Charm person, set off traps

[M Placeholder]

Hi everyone, Im going to start a 5th Ed game next week, and Im a Gnome Bard from Lantan by way of Calimport, and my character likes Turnips, Trickery and Trinkets. It will be my task to deal with traps.

So, what would be the best way to optimize my Gnome to charm enemies and use them to deal with traps?

[Grand Warchief]

You attempt to charm a humanoid you can see within range. It must make a W isdom saving throw, and does so with advantage if you or your com panions are fighting it. If it fails the saving throw, it is charm ed by you until the spell ends or until you or your com panions do anything harmful to it. The charm ed creature regards you as a friendly acquaintance. W hen the spell ends, the creature knows it w as charm ed by you.

Sorry for the messy copy. The above is the wording for charm person, the level 1 spell you will have access to. It says the creature, if it fails it's save, regards you as a friendly acquaintance, not a dominated mind slave. I suppose you could tell him to go open a door or other seemingly non threatening task, but as a dm I would say he tells you to go to hell if you say, "would you mind stepping on that pressure plate for me? Thank you kind friend." Keep in mind as an enemy he has advantage on his save unless you can get the jump on him, otherwise he's already attacking you therefore you are fighting it. You can try bickering semantics, but any sane dm is going to be hesitant on the matter unless you word it very carefully or the task is very simple.

Also keep in mind that as an local to whatever dungeon your group is spelunking, he probably knows where the traps are. You're better bet would be to have him try to get you around the traps or just have him disarm them for you, as he probably knows where the "key" is.

[Grand Warchief]

I also apologize if your intent was to have him get you around them in the first place. You weren't quite clear on what exactly you were planning on having the enemy do so I just covered my bases. I mean no disrespect. :)

[Shining Wrath]

As stated above, Charm Person just makes the victim treat you like a friend. Now a friend might, if you asked nicely, attempt to disarm a trap for you. They won't do anything obviously suicidal, though.

So "Can you hold up the roof while I walk through the deadfall?" might work. "Trigger the deadfall to drop on your head" will not.

One of the things hit with a large nerf stick in 5e was the entire concept of mind control.

[Myzz]

1 Level Warlock Dip for Archfey Patron and "Fey Presence" which does not have the mention of giving them advantage while in combat, and works as a 10ft cube originating from you. It refreshes on a Short or Long rest... so frees up some spell slots. But has the disadvantage that it only works until the end of your next turn!

With a 2 level dip could also net you 2 free skills... You will probably take Deception and Persuasion anyways, so Beguiling Influence doubles those up allowing you to take 2 skills of choice.

Probably put your Expertise into Deception and Persuasion. Once they are friendly to you. Either through using Charm, Fey Presence, or even Friends Cantrip. You should have a bonus to your Persuasion or Deception Check to talk them into doing stuff for you!

With the dip I'd think you'd put 1 invocation as Agonizing Blast and grab EB, for your go to Ranged Attack... But you could instead take Eldritch Sight for at will Detect Magic for finding Magic traps...

For more fluffy stuff, go Great Old One Pact, and use Awakened Mind to find out who they love, and then use Mask of Many Faces to for free Disguise Self to increase your ability to talk them into doing stuff... Then can save actually having to use your Charms for when they see through the disguise, or are hesitant to perform the action...

Spell Wise you want the Cantrip Friends, maybe Minor Illusion as well. L1 Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Disguise Self, Illusory Script. L2 Calm Emotions, Detect Thoughts, Enthrall, Suggestion... <edit add: L2 Alter Self when you can cherry pick off Wiz list> (bold = mandatory)

Illusory Script could help you pull off magical Forgeries? Speaking of which you will want proficiency in Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, and maybe Calligrapher's Supplies in order to make documents that can give you authority over people (..."see here are your guard captain's order...")

[kaoskonfety]

charm person and solid social skills - deception mostly (Criminal/con artist/charlatan back ground) - check with the DM, benchmarks on social skills and what they actually DO are quite vague
suggestion "walk five paces in front of the group, we will cover you back" - check with the DM, benchmarks on what you can get them to do are not spelled out
Disguise self - cause yup, we are all orcs here alight


synergies with...
social focus on skills, charm and illusion spell selection, eventual skill focusing into "lies, d***ed lies and statistics"

Sounds fun and should leave a few things undefined for "tweeking"

[Myzz]

Oh if the game has feats... Pick up the actor Feat... Maybe Linguist as well... Perhaps Keen Mind, so you don't forget the tiny details in your disguises or forgeries...

TBH, being Gnome (any small race) could be troublesome trying to imitate others, unless your campaign is in a small centric world... Even Alter Self L2 Spell doesnt allow you to change size... So you'd only be able to mimic Gnomes and Halflings... or a short dwarf, if your a tall gnome (requiring help from your DM)...

[Chronos]

And of course, sometimes there won't be any enemies around to charm when you need to deal with a trap. And if you're planning on having them set off the traps for you, for some traps it doesn't matter who triggers them (for instance, if the trap sets off an alarm that draws all of the enemies in the dungeon to you).

[Myzz]

And of course, sometimes there won't be any enemies around to charm when you need to deal with a trap. And if you're planning on having them set off the traps for you, for some traps it doesn't matter who triggers them (for instance, if the trap sets off an alarm that draws all of the enemies in the dungeon to you).

"Hey PC-Bob, think you could check out this trap... Plzzzz.... "(Persuasion)

[PC-Bob] (Insight vs Persuasion fails) "Sure, you have been doing all the other traps, I'd love to check out this one for you..."

[kaoskonfety]

"Hey PC-Bob, think you could check out this trap... Plzzzz.... "(Persuasion)

[PC-Bob] (Insight vs Persuasion fails) "Sure, you have been doing all the other traps, I'd love to check out this one for you..."

I perhaps foolishly assume the PC in the making is at least OK at traps... if not this is WAY funnier.

Another option for "we tripped it" may be some summoning if no likely charmables are around.

[M Placeholder]

I also apologize if your intent was to have him get you around them in the first place. You weren't quite clear on what exactly you were planning on having the enemy do so I just covered my bases. I mean no disrespect. :)

Thats okay. Ill either have the creature guide us around them, disable them, set them off, or pick them apart to put in the bag of holding.

Also, one of the other players is a sorcerer, so Im sure he can knock up a few Zombies for the same purpose, and cast enlarge person, for when I need to impersonate a human.