What to do with a Scout force?

[Thanee]

Since you like the general idea presented, here are some more detailed ideas to toy with.

Rangers can use animal companions, trained animals or even the spell animal messenger to quickly send messages back. You would need to set up "messaging stations" where those animals are trained to head to and "deliver" their messages (probably some written notes).

Some simple magical communication items (uhm... cellphones or radios ) might work very well for more specialized and advanced scouts. probably too expensive for the most simple ones.

Quick ways of communication are extremely important. If such ways do not exist or are too prone to error, quick means of transportation are the next best thing (coming back to the headquarter to report directly).

Bye
Thanee

 

[S'mon]

Taking a page from FR I'd hire a Wizard you can trust (or blackmail) to create a special magic item (similar to the Harper Pin) which creates a Non-Detection effect and also allows the possessor to cast "Sending" (or whatever the spell is now) once per day...

That'd be one hell of an expensive pin - at least 50 times the cost of a one-shot Pearl, for the Sending power alone.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

That'd be one hell of an expensive pin - at least 50 times the cost of a one-shot Pearl, for the Sending power alone.

I was thinking in the scope of a long running campaign. If you've got deep cover folks who can't keep coming back to pick up more pearls the pin idea is more convenient... they don't have to leave their observation post and can send daily updates. Also in the long run the pins would be cheaper as it could be used an infinite number of times. Even if you didn't give it the Non-Detection effect it would still be worth it to make it a "per day" item rather than buy a bunch of "one shots".

 

[randomling]

Since you like the general idea presented, here are some more detailed ideas to toy with.

Rangers can use animal companions, trained animals or even the spell animal messenger to quickly send messages back. You would need to set up "messaging stations" where those animals are trained to head to and "deliver" their messages (probably some written notes).

Some simple magical communication items (uhm... cellphones or radios ) might work very well for more specialized and advanced scouts. probably too expensive for the most simple ones.

Quick ways of communication are extremely important. If such ways do not exist or are too prone to error, quick means of transportation are the next best thing (coming back to the headquarter to report directly).

Bye
Thanee

Cool. My ranger cohort has Animal Messenger as a spell (divine casters in S'mon's campaign spontaneous-cast) which I took with the very intention of him being able to keep me apprised of things, or (if he's with me) me being able to report to my liege or my forces.

Right now communication is going to be an interesting problem. I don't have the money to fund even pearls of sending in large numbers just now unless by some miracle the party wizard's cleric cohort can make them. Hmm.

In the long run, the pin idea would be more convenient and probably cheaper, but I'd have to do a lot of saving up or make a damn good case to my boss. (Not an independent agent just yet!) Quite an outlay. And I'm continuing to adventure too so I need to keep up with magic items a bit for myself.

I'll probably get there, though.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Another idea that just occured to me would be a new magic item that would somewhat replicate the "Leomunds Tiny Box" spell (or whatever it is called). Basically you'd create a scroll case that when something is put into it sends the item to an extradimensional space in the ethereal plane. The twist would be that you would have multiple scroll cases that all open to the same extradimensional space. You could write a message on a piece of paper, put it in the scroll tube, and then someone else far away could open their scroll tube and take the message out.

Almost IM for a magical society.

 

[randomling]

Another idea that just occured to me would be a new magic item that would somewhat replicate the "Leomunds Tiny Box" spell (or whatever it is called). Basically you'd create a scroll case that when something is put into it sends the item to an extradimensional space in the ethereal plane. The twist would be that you would have multiple scroll cases that all open to the same extradimensional space. You could write a message on a piece of paper, put it in the scroll tube, and then someone else far away could open their scroll tube and take the message out.

Almost IM for a magical society.

Oooooooooooh. That's PRETTY!

(Expensive, though, I bet. And would it flash when there was a new message? )

 

[Thanee]

Yeah, and it comes with a gazillion polyphone tunes as well...

But as you said, such an item would (and should) be quite expensive (along the lines of teleporting objects).

Using sending as a base spell for pure messaging is surely more cost-efficient.

But as I said, trained animals will do fine as well, and those are incredibly cheap in comparison to magical goodies (not playing down the value of such animals, of course).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Shallown]

A communications network is vital. GEt a few of the sending permanent daily items made. You only nedd say 3-4 to cover a region. Have it as your communications hub. animal messenger and other low level com spells can get information to you.

Also since you have an "in" with a wizards guild. Scrying on your own guys at a preset schedule is a means to deliver info quickly as well.

Also get a business/ merchant partner. A character in my present game is in owns a merchant business that a friend of the family administers. In a recent discussion on how business was the Adminsitrator said pretty good since they knew which way a recent council vote (cast by the character) was going so investements were moved around to take advantage of that. Ie Insider trading, illegal now-encouraged back in the goode olde days. Your gonna get lots of info that doesn't mean much to the military or even to the person gathering it but to a merchant it may give them an edge and this is a means to generate money for your Scout group. Hire a few experts to filter and gather info and make it useful.

If your gonna gather info Use it to your advantage including making and selling maps/gides to adventurers. Its also handy to know which other adventuring groups are active and what they are doing. these are movers and shakers of the world. Make sure you have city information mongers as well. Bards and rogues excell at this. Also within the governement as well.

The hardest part to keep in mind is the medieval pace. Things move very slowly when using horses, carts etc. We tend to get into a modern mindset and forget how slowly things happen in that sort of low-no tech society. Keep this in mind. It makes the speed you can react with magic/ organtization that much more important.

later
hope ith elped

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Oooooooooooh. That's PRETTY!

(Expensive, though, I bet. And would it flash when there was a new message? )

It'd be worth it... give one to each of your regional commanders and keep one yourself. Your outlying spies could use Sending or Animal Messengers to send messages to your commanders who could then write up the message and send it to you. Maybe need 4 or 5 tubes and could add more as needed.

 

[Shallown]

I was gonna say it twice then thought that would be arrogant.

also know as "oops a double post"

later