Bug Item

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Isolrem
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Bug Item

Post by Isolrem » Sat Jul 02, 2005 1:05 am

SYNTAX Cast 'Bug Item' <item>
This places a temporary bug on an item in the inventory, which provides limited spying on any character who holds the item (probably catching just the says, etc.)
E.G. A wizard casts this spell on a gold coin and drops it in the path of a greedy merchant, the merchant finds it and holds on to the coin, the wizard now overhears the merchant's inappropriate dealings with the black market...
At lower levels, the item will often do strange things to attract attention (twinkle, etc.) A general dispel magic casted either on the wizard or the holder ends the spell. Note: The effect of the spell is listed in the wizard's affect list, thus anything a wizard would normally do to remove spells from his affect list will terminate the effect (e.g. dying).
Quitting should also end the spell.
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Post by Hviti » Sat Jul 02, 2005 3:52 am

Why would quitting end the spell? Quit is OOC.
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Post by Isolrem » Sat Jul 02, 2005 2:08 pm

mostly because if you are spying on an player, and you quit, the other player can still be on for fifty or so hours before you come back, but according to the effects of the spell you would still have the bug...
in other words, unless a better system is found for the spell (maybe a spell duration for both the wizard and the item itself, whichever runs out first), a wizard can forsee the event he wishes to spy upon to happen beyond the duration of his spell, and so quits and come backs later to catch it.
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Post by Talamar » Mon Jul 04, 2005 3:31 am

Okay, my opinion.


I am really really leery of allowing any player to spy on another both from an IC and OOC standpoint. I think while this might be a decent addition to the game, it's possible negatives outweight it's benefits.

There are already numerous ways that Wizzies can spy on people, that I won't expound on, but trust me, they are there. I don't think we really need another.
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Post by Glim » Mon Jul 04, 2005 4:45 am

Talamar wrote:Okay, my opinion.


I am really really leery of allowing any player to spy on another both from an IC and OOC standpoint. I think while this might be a decent addition to the game, it's possible negatives outweight it's benefits.

There are already numerous ways that Wizzies can spy on people, that I won't expound on, but trust me, they are there. I don't think we really need another.
Sorry, but gotta ask again, why is this?

Like Mystra said in another post, you have no OOC privacy on the mud.

And IC privacy is something that must be done ICly.
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Post by Talamar » Mon Jul 04, 2005 4:51 am

It's a very valid question, and I'm sure half of the reason is my own innate sense of paranoia.

Here's a scenario. I am a tester. I tend to log onto the game port, and often idle there, as I'm a newbie council member, and this is a way I can be able to answer questions and the like. Now, while I'm doing this, I'm also often testing things over on the other port. The idea that someone can have an item on my person, with this spell cast on it, for the intended use of catching me while I'm not paying the full amount of attention, bothers me greatly.

Now, the only way I could avoid that scenario is to not log onto the game port, and instead only be testing. Now, that spell has gone a long way into strangling my role as a Newbie Council member, which isn't fair to those with questions I could help resolve. (Believe me, I'm not trying to say I'm the only one who could help them, far from it, I'm just giving the best example that popped to my head.)

I'm quite sure there are ways that these types of issues could be worked around, or resolved, and I think a lively discussion could get there. These are just my innate feelings and opinions on the suggested spell additions.

Jeff/Tal
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Post by Glim » Mon Jul 04, 2005 5:11 am

Idling on the game though, you should still be able to turn your full attention back to the game whenever roleplay presents also, if you are afk during this time, or merely not paying attention, then the other person has to wait for you to respond before they can initiate roleplay with you, including stealing or some such. And yes, that would perhaps be a reason to bug a person, to catch them alone, but, honestly, in my opinion, that would be a consequence you should be willing to accept if you are idling in a dangerous place where being caught alone would be at your disadvantage. I dont want to presume too much by saying this, but your roles as NC shouldnt really interefere with your roleplay in the game.

You have my apologies in advance if anything in that sounded rude, I retyped it about three times to try and make it sound as counterpoint as possible without sounding like such.
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Post by Rhytania » Mon Jul 04, 2005 7:25 am

A few scenarios for thought.

I am greedy merchant who happens upon this coin, I pick it and put it in my moneypouch like any good greedy merchant does. You on the other hand, instead of hearing every detail of my conversations instead hear the muffled sounds of my moneypouch, well tucked away in a hidden pocket underneath my clothing, and the coins within. can the code account for this? As far as I know, I dont think so.

I am now super nosy wizzie who casts this 'bug' spell on a handful of coins and now causually drop them in MS. who ever happens to pick them up, lets say for instructional purposes, 5 people do. now I can be effectively listening in on 5 different people all at the same time. the spell as described is it acts just like a bug everything it picks up on it transmits, 5 different conversations, plus whatever you are doing on your own, all at the same time will probably require a massive amount of mental footwork, heck psionics have a hard enough time doing a full blown power which is similiar to this one, on one subject nearly putting them in a trancelike state, but can the code account for that too?

If I can cast a spell one one object the code itself will allow me to cast on x amounts of objects because it isnt a DM who can throw the BS flag when something like that happens.

Are there any counterspells to this? maybe a scrye check. Are there any will saves to negate? I dont know. I know for just about every skill and spell in TT there is at least one direct/indirect way to counter it via another spell, skill or saving throw. what would be this spells counter? another feat having to be created specifically for this? or another spell having to be created. If thats the case then lets open it up to a bit of reality (well as far as you can go in a reality game).

I am a good natured and slightly mischevious wizzie who happens upon said coin and notice the effects of the weave placed on said coin. being a big beleiver of privacy I take the coin out to nice quit place away from any ambient noise or others. I put my earplugs in, or cast a deaf spell on myself. Then I cast something to the effect of I beleive banshees wail(dont have any source material with me but I beleive that is the spells name) on the coin. Now your are making saving throws like a madman for your life.

Its this kind of out of the box thinking that the code cant account for, and with seeing no visible counter or cons to this spell I am reluctant to jump on its bandwagon.
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Post by Natasha » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:11 pm

If you wanted to you could make the code limit it to one casting of the spell at a time. While RP-wise the banshee wail point is a damn good idea, the best we have here like that is sound burst, so I suppose in our FK world it's as good as if banshee wail doesn't even exist.

On the other hand, I think there are more useful things to be coded than this spell at present, even though it is a good idea.

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Post by Hviti » Mon Jul 04, 2005 3:52 pm

If poorly made, RL bugs can (just like microphones) crackle/snap/pop. Therefore, perhaps a listen check or magical/mind resist would come into play to 'detect' these.
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Post by Isolrem » Mon Jul 04, 2005 5:18 pm

To clarify a previous point:
I do not believe one can stack multiple copies of the same spell in affect, therefore only one item can be bugged at a time.
Yes, I can totally see sound-related spells transmitting through these items :P
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