Gloves of Reconnaissance vs One-Way Window


Advice


I'm really just looking for advice as to which one would be better for a spy.

First we have the Gloves of Reconnaissance. For 2,000 gold, you can see through 15 ft. of any solid material. You can only use it for 10 rounds a day and it takes the glove slot, you must also use both hands on the material at hand perhaps making you vulnerable.

Then we have the One-Way Window is 4,000 gold. It allows you to see through various thicknesses of materials (different thicknesses for different materials, none of which is even close to 15 ft.) for an unlimited amount of time and doesn't take up a body slot.

So what do you think? Between the above (or some item i've not seen) which item would be best for looking into rooms without those in the room know you're doing so?


As long as you are on the other side of the wall or door there is no difference in most game play. If you are not playing an atypical game then details would matter.


The use both hands on the material thing isn't exactly a fault exclusive to the gloves. The window never states it "sticks" to anything, requiring you either hold it in place or use it near the floor (not a problem if you are using it on a roof or the top of a chest though).

The gloves allow you to hear while the window has no such clause (but you can apparently read lips at the cost of a language in the PFS rules).

The gloves lack the clause about locks and gloves are pretty easy to swap outside of combat (and you aren't going to be using them in combat).

Honestly it depends on what kind of spy you have. If he's going to be evesdroping on secret meets, most meetings last longer than 60 seconds, but if he is trying to steal/plant stuff and just needs to know if there's a guard on the otherside, 60 seconds is usable.


All very true deuxhero, you make some good points. I do like that the gloves can see further and listen in, it's just that 10 round thing that's putting me off. After all, if used for scouting the next room, you'll only get 10 rooms out of it and you never know when you'll come across that mansion with 100 rooms. The limitations on the window though are quite noticeable in comparison.

The spy I'm thinking about is considering taking up reading lips from linguistics if the DM oks it. What good spy wouldn't? Even with lip reading though, group meets would still be very difficult to eavesdrop on, unless every single person in that meeting is facing the door. My luck, the one facing the door would be saying, "yes sir." "no sir." Thus the gloves might be better.

I was originally leaning towards the window, but now I'm leaning towards the gloves. They would probably keep the DM happier too, what with me less tempted to look into every single room I come across. On the other hand, how does one know when to use the gloves? Creepy vibes from the room in question?


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Well, you could wear the frame or store it in a Adventurer's Sash side bag.

The Gloves of Recon seem to be more of a supplement for sneaking the hard way, sort of a emergency measure for when you hear footsteps coming.

Plus you can hear things and such.

As for when you use it, you might have to use perception for hints or think through it logically.

Like, okay, it's lunch time, my target takes his lunch in his study, do I need to check his Library with the gloves before I go in? Would he have staff in there?

Though if you want my best advice, get both.

The Gloves are for speed and at hand use, the Window is for if you have time to be methodical.

Or you have squeezed into a crawlspace and are just spending the day watching your target.

Even if you can't hear everything, knowing that they met one person here at this time could be valuable too.

Pick up Craft(Art) and you can sketch the people that your targets meet. Knowing who knows who and being able to know definitely is a thing a spy can use.

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