Should You Incorporate Eyewear Into Your D&D Gameplay?
Tiefling Bard with Glasses Playing a Harp
With the Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition revision set to officially release in the Fall, many DMs are already awaiting the new playbook it will bring and the adventures it will unlock. While many players, especially long-time vets, are feeling a little lukewarm regarding the latest mechanics and revisions that 5e brought, it inarguably opens up a lot of exciting opportunities.
Among these is the chance to revisit the tools of your trade. This includes eyewear, which can be considered a highly beneficial piece of gear for DMs and players, both in-game and real life. But just how does eyewear do this? Read on to find out.
Eyewear benefits for your character
In the world of DnD, eyewear is more than just an accessory–although it can definitely also be used simply for your character’s vanity. Depending on the item in question, your eyewear can bring fantastic boons to your character. This is why eyewear, like the Goggles of Night, is considered a fantastic magical starting item. After all, it can grant a character Darkvision, which is definitely a need if you’re to traipse along the Underdark.
Furthermore, eyewear woven into your narrative can up the ante. For instance, there is the Eyes of the Eagle, which can grant you an advantage on Perception checks. They also enhance your vision to the point where you can make out extremely small details or creatures that can measure as small as two feet across. Then, there’s also the Eyes of Charming, which can essentially allow the wearer to charm any humanoid using eye contact within 30 feet. Having these in your story as a DM is especially perfect for sandbox campaigns.
If you want to take it a step further, you can even integrate eyewear into your landscape. Case in point, in our previously shared article about shops you can add to your fantasy RPG adventure, we included The Gnomish Gizmo Works. A cluttered workshop where only the most seasoned travelers can see the method behind the madness, one of the items we suggested can be available here is the Goggles of Night Vision. This not only makes for an interesting way for your player to gain or miss key items, but it also helps add depth and functionality to your worldbuilding.
Eyewear benefits for you as a DM
That said, the advantages of eyewear are not just limited to the Forgotten Realms or wherever else your party may find itself. In this world, wearing the right eyewear can also help you as a DM.
For starters, since you’re likely to be pouring over research on print and onscreen for hours, it’s natural to experience some eye strain. Considering that many DMs also use monitors during gameplay, there’s an added risk of computer eye syndrome, which can manifest as blurred vision and dry eyes. To prevent this, try investing in blue light glasses. Leading retailer LensCrafters use a special lens coating that blocks out the potentially harmful blue-violet light between 400 to 455 nm that gadgets emit. This helps protect the eyes from the overfatigue and retinal degradation that overexposure to this lightwave has been linked to. Since these glasses are available with and without a prescription, it’s easy to find a pair that will retain your visual acuity and comfort even as hour gameplay sessions stretch hours.
Another way that eyewear can help you in our realm is by improving immersion. Sure, DnD, at its core, is meant to provoke imagination even with only the barest materials, but tech nowadays is taking this a step further. According to reports, top-of-the-line VR headsets, like the Meta Quest or Apple Vision Pro, may soon allow players to enjoy the tabletop experience digitally. Just early this year, Wizards of the Coast and Resolution Games announced that they’d entered into a formal partnership that would allow players to visualize better and experience the stories their parties are embarking on. Granted, this may not be as accessible to every party, but if you’re a serious DM, then even having one yourself to see how your campaigns pan out can be a thrilling investment.
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