Hi guys,
A discussion has arisen in our gaming group about the use of spell effects and conditions. I would like your take on the way you would play the spell "Hypnotic Pattern", the description of which is: "On a failed save, the creature becomes charmed for the duration. While charmed by this spell, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0."
What is the actual effect ? What can an affected target actually do on its turn ? Is it pareticularly susceptible to some things while affected ?
Thanks in advance for your answers... 
Conditions are near the end of the PHB. Page 290
A charmed creature can't attack the charmer or target
the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects.
The charmer has advantage on any ability check to
interact socially with the creature.
An incapacitated creature can’t take actions or
reactions.
(You can not take bonus actions if you can't take actions).
Speed 0 means they can't move. It also means flying creatures fall.
So basily they can do nothing. And you have advantage to chat with them.
Mellored's answer is correct.
If it helps to put it into "in game" terms: I'd say the subject is mesmerized by the spell, and can't really do anything but stare at the pattern. But he remains aware of his surroundings, and can still communicate. As an effect of the spell, though, he tends to trust you and believe what you say.
But there's probably other ways you could interpret as well, as long as they amount to the same mechanical effect mello described.
Thanks guys, seems clear enough. I still have a query, though, about things which are not actions, like:
"Other Activity on Your Turn: Your turn can include a variety of flourishes that require neither your action nor your move. You can communicate however you are able, through brief utterances and gestures, as you take your turn."
So, could guards affected by the spell raise the alarm by shouting or something of the kind ?
Also, what happens at the end of the spell, when the "charmed" effect wears off ? Any ideas ?
Thanks in advance...
it's upto the DM, personally i would say no.
when the spell wears off, they come to their senses. maybe shake their heads a little to clear the fog, then go back to whatever they where doing before.
The reason I'm asking about raising the alarm, is because "incapacitated" prevents you from taking actions, but not "non-actions".
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About what happens at the end, the difficulty is that targets of spells usually remember being targets, or even remember specifically being charmed. In general, that magic would be of the "subtle kind", if refeering to what the pH says about targets of spells: "Unless a spell has a perceptible effect, a creature might not know it was targeted by a spell at all. An effect like crackling lightning is obvious, but a more subtle effect, such as an attempt to read a creature’s thoughts, typically goes unnoticed, unless a spell says otherwise."
That being said, it's not obvious with hypnotic pattern, as it has a visual effect (although it's brief).
But there is also the Enchantment Wizard power Alter memories which hints at the fact that targets remember having been charmed:
At 14th level, you gain the ability to make a creature unaware of your magical influence on it. When you cast an enchantment spell to charm one or more creatures, you can alter one creature’s understanding so that it remains unaware of being charmed.
Note that this power would not work with Hypnotic Pattern as it is an Illusion and not an Enchantment, but you get the idea.
Finally, some spells specifically state about the effects after the spell:
Friends: When the spell ends, the creature realizes that you used m agic to influence its mood and becomes hostile toward you. A creature prone to violence might attack you. Another creature might seek retribution in other ways (at the DM ’s discretion), depending on the nature of your interaction with it.
Charm Person: When the spell ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you.
Of course, these are in the spell description, so they are specific, and not applicable to other spells (in particular as it is not mentioned in Dominate, theoretically, targets should not remember being dominated), but again, you get the idea.
I am not looking at a hard and fast rule here, as some things need to be adjudicated beyond the faily clear conditions descriptions, but about the way you would play things in your campaigns.
I would not let the targets raise an alarm during the spell, though the mechanics don't forbid it. But it talks about the targets being in a stupor, which doesn't sound like an alarmed state of mind.
After the spell, I would rule that they noticed what had happened. Of course, if you're clever you've taken the opportunity to convince them that something else is actually going on.
As a general rule, if the spell has an obvious effect on the target (like dominate person, for instance), then I think the target should be aware of it. Something like read thoughts would not have any obvious effect. Or if you were clever with a Suggestion and made it something so reasonable that the creature might have done it anyway, then they might not know magic was used.
mellored wrote: