Magic Walkie-Talkies/Cellphones?

[Isamu Dyson]

What's the cheapest way to get magic items that, for all intents and purposes, function as walkie-talkies/cellphones?

They have to be usable by anyone (in possession of magic ability or otherwise), feature great range (at least ten miles), and either operate indefinitely or for a very long time. Some kind of encryption protocol would be nice.

Telepathy doesn't interest me.

If you can include a Bluetooth/headset/earpiece-based variant, i'd also appreciate that gesture :smallsmile:.

[Jeff the Green]

There are a few options. Rings of Communication allow the wearer to hear everything someone wearing a similar ring that has been attuned to it says. Sending Stones basically allow you to cast sending at will but only to someone with the stone's mate. There's a necklace in the MIC that allows the wearer to hear what the bearers of its charms are hearing, but not vice versa.

[holywhippet]

You'd probably want a custom magical item that can cast the message spell at will. I don't think you need magical ability to use it but I'm a little unclear. Using a wand for example requires you to have the spell on your class list or make a UMD check. But some items have inbuilt spells you can trigger and it doesn't say you need to have that spell on your list.

I'm not sure about an earpiece version though as there is no "ear" slot in D&D magical items. You could use the head slot maybe?

[JeminiZero]

Sending Stones basically allow you to cast sending at will but only to someone with the stone's mate.
Sending Stones is once per day though.

There are a few options. Rings of Communication allow the wearer to hear everything someone wearing a similar ring that has been attuned to it says.
Yeah, Ring of communication [MiC 122] is probably your best bet. Can attune several together at once. No stated activation limit.

[Jack_Simth]

There's also the Linked (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/armorAndShields.htm#linked) psionic armor property. Even gets the 10 miles thing.

[Darrin]

Aspect Mirrors (4000 GP, Complete Mage). Unlimited same-plane range, unlimited usage.

[Isamu Dyson]

Aspect Mirrors (4000 GP, Complete Mage). Unlimited same-plane range, unlimited usage.

Call Forwarding? Call Waiting? Voice Mail?

[Maginomicon]

An earring of the wolf (Dragon Magazine #334, page 71) is like a noise-cancelling earpiece walkie-talkie with an operating range of 1 mile. They cost 2000gp each.

[Darrin]

Call Forwarding? Call Waiting? Voice Mail?

You can leave messages by writing on the mirrors or attach a piece of parchment to the glass.

As for the rest... you could probably rig up something with a centralized "mirror" exchange with a construct or bound outsider that can record messages, move two mirrors face-to-face, interrupt calls with a chime/buzzer, call back at a later time, etc.

[Bronk]

Talking Mugs from dragon 189. Created in sets of two (20k) or 4 (40k), when full, they transmit any sound within five feet to all the other currently full mugs, as long as they are on the same plane.