Interplanar communication options

[Gwaedh]

I'm playing in a game with lots of planar travel. We have been away from "home" for a long while and I'm looking for options to communicate with 2 NPCs back on my home plane that are closely tied to my character's background. My character can manage 4th level druid spells and 3rd level wizard spells. I'm also in a place where I have access to fairly high level NPC casters that I could hire. Anyone have ideas on the best way to pull this off? So far I've got two ideas, neither of which is great.

1. scry spell combined with message cantrip. This is the best option I can think of, but it still has problems. The target gets a will save and both of my contacts would have really high saves. They would both be receptive to contact, but I don't think its reasonable for them to know its me before they save. Also based on my CL the message spell would only have a 45% chance of getting through. Its not clear from the spell description if I can just keep casting it till it works. Oh..and there is the part about finding a 1000gp mirror to use.

2. Hire a wizard to cast dream on me. But this only allows for one way communication. Significantly less than ideal

Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

[tonyz]

Yu can keep casting it until it works, yes,and since the 1000 gp mirrors a focus it isn't consumed.

You can find a cleric to cast lesser planar ally, or a wizard to cast lesser planar binding, and call an outsider who can plane shift and teleport, to carry the message.

A 9th level cleric could plane shift himself and then call something that could teleport.

A 9th level wizard could cast a sending spell, which may get through and allows for a reply, though the 25 word limit is a bit restrictive.

There might be an organization devoted to carrying messages between worlds that has some infrastructure setup in the background, details not required. Ask your GM.

[Rustycan]

tonyz wrote:

Yu can keep casting it until it works, yes,and since the 1000 gp mirrors a focus it isn't consumed.

You can find a cleric to cast lesser planar ally, or a wizard to cast lesser planar binding, and call an outsider who can plane shift and teleport, to carry the message.

A 9th level cleric could plane shift himself and then call something that could teleport.

A 9th level wizard could cast a sending spell, which may get through and allows for a reply, though the 25 word limit is a bit restrictive.

There might be an organization devoted to carrying messages between worlds that has some infrastructure setup in the background, details not required. Ask your GM.

There must be an App for that.......

[Alitan]

I'd look into commissioning something, given that you have access to high-level NPC casters. Take the focus for Plane Shift; tuning forks...

Now, add Craft Wondrous Item...

A paired set of Plane Shift foci, that resonate with each other as well as the various planes. Allows "texting" between planes (with hardcopy if you throw in an Arcane Mark effect).

No, I'm not even going to TRY looking at the math for pricing this. It will be complex, especially since you're not actually using the Plane Shift spell as per RAW, just riffing on the IDEA of Plane Shift.

But it might be a fluff description that your GM would like, at least enough to give you a break on a use-activated, unlimited charge, no-slot item based on a 5th level spell/9th level caster combo...

:)

[Cyberwolf2xs]

I like the resonating tuning forks. Sure, if they are just that, you'd have to use morse code or something similar, but people used that with great success for a long time.

You could also try getting something like the type writer/mirror setup in the Fringe series, only a bit more low tech. Maybe two escritoires, chalkboards or something.

[Alitan]

Cw2xs:

If you have a full set of plane-attuned forks (which you should, to make sure you've got signal everywhere -- 'can you hear me now?') you could do well with something more like texting than morse...

I like the idea of twin mirrors/slates, etc., or possibly pens -- I just jumped on the tuning forks since they're already involved in Plane Shift.