Hypnotic Gaze: Charmed?

[Ninjadeadbeard]

Simple question, but I seem to not be able to find a lot of simple answers. Hypnotic Gaze says that the target is charmed, but everyone outside of my wizard player seems to think it isn't the same thing as the charmed condition. Can I get some clarification on that? He wants to use it to interrogate creatures, but from the phrase 'visibly dazed', I'm not sure any creature would be able to answer him.

[MaxWilson]

Simple question, but I seem to not be able to find a lot of simple answers. Hypnotic Gaze says that the target is charmed, but everyone outside of my wizard player seems to think it isn't the same thing as the charmed condition. Can I get some clarification on that? He wants to use it to interrogate creatures, but from the phrase 'visibly dazed', I'm not sure any creature would be able to answer him.

You might be thinking of the stunned condition instead of charmed. Charmed creatures can still communicate, and indeed your social influenced over them is heightened. Stunned creatures can speak only falteringly, and paralyzed, petrified, or unconscious creatures cannot speak at all.

Your wizard player is correct--he ought to have advantage on any social checks made against the creature he's got hypnotized. (However, 5E is maddeningly unclear as to what sorts of things are possible/not possible via social checks--it's still up to you as DM to decide whether a given question is answered automatically and freely, is never answered, or is answered only if the asker succeeds on an ability check. Only in the latter case does charmed do anything.)

[Desamir]

Hypnotic Gaze says that the target is charmed, but everyone outside of my wizard player seems to think it isn't the same thing as the charmed condition. Can I get some clarification on that?

The ability says that the creature is charmed by you--seems pretty clear. It's the same wording used for every other effect in the game that imparts the charmed condition.


He wants to use it to interrogate creatures, but from the phrase 'visibly dazed', I'm not sure any creature would be able to answer him.

Incapacitated creatures can speak. Consider the difference between the incapacitated, stunned, and paralyzed conditions:


An incapacitated creature can't take actions or reactions.


A stunned creature is incapacitated, can't move, and can speak only falteringly.


A paralyzed creature is incapacitated and can't move or speak.

[heavyfuel]

"Dazed" is no longer a condition in 5e. The target can dazed and still be charmed and able to talk.

[Tanarii]

For the interrogation, see the DMG for setting DCs to get something you want from a creature. Determine initial attitude and risk to the creature to provide the information, and you've got a DC.

[Contrast]

It works pretty much identically to Hypnotic Pattern. They are definitely charmed, however I am going to differ from the general advice here. While I think they probably can speak I imagine you'd find it difficult to get much useful information from them.

I would probably have someone under the influence of Hypnotic Pattern respond to someone trying to talk to them by ignore them/responding saying 'Can't you see the colours?' before going back to ignoring them. With Hypnotic Gaze I'd probably have them say something along the lines of 'Their eyes...their eyes are so...'. They would be compliant but mentally out of it - you might be able to get something out of them but it'll be hard work and obvious to any onlooker that something isn't right with them.

[Chronos]

What else would "charmed" mean, other than the condition?

[Sindal]

Well let's see.

"If the target can see or hear you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your wizard spell save DC or be charmed by you until the end of your next turn. The charmed creature's speed drops to 0, and the creature is incapacitated and visibly dazed."

"Charmed" is a condition, and makes them unable to attack the charmer while the charmer has advantage on social checks.

"Incapacitated" is a condition, and stops actions and reactions.

"Dazed" is not listed as a condition and thus can be interpreted differently depending on the dm. The definition of dazed as a word is "unable to think or react properly"

Putting all of this together:
-yes, they can attempt to interrogate someone using hypnotic gaze and the person will likely not put up any resistance to the attempt.

-whether the interrogation itself is fruitful or not is another story. Some dms may rule that the target is basicly a blithering idiot while entranced and just goes "ddaaaaaaa". Some may argue that because 'visibly dazed' is not a condition, it just makes them look confused while ultimately not hampering their overall ability to provide information . Some may decide that the target may simply have difficulty remembering certain details and perhaps make them roll to see if the target remembers the information in question. Thoufh the fact that they take the time to mention dazed should always factor in somehow.

I stand by the last interpretation personally. It allows a player to try but they can still fail to get results.

If they asked a very simple question like "are you alive" the answer is obvious and would gain a clear answer. If they ask a more detailed question like "where is the treasure hidden?" I'd set a intelligence dc depending on who the person is and see if the target passes their check.

[Tanarii]

Anyone else keep seeing Jaffar mesmerizing the sultan?

[Sindal]

Anyone else keep seeing Jaffar mesmerizing the sultan?

"But you're so old..."
The sultan passes his will save at the right time.

Not to derail on purpose but I chuckle at the idea: Jaafar is a wizard (has charm abilities and a familiar) who then mutilcasses into sorceror via a genie wish.