Possession and Protection from Evil.

[Darkness8Me]

What is the effect of protection from evil or a magic circle against evil on an individual who is already possessed by another creature? I see two possible options:

1) The possessed individual acts normally for the duration (or while in the area of effect of) the spell.

2) The possessed individual is still under control of his / her assailant.

From the SRD:
Protection from Evil

Second, the barrier blocks any attempt to possess the warded creature (as by a magic jar attack) or to exercise mental control over the creature (as by a vampire’s supernatural domination ability, which works similar to dominate person). The protection does not prevent a vampire’s domination itself, but it prevents the vampire from mentally commanding the protected creature. If the protection from evil effect ends before the domination effect does, the vampire would then be able to mentally command the controlled creature. Likewise, the barrier keeps out a possessing life force but does not expel one if it is in place before the spell is cast. This second effect works regardless of alignment.

I understand that someone can not be possessed while the spell is in effect. Basically, my question is if possession considered to be "exercising mental control over the creature".

 

[kreynolds]

Uh...I just had a complete and total brain fart! Can someone point me to "possession" in the books? I would really appreciate it.

 

[Archer]

I think once you have been magic jarred you are beyond the help of a 1st level spell. Your life force in no longer in your body so you wouldn't act normally. Exercising mental control is different from possession.

"does not expel one if it is in place before the spell is cast" seems pretty clear about the matter of possession.

 

[LostSoul]

Uh...I just had a complete and total brain fart! Can someone point me to "possession" in the books? I would really appreciate it.

Domination is one similar effect.

 

[hong]

I'd say that the domination is suppressed for the duration of the prot. evil, which would allow the character to act as they would otherwise do.

 

[Trellian]

I ran into the same thing when running a vampire slaying module from Dungeon.. one of the players cast Protection from Evil, thereby negating any control from the vampires. BUT, they could still DOMINATE them, and then controlling them later on when the protection wore off..

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Think of Protection from Evil as a wall, through which a creature cannot give any orders to another creature which has been dominated. The orders cannot pass through, but the domination itself is unaffected by the wall between master and slave.

Note that dominated individuals, while they are safe from further orders, must still carry out any orders they were previously given, even if they later come under the effects of Protection from Evil. So if a vampire dominates a fighter and tells him, "kill all your friends," a Protection from Evil cast afterward will not let him ignore that order. It will, however, prevent any further orders from coming in.