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Old 06-10-2009, 09:53 AM   #1
Landwalker
 
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Default Starting Wardrobe and "Concealable as Clothing" Armor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Basic pg. 266
You start with a full wardrobe appropriate to your Status - you need not purchase this separately.
...
Ordinary Clothes: One complete outfit, ranging in quality from castoff rags to designer fashions, depending on Status. At minimum: undergarments, plus a tunic, blouse, or shirt with hose, skirt, or trousers - or a long tunic, robe, or dress - and suitable footwear.
I'm helping a new GURPS player work through the equipment for his character, and noticed that he never listed any footwear. Now, B.284 provides sandals, shoes, and boots as "Footwear armor", and lists them as [1] Concealable as or under clothing.

So, the question(s): Does a starting character essentially get shoes, or boots, or sandals, for free, as part of their free "Ordinary Clothing", since all of these can be used "as clothing" and since "Ordinary Clothing" includes "suitable footwear"? If not, why not? They are suitable footwear, "Ordinary Clothing" includes "suitable footwear." And if so, how does one justify the fact that shoes alone weigh the same as the entire outfit of Ordinary Clothing (2 pounds), while boots actually weigh more? (If one uses the weight to disqualify boots but allow shoes, then the boots could reasonably be expected to be allowed as part of Winter Clothes, which explicitly state that they include boots and which total four pounds.)

Secondly, if one allows Shoes as "suitable footwear" for ordinary clothing, would other "as clothing" armors qualify as well? Could a character reasonably start with a free cloth cap, cloth sleeves, leather pants (or leggings), leather jacket (or cloth armor), and shoes, all as part of his free "Ordinary Clothing" (which would weigh much more than the listed "Ordinary Clothing" weight?

Cheers.
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Old 06-10-2009, 10:03 AM   #2
Bruno
 
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Default Re: Starting Wardrobe and "Concealable as Clothing" Armor

At many TLs, "ordinary clothing" weights will vary dramatically from the 2lbs listed. See Hightech for more details on TL5-7 clothing, and when it comes out, also reference Lowtech which covers clothing at TLs 0-4.

I suspect the 2lbs is "modern TL8 materials". My t-shirt, slacks, socks, undewear, and sneakers might weigh 2lbs. None of it gives DR, though (possible exception - sneakers might give DR 1 from underneath vs crushing and possibly cutting or piercing. Impaling goes right through them.).
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Old 06-10-2009, 10:14 AM   #3
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Default Re: Starting Wardrobe and "Concealable as Clothing" Armor

Something to note here is that shoes, boots, and sandals are normal clothing. Armor isn't, even if it's made of layers of cloth, except in unusual circumstances. (Eskimo clothing is "normal" and probably good for a little DR.)
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Old 06-10-2009, 10:14 AM   #4
Ed the Coastie
 
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Default Re: Starting Wardrobe and "Concealable as Clothing" Armor

It depends upon the character, but I have always simply assumed that a PCs starting wardrobe consisted of such items as a light shirt, jeans or khaki pants, and a nice pair of sneakers or other light footwear.

Recently, however, I started to use the "Personal Possessions" list from an old Dragon Magazine article ("Outfitting the New Agent" -- Dragon #60) as the basic starting gear of all modern characters. If an item on the list has game stats, so be it...I'm not going to quibble over a pair of DR 1 sneakers and DR 2 cowboy boots, nor over a penknife (Small Knife). I also assume that part of the PC's Cost of Living expenses goes to replacing things on the list as they get lost/damaged/destroyed.

Anything not on the list -- leather jacket, combat boots, Swiss Army knife, etc -- is going to cost the PC money.
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Old 06-10-2009, 10:22 AM   #5
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Default Re: Starting Wardrobe and "Concealable as Clothing" Armor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed the Coastie View Post
It depends upon the character, but I have always simply assumed that a PCs starting wardrobe consisted of such items as a light shirt, jeans or khaki pants, and a nice pair of sneakers or other light footwear.

Recently, however, I started to use the "Personal Possessions" list from an old Dragon Magazine article ("Outfitting the New Agent" -- Dragon #60) as the basic starting gear of all modern characters. If an item on the list has game stats, so be it...I'm not going to quibble over a pair of DR 1 sneakers and DR 2 cowboy boots, nor over a penknife (Small Knife). I also assume that part of the PC's Cost of Living expenses goes to replacing things on the list as they get lost/damaged/destroyed.

Anything not on the list -- leather jacket, combat boots, Swiss Army knife, etc -- is going to cost the PC money.
There might be scope for a Loadouts: Starting Gear listing the sorts of standard clothing, and basic gear a starting character might have for various TLs and settings.
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