Cloaks, rings, robes, hats, bucklers, and codpieces.

[Luthien Greyspear]

Roleplaying the inseam...

My players have always made the effort to describe their attire. We have a very swash-buckley kind of group, and at least one of my players at any given time has been playing an actual swashbuckler, so quality duds have been a must on their shopping lists.

In fact, one of the main NPC's in my game retired from adventuring to become a tailor and clothing designer! He came from a poor area and never had nice clothes or the opportunity to 'dress to impress'. So, when he became the party's token fighter (he was the cousin of the waifish rogue, and went along to protect her), he began to earn the GP to start dressing well. For laughs, I gave him the tailor proficiency (2nd edition game) and told the party he was designing his own clothing. They immediately began roleplaying their OWN character's requests for better outfits, and it grew from there. At the end of the last campaign, he had more than enough to start his own high-class clothing emporium (in Greyhawk, no less). Now, he's the exclusive designer to the Mayor's Council and the Royal Family of Celene.

All it takes is a little role-playing nudge, I guess...

 

[Ambrus]

For me at least, I have to know how my character is dressed to be able to picture him in my mind. It goes a little beyond that though; I need to know where all his stuff is and how it's strapped to his body. Belts, buckles, straps, pieces of clothing, type of footwear; it all helps me get into character because I can more easily picture what my character is actually doing when I draw a weapon or retrieve a potion. I usually end up drawing character portraits in fine detail to satisfy myself. Maybe I'm just nuts though...

 

[Romnipotent]

Clothing Maketh the Man (or Woman)!
Desheviled explorers outfits, ritzy reastaurant, not even for 100platinum! Dress code is dress code!

My players take penalties to skills for wearing the wrong clothes, not that they know exactly why. Some NPC's wont even listen to PC's if they're dressed improperly. A good diplomacy check may have the NPC say "Come back when you've changed into something more appropriate, now stop loitering."

 

[Numion]

In your games does fashion play even a small part? Does anyone care about what their characters wear?

It did mean a lot to my last elven cleric. He had several thousands worth of apparels. Diamond encrusted belt buckle with my initials, holy symbol that would put 50 Cent to shame, ruby rings, etc .. it wasn't wise, because I could've bought more oomph by investing in magic items, but it was a city adventure (well, it was Banewarrens, so big part was dungeoneering). We were kinda celebrities some way into the campaign, so it seemed to make sense. I also felt that it fit the flamboyant personality of my character.

Of course, our free magic item shopping generally tends to curb spending outrageously on other stuff. Doesn't stop me though. I footed the bill on a 5000 gp celebration of completing the Banewarrens adventure. It's a celebration, says Rick James

 

[ARandomGod]

In your games does fashion play even a small part? Does anyone care about what their characters wear?

I've cared before. Actually, the character of mine who's cared the most was the warforged. He used to pay extra to get his custom magic items made in aesthetically pleasing ways (to him, of course). He (it?) had a very low charisma, and didn't care because of that at all. He just wanted to look good for himself.

But in general my characters like to bath once a month, whether they need it or not.

Heheh. Actually I did once take the time to take a bath in the middle of an adventure. There was a bathtub IN the storyline. The water was warm, there was a towel...

Some of the other players were annoyed. Others were amused.

But really, unless that aspect of life is pointed out people just push it into the background. PC's don't meantion when they "go to the bathroom", and therefore don't meantion when they bathe... Often clothing is ignored as similiar background noise. With all those magical clothes they're still usually the best dressed around. Magic clothing looks magically good! (IE doesn't tear/rip/wear).

 

[francisca]

Having read the Cape post, I suddenly realised that the players in my game pay very little attention to clothing unless they are charisma types anyway.


I wonder. Realistically, everyone wants to look good despite telling themselves they don't care what others think. A three-piece suit makes you not only look cool - it makes you feel cool.

In your games does fashion play even a small part? Does anyone care about what their characters wear?

I usually come up with a description of my char when a new game/campaign starts, wherein I describe his clothing.

Then I forget about it until it makes a difference.

 

[Savage Wombat]

I suddenly remember a long-ago Champions game where my character, a typical anime-style swordsgirl, developed a running gag. The GM asked some variant on "so what are you all doing?" and I would answer that I still hadn't found that green sweater I needed to match a particular outfit. As a result of this, half the action in this game wound up starting at the mall.

One adventure, I actually rolled the two levels of luck I needed to find the perfect sweater. Which was, of course, destroyed in the firefight immediately following.

 

[Numion]

Heheh. Actually I did once take the time to take a bath in the middle of an adventure. There was a bathtub IN the storyline. The water was warm, there was a towel...

At high levels we tended to teleport / otherwise swift-exit to the 'adventure' or dungeon at hand in the morning, or whatever time we had cured hangover, explore for a couple of hours and then teleport back to our town house / mansion. It left a lot of time for roleplaying and partying around the city. While some have expressed (in other threads) that this kind of teleporting kills the adventure, I think it made the play much more enjoyable I even had separate wardrobe for dungeoneering and city toiling (complete with jeweled longsword I probably wasn't even proficient in).

Of course, enjoyable might not fit someones preference for D&D (yeah, I deliberately mixed character and player enjoyment .. so shoot me )

 

[sniffles]

Pictures please....

NOOOOOOOOO......!!

We don't usually spend much time talking about specifics of attire, but we do describe general type of clothing - quality, brightly colored vs. drab, shapeless vs. form-fitting, etc.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

1. Magical Gear aside....

After wandering underground for weeks at a time, being attacked by all sorts of nasty things with sharp objects & fire-based spells; it's amazing anybody has any clothing LEFT by the end of an adventure. But, roleplaying a new set of clothes every single time you go to town gets old (unless you are a fan of Mall d20: The Powershoppers).


2. I have several characters who insist on buying an adamantine codpiece once they have enough gold; preferably spiked (now they remember to explain they want the spikes on the OUTSIDE of the codpiece).

I don't know why they do it, I stopped using the critical hits' chart with the 'Groin Destroyed' entry ages ago.