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> RP advice requested, for a rather... odd... turn of events
Kagetenshi
post Sep 24 2004, 10:29 PM
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I'm not offended, I just think you're drawing the wrong conclusion from it. Some people who feel they're transgendered need therapy to come to grips with the change, so how many orders of magnitude less likely would it be for someone who doesn't feel that to come to grips with the fact that they're not just going to change at some point if they decided to, but that they have changed against their will?

~J
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Edward
post Sep 24 2004, 10:37 PM
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Shock, disbelief. Blame surge (tame dependant) the timeline you described for the change is a bit long but I think surge would be the likely explanation (OC I assume it is not but IC it looks good in the absence of evidence to the contrary).

How far you take the sexual experimentation depends on your characters mentality to sex and your groups taste for (and maturity towards) such things.

Edward
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k1tsune
post Sep 24 2004, 11:08 PM
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QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
I'm not offended, I just think you're drawing the wrong conclusion from it. Some people who feel they're transgendered need therapy to come to grips with the change, so how many orders of magnitude less likely would it be for someone who doesn't feel that to come to grips with the fact that they're not just going to change at some point if they decided to, but that they have changed against their will?

~J

The therapy transgendered go through is more to help them come to grips with the fact that they aren't going to magically change into the sex complimenting their gender, and to cope with their body dysphoria before, during, and after the (ickily imperfect) hormonal therapies and surgeries. It's not so much to prepare them for the change, it's to help them survive life before it.
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Black Isis
post Sep 24 2004, 11:13 PM
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QUOTE (k1tsune @ Sep 24 2004, 06:08 PM)
The therapy transgendered go through is more to help them come to grips with the fact that they aren't going to magically change into the sex complimenting their gender, and to cope with their body dysphoria before, during, and after the (ickily imperfect) hormonal therapies and surgeries. It's not so much to prepare them for the change, it's to help them survive life before it.

Right, exactly. And, in addition, I am going through therapy so that I can be sure this is what I want -- that I really am transgendered, and not simply delusional (and yeah, there is a difference) -- after all, in my case, there's no going back if I decide I made a big mistake 5 years from now. In your character's case, there's no reason to think he's delusional -- until a month ago, he WAS a man. It's not like he's going to have a hard time convincing anyone who's known him for longer than that of the fact. If he actually had to get the letters like transsexuals now do, I don't think he'd have much of a problem with that. Furthermore, I don't think there will be a problem with reversibility if he needs it -- surgery by that point is probably rather well perfected, functionally and cosmetically, and if it's a shapechange spell he just needs to get it removed.
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Kamquat
post Sep 24 2004, 11:16 PM
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One other bit of entertainment you can check out for shifting genders is Orlando by Virginia Woolf. It might not have the same resonance for a Shadowrun game since it is primarily about gender roles in the 18th though 20th centuries in England but the main character starts out as a upity nobleman and turns into a woman as the story progresses. If nothing else you can say you read some old fashioned liturature in preperation for the game.
There is a movie version of the book somewhere, but I've not seen it and can't attest to its value.
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Jason Farlander
post Sep 24 2004, 11:49 PM
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QUOTE (k1tsune @ Sep 24 2004, 06:08 PM)
The therapy transgendered go through is more to help them come to grips with the fact that they aren't going to magically change into the sex complimenting their gender, and to cope with their body dysphoria before, during, and after the (ickily imperfect) hormonal therapies and surgeries. It's not so much to prepare them for the change, it's to help them survive life before it.

Right, and heres the thing. This is not a messy change on anywhere near the level that is involved with current gender reassignment stuff... it is not "ickily imperfect;" rather, it is a physically perfect change, complete with all the right hormone levels, in a two week timespan. As I said earlier, it is a change right into the lifestage where hormone levels in females are peaking. All of this is going to have a profound and uncontrollable effect on the way he thinks about things, and it will be very confusing for a while. Because his hormones and brain chemistry will already be different, and those are very powerful forces with which to contend, I don't find it unreasonable that they would begin to bring his thought processes in sync with where they currently are, such that he might actually not want to change back, as he has already redefefined himself as female on a subconscious level.

I dunno... I freely admit that, for the most part, I'm making this up, as there doesnt really exist anything analogous in the real world. As someone who is both primarily interested in and familiar with biology, I tend to grasp onto those aspects as being the most important ones (especially since I have very little respect for psychology as a field, but thats a whole other...deal...). So that should provide some background for why I'm approaching this the way I am, in case anyone was wondering. In the end, I think this will at the very least be an interesting character arc, even if there are some doubts as to whether it *should* play out that way or not.

Again: I thank everyone here for helping me sort through this.
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Thistledown
post Sep 26 2004, 07:31 AM
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Another minor thing to consider - you'll have to wait a few weeks for new Form Fitting Body Armor. Good thing you don't have cyberware. I can see quite a few problems with bone lacing or dermal sheathing.

As to the astral look of the character, I always think of it like the 'residual self image' described in the Matrix movie. So yes, the char would probably still look male, probably for quite a while. Even when Neo found out he had ports all over his body, he never manifested those in the matrix. This is a much bigger change, I know, but just a theory.
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Kagetenshi
post Sep 26 2004, 09:52 PM
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QUOTE (Jason Farlander)
Right, and heres the thing. This is not a messy change on anywhere near the level that is involved with current gender reassignment stuff... it is not "ickily imperfect;" rather, it is a physically perfect change, complete with all the right hormone levels, in a two week timespan.

And I know several people who are perfectly hormonally one gender and mentally another. Keep in mind that there's no reason why your character can't come to terms with it (who knows, maybe he had some feelings of being transgendered and his straitlacedness was a suppression of that), but I still say that it would take exceptional circumstances.

If you pull it off, let us know how it goes.

~J
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Jason Farlander
post Sep 27 2004, 07:45 AM
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Ok, update.

Tonight we held the session in which the transformation took place. If anyone is interested in reading the log file (it's an irc game) I'll post that at the end of this deal. Its kinda long, though, so I'm going to spoilertag it and edit out all of the irrelevant OOC chatter.

Ok. Now. Apparently, as another side effect of the change, the character now feels smarter, healthier, and more agile (his... err, her... quickness, intelligence, and body have all increased by 1 point) than she ever did before. So... what are your thoughts about how this would affect her, IC? I mean... to those who have expressed sincere doubts that she would ever come to accept such a thing without some exceptional circumstances, how do you think those changes should factor in?

Anyway, for your amusement, here is the (edited) log of the part of the session devoted to her transformation (all references to the cause of the change were whimsically baleeted). It picks up after Syke (my character) had been incapacitatingly ill for about a week. Also, to clarify before anyone gets too terribly confused, Floyd and Foamy are a pair of (insane) free spirits who have become interested in our group and pop in and out at random to harass us and occaisionally help us out. So, without further ado:

[ Spoiler ]


(as an aside to Kagetenshi - I would not call a person who has sincere doubts that their current physical gender matches their mental gender someone who has a perfect hormonal balance... but thats something I would rather not get into)
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Da9iel
post Sep 27 2004, 08:29 AM
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I'd be tempted to say that the quickness, body, and int increases might be completely overshadowed by the whole new body thing. An incremental increase in a stat you already have would be peanuts next to an entire shift in paradigm. A couple of "Gee, I wasn't this quick before"s might be in order, but I wouldn't get too worried about adding too much of a role-playing reaction to it.
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Jason Farlander
post Sep 27 2004, 08:41 AM
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Considering that, with humans, we are dealing with a scale with values ranging from 1-9 (and, well, 10 if you include exceptional attributes), and a range of "normal" values of only 1-6, I think that even incremental changes would be *very* noticeable, considering how much those changes represent in regards to what is possible.
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Da9iel
post Sep 27 2004, 09:00 AM
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Yes! Do notice the changes! Wonder at them and marvel! But if it was my character, I think I'd play it a little too preoccupied to give much thought to going from "typical" to "improved" or "improved" to "superior" etc. That also includes the notion that it is a new body! The physical attribute changes might be hard to distinguish from the physical anatomy changes from the character's point of view. Considering a possible whole new brain chemistry (as hinted at by the crying episode) the int increase my be tough to distinguish as well. As always these are merely suggestions.

If you wanted to play up the attribute increases, as you notice each new improvement, test yourself. Challenge other characters to a chess match (even if you haven't played in years). Go for a run! Race people! I can't think of a better way to test the body than to beat on yourself (or have someone hit you). If you can think of something better, do it, because I'm not trying to endorse masochism. (More powah to ya if ya like it, but not for me.)
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Jason Farlander
post Sep 27 2004, 09:33 AM
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The body attribute is something I think that would reflect an overall sense of feeling healthier and more fit, but not something that could be quantified in the same sense as quickness/running speed. As for the INT increase, the character is rather introspective, so I think a distinct improvement in clarity of thought would be noticed - as soon as the shock/confusion of the whole thing wears off, obviously.

As an aside, since you read through the log - was that actually interesting/entertaining? Its hard for me to judge how people completely unfamiliar with our group would take things like that. Is this something you would like to read again if there are further developments, or would it be better if I were to present such developments in a way that doesnt require that you read through the whole transcript?
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Da9iel
post Sep 27 2004, 09:37 AM
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Yes! Please continue to update us on this very unique plot. I did enjoy reading the log. I'm sure it was even more fun to be a part of it. There's always an element of you-had-to-be-there in any relation of an experience, so if I really got a kick out of it, it must've been a blast to play!
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Crusher Bob
post Sep 27 2004, 09:59 AM
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You may also run into problems relating to changes in your center of gravity and muscle distribution (notice that your legs and hips will have changed shape due to having a new pelvis).
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Da9iel
post Sep 27 2004, 10:48 AM
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Crusher Bob, you should really read the log of the game (in Jason's last spoiler tag). Its fun.
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Kagetenshi
post Sep 27 2004, 12:48 PM
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My only nitpick with the game is that the characters were showing altogether too much knowledge of what the mage was casting (for instance, stunball, stunbolt, manaball, and manabolt probably would have appeared identical to a mundane observer unless there were multiple people in radius and LOS), but that's a matter of individual style. Otherwise, definitely liking it :)

~J
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Belle Anderson
post Sep 27 2004, 01:36 PM
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Thanks for the refresher Jason, :grin: Just what I needed this morning to wake myself up.

Yes this is the same Belle Anderson whose in the group with Jason up there, I finaly got off my butt and signed up.

Belle
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nezumi
post Sep 27 2004, 01:39 PM
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Random question, since he's growing so fast... Would magic prevent stretchmarks?

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Jrayjoker
post Sep 27 2004, 02:56 PM
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I havent seen it mentioned explicitly, so here goes...

There is going to be a psychological break somewhere in the future, and I could see Skye using magic as the one constant that gets her through the pschological transformation that will occur after the phsical changes.
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Kagetenshi
post Sep 27 2004, 02:59 PM
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If there is a psychological transformation. Again, the character is his, but if I were dealing with a real person described as above, I'd think there wouldn't be. At least not in any timeframe reasonable for a Shadowrun game.

~J
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Jason Farlander
post Sep 27 2004, 03:41 PM
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QUOTE (Belle Anderson)
Thanks for the refresher Jason, :grin: Just what I needed this morning to wake myself up.

Yes this is the same Belle Anderson whose in the group with Jason up there, I finaly got off my butt and signed up.

Belle

Dammit.... there goes my ability to securely plot about that game on this board... :D

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Jrayjoker
post Sep 27 2004, 03:58 PM
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Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men...
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Kremlin KOA
post Sep 27 2004, 04:28 PM
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You'll find that this will not hace some of the emotional issues of a transgender... Much of the theapy a transgender has to go through has to do ith the inadequicies of the new form... this one wont have these...
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Belle Anderson
post Sep 27 2004, 05:49 PM
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QUOTE (Jason Farlander)
QUOTE (Belle Anderson @ Sep 27 2004, 08:36 AM)
Thanks for the refresher Jason, :grin:  Just what I needed this morning to wake myself up.

Yes this is the same Belle Anderson whose in the group with Jason up there, I finaly got off my butt and signed up.

Belle

Dammit.... there goes my ability to securely plot about that game on this board... :D

I've been lurking for some time, I just finally decided to poke my head out. Don't panic too much I don't anybody else from the game lurks here, other than the GM.

And to drag this back on topic, I sence much drinking for Belle as she is teaching Syke "Womanhood 101" :D
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