Men in combat classes +2 strength and -2 wisdom while Women in mystic classes +2 wisdom but -2 strength.
No stat adjustments for playing other classes. A male mystic would then get +0, +0 as would a female warrior

I don't know that it needs stat adjustments; just make it a cultural choice and, rather than lock anything out mechanically, just make the exceptions rare and notable (ex. Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones or Merlin amid the numerous sorceress types in Arthurian legend; Morgan, Morgause, Nimue/Lady of the Lake, Vivaine, etc.).

So, a similar SJW woke mob existed in history as well and had to be overcome?

Quote from: SHARK on July 16, 2021, 04:15:40 PM
Greetings!

"Women were also believed by Germans to hold within them an element of holiness and a gift of prophecy; and so the Germanic warriors do not scorn to ask for their women's advice or lightly disregard their replies." Tacitus.

In my reading through many historical texts and mythological studies, it becomes very clear that not just the Germanic tribes, but the Slavs, the Norse, the Celts, the Finns, the Baltic peoples, and even the typically stoic and "modernistic" Romans and Greeks also held some enduring beliefs in the idea that women--as a sex--possessed special spiritual and magical powers that were different from that of men, and often surpassed or otherwise exceeded men's capacities and abilities in embracing mystical powers. Certainly, men routinely had a wide range of abilities if they were so gifted in such areas, and yet, everyone in the ancient world seemed to know that women brought something extra special to the table when it comes to spiritual and mystical powers.

A similar dynamic can also be seen with the Jews, the Persians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Turks, the Mongols, Indians, and Chinese. The idea seems to be pretty universal amongst ancient peoples everywhere.

Thus, it makes me wonder, should women in our campaign worlds be provided with some kind of special spiritual and mystical abilities different from men?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

In my game, magic users are born (they still have to learn how to use their "powers"). And Women are more likely to be a witch than men and also are usually more powerful witches than the men.

But then again I'm a shitlord that does have sexual dymorphism play a role, so women are weaker, but have better CHA among other things.

It is a common theme not only among the peoples mentioned in the OP but also in the witch-hunts of Europe (see Malleus Maleficarum).

I'm not sure their power is GREATER, but I'd say it is MORE COMMON.

From an archetypal standpoint, men could be culturally associated with the sun/logic/organized religion/Law, while women would be more commonly associated with the moon/emotion/mystery cults (Isis etc.)/Chaos. But the opposite could be true (think of Vesta and Mythras, for example).

Depends on the setting, I'd say.

IN PRACTICE, however, I'd never do plus or minuses due to gender, I feel it is a petty distinction in a world where both men and women can throw fireballs. If someone wants to play Red Sonja or Brienne of Tarth why make them a suboptimal fighter? Adventurers are not average.

Is it really about the sex or is it about the gender? I recall stories of biologically male sorcerers adopted more feminine dress and mannerisms as trappings of their magical traditions.

In the Space Western game I'm working on, all of the "True Psychics" are female. The male psychics (and some females) aren't as powerful and can't push their powers much beyond their bodies (basically they're the gish class).

There is also a cult-ish group, The Council of Mothers - who are matriarchal and claim dominion over all psychics (whether or not they agree). Leads to some interesting world-building, though I don't have a hard & fast rule that you can't make a male true psychic, The Council of Mothers would consider them a heretic.

Being matriarchal is also due to women helping decide when their kid is psychic. That's because psychics only have a chance of happening when the mother is on a ship warp traveling while pregnant.