How to use scry?

[Kershek]

There doesn't seem to be a lot of information on the inner workings of scry. I understand that you can see and hear the subject, but it doesn't say anything about talking back and forth.

Here is what I'd like to set up in my game. Perhaps someone can explain in game terms how I can get this done.

A female rogue in the party has joined a rogue's guild. The guildmaster gives her a ruby post earring and tells her to wear it at all times. The earring is supposed to be an item that allows him to scry her whenever he wants so he can see what's she's up to and communicate with her.

He tells her to go to another city and take back one of their guild HQs that was taken over by monsters. Once she does that, she must go to the large mirror in the guildmaster's room and put her earring in a small groove at the top of it and to wait there for instructions. The player and character will have no idea what the earring or mirror does.

The mirror is supposed to be the scrying device, obviously. Putting the gemmed earring in the mirror is like placing a telephone call to the main guildmaster, signifying to him that a person wearing a specific gem wants to be scryed (the call identifies the wearer). He then has to cast scry (with the gem as the target - or should it be her?) and the mirror will act as the visual link. He then finds out how her mission went.

So is this possible? What would the gem have cast on it? How about the mirror? I'm assuming the party wizard will be casting detect magic on these items so I need to be prepared.

I'm considering having the mirror be split when they find it. Would that break any enchantment that's on it? Would a Make Whole spell fix it and allow it to work? Would it work even when cracked? What possible side-effects would occur from a cracked mirror?


Yes, I could just make a lot of this up for the sake of the game, but I'd like to follow the rules as much as possible and that's where I'm stuck. I'd love to hear input as to how you would do this.

Thanks!

 

[Ferox4]

Scry is simply visual. In order to have an audio link you'd have to use the Sending spell or Clairaudience, the latter being non-interactive dialogue.

When the Guildmaster attempts to scry upon her he could use the earring or her as his focus, depending upon which he is more familiar with.

As far as the rogue being able to contact the Guildmaster -- I would consider making the ruby earring an Earring of Sending with x amount of charges in it. This would allow some short dialogue between the two.

The mirror could be repaired using Make Whole. If not fixed, I would consider it useless for Scrying. When the earring is 'plugged into' the mirror I would allow some dialogue between the Guidmaster and the rogue depending upon how many charges are left in the ruby Earring of Sending. Also, in order for the rogue to use the mirror, she will need to make a successful Scry skill check (DCs in spell description).

Hope this helps.
F4

edited for content

 

[Chacal]

In song and silence p93 there's a 4th level
bard spell called Listening Coin that may help you.

It uses 2 coins, one as a sensor, the other as a receiver.



Chacal

 

[Kershek]

In song and silence p93 there's a 4th level
bard spell called Listening Coin that may help you.

It uses 2 coins, one as a sensor, the other as a receiver.



Chacal

Hmm, that's interesting. I could use the post of the earring as the "coin". But would the rogue need Use Magic Device in order to activate the spell since she doesn't have a spell list?

 

[Tiberius]

Hmm, that's interesting. I could use the post of the earring as the "coin". But would the rogue need Use Magic Device in order to activate the spell since she doesn't have a spell list?

Nah, make it a use-activated magic item, with the use being placing the earring in the mirror. You don't need Use Magic Device to activate use-activated items.

-Tiberius

 

[Zenon]

The Scry spell has a casting time of 1 hour, so if you go that route, the rogue will be standing in front of the mirror waiting for the guildmaster for a long time....

You could make the mirror a magic item, combining the sending spells for audio and visual. Make it a variation on command word activated so it needs the specific keyed earring to activate it.

Making the key anything valuable may lead to having it stolen. Be careful what you might use for either the key or the sending/receiving item...you don't want it taken from you if you're laying unconscious in an alley after a fight.

 

[Kershek]

These are good suggestions. Here's what I'm thinking:

The mirror has two spells on it: Scrying and Sending. Here would be its cost:

Mirror: 500gp
Use-activated Scrying (1/day): 4 x 7 x 2000 / 5 = 11,200gp
Use-activated Sending (1/day): 4 x 7 x 2000 / 5 = 11,200gp
Total: 22,900gp

Yow!! With the huge cost, I had to limit it to 1/day. I'm starting to think that the Scrying isn't really necessary (after all, home base needs to look at you, not the other way around), but then, I wouldn't really need it to be a mirror, then, would I? At that point, I could toss the mirror idea and just use the gem earring:

Ruby Earring: 500gp
Command word Sending, 50 charges: 4 x 7 x 1800 / 2 = 25,200gp
Total: $25,700gp

But that is so expensive just for one rogue agent to have, especially a new recruit (though she is 6th level). Any ideas on how to keep the cost down? I suppose I could also make it 2/day, driving the total cost down to 10,580gp.

Any other ideas? Use the mirror or the gem?

 

[Ferox4]

Gem. The cost is not that high if you look at the average wealth of a 6th level character, let alone what a rogue will have acquired by that time. If $ is a concern then I'd go with your idea of keeping the uses to 2/day.

Is there a mate for this earring? Possible plot lead...

F4