Need a magic item for long range line of sight communication

[FrancisBean]

I've got a campaign coming up on a nautical phase in a few months. One of the magic items I've vaguely envisioned is for long-range ship-to-ship communication. Picture something like a wand, where you sight in on the other ship, point your wand, maybe burn a charge, and it conveys your words to the person at the other end. (And maybe brings their words back, as well!)

I'm not looking for Sending, which is based on identifying the recipient. I'm looking for a line-of-sight thing. Does anybody have a working build handy, or should I just roll my own? The point is to be able to communicate with someone beyond voice range but within visual range. Say, up to a mile or three, depending on atmospheric conditions.

[Mastikator]

Wand of Skywrite maybe?

[FrancisBean]

Wand of Skywrite maybe?

That's something anybody could read, which is a big problem for my upcoming campaign lines. But it meets what I asked for very well, darn it! It's impossible to really narrow things down to what you actually want online!

[Amnestic]

Eyes of the Eagle plus sign language?

[hifidelity2]

Before Radio etc ships used Aldis Lamps

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_lamp

There is no reason they could not use one of those - have a (extra bright) continual light. Maybe make the mirror / glass out of Glasssteel or similar to make it tough

[Mastikator]

That's something anybody could read, which is a big problem for my upcoming campaign lines. But it meets what I asked for very well, darn it! It's impossible to really narrow things down to what you actually want online!

Use it to write encoded messages. Like a series of numbers that correspond to some specific lines in a secret book that only both sides have access to.

[Temperjoke]

So, you realize that nothing is stopping you from just making such a item, right? You've already described it well enough for the players to grasp what it is for. Maybe assign a maximum range to it? In the past ships would use flag codes to communicate, then when electric lighting was available, they'd use morse code, so you don't have to go overboard.

[Burley]

You could also use spells like Light or Fairie Fire or Dancing Lights or even the Minor Illusion cantrip. Different light or patterns could mean different things, and you wouldn't have to worry much about the message being intercepted or seen by the wrong person, because it's a coded.

[BeefGood]

Mariner’s Glass
A spyglass that bends line of sight to follow Earth’s curvature. Sight distance limited to 100 miles per day; recharges at dawn.

[kazaryu]

I've got a campaign coming up on a nautical phase in a few months. One of the magic items I've vaguely envisioned is for long-range ship-to-ship communication. Picture something like a wand, where you sight in on the other ship, point your wand, maybe burn a charge, and it conveys your words to the person at the other end. (And maybe brings their words back, as well!)

I'm not looking for Sending, which is based on identifying the recipient. I'm looking for a line-of-sight thing. Does anybody have a working build handy, or should I just roll my own? The point is to be able to communicate with someone beyond voice range but within visual range. Say, up to a mile or three, depending on atmospheric conditions.

rather than a magic item, why not a spell, or particular magic ability that specific people specialize in. basically 'message' but with a longer range.
that way players need to do their communication through an npc.

if the players want the spell...tell 'em no. its a guarded secret by the 'mariner's guild' ...or something cooler. basically, its never committed to scroll form, in fact the vast majority of people that know the spell dont know how to scribe it. (or, ya know, just make it a cantrip...that doesn't appear on any spell lists. so the PC's cant get it anyway).


of course you could also use a magic item that gives the same capability