Spycraft 101: I need a bug

[ChudoJogurt]

I would want for the NPC bad guys to be able to drop a listening or tracking magical device of some sort on the party, in order to be able to find out the source of their sudden wealth.
Unfortunately I cannot find anything that would help them in any official source.

So I need something that can enchant a coin or a similar item that they can give back to the party, and then use as a bug to listen or find them magically.

The NPC party has access to about 2k gold to drop on a magic device, any Sor/Wiz spell up to level 2, or a Sor/Wiz scroll up to level 4, or Bard spell up to level 3.
I don't expect the party to cast Identify or otherwise suspect to check their belongings for any sort of tampering, so it doesn't have to be very covert, but it has to be something that the party could in theory by themselves prevent, so it can't just be casting Clairvoyance or something like it -- it has to be a device, or a magic mark or something like that.
Any ideas?

[Kayblis]

There's the Spymaster's Coin spell from Complete Scoundrel, which creates a bug that activates on command. A more permanent version of the spell as an item would be pretty effective, and the coin itself could be linked to a listening device for later reattuning, if you're crafting the item for your specifications.

[ChudoJogurt]

Unfortunately Spymaster's coin lasts seconds after being activated, so unless you somehow know exactly when to activate it, it's not very usefull.
And I try to keep to items in official sources when designing stuff for NPCs.
If there's no other way, then yes, I'll just come up with something, but I hoped there's something pre-made already.

[zlefin]

how far away is the party going to get?

locate object doesn't have much range, but might be useable in a smaller city; you'd just have to get the party to have some specific object.

A custom version of that spell with higher range at higher level might be reasonable.


instructing a bird familiar to simply follow the party might work (maybe have it act friendly or seem to be after their food or something to justify why it's following them).

[Uncle Pine]

Dragoneye Rune is a 2nd level spell from Dragon Magic which works like Arcane Mark (and can thus be made invisible), except it also makes way easier to scry the marked object or creature along with letting you locate it without saves involved. It is also permanent*.


A brightly glowing sigil appears briefly, burning as though branded into the surface before fading to invisibility.

This spell allows you to brand a special arcane mark onto an object or creature, denoting that it is under your watchful eye. The mark inscribed is unique to your casting of this spell; no two casters create the same mark. It otherwise functions just as arcane mark, with two exceptions.

First, you can treat the marked object or creature as familiar for the purpose of any divination (scrying) spell.
Second, three times per day you can (as a swift action) detect the direction and distance of the marked object or creature from you. If the creature is dead or on another plane, you gain no knowledge from this function.

Special: If you are of the dragonblood subtype (see page 4), any object or creature with a dragoneye rune gains a +2 bonus on saves against divination (scrying) spells or effects cast by other dragonblooded creatures.


If an arcane mark is placed on a living being, normal wear gradually causes the effect to fade in about a month.

[Alexvrahr]

If you're willing to use Pathfinder then the spells gilded whispers, enter image or witness might do.

[Silva Stormrage]

The bard spell listening coin (SpC) functions similar to Spymaster's Coin but it lasts for an hour per level.

Binders could also try to observe them with Malphas's summoned bird.

Umbral Spies (Forge of War) are incorporeal stealthy constructs that can fuse into people's shadows observing and seeing what their target sees and hears. They can then share information they have gained with other creatures once they leave the creature's shadow. Great for stealth and spying, especially since they already have HiPS and are incorporeal.

[Troacctid]

Chain of eyes and enduring scrutiny are good long-duration divination spells for this sort of thing.

You could also just go the classic route of hiring street urchins to tail them and report back.

[Fizban]

Listening Coin is the spell that does the thing, though it's blocked by lead (and has been reduced from its original level if that matters to you, I find it a bit much myself). You could also try dropping a 1lb bag of sand in there and casting Whispering Sand from Sandstorm, but it does say "and then speak" so it's not quite undetectable, and this relies on a reading where everything the contacted party says is picked up. If you can arrange for them to be talking around a candle you've planted, Whispering Candle from Five Nations should work better at a lower level, and lasts 8 hours after being lit.

[Batcathat]

You could also try dropping a 1lb bag of sand in there and casting Whispering Sand from Sandstorm

I like the idea of an increasingly confused adventuring party finding bags of sand everywhere they go.