Protection From Evil vs Dominate

[Shawn_Kehoe]

Hi all,

The spell description for Protection From Evil says that it prevents "any attempt... to exercise mental control over the creature." So if a dominated creature is so warded, the creature's master cannot issue new orders.

But...

If the creature had pre-existing orders - "Travel to the tower," "Never speak above a whisper" or similar conditions - would those also be supressed by the ward? Or does Protection From Evil only cancel active attempts at control, not conditions that were set earlier?

Thanks,
Shawn

 

[amethal]

Hi all,

The spell description for Protection From Evil says that it prevents "any attempt... to exercise mental control over the creature." So if a dominated creature is so warded, the creature's master cannot issue new orders.

But...

If the creature had pre-existing orders - "Travel to the tower," "Never speak above a whisper" or similar conditions - would those also be supressed by the ward? Or does Protection From Evil only cancel active attempts at control, not conditions that were set earlier?

Thanks,
Shawn

I thought the answer was obvious from reading the spell description, but now I have actually read the spell description I see what you mean!

I'd go with "can't issue new orders, but any earlier orders remain in force".

Of course, I can see this leading to silly situations, where the caster wants to cancel an order, and the victim also wants the order cancelled, but a "helpful" protection from evil has made it impossible to do so.

 

[Gerion of Mercadia]

And people whine that Prot from E is overpowered...

The Dominator can't issue new orders, but the creature will act according to the last orders given it.

 

[Piratecat]

I disagree, and frankly can't see how you come to that conclusion. Any mental control is suppressed for the duration of the spell.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/protectionFromEvil.htm

 

[Hypersmurf]

I disagree, and frankly can't see how you come to that conclusion. Any mental control is suppressed for the duration of the spell.

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.

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

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.

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.

The question is whether "exercising control" refers to "changing your instructions or giving a dominated creature a new command", or whether the passive following of an already-given command counts as the caster "exercising control".

-Hyp.

 

[pawsplay]

Hi all,

The spell description for Protection From Evil says that it prevents "any attempt... to exercise mental control over the creature." So if a dominated creature is so warded, the creature's master cannot issue new orders.

But...

If the creature had pre-existing orders - "Travel to the tower," "Never speak above a whisper" or similar conditions - would those also be supressed by the ward? Or does Protection From Evil only cancel active attempts at control, not conditions that were set earlier?

Thanks,
Shawn

If dominate expired, would they continue to carry out the instruction? If the answer is no, then they are having mental control exercised over them. If the answer is yes, then they are not.

 

[Piratecat]

The question is whether "exercising control" refers to "changing your instructions or giving a dominated creature a new command", or whether the passive following of an already-given command counts as the caster "exercising control".

Fair enough. It still seems like a no-brainer to me, but I can sort of see how not everyone might agree.

Gracious of me, innit?

 

[ScipioX]

If dominate expired, would they continue to carry out the instruction? If the answer is no, then they are having mental control exercised over them. If the answer is yes, then they are not.

Nice summary. I think the "blocks the effect" part is also helpful.

 

[phindar]

Yeah, I go with "blocks the effect" as well. ProE suppressed the Domination effect, giving the subject back its own mind for the few minutes the spell is in effect. I would even allow a Dominator to give a Dominatee new orders in the duration of the ProE, but it won't "kick-in" until the ProE expires. Until that time however, the subject is free from mental control.

Personally, I find the Good/Evil/Chaos/Law aspect of protection spells to be a little tiresome, but my group doesn't use Alignment that much. So we just have generic Protection and Magic Circle spells. But the effect is much the same.

 

[moritheil]

Yeah, I go with "blocks the effect" as well. ProE suppressed the Domination effect, giving the subject back its own mind for the few minutes the spell is in effect. I would even allow a Dominator to give a Dominatee new orders in the duration of the ProE, but it won't "kick-in" until the ProE expires. Until that time however, the subject is free from mental control.

That's how I've always run it.