Post/Author/DateTime

Post

ksbsnowowl 08-15-07, 11:10 AM

From the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/castingSpells.htm#combiningMagicalEffect s)Multiple Mental Control Effects Sometimes magical effects that establish mental control render each other irrelevant, such as a spell that removes the subjects ability to act. Mental controls that don’t remove the recipient’s ability to act usually do not interfere with each other. If a creature is under the mental control of two or more creatures, it tends to obey each to the best of its ability, and to the extent of the control each effect allows. If the controlled creature receives conflicting orders simultaneously, the competing controllers must make opposed Charisma checks to determine which one the creature obeys.Ok, so I've got an issue with an individual with weak Will save that is beholden to his vampire master, an intelligent item with a high ego score, and a possessing fiend (as per the Eberron Campaign Setting). All 3 of these controlling influences wish to exert different commands upon the individual. The vampire lord is not present however, so the only influence it exerts is the lingering command to return to the vampire lord's lair. So, how would control be adjudicated? The above rules state if the compelled individual gets conflicting orders simultaneously, the two controlling entities make opposed Charisma checks. Since the vampire lord is not there issuing continual, direct orders, does the vampire lord get to attempt the opposed charisma check to wrest control from the other two entities? Or is the previous, yet thus far unfulfilled order enough to allow checks for control vs. more recent controlling orders from the other two entities? Should I perhaps treat the vampire lord's control simply as forcing the enslaved individual's will to match that of the vampire lord, and thus the vampire lord's wishes are only furthered when the character himself regains control from the other two possessing influences? If the battle for control lies solely between the item, the fiend, and the enslaved individual, the fiend will most likely control him the majority of the time, as the item only checks for dominance once per day (or at the onset of a battle, etc.), while the fiend can attempt control each round. However, once the fiend takes control of the enslaved individual's body, could the item not then attempt to seize control and dominance over the will of the fiend for one day? Granted, the fiend likely has a better than 50% chance of resisting the item's dominance, but the possibility exists. If the possessing fiend wished to possess the intelligent item, I'm assuming it would treat it as a creature, rather than an object, yes? If so, could it still provide the bonuses that it would to or through an object (such as increasing its magical enhancement bonuses)? If the fiend possessed the intelligent item, could the fiend then control the "enslaved" character by utilizing the item's ego score and subsequent control? The rules for a fiend possessing creatures and objects are found on pages 100 - 102 of the Eberron Campaign Setting. PS - I did cross-post this in the generic Spells and Magic board, but wanted to include it here too, since it utilizes setting-specific rules.