04-01-2020, 12:12 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dreamland
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Messenger Immunity
I went into Legal Immunity assuming this was there and realized I was thinking of Bardic Immunity. So, what level of Legal Immunity would this cover?;
You are a messenger, one who is qualified to run across the land, sometimes even across multiple countries. Guards or similar will not stop you and your messages can not be read through (if written, this advantage applies to both oral and written messages). Only once your message has been sent can others do something about it, but not to you, only to the person the message it was delivered to and the message after it's been delivered and given a chance to read. This includes reactions to the message; "Don't shoot the messenger". However, this only applies to external affairs, you can still be punished for spying or otherwise taking advantage of your situation. The idea is that this is a widely accepted form of information exchange that everyone knows about and even country leaders can be punished for getting in the way off. It's effectively a TL4 secure connection. I also might just be missing something or thinking about something the wrong way. Any thoughts? My guess is the price is about 10pts with a limited version of "diplomatic pouch" that might just round down. I'd love to hear a way to make this more 'generic', too. Thank you ahead of time. |
04-01-2020, 01:21 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: Messenger Immunity
Diplomatic Immunity is 20 points, and Bardic Immunity isn't that strong. The Bards have to obey a code, act in a way, to maintain this immunity. I agree with 10 points.
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04-01-2020, 08:29 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Messenger Immunity
For an internal messenger, carrying high priority state material like a Queens Messenger, or a Mongol gold tablet carrier. Or the guy carrying the new issue of cords for the really important stuff that can't be carried by cable or radio. Or just your ordinary runner or dispatch rider:
Diplomatic Immunity: Only becomes relevant when carrying messages to a diplomat outside the country. And only when agreed between the countries. SOE agents taking stuff in and out of France for instance don't count for that: if they get caught they go into a Deep Dark Hole (I rather wondered myself at the German government's weird propensity to send trained assassins to Dachau with a lot of desperate potential rebels around them). But in peacetime even someone carrying something meant to go to a spy will be ignored. Certainly the courier will. The Case Officer will probably be sweated for a few hours and released even if his asset goes to a Deep Dark Hole. Low Level Legal Immunity: You are an exception to traffic law the way emergency vehicles are. No LEGAL advantage if you do a felony (your advantage is that you have an excuse to be elsewhere quick and there is always another agency that wants you to be). Only applies to those who know your ID. If you are in plain clothes you don't get it until you give your password. If it is an esoteric military specialty, only someone with heraldry, Savoire-faire military, etc will give this to you. Or at least they won't until they get a phone call from someone important. Security Clearance: Probably not enough to know what you are carrying but enough to handle that sort of thing.
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"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison |
04-01-2020, 12:05 PM | #4 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dreamland
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Re: Messenger Immunity
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04-01-2020, 12:45 PM | #5 | |
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
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Re: Messenger Immunity
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If you want your Messengers to have any practical protection at all, you need to think carefully about who is allowed to accuse them of any crime, whether that's spying, abusing their position or something else, and who judges such accusations. Because otherwise, every noble or other figure with law enforcement powers can potentially get away with imprisoning, torturing and killing any Messenger who fails to do what they say. They'll just maintain he was spying and even round up a few witnesses among their retinue.
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Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela! Last edited by Icelander; 04-01-2020 at 02:03 PM. |
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04-01-2020, 01:32 PM | #6 | |
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dreamland
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Re: Messenger Immunity
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04-01-2020, 06:13 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Re: Messenger Immunity
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-- MA Lloyd |
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04-01-2020, 06:40 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Messenger Immunity
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"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison |
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04-01-2020, 07:07 PM | #9 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southeast NC
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Re: Messenger Immunity
Quote:
On the other hand, if a hosted diplomat has become problematic, you could send a polite message to the other country telling them how much you'd hate to see your relations to become soured over a matter such as this.
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RyanW - Actually one normal sized guy in three tiny trenchcoats. |
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04-01-2020, 07:16 PM | #10 | |
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dreamland
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Re: Messenger Immunity
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It does't quite feel as good as Diplomatic Immunity, but the combination of it working in any country and the partial Security Clearance probably works out to the same 20pts. |
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