D&D 5E Paladin's Aura of Devotion and Dominate Person

[Joker]

Does the Paladin's Aura protect against Dominate Person as well as Charm Person?

 

[Tzarevitch]

I assume you are referring to the Aura of Devotion. Deep in the text of the dominate spells they say that the target is charmed. Aura of devotion protects against charm. It's very poor writing but the answer is pretty definitive.

 

[Joker]

I assume you are referring to the Aura of Devotion. Deep in the text of the dominate spells they say that the target is charmed. Aura of devotion protects against charm. It's very poor writing but the answer is pretty definitive.

That's how I reasoned it as well. In that, Charm Person and Dominate Person have almost the same language but a fellow player feels that because it doesn't say that Domination gives you the Charmed condition that it's not the same effect. I think that might be a holdover from previous editions where you had conditions and keywords in italics in the spell description.

 

[bganon]

I wouldn't even call it "deep in the text". It's the second sentence: "succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed"! How could it be more clear? Why would a spell say "be charmed" if not referring to the condition?

 

[KarinsDad]

I wouldn't even call it "deep in the text". It's the second sentence: "succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed"! How could it be more clear? Why would a spell say "be charmed" if not referring to the condition?

Yup.

No different than "succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be prone".