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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    Ginasius's Avatar

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    Question Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    I don't think this is going to have any "Chekhov's gun" type narrative significance but I'm curious about how colors are perceived by animals, familiars, humans and other races in the OOTSverse and, by extension, in D&D.

    Is there any reference in the strips to color blindness?

    Is there any canonical description in any D&D rulebook about the sense of sight in birds or dogs or elves?

    Are there any other tidbits of information on these topics that you remember and think might be interesting?

    Of course, this question came to my mind when I saw Roy and Blackwing arguing in the present strip about the yellowness of a ground that I, for one, perceive as "dirty greenish."
    Last edited by Ginasius; 2021-01-25 at 03:38 PM.
    Life is like a ladder in a henhouse; it is short, but full of guano.

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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Blackwing and his sense of sight.
    Blackwing's insight {vis a vis V} is its raison d'etre.

    Blackwing's sense of style far exceeds its sense of sight
    Last edited by KorvinStarmast; 2021-01-25 at 03:43 PM.
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    b. greenstone (paraphrased):
    Agency means that they {players} control their character's actions; you control the world's reactions to the character's actions.
    Gosh, 2D8HP, you are so very correct!
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    Metastachydium's Avatar

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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Most birds, including corvids, are tetrachromats which is the farthest thing from colour blindness that I can think of. D&D statblocks do not reflect this, though, as far as I can tell.
    Last edited by Metastachydium; 2021-01-26 at 05:35 AM.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    Ginasius's Avatar

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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Thanks a lot to all of you that have answered in this not particularly succesfull thread.
    Life is like a ladder in a henhouse; it is short, but full of guano.

  5. - Top - End - #5
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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Metastachydium View Post
    Most birds, including corvids, are tetrachromats which is the farthest thing from colour blindness that I can think of. D&D statblocks do not reflect this, though, as far as I can tell.
    I had to look up that term, and found it quite interesting, and in particular this bit.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrachromacy
    Tetrachromacy may also enhance vision in dim lighting...

    Something similar to the 5e darkvision thing, though I wonder at how related it is to a few of the low light vision enhancing sensors we had on a few of our aircraft ... anyway, this thread was helpful to me.
    Last edited by KorvinStarmast; 2021-02-01 at 03:16 PM.
    Avatar by linklele. How Teleport Works
    a. Malifice (paraphrased):
    Rulings are not 'House Rules.' Rulings are a DM doing what DMs are supposed to do.
    b. greenstone (paraphrased):
    Agency means that they {players} control their character's actions; you control the world's reactions to the character's actions.
    Gosh, 2D8HP, you are so very correct!
    Second known member of the Greyview Appreciation Society

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Colossus in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ginasius View Post
    I don't think this is going to have any "Chekhov's gun" type narrative significance but I'm curious about how colors are perceived by animals, familiars, humans and other races in the OOTSverse and, by extension, in D&D.

    Is there any reference in the strips to color blindness?
    In the How The Paladin Got His Scar story in Good Deeds Gone Unpunished, it comes up.

    Spoiler
    Show
    O-Chul talks to a binturong, and the binturong is unaware of what colour is.
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  7. - Top - End - #7
    Halfling in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by hamishspence View Post
    In the How The Paladin Got His Scar story in Good Deeds Gone Unpunished, it comes up.

    Spoiler
    Show
    O-Chul talks to a binturong, and the binturong is unaware of what colour is.
    Well, I was looking in D&D wikis about those beasts and I've discovered that it's a real animal.

    Southeast Asia's zoology willl never stop surprising me.
    Life is like a ladder in a henhouse; it is short, but full of guano.

  8. - Top - End - #8
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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Metastachydium View Post
    Most birds, including corvids, are tetrachromats which is the farthest thing from colour blindness that I can think of.
    There's farther.
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  9. - Top - End - #9
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jasdoif View Post
    Well, you beat me to it.

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Well, about colourblindness specifically, darkvision in 3rd edition D&D doesn't allow the person to see colour in the dark, effectivelly making them colourblind under those circunstances. Other than that, I don't think there are any differences between the vision capabilities of the different races.
    Quote Originally Posted by Stricken View Post
    I tip my hat to you, Giant. For every person who rules-nitpicks you, there are bound to be ten times as many fans who are just blown away by how excellent your storytelling is.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Pixie in the Playground
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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jasdoif View Post
    There's farther.
    So one would expect, however... experiments have found that mantis shrimps are worse at discriminating between different colors compared to most animals that have three or four types of color receptors. It instead appears that their color vision system is adapted for recognizing colors quickly, but not necessarily distinguishing subtle differences among different shades of color.

    My post count is not high enough to link a relevant article directly, so this will have to do: nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2014/01/23/the-mantis-shrimp-sees-like-a-satellite/

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Ettin in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    I came to mention the binturongs as a colorblind creature, but hamishpence beat me to it.

    On the other hand, there's also 'farther'.

    Farther is used to compare physical distances. Mars is farther than the moon. If you can meaningfully use a physical measurement, you can use 'farther'.

    Further is used to compare metaphorical distances, such as going further than 3 types of cones in your eyes. I could go further into examples of how to use 'further,' for example.

    Learned that from watching Finding Forrester a while back.

    Having now gotten my inner editor off my back, please feel free to ignore this post.
    Last edited by Lord Torath; 2021-02-05 at 09:58 AM.
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  13. - Top - End - #13
    Dwarf in the Playground
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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    I don't believe it's ever been mentioned or even alluded to in strip, but Hinjo is red-green colorblind
    Last edited by facw; 2021-02-17 at 12:05 AM.

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    HalflingRogueGuy

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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by facw View Post
    I don't believe it's ever been mentioned or even alluded to in strip, but Hinjo is red-green colorblind
    This hints at how azure city will be resolved.

    The humans can change the name to “cerulean blue city”, because Hinjo wont know the difference.

    In turn, the goblins can nickname it “cruelean blue city”.

    After that, they can all live together happily side by side.

    Win win.
    Last edited by Dion; 2021-02-17 at 11:40 AM.

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Halfling in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ginasius View Post
    Of course, this question came to my mind when I saw Roy and Blackwing arguing in the present strip about the yellowness of a ground that I, for one, perceive as "dirty greenish."
    By the way, I just learned that this:



    is considered the ugliest color in the world. It is pantone 448C and was "created" to inspire rejection on Australian tobacco packs.



    I find some similarities to the floor of this final dungeon. Is Serini trying to make visitors uncomfortable?
    Life is like a ladder in a henhouse; it is short, but full of guano.

  16. - Top - End - #16
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    KorvinStarmast's Avatar

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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ginasius View Post
    is considered the ugliest color in the world. It is pantone 448C and was "created" to inspire rejection on Australian tobacco packs.
    They forgot one phrase:

    "Smoking causes stress relief"

    Because it did, for me, for quite a few years. I don't smoke anymore, have not for some years.
    Avatar by linklele. How Teleport Works
    a. Malifice (paraphrased):
    Rulings are not 'House Rules.' Rulings are a DM doing what DMs are supposed to do.
    b. greenstone (paraphrased):
    Agency means that they {players} control their character's actions; you control the world's reactions to the character's actions.
    Gosh, 2D8HP, you are so very correct!
    Second known member of the Greyview Appreciation Society

  17. - Top - End - #17
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    WolfInSheepsClothing

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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by hamishspence View Post
    In the How The Paladin Got His Scar story in Good Deeds Gone Unpunished, it comes up.

    Spoiler
    Show
    O-Chul talks to a binturong, and the binturong is unaware of what colour is.
    Spoiler: Nitpick for How the Paladin Got His Scar
    Show
    While O-Chul was the primary speaker in that story, it was Saha Kapoor who could speak with the binturong.

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    Ginasius's Avatar

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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ginasius View Post
    I'm curious about how colors are perceived by animals, familiars, humans and other races in the OOTSverse and, by extension, in D&D.
    A note, not about colors, but relative to the sense of sight and positively part of the OOTSverse canon.

    In comic #1101 Minrah and Blackwing have this dialogue:

    Vaarsuvius: (makes a ball of light appear) Light.
    Minrah: What's that for?
    Blackwing: Halflings and humans can't see in the dark.
    Minrah: Wow, not even shapes? Not even up close?
    Blackwing: They are such limited creatures. I choose to pity them.

    I infer that both Minrah and Blackwing can see in the dark.
    Life is like a ladder in a henhouse; it is short, but full of guano.

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Colossus in the Playground
     
    hamishspence's Avatar

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    Default Re: Blackwing and his sense of sight.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ginasius View Post
    A note, not about colors, but relative to the sense of sight and positively part of the OOTSverse canon.

    In comic #1101 Minrah and Blackwing have this dialogue:

    Vaarsuvius: (makes a ball of light appear) Light.
    Minrah: What's that for?
    Blackwing: Halflings and humans can't see in the dark.
    Minrah: Wow, not even shapes? Not even up close?
    Blackwing: They are such limited creatures. I choose to pity them.

    I infer that both Minrah and Blackwing can see in the dark.
    Dwarves have Darkvision in 3.5. Familiars are Magical Beasts, and Magical Beasts have Darkvision. They're augmented from animals, and the base animal (a Raven in this case) has low-light vision - so this strip is consistent with the way the rules handle Dwarfs and Familiars.
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