» Mon Apr 01, 2013 1:55 pm
It's likely that the magical effects of using a Thu'um start a few inches from your lips, more than enough to bypass full-face masks.
If you'll note, the shouts are in a cone in front of you. If the shout itself was the cause (i.e. the sound,) then they would work as an AOE type effect, similar to a Flame/Frost Cloak spell, but with a larger range. Since they aren't AOE-type effects, but Cone-type effects, this means that the effects of a Thu'um are NOT caused by sound. Therefore, we can't assume that full-face masks get in the way of the Thu'um.