Why do wizards wear robes?

[Hantoo]

I know not all wizard in story or game wear robes, but, why is it mostly wizard wears a robe? Dont you think is some impractical clothing when going for an adventure or in war?(also, pointy hat?)

My only idea is that the robe they wear have alot of cloth, while the cloth used to make the robe is "enchanted cloth"? Which boost magic power or sumthing? And need as much as possible to have greater effect? Just some random wierd non logical logic

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

it's simple to distinguish themselves from gte other warriors.

archers have a bow light armour
fighters a melee and some heavy armour
a wizard or cleric a robe and staff

worse thing you can do is be a wizard and be forced to the font of army because they think you are a fighter. besides that, wizards are long ranged devastatingly unfriendly fighters. their killing magic isn't ally friendly and usually changes the fighting grounds in massive ways(fire ball, meet grass field)

however I have seen wizards who wear an under coat of light armour and some shoulder guards over their robe. again this only distinguishes them so that they do not get mixed in with the other fighters

 

[Hantoo]

it's simple to distinguish themselves from gte other warriors.

archers have a bow light armour
fighters a melee and some heavy armour
a wizard or cleric a robe and staff

worse thing you can do is be a wizard and be forced to the font of army because they think you are a fighter. besides that, wizards are long ranged devastatingly unfriendly fighters. their killing magic isn't ally friendly and usually changes the fighting grounds in massive ways(fire ball, meet grass field)

however I have seen wizards who wear an under coat of light armour and some shoulder guards over their robe. again this only distinguishes them so that they do not get mixed in with the other fighters

Still, no think impractical clothing?
Wearing pajamas to war... And no armor at all, armor is not only for protectung from cut and slash, is also to protect from other various stuff too :O like... Debris? Or something

If wanna have some difference between frontline warrior, maybe some other less movement restricting xclothing?

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

ok fair enough... but remember.

wizards have other means of protecting themself. like magic shields and elemental protection.

besides... there is a common base level wizard spell called 'stone' and sometimes 'bark' skin. which makes their skin like bark or stone, limiting the damage that can be done to them

 

[Orcnet]

For some reason, wizards can also wear armor. But not in any way its fully bulked nor it will go align with a *type of genre* armor for soldier-like class. It depends on the story or its background as well.

As for the overall part, wizards wear robes due to its teachings of magic and can also be a dressing of uniform.

Like in reality, priests in real life wear robes due to the teachings of a specific holy order (this is based from religious aspects, don't see it like a bad way or such)

 

[Roland]

Most wizards depends on their attitude/What they want to wear or what's comfortable for them, if they want over-kill dress like... Pointy Hats, Long god damn clothes or ETC..

 

[Zwiebelchen]

This really depends on the story/universe.
I know plenty of RPG universes where wizards (or whatever they are called there) can wear armor. For a famous example, in Avatar - The Last Airbender. Many of the benders there, especially from the fire and earth nation wear armor to battle.


I guess the idea originally origins from historic belief that monks/priests could do wonders/miracles.
So basicly, monk robes turned into wizard robes and miracles turned into spellcasting. Drawings of magicians or wizard from the early middle ages often portrait them as some kind of heretic priests or cultists.


The trope was never really subverted in the modern gaming industry for two reasons:
1) it also serves as a concept to balance out possible ability sets
2) it can be sexualized, especially on female characters

 

[Kyrbi0]

Good question, and not one that hasn't been asked before.

Probably all you need to know can be found there. I wish I could give you a historical back-drop, but I don't know it. So I'll just throw a couple things out there.

~

It really depends on the setting. I think in large part it really had more to do with aesthetics & story-telling pragmatics; the wizard was the cloistered genius working in the lab, and the writer needed a way to differentiate between them & the warrior or whatever; something distinctive.

In some settings, armor can actually impede wizards in the casting of their magic (either making it difficult, slow, or even impossible). Some of those settings allow for light armor, or chainmail, or leather (helmet? gauntlets? boots? etc); so in those places, the robes are basically the only things they can wear.

In other settings, it's perhaps more for dramatic displays (something wizards are known for); flinging one's arms about gets a lot more impressive when flowy robes are attached.

Also, robes tend to have pockets for carrying all those regeants & spell components. They are loose, so lab accidents don't eat through the skin. They are light, for the old geezers who are too ancient to walk around in armor. Etc.


As one of the aforementioned discussions I linked above indicates, when you hear/see "robes" don't think, like, "bath robes"; it's sort of an evolution to the (traveling) cloak, which was actually a well-crafted piece of textile wizardry (haha) back then. Waxed on the outside, keeps out the elements, can be drawn close for cold & let loose for heat; thick, sturdy, tough, etc.

 

[Celaquil]

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

ok I'll tell you the truth. wizards ware robes purely for the prospect of being l#^@^$

a robe comes off as easily as it goes on

as a wizard, you rarely get that kind of opportunity compared to knights and archers who can regale maidens with methorphs relating their weapons in promiscuous ways.

archer, baby I'll always hit the right mark
warrior, you'll find my swords a little longer and stronger then the average man's

wizards don't have such luck, even with their vast intelligence, no one wants to compare their man hood to a wand or an old wrinkly staff

 

[Ragazine14]

I think they wear robes because they have other means to protect themselves. Such as spell shield, toughening their own skin, and bla bla bla hocus pocus adacadabra kind of spells.

And probably, they wear robes to enlighten their mind, and to easily outrun heavy armor warriors. Warriors that use heavy armors aren't really focusing on something, they're just thinking 'I must slash and burn'. Heavy armored warriors also tend to move slowly, although they seems to be running. While wizards needs to have a clear mind to even create a little spark of fire. They also (usually) move (a bit) faster than heavy armored units do, wizards also (usually, again) doesn't mount any kind of horse or anything they can ride.

So I think, that's the reason why they use robes.

 

[andreasaspenberg]

in dungeons and dragons style games, armor inhibits magic. robes in some cases contains pockets for potions and similar stuff.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Because they lack the strength and agility to wear armor!

 

[BlargHonk]

It's because they've reached the age where they stop giving a flying fuck about anything going on around them. Their entire lives are spent dealing with those with near objectively lesser intelligence, or those who suffer the same outlook. Thus the bathrobe and slippers while fighting a dragon.

It's similar to the math PHD's at my workplace. Some of them don't bother putting on socks and shoes... or underwear. The midmans don't bother them because they're irreplaceable and they tend to output better work if they aren't constrained by societal dress codes.

 

[Ash]

It's because they've reached the age where they stop giving a flying fuck about anything going on around them. Their entire lives are spent dealing with those with near objectively lesser intelligence, or those who suffer the same outlook. Thus the bathrobe and slippers while fighting a dragon.

It's similar to the math PHD's at my workplace. Some of them don't bother putting on socks and shoes... or underwear. The midmans don't bother them because they're irreplaceable and they tend to output better work if they aren't constrained by societal dress codes.

I can totally back this up, and the same is true for the ivory tower I'm currently working in.

 

[Direfury]

Consider Skyrim. Mages have historically been your typical 'eternal scholar'. Someone who dedicates their life to learning and growing. Robes were common in the past, due to the fact that they are comfortable, do not restrict movement, sometimes have plenty of storage space for trinkets and such, and provide fantastic protection against miserable weather.

In Skyrim, you can plainly see that a majority of the mages wear a variant of the scholar's robes. They also don't get in the way like large, flowing robes might. Others, such as monks and necromancers prefer more typical traveller's robes, usually with hoods meant to help hide their face.

Consider some of the large, sweeping motions spellcasting requires. Case and point, the Blood Mage, Druid of the Talon, Sorceress and Shaman in Warcraft. These spellcasters aren't exactly on their hands and knees, so their clothes are simply designed to not get in the way, and distract them in any way from their spellcasting.

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]

Wizards can wear armor under the robe,so its not visible for our eyes.
Btw. they can too wear armor like this guy:

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Some wizards wear just robes,because they use shields ,and that have a guy already tell you in this threader.
So in main,wizards are mostly times campers,that camping on a tower and fight with dragons ,or they pushing down enemy units from the hills,walls or the bridges.
So if i wizard is fighting he don't goes far away from his previous position,and that is what i'm trying to tell u here.
Wizards are campers and defenders(guardians).

 

[BlargHonk]

Btw. they can too wear armor like this guy

thats a monk

 

[Roland]

Wizards can wear armor under the robe,so its not visible for our eyes.
Btw. they can too wear armor like this guy:

-------------------------------------
Some wizards wear just robes,because they use shields ,and that have a guy already tell you in this threader.
So in main,wizards are mostly times campers,that camping on a tower and fight with dragons ,or they pushing down enemy units from the hills,walls or the bridges.
So if i wizard is fighting he don't goes far away from his previous position,and that is what i'm trying to tell u here.
Wizards are campers and defenders(guardians).

Wizards, Witches & Priests =/= Monks.
Sorry to say you this, But you should think straight again.

thats a monk

He thinks monks are priests but in a different religion.. < Why the hell I'm I talking religion here? O,o

 

[Dr Super Good]

Clearly Diablo III proves you wrong!

 

[BlargHonk]

Clearly Diablo III proves you wrong!

Nice Title Belt

 

[Dr Super Good]

As such I raise my previous point...

Because they lack the strength and agility to wear armor!

They wear only light/cloth armor because they are not strong people. They would not be able to function well if they were carrying around full metal body suit heavy armor.

They also do not need the agility that leather and other flexible armors provide so usually they use cloth with some metal.

 

[Shar Dundred]

Not to mention that mages need some disadvantages (like being weak or wearing no good armor) since they're able to throw fire, ice, lightning, dark magic and whatever at everything and everyone...

 

[chobibo]

Because it's practical, easy to pee in for both men and women. They don't need to travel on foot anyway, they're fucking wizards, they just teleport wherever. They even install apps for you! Just click yes to the EULA and you're fucked good to go!

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]

Wizards, Witches & Priests =/= Monks.
Sorry to say you this, But you should think straight again.

Tell me one thing that makes differences between monks and wizards?
Tell me one thing that makes differences between monks and priests?
Don't tell me that the one thing is how they look like.
I think that monks can be too wizards and they can be too priests.
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Guys,it exist heavy armor,light armor and medium armor.
So i'm sure that wizards can wear chainmail armor like the monk on the picture that i have show u.
The monk is wearing medium armor(chainmail).
So if a old man like a monk can wear chainmail,why should a wizard not do that too.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-EDIT:

He thinks monks are priests but in a different religion.. < Why the hell I'm I talking religion here? O,o

FAIL
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-EDIT2:

As such I raise my previous point...

They wear only light/cloth armor because they are not strong people. They would not be able to function well if they were carrying around full metal body suit heavy armor.

They also do not need the agility that leather and other flexible armors provide so usually they use cloth with some metal.

Just to know,cloth is not an armor.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Unarmored:
Naked and clothed.
Light Armor:
Leather, boiled leather, fur, chitin, and glass armor.
Medium Armor:
Chain, scale and bonemold armor.
Heavy Armor:
Iron, steel and silver armor.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Just to know,cloth is not an armor.

Not true. Fabrics and cloths can be quite resilient. Especially in a world with magic I would expect to see sword resistant cloths, after all we have them in a world without magic.

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]

Not true. Fabrics and cloths can be quite resilient. Especially in a world with magic I would expect to see sword resistant cloths, after all we have them in a world without magic.

cloth armor?
That makes just zero sense.

 

[BlargHonk]

cloth armor?
That makes just zero sense.

Gambeson

 

[Eagle XI]

Wizards wear robes so you can know who must go down first on the enemy team at the very first glance.

 

[takakenji]

theres no real reason it just became the norm design probably based off medieval wise men or whatever who wore robes

 

[Avahor]

Just for standars!...
the common wizzard image that industry rise on our collective thinking.
why a robe? just check all mainly referers: Merlin, Gaspar, Disney with Mickey and fantasía, Dumbledore, Saruman, Gandalf...

Robe is an element that represent uniform for a person who gives his entire life to be a follower of magic arts, a cultist, someone who is part of ceremonial rituals or magic enchantment proccess... the robe is directly related to the dress for ritualism behaviours (that drama implicit on the magic life).

 

[Ardenian]

cloth armor?
That makes just zero sense.

You would be surprised. Ever heard of jackets being able to withstand knives or even small guns ? Of course, that is a wide definition of cloth, but there are a lot of possibilities.

I agree with takakenji here, in the medieval age wise men had long robes, yes, even in the Ancient Greece and Rome they had robes, philosophers, for example.

 

[Himperion]

Cooling, the cool air and lack of restrictive undergarments allows then to cast at 100%.

So in reality wizards are commandos.