Communication across the ocean

[Kol Korran]

In a campaign I'm DMing there is a fleet chasing down the PC pirates. The fleet is small (5-7 ships) and is composed mostly of elite forces that can function on their own. But I'd still like to find a way for the fleet leader to control the fleet, or at least to send and receive updates from the ships, and send commands.

I've seen in the MIC and ECS rings that enable communication but to a small range only. I'm fairly certain i saw somewhere a... stone of sending? an item that enable you to send a sending 1/day to a linked stone. But I don't remember where and how much it costs. The fleets' resources aren't unlimited...

Or, if anyone is up tothe challenge, can you help me figure out such a two way communication?

Requirements:
- Should be able to communicate at all distance, but only on the same plane.
- It's fine if messages are concise (The silly 25 words rule). It doesn't need to be a perfect way of communication.
- used 1/day for each direction. (Ideally the commander will receive updates from all, and then send orders).
-It's fine if it's bulky and big. In fact I'd prefer it to be part of the ship (perhaps at the captain's quarters). However a communication usage must not be lost if the receiver is not at the device. (though I imagine on a preset time of day, or people receiving and relaying the message later.)
- It must not be set to a specific individual, as these are fighting fleets and captains die. their second in command should be able to use the device (or any other officer).
- preferably using magic of 4th level and below. 4th-5th level magic is already quite high, but exceptions may be considered.

How much would such a device cost? any suggestions as to it's making?

Thanks in advance.

(Search word: piratewitch)

[LTwerewolf]

10,500 for a 50 charge wand of sending for each of them. (base 375xcaster level 7xspell level 4). This is assuming they paid the crafting price for it. To make it unlimited it's 21000 (again, crafting cost). To purchase them instead of craft them, it would be double each of those amounts.


You can also look up the cost to create different magical items here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm).

Sending is on page 275 and 276 of the PHB.

Edit: You can also go the "trap" approach and create a magical trap in each of the captains' chambers. Touch a spot, activate sending spell. Give it an automatic reset. Each of these would cost 14400. [(500x7x4)+500-100=14400.]

[Palanan]

As a matter of fact, I'm running a seafaring campaign where the exact same issues are coming up--the question of how different individuals on different ships can communicate with allies, employers, etc.

There's an item called an Aspect Mirror in Complete Scoundrel, which costs 4000 apiece and can communicate with other mirrors in a linked group. It's not cheap, but it does give you some Skype functionality across any distance on the same plane.

A cheaper option is Whispering Flame, a second-level divine spell from Five Nations, p. 155. This imbues two ordinary candles with a sort of quantum entanglement, where words spoken into one flame can be heard from the other, again regardless of distance on the same plane.

The downside here is that the candles only burn for eight hours total, and while they don't have to be lit constantly, the spell only lasts one day per level, which would require a lot of repeated casting and shuttling. But it would be excellent for a fleet action where commanders need to coordinate tactics in advance, especially if several ships were over the horizon and trying to converge on a target.

[Flickerdart]

An effigy eagle is only 1000gp to craft, and you could use them to send messages. Living eagles are much cheaper, but get tired and are easier to kill.

[Palanan]

How would an effigy eagle find a ship that's over the horizon? And how would they send it back?

I don't know much about effigy creatures beyond p. 151 of Complete Arcane. I assume the effigy's creator could order it to obey any officer wearing a certain insignia...but how would the effigy search out a ship on the open ocean, when the sender won't know the target's position?

Also, the description states that "the commands given them must be simple," which suggests a detailed description of the target ship might not be feasible. ("She'll be running with topgallant royals and a slightly ragged mizzen-course, and probably a mizzen topgallant staysail if this wind holds....")

And the flight time would be a serious impediment to coordinating operations. Assuming the effigy eagle could find a ship across dozens or hundreds of miles, it would still take hours or days to make the journey, and hours or days for the next leg.

[Kol Korran]

I think the aspect mirrors would do fine for me. At 2000 to craft that would work splendidly! Thanks Palanan!

[Flickerdart]

How would an effigy eagle find a ship that's over the horizon? And how would they send it back?
Nothing is over the horizon if you're high enough up, and sending it back can be included in the original command (land on vessel of X type flying X colours).

An eagle has a flight speed of 80 feet, or 240ft per round "running". Since it never tires, it can just keep doing that. It covers a mile in just over two minutes.

You obviously wouldn't use the birds to communicate between fleets (the aspect mirrors work fine for that) but within a single fleet it's much more affordable for the admiral to have a few birds than it is to buy mirrors for everyone.

[demigodus]

Whispering Sands is a 3rd level Druid/Sorc/Wizard spell, that lets you set up communications with one other creature per caster level, for 10 minutes per caster level. The only requirement is they have 1 pound of sand, ash, or dust on, or near them.

So because a skype group chat, except using sand bags instead of laptops.

The range limit is that they have to be on the same plane as you.

If you only have 6 ships (you said you might have 7), a single Eternal Wand of Whispering Sands (costs 10,900gp, as opposed to 24,000gp for all 6 mirrors), would let you communicate with all other ships twice per day, for nearly a full hour.

Unless you have a 5th level+ caster, in that case you don't even need any magical items :smallsmile:

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Flickerdart
Nothing is over the horizon if you're high enough up....

Including clouds. And fog. And rain.

And if the ships are operating close enough together that the eagle only takes a few minutes to fly between them, you use signal flags.



Originally Posted by Kol Korran
I think the aspect mirrors would do fine for me. At 2000 to craft that would work splendidly! Thanks Palanan!

Glad to help, man. My campaign hasn't reached the fleet stage yet, but once it does, I may have a few questions for you.

:smallbiggrin:

[Kol Korran]

Glad to help, man. My campaign hasn't reached the fleet stage yet, but once it does, I may have a few questions for you.

:smallbiggrin:
Oh, it's not for the PC's... they will just get their own ship next session. It's for the people chasing them.

And we're taking the nautical aspects kind of lightly on some aspects. The players more want the "Arrr me maties!" kind of feel...