[Pathfinder] Protection From [Alignment] vs. Mesmerist's Psychic Inception

[Ellrin]

While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target. This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by evil creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion.


The hypnotic stare and its penalty can affect creatures that are mindless or immune to mind-affecting effects (such as an undead or vermin). The mesmerist can also partially affect such a creature with his mind-affecting spells and abilities if it’s under the effect of his hypnotic stare; it gains a +2 bonus on its saving throw (if any), and if affected, it still has a 50% chance each round of ignoring the effect. Ignoring the effect doesn’t end the effect, but does allow the creature to act normally for that round.

Descriptions via d20pfsrd, emphasis mine.

On the one hand, it seems like psychic inception pretty much wins here; in the passages "the mesmerist can [...] affect [creatures that are mindless or immune to mind-affecting effects," and "the target is immune," it seems like we've got a straightforward immunity and an ability that overcomes that immunity—specific trumps general.

I do feel like there's room for the interpretation that, because "exercising mental control over the target" is more specific than "mind-affecting effects," protection from [alignment] could actually trump psychic inception. There's also, I think, some room for a RAI that since mind-affecting effects aren't specifically called out in the protection from [alignment] description, immunity to mental control isn't covered under immunity to mind-affecting, and psychic inception therefore doesn't get any special privilege against it. (All this is, of course, assuming the mesmerist is of the appropriate alignment.)

I looked around briefly for instances where this question may have been addressed before, but I'm not really seeing anything at the moment, so I'm currently stuck. The way I'm reading it, I want to say psychic inception overcomes, but I'm just not sure. Any thoughts (or FAQs I missed), playgrounders?

EDIT:
Emphasis added.

[Firest Kathon]

As I see it, the Protection from Evil does not protect against a Mersmerist's Stare in the first place. It does not protect agains all mind-effecting effects, but only against those which "possess or exercise mental control". The stare simply gives a penalty, and as such does not constitute mental control. Psychic Inception is therefor not required at all.

[The_Jette]

Firest Kathon is correct. The ability only causes a penalty to Will Saves. It doesn't attempt to take control of the person it's targeting, or direct their actions. So, Protection from (alignment) wouldn't do any good in this situation.

[Ellrin]

Sorry, I wasn't referring to the effect of hypnotic stare; I agree it's fairly plain that it works on creatures warded by protection from [alignment] regardless of psychic inception.

What I'm trying to figure out is whether a mesmerist of a given alignment with psychic inception could penetrate protection from [that alignment]'s immunity to mental control with, for instance, a dominate person spell—though of course with the 50% chance each round of simply not working, even if your spell is successful.

Added emphasis in my original post for clarity.

[Arutema]

You are neither "mindless or immune to mind-affecting effects" while under protection from alignment. You are simply immune to a specific subset of mental affects as described by protection from alignment. I don't see that psychic inception would let you bypass that, as you are not specifically "mindless or immune to mind-affecting effects".