D&D (2024) Here's The New 2024 Player's Handbook Wizard Art

 

[Reef]

The fact the lenses are flat and dont distort the size of the eyes and outline of the side of the head, means they dont correct vision.

Presumably these glasses are magic items that visually grant some form of magical sight. Glasses might transmit any of various kinds of information.

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Okay, but if this wasn't a digital image, that we could zoom in to examine the minutest of details, would anyone even notice that level of detail?

I mean, really? Flat lenses versus curved? Unless the image was meant to be displayed as a zoomed in portrait, that's an extremely easy detail not to think about. I'm sure if the art director asked the illustrator to add glasses, they wouldn't be asking how strong the prescription should be, so that they can look up the proper curvature.

There's attention to detail, and then there's just being ridiculous.

 

[Yaarel]

Or (more likely IMO) it just means the artist overlooked that detail.

But either way, I prefer to think of them as magical lens (as you and others have suggested) as that makes more sense to me.

Your meme comment is still funny, all the same!

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Okay, but if this wasn't a digital image, that we could zoom in to examine the minutest of details, would anyone even notice that level of detail?

I mean, really? Flat lenses versus curved? Unless the image was meant to be displayed as a zoomed in portrait, that's an extremely easy detail not to think about. I'm sure if the art director asked the illustrator to add glasses, they wouldn't be asking how strong the prescription should be, so that they can look up the proper curvature.

There's attention to detail, and then there's just being ridiculous.

Absolutely. As a person who has actually worked as a professional illustrator, I can assure you that neither the art director, nor the artists think things to this level of detail.

 

[Yaarel]

Okay, but if this wasn't a digital image, that we could zoom in to examine the minutest of details, would anyone even notice that level of detail?

I mean, really? Flat lenses versus curved? Unless the image was meant to be displayed as a zoomed in portrait, that's an extremely easy detail not to think about. I'm sure if the art director asked the illustrator to add glasses, they wouldn't be asking how strong the prescription should be, so that they can look up the proper curvature.

There's attention to detail, and then there's just being ridiculous.

I assume, if a mage is wearing eyeglasses, it is because there is a good reason, normally a magic item.

If an Elf is wearing glasses, for sure there is some magical benefit.


I am not so familiar with the reallife history of eyeglasses. Apparently, Italians invented them during the 1200s, and they were valuable items for the traderoutes, including the Silk Route across Asia. However, eye exams for custom glasses werent really around until 1800s. So the glasses were high quality enough, but people would literally try pairs on randomly and decide on which one seemed the most helpful.

In the late medieval and renaissance, they were a prestige item. They suggest expert artisans, literacy with lots of reading of books, and an otherworldly perception. Reallife prejudices sometimes thought of the wearer of glasses as either aristocrats or witches, or both.

 

[Tonguez]

That, for me, is another thing I don't like about it.

Magic is magic in my games. The gestures, etc. for a spell being performed must be the same as if anyone else is casting it, and the results always look the same was well. If a player wanted their magic missiles to look like chickens, I would just look at them sideways, and tell them to just roll damage. Sorry, but I do take my D&D games, etc. seriously -- and to me, such things take away from that and my enjoyment of the game.

Yeah, I know, people will cry out once more, but oh well... that's just how I play.

See thats what I dislike about DnD magic - the exactness of it all, for me I want creative flair and flavour. I want a magic missile taught by the Highhold Academy of Evokers to be distinct from one from the Darkrealm Tower of Secrets and different again from the Force Mages of Dagobah, spell thematics are a good thing and they can all be serious

 

[pemerton]

spell thematics are a good thing and they can all be serious

Didn't you get the memo - your Magic Missiles must be either chickens, or spinning bowties squirting water!

 

[Autumnal]

Or bow ties squirting spinning chickens, of course.

 

[ezo]

See thats what I dislike about DnD magic - the exactness of it all, for me I want creative flair and flavour.

Then I hope players in your games do that!

I've just never cared for it. But, then again, I am not big fan of funny voices, etc. either. I mean, silliness is fine for laughs once in a while, but beyond that such things are fluff for the sake of fluff and I find more annoying than anything else in the long run.

 

[Yaarel]

The Forgotten Realms setting is free to do whatever fantasy appeals.


For historical reference.

1200s. First eyeglasses are intended to be held by hand, but can hang from the nose.

These glasses look similar to the ones in the painting, albeit the lenses are scuffed and damaged, suggesting use and expense to repair.

1600s. There is experimentation with stylish frames and quality lens crafting.

1700s. The first eyeglasses held in place by the ears appear during this time, invented by Edward Scarlett.

All of this, even the arms of the glasses, is within reach of a fantasy setting. Here the illustration is unsourced but it looks like 1800s, give or take.

The circular lenses are a thing, but other shapes are feasible for fantasy.

 

[Older Beholder]

Next campaign I’m playing a Warforged that wears glasses.