Swimwear in Eberron

[Regitnui]

No, this is not another cheesecake/beefcake thread.

I'm genuinely stuck here. I'm trying to design Stormhome, basically the resort town of the wealthy and powerful in the Five Nations. Now, the dress style there is more Renaissance than medieval, but that still leaves me with a quandary: what would a well-to-do Khorvairan wear on the beach that still communicates "beach fun" without seeming anachronistic?

[Naanomi]

In the real world, it wasn't until the 17th and 18th century (in the West) that non-nude swimming became the norm. The same is largely true around the globe that 'swimwear' is a very modern concept, and nude or normal underclothes (like the Japanese Fundoshi, which are shown in some artwork as swimwear) were the standard for swimming.

[Anderlith]

Rings of Illusionary Underpants

You wear it & you illusory swimwear appear on your nethers, the symbol on the face & gem of the ring denotes what color & type; briefs only, trunks, bikini, dress (popular with noble ladies, leotard, & black censor bar, to name just a few you could have.

[Cespenar]

A waistcoat and short slacks sort of combination would be logical for that time, I suppose.

Though it's mostly a fantasy setting, so a "modern" swimwear would only be as anachronistic as you believe it to be.

[Coidzor]

Well, Khorvaire is basically not-Europe, so it'd be speedos and nude beaches as far as the eye could see.

Goblins and Trolls would naturally be barred from those beaches.

I could see security and those who had a reason to be clothed(such as servants) wearing culottes and other forms of short pants of various tiers of quality or design.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Well, the thing to remember about Eberron is that it's pretty deliberately anachronistic, anyway. It's basically Fantasy late 1920s Europe, with blimps and trains, recovering from one Great War while gearing up for another.

So, you could incorporate anything from the 1920s or older and have it feel like it fit the setting.

[Regitnui]

Well, the thing to remember about Eberron is that it's pretty deliberately anachronistic, anyway. It's basically Fantasy late 1920s Europe, with blimps and trains, recovering from one Great War while gearing up for another.

So, you could incorporate anything from the 1920s or older and have it feel like it fit the setting.

1920s with Renaissance morality, a 1800s telegraph... It's a bit of a mishmash. You know what, Keith Baker put it well:


There’s also a general point of the “tech level” of the world. Eberron is closer to 1870 than it is to 2016. Air travel is in its infancy. We have reliable point-to-point communication, but it’s more like a telegraph than a telephone.

But, I can certainly see the nobles of Khorvaire swimming in the nude while their servants, human or no, stand by with robes or togas for the street and resorts. I think I'll take the bathhouses of Vikings as a good measure.

Also, to veer into cakes: hobgoblins aren't bad-looking naked. Just hairy and tending more to red than the various brown shades of other humanoids. If the Lhesh Haruuc sent ambassadors to Stormhome, few besides themselves would object to a hardened soldier dressing like the nobles do.

[Finback]

Does it matter if it's anachronistic for swimwear, if you have a world where you can have magic-powered "trains" alongside medieval architecture?

Dwarves would totally wear those stripey one-piece mens suits though. With waterproofed pockets for their tools.

[Regitnui]

Dwarves would totally wear those stripey one-piece mens suits though. With waterproofed pockets for their tools.

I actually see the dwarves of Khorvaire swimming with their jewellery on. Perhaps even jewellery specifically designed to show only when mostly or totally nude. After all, they do use jewellery as a status symbol (as well as indicators of social position in other ways)

[Finback]

I actually see the dwarves of Khorvaire swimming with their jewellery on. Perhaps even jewellery specifically designed to show only when mostly or totally nude. After all, they do use jewellery as a status symbol (as well as indicators of social position in other ways)

Nipple piercings!

[raygun goth]

No, this is not another cheesecake/beefcake thread.

I'm genuinely stuck here. I'm trying to design Stormhome, basically the resort town of the wealthy and powerful in the Five Nations. Now, the dress style there is more Renaissance than medieval, but that still leaves me with a quandary: what would a well-to-do Khorvairan wear on the beach that still communicates "beach fun" without seeming anachronistic?

I am prefacing this thing because I don't want people thinking I am trying to kill the buzz, but I have lived most of my life in a tourist town of some form or another, and the majority in beach towns, and we learn a lot about beach tourism in those towns. "Beach fun" is an entirely modern invention. It doesn't show up until the mid-1700s. Lake swimming and river swimming were typically done nude and in small groups. In places where people did go to the beach to chill and swim, it was not done in any way resembling modern beachcraft. When they did go to the beach, especially in early periods, it was stocked primarily with entertainers and bathers typically did not go deeper than their knees. Some forms of clown performance and pantomime get their start primarily on beaches, and it is one of the reasons we associate performers with boardwalks and beaches.

That said, this is Eberron and therefore awesome, it needs to have all those things plus modern beachgoers, stupid hats and too-hot deck chairs and all (plus, nobody wants to lock their players up in this thing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathing_machine)).

I wouldn't imagine there's a huge nudity taboo in Khorvaire. At the same time, nobody likes sand in their junk, and swimwear helps prevent that. It honestly could be anything; with an adventuring community, I have always imagined D&D settings to have advanced underwear and swimwear technology, up to and including something resembling the bra and its cousin the sports bra.

I also bet there is a thriving beach tourism industry, and I bet the sahuagin run it (they seem to run everything ocean-related in Eberron). Evil fishmen are trying to sell you shaved ices flavored with berry juices and little cups of something fruity and alcoholic in a conch-shaped cup. I bet they also have huge shows about what life is like under water for all the people that can't afford water breathing shenanigans to visit. Loads of tourist junk to sell. Possibly vending machines (which were common in the 1700s on waterfronts and invented in Ancient Rome).

[Coidzor]

Nipple piercings!

More like jewelry braided into their beards turned up to 11.

What, you thought they'd be less hairy underneath their clothes? :smalltongue:

[Anonymouswizard]

Realistically for Renaissance? Nothing, but swimming likely isn't done in large groups.

If we're assuming roughly 1920s technology I'd assume full-torso cotton swimsuits for all sexes.

If we assume that Ebberon's mixed tech levels continue into this area it could range everywhere from 'what swimwear?' (these people likely don't swim at public beaches) to modern versions, potentially depending on race, culture, and wealth. I could potentially see magic swimwear for the very wealthy, Kris you earn when you enter our exist to water and dies you with a command word.

[Regitnui]

If we assume that Ebberon's mixed tech levels continue into this area it could range everywhere from 'what swimwear?' (these people likely don't swim at public beaches) to modern versions, potentially depending on race, culture, and wealth. I could potentially see magic swimwear for the very wealthy, Kris you earn when you enter our exist to water and dies you with a command word.

Sorry, can you rephrase that?

[Anonymouswizard]

Sorry, can you rephrase that?

'Different cultures will tend to wear different kinds of swimwear. Pick whatever you feel suits the characters.'

[Coidzor]

'Different cultures will tend to wear different kinds of swimwear. Pick whatever you feel suits the characters.'

I think it's more along the lines of "what on earth were you trying to say with this passage. It kinda reads like word salad or autocorrect run rampant.


I could potentially see magic swimwear for the very wealthy, Kris you earn when you enter our exist to water and dies you with a command word.

[Anonymouswizard]

I think it's more along the lines of "what on earth were you trying to say with this passage. It kinda reads like word salad or autocorrect run rampant.

HAd not noticed that, it was an autocorrect typo (my phone's really bad about those), it should read 'I could potentially see magic swimwear for the very wealthy, cools you whenwhen you enter oor exit the water and dries you with a command word.

[Finback]

More like jewelry braided into their beards turned up to 11.

What, you thought they'd be less hairy underneath their clothes? :smalltongue:

Tiny braided nipple-hair beards.

And now you can't unsee it.

[Anderlith]

Tiny braided nipple-hair beards.

And now you can't unsee it.

Or braiding the hair south of the border...

[Regitnui]

Or braiding the hair south of the border...

Or jewellery there for the really high class dwarven courtesan.

[Dragolord]

Or jewellery there for the really high class dwarven courtesan.

You can't unsee that, either.

[Regitnui]

You can't unsee that, either.

That's actually closer to reality than nipple-hair braids. Some people already wear jewellery there.

[Coidzor]

Tiny braided nipple-hair beards.

And now you can't unsee it.

Needs to be hairier. Should be large braided nipple-hair beards and lower beards and abdominal beards and thigh beards.

[Temperjoke]

I mean, all dwarves have beards, it's just a question of where they're located.

I'd imagine that they'd generally be in some sort of underthings, probably similar to smallclothes that they normally wear under their clothes. I suppose it really all depends on how much nudism you want in your towns? My usual policy is if it doesn't say, and there isn't a good reference, then it's up to you.

[Anonymouswizard]

I mean, all dwarves have beards, it's just a question of where they're located.

Please, it's not beards, it's due. Make dwarves have manes. (Yes, I'm using this explaination in the setting I'm currently designing, dwarves have short reddish fur over most of their bodies and men have manes)

I was once in a game with the most badass dwarven woman ever. The one elderly woman on the council of elders, who managed to partially maintain their respect because her hair was several times the length of their beards. No battle skills, but she was basically the boss of everyone bar the Thane. (Although in setting the dwarves had a flaw in being significantly more sexist than everyone else)

[Spore]

Societal trends tend to derive from circumstances rather than comparing two universes (ours and Eberron) with each other, trying to find the right time spot. Khorvaire is recuperating from a large war. Peasants will likely be swimming nude due to the damage water tends to do on fabric (salt water and sun basically are turbo mode for withering of fabric). So the richt and wealthy would probably tend to buy and implement colorful and oppulent swimming dresses and trunks - enough fabric to show off, and light enough not to drown in it if you are a poor swimmer.

Many beach guests are unable to swim as well - as being able to swim has to be learned and cannot be bought, so they will probably tend to cover this fact up by giving them a promenade to socialize and show off on. Beach safety will either be done by magic (for the rich folk that dont want a half-naked lifeguard ruin their dress-up show) or not at all. The rich don't worry about it because magic can solve that. I imagine a small (air)ship with wizards (Floating Disk spell?) on patrol in the rich district. Supervised swimming will cost a fee and you wont be able to enter without clothes.

[Dr.Samurai]

I second the idea of mixing magic into the swimwear.

Depending on price, you could have a one piece that keeps the wearer dry underneath and keeps sand out. Maybe a more expensive one regulates temperature and provides buoyancy or a bonus to swim checks. Maybe a diving cap and goggles allow you to hold your breath for longer and see clearly in seawater, etc.

Nudity may be more "realistic", but Eberron is all about the ubiquitous magic in every day life :smallcool:.

[Spore]

Nudity may be more "realistic", but Eberron is all about the ubiquitous magic in every day life :smallcool:.

I can imagine several locations in the Shadow Marshes OTHER than bathing areas that have nude orcs. Gladiator pits for example.

And what is more like simulating a first level wizard than trying to cope with life almost naked with nothing to protect yourself?

[Asmotherion]

I would not worry too much about being anachronistic in an Eberron Campain. If you can have Power Plants, Factories, Androids and such that work by a combination of Magic and Steampunk Technology, putting on a swimsuit should not be too much bother in the continuety.

If you feel like it, you can always go for a little twist in making it proper ettiquette when swimming in a public lake/beach/resort/spa/pool, but people tend to skinny dip when alone.

Ebberon allows for a lot of Anachronism, and even bringing super-technology depending on your needs. You can have 18th centuary-inspired plumerry systems, steam-based car-like rides or entirelly diferent designs, for example steam and fire elemental functioning locomotives.

It is meant as an Age of Inventions, and you can put your game on different time periods depenting on the needed technology... For example, in one Eberon game, Air Ships might be the latest new technology, wile in an other they may be a 100 year old technology and Elemental Zeppelings being the new technology. You may or may not include magic-functioning computers. All that and much more is up to you to decide! That's what makes Eberon such an Amazing setting!!! :)

[Newtonsolo313]

This thread is making me imagine a warforged with two crazy steampunk magitech weapons mounted on each arm. In a pair of swim trunks.:smallbiggrin:

[Temperjoke]

This thread is making me imagine a warforged with two crazy steampunk magitech weapons mounted on each arm. In a pair of swim trunks.:smallbiggrin:

In a female swimsuit, because he was told that proper swimwear was required, but no one told him that there was a difference between them.

[Newtonsolo313]

In a female swimsuit, because he was told that proper swimwear was required, but no one told him that there was a difference between them.

Of course no one has the guts to tell him otherwise:smallbiggrin:

[JackPhoenix]

Of course no one has the guts to tell him otherwise:smallbiggrin:

And if someone had, he would find out that the warforged identifies herself as female :smallcool: