I've found that in most D&D games, it's totally typical that a PC might go do his shopping in the middle of the city wearing plate mail and armed with a half-dozen weapons.

Of course, this is totally ridiculous from any kind of 'historical' perspective.

Do you usually do things like this in your fantasy games? Or do your fantasy-medieval cities actually have weapon/armor control laws?

That never even occurred to me until you said it.

Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;841354That never even occurred to me until you said it.

+1

When I did read about armor and weapons limitation in Dark Albion, I thought that the best class would thus be to play a Cleric.

Quote from: RPGPundit;841352Do you usually do things like this in your fantasy games? Or do your fantasy-medieval cities actually have weapon/armor control laws?

Yes my PCs wear their armour and carry their gear at all times. Occasionally some NPC will remark on how strange this is. They've learnt not to sleep without their armour - the risk of doing so outweighs the penalties imposed by the rules.

If they need to attend court or similar, some guard will try to check (confiscate) their weapons. If they're going to church, a fancy party or some other event where it would be egregious to show up armed and armoured, someone will remind them of this before it starts. Interestingly, most PCs seem to enjoy the fancy clothes shopping minigame.

Now, I am not usually playing D&D, so the genre conventions in our - usually more down-to-earth settings that actually do give a crap about plausibility and internal consistency, yes, someone who wears armor is usually seen as someone who is either expecting or looking for trouble. Both is highly suspicious and probably intimidating, especially when the guy in armor is a stranger in an otherwise relatively close-knit community. There is obviously a signficant difference based on the overall appearance and apparent status of a character: a knight and his entourage can be quite acceptable, an armed,  rag-tag band of cutthroats and mercenaries on the other hand shouldn't probably not even allowed to enter the settlement.

Almost never for any lengthy period of time because I make it a point how ridiculous it is, both from a body mechanics/health perspective, and a social perspective. I remind them of the weather, mobility, and regional politics and thus why having different types of armor is not a bad idea. If players try to push back in spite my open dictum, I bust out the Wilderness Survival Guide and give them a brush with heatstroke. (5e Exhaustion mechanics are fabulous new tools, by the way.)

I don't fuck around. Take off your damn armor and invest in a shield or leather bracer. Doesn't mean mages are better off. Socially if you're casting a spell openly you become questionable. If you harm people with it, people everywhere learned that swarm tactics still work and will beeline bum-rush you into the ground. Fuck not with my setting, for it will fight back. I don't need your bullshit at my table, trust me and work with me instead or walk.

In my ACKS game (which was historical), they weren't allowed into the city with weapons or armour, because none of them are citizens. They sneaked in some daggers when they went visiting, and that was it.

Wearing armour generally was something the characters had to make a conscious choice to do in-game, it was never assumed that they were armoured unless they said so. That because critical when the house of their employer was attacked at night - they all chose to scoop up shield and weapon and leap into the fight, rather than take the time to get properly armoured.

Depends a-lot on the setting.

If it is one where danger lurks around every corner, even in a big city. Then the PCs might be well advised to go armed and armoured at all times.

If it is a port or free town with everyone and everything mixing it up. But not a flat out deathtrap. Then the PCs are at their discretion to stow the gear.

Otherwise it is assumed that when "offduty" everyone puts the wargear away and relaxes at their discretion.

In a civilized city or town with specific rules. The PCs follow suit unless there is some indicator that they should not.

As a player normally I state that I am stowing the weapons and armour when entering town once we have a inn room if I am not doing my usual caravan home.

Quote from: RPGPundit;841352I've found that in most D&D games, it's totally typical that a PC might go do his shopping in the middle of the city wearing plate mail and armed with a half-dozen weapons.

Of course, this is totally ridiculous from any kind of 'historical' perspective.

Well, the idea that a fantasy city in a world where there are monsters and magic would be even vaguely "historical" is completely ridiculous.

I mean, really, if you lived in a place where at any moment something nasty might try to kill you, you'd be prepared for it.

And that's generally why PCs wear armor/weapons in town, because they know that if they don't, whenever a monster comes across them they will be at a severe disadvantage.

PCs also don't have plot armor like characters in fantasy novels/stories...

Walking around in chain mail with a sword, warhammer or quarterstaff by your side would probably be the equivalent of walking around in a Kevlar vest with an AK-47 or a Uzi or a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun — you've got "trouble" spelled all over yourself.

So, it happens, but only in the really wild frontier places that PCs are likely to frequent. And even there the city guard (if there is one) will be keeping an eye on them. Unlikely to happen at a big city (e.g. Greyhawk, Waterdeep) market or in a nobleman's keep.

Also, as Opa mentioned above, exhaustion rules are your fruend — especially with warmer climates.

In the last games I ran, there weren't any plates anywhere, but that's setting detail and subject to change between games.
That said, my current group has only one player who might consider that, and if it's D&D-related, she'd play a wizard anyway. So it doesn't come up.

If it was happening, I'd describe how hot it is inside that armour, how people look at you, and if the players ignore it? They've agreed implicitly to the incoming reaction penalties, and depending on climate, possible Constitution checks to avoid overheating leading to fatigue.
If they're fine with this, I'm fine as well, but once again, the subject just doesn't come up much.

Quote from: JeremyR;841378Well, the idea that a fantasy city in a world where there are monsters and magic would be even vaguely "historical" is completely ridiculous.

I mean, really, if you lived in a place where at any moment something nasty might try to kill you, you'd be prepared for it.

And that's generally why PCs wear armor/weapons in town, because they know that if they don't, whenever a monster comes across them they will be at a severe disadvantage.

PCs also don't have plot armor like characters in fantasy novels/stories...

I tend to agree with this.

However, there are times and places. Some areas won't allow you to bear weapons, and if you turn up to court in armour, it's better if you are a knight or in the employ of said court if you don't want to be looked at funny and have an armed guard...

Generally, PCs wear armour at all times, unless there's a very good reason why they don't.

Certainly, when travelling through town, they are in armour, where it is allowed. They have made so many enemies, over the years, that not wearing armour is like waving a flag with "Assassins attack me" written on it.

When camping out, they normally wear armour, as it is usually magical armour that is easier to wear. They have been caught out by being attacked in no armour before, so would rather taken the penalties.

I suppose they would take their armour off when erotically engaged, or at least take off some of the armour, but I have never really pushed them on that.

In any case, armour wouldn't protect them from Krarsht courtesan-assassins with the Sweat Acid spell. Although, many players would rather get a few skin burns than lose their enchanted iron armour.

One of the things I noticed conversely is that a lot of writers were writing that weapons had to be "peace-knotted" in major fantasy cities.  In history, Armor was not usually worn but everybody had a weapon, even free peasants were usually allowed to have a simple dagger or knife.  

People tend to look at the modern day gun control laws and assume that's the norm--but people forget towns didn't really have anything close to a police department.  If you read the original DMG, the City watch is mostly volunteers, with the Guard being the military force and not usually protecting the ordinary citizens from crime.  

I gave Gary Gygax some notes on this which he expanded on and put in Living Fantasy, the book he wrote for TLG about how a typical Eurocentric Fantasy would would work.  We commented on the armor (outside of an actual Knight, walking around in armor in the city is akin to showing up in riot gear at the mall), and this weapon stuff.

But then again, a lot of people forget about the social-economic stuff in fantasy--that in a Feudalistic society there's a lot of limitations to your class and social standing.  I wish more people took a good look at this kind of thing.

Quote from: RPGPundit;841352I've found that in most D&D games, it's totally typical that a PC might go do his shopping in the middle of the city wearing plate mail and armed with a half-dozen weapons.

Of course, this is totally ridiculous from any kind of 'historical' perspective.

Do you usually do things like this in your fantasy games? Or do your fantasy-medieval cities actually have weapon/armor control laws?

I have the same problem in science fiction games, there is always one Jayne Cobb guy who tries to walk around in powered armor bristling with guns.

In any case, it usually ends up with the PCs encountering the authorities and being asked why they are wearing the armor and if they are expecting to be engaging in violence. I have a lot of NPCs just avoid them when they do that because nobody wants to deal with someone ready for violence 24/7. It only makes sense if it is a war zone, and even then you have to have rear areas where the chance of violence is minimal.