“She was draped head to toe in a deep black cloak, one even the moon would not dare to penetrate. Her movements were slow and casual and when she shifted you could catch the briefest glimpse of similar colored leggings. Her boots were thick leather and well worn.”

I could continue but you get the gist. The clothes make the person in rp just as much as what they do and what they say. There is an immediate reaction, for example to man in full body armor swinging a sword. Obviously, this is a warrior. This is someone who is prepared to knock a few heads and slice off a few appendages be they scaled or not. Is there always an exception? Yes, absolutely. But nine times out of ten if you see someone dressed this way, or in the full body virtue armor, somethings getting hacked at.

Likewise, if you see a woman in doublet, kilt and carrying a smith’s hammer then the chances are good, she’s a crafter. Specifically a blacksmith but that’s really painting a bulls-eye on her. One of my all time favorite’s is the Tokunese gear with the Obi and the Kimono. I have a friend that regularly rp’s a native of this island and you cannot catch her out of wardrobe. She’s meticulous about it.

It’s a given that accessories are a biggie here as well, but for this article let’s concentrate on the clothing. A blacksmith shouldn’t be in armor when you’re rp’ing. Can they be, yes. Will they be from time to time, yes. But make sure you have a plausible explanation. Gathering Leather is a wonderful reason.

One of the best parts about portraying a character is changing those clothes to fit the mood of the situation. With The Enhanced client, classic (UO Assist) and Pinco’s, doing so is extremely easy. One button click and you’re ready. If you would like to walk into a different room to do this (like when you have company), or behind a bamboo screen then great. That will certainly add to the mood of the moment and probably give you an added edge for the rp moment.

This may not seem like a big deal.. but small things matter in rp. The difference between a kilt and studded leather leggings can be huge. Or in another instance.. the difference between a man in a dress and a man in pants.