Blighted Cause is all about immersing yourself in the world of Dragon Age. To aid this, we have made this costume guide. Costume is an important aspect of making your character come to life. While none of these guidelines are hard rules, we do suggest you try to make your costume as good for the setting and character as possible, as it will help everyone enjoy the game more.
There are exceptions to the in-character rule. Please see the below COSTUME CONCESSIONS:
REQUIRED OUT-OF-CHARACTER ITEMS
All players should be in costume when in the in-character areas during time-in. However, we do acknowledge that this is not always practical. Medically required modern clothing/items are always accepted, including glasses, splints/braces, crutches/canes, wheelchairs, etc. Any attempt to make these more in-character is appreciated but not required. Any out-of-character medications are also accepted without disguising, so please do not risk your health for the game.
FOOTWEAR
We strongly advise wearing good footwear for the event, even if this is not in-character. We recommend boots with good ankle support, grip, and waterproof capabilities. Military boots or walking boots are good for this. Again, any attempt to make these in-character is appreciated but not required. Prioritise safety, comfort, and waterproofing over appearance. A common rule in UK LARPs is 'in-character ends at the ankles'. Good footwear will make the event much more enjoyable.
SOCKS
Bring multiple extra pairs of socks. Thick, warm socks, thin socks for layering, waterproof socks for rain. Bring many more pairs of socks than you think you could possibly need. Having dry, fresh socks will make the weekend much more bearable.
UNDERLAYERS
Layering up your clothing will keep you much warmer than having fewer thick layers. Wool, cotton, or other natural underlayers are good for stopping excess sweating. Modern underlayers are perfectly fine, as they will not be seen much. Again, remember to bring spare underlayers in case you get soaked, muddy, or sweaty.
Next - IN CHARACTER CLOTHING:
We suggest that you build and submit your character idea before getting too far in gathering kit. If your character idea is unsuitable for Blighted Cause, this will save you the time/money of building kit which you are unable to use.
GENERAL AESTHETIC:
Please check out our COSTUME INSPIRATION page for links to image boards, suggesting ideas for each race and nationality.
In Dragon Age, Ferelden (the country Blighted Cause is set in) has a look somewhat similar to medieval Britain, making this a good place to start. If you are looking for inspiration, either replay Dragon Age Origins:
There are exceptions to the in-character rule. Please see the below COSTUME CONCESSIONS:
REQUIRED OUT-OF-CHARACTER ITEMS
All players should be in costume when in the in-character areas during time-in. However, we do acknowledge that this is not always practical. Medically required modern clothing/items are always accepted, including glasses, splints/braces, crutches/canes, wheelchairs, etc. Any attempt to make these more in-character is appreciated but not required. Any out-of-character medications are also accepted without disguising, so please do not risk your health for the game.
FOOTWEAR
We strongly advise wearing good footwear for the event, even if this is not in-character. We recommend boots with good ankle support, grip, and waterproof capabilities. Military boots or walking boots are good for this. Again, any attempt to make these in-character is appreciated but not required. Prioritise safety, comfort, and waterproofing over appearance. A common rule in UK LARPs is 'in-character ends at the ankles'. Good footwear will make the event much more enjoyable.
SOCKS
Bring multiple extra pairs of socks. Thick, warm socks, thin socks for layering, waterproof socks for rain. Bring many more pairs of socks than you think you could possibly need. Having dry, fresh socks will make the weekend much more bearable.
UNDERLAYERS
Layering up your clothing will keep you much warmer than having fewer thick layers. Wool, cotton, or other natural underlayers are good for stopping excess sweating. Modern underlayers are perfectly fine, as they will not be seen much. Again, remember to bring spare underlayers in case you get soaked, muddy, or sweaty.
Next - IN CHARACTER CLOTHING:
We suggest that you build and submit your character idea before getting too far in gathering kit. If your character idea is unsuitable for Blighted Cause, this will save you the time/money of building kit which you are unable to use.
GENERAL AESTHETIC:
Please check out our COSTUME INSPIRATION page for links to image boards, suggesting ideas for each race and nationality.
In Dragon Age, Ferelden (the country Blighted Cause is set in) has a look somewhat similar to medieval Britain, making this a good place to start. If you are looking for inspiration, either replay Dragon Age Origins:
look up screenshots, or research medieval British attire. However, Dragon Age also features many different races and countries, all with distinct looks, so to further narrow down your character's appearance, consider where they come from and who they are.
As the event takes place in Autumn, we also suggest looking at having warm layers. Tunics can be layered up, and coats or cloaks will help keep the chill off.
RACES
All the races have slightly different styles, for example Dwarf outfits include geometric designs, while Elf outfits have more flowing lines. You can see some ideas of suitable designs on the Costume Inspiration page
There will also be prosthetics and facial markings for specific races, such as Dwarven Caste Marks, Dalish Vallaslin, Elf ears, Qunari horns, etc. More detail of these will be coming soon.
ARMOUR
Most combat characters may choose to have armour. Please note that armour has specific gameplay and rule restrictions, which will be covered in the combat and rules sections of this guide. However, from a costume perspective, it is important to make sure your armour looks appropriate, so avoid modern styles, and look at fantasy armour, armour from in-game, and other similar sources.
CLOAKS
Cloaks or coats will be essential for keeping you warm during this event. Thick fabrics such as canvas, thick cotton, or wool are best. These fabrics can be waterproofed.
FABRICS
The best fabrics to use are natural materials, rather than synthetic - for example, cotton, wool and linen look a lot better than polyester. For richer characters, Orlesians, and some others, you may wish to use silk or satin to display their wealth or interest in fashion. Antivans wear more leather, including highly detailed tooled leather. Tribals or Dalish wear more fur, and may have decorations that are obtained from nature, e.g. bones or wood. If in doubt, think what kind of environment your character lives in, and why they wear their clothes - if it's to show off, add jewels and silks, if it's more practical, use rougher fabrics like cotton and calico.
ACCESSORIES
As above, accessories will vary based on character. Consider what your character thinks is important to adorn themselves with. Orlesians will almost certainly have a mask of some kind, as is popular in their culture. Dalish may have wood or bone beads. Strongly religious characters have have an icon showing their faith, as a necklace or embroidered/painted onto a sash. Mages might carry some item of magical importance to them (Note: for roleplaying purposes only) such as a focus. Dwarves might have an icon of their house, or a symbol of wealth.
Please note, we will not remove players from the game for failing to meet the ideal costume standards, and we will make sure no-one is mocked, teased, or harrassed for innocent slip-ups, or for being unable to wear suitable kit due to any reason outside their control (budget, time, medical needs, etc.) However, there are a few approaches which will be heavily frowned upon. Please AVOID DOING THE FOLLOWING:
- Cosplay / a specific outfit from Dragon Age. A lot of the best-known outfits belong to specific characters (i.e. Morrigan's Witch of the Wilds outfit).
- Full modern outfits. The Dragon Age world is very well fleshed-out. It is very easy to get appropriate alternatives to modern clothing. There is no excuse for players to attempt to use completely inaccurate modern clothing (i.e. bike leathers, denim jeans).
- Iconic outfits from other franchises. Some outfits are easily recognisable from other sources (i.e. Lord of the Rings Gondor Armour)
- Being naked.
If any player turns up in an outfit deemed inappropriate, a member of crew will attempt to help them make themselves look more fitting, but we have limited resources, so please do attempt to make a suitable outfit. If you need any advice with your outfit, including feedback on an outfit you have, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
As the event takes place in Autumn, we also suggest looking at having warm layers. Tunics can be layered up, and coats or cloaks will help keep the chill off.
RACES
All the races have slightly different styles, for example Dwarf outfits include geometric designs, while Elf outfits have more flowing lines. You can see some ideas of suitable designs on the Costume Inspiration page
There will also be prosthetics and facial markings for specific races, such as Dwarven Caste Marks, Dalish Vallaslin, Elf ears, Qunari horns, etc. More detail of these will be coming soon.
ARMOUR
Most combat characters may choose to have armour. Please note that armour has specific gameplay and rule restrictions, which will be covered in the combat and rules sections of this guide. However, from a costume perspective, it is important to make sure your armour looks appropriate, so avoid modern styles, and look at fantasy armour, armour from in-game, and other similar sources.
CLOAKS
Cloaks or coats will be essential for keeping you warm during this event. Thick fabrics such as canvas, thick cotton, or wool are best. These fabrics can be waterproofed.
FABRICS
The best fabrics to use are natural materials, rather than synthetic - for example, cotton, wool and linen look a lot better than polyester. For richer characters, Orlesians, and some others, you may wish to use silk or satin to display their wealth or interest in fashion. Antivans wear more leather, including highly detailed tooled leather. Tribals or Dalish wear more fur, and may have decorations that are obtained from nature, e.g. bones or wood. If in doubt, think what kind of environment your character lives in, and why they wear their clothes - if it's to show off, add jewels and silks, if it's more practical, use rougher fabrics like cotton and calico.
ACCESSORIES
As above, accessories will vary based on character. Consider what your character thinks is important to adorn themselves with. Orlesians will almost certainly have a mask of some kind, as is popular in their culture. Dalish may have wood or bone beads. Strongly religious characters have have an icon showing their faith, as a necklace or embroidered/painted onto a sash. Mages might carry some item of magical importance to them (Note: for roleplaying purposes only) such as a focus. Dwarves might have an icon of their house, or a symbol of wealth.
Please note, we will not remove players from the game for failing to meet the ideal costume standards, and we will make sure no-one is mocked, teased, or harrassed for innocent slip-ups, or for being unable to wear suitable kit due to any reason outside their control (budget, time, medical needs, etc.) However, there are a few approaches which will be heavily frowned upon. Please AVOID DOING THE FOLLOWING:
- Cosplay / a specific outfit from Dragon Age. A lot of the best-known outfits belong to specific characters (i.e. Morrigan's Witch of the Wilds outfit).
- Full modern outfits. The Dragon Age world is very well fleshed-out. It is very easy to get appropriate alternatives to modern clothing. There is no excuse for players to attempt to use completely inaccurate modern clothing (i.e. bike leathers, denim jeans).
- Iconic outfits from other franchises. Some outfits are easily recognisable from other sources (i.e. Lord of the Rings Gondor Armour)
- Being naked.
If any player turns up in an outfit deemed inappropriate, a member of crew will attempt to help them make themselves look more fitting, but we have limited resources, so please do attempt to make a suitable outfit. If you need any advice with your outfit, including feedback on an outfit you have, please don't hesitate to get in touch.