"Domination" Domination

[S'mon]

Weren't they originally 1 per round, but then it was changed to 1 per turn? You could go back to the original rule.

I think it was 1/round in 3E days as well.

1 per turn in 4e PHB. May have been some initial confusion over 4e's distinguishing between 'round' and 'turn'.

 

[NewJeffCT]

1 per turn in 4e PHB. May have been some initial confusion over 4e's distinguishing between 'round' and 'turn'.

Thanks - I'd award you XP for the quick response, but I must spread some around first.

I think there was a clarification or something issued then because we started our 4E campaign a year ago using 1/round and then changed it to 1/turn and it subsequently made the party rogue much stronger.

 

[DracoSuave]

Even if the target is dominated by a player, it's still the DM's job to determine its actions, right? You utter your command and the DM decides how the target acts, to the best of its ability.

No. You control its action. Inconvenience doesnt play into it.

Personally, using dominated to get a fre e attack from oas is acceptable and balanced. If its used to a rediculous fashion tho, limit it to 1/turn. Dont ban it entirely.

 

[babinro]

I love this side of dominate as it is a rare condition that the PC's can have a blast with. I will let/encourage my player characters use the action to let the monster run around provoking OA, or throw away their weapons, etc.

As a DM, I intentionally avoid using these tactics against the PC's because it feels like a cheap tactic. I have enough tools to challenge the players without taking away their fun. My monsters simply choose not to run a PC around and instead do typical attacks or at worst a charge.

For those who don't like this though...I also agree Erf_Beto's comment that the DM who controls the monster ultimately makes the choice of how the monster obeys the given commands.

 

[tunkas]

When receiving a new order from your 'Lord', in example to kill another of your friends, do you receive a new ST?? Does it happen every time you receive a new target among your friends??

 

[DracoSuave]

For those who don't like this though...I also agree Erf_Beto's comment that the DM who controls the monster ultimately makes the choice of how the monster obeys the given commands.

Let's say you dominate a dragon.

Your DM is well within his rights to choose how the monster obeys your command: When you command it to Draconic Fury, the two claws and the bite all targeting the evil and adjacent sorcerer Xazkerbaz, then he is free to make whatever he chooses regarding that...


...so long as those choices involve two claws and the bite all targetting the sorcerer Xazkerbaz...


Dominated gives full control over that one action.

 

[Pentius]

My personal opinion on this is that Dominate is a serious, often lethal status effect. I don't want to see it every day(figuratively speaking), but when I see it, I want the gloves off. If I use it, I will, to the best of my ability, trigger defender marks, trigger OAs and make sure the poor sap regains his wits surrounded by my allies. If an opponent is using it, I fully expect the same treatment. I'd even be a little miffed if a suitably intelligent foe didn't use it that way. I take defensive options for a reason!

 

[Grabuto138]

No. You control its action. Inconvenience doesnt play into it.

Personally, using dominated to get a fre e attack from oas is acceptable and balanced. If its used to a rediculous fashion tho, limit it to 1/turn. Dont ban it entirely.

According to the rules as I read them you are absolutely correct. "the dominator chooses a single action for the creature to take on the creature’s turn" etc.

But rather than interject wonky saving throw rules and what not my preference is just to leave it to the DM and allow him or her to decide the actual details of the actions the dominated monster takes. The monster can run around the melee rather than through it, for example.

Of course, this depends on having a DM that cares about everyones fun most of all. But if you don't have that, find a new game.

 

[DracoSuave]

According to the rules as I read them you are absolutely correct. "the dominator chooses a single action for the creature to take on the creature’s turn" etc.

But rather than interject wonky saving throw rules and what not my preference is just to leave it to the DM and allow him or her to decide the actual details of the actions the dominated monster takes. The monster can run around the melee rather than through it, for example.

Of course, this depends on having a DM that cares about everyones fun most of all. But if you don't have that, find a new game.

True, but I expect the DM to be fairly evenhanded. State flat out 'There's a limit to OAs you're gonna get on this guy, so don't try to push it.'

Then the DM rarely has to worry about such issues, and doesn't have to introduce a bunch of house rules that really only handle corner cases if the group practices the proper amount of restraint that rpgs often require in their social contracts.

 

[DarkLord Of DForce]

Just wanted to point out, from my experience in our games, that even though a player dominates an opponent and runs it for OAs, the full potential here is rarely reached.

For example, our mage dominates a creature, it has a move speed of X. Unfortunately, our party of 5 is scattered out a bit (nothing unusual there!) so only 3 of the 5 can actually get OAs against the dominated creature. Then, only 2 of the 3 actually hit, and one of those was the pacifist cleric who does darn near single digit damage.

Now don't get me wrong, sometimes it goes the other way - once my Avenger and our raging Barbarian both critted on a bypassing dominated creature. Great fun. But that surely doesn't happen often.

Like so many things, its really entertaining, but usually balanced out in the end.

Just a thought...