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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 7240868" data-attributes="member: 58172">Charm Person (see Awaken).The effectiveness of the Charmed condition depends on DM discretion. The following are useful considerations.Personally, I have players roleplay any social encounter with a creature. If negotiating, the players make whatever proposals. Typically, negotiations are auto-win, or auto-fail, depending on how persuasive the proposal is, and how in sync it is with what the creature wants anyway. Only if there is significant doubt about how the creature might respond, do I bother to quantify the challenge. The attitude of the creature determines how likely the creature is to be helpful: friendly, indifferent, or hostile. But in all attitudes, the desires, ideals, and interests of the creature remain the central consideration.The social skill checks only come into play if trying to pressure the creature to do something it doesnt want to do. But even then the creatures own conflictive desires are the central consideration. The desire to not do something is weighing against the desire to be a good friend, the desire to obtain gold or the desire to fulfill an ideal, or so on.So it is the complex desires of the charmed creature that come into play if quantifying a challenge.Generally, a charmed creature is ‘friendly’, and a friendly creature wants to be helpful − but remains sane.The benefit of the Charmed condition is: the charmed creature cannot attack you, and you have the *advantage* with social ability checks, if any.The benefit of the Charmed Person spell is: the creature automatically has a friendly attitude toward you − even if it was hostile just 6 seconds ago! So the creature wants to be helpful. But as a friend, expects you to be helpful too. Friendship requires reciprocity.The 5e version of Charm Person disappoints many because: ‘When the spell ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you.’ The assumption is, after realizing the manipulation, the formerly charmed creature will become hostile again.However, there can be positive outcomes too, despite the realization of the charm.The Awaken 5 spell is instructive. The awakened creature gains sapience and becomes a person. Initially the awakened creature is treated as charmed by the awaker. ‘The awakened beast or plant is charmed by you for 30 days or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. When the charmed condition ends, the awakened creature chooses whether to remain friendly to you, based on how you treated it while it was charmed.’This rule of thumb should apply to all uses of Charm: When the spell ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you. The formerly charmed creature decides whether to remain friendly to you, based on how you treated it while it was charmed.So the creature knows you were a dick for charming it, but it can get over that, depending on how respectful you were.The Charm Person spell can even be an asset. If the creature was initially hostile, you can choose to avoid combat by charming it. Maybe even have it do an important favor for you. When the charm wears off, may want to continue the friendship, especially if you return the favor. Sincerely apologize, and explaining your reason for the charm.Consider Charm Person a useful tool to ‘break the ice’ with someone indifferent, or to repair a relationship with someone hostile.The trick to charm is, when they are a friend to you, make sure you are being a friend in return.</blockquote>

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