Necrotic Domination?

[Drakevarg]

What is the advantage of using Necrotic Domination over Dominate Person? From what I can tell, the only difference is that that Necrotic Domination limits the potential targets to encyst subjects while remaining at the same spell level.

[Roguenewb]

its a level lower than dominate person, bringing it online two levels earlier.

[tyckspoon]

It actually is lower-level, as mentioned, and it's not an Enchantment [Mind-Affecting] [Compulsion.] That last bit is the main value of it; that particular set of descriptors is very easy to defend against. Necrotic Cyst is not; Protection From Evil doesn't stop it, Mind Blank doesn't stop it, being immune to Compulsion in general doesn't stop it. If you can encyst somebody, you can Dominate them with Necrotic Domination.

[Deophaun]

Protection From Evil doesn't stop it, Mind Blank doesn't stop it, being immune to Compulsion in general doesn't stop it. If you can encyst somebody, you can Dominate them with Necrotic Domination.
Not true. Protection from evil definitely stops it, as it stops all attempts to "excerise mental control" over the creature. There is no limit on what the source is. As necrotic domination dominates a creature as dominate person, there's not even a question of it using some other form other than mental control.

Mind Blank is murkier. You would have to argue that necrotic domination has nothing to do with influencing the subject's emotions or thoughts, just pulling on its body like a puppeteer with a marionette. The fact that the subject needs to understand your commands argues against it, but it's not an unreasonable position.

[tyckspoon]

Not true. Protection from evil definitely stops it, as it stops all attempts to "excerise mental control" over the creature. There is no limit on what the source is.


Actually, the Necrotic Cyst spell bypasses Prot. From Evil even if you do believe this; Prot. Evil can prevent the Cyst from being set in the first place, but once it's there you explicitly bypass it with both the Cyst and any of the other Necrotic X spells that manipulate the cysted victim.

[Deophaun]

Actually, the Necrotic Cyst spell bypasses Prot. From Evil even if you do believe this; Prot. Evil can prevent the Cyst from being set in the first place, but once it's there you explicitly bypass it with both the Cyst and any of the other Necrotic X spells that manipulate the cysted victim.
Not explicitly, as it makes no mention of protection from evil. It does say that you can dominate any humanoid with a necrotic cyst, but if that's enough to get you around pfe, then dominate person's assertion that it can "dominate any humanoid" is enough to get it around immunity to mind-affecting spells.

In other words, it's not more specific than protection from evil.

Edit: Never mind, as I went and reread the necrotic cyst spell. I need some sleep. Ok, you're right.

[tyckspoon]

Not Necrotic Domination, Necrotic Cyst- the one you have to successfully apply before you can use any of the other Necrotic Whatevers on somebody. It says "Protection from evil or a similar spell prevents the necrotic cyst from forming. Once a necrotic cyst is implanted, spells that manipulate the cyst and its bearer are no longer thwarted by protection from evil."

[Dumbledore lives]

Also it's a necromancy spell, which means if you were a wizard who happened to ban enchantment it is a great way to get living puppets instead of just dead ones.