Costuming

Costuming
Terminology
Term Name:	Costuming
Description:	Any clothing or make-up a player wears that is NOT period appropriate that is used to represent the fantasy elements of the game.
Abbreviation or Synonyms:	Costume
Rule Type:	Basic Rules

To represent a variety of different species and creatures, we use make-up and cosmetic effects. This page covers why we do what we do and how to best use those tools.

Defining Costuming

If garb is the clothing you wear made from period materials whenever possible, costuming is the masks, make-up, prosthetics and other elements that are almost never from period materials used to evoke a fantasy atmosphere.

We use a variety of different elements for different creatures and different situations. Make-up can be applied just like in theatre and television to create realistic looking injuries, and it can be used to change skin tone to unusual colors for odd species. For different creatures we use Halloween masks, facial prosthetics (elf ears, fake stones held on with spirit gum, etc), wigs, wings, shells, spray paint, gloves, shoulder pads, and all kinds of other techniques to create variety in the world.

When you're playing a non-player character you'll be told what creature you are meant to represent, and other players will help you put on the appropriate costuming. If make-up is needed it will be applied for you by our talented make-up volunteers. Don't worry if you have no idea how to do these things, they'll take care of it.

Many of our species of creatures are based on historical mythological beings. The more colors we use, the more variety of creatures we can represent. Some accounts of creatures and some types of creatures should have brown colored skin. However, we have no desire to put our players in what is effectively 'blackface'. To that end we try to make sure that we use the color brown as minimally as possible and that any creature that has brown skin also has other additional colorful details to make it stands out as something else.

Restricted Costuming

Creatures in Novitas are designed to be as distinctive as can be practically done. To that end certain costuming has reserved use. Many creatures are represented by masks and occasionally specific wardrobe items, which means that there are restrictions on what masks player characters can wear in game to avoid creating confusion. If you wish to use a mask for your player character be sure to talk to the props and atmosphere leads (Christina Mevec and Liska Gutierrez) first.

Painting Advice

Getting painted for an npc can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of work. It is applied with an air brush and its goal is to last for a bit, so it can be hard to take off afterwards.

These are some basic tips for whenever you need to get painted:

• If a role requires painting it is safe to assume the character's skin color should ALL be that color, which means you should have all of your exposed skin either painted or completely covered. This means long sleeve shirts, gloves for your hands, balaclavas, etc. It also means you should be careful about taking off garb while in play.
• When you are on a role where you have been painted be careful with touching your skin, you will rub it off if you touch it too much.
• After the plot is done be sure to check in with the GMs BEFORE you take the paint off. They might have a second role using the same base colors (either as the same type of creature or a different one) to send out. This helps reduce the amount of paint used and saves other npcs painting and clean up.
• When it is time to take the paint off, wash your face with soap and water first. This will take much of the paint off on flat surfaces but will leave some in corners and by hairlines. After you've done a wash, THEN start using wipes to get to the hard-to-reach spots.
• If you wear a lot of paint in one weekend you might end up with slightly raw skin, this is because of the irritation top your skin from constantly removing the paint. It's ok to say to the gm's "I've been painted a bunch this weekend and my skin would prefer if can you find someone else to play this role" if you notice that your skin is getting raw or irritated.

During the cold winter months we try to use painting as little as we can manage (or at least make sure people know what they are getting into if they want to do it) because after you wash it off it leaves your face wet and therefore more susceptible to the cold.

Prosthetic Ear Advice

For some PC species prosthetic ears are required parts of the costuming. These are some tips and tricks, to help you make them look their best.

• Blending: Elf ears should be blended to match skin tone. This means that the ears you purchase need to be painted or use makeup to effectively match your skin tone as close as possible. Additionally, the edge of the ear should be hidden by hair, ear cuffs, or makeup (see below). Note that this can be difficult but will make them look great.
  • A youtube video on how to blend with makeup
• Silicone ears: These are more expensive than latex ears, however, they look WAY better and require no blending if the right color ear is purchased.
  • Places you can buy silicone ears:
    • Geekling Creations: Player-owned and the preferred ears of many elf PC's. Jacqueline can bring your order to game and will give you a discount off of the shop price if you pay cash.
    • Aradani Costumes: Small surface area, small ears.
• Ear cuffs: A link to a picture of what they are
• Painting your ears: A guide from Adrani Costumes
• Makeup to use: A regular makeup wheel. Something oil based so rain doesn't wash it off.
  • Sample makeup on Amazon

Wig Advice

For some pc species wigs are required parts of costuming, while some players enjoy using them to enhance their appearance. These are some tips and tricks from Sage Barber, an experienced Cosplayer, on wig care.

Recommended places to buy wigs:

• Arda Wigs: A little on the pricey side, better for extreme styling, takes a bit to arrive.
• Epic Cosplay: Affordable, arrives quickly, smaller stock/ less color options.

Wig Care

• A video on how to detangle and prevent tangles
• A video on brushing Wigs
• A video on washing Wigs
• Arda's tutorial listing
• Epic Cosplay's tutorial listing

Wearing Wigs

• A video on wearing wigs
• A video wearing a lace front wig
• A video on putting long hair into a wig cap

Wig Storage

• A video on storing a wig
• A hanging wig stand you can buy
• A foam wig head you can buy

Contact Advice

Some character species require colored contacts. For obvious sanitary reasons, anyone who would like to play those creatures as a PC or NPC will need to provide their own contacts. Some players also prefer to wear contacts at game so that they do not have to worry about their glasses getting broken or to see easier out of masks.

Your first stop should always be your eye doctor for an exam and to get a proper prescription for contacts. You can ask them for a copy of your script so that you have the numbers handy. This is not the same as a prescription for glasses.

Not all eye doctors will have the fashion colors that characters require (black, for example are needed for Succubi) or will have colors that match unusual wig colors for faekin. If they do have them, great! When they do not, you will need to take the copy of your script and look online for the color you require. Many players who PC faekin or use contacts for their PCs get theirs from http://www.honeycolor.com, though shipping can take a couple weeks.

Since colored contacts have a fixed pupil size, you will find that your eyes take longer to adjust going from lighted areas to dark ones. This will be especially noticeable at night, and for people wearing lighter colored contacts such as white or light blue. You may also find it hard to navigate at night until you are used to wearing contacts. Keep this in mind when moving about the site, and do not be afraid to tell another player that you are having difficulty seeing and ask for help to get to the inn or the area you are moving to while you wait to adjust.

Occasionally you will find that your contacts shift and block your vision; unlike regular contacts which are completely clear, colored ones have an opaque iris. If blinking does not fix this, it can typically be quickly remedied by pulling your lower eyelid down and looking up to shift the contact back to the center of your eye. Closing your eyes and looking up, left, down and right a few times can also achieve the same result.

It is not a bad idea to have an extra set of contacts on hand in case something happens to yours (one falls out and you lose it in game, it rips when putting them in, etc.). When wearing contacts and “dying”, be careful when you land to be sure to cushion your head in such a way that the contact does not become dislodged.

You should always wash your hands before inserting or removing contacts to prevent infection, especially since you are running around in the woods. Touching trees, laying on the ground, touching objects that have changed hands multiple times, and even touching your own belongings and then sticking your fingers in your eyes is a bad idea. NEVER USE CONTACTS THAT ARE MAKING YOUR EYES UNCOMFORTABLE. Being unable to put your contact in without pain, feeling like your eye is being scratched even after checking for other things in your eye, and eye irritation are all signs that your contacts need to be changed out. It is better to step out of game than to cause permanent damage to your eye.

References

Defining Garb

The clothing players wear is commonly referred to as garb. This is to distinguish it from theatre costuming, where the only thing that matters is appearance. Garb differs from costuming because what materials it is made out of also matters; to maintain the highest levels of immersion and authenticity, garb] is expected to be made out of materials that were available before modern times.

Players are expected to wear appropriate garb at all times while game is taking place whether as a player character or as a non-player character.

Categories: Basic Rules | Role-Playing Concepts | Terminology