There has to be a spell that allows someone to send the PC's a message across the planes, right?
Or a magic item... or a psionic power... or a house ruled spell... or a prancing pink pony.
(For 3.5 Edition.)
Cross-Planar Communication
Fri, 2007-03-30 21:32
#1
Cross-Planar Communication
Sat, 2007-03-31 10:55
#3
Cross-Planar Communication
There's always the Harmonica, in Pandemonium.
Sat, 2007-03-31 11:02
#4
Cross-Planar Communication
Thanks!
Sat, 2007-03-31 13:50
#5
Cross-Planar Communication
There's always the Harmonica, in Pandemonium.
I like the way you think, Bob. I always wondered why some barmy Xaositect hasn't set up kip in Harmonica and spent his days singing show-tunes into the far-away ears of powerful but easily-annoyed berks such as Asmodeus, Primus, and Zaphkiel until they go chaotic with madness.
Wed, 2007-04-18 09:26
#6
Cross-Planar Communication
Bwahah!!
This last post totally cracks me up, behold the smiley reenactment:
Prank calling Asmodai is Barmy
Barmy Xa: 
... 
... 
Asmodeus: 
Mr. Xa later: shh shhh shhhh 
kha khaa khaaa 
-> -> ->
Asmo: 
barmy Xaositect: 
fin
Thu, 2007-04-19 01:16
#7
Cross-Planar Communication
There's always the Harmonica, in Pandemonium.
I like the way you think, Bob. I always wondered why some barmy Xaositect hasn't set up kip in Harmonica and spent his days singing show-tunes into the far-away ears of powerful but easily-annoyed berks such as Asmodeus, Primus, and Zaphkiel until they go chaotic with madness.
You actually raise a good point.
While it's true that the Harmonica isn't easy to reach, or that most planars have no clue about it's nature, it does seem rather strange that certain powerful individuals don't abuse it.
Though I suppose one could argue that the "strange voices in your head" might actually be whispered from there on out. Come to think of it, I like that idea... hm. 
On the other hand, communicating from this part of Pandemonium might be a strain on the vocal cords, no? After all, I can imagine that one's voice would have to be raised considerably before it could be heard clearly over the howling winds themselves.
- Kris
Mon, 2007-04-23 09:56
#8
Cross-Planar Communication
So, in essence the Harmonica is like a really big, immobile cell-phone with average to below-average reception (aka - bloody unbearable).
Tue, 2007-05-01 20:50
#9
Cross-Planar Communication
I would probably invent a new magic item...sort of inter-planar walkie-talkies. Based on the same kind of magic as a cubic gate, the items could come in a set of 2-4 and allow spoken messages to be sent back and forth among a certain number of Outer/Inner Planes corresponding to the 6 faces on the items.
Could make having to split a large party into two/three bands in order to accomplish some time-sensitive challenges a bit more bearable.
Tue, 2007-05-01 20:59
#10
Cross-Planar Communication
You could just have a paired set of Scrying mirrors. They don't care what plane you're on, and as long as both people have them you can talk to each other to your heart's content with full pictures and sound.
Thu, 2007-05-03 14:56
#11
Scrying Mirrors for Communication
You could just have a paired set of Scrying mirrors. They don't care what plane you're on, and as long as both people have them you can talk to each other to your heart's content with full pictures and sound.
Scrye mirrors have to be at least two feet by four feet.
But, assuming that's not a problem (portable hole, bag of holding, haversack, etc.), how does person B know that person A is attempting to communicate with them? Can you set your mirror to 'vibrate'?
/Duster wins the emoticon prize. That's a work of art.
Thu, 2007-05-03 18:28
#12
Cross-Planar Communication
Two-by-four seems reasonable enough. You'd probably only need a given group to have one. As for calling at the same time, there's a few options.
Option one: they could just have an indicator that they were being summoned (vibrating, I guess). This would require adding a Detect Scrying effect or something similar, but you could just fudge it and say that these are different from regular scrying mirror.
Option two: when you succeed in a Will save, you automatically know you've been targeted by something. Therefore, you could just set the Scrying Mirror's DC to be really low and the recipient would automatically know they were being scryed on and pull out their mirrors. This is a bit needlessly complicated though.
Option three: People comunicate this way using purely conventional Scrying mirrors and simply both agree to use them at a given time. This is tricky because days are different lengths and time flows differently on different planes, so you'd probably need to also give them a magical chronometer of some sort to keep it synchronised. This is the purest example of this type of communication (in fact, you can do it entirely with existing spells or items), but it may make communication too hard. Then again, know one ever said cross-planar communication was going to be easy.
Mon, 2007-05-07 06:47
#13
Cross-Planar Communication
If you use faith points mechanic in your game (itroduced in Planewalker hadbook), and if DM permits you could allways spend point to send some sort of short emphatic, gutfeeling sort of message. (Like: Help I´m traped in Abyss).
Mon, 2007-05-07 10:33
#14
Cross-Planar Communication
As long as the receiver can then likewise empathically send a message along the lines of "sucks for you, good luck getting out".
Tue, 2007-05-08 02:39
#15
Cross-Planar Communication
Like: Help I´m traped in Abyss.
Ok, I admit that was not much of an example.
But I think that spendig faith Pts in that manner is reasonable (after all you are altering the reality in some minor aspect), if not costly way (unless you hawe lots of faith Pts to spend), to send a message across the planes.
I say costly: because in some games faith Pts are rare and more precious than any treasure, (or DM is stingy in our case). 
Tue, 2007-05-08 08:23
#16
Cross-Planar Communication
Brainstorming:
In outer planes evry spell create spellcrystall. In some casses those spells are wasted and spell crystalls remain (wich Demaraxes eat), so here is idea how to use those crystalls in planar communication:
A litle construct messenger created from spellcrystals ("summoning", "plane shift", or "teleport" spellcrystalls) wich can be programed wia "magical mouth" spell to deliver message across planes and come back with reply.
If you like idea I could dewelop it further.
Fri, 2007-05-11 06:39
#17
Cross-Planar Communication
Here is puzzler:
In 3.5e Dm´s guide (planes chapter) there they mention "Howler´s Crag", site in Pandemonium with same properties as Harmonica site (both carry messages across planes, and both are on second layer of Pandemonium). Yet Howler´s Crag is decribed as set of ruins and jumbled stone, so is it compleatly new site or just 3.5e renamed wersion of Harmonica? 
If it is new site, then maybe other such sites exists on Pandemonium and maybe they are remains of planar communicaton systems build by some ancient race who once lived on pandemonium (or before they shifted there).
Fri, 2007-05-11 09:39
#18
Cross-Planar Communication
In 3.5e Dm´s guide (planes chapter) there they mention "Howler´s Crag", site in Pandemonium with same properties as Harmonica site (both carry messages across planes, and both are on second layer of Pandemonium). Yet Howler´s Crag is decribed as set of ruins and jumbled stone, so is it compleatly new site or just 3.5e renamed wersion of Harmonica?
They're both old sites, both of them described more fully in Planes of Chaos. Howler's Crag is in The Book of Chaos, page 95, and the Harmonica is in The Travelogue, page 34.
They don't have the same properties. Howler's Crag can carry messages across planes. The Harmonica... no one really knows what it does. It either gifts you with some boon or curses you with some horrible bane.
The earlier posters in this thread were confusing the two sites.
Fri, 2007-05-11 12:43
#19
re
Thanks Rip, I thought I was going Barmy with all these references to the Harmonica being used to pass messages - I could have sworn its actual function was still one of the 'verses many darks. (and, considering that I'd had a very different use for it in my campaign, was a bit worried I would have to do some quick gm style tapdancing to fix my mistake)
Fri, 2007-05-11 12:50
#20
re
As for the communication issue - one could easily design sets of ion stones with this very ability ... allowing for convenient, hands free communication for the adventurer on the go.
Or make use of imps or minor djinn which can pop around many of the planes will little effort - though relying on either to deliver a message accurately might be a gamble. (unless you put a magic mouth on their stomach)
For astral projectors one could tap out messages on their silver chords - planar morse-code.
depends upon how convenient you want to make it for people - if you don't mind it being fairly reliable and accessible, you could develope any kind of item or spell you wanted to make it so ... be creative and don't worry about the game mechanics issues too heavily. (save when dealing with communication to and from closed planes, or course)
Fri, 2007-05-11 14:24
#21
Cross-Planar Communication
They don't have the same properties. Howler's Crag can carry messages across planes. The Harmonica... no one really knows what it does. It either gifts you with some boon or curses you with some horrible bane.
The earlier posters in this thread were confusing the two sites.
Oh, right. Isn't the Harmonica the one that's rumoured to grant the power of "true planewalking"?
Sat, 2007-05-12 02:13
#22
Cross-Planar Communication
Jack of tears wrote:
Or make use of imps or minor djinn which can pop around many of the planes will little effort - though relying on either to deliver a message accurately might be a gamble. (unless you put a magic mouth on their stomach)
Now that you mention it in 2e Monsters Manual Annual 1 (illustrated by Tony D) there where plenty of djinn,and among miner, administrator and harem guardians there were messenger djinn.
P.S. Thank´s for Harmonica and Howler´s Crag infomation Rip.
Sat, 2007-05-12 11:47
#23
Cross-Planar Communication
Oh, right. Isn't the Harmonica the one that's rumoured to grant the power of "true planewalking"?
That's one of the rumors, yes. That's from the 3e Manual of the Planes; earlier material didn't mention that specific idea.
Sun, 2007-05-20 13:11
#24
Cross-Planar Communication
I would probably invent a new magic item...sort of inter-planar walkie-talkies.
Magic Items: Mirrors of Communication. In Dragon Magazine #327. The mirrors are 18" in diameter each.
Is this in the Magic Item Compendium?
Ioun stone communicators is a good idea; they would be smaller than the mirrors and less fragile too.
Thanks for clearing up the Harmonica misinfo, Rip. I thought I was just mis-remembering it/getting old. 
Sun, 2007-05-20 14:07
#25
Cross-Planar Communication
Or make use of imps or minor djinn which can pop around many of the planes will little effort - though relying on either to deliver a message accurately might be a gamble. (unless you put a magic mouth on their stomach)
Hey, how about a Prancing Pink Pony djinn?
But seriously, thanks everyone for the great ideas.
Correspond, Psion/Wilder 4. Two-way communication for several rounds.
Sending, Clr 4 or Sor/Wiz 5. One short message each way; 5% chance of failure when crossing planes.
Dream, Bard 5 or Sor/Wiz 5, sends a one-way message of any length.
Ring gates, albeit quite expensive, can be used frequently to deliver messages on paper and can also transmit materials.