Another question?

[JediDresden]

OK, I read a thread here a while back about magictech.  In it there was a brief discussion of communication devices because cell phones tend to die around wizards.

My wizard has some enchanted item slots, and would like to make something to communicate with the rest of the party.  I have some ideas (vague ones) on how to do this.  I was thinking something along the lines of one main item sympathetically prepped and linked to pieces of the item (don't know what it will be yet) given to each of the party so that the wizard can pass messages to the party.  I do not know if I could enchant them to be able to return messages though. 

I also was thinking about ripping of the other Harry in England and having coins for each that would change the message on them like the kids did in Dumbledore's Army.  Kind of a magical text message.  But that is a lot of enchanted items slots. 

Could I do something to communicate with 4 other people with only 1 or 2 enchanted Item Slots?

[Radecliffe]

I suppose if you had 2 objects that could generate noise or vibrations they could be magically sync'd so that if you made one make a noise it would be replicated to the other.  Maybe even just Morris Code.  There is also examples of enchanting crystal radios being used for similar purposes. 

Not very portable but it would be cool to enchant a pair of manual typewriters to send written messages between them. 

[UmbraLux]

Could I do something to communicate with 4 other people with only 1 or 2 enchanted Item Slots?

Probably depends on your lore.  Even then it probably won't be reliable - not enough shifts.  You'll need one shift per person (along with symbolic links - I hope they trust you) just for brief communication...that won't go through wards or blocks.  If you want it to go through barriers you'll need to account for the barrier strength in the spell.

In many ways you're better off with a group oriented aspect - something like Always There for His Friends or Arrives On Time...Usually.  Then you can invoke when you think you need to be with the group and the GM can compel when he wants you with the group.  Win-win. 

[Mindflayer94]

I'd say yes, but not as you're approaching it. Cell phones just work off of a radio signal, so have a spell fed into it that creates a radio signal, shouldn't require more than a few shifts of power. You could even make the object a phone destroyed by hexing.

[GryMor]

Work out the spell that would let you do what you want to do, then see if you can pull together enough shifts to fit it into an enchanted item.

I think I'd do it as:

Complexity
 4 Sticky maneuver Team Rocket Tactical Link
+2 All willing participants in the zone
+x Duration (scene for free, +5 for a day...)

So, if it's initiated at the start of each scene you want it to be available and you can get everyone together at that time, Lore 5 and +1 crafting specialty would cover it.

Alternatively, do it as a spell at the start of the day or week so you don't need to burn any enchanted item slots.

A two way link between the user and one other target (per activation) could be done at 4 shifts (for a scene), but you would need to prearrange arcane links and there is a danger of the target not actually being willing at the time of initiation.

I suppose a non mental version could be done at the same complexities.

[Haru]

For things like that, I like the approach Iago has proposed some time ago. The question then was about an underwater breathing spell, and he proposed to do it as a skill replacement ritual with a shift value of a resources roll required to buy decent scuba gear (based off the table on YS322). Base duration would be 1 scene.

I like this, because it is pretty easy. You can just google the price range for the gear you want and then set up the ritual at the appropriate level. Since you can put thaumaturgy spells into enchanted items, this also applies to them.

So a set of good walkie-talkies for 4 people should be in the 500$ range, making it a fair (+2) ritual. Further away, you will need something a lot stronger, but I don't really know radio communication that well beyond the basic walkie-talkie. I think there are ways to get a lot further, which are not really portable. Of course, this is where the magic comes in and makes it work on a smaller item (maybe for another shift of power?). Or maybe you send the magic messages through the nevernever to shorten the distance. This would especially be interesting for a third party to intervene.

Cellphones might be a bit tricky, but doable. Cellphones don't create a direct connection between the two devices, they need celltowers. You could cover you city with a grid of magical celltowers that will bridge the distance between two parties. Once you have your grid up and running, you can create magical cellphones that connect to the grid and therefore to the other magical cellphone in the net. Depending on how you set it up, you can actually call a single person or communicate with everyone connected to the net. This idea would probably work best as a background thing without any power in itself. As an aspect on the wizard, you can have all kinds of things happen in the net (ghost in the wire for example).

Uh, or maybe a layline phone, tapping into the grid of (powerwise insignificant) laylines around your city to send the messages around. "Cellphone reception" would depend on how close to a layline you are, and there might be blindspots. But the actual enchanted item could be a set of "cellphones" for everyone, making it a 3-4 shift enchanted item, I think.

[JediDresden]

I really like all of your ideas, you all gave me a lot to think about.

Haru - I might have to go with your idea especially when my wizard has the  aspect "Has the 'Ley' of the Land", the leyline phones are a great idea for a magical equivalent to cell phones.  I can just see them walking around saying 'Can you hear me now?', trying to get good reception.