PDA

View Full Version : Chat thingy?



JusticeZero
2021-01-30, 01:23 PM
A character might end up with what amounts to a guild chat channel, and I am trying to sort out what that means exactly beyond just "You have a communication device".

One party member is being groomed for a position with a God's spy ring. The Goddess of Storms, Drowning, Darkness, Vengeance, and Secrets* has an extensive ring of secretive undercover spies/investigators/informants trying to sniff out and proactively deal with issues before their goddess gets angry and smites things—the Drowned Goddess's smites tend to involve concepts like "minimum safe distance", and aren't necessarily proportional or reasonable.

I want the agents will connected with the gossip of events relevant to them, like having a long range chat of some sort that includes all of the agents. Secure to the organization, still possibly open to leaks from inside, so not used for incredibly secret communication, good for updates of major issues and probably containing some chatter. I'm thinking something akin to a fast recharging message type effect that goes to everyone connected, with a few people in the center able to manage who is connected. They communicate in sign language, because their main headquarters is underwater and in this game, water breathing doesn't mean water talking.

This would expose the character to lots of discussion that isn't necessarily related to what they're doing at the time.

Is there some mechanical effects that might have on skills? Or anything else? What kind of things would they get or deal with from having that sort of "police band scanner" monitoring?

* Every God in the setting has a similarly alarming portfolio, this god isn't any more or less evil than any of the others.
The campaign is epic-6, but a lot of the items they get are divine artifacts, and gods can make things a bit outside of the normal limits. They're into epic territory themselves.

Jack_Simth
2021-01-30, 02:45 PM
Setting aside the mechanics of the communication device, such a thing is fundamentally used for spreading information, getting advice, and coordinating things.

So one spy might drop a note on the chat saying "I need access to the MacGuffin party tonight; is anyone positioned to get me some form of access?" and another might say "Sure... I can arrange for one of the baker's assistants to not show. Just wear a baker's outfit, but a few dozen loaves of fresh bread, and show up at the back entrance to the MacGuffin mansion - they'll let you in"

It is, basically, a plot hook generator.

Particle_Man
2021-01-30, 02:51 PM
Is there a chance that a communique could distract the character at a critical moment? Either content-wise or even just the “ping” of a new message alert?

Doctor Despair
2021-01-30, 03:47 PM
Is there any chance you could just use Fell Conspiracy? Group members meet up once each day for the telepathy ritual, then disperse through the city, and use it to pass messages along to the group writ large like a game of telephone? Only one person needs to feat to apply it to all the members

Jack_Simth
2021-01-30, 10:45 PM
Is there a chance that a communique could distract the character at a critical moment? Either content-wise or even just the “ping” of a new message alert?
Given that it's for a spy network? You must check your messages to find out if you have any. Anything detectable by anyone else would be a very bad idea.