How to use Charm Person?

[mythmonster2]

This applies to PF, for what it's worth, and despite the title, it applies to anything similar to Charm Person, like psionic equivalents. Basically, my question is, how do you actually use the spell? I'm even talking outside of combat, without the hefty +5 save. Using it in plain sight of a person is a bad idea, because they'll have an obvious target if they succeed on their save. Do you use it while they're distracted by something else, or while hidden? The close range only makes it more difficult. I've always liked the idea of the spell, but in any situation where it'd be useful, the fact that you're casting a spell at all makes it too obvious.

[Tiri]

Well, they might know that you cast a spell, but without successfully making a Spellcraft check, they wouldn't know what the spell was trying to do, so you could always bluff them into thinking you were trying to cast a beneficial spell, and if you end up charming them, it won't matter anyway. Psionic powers are purely mental, so you wouldn't be doing anything detectable in the first place.

[Psyren]

Psychic and Psionic (and SLAs/Su): no worries there - for the former, they can't spot the components at all to identify the spell, and for the latter, just suppress your displays for the same effect.

That leaves arcane and divine. Your best bet is to cast it on them before you walk up to talk to them, while they haven't noticed you yet. Failing that, you hope they don't have good Spellcraft so they don't know what you're doing.

You can also ask to port in the 3.5 rules about casting up your sleeve with a Sleight of Hand check, opposed by Perception from any onlookers.

[Aleolus]

Or use Silent Spell and Still spell. No noticable components at all!

[Darth Ultron]

In combat it is no different then any other attack spell.

And the range of 'close' is more then enough to be far away. Remember you don't need to be within five feet of a person and be in there line of sight. You can easily cast the spell from 20 feet behind them, for example. Or you can cast if from a window.

It does draw a bit of attention to cast a spell, but it is not that uncommon a thing in a typical D&D world. Most folks would not know a spell being cast if they saw one, they might just ''see something strange''.

Though a spellcaster wanting to use something like charm person often would be wise to put it into a wand or other magic item. Eyes of Charming, for example. Or a Droskar's Guiding Ring.

[jok]

In my worlds normal people are always afraid of mind altering magic. Maybe they don't know what you cast, but they would consider it hostile or atleast very impolite if you don't tell them before hand.
Just like some stranger cocking a gun right next to you in a subway train today.
There are ofcause exeption like the village priest or sanctioned entertainers.

Like others said, casting from hiding or meta magic is the way to go.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Mutter quietly and stand behind the barbarian for a moment? Or grab False Theurgy.

[Jack_Simth]

Droskar's Guiding Ring.That ring pairs nicely with a Luck Blade, if you follow Droskar and plan to be an item crafter.

[Segev]

I imagine utilizing the Hide skill can help.

The difficulty I kept running into the last time I tried playing a charm-centric character was that NPCs worth charming were not the sort you could Hide from. You were dragged into their presence and carefully watched the whole time.

I'm kind-of curious, thinking about it now, if one could manage a Bluff check to convince somebody to allow you to cast it (claiming it's something else, probably), and specifically to voluntarily fail their save against this "beneficial" spell. Bluff specifically can get people to behave as you like for about a round, which could reasonably be argued to last until the end of your next action.

Intimidate has a similar clause, though a longer duration on that, so maybe that could also convince somebody to willingly let you charm them.

[Vogie]

Or use Silent Spell and Still spell. No noticable components at all!

This would be pretty clever. You enter the situation, raise your eyebrow at someone, and BAM! Charm person.

http://i.imgur.com/1AhHU6A.jpg

But in all seriousness, even without both of those, you can get around it. A Still Charm person could be as dashing as walking up to a person, and whispering the spell in their ear, as though telling a secret. As stated above, if it fails and they can't identify it as a spell, you won't get more than a stern look and the assumption that you're a raving drunk with no concept of personal space

If you're just casting directly, create some sort of distraction first, then complete the casting behind them, while their attention is diverted.

[Masakan]

Or you could use it as part of a melody and they will think your just randomly singing.

[Dondasch]

Try price of loyalty, as spell from a sidebar in the Player's Guide to Eberron. It's a 2nd level charm person that replaces the normal components with a Focus: 1 platinum piece, given to the target. It explicitly gives "no sign, visible or otherwise" that it was cast, even if the target makes its save.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Wait until they're looking in the other direction.