D&D (2024) Dominate Monster: How "best" is best?

[Stalker0]

So in the Vecna simulation may character has been dominated. Since its been a while since I've been dominated, I looked up the spell. The key text to me: "issue commands to the creature while you are conscious (no Action required), which it does its best to obey"

So unlike in the 3e version, you don't exert precise control unless you consume your action, you just give a "general command". So the question is, how gung ho does a person have to be in fulfilling out the orders to "do their best"?

In my cases, I'm a high level sorceror tasked with killing one of my allies as the general task. Do I need to:

• Burn every possible sorceror point to bump up my damage/saves? (including using quicken metamagic for more damage?)
• Use my highest level spell slots to generate the most possible damage?

 

[Vaalingrade]

I would expect the dominated creature to nova if possible.

 

[SkidAce]

I would say that you attempt to kill the ally just as if it was an NPC that you wanted to kill.

A solid effort in an attempt to negate/kill a threat.

It would not be a nova, all out blitz, unless your character has already established that they approach threats that way.

 

[DND_Reborn]

In my cases, I'm a high level sorceror tasked with killing one of my allies as the general task. Do I need to:

• Burn every possible sorceror point to bump up my damage/saves? (including using quicken metamagic for more damage?)
• Use my highest level spell slots to generate the most possible damage?

Yes and Yes, but only if upcasting would generate more damage than the higher level spells you have available.

For example, I just adjusted you to use your 7th level slot (you wanted 6th, but that was used by Sunbeam earlier), but really Reverse Gravity would have been better 6d6 "falling damage" up to the ceiling and another 6d6 falling damage at the bottom when you cancelled it.

7th level MM is 9d4+9, so the 12d6 would have been better. My bad on that one. Since you empowered it, the damage was comparable (39 for mm vs. avg 42 for double falling).

 

[Voadam]

I would say that you attempt to kill the ally just as if it was an NPC that you wanted to kill.

A solid effort in an attempt to negate/kill a threat.

It would not be a nova, all out blitz, unless your character has already established that they approach threats that way.

I agree.

Generally tasked with killing a person is a judgment call on appropriate ways to do so. No time pressure is given so resource management judgment calls on whether to nova can vary. "Kill them as quickly as possible" would add different factors to the judgment call.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Just my feeling, but I imagine Vecna would phrase it as 'Destroy them'.

Which still leaves room open for the bard to deliver a devastating Yo Mama joke.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I would say that you attempt to kill the ally just as if it was an NPC that you wanted to kill.

A solid effort in an attempt to negate/kill a threat.

It would not be a nova, all out blitz, unless your character has already established that they approach threats that way.

This would be my take as well.

@Stalker0 A dominated PC should view "kill your Fighter friend" (or whatever) in the same light that they would taking down any other dangerous threat. Do you regularly drop SP to get off both a spell and a cantrip (Quicken), perhaps paired with Twin Spell to beef up one of them? Then I think it reasonable that you would do so in this context. Likewise, if you tend to be economical--only spending your high-level slots when you think you REALLY need them, and instead mostly relying on cantrips or low-level spells--then I would expect you to behave similarly, unless something pressed you.

I don't think it should be expected that you blow literally ALL the resources you can ASAP, as most people wouldn't do that unless they were genuinely fearful for their life (or fearful that some similarly horrible problem would result if they failed to stop their opponent.) But nor should you be holding back as hard as you can, because that doesn't really sound like being mind-controlled. It all depends on how your character would normally approach "kill this enemy combatant" as an order.

 

[Stalker0]

I don't think it should be expected that you blow literally ALL the resources you can ASAP, as most people wouldn't do that unless they were genuinely fearful for their life (or fearful that some similarly horrible problem would result if they failed to stop their opponent.) But nor should you be holding back as hard as you can, because that doesn't really sound like being mind-controlled. It all depends on how your character would normally approach "kill this enemy combatant" as an order.

So one of the tricks is, if i'm still thinking like a PC I might still think, "well I might have 3-4 more encounters today", and so would conserve resources. However, if I'm in the "final boss" mindset, I might go for broke and nova.

I guess it should just stick with the plan for the original battle. if this was meant to be the first encounter in a possible multi-encoutner day, saving resources still makes sense. If its the last fight, it should be all out.

 

[MarkB]

I would say that you attempt to kill the ally just as if it was an NPC that you wanted to kill.

A solid effort in an attempt to negate/kill a threat.

It would not be a nova, all out blitz, unless your character has already established that they approach threats that way.

I'd go the other way. Normally you're holding back on resources because you're managing them with a view to being able to face the next threat, or get through the rest of the day.

But when you're dominated, such considerations go out the window. Your sole objective is the command you've just been given.

So what lengths would your character go to if the rest of the day didn't matter, if you had no reason to hold anything back? That's doing your best.

 

[iserith]

If the caster is issuing a general command, then it's up to the player what the character does within the bounds of that command. "Attack that creature," for example, could mean throwing a punch or chucking a rock at them for all I care. (After all, it means my NPC or monster isn't being attacked by this PC and that's good enough.)

If I want them to do something more than that, I need to have the NPC or monster use its action to take precise control.

Thus, the optimal tactic from the player here is to do just enough that the DM won't take precise control to have the PC nova. Unless they actually need to tempt the DM to have the NPC or monster to use its action on that for some reason (perhaps because other action options are nastier).