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Two way communication devices.


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The problem with mind link as the base power is that you normally have to be within LOS to establish the mind link.  You can buy the 'No LOS required' adder on mind link, but that just lets you link to the people you 'know', rather than (presumably) anyone else who happens to have a crystal ball.  So you'd have to add, I dunno, mind scan or something to find the other crystal balls, so you could then use mind link on them.

 

You have the same basic problem with the clairsentience build, you you could buy a megarange targeting detect that should let you place the viewpoint just fine.  This build has the potential problem that you could end up 'calling' the wrong crystal ball, as the detect might not be that accurate, or it could be fooled somehow.

 

I'd say we need a bit more information about the exact details of how they crystal balls are supposed to work first.

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Overthinking it IMHO, Crusher Bob.

 

Cabalvision Network: Clairsentience (Sight and Sound) (25pts base); 0 END (+½), Megascale (100km, +1½); (75 pts active); Viewpoint limited to other CN devices (-2); 25pts total.

 

I've priced the limitation at -2 on the assumption that there's a privacy spell... both users need to be using the balls to communicate. If it operates more like the Palantirs it'd probably be a -1 limitation and might need multiple viewpoints.

 

How you find the right receiver is just special effects. Name of the owner, perhaps? An incoming call function is part of that. And maybe more:

 

"Master, thy crystal sphere glows with eerie light"

 

"Whatte? Lette me seye... Thou canne make muche gold atte home... Confounde this drattyde thinge! Morre of ye Spamme!"

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I ran into something similar when designing an insectoid alien race that I wanted to have access to a hivemind without being a mindless drone.

 

What I ended up doing, as opposed to having the race pay for a mindlink to every other member of the race, was pay for mindlink (psychic link) to the 'hivemind' itself.

 

The hivemind, by virtue of the mindlink, can 'attack' through it with mental powers - and did so by creating a 'Usable as an attack' Mindlink in a cosmic vpp to create a power that gave both parties mindlink to each other.

 

 

.... I doubt it was legitimate (the last part, creating a mindlink between two parties that didn't include yourself, in particular) but it was close.

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If they're not common in the setting (like it's a typical low magic medieval-type fantasy world) I'd build it as a power.  If they were as ubiquitous in the setting as cell phones are in the modern real world, I'd maybe call it a Perk, or maybe it's like a normal piece of equipment that anyone can carry for free. 

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To be honest, just a basic 2 way radio like a walkie-talkie has always been a bit confusing to build in Hero.  There's no clear, simple, obvious build.  You can simulate it with a block o' text but most really simple devices kind of elude the system, like a match, a flashlight, etc.  I think Change Environment should have a 5 point "affect environment" option which does this kind of little stuff (of course, that violates the 'you can't make nice stuff with CE' rule).

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Radio Perception/Transmission <10 AP>, OAF(-1): cost 5pts... That seems like good for a basic walkie-talkie... 

 

 

now you can pick up any radio transmission whatsoever. You can transmit on the local FM station.  Its not a Walkie-Talkie its a full fledged radio transmitter and receiver.  It doesn't simulate the effect, that's like building a skateboard with a mack truck.

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now you can pick up any radio transmission whatsoever. You can transmit on the local FM station.  Its not a Walkie-Talkie its a full fledged radio transmitter and receiver.  It doesn't simulate the effect, that's like building a skateboard with a mack truck.

 

Actually, you can limit it rather easily to reflect only a single or limited band if the GM thinks that is a limitation. 

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To be honest, just a basic 2 way radio like a walkie-talkie has always been a bit confusing to build in Hero.  There's no clear, simple, obvious build.  You can simulate it with a block o' text but most really simple devices kind of elude the system, like a match, a flashlight, etc.  I think Change Environment should have a 5 point "affect environment" option which does this kind of little stuff (of course, that violates the 'you can't make nice stuff with CE' rule).

 

Hence my suggestion of a Perk or a no-cost piece of equipment.  We all know what a cell phone is and what you can do with them; do we really need a writeup?

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Hence my suggestion of a Perk or a no-cost piece of equipment.  We all know what a cell phone is and what you can do with them; do we really need a writeup?

 

 Only to determine body or drain, or how many active points to determine size/weight..

 

When I was in North Carolina, I was talking with some guys about starting a game and he had a bunch of equipment made, but not having any of the disadvantages. He only cared about the active points, we're talking like flight boots and stuff... Then again, it was all likely equipment so it didn't matter what the disadvantages were, since no one was paying points for them.

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Bath Towel:  7-point Multipower Reserve (7 APs); All Slots OAF (-1), One-Handed (-0), Real Weapon (-1/4), STR Minimum (3; -0). Cost:  ​3 points.

Slot I:  Cosmetic Transform (Wet Target Into Dry Target; Target Recovers By Getting Wet) 1d6, Constant (+1/2), Zero END (+1/2) (6 APs); Conditional (Must Maintain Grab, or Target Must Be Willing; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Side Effect (Towel Becomes Wet After Transforming A Target; -1/2), Towel Must Be Dry (-1/2). Cost:  ​1f points.

Slot II:  ​HA 1d6, Zero END (+1/2) (7 APs); Requires A Dexterity Roll At -1 (-1/2), Towel Must Be Wet (-1/2). Cost:  1f points.

Total Cost:  5 points.

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Slot III:  Flash 2D6 vs sight, gestures (must put towel over person's face or eyes, -1/4): Cost: 1f points

Slot IV:  Disguise 11-, must be tied over head to hide face: Cost: 1f points

 

 

I'm sure we could come up with a few more... like being a container, or a sling, or an entangle against small animals like fish and crabs and birds...

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