[D&D 3.5] Spells of Communication

[Altair_the_Vexed]

All the spells that allow you to communicate over increased distances seem to be based on spoken communication. Here are a couple of spells to allow written communication over distance.
Are the levels okay? I based them on Message and Sending and Telepathic Bond.

Linking Parchments
(Transmutation, language dependent)
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Brd 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting time: 1 round
Range: touch
Target: two or more sheets of parchment
Duration: 1 hour / level
Saving throw: none
Spell resistance: no

Casting this spell on two or more parchments (+1 other per 3 levels after 5th) allows writing on any one parchment to magically appear on the others.
The maximum number of words that may be transferred is 100. A picture is - contrary to the proverb - worth 10 words. Note that the spell confers no special ability to readers to understand your writing or drawing. The DM may require a Craft (Art) check to produce a recognisable drawing.
Magical writing effects are not transfered to other parchments. You cannot use the Linked Parchments to write scrolls for other casters. Neither can you use them to cast Explosive Runes or Symbol spells, for example. Such spells affect the parchment on which they are written, and do not transfer to the Linked Parchments at all.
The parchments must be kept within 400 ft + 40 ft / level: if any parchment exceeds that range from any of the other parchments, it ceases to be linked to the others and all writing on it instantly fades away. The least spread out group of parchments remains linked, whiel the most remote parchment is dropped.
Material component: a pinch of charcoal dust sprinkled over the back of each parchment.


Linking Parchments, Greater
(Transmutation, language dependent)
Level: Sor/Wiz 5, Brd 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting time: 1 round
Range: touch
Target: two or more sheets of parchment
Duration: 1 hour / level
Saving throw: none
Spell resistance: no

As Linking Parchments, but the maximum range between any two parchments is increased to 10 miles + 1 mile / level

[Silverscale]

I like these although I can see a problem if Generals use them to coordinate a war and one of the sheets slips into enemy hands, is there any way for the writer to know that there words are not being seen by the wrong person?

Also for the Greater version I might up the number of parchments that can be effected by the spell.

[J.Gellert]

10 words for a picture is too low. They would do little but draw

Just limit it to text, or allow one drawing only...

[Lysander]

The other possibility is rather than having a word limit, just limiting it to whatever they can fit on on side of an 8x11 sheet of paper or parchment. That way your players just write down whatever they want a single sheet of paper, and whatever they can fit on there is transmitted.

[Leeham]

I really like this spell, it's got tons of utility...

[Lvl45DM!]

Its like those erfworld things!
much liking

[Altair_the_Vexed]

The other possibility is rather than having a word limit, just limiting it to whatever they can fit on on side of an 8x11 sheet of paper or parchment. That way your players just write down whatever they want a single sheet of paper, and whatever they can fit on there is transmitted.

I thought about that, but decided not to go with it. I could foresee players quoting the 500-words-on-a-grain-of-rice artists, and then demanding to make Craft checks to fit more info on the sheet.

[DracoDei]

Hey, anything that makes skill checks more meaningful...

[Freegle]

I too have designed a magic communication item, just yesterday in fact, and quite similar to your idea! Spooky!
I'll explain the thought process of how I came to think it up and then go on to explain the item itself.

I was just wondering about getting a domicile for my main character Dylan the Wizard. I then started thinking of user friendly devices to enhance it, one of which guides visitors around to find the host like a butler (e.g.dancing lights). That's not important. But then i thought what if the host wasn't there? maybe the guide could show the visitor to the guest book to leave a note for when the host returned? And then it hit me! The absentee host could receive that note as soon as it was written. Instant text messenger! And that is my Magic Item

Dylans' Swift Slates
Two double-sided chalkboard slates are linked by magic in such a way that a message consisting of no more than 25 words or a maximum of 100 letters written on the message side of the slate swiftly appears on the linked receivers slate.
The messages are written in ordinary chalk and can be wiped off as easily.
The range of communication with the slates is 10 miles and does not require line of sight. The usual thickness of materials (ie sheet of lead) can block the message but only if it completely surrounds the sender/receiver.
Any message sent when out of range is not lost but will not appear on the receiving slate until it next enters range again. The sender does not know if the message has been received or not.
Either slate can send or receive and use one side of the slate for each. Only one message can be written on the sending side but 25 received messages can be stored in small neat calligraphy on the reverse side.
A mental or audible alarm can notify of an incoming message and secret messages can be encrypted and decrypted with a password.
CL 7th, Craft Wonderous Items, message, illusory script and alarm.
cost= 2k?

Further slates can be added to the group (at the same cost per 2) but they can only send to/receive from a single 'Control' slate with the other slates becoming peripherals. Once a slate is designated a peripheral it cannot become a control slate.
Destruction of a peripheral slate will not damage the Control, but peripherals do not function if the Control is damaged. They will only function again if linked to a fresh control slate. Until then they are just an ordinary chalkboard slate.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

I too have designed a magic communication item, just yesterday in fact, and quite similar to your idea! Spooky!
...
Instant text messenger! And that is my Magic Item
...

Ah-ha! That was my first thought, too - there's an item in Cyclopedic D&D, called the Scroll of Communication, which does just this.
But then I thought, why not make it a spell? And then you can just cast Permenancy on the spell, which gives you your magic item, effectively, without the high cost of crafting and so on.

Of course, both are valid ideas, and no doubt, wizards somewhere will have made both.
I do wonder why the WotC designers left the item out when they did D&D3.x...