Audio Bug - alternate writeup

[BoloOfEarth]

I know that the "official way" (at least, the version in the 6E Equipment Guide) is to buy an audio bug as Clairsentience (Hearing Group) with 1 Continuing Fuel Charge, Affected As Radio Group As Well As Hearing Group.  (Though I think at the very least Mobile should be added since the bug could be placed on a person or vehicle just as easily as at a fixed location.)

 

The problem I have is the fact that, as written, technically only the person who placed the bug could listen in on it.  And a transmitting bug could, at least as I understand it, be listened to by anybody with a radio set to the proper frequency.  Though perhaps this might be covered by a -1/4 Side Effect limitation. 

 

Alternately, I'm wondering if it might just be better to create it as the following:

 

Radio Perception / Transmission, Usable as Attack (+1 1/4), 1 Continuing Charge of 1 Week Duration (+1/2) (27 Active Points); IAF (-1/2), Transmit Only on Select Frequency (-0).  18 Real Points.  (Given the UAA advantage, I don't think Transmit Only is really a limitation, which is why I made it -0.)

 

If the bug could be placed at range (as in the movie The Tuxedo, where he "places" the bug using a special rifle), add Ranged to the UAA for 32 AP, 22 RP.

 

Possibly add a few points of Concealed if the bug is difficult to find with a bug detector?

 

Is there anything wrong with my thinking here?  Something I'm missing?  I'd love to hear the thoughts of others here.

[massey]

Successful Bugging skill roll. Done.

 

Maybe supplement with supporting Electronics or Concealment roll.

[Armitage]

Images has been used to create loudspeakers that amplify existing voices, so you could also adapt the standard Tracking Bug design.

Images vs. Radio, Set Effect (broadcast of sounds near the bug).  Make it 1m Radius and add MegaScale 1m = 1 km, and anyone within 1 km who tunes to the proper frequency can detect the Image.

[Hadmar von Wieser]

Considering that their seems to be no consensus on bugs and tracers I got a whole file of ideas I collected over the years. I just copy and paste this here, so please excuse the totally different styles of write-ups; they are from half a dozen players:
 

• ENHANCED SENSES, Detect A Class Of Things ??- (Radio Sense Group): Transmitter 360° Sensing (10) Affected as Radio & Sight Sense Group (-½),

• Radio Perception / Transmission, Usable as Attack (+1 1/4), 1 Continuing Charge of 1 Week Duration (+1/2) (27 Active Points); IAF (-1/2), Transmit Only on Select Frequency (-0). 18 Real Points.

• 1-u Radio XMIT/REC,"Tracer arrows.", 2 Charges (+¼), continuing, duration: 1 day, Usable Against Others (+1), Ranged (+½), Cancel: Finding the tracer.

• High Range Radio Receive/Transmit (12), Usable Against One Recipient (+¼), Unwilling (+1), Grantor Controls Power (+½), At Range (+½), Recipient Must Be within Standard Range when Power is Granted (+½), Can Only Grant the Power to Others (-½), OIF (-½), 2 charges (-1 ½)

(And of course the approaches with Bugging, Images, or Clairsentience mentioned here again.)

I still am not satisfied ...
 

[bigdamnhero]

The problem I have is the fact that, as written, technically only the person who placed the bug could listen in on it.  And a transmitting bug could, at least as I understand it, be listened to by anybody with a radio set to the proper frequency.

Hmm. I see your point. But for genre purposes, I can't think of too many fictional examples of people listening in on someone else's device. Detecting it, sure, but not eavesdropping; they're more often treated as if they're on some kind of secure channel. So I'm not sure that isn't a feature rather than... [wait for it]...a bug.*

 

Reasoning from effect, Clairsentience still seems to me like the best fit. I could see adding a Limitation for "Can be intercepted" if you wanted to be more realistic.

 

* Hey, someone was going to go there.

 

Successful Bugging skill roll. Done.

 

Maybe supplement with supporting Electronics or Concealment roll.

For a Heroic game, absolutely. But still, there's nothing wrong with thinking about how the equipment works in mechanical terms, to better understand how it is affected by other equipment/powers.