help with charms?!

[Kirinashi]

Hey guys, relatively new DM. Need help with working charms! If one of my players gets charmed by an enemy, how do I work this? Do I just take over the character or what? Please help!

[Urpriest]

For charm, don't take over the player, just ask the player to treat the NPC as if they were their friend. If you've got reasonably well-behaved players they'll be reasonable about it.

[Careless]

Well, they won't due something they would never under any circumstances do, so the Paladin won't kill the baby, or attack the LG Cleric of his God. Now, if you have a CN Rogue who's pissing him off a LOT lately, and he knows has a criminal record, that he's been with for the Greater Good? I'd make him attack. For roleplay, I'd probably give the Pally several options, and let him choose.

[Slipperychicken]

Refer to the spell description appropriate to the spell referenced. This usually gives you all you need.

Charm Person has the target treat the caster as his "trusted friend and ally". The caster can give orders, but that requires an opposed Charisma check with the target, no retries. Caster or his buddies threatening the target breaks him free. Can't get the target to suicide with the spell. If your players are mature, roleplaying this shouldn't be such a problem.

Dominate Person gives you near-total control. Can't get the target to suicide with it, although you get pretty much any other action. Hash out what "against its nature" means beforehand and tell your players your interpretation beforehand, so you know when to give the target another save, and so everyone agrees to your interpretation.

[TuggyNE]

For charm, don't take over the player, just ask the player to treat the NPC as if they were their friend. If you've got reasonably well-behaved players they'll be reasonable about it.

Spells like charm person aren't very helpful in a fight because of this, except for neutralizing a target; someone whose friends have decided to draw swords on each other isn't going to attack one side unless he absolutely has to, obviously. He might, however, try to talk everyone down (which can be hilarious under some circumstances).

All (charm) subschool spells tend to have the same basic behavior: they don't dictate actions, but change perceptions to be favorable to the caster. Not as powerful as (compulsion)s, because less intrusive, but also a bit less obvious.

[Arbane]

It's highly recommended that you give the PC some extra XP for going along with it.

[Flickerdart]

If this is an in-person game, I would recommend slipping each of the players a note. Every note but one will say something inconsequential, the final note will tell the player that the NPC who charmed him strikes him as incredibly trustworthy/possibly a relative/should be a very valuable ally because of superficial and unlikely reason X.