Ragewalker's Frenzy vs Dominate Person

avin

First Post
I run a Planescape game. This saturday we faced a rule problem that could lead to one of the players death.

They were facing a Ragewalker (MMIII) when the barbarian of the group (of course) failed her save for the creature's Induce Blood Frenzy which says she needs to melee attack "the nearest target".

When the barbarian was frenzied the Ragewalker moved away to fight another party member, leaving the barbarian fighting the ranger of the group.

The wizard of the group immediately casts Dominate Person and order she attack the ragewalker.

What should occur? PHB rule about multiple mind effect (IIRC) says effects don't interfere each other and the target must obey both in the best way.

I personally disagree, because there is a conflict between "the nearest creature" and "attack the ragewalker". Is there ant official clarification about that somewhere?
 

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I don't have a page cite - but I believe the PHB indicates that when a creature is charmed by different people and the charmed creature gets conflicting orders, then each caster make opposing charisma checks.

That said, in this case I'd probably let the dominate person spell override the blood frenzy because I don't seem the two effects as equivalent.
From your description, the blood frenzy induces an emotional state in the creature, but there's no 'active' control behind the blood frenzy. Once the frenzy is in place the creature is left to his or her own devices on how to best kill the nearest creature.

The dominate person effect however is active ongoing control. If the victim fails their save they're forced to do whatever the caster wishes.

That's my two cents at any rate.
 

right... but ragewalker has a caster level of 20 and the wizard a 14... i think is strange dominate break the utility of the ragewalker's supernatural ability.
 

Not at all strange as they are very different effects.

As for the caster level disparity, a simple Protection from Evil counters that Dominate person quite easily.
 

Ya but I think the wizard used the dominate on the barbarian to save the ranger.

The ragewalker ability induces a state in the target in which the target then works out how to best attack the nearest person. Dominate tells the dominated exactly what the dominator wants. I'd rule that the dominate overwrites because it completely bends the target to the caster's will.
 

Thanks for your opinions.

If I had to use a house rule I'd make a Caster Level check instead of the opposite CHA contest... :)
 

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