Looks vs. Functionality

[Fenes]

How many of you value looks over functionality when it comes to characters? How many wear or use something that's not as good as it could be just because it looks better?

 

[Leatherhead]

Seeing as how I never draw my characters, they all manage to look exactly how I want them to look in my mind at any given moment, regardless of what they are using.

 

[Runestar]

For pen-and-paper games, since fluff is quite mutable in my games, we usually have no problems settling for mechanics first, and adjusting aesthetics to suit the PC. For instance, if a player wanted to play a soulknife, there would be no issues with allowing him to alter the shape of his mindblade into whatever he wanted it to look it, so long as it remained statistically the same.

For PC games, it is a little trickier. But generally, unless the item really looks horrible on the character, I go with functionality over looks. Or maybe looks if the tradeoff in power is small/minimal. But I will likely still keep the backup eq just in case I am not satisfied with my current level of strength.

 

[Zimri]

For pen-and-paper games, since fluff is quite mutable in my games, we usually have no problems settling for mechanics first, and adjusting aesthetics to suit the PC. For instance, if a player wanted to play a soulknife, there would be no issues with allowing him to alter the shape of his mindblade into whatever he wanted it to look it, so long as it remained statistically the same.

For PC games, it is a little trickier. But generally, unless the item really looks horrible on the character, I go with functionality over looks. Or maybe looks if the tradeoff in power is small/minimal. But I will likely still keep the backup eq just in case I am not satisfied with my current level of strength.

Pretty much the same for me. In pen and paper I tend to play rogue/sneaky/espionage types so in games where magic items/spells exist that alter appearance it just makes sense that I seek them out.

 

[Nymrohd]

I don't play much So as a DM I make sure to give my players treasure that makes them look cool. So no +6 pink tutu of the veteran.

 

[Darkness]

Depends on the character. To use an extreme example, chances are that an aristocratic cleric of the deity of death will not have quite the same fashion standards as a humble paladin who grew up among animals.

It also depends on the situation. If you're going to meet the queen, you may not want (or your friends may not want you) to bring the silly duck mask that you wore on a midnight raid into enemy territory. Even if its powers are potentially useful in both situations.

 

[Wormwood]

We always 'reskin' our items.

The same Vicious Longsword in the hands of the Tiefling Warlord looks a hell of a lot different than it does in the hands of the Dragonborn Paladin.