DnD High Fashion - What does your PC Wear?

[phindar]

Ah, yes. Good old high hards. I preferred high softs myself, though I knew some people that preferred low softs. I don't judge.

The one book I do miss from 2e was the Aurora's Guide to the Realms. It was all slice-of-life gear. Drow swimwear. Death cheese. Good times.

Back in the good old days, when a typical session ran 12 hours and we'd occasionally game for days straight, details like character dress and what's for dinner got a lot more airtime. Nowadays I get 3 1/2 hours of gaming every two weeks, and it makes it tough to dwell on the details. (I do still make incredibly detailed equipment lists, for what its worth. My current character, a half orc barbarian/fighter wears linen breeches and a sleeveless shirt, alligator skin boots, a black bearskin cloak with pictograms drawn on the inside, bronze forearm guards and a serpentskin backpack with snake rattle tassles, in addition to the breastplate he wears for armor. He's also got a drinking horn made from a mandible from a huge spider. So the details are there, they just never get brought up.)

I was at a friend's game who's group I don't normally play with, and one of the other players started detailing all the things she had collected for that night's soup. As she's reading off the list of paprika and onions and lamb, I caught myself thinking Who cares? Why aren't we killing things? And I realized, I have become what I have beheld... I have seen the enemy and it is I.

Alas.

 

[Herzog]

Most of the time, I have a vague image of the character and clothes style he or she will be wearing.
Then, I go browse through character portraits until I find one that matches.
That's about it. Most of the time.
The fact that your options are somewhat limited when using computerprograms to create your character sheet doesn't help.

I had one player who, for some reason, allways seemed to let his character end up in fire hazards.
Red dragon breath, fireballs, burning houses, you name it.
Every time the characters' hair started growing back a bit, another disaster struck.
We always pictured her (character was female) walking around in a slightly burned wizards' robe, and with no facial hair....
(And no, I wasn't targeting on purpose.....)

Herzog

 

[Kelleris]

A reference to AD&D where your choices of footwear included Boots, high hard. IIRC, it actually had some mechanical effects to things like moving silently and the possible effects of caltrops.

Ah, no wonder I didn't get it - didn't start playing D&D until a good bit of the way through 2e, just before the Skills and Powers series started coming out and making characters all crazy-like.

Though Adauth's the sort to be carrying multiple pairs of boots if they're mechanically different. Right now they're just good, high-quality adventurin' boots with a concealed sheath in the right one and a boot blade in the left. He's got four different pairs of gloves on his character sheet already...

By the way, Hussar, the last quote in your sig makes me laugh a little every time I see it.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

My two characters:

Wulgar Rhymesmith, Priest of Moradin:
He wears some fetching priestly robes - over his heavy plate armour. He has his holy symbold rakishly on a heavy chain tied around his left arm. The blue of his clothing is a purer, more pleasant blue than the bruises his heavy greathammer leaves.


Kye('Rhexavynn), Shadow Warrior of the Brotherhood of the Night:
Usually, he's disguised as a chultan human wearing dark colours of the forest. Whenever he loses this disguise to strike fear into the enemy's heart, the general colour scheme is black: Black Skin, black clothes, a black mithral shirt, even his sword is black as the night. There are some highlights of the darkest red and purples, which complement similar highlights of his black, feathery wings. The mask he wears is that of a demon about to go on a terrible rampage (which is basically what Kye does). His silver hair is the only thing that breaks the colour scheme, and the only bright thing about him other than the bright red eyes. (Of course, since he's been inflicted with this damnable celestial power, he shines like a shiny angel, and he hasn't quite found out how to permanently shut it down.

 

[Firedancer]

Quite often I would give a description of what style the character follows, but not detailed in writing. Gives a feel of the character to the other members of the group.

If its important to the character then more detail would be supplied (so a cleric clearly showing his allegiance, a noble fighter wearing armour on missions, but the finest and most fashionable clothes when socialising).

During our games, the DM will pause and ask us for descriptions, usually when we meet an npc group or try to enter a town/village for the first time. Appearances will aplter the reactions of those we meet.

And when I've DM'd I've often used clothing and appearance as a way of setting social groups aside. In one country the style and colouring were all important to social rank.

Moving from place to place with different dress codes irks the rogue whoe wears "clothes that fit in with the general populace, not overstated, and not tatty" as he has to keep buying something new!

Had a player once play what was essentially an awakened simalcarum. The person he was a clone of sacrificied himself to save the party and had feelings for a female party member, so the awakened one had this strong connection to her. The player then had him try alsorts to impress her - bright clashing colours became common place!

 

[blargney the second]

I've got a changeling with glamered full plate. He wears whatever is appropriate for the gig. Ceremonial dwarven armour, clergy robes, fancy ball gowns, etc.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

- Aratradeon "Cap'n Trade" Nydal (Male Half-Elf Warlock/Marshal) -

As above, except with half-elf pointed ears.

- Shahai d'Cannith (Female Human Warlock) -

As above, except with a Greater Mark of Making on her left bicep.

- Cora Highhill (Female Halfling Scout / Thief-Acrobat / Warblade) -

Center picture. Black hair, green eyes.

I find that using pictures evokes an easier translation for people, at least, as far as my characters are concerned.

-TRRW

 

[Gold Roger]

When my character was still a simple monk from an order devoted to making money, he wore a heavy black cloak, in similar style to the Akatsuki in the Naruto Manga. In addition to that he had a bag strapped accross his bag filled with coins.

Now that he has turned his back on his order, lived through some adventures and begunn setting up a quasi crimminal mining kingdom, he wears his wealth: huge amounts of Jewelry, enchanted gold bracers set with gems as well as an expensive white fur cloak and hat. He also carries around an enchanted cup he took because it looked valuable. Yes, he wears a full pimp outfit.

 

[awayfarer]

My orcish barbarian is currently sporting black dragonhide armor and a thoroughly black axe. It would probably look pretty impressive if he wasn't a drooling idiot.

On that note, I've always pictured him wearing a fuzzy hat. The kind with earflaps.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

When my character was still a simple monk from an order devoted to making money, he wore a heavy black cloak, in similar style to the Akatsuki in the Naruto Manga. In addition to that he had a bag strapped accross his bag filled with coins.

Now that he has turned his back on his order, lived through some adventures and begunn setting up a quasi crimminal mining kingdom, he wears his wealth: huge amounts of Jewelry, enchanted gold bracers set with gems as well as an expensive white fur cloak and hat. He also carries around an enchanted cup he took because it looked valuable. Yes, he wears a full pimp outfit.

Yen Buddhism? (The guys who say money corrupts so they get as much of it as possible so others are spared the corruption)