What a marvelous invention! Now I can ignore you without the inconvenience of having to look at you, too.
A Telecaster is basically anybody that has and knows how to use a cell phone, while its advanced abilities get somewhat more cutting-edge in the field of communications tech. This makes it an extremely common archetype in contemporary settings and a wildly rare and powerful one in more low-tech campaigns. Call your boss while on the job to clarify how you'd like it done, or take a selfie with the dead dragon and send it to the King so he can get the bounty ready!
| Telecaster | Communicate at a distance. | |
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| caret-right | Data | Record information. |
| caret-right | Deceit | Hide and prevent comms use. |
| caret-right | Multisensory | Not just sound. |
| caret-right | Network | Call anybody. |
| caret-right | Satellites | Distance isn't a factor. |
| Social | plus-circleCall Me: As an action, you may contact any other creature that you have previously met. After contacting somebody, you can talk with them as long as you want. If desired, you can conference call by spending additional actions to add more creatures to the conversation. minus-circleLimits: You can only call somebody if they also have at least one level in Telecaster and if they're somewhere within the same regional hex (10 km across) as you. |
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| caret-right | Alternative | plus-circleGot Their Number: You can contact any creature with whom you have a relationship level of Friend, even if they don't have any levels in Telecaster. minus-circleSupplies: Roll a trigger die when you contact somebody that doesn't have any levels in Telecaster. If they are a Friend, then doing so costs 1 point of Supplies when the trigger die is 1-6. If they're a Bond, then it only costs Supplies when the trigger die is 1-3. minus-circleUse Up Your Minutes: If your conversation lasts for multiple exploration turns, you must re-roll and pay again at the beginning of each. |
| Utility | plus-circleGet This Saved: You can record audio (from a conversation you have via Telecaster or just noises you hear) and play it back later. plus-circleWe Have Video: If you also have the Multisensory ability from this archetype, you can record any kind of sensory input you're capable of communicating in and recreate it later. minus-circleKeep It Sane: Assume you can store a lot of recorded data, but not an infinite amount. You can save up to five important recordings (like “Lord Toastwanker's sworn testimony”, “the bank manager's voice passcode to the vault”, and “ogres farting”). None of your recordings can last longer than an exploration turn. |
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| caret-right | Alternative | plus-circleExternal Drives: You can store extra recordings just in case you need them by creating a Data Storage item. Data Storage items can hold up to five additional important recordings and take up a single inventory slot. You can freely change or delete individual recordings from your Data Storage item so long as it's in your inventory. minus-circleSupplies: Creating a Data Storage item costs 1 point of Supplies. |
| Social | plus-circleCheck It Out, Bro: You can share your recordings with anybody you call with the Telecaster ability. minus-circleFleeting Experience: The person you share your recordings with cannot save them and play them back later for their own purposes unless they also have the Data ability. |
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| Utility | plus-circleHidden Comms: Your comms equipment is hidden or disguised such that no one looking at you can tell you have it, even while you are using it. A thorough search of your person might reveal your comms, but anything less won't. | |
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| Utility | plus-circleScrying: As an action, you can plant an innocuous object called a “bug”. You can call any bug you've previously planted and listen in on whatever's happening around it as if you were there yourself. A thorough search will reveal a bug, but anything less won't. minus-circleLow Energy: Any planted bugs burn out and become useless at the end of each session. minus-circleSupplies: Planting a bug costs 1 point of Supplies. |
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| Utility | plus-circleComms Jammer: As an action, you can plant an object called a “jammer”. Jammers prevent all Telecaster communications within 1 km of their position from happening, including your own. minus-circleVery Low Energy: Any planted jammers burn out and become useless when the exploration die check comes up 5-6 (Depletion). minus-circleSupplies: Planting a jammer costs 1 point of Supplies. |
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| Social | plus-circleVideophone: Your comms can send/receive visual as well as auditory information. | |
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| caret-right | Alternative | plus-circleExtrasensory: You can choose to send/receive additional types of sensory input (such as scent, texture, or maybe a weirder sense like the Burrower's Tremorsense or Undead's Lifesight). minus-circleI Don't Know What To Do With This: You can only communicate sensory input for senses that you are capable of perceiving, obviously. Same goes for whoever you're communicating them with. minus-circleSupplies: For every additional sense you choose to communicate, you must spend 1 point of Supplies. minus-circleUse Up Your Minutes: If your conversation lasts for multiple exploration turns, you must pay again at the beginning of each. |
| Social | plus-circleWhite Pages: You can contact any creature that you've met at least once before, even if they don't have any levels in Telecaster. minus-circleSupplies: Roll a trigger die when you contact an acquaintance that doesn't have any levels in Telecaster. If the result is 1-6, then doing so costs 1 point of Supplies. plus-circleFamily Plan: When contacting a Friend with no levels in Telecaster, it only costs Supplies when the trigger die is 1-3 instead of 1-6. If they're a Bond, then it only costs Supplies when the trigger die is 1 instead of 1-3. minus-circleUse Up Your Minutes: If your conversation lasts for multiple exploration turns, you must re-roll and pay again at the beginning of each. |
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| caret-right | Alternative | plus-circleUnsolicited: You can contact any creature that you've heard of, even if you've never actually met them before. minus-circleSupplies: Contacting a stranger always costs 1 point of Supplies. minus-circleReally Use Up Your Minutes: If your conversation lasts for multiple exploration turns, you must pay again at the beginning of each. |
| Social | plus-circleCan't Stop the Signal: You can contact and communicate with people at any distance. | |
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