*insert generic title involving new-ness here*

Hello everyone! My friend convinced me that this was a good idea (didn't take much convincing) so I've decided to try it. I've been a huge fan of D&D for several years now ever since I found my dad's old AD&D books in the basement. I'm thinking about attending the May event and depending on how that goes maybe the A Week in the Life event as well.

Anyway I'll be trying out a Khitanese Dragoon who is rather obsessed with learning about his dragon heritage. I'm not sure how much fighting I actually want to do, the decision really just came down to the fact that I have a weird dragon fetish and enjoy adding some draconic flavor to my characters. As for the decision of Khitanese I really just liked the costuming for it (and now for my obsession with Japanese culture haha).

I have a question about costume armor. I have made a lamellar-style cuirass from cardboard scales (lamellae), the product of a boring spring break many years ago. Using scales prevents the cardboard from bending awkwardly and actually provides a good protection (my friend hit me in the stomach with a baseball bat, I was staggered but felt nothing). As of now the cardboard isn't spray painted or anything, but I am planning on spray-painting black and re-lacing it in a more authentic (newcastle) pattern before I come. How real does costume armor have to look to be allowed? Is there a little leeway or does it have to look like leather until someone touches it and realizes it isn't? Is there anyone who has tried to use cardboard costume armor? (Should I ask this question in a different category?) I've read the armor section a couple times and tried to find threads about it, but I haven't found guidelines on what looks real for the purpose of KR. If there are some sort of guidelines to shoot for it would be nice to know them for when I am "reforging" my armor. Also any suggestions about making cardboard look more realistic are welcome. Worst case scenario I scrap the armor and show off my sewing abilities.

Anyway excited about the event. I'm sure I'll get a chance to meet all of you soon!

Welcome!

Costume grade armor should look as realistic as you can get it to look. It dosnt have to feel real, but it shouldn't look too obviously like cardboard covered in silver duct tape. I have seen some artistic people make good fake armor before. If you think you can pull it off, go for it. We won't be overly picky, but the look of it shouldn't grossly detract from the atmosphere. Would love to see your sewing skills as well.

Looking forward to seeing you at your first event!

Hey whats up. Name's Conor (Caelvan). I help out with player cards during registration so we'll see each other there.

Any questions shoot me a PM. I'll be happy to help.
Also to add on to what James said, if it's cardboard, put duct tape on it so the rain doesn't ruin it (but try not to make it too OOG looking.

Anyway, see you next event!

hey david,

if there's one thing ive learned about costuming, it's that if you find yourself asking if something is acceptable or not, it probably isnt. no one expects new folks to have all the best costuming and weapons right off the bat, but there are steps you can take when putting together a mark 1 outfit.

1. basic is ok. having a simple, high quality costume beats out having a complex mess of junk all over you any day.
2. think about the future! it wont always be your first event, so concentrate on items that you can see yourself using for a very long time. sewing or purchasing a good pair of period pants or a sturdy tunic that can be layered with more involved costuming down the road are the perfect starting investments.
3. prioritize. if there are holes in your look at the start, that's ok... but remember when investing in upgrades that no matter how shiny your new prayer beads are, your sneakers will still get more attention.

at the end of the day real always beats out imitation. while the cases where artistic individuals have produced good quality costume armor are real, they are few and far between, and in my opinion the results are still not as good as the real deal. my advice is to take it slow and amass a higher quality set over time as your budget allows. best of luck.

Hi David,

Chiming in on what Alex mentioned, if someone were to look at your armor and can see the corrugation of the cardboard (or the Bud Lite logo) and easily tell that it is cardboard and not wood or leather, I'd think twice about wearing it to game. If people would mistake it for the real thing at a glance and only see what it was constructed out of upon very close inspection, then I say go for it, but you might look into something a little more authentic and, more importantly, durable down the line if you decide you want to stick with the character.

Do keep in mind that while it may look decent enough, at the end of the day it is still cardboard and you will be wearing it whilst running outside, fighting, and sweating, all possibly in weather. From personal experience I can tell you that having armor you made yourself falling apart in the middle of an event is not a fun time.

So in short, bring it along and have someone who is qualified check it out and determine if it would grant armor points, and go from there. The worst they can tell you is that it is too anachronistic and you would not be able to wear it. Either way, see you on the trails! I'm sure you'll have a blast.

In the rulebook, it states when checking in, the marshal on duty will look at the armor & tell you how it looks and what values you get. If you can get the armor looking like the pics below... then wear it!

Yay! I'm so glad I convinced you to come. I'm looking forward to seeing you this weekend~ You're going to love it, everyone is SUPER awesome.

YES ANOTHER KHITAN DRAGOON!