Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tali Alia 06-10-04, 05:07 AM	I am a 9th level sorc about to go up a level and get my first 5th level spell - I was thinking of taking one or other of the above spells, as I like the idea of bossing a minion around.... So far, I don't have Charm Person or any other Enchantment school spells - my spells are mostly utility, illusions, evocations and a bit of necromancy (Ray of Enfeeblement and Enervation). Does anyone have any thoughts/experience about which of these two would be most useful?
Naeron 06-10-04, 06:07 AM	Its rather campaign dependant due to the target types. Dominate Person has a target of One Humanoid. That means it only works on that type. So if your campaign does not include very many humanoids (possible at higher levels) then charm monster would be a better choice. Charm Monster targets One Creature so has many more potential targets, but if you are playing a city based campaign most targets would probably be humanoids so dominate would be better. With the above issues put aside Dominate wins out over charm for the simple reason that it allows you to control the target rather than just have them consider you a friend or ally.
mbfu3k 06-10-04, 06:14 AM	It depends heavily on your campaign. If you don't encounter a lot of humanoids, Charm Monster would be more useful in encounters. However, when Dominate Person can be used, it is usually far more effective. It also depends on what you were wanting to do with your lackeys. You should keep in mind that with Charm spells, the subject isn't under your control. They just think of you as a trusted friend. They may not be willing to travel with you, unless they were predisposed to doing so anyway. Charm synergizes well with high charisma characters like sorcs, as you can use Diplomacy, Bluff, and other social skills very effectively to get a charmed creature to do what you want. Basically, if you want to get the most out of Charm Monster, you'll need to put a lot of role-play effort into it. Dominate Person is the easier way out, but it is useful is far fewer situations. The dominated creature remembers that you controlled him, and will never be happy about it. If you play it well, you might be able to charm a creature and still keep it as a "friend" after the spell wears off. IOW, Dominate is far less subtle. And, of course, it can only be used on humanoids. On the other hand, Dominate Person is *great* if you're doing a lot of city adventures. It can do anything from getting you free loot (if you're good, you can always get stuff from the evil thieves and thugs) to allowing you to take over the top officials and having your way with the entire city. You can always get scrolls of Charm Person/Monster for those times when you need a more subtle approach. In the end, it's up to you, your playing style, your campaign, and your DM.
Elhalyn 06-10-04, 06:25 AM	As people already stated, it's highly dependant in your gaming group's style, but i usually would pick charm monster first. A higher amount of possible targets would guarantee me use of the spell in most unusual circunstances: Even in a Urban campaign, you might go in a Dungeon with lots of illegal targets for dominate person. The Charm effect would still be useful in a Urban setting/places with lots of Humanoids (even if less useful than dominate), and would maintain it's use when there's no humanoids around.
Tali Alia 06-16-04, 06:52 AM	My computer crashed so I couldn't check the boards for a few days - I just wanted to thank you guys for your help. I think Charm Monster looks the one to pick, as it is more versatile and will take advantage of my high sorcerous CHA :D If I find having to be nice to my "friends" gets to be a pain, I may take Dominate at a later date....