D&D 5E How do societies communicate across distances in your world?

[Yaarel]

This has made me imagine a postal service of golems. Untiring the continue on with assigned route, possibly carrying the mail inside them. Only the most powerful of foes will mess with an iron golem, so it should make it through to its destination.

To cite lyrics:

"Neither snow nor rain, nor gloom of night, shall stay these couriers from their swift completion, nor their appointed rounds. ... Big science. Hallelujah. Big science. Yodelayeehoo. ... So hold me, now, in your long arms. Hold me now in your automatic arms. ... In your military arms. Your petrochemical arms. Your electronic arms. ... In your auto."

Laurie Anderson, Big Science, O Superman, remix.

 

[haakon1]

Local (in town) non-governmental: Send someone or go yourself.

Medium distance (up to week’ travel), non-government but important like a trade deal: Messenger’s guild

Medium distance or long distance, non-governmental: Merchant caravan or ship going that way

Local, military or goverment: Runners or dispatch riders

Medium or long distance, military or government: Cavalry dispatch riders (# depends on danger and importance), Small fast warship, or if available, Animal Messenger or Sending. Or like non-governmental if not vitally important or secret.

Also, many governments have consulates in other friendly or neutral countries. Like real world honorary consuls, these are typically merchants resident abroad, and normally represent their merchant community, but also represent their government. To a varying degree, they may be able to make deals or otherwise act as go-betweens.

Of course, in any of these scenarios, a party of adventurers might be hired to delivery the message or goods, if it’s high value and can’t be lost.

issue #1 of Dungeon had an adventure with a singal tower in the mountains between two cities, Awesome concept for those specific conditions.

 

[cbwjm]

Local (in town) non-governmental: Send someone or go yourself.

Medium distance (up to week’ travel), non-government but important like a trade deal: Messenger’s guild

I'd actually expect to see something like a messengers guild (or competing messenger services) in larger cities.

I must say, when it comes to world building, threads like this are brilliant. I don't think I put all that much thought into how messages get sent about the world so this thread gives a lot of great ideas as well as making me think about it. Might only come up once in a while, but it's still good to have some idea in case a player asks.

 

[haakon1]

I'd actually expect to see something like a messengers guild (or competing messenger services) in larger cities.

Might only come up once in a while, but it's still good to have some idea in case a player asks.

Yup, I think I may have gotten the Messengers Guild idea for the City of Greyhawk boxed set long ago.

IMC, the players often stay at the Dove and Runner pub when in their countries capital - named for it being where messengers and other non-locals go stay. They‘ve also met messengers on the road as random NPC’s.

The cleric in one campaign has really gotten into Sending, because they have been working for a country and with allies elsewhere.

 

[bedir than]

I must say, when it comes to world building, threads like this are brilliant. I don't think I put all that much thought into how messages get sent about the world so this thread gives a lot of great ideas as well as making me think about it. Might only come up once in a while, but it's still good to have some idea in case a player asks.

Repeating this because I too enjoyed seeing how people built there worlds from low magic to wide magic.

 

[TarionzCousin]

To cite lyrics:

"Neither snow nor rain, nor gloom of night, shall stay these couriers from their swift completion, nor their appointed rounds. ... Big science. Hallelujah. Big science. Yodelayeehoo. ... So hold me, now, in your long arms. Hold me now in your automatic arms. ... In your military arms. Your petrochemical arms. Your electronic arms. ... In your auto."

Laurie Anderson, Big Science, O Superman, remix.

But, as Laurie Anderson also said (quoting William S. Burroughs) "Language is a virus... Oooo!"

 

[Yaarel]

But, as Laurie Anderson also said (quoting William S. Burroughs) "Language is a virus... Oooo!"

Laurie Anderson might have meant that in a good way?

One of her interests is how technology is expanding the sense of self beyond the limits of ones body.

Some of her songs are a mix of hope, dispair, and inevitability.