Something that's been on my mind for awhile, due to some of my chars having poor eyesight, has finally lead me to ask the question I hope some people have input to: What is the extent of quality, rarity, and craftsmanship and the usual source of the production and use of eyeglasses? Are there tinted lenses, as well? How thin/fine can lenses be made? Basically anything and everything to do with eyeglasses in the D&D universe and how they apply to the server's setting, as I've been increasingly inspired to make a four-eyed sharpshooting archer.

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Characters:

Di'es Irae Unqua - Priestess of Lolth

Ekaterina Nemetskya - Rashemi Druid

You know Victorian eye glasses? That's about where they are in Faerunian technology.

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I keels u with my axe!

"Do ye know where the Holy-Flamin' Frost-brand Gronk-slayin' Vorpal Hammer o' woundin' an' returnin' an' Shootin'-Lightnin'-out-yer-bum is?"

So are we talking this...

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JDMiXQYrpTU/S ... lasses.jpg

or this...

http://thumbs1.ebaystatic.com/m/mCX1UgE ... cw/140.jpg

?

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Characters:

Di'es Irae Unqua - Priestess of Lolth

Ekaterina Nemetskya - Rashemi Druid

Well now. The goggles could be used for an inventor who suddenly wants high powered eye glasses, as shown in NWN 2. But there have been wizards and such who use normal reading glasses, such as what is shown in the first one.

So the answer. Both. They both exist. For example, the thin ones would be used for reading and such. Where as the others might be used by a gnome who wants to stick lightening into a gigantic tin can and make it move xD

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I keels u with my axe!

"Do ye know where the Holy-Flamin' Frost-brand Gronk-slayin' Vorpal Hammer o' woundin' an' returnin' an' Shootin'-Lightnin'-out-yer-bum is?"

So would a kind of middle ground thick framed thin-lensed pair of eyeglasses be used by fighters and such, or would even gigantic barbarian half-orcs wear the tiny thin-framed glasses? (Which would be another funny character to make)

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Characters:

Di'es Irae Unqua - Priestess of Lolth

Ekaterina Nemetskya - Rashemi Druid

Eyeglasses are one of those luxury expenditures intended to derail eye strain from copious bibliophilia or to correct vision problems. Eyeglasses aren't common, really, but owning a pair is a hallmark that you've spent a good deal of money, more than your average person would ever spend. Having a pair places you within the upper middle class and above (or suggests that's who you stole them from, anyway.)

To say the technology of eyewear is chronologically comparable to anything in RL is a bit fallacious because technology in Faerun is both inferior to ours (they don't have automobiles) and superior to ours (they have gigantic robots!) That said, since eyeglasses are such a minor detail that lends no significant mechanical impact on the universe, I figure you could employ the same creativity with them. If you want honking owl-eye coke-bottle bottom glasses, that's fine. If you want bifocals, sure. If you want tinting, I see no reason why that's not possible since colored glass is possible (though I am aware actual tinting is very different). You're stretching it a little if you want Versace shades.

My old main PC, for example, has a pair of gold-framed reading glasses with rose-colored tinting on the lenses...

Logically since the vast majority of eyeglasses that would exist in the game's setting would not be mass produced due to mechanical restrictions and the niche market of people who would want glasses it seems safe to assume that they are generally made on an individual basis by specialized craftsmen.

If that is the case then you could probably get almost any design of glasses/goggles made since they would need to be custom build for the most part anyhow.

One of my Pcs got a pair of obsidian gem spectacles that he invented quite some time ago trough RP. Got them as a token item in my inventory, RPly working like crude sunglasses to remove glare from teh sun, but since it's gems.. they aren't very well focused (and thus can't be used to remove sun-blindness penalties).

Fun though!

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Adair - Druid and part time treant cosplayer

Likewise, even if it has no actual effect, my drow tends to set pair of lenses made form thin cut emerald over his helm eyeslots when ever on snow or alike place with too much reflection

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I can be found as:
Tess Marbury - Girl from luskan
Erth'dar Songspinner - Drow bard
Celador Moonhelm - Elven merchant
Garambar of Hillsalar Hall - Dwarven sage
Moraina - Grumpy Monk

Gnomes and Hin have this wonderful thing called goggles that act as protective coverings for the eyes.

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Eli Hodgewall <{/,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~X
Sven <=={o===========>
Qeelak \ | / ,

I agree with Yossarin, pretty much. This is what Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue has to say on the matter (though there's no reason to assume he has outlets in Amia or that this stuff is quick to order):


The catalogue is specifically designed to be flexible at the DM's whim, so I wouldn't make too much of the prices.

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Also agree with what TGE said. Which is a further elaboration on why I say eyeglasses are a hallmark of the upper-middle to luxury class - eyeglasses are not mass-produced but rather custom-made, meaning they carry a high price tag.

The character I've been thinking of making is a Feytouched, so perhaps one of her fey relatives plucked some glasses for her, but she's not the type to ever really ask where fey get things because she's afraid of the answer.

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Characters:

Di'es Irae Unqua - Priestess of Lolth

Ekaterina Nemetskya - Rashemi Druid