Ruling the world at the lowest possible level

[Ilmryn]

I've had this one idea that I might use in a campaign someday. What if a low-level dnd wizard somehow ended up in the modern world?

Clearly, a high-level wizard could easily rule the world if he wanted to, but could a lower-level one? What is the lowest possible level at which a wizard(or any other dnd character) could rule the world. Assume the following:

-The world is like our modern world, magic does not exist, i.e. The wizard will be the only magic user. Magic will therefore be completely unexpected.
-The wizard has normal wbl for his level, in magic items that he brought with him. He does not have gold as the conversion would prove to be a ridiculous amount of money.
-The wizard is not pun pun or any other ridiculous TO.
-He has a 15-year time span to work in, he needs to rule a significant portion of the world at the end of this.
-He needs to be able to maintain control for a significant period of time.

[yugi24862]

Level 7. Dominate person. Find world leaders

[Jack_Simth]

Level 7. Dominate person. Find world leaders
Domination is too noticeable, though. About 1 in 4 commoner 1's will notice it, no ranks required (Sense Motive DC 15 - +0 Wis modifier, no ranks, makes in on a roll of 15: 30% chance). Most rulers' power is that everyone around them does what they tell them to do - if someone starts acting like they're being controlled, they'll lose that power (as it was never really theirs in the first place). And, of course, one trained psychologist (Expert-3, max ranks in Sense Motive, and Skill focus (Sense Motive): +9 modifier) even has a decent chance of spotting a mystic post-hypnotic Suggestion (DC 25). Mind control is a great way to get assassins sent after you.

Now, using Lesser Planar Binding to get Mirror Memphits to make Simulacra of world leaders... that could work... except that the world leader copy is under the control of the Mirror Memphit - not your control. I suppose you could Planar Bind a Mirror Memphit to cast Simulacrum into a Greater Ring of Spell Storing....

What level do you need to be able to afford a 200,000 gp item?

[Diarmuid]

3rd level for 1 scroll of Dominate Person, at 4th you can have 3 of them.

[Jack_Simth]

3rd level for 1 scroll of Dominate Person, at 4th you can have 3 of them.
And you control a handful of rulers for a couple of days? I suppose if all you want to do is blow up the world, that might work...

[Lyndworm]

What level do you need to be able to afford a 200,000 gp item?

That's exactly WBL for 15th, I think.

[Jack_Simth]

That's exactly WBL for 15th, I think.
Yes it is. So the caster would need to be 16th (to have room for little things, like a spell components pouch, and a few spare spellbooks for the level-based free spells, a Contingency focus, and so on). Planar Bind a mirror Memphit (Summons don't work, due to a clause about stuff that would cost XP in the summoning subschool), have it use it's spell-like Simulacrum ability to fill the Greater Ring of Spell Storing, then duplicate a world leader. Rinse and repeat. Helps to have Moment of Prescience for the Disguise check, too.

[JeminiZero]

You are all thinking too much about political power. World domination can also be achieved by financial means!

To this end, take a level 5 wizard. Use his level 5 bonus feat to take Extra Spell Known: Augury (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Augury). Proceed to dominate the stock market.

Once you're stinking rich, it should be an easy matter to run for presidency. Whenever your political opponents make public apperances, cast disguise self+alter self to get close enough to him. Once you're close, cast Suggestion on your political opponent just before his public appearance, and have him do/say something ludicruosly dumb/embarassing each time. Then cast Invisibility and make your getaway. That should let you win by a landslide.

Edit: Actually, it might be worthwhile to make this a level 6 wizard. Then take another Extra Spell Known for Guidance of the Avatar (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20010504a). Use it to gain +20 to any skill check. Cast just before your own presidential candidate public appearances, proceed to diplomacize the public. Also useful for boosting Knowledge-Financial Market checks, and combining with Augury to let you dominate the stock market faster.

[MammonAzrael]

Why would you care about presidency. If you can predict things like the stock market enough, you don't need any voters. You can control the world by owning all their debts and live the life of the shadowy mega-conglomerate owner.

Like Mom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mom_%28Futurama%29), except less angry and more competent..

[Aharon]

@Jemini
While I would allow a player in a game to do that, it would be very hard to pull of in reality. You're not campaigning alone. You will have to have some competent people around you organizing stuff. If you don't trust them with your secret, eventually they will notice how you're inevitably absent when such a thing occurs. Plus, travel might be a problem: If you're campaigning in California and your opponent is in Florida, you won't get there in time. Plus, your suggestion has to be remotely reasonable. How would you formulate your proposed course of activity (Say something ridiculous to your followers) in a way that sounds reasonable?

Augury only works half an hour in advance. If you have enough starting capital, you might make a profit, but if you can only invest little, taxes and charges might eat up your profit. Augury would be more useful for gambling, but your statistically very unlikely success in this area will be noted even faster.

[Baldin]

Domination is too noticeable, though. About 1 in 4 commoner 1's will notice it, no ranks required (Sense Motive DC 15 - +0 Wis modifier, no ranks, makes in on a roll of 15: 30% chance).

Incorrect, dominate person states specificly that the DC to notice if a person is under the effect of dominate person is 25 not the nomral 15. a commoner wont pierce this even on a natural 20.

[Aharon]

@Baldin: you got that the wrong way round:


Because of this limited range of activity, a Sense Motive check against DC 15 (rather than DC 25) can determine that the subject’s behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect (see the Sense Motive skill description).