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How to Build: Message Spell


Christougher

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I'm trying to build a spell where the caster speaks a message to a bug, and send the bug off to a person or place.  Upon arrival, the bug 'speaks' the message.  No reply allowed or implied.  Any suggestions on how to build this?

 

Chris.

 

PS: The caster in question has a thing for scorpions, so any scorpion themed spells would be welcome too.

 

 

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Thematically how about instead of a bug flying off. It is a scorpion that receives the message, burrow into the ground, then re-emerges at the targets l location.

 

Mechanically I would use mind scan and only 2 or 3 dice of telepathy with

-2 only to fulfill one task

-1/2 restrainable : stepping on the scorpion.

-2 on the telepathy only to deliver 12 second message our 10 words.

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I did this spell using a very minor air elemental that flew to the location and whispers in the target's ear:

 

WIND WHISPER
EFFECT: Sends a message to someone on the winds
Active Cost: 51             Range: Mental
Real Cost: 1                 Gesture: no
Spell Roll: -5                 Incantation: yes
END Cost: 5                 Side Effect: yes
Casting Time: Minute   Concentrate: ½ DCV
Focus: OAF
This spell sends a whispery message on the winds to a single target familiar to the caster.  The message is sent on the wind, and will only work if there is open access to outside.  The target desired also must be open to the outside.  This Wind Whisper message is noticeable only as a slight breeze to others unless they have Second Sight, which reveals an elemental streaming to the location.
POWERS: Mind Scan 5d6; +4 MOCV for Mind Scan; Images vs hearing group
MODIFIERS: Bonus (-1), OAF (-1), Gesture (-1/4), Incantation (1/4), Extra Time One Minute (-3/4), Concentrate ½ DCV (-1/4), One Minute Delay per ten miles distant (-1/4), Side Effect 2d6 INT Drain REC/minute (-1/2), Must have open easy access to outside (-1/4) [-4 1/2]
MODIFIERS (Mind Scan): Only to target for Images (-1), [-5 1/2]
MODIFIERS (Images): ACV MOCV vs DCV (+1/4); Linked to Mind Scan (-1/2), Only for message (-1/2) [+1/4; -6]
MODIFIERS (MOCV): Linked to Mind Scan (-1/4) [-4 -3/4]
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Do you intend for the time-to-delivery to be based on the actual movement speed and capabilities of a bug or scorpion? And why is the word "speaks" in quotes? I know that bugs can't talk, so what do you imagine happens when the bug arrives at its recipient? Is the intention that the bug can be squished, eaten (by predators), lost in weather, etc?

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"Speaks" is in quotes for the exact reason zslane mentioned - bugs don't talk.  And I can't use Mind Scan because it won't work on an empty area.

 

After consultation with a rulebook, and throwing a few of them out...  I think I'm gonna go with Clairsentience Hearing, and steal the +Transmit adder from Enhanced Senses, for a cost of 22 Active points, limitations to taste.  

 

Chris.

 

Of course, it also convinced me that Clairsentience needs to be folded into Enhanced Senses and have a cheaper price for non-Targeting.  One of these years in my copious spare time.

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Messenger Scorpion: (Total: 30 Active Cost, 4 Real Cost) Mind Link , Any Willing Target, No LOS Needed, Unlimited range in this dimension (30 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Hour avg - more or less depending on distance, (messenger must travel to target); -3), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect affects both character and recipient of Power's benefits; -1), Instant (-1/2), Perceivable (-1/4), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; -1/4), Nonpersistent (-1/4), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4) (Real Cost: 4)

 

Conjures a tiny enchanted scorpion that listens to a brief message then stings the caster for 1d6 before hurrying off to find the designated person (even if the person is on the other side of the world or across an ocean, this should take no more than a day; if they're in the same building, should take about a minute) who will automatically know upon seeing the scorpion that it is a messenger and if acquainted with the caster will know from whom. The recipient may choose to crush the scorpion (no roll necessary) or accept the 1d6 sting that communicates the message. The scorpion is visible (but small, very fast moving, and hard to see) where conjured, when appearing to the recipient, and all along the path as well. It has Defenses of 6 and BOD of 1 but a DCV equal to the caster's base DCV plus 8 and any attacker should normally only get one attack before it vanishes out of range. If the recipient is unreachable (airborne, in a sealed room a scorpion can't enter, behind magic protections, on sacred ground, etc) the scorpion will hide nearby and wait for its opportunity. For purposes of Telepathy treat the scorpion as being the caster, except that the only thing to be learned is the message the scorpion carries and it will sting the successful telepath for 1d6 before scurrying off to find the intended target.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

 

The palindromedary says the scorpion has bad news and it's gonna hurt

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I dunno...I might have built these bugs as Followers...

 

I don't like the laundry list of Modifiers that must be loaded up on Mind Scan to account for all the ways a physical bug presents complications in the use of the spell. A bug can't cost more than the minimum (5 pts?) as a Follower, and making it capable of delivering a message through "magical speech" can't make it much more costly than that (in fact, a 5-point bug Follower built with 25 CP is probably plenty).

 

IMO, the only part of this spell that needs (or should be) defined by the sfx is its ability to "speak" the message when it reaches the recipient. Eveything else about it should just be handled as a bug that moves from one location to another. Unless there is something else about these bugs the OP isn't telling us.

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I did consider a Summon, but I think creating an entire new character sheet for such a simple task is overkill when it can be done much more simply by purchasing it as a Power.

 

On the other hand, it might be worth creating a Summon and a character sheet if the character has a LOT of potential tasks for a scorpion minion (carry this message, crawl into that room and come back and report, keep watch and sting me awake if anyone approaches, taste this food and let me know if it's poisoned, crawl over this item and tell me if it's magickal, etc.)

 

Lucius Alexander

 

watch this palindromedary and don't let it eat the tagline

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Agreed.

 

I wasn't envisioning your typical "write up the Follower as a character" approach; rather I envisioned using Follower purely in the spirit of design-for-effect. Basically, I as GM would just assume that a message-carrying scorpion can be built on 25 points, tell the mage that this is a 5-point spell (maybe less if loaded up with the usual spellcasting limitations of gestures, etc.), and just let the concept of the spell take care of all the details in play. There's really nothing to write up here aside from "Scorpion Messenger, 5 points".

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A summons is a cheap and easy way to create a creature that does the job desired, but I agree I'd prefer to do this as an effect rather than a summon.

 

Mind Scan doesn't take much trouble to get to work, but it does limit your message delivery to people you know; that's exactly what I wanted for my message spell as built.  For one that works on anyone, you'd be better off with a long range penetrative targeting detect.

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Seriously?  What part of 'deliver a message' led you guys to Followers or Summons?  The bug is SFX.  The issue is what mechanics to use to actually accomplish that.

 

Chris.

Well, a bug is "only an sfx" if you intend to ignore all the essential details surrounding the fact that it is, well, a bug. Like, you don't intend for it to move (independently) like a bug, or be squishable like a bug, etc. But if you do intend for the spell to bring an actual bug into existance that then troddles off to deliver a message, I think Summon is the most sensible way to handle it.

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  • 11 months later...

"Speaks" is in quotes for the exact reason zslane mentioned - bugs don't talk.  And I can't use Mind Scan because it won't work on an empty area.

 

After consultation with a rulebook, and throwing a few of them out...  I think I'm gonna go with Clairsentience Hearing, and steal the +Transmit adder from Enhanced Senses, for a cost of 22 Active points, limitations to taste.  

 

Chris.

 

Of course, it also convinced me that Clairsentience needs to be folded into Enhanced Senses and have a cheaper price for non-Targeting.  One of these years in my copious spare time.

 

I think Transmit is the way to go as well.

 

One benefit of having Clairsentience as its own Standard HERO Power is that allows it to be used within Power Frameworks which is not legal for Enhanced Senses because they are Special Powers.

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Here's my take:

 

5 Nature's Telegram: Mind Link , Any Willing Target, No LOS Needed, Unlimited range in this dimension, Invisible Power Effects (Invisible to Mental Group; +1/4) (37 Active Points); Extra Time (5 Minutes, -2), Limited Power Transmit Only (-1), IAF Fragile Expendable (Easy to obtain new Focus; fur, feather, shell etc... from type of animal type used to deliver message; -3/4), Instant (-1/2), Sense Affected As More Than One Sense Hearing (-1/2), Nonpersistent (-1/4), Gestures (-1/4), Incantations (-1/4), Requires A Roll (Skill roll, -1 per 20 Active Points modifier; -1/4)    0

 

This sure seems like what Gandalf used in the LOTR and Hobbit stories.

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