Keeping Bird Messengers In Character

[orth]

Hi all,

While working on updating the LORE documentation, we wanted to establish the process that actually happens in character when using the Bird Messaging system.

There is no absolute process that using the bird messengers from LORE equates to in game.  Druids or rangers may be able to personally communicate with a bird to help them send their message.  Other players may like to roleplay it as going to the inn to use their messenger service, the inns of course use birds.  Others may play it as a local postman who gathers messages and then distributes them via bird.  Even still, others have played it as though they have their own personal bird at their beckon all the time (which might be a little far fetched unless you're Plen ).

Point is to try to keep the LORE Bird Messengers in character of course.  Ask yourself if sending the message from where your character is makes sense.  Think about the time it would take to send the message based on the distance to the recipient.

We're not going to be sticky here because the Bird Messaging system is just as much an OOC benefit as it is an IC.  We know there's no way to stop you folks from communicating externally to coordinate meetings or such, the messaging system was just a way to provide a means to play it out IC.  

With that said, be wary of your usage of communicating by bird during a GM quest.  While mechanically your message may be received by the recipient in as little as 5 minutes provided he/she is out in open air, a GM will typically not accept that reality.  

-o

[lonnarin]

Good points, Orth.

What amazes me is how often they unerringly send messages out to people in the wilderness who are in a location unknown to both the bird the sender.  "I'll send them a bird" and "find player x in the mountains" only goes so far IC.  Ideally, messenger pidgeons and falcons only migrate across a well-known path it was trained to follow, so as a matter of personal preference I rarely respond to a bird unless I make it to a city and "check my B-Mail".

Even if you are a ranger, druid or even the birdlord, bear in mind that your avian followers have intelligence scores of 1-2, 3 tops and only if its a domesticated cockatiel, cockatoo or parrot.  Telling a sparrow to "find Gloin" and pointing north has about the same amount of success and trying to mail a letter to "Joe, West of This Mailbox" as your only instructions on the envelope.  These birds aren't psychic; they aren't even literate or remotely known for their critical thinking skills.  Most of them can't even understand earrings aren't edible.

[Nehetsrev]

And here I've tended to think that hey, it's a world with -magic-, so perhaps the birds aren't really birds at all, but actually facsimilies of birds which are the manifestations of some magic spell that combines conjuration and illusion along with divination to un-erringly deliver a written message anywhere in the world.  Right, so then we would have to believe as well that there is some organization of individuals who hold the patent on, and keep the secret of this spell very well, and at the same time charge a nominal fee to those wishing to use their service...

Of course, such a thing is probably too far-fetched in a world with any amount of magic.  *shrugs*  Maybe I'm wrong.

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Disclaimer:  The above text was meant solely as an amusing way to pass the time, and though it could be argued either as feasible or not, it shouldn't be taken overly seriously.

[Fatherchaos]

So that's how the locate object spell works!

Bird, Send this message to "uber powerful sword of doom, double xp & gold, and soul mother avoidance"

Follow bird

Profit!



I've always just rp'd the birds in the manner that they arrive - tasty. Just kidding - in all honesty Dur'Thak has never received a bird outside of a city so I've never thought any further on the matter.

Thanks for the ideas should a bird ever arrive when Dur is in his secret places