Dominate Person... what can it do?

[Arravis]

I have a question... I used to think that the Dominate Person spell controls the victim's body, but not his mind. I basically treated the caster as a puppet master, able to control the actions and the body of the victim, but not what he thought, said, etc. I thought you couldn't force people to give you information, etc.

As I look closer at the description of the spell, it seems it's not that way. It looks like you could force someone to give you information, to be truthful to you, to lie to others for you, etc. Is this correct? It's clear that you could get someone to physically attack another person with this spell... but could you get them to cast a spell? Could you get them to enchant an item for you? Do spell research? Teach you a skill? What are the limits on what can be done?

I know that certain actions might be against their "nature" and allow a new save, I'm not concerned about that.

From the SRD:

Dominate Person
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 4, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One humanoid
Duration: One day/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You can control the actions of any humanoid creature through a telepathic link that you establish with the subject’s mind.

If you and the subject have a common language, you can generally force the subject to perform as you desire, within the limits of its abilities. If no common language exists, you can communicate only basic commands, such as “Come here,” “Go there,” “Fight,” and “Stand still.” You know what the subject is experiencing, but you do not receive direct sensory input from it, nor can it communicate with you telepathically.

Once you have given a dominated creature a command, it continues to attempt to carry out that command to the exclusion of all other activities except those necessary for day-to-day survival (such as sleeping, eating, and so forth). Because of this limited range of activity, a Sense Motive check against DC 15 (rather than DC 25) can determine that the subject’s behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect (see the Sense Motive skill description).

Changing your instructions or giving a dominated creature a new command is the equivalent of redirecting a spell, so it is a move action.

By concentrating fully on the spell (a standard action), you can receive full sensory input as interpreted by the mind of the subject, though it still can’t communicate with you. You can’t actually see through the subject’s eyes, so it’s not as good as being there yourself, but you still get a good idea of what’s going on.

Subjects resist this control, and any subject forced to take actions against its nature receives a new saving throw with a +2 bonus. Obviously self-destructive orders are not carried out. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited, as long as you and the subject are on the same plane. You need not see the subject to control it.

If you don’t spend at least 1 round concentrating on the spell each day, the subject receives a new saving throw to throw off the domination.

Protection from evil or a similar spell can prevent you from exercising control or using the telepathic link while the subject is so warded, but such an effect neither prevents the establishment of domination nor dispels it.

 

[mvincent]

It looks like you could force someone to give you information, to be truthful to you, to lie to others for you, etc. Is this correct?

Yup

could you get them to cast a spell? Could you get them to enchant an item for you? Do spell research? Teach you a skill?

Yup

What are the limits on what can be done?

Your imagination (and their own physical limitations of course).

 

[evilbob]

I think this sentence sums it up nicely: "If you and the subject have a common language, you can generally force the subject to perform as you desire, within the limits of its abilities."

So, you can't make it kill itself, but anything else that it is able to do is fair game. Casting spells, burning its own XP to make you an item, etc.: all good.

 

[Arkhandus]

I used to think that the Dominate Person spell controls the victim's body, but not his mind.

No way. It's a Mind-Affecting enchantment, all the way. You dominate the target's MIND, so of course you command their every action, not just their physical movements. You tell their brain what to do, and it obeys.