Best way to keep from being charmed?

[Angcuru]

Kill every mage you see on the spot. Sure, it causes a lot of social problems, but you can avoid this situation.

 

[Olive]

So get your Prot from Evil going. Blocks mind control from non-good sources.

Does it? Or does it block mind-control from evil sources?

 

[Caliban]

Does it? Or does it block mind-control from evil sources?

It blocks mental domination from any source; good, evil, or otherwise.

But it doesn't help again charm person, since it isn't direct control of your mind.

 

[maybeso]

have your cleric or sorcerer charm you first.

No, really, assuming you like and trust your party cleric/and/or/sorcerer (or bard, if he hasn't died trying to be a tank...) have them charm you first.

then read pg 153 in the players handbook, under "multiple mental control effects:".

"If the controlled creature receives conflicting orders simultaneously, the competing controllers must make opposed Charisma checks to determine which one the creature obeys."

so have the guy with the best charisma charm you first, and give you a set of "standing orders".

 

[Hypersmurf]

But it doesn't help again charm person, since it isn't direct control of your mind.

That's the sensible ruling based on the PHB text.

Unfortunately, the FAQ strikes again :

The second function of the protection from evil spell
blocks any attempt to possess the warded creature or to
exercise mental control over the creature. What, exactly,
counts as mental control?
“Mental control” includes all spells of the school of
Enchantment that have the Charm subschool, such as animal
friendship, charm person, and charm monster. It also includes
some Enchantment spells of the Compulsion subschool if those
spells grant the caster ongoing control over the subject; such
spells include dominate person and dominate monster.
Compulsions that merely dictate the subject’s action at the time
the spell takes effect are not blocked. Such spells include
command, hold person, geas/quest, hypnotism, insanity, Otto’s
irresistible dance, random action, suggestion, and zone of
truth.

Would a protection from evil spell block mind-affecting
spells that aren’t from the Enchantment school, such as
cause fear, create undead, gate, hypnotic pattern, mount,
rainbow pattern, sanctuary, and summon monster?
No, see previous question.

I think that particular FAQ entry is a load of rubbish, but if your DM treats the FAQ as overriding of PHB text, then it's official...

-Hyp.

 

[Olive]

It blocks mental domination from any source; good, evil, or otherwise.

Really? so any prot from spell blocks any mental domination? So it would block dominate person? Without a save or opposed caster checks or anything?

But it doesn't help again charm person, since it isn't direct control of your mind.

So what IS (ignoring the FAQ) mental domination? Presumably and dominate spell. What else?

 

[Caliban]

That's the sensible ruling based on the PHB text.

Unfortunately, the FAQ strikes again :

The second function of the protection from evil spell
blocks any attempt to possess the warded creature or to
exercise mental control over the creature. What, exactly,
counts as mental control?
“Mental control” includes all spells of the school of
Enchantment that have the Charm subschool, such as animal
friendship, charm person, and charm monster. It also includes
some Enchantment spells of the Compulsion subschool if those
spells grant the caster ongoing control over the subject; such
spells include dominate person and dominate monster.
Compulsions that merely dictate the subject’s action at the time
the spell takes effect are not blocked. Such spells include
command, hold person, geas/quest, hypnotism, insanity, Otto’s
irresistible dance, random action, suggestion, and zone of
truth.

Would a protection from evil spell block mind-affecting
spells that aren’t from the Enchantment school, such as
cause fear, create undead, gate, hypnotic pattern, mount,
rainbow pattern, sanctuary, and summon monster?
No, see previous question.

I think that particular FAQ entry is a load of rubbish, but if your DM treats the FAQ as overriding of PHB text, then it's official...

-Hyp.

Eh, learn something new every day.

 

[Caliban]

Really? so any prot from spell blocks any mental domination? So it would block dominate person? Without a save or opposed caster checks or anything?

The dominate person would still take effect, but the control could not be exercised.

The relevent text of the Protection From Evil spell:

"Second, the barrier blocks any attempt to possess the warded creature (as by a magic jar attack) or to exercise mental control over the creature (as by a vampire’s supernatural domination ability, which works similar to dominate person). The protection does not prevent a vampire’s domination itself, but it prevents the vampire from mentally commanding the protected creature. If the protection from evil effect ends before the domination effect does, the vampire would then be able to mentally command the controlled creature. Likewise, the barrier keeps out a possessing life force but does not expel one if it is in place before the spell is cast. This second effect works regardless of alignment."

So what IS (ignoring the FAQ) mental domination? Presumably and dominate spell. What else?

I would have thought that it prevented any spell with a [Compulsion] descriptor that allowed them to mentally control your actions. Apparently they didn't want it to block Hold Person, so they went with a more convoluted explanation.

Though it does seem strange that it will stop Dominate Person but not Suggestion.

 

[Zentermi]

What about good ol' Spell Immunity?

When you can be relatively certain that it will be one kind of charm(as opposed to one type of alignment) casting this spell will block Charm Person or Domination or whatever. It's quite specific tho.

Perhaps your cleric would allow creation of a mind control based Broch of Shielding based on this effect(perhaps 101 rounds of protection vs. 101 pts. damage immunity).

Just a thought.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Though it does seem strange that it will stop Dominate Person but not Suggestion.

That's one of the things about the ruling that really got me. Suggestion and Geas, which can force you to do all sorts of things, are not considered mental control, but Charm Person, which makes you feel friendly towards someone, is.

Hmm.

-Hyp.