Dominate: Can you compel free actions?

Lizard · Jul 14, 2009

OK, a Dominated creature is Dazed, and you choose its one (standard/move/minor) action.

A Dazed creature can normally take Free actions.

Can you force a Dominated creature to take free actions in addition to its one S/M/M action? Instead of? More than one free action?

"Drop your sword (free), charge at your buddy (single S/M/M action allowed by Dazed), then fall prone (free)": Legitimate for a dominated target?

"Tell me who your boss is." (Talking, a free action: Legitimate?)

Also: Is a Dominated creature still an "enemy"? I want to make my puppets run (lowering their defenses) in a zig-zag through my allies, letting them make opportunity attacks. Allowed?

1of3 · Jul 14, 2009

Enemy or ally do not make sense, if you consider them states or conditions of some kind. An ally is simply a "willing target of your choice". An enemy is a target of your choice, whether willing or not.

You can make opportunity attacks against your friends, if you like.

Mort_Q · Jul 14, 2009

1of3 said:
Enemy or ally do not make sense, if you consider them states or conditions of some kind. An ally is simply a "willing target of your choice". An enemy is a target of your choice, whether willing or not.

You can make opportunity attacks against your friends, if you like.

I agree, the "enemy" and "ally" distinction is made by the player when they choose to use their power(s).

As for free actions, since they are the purview of the DM anyway, I'd allow simple ones, like "drop your weapon" but compelling information... I'd have to look at other powers... but gut feeling is that that would be stepping on the toes of other charm effects.

Mesh Hong · Jul 14, 2009

I generally interpret dominated as giving the creature that is dominating the target one action.

That one action could be to drop prone, throw their weapon away, make an attack, move etc.

Personally I think having the dominated target attack, then drop their weapon, then fall prone is a little harsh, you are already making them effectively miss their turn and hinder the rest of their team.

Infiniti2000 · Jul 15, 2009

Lizard said:
OK, a Dominated creature is Dazed, and you choose its one (standard/move/minor) action.

A Dazed creature can normally take Free actions.

Can you force a Dominated creature to take free actions in addition to its one S/M/M action? Instead of? More than one free action?

No, you said it yourself: one. From the glossary, "The dominating creature chooses your action."

Lizard said:
"Tell me who your boss is." (Talking, a free action: Legitimate?)

This of course works, but not like you imply. You choose the action, you don't request an action. The dominated creature should respond to this, "Who your boss is." The dominated creature doesn't choose the response, it's given to him.

Griogre · Jul 15, 2009

Lizard said:
"Drop your sword (free), charge at your buddy (single S/M/M action allowed by Dazed), then fall prone (free)": Legitimate for a dominated target?

Fall Prone is not a free action its a minor action (PH 289), so that is not legitimate combined in the group above.

Plane Sailing · Jul 15, 2009

Lizard said:
OK, a Dominated creature is Dazed, and you choose its one (standard/move/minor) action.

A Dazed creature can normally take Free actions.

Can you force a Dominated creature to take free actions in addition to its one S/M/M action? Instead of? More than one free action?

Personally, I would say yes (although forcing them to run past allies to provoke OA might seem a bit cheesy!)

Lizard · Jul 15, 2009

The "one action only" thing makes sense to me; it's how I interpreted it, but some folks on RPG.net have apparently been using the "Free action loophole".

On allies/enemies: I agree it ought to be up to the player, but this opens up some nasty loopholes -- my ranger might decide that all orc minions near him are "allies", so his "nearest enemy" is the orc chieftain, making it way too easy to cherry pick a quarry. But I suppose that's another thread.

(Really wish they'd fix the auto-alert when replies are posted thing, already...)

Mort_Q · Jul 15, 2009

Lizard said:
The "one action only" thing makes sense to me; it's how I interpreted it, but some folks on RPG.net have apparently been using the "Free action loophole".

On allies/enemies: I agree it ought to be up to the player, but this opens up some nasty loopholes -- my ranger might decide that all orc minions near him are "allies", so his "nearest enemy" is the orc chieftain, making it way too easy to cherry pick a quarry. But I suppose that's another thread.

(Really wish they'd fix the auto-alert when replies are posted thing, already...)

I never even thought of that...

.... luckily that's covered under the sack-of-rats rules.

Abraxas · Jul 16, 2009

This question came up in the game I'm playing in. The enemy dominated our characters and then forced us to attack each other then use our action points (free action). Couple this with the interpretation that action point use overrules the "only one action while dazed" and we were pretty well screwed.

FTR I agree with the interpretation that action point use can give an additional action when dazed, however - now I am concerned we will to run into creatures that can dominate frequently.