Sorcery SpellPower - Rumor Message

[Anders]

Thanks to everyone who answered the Crop Failure thread!

Rumor Message
By singing a special song the sorcerer can use animals in the surroundings to transmit a message. It doesn't matter what kind of animal hears the message – everyone is influenced by this and will try to pass the message along. The animal or animals who hear the song (are within range) won't change their travel plans to get the message to the recipient, they will only pass along the message to an animal they meet if the other animal is heading in the right general direction. This means that there is no limit for how long it takes for the message to reach the recipient. If the sorcerer is lucky it takes a short time, if the sorcerer is unlucky it can take a very, very long time. The animal can also pass the message along to intelligent beings, who hear the sorcerers words within. However, intelligent creatures get to choose whether they want to pass the message along. How long it takes for the message to reach the recipient is up to the GM, but 1d days per 5 miles seems reasonable.
In the basic form, the sorcerer can affect one creature within a 100 yards, the message can contain a maximum of 3 words and the message can't travel more than 5 miles.

I'm thinking of inventing a new Telecommunication advantage, probably worth no more than 5 points. Any other solutions?

And there are more than a 100 spells to go - should I make a special thread for this?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Does this have to exactly match the description or are you going for the spirit of it?

[Anders]

I'll go for the spirit of it.

In fact, as written I don't think this is even a Perk.

[Celjabba]

The ultimate tool in advertising or propaganda .. cast this on a stray dog in a city market and before nightfall, every person in the city will have heard your message... many many times. And as written, it will echo forever if the target never come in range...

I would remove the part about sentient being unless you wish magical spam ...

Celjabba

[Anders]

Or limit the number of messengers you can have active at one time.

ETA: I think the intent is that when the message passes along from A to B, A is no longer under the spell. And I've added that the message is only passed along if the other creature is going somewhat in the right direction.

[Celjabba]

With those change, I like it a lot, for a setting with low-magic power especially.

Of course, now, it can be used as a crude tracking tool, but I guess you will have a better spell for that.

Celjabba

[Anders]

If the person is far away it's fairly useless. The time should scale with r^2 since it's basically diffusion in a plane.

[Celjabba]

Originally Posted by Anders

If the person is far away it's fairly useless. The time should scale with r^2 since it's basically diffusion in a plane.

the message is only passed along if the other creature is going somewhat in the right direction.

That should keep it more or less effective regardless of the actual distance ?

Of course, it depend on the distance at which an animal can handle the relay to another, and what is an animal for purpose of the spell... If birds are involved, it may speed it up.
On the other hand, if the next animal in the chain is a earthworm, your message won't be soon delivered...
And what happen if the current carrier dies ?

All in all, not the most reliable of spell, but probably a nice perk for someone with animal control spells or power.

Celjabba

[Christopher R. Rice]

Animal Messenger
Basic Cost: 39 points.
Casting Roll: Will.
Duration: Six Days.

You can program a nearby animal to deliver a message to a specific person or person. You must first make skin-to-skin contact (which may be difficult depending on the target), spend 1 minute constantly whispering to it the message you want it to deliver and it's target's name (which you must also visualize, or roll at a -5 penalty), and then roll a Quick Contest of Will. From then it will obsessively try to find the target and deliver the message, chittering and chattering the words of the missive the entire time (this is equivalent to a half level of the Noisy disadvantage). It can even pass this onto other animals who hear it, who must make a Will roll against the caster's original roll (use the Contagion rules p. B442 for further modifiers), failure means they too must pass the message on.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Accessibility, Animals only, -25%; Based on Will, +20%; Contact Agent, -30%; Cosmic, Cyclic on affliction, +50%; Cyclic, 1 day, 6 cycles, Highly Contagious, +110%; Extended Duration, 3,000x, +140%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1 minute, -30%; Magic, -10%; Malediction 1, +100%; Melee Attack, C, -30%; Disadvantage, Obsession (N/A; Find target and deliver the message) and Utterance (the message), +13%; Hearing-Based, -20%) [39].


Utterance and No Self-Control roll are from GURPS Zombies. Normally, attaching Cyclic to anything but Innate Attack is a no-no...but so is use Rapid Fire for non-ranged attacks (which was allowed with a Cosmic exemption in Pyramid #3/61 Way of the Warrior). I didn't feel it was too game breaking - so a +50% version of Cosmic fits just fine. Consider this is almost as powerful as Mind Control (which could still be a option for this) I feel the price is fair. Basically, for 39 points you can send out a message that may or may not reach it's target and can possibly be intercepted along the way.