What's up with the elocator picture's gas mask and goggles? [Archive] - Wizards Community

What's up with the elocator picture's gas mask and goggles? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
JulesCARV
02-06-08, 02:35 PM Anyone intrigued by the dromite elocator's gear (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/80453.jpg)? It appears to be using a compass with Latin lettering, and wearing a WW1-style gas mask and goggles. I wonder how it got that stuff.

Gnomes?
Fatalis_902
02-06-08, 02:42 PM I don't know how he got his hands on it, but he looks really cool.
Moosh Nailo
02-06-08, 03:56 PM Clearly through a space-time fissure.

The only thing that really bugs me about the getup is how in the hells that guy will pull his goggles over his eyes without snapping his antennae off?
InkBlot
02-06-08, 04:29 PM There are magic goggles in the DMG and in the MIC which look like modern day eye-wear. So that never bothered me. Not to mention, goggles aren't exactly a modern invention. Although the elocator's goggles most resemble early-20th-century driving goggles, we've had the technology to grind glass into smooth lenses and fit them into a housing like that for over a thousand years. It would have been expensive, but D&D adventurers are known for carrying around bits of twine worth more than the gross national product of a small developing nation.

Since the goggles are most likely magical, he might not even need to pull them over his eyes. If he does need to, then perhaps he just unties/unclasps them and then puts them back on over his eyes.

Then there's also the good possibility that his antennae are more flexible then you assume. There's a joint in each of his antennae right above where they meet the skin. Perhaps when he pulls his goggles down, his antennae just point down and back, and get smooshed against the sides of his head. Perhaps he pulls his goggles out a little bit, and slips his antennae up through the goggles.

The gasmask is totally an anachronism. But what's wrong with anachronisms? It's not like any of the official campaign settings are actually on Earth. Anacosmism might be a better term. It's not like Eberron or FR don't have the tech to create gasmasks, but it seems like they'd use some kind of cheap magic item or spell instead. I think I recall a magic item somewhere that protects you from gas attacks, but I don't think it was a gasmask.

The latin letters on the compass really aren't a problem. English has always been used as a stand-in for common. There are plenty of D&D illustrations with tavern signs and other things written in english.

edit: Forget everything I said. Psionic planeshift is clearly the answer.
Eldritch_Lord
02-06-08, 04:36 PM Who says it's a gas mask? How do we know it isn't a tongues item, or a water breathing item, or something for storing snacks?
Crimson_Concerto
02-06-08, 05:52 PM ...something for storing snacks?:rofl:
I believe we have a winner.
Eldritch_Lord
02-06-08, 06:36 PM :rofl:
I believe we have a winner.

:bravo:

Thank you, thank you.
CryoSilver
02-09-08, 01:26 PM I think I recall a magic item somewhere that protects you from gas attacks, but I don't think it was a gasmask.

Necklace of Adaptation.
Omen_of_Peace
02-10-08, 12:48 AM For me, the only saving grace of this picture is that it reminds me of the Sandman (Neil Gaiman's comic series).
Deekin
02-10-08, 01:21 AM Answer: WAR thought it would look kool.
MnemonicSV
02-10-08, 04:16 AM Perhaps it's the mask from a hydration suit (sandstorm)?
Salla
02-10-08, 06:53 PM Answer: WAR thought it would look kool.

And he was right. :)
LunarWolfPrime
02-11-08, 11:39 AM Perhaps it's the mask from a hydration suit (sandstorm)?

sounds right to me
Eldritch_Lord
02-11-08, 06:18 PM sounds right to me

...but wasn't XPH out before Sandstorm?
AntiDjinn
02-11-08, 06:44 PM I am more intrigued as to why the same character on page 138 is shown with a streaming motion blur behind him, indicating acceleration, yet he is kicking up a dust cloud that extends in front of his feet, indicating that he is skidding to a stop or decelerating. My guess is that the artist is trying to show the entire round of apparent time in a single panel: The character has accelerated some distance, slashed his opponent across the abdomen with a blade (something you can't actually do with Temporal Acceleration), moved past the opponent, and is now skidding to a stop as he enters the normal temporal frame.
InkBlot
02-11-08, 07:00 PM There was a thread discussing that image a little while back. IIRC, we came to the conclusion that the Elocator accelerated after slicing the spined devil. It only take a swift action to manifest temporal acceleration, and afterwards you're shaken so you'd want to take your normal actions first in any case.
Fatalis_902
02-11-08, 09:55 PM Huh. You know, I kinda thought that it was originally one of him using his acceleration ability, and that the pic had gotten recycled into an example of Temporal Acceleration.

...Speaking of the Elocator's Accelerated Action ability, how exactly does that work? How do I activate it for starters, and what can I do while accelerated?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JulesCARV 02-06-08, 02:35 PM	Anyone intrigued by the dromite elocator's gear (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/80453.jpg)? It appears to be using a compass with Latin lettering, and wearing a WW1-style gas mask and goggles. I wonder how it got that stuff. Gnomes?
Fatalis_902 02-06-08, 02:42 PM	I don't know how he got his hands on it, but he looks really cool.
Moosh Nailo 02-06-08, 03:56 PM	Clearly through a space-time fissure. The only thing that really bugs me about the getup is how in the hells that guy will pull his goggles over his eyes without snapping his antennae off?
InkBlot 02-06-08, 04:29 PM	There are magic goggles in the DMG and in the MIC which look like modern day eye-wear. So that never bothered me. Not to mention, goggles aren't exactly a modern invention. Although the elocator's goggles most resemble early-20th-century driving goggles, we've had the technology to grind glass into smooth lenses and fit them into a housing like that for over a thousand years. It would have been expensive, but D&D adventurers are known for carrying around bits of twine worth more than the gross national product of a small developing nation. Since the goggles are most likely magical, he might not even need to pull them over his eyes. If he does need to, then perhaps he just unties/unclasps them and then puts them back on over his eyes. Then there's also the good possibility that his antennae are more flexible then you assume. There's a joint in each of his antennae right above where they meet the skin. Perhaps when he pulls his goggles down, his antennae just point down and back, and get smooshed against the sides of his head. Perhaps he pulls his goggles out a little bit, and slips his antennae up through the goggles. The gasmask is totally an anachronism. But what's wrong with anachronisms? It's not like any of the official campaign settings are actually on Earth. Anacosmism might be a better term. It's not like Eberron or FR don't have the tech to create gasmasks, but it seems like they'd use some kind of cheap magic item or spell instead. I think I recall a magic item somewhere that protects you from gas attacks, but I don't think it was a gasmask. The latin letters on the compass really aren't a problem. English has always been used as a stand-in for common. There are plenty of D&D illustrations with tavern signs and other things written in english. edit: Forget everything I said. Psionic planeshift is clearly the answer.
Eldritch_Lord 02-06-08, 04:36 PM	Who says it's a gas mask? How do we know it isn't a tongues item, or a water breathing item, or something for storing snacks?
Crimson_Concerto 02-06-08, 05:52 PM	...something for storing snacks?:rofl: I believe we have a winner.
Eldritch_Lord 02-06-08, 06:36 PM	:rofl: I believe we have a winner. :bravo: Thank you, thank you.
CryoSilver 02-09-08, 01:26 PM	I think I recall a magic item somewhere that protects you from gas attacks, but I don't think it was a gasmask. Necklace of Adaptation.
Omen_of_Peace 02-10-08, 12:48 AM	For me, the only saving grace of this picture is that it reminds me of the Sandman (Neil Gaiman's comic series).
Deekin 02-10-08, 01:21 AM	Answer: WAR thought it would look kool.
MnemonicSV 02-10-08, 04:16 AM	Perhaps it's the mask from a hydration suit (sandstorm)?
Salla 02-10-08, 06:53 PM	Answer: WAR thought it would look kool. And he was right. :)
LunarWolfPrime 02-11-08, 11:39 AM	Perhaps it's the mask from a hydration suit (sandstorm)? sounds right to me
Eldritch_Lord 02-11-08, 06:18 PM	sounds right to me ...but wasn't XPH out before Sandstorm?
AntiDjinn 02-11-08, 06:44 PM	I am more intrigued as to why the same character on page 138 is shown with a streaming motion blur behind him, indicating acceleration, yet he is kicking up a dust cloud that extends in front of his feet, indicating that he is skidding to a stop or decelerating. My guess is that the artist is trying to show the entire round of apparent time in a single panel: The character has accelerated some distance, slashed his opponent across the abdomen with a blade (something you can't actually do with Temporal Acceleration), moved past the opponent, and is now skidding to a stop as he enters the normal temporal frame.
InkBlot 02-11-08, 07:00 PM	There was a thread discussing that image a little while back. IIRC, we came to the conclusion that the Elocator accelerated after slicing the spined devil. It only take a swift action to manifest temporal acceleration, and afterwards you're shaken so you'd want to take your normal actions first in any case.
Fatalis_902 02-11-08, 09:55 PM	Huh. You know, I kinda thought that it was originally one of him using his acceleration ability, and that the pic had gotten recycled into an example of Temporal Acceleration. ...Speaking of the Elocator's Accelerated Action ability, how exactly does that work? How do I activate it for starters, and what can I do while accelerated?