Hidden Items and Dead Drops

[Dorn]

So in the course of dealing with other people, and the exchange of items, riln and contracts I had an idea..

I thought it was even doable with the mechanics in the game as they are. My character hid a chest, with information and goods inside and let the other individual know where to look. Said individual found it easily enough, swapped around a few things, and then hide and returned the chest back into hiding.

This is where the problem came up. The other individual has a high Stealth score. Dorn on the other hand has next to zero perception. Even though ICly Dorn knows where to look for the dead drop, he simply can't find it so might have to scrap the idea.

What I'd like to see, is that when you drop an item from hiding to form a cache you're able to use some sort of other command to the item that is on the ground that gives another character either a large bonus to finding it or a 100% chance like you yourself have.

[Blitz]

At first glance, this seems like a nice feature.

However, I think the elaborate code-wise implementation required, and the limited demand for this would highly reduce its priority between the many other tasks and suggestions already up on the wish-list. Besides that, there's a lot of question marks left. What if you were told where to look via a treasure map or something of the sort. And what if said treasure map found its way into someone else's hands? What if you don't tell just 1 person, but a whole group of them where to find something you've hidden?

[Rias]

I've wanted to facilitate something like this for a long time, so please continue to discuss/suggest.

[Lysse]

If I remember correctly, I believe Skjotur posted an idea something along the lines allowing PCs to lower their stealth for the purpose of drops. To prevent people from simply lowering their stealth, maybe allow it to be linked to a special command separate from the 'drop' command, that makes an item have a skill challenge of 1 to find.

[Blitz]

Hmm. I suppose we could mechanically implement hiding something in a specific place by giving it a (location appropriate) password. In a forest, you could specifically hide your item behind a large TREE, or inside a HOLLOW one, on top of a big BRANCH, beneath some ROOTS... Whatever the password is should be set by the person dropping/hiding the item. He could then inform a person -- orally, mentally, via mail, or however else is preferred -- of the location and the 'password' (i.e. the precise place in which to look).

Someone searching for something while knowing the password (SEARCH HOLLOW, for example) would have a far greater chance at, or even automatic success in revealing what was hid there. Someone just SEARCHing in a room, without the password, would have to overcome the original hider's stealth rating, as is currently the case.

To prevent people coming up with nonsense passwords, perhaps enforce it to be a word which also occurs in the room's description?

[Jaster]

drop package pants