Creating Big Brother.

[Pokonic]

Thats right, I need help at creating a effective survalance system as impersonal and far-reaching at as low of a level as posieble. There are about 15-20 casters in the conspircy, so suggestions for spells/items to arm them to inforce the ruthless regime of peace and love is needed.

[Aharon]

Use of Elemental Weirds. RAW infinite divination. (Elemental Weirds are found in the infamous MM2)

[CTrees]

So, "sentient plane narcing on everyone" and "go play Paranoia" are both out, then?

Really, just look at the sensor type divination spells, and what you can permanency/make into a resetting trap.

[Pokonic]

Oh, a idea I am working with: Golems that have a magical eye of sorts that records everthing that it sees, and its memorys can be assesed or erased by the right password. Only the most powerful spells can obcure the golems vision,and can see right past most illusion spells.They would be all over the place, from small ones mounted on rooftops overlooking streets to massive ones in the capital bulding. They could be programed to attack anyone who is obscuring themselves or is wearing a certient uniform.

[Telonius]

Lots of Gargoyles plus Telepathic Bond.

Higher-level variant of this would be Gargoyles PAO'd to appear like statues of the Town Hero, which are all over the place.

How the conspiracy works: the wizards are paying the Gargoyles to act as eyes and ears. They feed them any troublemakers they find; the statues are removed once in a while for "cleaning and refurbishment," and this is when they're fed.

[subject42]

Oh, a idea I am working with: Golems that have a magical eye of sorts that records everthing that it sees, and its memorys can be assesed or erased by the right password. Only the most powerful spells can obcure the golems vision,and can see right past most illusion spells.They would be all over the place, from small ones mounted on rooftops overlooking streets to massive ones in the capital bulding. They could be programed to attack anyone who is obscuring themselves or is wearing a certient uniform.

If you used an intelligent construct (nimblewright?) chassis, along with a class that has blindsight and/or scent and can see in magical darkness (Dragonfire Adept?), then maxed out its autohypnosis ranks, you could get pretty close to what you're describing.

[Claudius Maximus]

Mandatory periodic evaluations, where Brain Spider (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/spells/brainSpider.htm) is cast on the subjects. Most people will never know it's being cast.

Tons of (Greater) Prying Eyes (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/pryingEyes.htm), everywhere. Extend them if you want.

These are rather higher-level options though. At lower levels a huge network of informants and secret police can be very effective, but magic is harder to work with for mass surveillance.

[Pokonic]

Ah,nice suggestions everyone! Most likely going with many exended Prying Eyes and Gargoyles everywere, along with a few things of my own divising.Maby a group of warforged that have some sort of illusionary abiltys to fit in with the crowd to find information. Any more suggestions and ideas for this is welcomed and appritiated!

[Slipperychicken]

At lower levels a huge network of informants and secret police can be very effective, but magic is harder to work with for mass surveillance.

Really, the informants and secret police are some of the main things that make 1984 so scary. Not only are you always being watched, but you don't know who's watching. Could be your neighbor's kids, could be the shopkeep, could be your landlord, could be that girl you bumped into at work. I say you have as much magical surveillance as you can, but if you have to ration it, use it on higher-priority citizens (the educated, members of government/bureaucracy) and investigation/elimination of potential threats, let the meat-and-potatoes of your operation be more "mundane" styles of oppression.


EDIT: Find a way to spam those golems and have easy communication with them. One in every room. If they can speak, they can now make announcements and blare propaganda. They are now Telescreens.

[JaronK]

A Binder with Zceryll can summon some Devas from Fiend Folio (IIRC) that can cast Divination... and they can summon them at will. Use that to find out everything you need to know.

JaronK

[Claudius Maximus]

If binders are involved, the Malphas vestige is available at level one and gives you a crow that can spy all day with no range limits other than how far the bird can fly in a day.

I suggest a changeling secret police. If there are enough unquestioned disappearances, it won't even matter if they change identities suddenly. Warforged with Hats of Disguise work well too, and without sleep, they have plenty of time to snoop for secret late night meetings and stuff.

I suggest things like Mindrape, Brain Spider, and Programmed Amnesia for "rehabilitation" practices. If you want to keep levels down good old torture and brainwashing have their places too.

[Karoht]

I'll throw a curveball into the mix.

Why record the truth when they can write the truth themselves, as they see fit.
Why wait for the transgressor to transgress when they can scry, find out what their bigger threats are, and pre-emptively eliminate them (maybe even in advance as much as a few years of the person becoming a threat), and fabricate whatever lie (complete with compelling evidence) they need to in order to justify it?


The surveilance system motif still has it's place, but is it for game mechanics sake, or is it for atmosphere? When I say game mechanics, I mean that the player part will likely have to dodge it or disable it somehow or in other ways deal with it to achieve their goal. When I say atmosphere, I mean that the townsfolk have the sort of attitude of people being watched all the time. Jumpy, perhaps a bit aggressive to strangers, or maybe in a state of cowed acquiesence?

[Pokonic]

Find a way to spam those golems and have easy communication with them. One in every room. If they can speak, they can now make announcements and blare propaganda. They are now Telescreens.

This is fantastic! Now if there was only a way to make them attack certent individuals as a way of controling information...


I suggest a changeling secret police. If there are enough unquestioned disappearances, it won't even matter if they change identities suddenly. Warforged with Hats of Disguise work well too, and without sleep, they have plenty of time to snoop for secret late night meetings and stuff.

I suggest things like Mindrape, Brain Spider, and Programmed Amnesia for "rehabilitation" practices. If you want to keep levels down good old torture and brainwashing have their places too.

The warforged are going to be the main controling force, being able to spy and work without sleeping and eating. They are going to be the main inforcers of the conspiricy, no doubt.


The surveilance system motif still has it's place, but is it for game mechanics sake, or is it for atmosphere? When I say game mechanics, I mean that the player part will likely have to dodge it or disable it somehow or in other ways deal with it to achieve their goal. When I say atmosphere, I mean that the townsfolk have the sort of attitude of people being watched all the time. Jumpy, perhaps a bit aggressive to strangers, or maybe in a state of cowed acquiesence?

Both,realy. The PCs wont know that something is weird in the area, besides the statues everwhere and a rather large amount of Gargoyles on the rooftops. While there guide will tell them they are there to keep the birds away and the statues are actualy golems for protection, and that the men in white are goverment officials, the PCs will soon get that there is something odd. Then, when a mass Programmed Amnesia that the PCs can resist is cast over the crowd after a man is turned into a fleshy goo after stating his opinon of the current goverment and a man in whites features blur into the former speakers is when the PCs know they need to get out before the officials of Peace and Love find out they know that the land is not as safe and free as it seems.

[Karoht]

Both,realy. The PCs wont know that something is weird in the area, besides the statues everwhere and a rather large amount of Gargoyles on the rooftops. While there guide will tell them they are there to keep the birds away and the statues are actualy golems for protection, and that the men in white are goverment officials, the PCs will soon get that there is something odd. Then, when a mass Programmed Amnesia that the PCs can resist is cast over the crowd after a man is turned into a fleshy goo after stating his opinon of the current goverment and a man in whites features blur into the former speakers is when the PCs know they need to get out before the officials of Peace and Love find out they know that the land is not as safe and free as it seems.Okay, so they aren't up against a dictatorship coalition of Batman wizards. That's a relief.
Yeah, atmosphere and the reveal sound very solid. Good luck pulling it off.

[Pokonic]

Okay, so they aren't up against a dictatorship coalition of Batman wizards. That's a relief.
Yeah, atmosphere and the reveal sound very solid. Good luck pulling it off.

Nah, its a dictatorship of moderate level mages with the help of a mostly indipendent warforged cabal of spies and a very well fed clan of Gargoyles.
Im not that cruel, after all.:smallbiggrin:

Thanks for the complement, may just start a thread on this place in the world building section to get my thoughts in order.