1 hour ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Or he'll just be a bit on edge.

Remember that in addition to very-much-at-the-GM's-discretion flat prohibitions, there's also the 'people get irritable quickly around wargear' effect. Provided everyone's being polite and no-one's trying to do anything significant, no-one is doing anything requiring a check and the Wargear quality shouldn't matter provided the item is 'stowed' (blade bagged and being held in a non-threatening manner and/or carefully lent on a beam next to your table if you don't have a room to stow it in/servant to leave it with/don't want to give it up*).

But if the atmosphere is not simple and friendly because you've either got an argument or heated debate going on with other patrons or the innkeeper (i.e. an intrigue scene) then that's when even a bagged up naginata is going to keep drawing the occasional nervous glance.

I'm no expert on oriental armour, but certainly with western plate it takes so dratted long to armour up that in 'down time' breaks, especially short ones, I can see just removing enough of the stuff to get the weight off your spine and thighs and let you shrug your shoulders (and scratch between your ******** shoulder blades!) without stripping the whole thing off. 'Partly armoured up' clearly shouldn't qualify for full protection, but also immediatly says "yes, soldier/guard/whatever, but also off-duty".

Besides which, when you're on guard or sentry duty, your primary responsibility is "spotting stuff that shouldn't be there"; there is a real argument in favour of not wearing a helmet & mask and actually having some peripheral vision....

* I concur that a Yojimbo who's serious about his duties is potentially going to be stubborn about hanging on to his naginata unless specifically told to leave it behind by his boss or a social superior (court/house of a friend/etc).

The kendoka I know take about 10 minutes to get changed and armored. Note that they leave out the jubon, but putting the shitagi on over the juban is what, maybe 30 seconds more? And that's pretty much ashigaru armor.

I imagine a Bushi that's just dispatched a bandit in the area may well ride into town with his Lacquered armor. At that point, you're wearing it to show off/make people feel safe. I think this is what Ceremonial Wargear is supposed to be. It's inappropriate to have your naginata ready. You'd also wear this armor in some parade style formal events.

I would think in a larger city, you may enter town with your armor on, and then proceed to the property of your host (or inn). There you may have some brief greeting period before you change and freshen up. Once you're actually interacting with people, you shouldn't be wearing your armor anymore. The daisho is still worn to indicate your status.

I'm uncertain of the role of Plated armor. In Japan, this was still formal, but in Rokugan, it may be the sort of thing the Crab clan wears, but proper samurai don't . Possibly the listed version of Plated armor lacks the Ceremonial tag, but the sort that a high ranking samurai would wear is Ceremonial.

On 11/13/2017 at 9:44 PM, Grodark said:

Then how one is to get their tesubo or other wargear weapon to the inn there staying at with out causing a peasant to go running to there local lord for every visiting samurai?

The armor goes in an armor box, carried by a mule or something. the tetsubo is strapped on there as well. The samurai carries his daisho and wears traveling clothes. The local peasants are generally fearful of samurai no matter what they're wearing, and word will get out about the stranger anyway. If there is a local samurai, there's a good chance he will drop in, only to make polite introductions, of course. If war gear is appropriately stowed for transport, some polite inquiries will no doubt be made, but it shouldn't be too much of an issue, as long as he doesn't raise suspicion. If he walks into town wearing it, I imagine the greeting will be much more cold. "Who are you that comes into these lands girded for war?" There isn't much of a good answer, as the samurai is assumed to be looking for trouble, or else is insulting the local lord by saying he can't protect visitors.

Now, if the bushi has genuine reason to be armed to the teeth, he may be okay, so long as he can prove it. If he's hunting criminals, he'll need written orders from his lord, with a request for safe passage through the lands he's crossing. Local lords might refuse him passage if they have a bone to pick, but if everything is in order, they probably prefer just to get him on his way. When he arrives in the area he suspects his quarry is hiding, his first order of business is to present himself to the lord. Depending on circumstances, the local guy may not want this random bushi causing trouble in his lands.

9 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

But if the atmosphere is not simple and friendly because you've either got an argument or heated debate going on with other patrons or the innkeeper (i.e. an intrigue scene)

1

If you are in a heated argument with an innkeeper (or any other non-samurai for that matter) then you have serious issues unrelated to your worn gear .

On 11/13/2017 at 9:44 PM, Grodark said:

Then how one is to get their tesubo or other wargear weapon to the inn there staying at with out causing a peasant to go running to there local lord for every visiting samurai?

I may have missed someone answering this already but here goes.

1. Most samurai don't travel in their armor unless their clan is currently at war and they are near the front-lines.

2. When you enter a town it is common practice to visit the towns governing samurai to make your presents known.

3. When traveling by horse you would normally pack away your armor and weapons other then your daisho.

4. Since you have visited the governor/magistrate by this time there would be little to no issues with bringing your war-gear into an inn if you have reason to have it with you.

On 11/13/2017 at 9:44 PM, Grodark said:

First unless it's a small village their is a gate they pass through where they present their travel papers and are asked what there doing in the area then after that they may be detained and searched and asked more questions then their permitted to go about there business . No where in that process unless their arrested do their weapons get confiscated. So from what I can understand the way everyone is seeing wargear is that as soon as a peasant sees a wargear weapon they go running to the local guard and this happens all the time for everyone heading to the inn this seems off.I think the peasant would notice might have a bit of fear but not go to the guards cause they know the person was allowed into the city. now a small village they might go to the headman who would go with a couple guards and ask the samurai how he may be of help and what the samurai is doing in his village if the samurai dose not go directly to the headman as he is supposed to do out of respect for the local lord. People seem to forget there's a process for this stuff that's why the description in the wargear section dose not say anything about it causing a panic or major fear.and no mention of negative effects to the person wearing the gear but the person they cause strife to gaining 1 more strife cause of their nervousness of the person in the wargear.

now socially I would say that wearing armor not in your lands is a taboo and can cause an insult to the local lords saying they can not protect there land or as far as someone about to attack their lands.

there has never been anything on carrying your weapons inn a village or city just where you put your weapons and do not carry them such as court, a friend's or superior's home.

I think a lot of people that think a war weapon like a gun would have a hard time living in an open carry state.

see above.

Tenchi2a thanx for supporting my view keep in mind not all samurai have an attendant or a pony most just have there own back to carry things on and a tesubo and other such items are strapped to your back aka worn

the way everyone is acting it's like the peasants do not trust the samurai to be honorable and not slaughter them for no reason.

48 minutes ago, Grodark said:

Tenchi2a thanx for supporting my view keep in mind not all samurai have an attendant or a pony most just have there own back to carry things on and a tesubo and other such items are strapped to your back aka worn

the way everyone is acting it's like the peasants do not trust the samurai to be honorable and not slaughter them for no reason.

Strapped to your back is not the same as worn. Worn literally means you’re wearing it. Similarly for weapons: strapped to your back so you can’t ready it in an instant is not the same as carried in your hand or even, in the case of a sword, ready to be drawn from the sheath.

Peasants don’t trust samurai who look ready to unleash violence, since there’s few reasons to ready yourself for violence if you aren’t going to become violent - and if a samurai decides acting violently against them is appropriate, there’s very little they can do.

wearing something means your wearing it wielding something means it's in your hand ready to use example if I have a sword in it's scabbard and it is in my belt at my side I am wearing a sword if the sword is in my hand I am wielding a sword. so dose not mater if it's strapped to your back your wearing it now if you have it out and are wielding it then I think soldiers would come ask you whats up. it's like a guy with a hand gun in his holster on his hip he is wearing a gun but he aint using it yet .

1 hour ago, Grodark said:

wearing something means your wearing it wielding something means it's in your hand ready to use example if I have a sword in it's scabbard and it is in my belt at my side I am wearing a sword if the sword is in my hand I am wielding a sword. so dose not mater if it's strapped to your back your wearing it now if you have it out and are wielding it then I think soldiers would come ask you whats up. it's like a guy with a hand gun in his holster on his hip he is wearing a gun but he aint using it yet .

There is a big difference between having a weapon on your person and wearing a weapon.

The first indicate the weapon is being carried only.

The second indicates the weapon is being carried in a style that it can be drawn and used.

This is overlooked when the weapon(s) in question are a Katana and/or Wakizashi due to their status.

If you go around wearing or openly carrying War-gear level weapons without good reason you are in for trouble.

You don’t “wear” a weapon. You wear clothing, including armour. In which case it’s clearly in use. Carrying weapons of war ready to use is a no-no, carrying them wrapped up, in a box, or strapped to your back so you can’t immediately use it is ok, even though it might get you some curious looks.

In truth in proper English you are not carrying a weapon unless its in your hand or in some form of carrying device. But anyway the point was that you don't walk around with your wargear out.

On 11/15/2017 at 0:13 PM, tenchi2a said:

2. When you enter a town it is common practice to visit the towns governing samurai to make your presents known.

Keep in mind - intentional or not on Tenchi2a's part - presents is one of two correct terms.

• Presents (in this context, an archaic word for documents)
  You have to present your documents. (Many occidental letters of introduction and/or award begin with "Let it be known by these presents that..." )
• Presence (the state of being in the place)
  Even going to your Daimyō's other estates requires checking in with the Gokenin thereof, while not actually requiring travel papers.

A samurai in an estate or province without papers, without notice, and without permission for more than a day is generally going to be treated as a rōnin, or worse.