Ideal Character Appearances

[Nazagor]

I've been trying to crystallize my character into a specific personality with a story behind it, and as part of that, I wrote out my ideal appearance and inventory. I want him to be a bit literary, like he just walked out of a storybook. This approach leaves me well-prepared for alterers, and it keeps me focused on a "look" rather than my usual habit of creating fun but unrelated items. If anyone else has done the same, or wants to, I'd love to see and to share feedback with each other. I'm always glad to hear suggestions. Here's mine so far, very much a work in progress:

You see Nazagor the Slayer.
He is a Half-Sylvan.
He looms tall and appears to be gnarled with age, reminiscent of some dead, overhanging cliffside tree. He has illuminated emerald eyes and the complexion of forged iron. He has short sorrel hair. He is grotesquely muscular, with hulking, misaligned shoulders and a long, silver beard.
He is wearing a tattered red knight's cloak, a hunched iron raven, a high-collared goblin skin tunic, a red iron-chained cuirass, a makeshift haversack formed from a tangle of contorted witchwood roots, a bladed red iron vambrace, some heavy iron-chained belts buckled with a bunch of goblin skulls, a relic satchel, a jeweled goblin skull, and some bladed red iron sabatons.

[Ltlprprincess]

Well, your features (besides your hair and potentially custom feature line) aren't going to be the way you describe them here, I'm afraid. As descriptive as they are, they will not fit within the require parameters.

[Jhynnifer]

I've been trying to crystallize my character into a specific personality with a story behind it, and as part of that, I wrote out my ideal appearance and inventory. I want him to be a bit literary, like he just walked out of a storybook. This approach leaves me well-prepared for alterers, and it keeps me focused on a "look" rather than my usual habit of creating fun but unrelated items. If anyone else has done the same, or wants to, I'd love to see and to share feedback with each other. I'm always glad to hear suggestions. Here's mine so far, very much a work in progress:

You see Nazagor the Slayer.
He is a Half-Sylvan.
He looms tall and appears to be gnarled with age, reminiscent of some dead, overhanging cliffside tree. He has illuminated emerald eyes and the complexion of forged iron. He has short sorrel hair. He is grotesquely muscular, with hulking, misaligned shoulders and a long, silver beard.
He is wearing a tattered red knight's cloak, a hunched iron raven, a high-collared goblin skin tunic, a red iron-chained cuirass, a makeshift haversack formed from a tangle of contorted witchwood roots, a bladed red iron vambrace, some heavy iron-chained belts buckled with a bunch of goblin skulls, a relic satchel, a jeweled goblin skull, and some bladed red iron sabatons.


These are really great descriptors and will make for the basis of some interesting features. Unfortunately certain features are used in various verbs (skin for example) and require a certain kind of formatting. The skin feature always has to end with the word skin and have an adjective so when you use those verbs, the messaging is right. I really kind of like what you did with the height field though, that's an interesting way to approach it. You may also find that things like "grotesquely muscular" may prove to be too subjective for most merchants. Your age field cannot be altered, either... which is unfortunate, but there are some age descriptors that could work for what you're going for.

I hope this helps!

[SashaFierce]

You can get muscular arms and shoulder from the FWI feature pavilion. I'd start with that and see how close to your idea you can come.

[shad0ws0ngs]

>alter 34

ALTER 34: Feature Field Format

Mandatory Feature Fields:
Height, eye color, complexion, hair style, and hair color.

Optional Feature Fields:
Eye characteristics, hair texture, hair quirk, face, nose, distinguishing mark, and unique.


When all feature fields are utilized on a non-Aelotoi, the format is as follows:
You see Player A.
She appears to be a Race from Culture.
She is <height> and appears to be <age description>. She has <eye characteristc> <eye color> eyes and <complexion> skin. She has <hair style>, <hair texture> <hair color> hair <hair quirk>. She has a <face> face, a <nose> nose and [a/an] <distinguishing mark>. <unique.>

When all feature fields are utilized on an Aelotoi, the format is as follows:
You see Player A.
She appears to be an Aelotoi from Culture.
She is <height> and appears to be <age description>. She has <eye characteristic> <eye color> eyes and <complexion> skin. She has <hair style>, <hair texture> <hair color> hair <hair quirk>. She has a <face> face, a <nose> nose and [a/an] <distinguishing mark>. She has a pair of <wing description> wings. <unique.>



If you can, try to take what ideas you've got and fit them into that format. You'll have better luck overall.

[Ltlprprincess]

>alter 34

ALTER 34: Feature Field Format

Mandatory Feature Fields:
Height, eye color, complexion, hair style, and hair color.

Optional Feature Fields:
Eye characteristics, hair texture, hair quirk, face, nose, distinguishing mark, and unique.


When all feature fields are utilized on a non-Aelotoi, the format is as follows:
You see Player A.
She appears to be a Race from Culture.
She is <height> and appears to be <age description>. She has <eye characteristc> <eye color> eyes and <complexion> skin. She has <hair style>, <hair texture> <hair color> hair <hair quirk>. She has a <face> face, a <nose> nose and [a/an] <distinguishing mark>. <unique.>

When all feature fields are utilized on an Aelotoi, the format is as follows:
You see Player A.
She appears to be an Aelotoi from Culture.
She is <height> and appears to be <age description>. She has <eye characteristic> <eye color> eyes and <complexion> skin. She has <hair style>, <hair texture> <hair color> hair <hair quirk>. She has a <face> face, a <nose> nose and [a/an] <distinguishing mark>. She has a pair of <wing description> wings. <unique.>

Japhrimel for the win.

[Nazagor]

All this feedback is very helpful, particularly the bits about limitations. Much easier to work when I know the parameters! Are there any others I should know about, such as limits on features, order of things, etc.? Thank you! And I'd love to see what everyone else has come up with for themselves!

Edit: Just saw Japh's post. That's perfect, thanks!

[Tisket]

Glowing eyes might be a hard sell to an alterer, no? But maybe things have loosened up. No idea.

[Ltlprprincess]

All this feedback is very helpful, particularly the bits about limitations. Much easier to work when I know the parameters! Are there any others I should know about, such as limits on features, order of things, etc.? Thank you! And I'd love to see what everyone else has come up with for themselves!

Always be careful about what could be considered subjective. Illuminated, for instance, can be subjective, depending on the merchant you're working with.

[Jhynnifer]

Glowing eyes might be a hard sell to an alterer, no? But maybe things have loosened up. No idea.

You'd think if they're ok with doing -limned eyes, they'd be ok with illuminated, but you're probably right there.

[MotleyCrew]

8087

[shad0ws0ngs]

I always wanted halcyonic eyes. As for features, I'd say it is somewhat subjective, so some might go for it, some wont. But they've been cracking down on alteration restrictions/guidelines a lot over the last year or so. I wonder if you could get away with like phosphorescent green or something like that maybe. I should try that.

[Astray]

I really like the hair from my avatar. If I could get something like that, it'd work.