communication spells

[darthauthor]

It seems like a radio beats every other form of magical communication.

Still I would like to understand.

Does the spell, Magic Pigeon, require that the caster know the real name and have seen the face of the message they send to someone?
Or can they just use their nickname or call-sign and never seen their face or really know them?

Distant-Voice?

The spell's biggest restriction is that of line of sight. While the sight-less range appears to be too short (300 feet, compared to a radio 5+ miles) how does anyone use this spell effective?

Why is it such a high level for a spell easily replace by a battery powered radio?

[Soldier of Od]

What setting are you playing? I guess not Palladium Fantasy as you are talking about radios, but note that the magic pigeon spell is slightly different in fantasy and Heroes Unlimited than it is in Rifts. In the first two games, there is no mention of the person, so I have always assumed that the general name, title, or whatever the recipient is known by is sufficient. Only the general location is required. Rifts adds some words not in the other two: "the spell caster must know at least the general location of the recipient and a specific person (or two) to receive the message". So, going by that, the spellcaster must "know" the recipient. What that means I guess is open to interpretation, but I would have assumed that to have seen them would be a minimum. This version of the spell also allows you to send the message to two recipients (in the same area?), that the other versions don't allow!

It does mention in the description in RUE that the advantage of Distant Voice is that is can't be monitored or traced (or jammed?) like a radio can. I don't consider level five to be high level. I agree the 500ft out-of-sight range could stand to be longer.

There are lots of things that magic can do that technology can also do, sometimes better, sometimes worse (and often not at all!). I think the main advantage of spells like these is that they can be done without needing an item of some kind. Arrested? Kidnapped? Robbed? Adrift? Lost in the wilderness without the appropriate gear? You can still use your magic.

And note that Rifts earth has little-to-no long-range communication. A radio might be best for a conversion within a couple of miles, but if you need to contact somebody hundreds or thousands of miles away? Magic pigeon.

[darthauthor]

Thank you Soldier of Od.

I must have been off last night.

You have corrected and enlightened me about a few things.

I was wrong about the range. It is 500 ft. I think I put 300 feet

I thank you for your honesty in sharing your opinion that the range should be longer.

I had not looked at other books use of the spell.

You did answer my question,
"the spellcaster must "know" the recipient. What that means I guess is open to interpretation, but I would have assumed that to have seen them would be a minimum."

So even without a name (or real name) the magic user could send a message to someone so long as they have seen their face. Not sure what to make of it if the person were disguised or wore a helmet or mask.

Imagine a spell caster was robbed by a masked man. So the spell caster want to send his robber a magic pigeon offering to buy back the stolen goods or he just want to threaten him. So because the caster never saw the armed robber's face he can't send him a pigeon.

What if he were like Zoro? Everyone knows his name but no one know who he is?

I do see now that the pigeon can deliver a written message.

Can anyone share with me, how the written message system works?

Do you need paper and ink?

Can the written message be destoryed or is it a facsimally, like the pigeon?

Can the message be stolen?

Can it be a magic scroll?

Can it be a map? Or a treasure map? A weather map?

Can it be a picture, like a wanted poster? A doctor's prescription? An X-ray?

Because, I might have REALLY under-rated magic pigeon

[Soldier of Od]

I don't think the person needs to necessarily see their face, perhaps just have seen them in a way they can be recognised/identified - you Zorro example is a good one, I would definitely allow it. I would also allow a message to be sent to, say, Darth Vader, or some similarly fully-covered but uniquely garbed individual. Someone whose public name and general appearance the caster knows is good enough for me. You don't need to have seen Vader's face or know his real name.

I assume that the written message is created as the caster speaks, just like the pigeon is created - the pigeon doesn't pick up a message written by you, which negates all the "well can I make it pick up anything else?", or "can I place a ward phrase on the message as a booby trap" type questions. The message is "part" of the spell/pigeon, which can only be taken by the intended recipient(s) and disappears along with the pigeon once read. The point of a written message is that it avoids the possibility of someone else overhearing a private message spoken by the pigeon when it arrives.

[darthauthor]

Good judgment call on the Magic Pigeon spell.

I agree with your assessment. The spell description allows for a written message so the material on which the message would be written should be made of the same stuff and nature as the magic pigeon itself. And the spell shouldn't be a vehicle of magical attack, like the carrier of a bomb or curse.

Best call, on your part.

Thanks

[Kraynic]

I've had the written message be like an actual carrier pigeon message. Since those are folded small and then rolled even smaller, I haven't allow wards to be used on them.

One thing I like about the magic pigeon spell (at least in the fantasy setting) is the duration. If it can't find the person you are sending the message to immediately, it will wait in the general area you sent it until the spell duration lapses. If you want to send a message to someone that is traveling, you can have the message waiting for them somewhere you know they will end up eventually. You can do the same thing from the GM side, and even have the PCs receive messages from an npc that may actually be dead at the time the message gets into their hands/ears.

[killgore444]

It seems like a radio beats every other form of magical communication.

Still I would like to understand.

Does the spell, Magic Pigeon, require that the caster know the real name and have seen the face of the message they send to someone?
Or can they just use their nickname or call-sign and never seen their face or really know them?

Distant-Voice?

The spell's biggest restriction is that of line of sight. While the sight-less range appears to be too short (300 feet, compared to a radio 5+ miles) how does anyone use this spell effective?

Why is it such a high level for a spell easily replace by a battery powered radio?

Remember, the spells were all created to be use in the PFRPG were there are no such things as radios. And thanks to the desire to keep it so no super powerful spells leak into that world, and in keeping to the idea that spell casters NEVER cooperate or share research, you are limited to only being able to invent a spell that you know all the science behind yourself (and you have a REALLY crappy chance of being successful).

And never mind the fact that on Rifts Earth alone, there are over a dozen Magic Universities, most of which are described as being RESEARCH universities.

Face it, PBs is never going to allow magic to catch up with tech in any sort of canon way. So borrow spells from other games, be inspired by technology, and ignore canon.

Also, add your creations to to the spell design thread.

[Soldier of Od]

One thing I like about the magic pigeon spell (at least in the fantasy setting) is the duration. If it can't find the person you are sending the message to immediately, it will wait in the general area you sent it until the spell duration lapses. If you want to send a message to someone that is traveling, you can have the message waiting for them somewhere you know they will end up eventually. You can do the same thing from the GM side, and even have the PCs receive messages from an npc that may actually be dead at the time the message gets into their hands/ears.

Yeah, me too. In the Island at the Edge of the world adventure, the players leave an area that is shielded from magic, accompanied by an NPC who suddenly gets dozens of magic pigeon messages from pigeons that have been hanging around at the edge of the area of protection for years!