Protection from Evil

[Numenorean]

Ok, lets say you are a goodly character going up against an evil one.

Would your protection from evil spell protect you against your foe's :

1. Fear spell

2. Confusion spell

3. Hold person spell

4. I'm assuming its a no brainer that it would protect against any sort of charm, domination, suggestion, etc... but what about #1-3 ???


Many thanks.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Would your protection from evil spell protect you against your foe's :

1. Fear spell

2. Confusion spell

3. Hold person spell

+2 resistance bonus on saves versus effects created by evil creatures applies.

Confusion and Hold Person are Enchantment (Compulsion) effects, but they don't grant the spellcaster ongoing control. He has no influence over what you do; it's entirely up to the spell. Compare this to Domination, where the caster has control.

Fear is Necromancy.

So none of the three are completely blocked like Charm Person or Domination.

-Hyp.

 

[Infiniti2000]

And charm person isn't blocked either as it is not domination. Charm and dominate are not the same.

 

[Thanee]

Charm is blocked, the spell description and FAQ say so.

I wouldn't really consider Charm as mental control, but so it is.

Suggestion is not mental control, neither is any of the above. The important part is, that it must be ongoing (or of the Charm subschool) and thus allows you to change "orders". Dominate does this for sure, and Charm, while not really outright mental control, also allows some kind of ongoing control over a targets actions (that is, you can change the behaviour of the target via the Charm). All Enchantment (Charm) effects are therefore declared to count as mental control and thus Protection from Evil protects against them.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Hypersmurf]

Charm is blocked, the FAQ says so.

I wouldn't see it as being blocked either, by the RAW, but the FAQ declared [Charm] as "ongoing control".

The FAQ declared Charm 'mental control', not 'ongoing control'.

It depends how you read the sentence "including enchantment (charm) effects and enchantment (compulsion) effects that grant the caster ongoing control over the subject, such as dominate person".

The 3E Main FAQ clarified that it includes:
1. Enchantment (Charm) effects, and
2. Enchantment (Compulsion) effects that grant the caster ongoing control over the subject.

rather than:

1. Enchantment (Charm) effects that grant the caster ongoing control over the subject, and
2. Enchantment (Compulsion) effects that grant the caster ongoing control over the subject.

The second function of the protection from evil spell
blocks any attempt to possess the warded creature or to
exercise mental control over the creature. What, exactly,
counts as mental control?

“Mental control” includes all spells of the school of
Enchantment that have the Charm subschool, such as animal
friendship, charm person, and charm monster. It also includes
some Enchantment spells of the Compulsion subschool if those
spells grant the caster ongoing control over the subject; such
spells include dominate person and dominate monster.
Compulsions that merely dictate the subject’s action at the time
the spell takes effect are not blocked. Such spells include
command, hold person, geas/quest, hypnotism, insanity, Otto’s
irresistible dance, random action, suggestion, and zone of
truth.

-Hyp.

 

[Infiniti2000]

It's the "such as dominate person" that is the key point in the spell description. That defines what is alike as far as mental control is concerned. For charm person et al to be blocked, you would have to first rule that charm person works like dominate person. That's a big change and certainly not one that's recommended.

 

[Thanee]

Ah, right. Charm effects are even listed in the spell description, actually.

Second, the barrier blocks any attempt to possess the warded creature (by a magic jar attack, for example) or to exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment (charm) effects and enchantment (compulsion) effects that grant the caster ongoing control over the subject, such as dominate person).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Pielorinho]

And just so I'm clear, a PfE cast aftera dominate person doesn't countermand the last order given, right? It just prevents the issuing of new orders?

Daniel

 

[Infiniti2000]

And just so I'm clear, a PfE cast aftera dominate person doesn't countermand the last order given, right? It just prevents the issuing of new orders?

Daniel

The PfE suppresses the domination for its duration.

SRD: "The protection does not prevent such effects from targeting the protected creature, but it suppresses the effect for the duration of the protection from evil effect. "

 

[Pielorinho]

So during the suppression, the target of both spells may act freely?

Cool! Our battle against the enchantress should've been even easier!

(And a related question: am I right in thinking that a dominated person may make any decisions freely unless specifically instructed on what to do? More specifically, when I cast PfE on a dominated person, assuming the enchanter hasn't said, "resist any spells cast at you from anyone besides me," can the dominatee choose to fail the PfE save?)

Daniel