Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aenghus" data-source="post: 6196975" data-attributes="member: 2656">One reason for the use of DM force is to patch inconsistencies between the simulated depiction of the world within the rules and how the DM wants the world to work. I've seen and read DMs who think 0-level rulers exist in D&D worlds and have real power. Further, while ruler being a pawn of the power behind the throne is common, I have seen assertions that 0-level or non-classed rulers can stil have real power. But such figures are easily killed or manipulated, the latter especially by magic, so access to such people needs to be controlled to forbid undesirables (typically including the PCs, (correctly in many cases)).Charm Person as a spell has steadily lowered in power through the editions. I don't know the really early days, but I first encountered it in AD&D where it could be the only offensive spell of a 1st level M-U and so players were really encouraged to talk it up as much as possible, and Dm's were inclined to let it be useful (also to give players an option to just casting Sleep). Charm person in 1e could last for weeks between saves, and was often treated as virtual slavery - I remember articles and at least one adventure with such an interpretation.A M-U having a charmed fighter bodyguard recruited from their foes was typical in some of my early games.In later editions there were more options, more spell slots, and players could generally pick their starting spells, which meant Charm Person dwindled in power to something more appropriate to a 1st level spell.Whether npcs could recognise subtle magic attacks was another issue lacking rules in earlier editions, and the Dm's and players opinions on this would colour the effectiveness of subtle vs flashy magic. Most D&D games I am familiar with allowed a certain amount of stealth casting of spells like charm person, possibly with the risk of discovery. In a lot of games even being discovered casting didn't reveal the spell involved in most cases. Naive Dms could have even low level adventurers stamp all over low level NPCs. Which often caused a backlash, making those NPCs invulnerable instead, which preserved the DM's plot but often at the cost of railroading the players.</blockquote>

Verification