Give me a good RP reason for...

[jokeaccount]

...a caster to take his shirt off in battle in order to show off glowing runes grafted in his body.

Detailed:
I was reading this comic and at one point the caster during battle did this. Now I might be joining a new session soon and those guys apparently are huge rp fans especially with character backstories etc. Their group is a randomized fighter, sorc, monk and rogue so I might go with a Divine caster if they want me to otherwise I'll be doing a Dragonfire Adept. Since I'll be asked to give a detailed backstory etc, I'd also like to add this little tweak in there but I can't really find a good reason as for why to do it only during battle and not outside of it.

Any ideas?

EDIT: I do NOT want the "show off" solution

[Boci]

He comes from as culture were arcane casters are sacred. Harming one unfailingly carried the death penalty.

He's arrogant and a show off.

He's researched a custom spell of hypnotic pattern that involves tattooing the runes onto himself.

[Craft (Cheese)]

- Fighting without your shirt on is more MANLY. He's very insecure about his masculinity and constantly needs self-validation.

- He only does it while fighting female enemies (regardless of species) in the hopes that it will seduce them, or at the very least distract them enough to be able to kill them more easily. Ladies love tattoos.

- He has obsessive-compulsive disorder and believes if he takes a wound with his shirt on, he'll get an infection from the clothing touching the wound and he'll die. Yes, even if he has the ability to cast remove disease. He wants to be able to take his pants off too, but nobody else in the party will let him.

- When he starts using his magic to fight, the runes heat up and make him overly sweaty, so he takes his shirt off to help keep cool.


He comes from as culture were arcane casters are sacred. Harming one unfailingly carried the death penalty.

I like this one too, though I would think he'd figure out before too long that people from outside of that culture don't particularly care about hurting wizards, so showing off the tattoos is kinda pointless.

[Jormengand]

- He prepared explosive runes this morning.

[Spore]

"The magic would burn up the shirt."

Which is both an valid explanation. Or a validation in character (followed by a Bluff and Sense Motive check :P )

[jokeaccount]

I don't get the first one...
The second one is what I was trying to avoid :smallfrown:
About the third one, I'd like an RP reason not something that really affects the fights (even though I've been told if it is good RP it doesn't matter if it is overpowered).

EDIT: Omg ninjas so fast. I'm referring tot he first post

I was thinking of something in the lines of this:
For a DFA character for example for some reason random patterns in his torso start heating up when he does excessive use of his breath weapon so in battle where he will use it quite a lot he is in danger of putting his clothes aflame thus removing them.

[Craft (Cheese)]

- He prepared explosive runes this morning.

Win.

Also, I forgot to ask earlier, why do you want to play a character who does this, but not already have an in-character reason for it?

[Boci]

Win.

Also, I forgot to ask earlier, why do you want to play a character who does this, but not already have an in-character reason for it?

Because to quote the OP, "I was reading this comic and at one point the caster during battle did this." and thought it was a neat idea.


I don't get the first one...

In his culture, harming a wizard carried the death penalty. By removing his shirt he proved that he was a wizard. It was a way of testing how dedicated who ever attacking him was.

[Lucid]

Well, why did the caster in the comic do it? Just showing off, or is there a deeper reason here as well?

[Spore]

Just to prevent any: "This player is douchy." reactions from your party. While taking of a shirt is great in visual media like films and comics is generally a good idea (fan service) and not frowned upon, the same is considered sexualized and "showing off" in text- or dialogue driven media like books and P&P.

I have warned you.

[jokeaccount]

In the comic no reason is given. There is just one panel where he does this. My best guess is that the way magic works there is that for some spells your arcane energy is funneled through your whole body so when he casts for example a lightning spell his whole upper body crackles with sparks etc so he removes it? Not sure though.

IMO showing off is a bad reason to do it. And I'm not seeing myself playing a character with that mentality in that campaign. I guess the reason given above is also a valid one but more for an arcane caster :smallannoyed:

[Lucid]

Yeah, then I'd probably go with it being uncomfortable because the runes heat up.
You'd still look like a show-off probably, though it depends on your physical ability scores:smalltongue:

[Jormengand]

You'd still look like a show-off probably, though it depends on your physical ability scores:smalltongue:

And Charisma.

[Boci]

IMO showing off is a bad reason to do it. And I'm not seeing myself playing a character with that mentality in that campaign. I guess the reason given above is also a valid one but more for an arcane caster :smallannoyed:

You can just change it to "dragon blooded are sacred". Alternatively it had nothing to do with his class and was more about his social rank.


And Charisma.

I don't know what you're talking about. From my PHB: "Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead," and then there's some unintelligible scribble.

[Mr Adventurer]

RP reason: your character has runes on his body, and is a show off

[Boci]

RP reason: your character has runes on his body, and is a show off

He wants to avoid that.

[SouthpawSoldier]

Maybe the runes are Kryptonian?

Seriously, think about it. A -/G divine caster more often then not means Pelor or another solar diety. Maybe the runes require sunlight to activate or inscribe ("read" or "written" by the character's diety). This also fits with the glowing aspect. Make them consumable, so they disappear as used, and then during morning prayer, they appear again.

Going the Arcane route, maybe the tattoos are permanent, but they serve as energy "converters"; charging from sunlight each day during spell preparation, and converting the solar energy to magic. As they're discharged, they stop glowing.

+1 on Boci's idea. That sounds like great fluff to me.

Or, another thought. I'm lifting this from a book, (kills me can't remember the title, so if it sounds familiar, sound off). In the setting, demons attack every night, and there's a caste/school of people who write warding runes that are anathema to the demons. The rune writers are mathmaticians, and during studies learn complex formulae regarding the angles and patterns. The protagonist is a savant-like character who inscribes these runes all over his body and starts Unarmed Smiting the bejeesus out of the baddies.

^ Point being, maybe the spells represented by the runes have to be visible to be effective, or trigger on contact.

[Berenger]

The same reason you take off your coat / jacket before going into a brawl or duel: it restricts movement and you don't want your best clothes get teared or dirty (even if you are filthy rich, it is annoying to order a new one after every fight).

[Brookshw]

Because he's based off of Armstrong from fma?

[Chronos]

I think it'd make more sense if he just never wears a shirt. This is especially true (for a DFA) if you have the invocation Endure Exposure (which is a pretty good one anyway): Heat and cold don't bother him, so why should he wear a shirt? More comfortable this way.

[Emperor Tippy]

Because he feels like it?

I mean that is why I once had a character invade hell in nothing but a codpiece.

"Because he thought it would be cool" is a perfectly valid RP reason. Especially if he's not facing an enemy that he actually has to take seriously.

[Frozen_Feet]

This one's the reason I use for my current RP character: his shirt (well, jacket) hides and keep his powers in check. Taking it off releases his "battle aura" and allows him to use his powers to their full extent.

Maybe taking off the shirt is a trigger for contingent celerity / time stop / Tevlar's Transformation etc. etc. etc. ?

[Boci]

This one's the reason I use for my current RP character: his shirt (well, jacket) hides and keep his powers in check. Taking it off releases his "battle aura" and allows him to use his powers to their full extent.

I cannot help but notice you have a shimigami as your avatar...

[Scumbaggery]

Because some wizards just can't help it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WOZGW2YKXw)

[Talya]

Is there anything here that will help?

(Warning: TVTropes link!)
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BattleStrip

[Zombulian]

Rage Mage. When he goes into a spell rage he has to show off his magic muscles.

[Sception]

Variant scribe scroll, where in the spells are tattooed onto the spell caster's body, rather than written onto sheets of parchment. Caster needs a particular spell in combat, needs to pull off his shirt to read it.

[Benthesquid]

If a Divine Caster, it may be a condition imposed by his god, "To show your faith in my power to protect you, go into battle unclothed but by my glory."

[gurgleflep]

The runes he had grafted onto his body are based off of his childrens drawings and hes proud of them and their magical qualities..?

[Talya]

If a Divine Caster, it may be a condition imposed by his god, "To show your faith in my power to protect you, go into battle unclothed but by my glory."

Vow of Nudity!

[Devronq]

Well I don't know if this falls under the showing off catagory but my thoughts were that its an intimidateding fear kinda reason. His enemies know that powerful wizards have such marks on their body, he doesn't want everyone to know that's he is this powerful person that shouldbe feared so he wears a shirt and does show his symbols. But when he gets into battle he removes his shirt and a sign of hey I'm an extremely powerful person and these symbols are the proof of such.

[Brookshw]

Vow of Nudity!

ROFL! Win.

[SouthpawSoldier]

Or a tattoo that is like animal mimicry; false features that cause Will saves to avoid fear effects, because instead of looking vanilla human, you look supernatural.

[Zombulian]

Or a tattoo that is like animal mimicry; false features that cause Will saves to avoid fear effects, because instead of looking vanilla human, you look supernatural.

Cool idea. Cool name.

I like this guy.

[Fitz10019]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudity_in_combat

Roman histories have recorded some of their enemies would enter battle naked. Most think this was meant to intimidate.

Being armorless, shirtless in battle shows contempt for your enemy.

[The Trickster]

This whole thing reminded me of Hulk Hogan. I miss the days when I liked wrestling.

Maybe the character gets really hot when battle starts?

[Ravens_cry]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudity_in_combat

Roman histories have recorded some of their enemies would enter battle naked. Most think this was meant to intimidate.

Being armorless, shirtless in battle shows contempt for your enemy.
Plus, it makes you invisible.:elan:

[SouthpawSoldier]

Devrong, it's been a bit; care to tell what idea you went with?

[Zubrowka74]

He could be a shaman from a remote tribe where they always run around shirtless unless it's freezing. They view excessive clothing as a corruption from "civilization" (or "syphilization" as Van Helsing would put it).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudity_in_combat

Roman histories have recorded some of their enemies would enter battle naked. Most think this was meant to intimidate.

Being armorless, shirtless in battle shows contempt for your enemy.

This is nice too!

[Heartspan]

You could start off without a shirt. I play a sorceror who wears very litle because he likes to turn into other things often, but hey your character could just wanna show off his tats?

[thematgreen]

Say he comes from a very low class family and whips his shirt off at the moment there may be a fight, just like many white trash people do.

Make him a nudist who only wears pants so he won't be arrested. Not even kidding and don't play it up, just flat out that he is more comfortable without clothing. It's not sexual, just a comfort thing.

[Laughingmanlol]

Plus, it makes you invisible.:elan:

What about if he didn't understand the rules in a similar manner to Elan, and thought that wearing no clothing would give him a negative arcane spell failure chance?

[Oryan77]

Why bother wearing a shirt? You could be like Randy from Trailer Park Boys and never wear a shirt. Then you can do as he does and take off yer pants during a fight. Everyone will know you mean business when your pants come off.

[Madhava]

I don't suppose Fanservice could be considered an RP reason?

[Zombulian]

Shoo shoo necromancers. You have no power here.

[arkangel111]

You could model yourself from a society similar to the Patryn from the Deathgate cycle. Basically a society of powerful (god-like) beings, whose magic comes from the runes on their body. In the labyrinth they often have their runes uncovered (except the heart rune but you can skip that for your character).
Or simply, While mechanically your power doesn't come from your body, each rune(tattoo) has specific meanings, such as your name, lineage, significant achievements or events. In your culture it is the norm to show your runes to the enemy so that they might know who they are dealing with. Or you could always grab the tattooed sorcerer (might be a PF class, not sure) PrC or even the tattooed monk.

[Pyon]

I find it hilarious no one has mentioned Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail.

He is an Ice Mage who in his childhood trained in the tundra naked. It was part of his master's "technique" to become the best ice mage. So it became a habit of his to take off his shirt when using his magic in a fight. But it was mostly used for fan service.

As for a reason for your character...

Maybe his runes are powered by sunlight?

[Renen]

Two valid reasons:
1) Spell flies out of the rune/rune turns into spell. Both require no clothes to be in the way.
2) He needs to touch the tattoo (free action) to cast the spell.

Edit: ahh hell... i am among necromancers...

[atemu1234]

Maybe the magic is runic and requires open air. Maybe it's tradition. Maybe it's stuffy in the dungeon. Heck, maybe he needs to be able to touch them and read them.

[Barbarian Horde]

Runes are set to detonate on trigger word congratulations you have now become a magical terrorist. Your words are now really worth hearing if the person near you decides to reconsider his actions.

[Troacctid]

Maybe the runes need line of effect to his opponents.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

- He prepared explosive runes this morning.

Fail:
The object on which the runes were written also takes full damage (no saving throw).

Use Sepia Snake Sigil, like the Baron in the old evil campaign from Another Gaming Comic.

SSS needs to be cast of pre-existing text, so you can have random (or culturaly relevent) text tattoos or have a tatoo spellbook from I believe Complete Arcane or have a Psionic Tattoo.

[Doc_Maynot]

Maybe they are an illumian and instead of manifesting as a halo the racial runes manifest on the body?
And they have to expose the runes so that the power of them can be harnessed, either because they need to be read/made apparent due to their nature, or because hiding them under ones robes is akin to using the racial ability to suppress them?

[ben-zayb]

...a caster to take his shirt off in battle in order to show off glowing runes grafted in his body.

Detailed:
I was reading this comic and at one point the caster during battle did this. Now I might be joining a new session soon and those guys apparently are huge rp fans especially with character backstories etc. Their group is a randomized fighter, sorc, monk and rogue so I might go with a Divine caster if they want me to otherwise I'll be doing a Dragonfire Adept. Since I'll be asked to give a detailed backstory etc, I'd also like to add this little tweak in there but I can't really find a good reason as for why to do it only during battle and not outside of it.

Any ideas?

EDIT: I do NOT want the "show off" solutionWhat is this... I can't...

As for RP teason, he has a tendency to rip his shirt off if things get too heated up during battles, so he just learned to take it off in advance. And, I dunno, as further connection, maybe the runes glow brighter as an indication of this

Yes, "battles" in this context could refer to something more than d&d combat.

EDIT: Aw, crap! Necro thread!

[skypse]

...a caster to take his shirt off in battle in order to show off glowing runes grafted in his body.


EDIT: I do NOT want the "show off" solution

Of course you don't want the "show off" solution. It is not your fault that your Somatic components for almost every spell is to take off your shirt and the verbals are to scream "BITCH, I'M FABULOUS!!!!!!!!" You just can't help your sex appeal... The shirt practically comes off on its own.


EDIT:
FIREBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rCGpeNRuynM/UOXKHg66m5I/AAAAAAAA2cQ/UkMqCXCpzVs/s400/hulk+hogan+vintage.jpg