Species which suffer from bright lights
.. is the standard environmental protection on all armors enough to shield them from this? If not, would a 10 cred pair of sunglasses from a random station kiosk be enough?
I doubt such cheap protection would work. Normal sunglasses are enough to negate human-level sensitivities to light, but drow would need some much more significant.
It's also unlikely, from a game-design perspective, that the developers would create a weakness for a race that will never affect them.
You would think so but how effective are inhaled toxins in a game where every armor has environmental protections? You have to set up situations specifically to make them possible. This seems to be about the same to me
Gameplay Perspective:
Toxic atmospheres arent supposed to be "effective" just like starvation isnt supposed to be "effective". Its a rulesrt that can or cannot be used.When it comes to races, abilities and drawbacks are added to a race for a specific purpose, usually to balance eachother. Whether or not something is "good enough" for that is subjective, sure, but hand waving it would be buffing a race.
Roleplaying Perspective:
A drow would probably need more powerful sunglasses than a standard pair of kiosk, since the latter helps a not sensitive race just get comfortable. The amount of shielding drow sun goggles would need would probably blind a human (just like the human would be blind in the dark).
How much should it cost? Hells if I know, but the sight needs of drow are definitely not universal enough as to be standardized in any armor you could pick up automatically, as opposed to things like oxygen and body temperature.
I just keep thinking that they aren't a hidden subterranean race here, they are a player in pact world politics and run multi-world corporations. It seems pretty basic that they'd have diplomats and business personnel living and working in "standard" environments. If that is the case, why would they not put light shielding in as standard on all their armors? Why not have some form of eye protection for civilian wear? The way I see it, their light blindness come in when someone uses flashblinders or casts a light spell in close proximity.
I'm sure those things exist. The question is whether or not there is enough demand for armor manufacturers to include it in all suits of armor automatically, or if such things are cheap enough to make that feasible, and that is going to depend on the GM.
As far as where it comes in, the wording of light blindness suggests it was designed to come into play when drow enter areas of light, rather than when they are attacked with light on one turn ("...and dazzled for as long as she remains in areas of bright light"). Any seeing race may be blinded by a flashblinder, but adding it to drow specifically (and not all races) implies light blindness will affect them in situations that other races are not.
Having seen the sort of sunglass type shielding they put on human space suits (at space camp), I'd say the ones on armor protection should be good enough to walk around in a space station under normal lighting, at the very least. Those things aren't like an ordinary pair of raybans.
Personally, I'd rule they have to have environmental protections on, though, to take advantage of it. It wouldn't be something that was always up.
I don't imagine it would be sunglasses so much as goggles, which are still cheap.
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It states they're blinded in "bright light." Normal light levels would likely be uncomfortable, but not blinding. I'd rule that the cheapo sunglasses would negate the dazzled condition.
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It states they're blinded in "bright light." Normal light levels would likely be uncomfortable, but not blinding. I'd rule that the cheapo sunglasses would negate the dazzled condition.
My take on it is that the ambient lighting in a station or ship wouldn't be enough to trigger the dazzled condition but walking outside while planetside would absolutely require either the environmental protections of armour OR a pair of goggles similar to welder's goggles. A pair of wrap around shades specifically designed for the purpose would work as well.
SM
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Heh! This reminds me of the conversation I had with Sober Caydeinte back on this thread!
"Given a technologically advanced, industrialized society, can the drow ignore their light blindness racial quality with a 5-credit pair of Ray-Bans?"
"Now I’m imagining people giving traveling drow crap for their shades thinking they’re attempting to capitalize on 'the cool factor.'
'LOL, look at the drow edgelord trying so hard to look badass and mysterious with their “cool” sunglasses!'
'I HAVE LIGHT BLINDNESS, YOU ASS! THESE ARE PRESCRIPTION!'" XD
I solved this in the game that I run by allowing them to ignore light blindness by spending a bit of money for "magic" glasses. That way it isn't something that can just be ignored, it's the loss of a magic item slot, but it can be dealt with.
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It states they're blinded in "bright light." Normal light levels would likely be uncomfortable, but not blinding. I'd rule that the cheapo sunglasses would negate the dazzled condition.
If you can make welders goggles I am sure some hyper tech society can make "sun glasses" or goggles that would be both inexpensive and basically negate the weakness. There are water breathing options for races that also gets pretty easily negated by technology. Stuff that can in certain situations be useful or a detriment but overall not that much of a factor for the prepared.
The sheer variety of races they've been releasing kind of necessitates that gear descriptions be taken with a bit of leeway.
Yeah, even if it isn't mentioned or intended, I'm certainly houseruling that Armor protections include sunshields (essentially a welders' goggle type mask that can be activated with environmental protections). Otherwise, I'm going to have to randomly blind characters during space walks for accidentally having the sun in their eyes.
Edit: or take the glasses off but who would ever do that?
Species which suffer from bright lights
.. is the standard environmental protection on all armors enough to shield them from this? If not, would a 10 cred pair of sunglasses from a random station kiosk be enough?
Yknow, I'm old enough now where my doc wants me to get a comprehensive eye exam every 2 years or so. Doing such involves getting your eyes dilated and the eye doc doing their stuff. Takes about 45 mins+. Anyhoo, I scheduled mine for after work, figured, eh sun will be going down by the time I'm done so pop on the sunglasses and it'll be fine.
I hate to imagine what it would have been like at high noon with nothing but my sunglasses. Even at 5ish pm just having sunglasses for my still dilated eyes was super uncomfortable.
And they're decent (tho cheap) UV protect lenses.
So I figure a Drow would think my scenario at 5pm was torture :)
Or the ever fun drive with your eyes dilated right after a freak rain storm passes and its now bright and sunny. GAAAAA MY EYEEESSSSS. So yes without correct light protection that level of light sensitivity is a real hinderance but with all the fancy tech stuff it also should be basically trivial to mitigate.
Species which suffer from bright lights
.. is the standard environmental protection on all armors enough to shield them from this? If not, would a 10 cred pair of sunglasses from a random station kiosk be enough?Yknow, I'm old enough now where my doc wants me to get a comprehensive eye exam every 2 years or so. Doing such involves getting your eyes dilated and the eye doc doing their stuff. Takes about 45 mins+. Anyhoo, I scheduled mine for after work, figured, eh sun will be going down by the time I'm done so pop on the sunglasses and it'll be fine.
I hate to imagine what it would have been like at high noon with nothing but my sunglasses. Even at 5ish pm just having sunglasses for my still dilated eyes was super uncomfortable.
And they're decent (tho cheap) UV protect lenses.
So I figure a Drow would think my scenario at 5pm was torture :)
Late to this conversation but saw your comment and had to comment - I also have to get that test annually (as I'm diabetic) and completely agree with you. Unfortunately local hospital only does the appointments between 9am-1pm so I have to get it done during bright time... so totally agree with the Drow equivalency (and how a decent set of sunglasses makes it a lot less uncomfortable).