D&D 5E Skywrite: a weapon of mass communication/coordination

[greg kaye]

there's absolutely 0 reason a state couldn't opt to do both - heavily regulate (if not outright outlaw) the usage of charms while simultaneously providing funding to research into protecting against said charms.

It could also be easier to regulate and guard against various forms of charm than it would be to counteract propaganda in the sky.
Reasons why a state might not opt for the heavy regulation or outlawing of forms of magic could include a potential for reaction.
Anonymous Skywrites might escalate from, "We don't need your regulation!"

 

[TheSword]

In a war based campaign you could have the skywriting be coded instruction for troop movements, assault coordinates and bombardmentd.

“Griffon Rampant Blue Recumbent” with a mission to capture the codes. It could be one of the markers of a tactically and magically advanced race like the Githyanki.

Secondly it could be used similar to the Dark Mark in the Harry Potter films. To strike fear into people’s hearts. A calling card. For evil deeds. You can make the writing appear as sinister as you want. The words can be any language you like. I have no problem with this allowing symbols as well as many languages in D&D use symbols. The Vaati for instance or the Aboleth.

As for the duration. If the spell can be used on clouds, then obviously the winds that move
clouds aren’t sufficient to move the clouds. Some form of storm is required.

Is it going to be used a lot. Obviously not. But as part of the right campaign or circumstances,
Absolutely. I’m thinking the Hell’s Rebels campaign for instance.

 

[Alzrius]

just don't look up.

It worked for Meryl Streep (except not really).

 

[Ancalagon]

You know, you don't even need magic to achieve this (a slow, long range communication network).

Heliograph - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

As far as range, this depends on the curvature of the planet the setting is on. But if we use earth, 10-20 km seems quite plausible, although messaging for "long range" would probably mean the orientation of the words would be different...

 

[greg kaye]

.... It basically turns the sky into a completely unmoderated twitter feed, one that you can't escape by turning your device off.

But Skywrite would be less sophisticated and, perhaps, less personal than twitter.

Though perhaps personal writing styles might manifest for each writer.

Written grafitti might be more the level.

Imagine if teenagers attained ability to Skywrite.

 

[AmandaBarbarian]

Skywrite would probably be more illegal thant Power Word: Kill in any jurisdiction that regulates magic. It basically turns the sky into a completely unmoderated twitter feed, one that you can't escape by turning your device off.

oh god, cyber bullies?

going to the mage school and someone has an hour of writing that one apprentice did the naughty with another apprentice including that thing nice apprentices aren't supposed to do?!?!

 

[AmandaBarbarian]

there's absolutely 0 reason a state couldn't opt to do both - heavily regulate (if not outright outlaw) the usage of charms while simultaneously providing funding to research into protecting against said charms.

yeah, can you imagine how much worse it is to charm/suggest/dominate then use necromancy? I assume laws would have to be strict. In one game I walked out on a player was using enchantments to do things that I have a real problem with and I had to leave.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

oh god, cyber bullies?

going to the mage school and someone has an hour of writing that one apprentice did the naughty with another apprentice including that thing nice apprentices aren't supposed to do?!?!

Skywrite is a 2nd level spell, so an apprentice shouldn't be able to cast it, unless he managed to get hold of a scroll and passed the check to use it.

 

[BlackSeed_Vash]

Man, I used that "ritual" so many times during a Curse of Strahd campaign. Mostly to mock, taunt and/or spew profanities at Strahd.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

All of D&D's communications spells become top-tier spells in the right hands and in the right campaign.