Hello:

Where are tables " 1-11: Example Female Names" , & " 1-10: Example Male Names" ? (see page 31 when rolling 91-00 on the Male/Female Names Table)?

Maybe they're gonna be in the GM Toolkit ?

Thanks

L

Who?

I think it is a typo. I think it means to roll on the opposite sex table, i.e. male roll on female, female roll on male.

Why do that? Did the parental units make a mistake - wronging the offspring's sex?

Even if it's a typo it's still errata, ain't it?

L

Who?

Why do that? Did the parental units make a mistake - wronging the offspring's sex?

Because you come from a world where your name is commonly assigned to a gender different from the normal usage of the name? I know a few instances in this world where this is so - in Israel, 'Gabi' is an affectionate form of Gabriel while in Germany, it's generally used as a regular female name.

Also, because it gives you a reason why you join a Rogue Trader's entourage... "They ridiculed me for my name... But I will show them all! "

Jane from Firefly fame anyone?

Sounds like the backstory for a major villain... Austin Powers/Get Smart* style!

L

Who?

*etc.

Graver said:

Jaaayne /

The man they call Jayne

Well, my daddy left home when I was three
And he didn't leave much to Ma and me
Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze
Now, I don't blame him 'cause he run and hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left, he went and named me 'Sue' - Johnny Cash, Boy Named Sue

" Well, my daddy left home when I was three
And he didn't leave much to Ma and me
Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze
Now, I don't blame him 'cause he run and hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left, he went and named me 'Sue' - Johnny Cash, Boy Named Sue"

Sue, the Archmilitant:

"Just call me 'S' ; otherwise, by the Golden Throne, I'll bust a cap up your a$$!"

L

Commonly gender neutral American names:

• Sam
• Tyler
• Chris
• Terry
• Jo/Joe
• Ty
• Jean

Commonly Female names occasionally see as male names:

• Michelle
• Sue
• Dana
• Tayler/Taylor
• Dee
• Micky
• Lee

Commonly male names occasionally seen as female

• Joel/Joelle
• Markie
• Billy
• Nicky/Nikki
• Alex
• Lou,Louis

Readily feminized names

• Lon (Lona)
• Dean (Deana)
• Angelo (Angela, Angelina)
• Kyle (Kyla or Kylie, Kyletta)
• John (Johnetta, Johna, Jonel)
• Michael (Michaela)
• Alexander (Alexandra)
• Don (Donna, Donnette, Donnetta)
• Wilhelm (Wilhelmina)

So for those couple lines, apply a similar approach...
- Feminines ending in -a should end in -o to become masculinized
- Masuline names can add an -a, -etta, -et, or -el...

IMHO the 40k universe is not gender-divided by design but rather by old habit. Sci-fi writers often attempt to change key koncepts of our world to make things feel strange enough to give the impression of another world. 40k have things like the warp, alien species, and widespread religiously induced stupidity (allright that last thing we have a lot of as well, but in 40k their war incitors bring 2-handed chainsaws to the front of the battle, instead of cashing in on lucrative military contracts). Certain concepts are left as they are in our world, either on purpose because it makes for telling interesting stories or by default because the writers didn't think about changing them. I say that gender works in 40k like it does in our world because the original writers didn't even consider the issue.

I think gender division isn't really important at all to carry any of the main storyarcs, but is rather carried by writers and gamedesigners that are stuck thinking in rigid terms of gender. So I think it's fair game to **** it up when you GM. Just try to switch genders on all your preplanned NPCs the next time you GM a campaign. You will probably find yourself surprised at the number of females that you have now, and myabe that can develop your imagination as a GM a bit.

I'm pretty sure there are plenty of worlds, even imperial worlds within the "canon" 40k universe, that have plenty different views on how genders are built, and how they relate to biological sex. For example Cadia, where every child born are by default conscripted into the military. And yes, I think it is by old habit that GW only produces male models for the Cadian guardsmen.

Hint for the GMs: If you want to make a world feel distinctly alien, despite being inhabited by humans, have all the male-looking characters answer to female sounding names and "she" as a pronomen. It is your own choice if they are supposed to do the classicaly "female" work as well.

Hint for the players: Make a character act in all ways like a member of one gender, but take your name and personal noun from the other gender. Refuse to discuss the matter of your biological sex since that is taboo on your home planet.

Here is a perfect little side trek for your male Arch-Militant with a feminine name:

Your Arch-Militant walks into a dark rundown tavern in the slum adjoining the star port. The flickers of poorly functioning electros illuminate the man in black who appears to suffer from the Folsom Prison blues as he plays cards at the rear table. He bears the strong resemblance to the faded black and white photograph of a younger man your mother kept. Your Arch-Militant walks the line as he approaches the gaming table and declares to the man in black “My name is Sue! How do you do! And now I am going to kill you!”