Need some help on how to handle a Dominated NPC...

[RigaMortus]

I have a couple questions regarding the Domination power. I'm playing a Telepath Psionist and picked up Lesser Domination (I think that's what it's called), but I have some questions about it I'm hoping to get answered here.

1) It says I can control the actions of a person, which to me means I can make them walk here and there, pick things up, fight and even speak (since speaking is an action). Can I make them say whatever I want them to say?

2) Does a Dominated person realize they are dominated?

3) If I Dominate the king and make him pass some law, will he think HE did this himself, or will he think some outside force persuaded him to do it? Will he think to himself, "Wonder why I did that?". Can he warn others that something is amiss?

4) Can I control the persons thought or mind as well? Can I make them think what I want them to think? Or feel what I want them to feel?

Thx for any advice...

 

[Telperion]

They way I see it there are three main-stream options:

1: Dominate person causes the target to become mentally enslaved. You can insert orders, and they will follow them to the letter (not always a good thing). Target remembers and experiences everything, and can fight against you after a fashion.

2: Its not the mind, but the body. You by-pass the mind, and shove the target to the back seat while the spell is in effect. The target remembers and experiences everything, but can't actually do anything about it.

Anyway you wish to play it: you can have the target do anything you want. There's nothing he can do about it, unless the action is in direct opposition to his "nature". Of course what is in the "nature" of a character is a good question. I think there's a fairly good thread floating around here somewhere on the subject.

Now, from the description of the power I would imagine the person who created domination for the psionics thought of option nro. 1.

 

[RigaMortus]

That's fine if he remembers and experiences everything "after the fact", but what about during the act? Like if I make the dominated king give all his money away to the poor people, will he give it away but be bitching about it the whole time? Or will he tell his guards, "I don't know why I am giving my gold away, but I feel the urge to to it."? Basically, can he warn anybody when he does something that I am forcing him to do, that he isn't doing himself?

 

[Telperion]

That's fine if he remembers and experiences everything "after the fact", but what about during the act? Like if I make the dominated king give all his money away to the poor people, will he give it away but be bitching about it the whole time? Or will he tell his guards, "I don't know why I am giving my gold away, but I feel the urge to to it."? Basically, can he warn anybody when he does something that I am forcing him to do, that he isn't doing himself?

The way I see it: yes, he experiences everything trough-out the duration of the spell. Before, during and after. He probably knowns that he is under the effect of some kind of an effect, but he can't help himself. That's where the new will-save comes in, with maybe a bonus for the target, if he is acting "against his nature".

There's a Sense Motive check that can spot a person under the effect of an enchantment school spell. I would image that the same goes for psionics. So, while he might not be able to vocalize anything his bodylanguage and other little details might tip someone off. Although that someone has to be fairly perceptive, or lucky, if I remember correctly.

Generally speaking: I'm very careful with powers or spells like Dominate. Mainly because they tend to create new enemies, and are seldom worth the trouble that follows afterwards. Of course in a fight the spell is just splendid , but we are obviously talking about out-of-combat situations.