Playing an Enchanter Without Ruining the Game

[StoryKeeper]

Hello everyone. I've been thinking about trying out an enchanter type in a short campaign or one shot some time, but I have a couple of concerns.

A.) Is there any way to play something with a real focus on enchantments (mind control, personality adjustment, etc.) while retaining a narrow magical focus and being somewhat effective?

B.) Is there a risk to playing a character that can control minds and such in terms of frustrating your fellow players and DM by taking control of every npc/monster you run into?

C.) If there is such a risk, how can you avoid it so that both you and your friends can have fun?

[SilverClawShift]

well, if your DM is ridiculously talented and adaptable, they might be able to work around the fact that you're randomly hijacking the mindscape of their NPCs and let that take the story where that leads.

That seems like a whole lot of work on their part. If you try it, and they pull it off, they deserve free pizza on game nights forever.

More likely, essential and plot-critical NPCs (and the baddest of the bad guys, critical or not) will somehow be immune to mind control. In my unprofessional estimation, that's a perfectly reasonable response to a mind controlling player. The DM can only do so much, and faced with keeping the game running with nothing but a can of red bull and a screen to hide their die rolls, some concessions must be made on the part of the aspiring magic-wielding god of mindwarping.

it's worth a try.

It's also worth talking to the DM about directly, to see how they feel about it, and see if they're interested in picking up the 'mind control' ball and running with it, or if they hope you'll impose self-limitation and only use your powers to tip the odds, not outright destroy them.

Both are reasonable conclusions for a DM to reach, I think.

[TheLogman]

Beguiler is a great class for this.

As for Enchanting itself, if you keep Enchanting within the realm of combat, then there shouldn't be any problem. The BBEG's that shouldn't be mind controlled will have immunity via class abilities or magic items, or a high will save.

Then just don't use enchanting out of combat unless it needs to be done to progress the plot. Remember, Mind Control is just really efficient Diplomacy that allows for a save.

[krossbow]

undead and golems bone you.

not sure what other campaigns run like, but all the one's i;ve been in have copious amounts of these as mooks.

[drengnikrafe]

I once played in a campaign as an enchanter. I told my DM upfront that I would be effective against everything that wasn't immune to mind affecting spells, and showed him some of the examples of such things. Also, I played an extremely lawful good character who refused to haphazardly influence the minds of nearby people for personal gain, but rather almost entirely for survival (he was a newbie DM, and needed that).

If you don't want to be useless in a whole bunch of battles, just tell your DM not to send golems and undead at you, and hold back on the abuse of stuff.

[Abd al-Azrad]

See, one of the main problems when playing an Enchanter is the typical, "When all I have is a hammer" approach to problem solving. You can defeat pretty much any foe and overcome any challenge, until your enemies realize you're coming and throw up some "You are now useless" defense.

Definitely play a mage with some backup attack routines. Beguiler, as mentioned, is great for this, they have a ton of very useful combat spells that are not enchantments, many of which are still useful against magic-resistant enemies like undead and constructs.

But really the best way to deal with this sort of problem is what drengnikrafe said: allow your character some RP reason why they don't want to just seize control of the minds of people willy-nilly. Maintain some sort of ethical code, and take away another being's free will only under the direst of circumstances. Make the decision whether to Dominate a local ruler, or Charm a threatening criminal, into a character-defining internal moral battle.

[Tinydwarfman]

It really depends from DM to DM, but in general people are right, enchanters are awesome when they work, but bucketloads of things are immune to mind affecting. If you are non-good however, (and have non-good party members) your one hammer becomes whatever npc you happen to be dominating/ lesser geas'd to protect you now.

[taltamir]

not only are a bunch of creatures immune to it, a simple 1st level spell (and a second level one, and many others) makes anyone else immune to your entire school.
Immunity to mind effecting is extremely common, and every enchantment spell is mind effecting.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

But really the best way to deal with this sort of problem is what drengnikrafe said: allow your character some RP reason why they don't want to just seize control of the minds of people willy-nilly. Maintain some sort of ethical code, and take away another being's free will only under the direst of circumstances. Make the decision whether to Dominate a local ruler, or Charm a threatening criminal, into a character-defining internal moral battle.

This, or the complete opposite--a character who mind-controls people, not to advance the party's goals via mindreading or infiltration, but rather just to make the bad guys kill each other and then have the survivors off themselves in interesting ways, can also work. Instead of building up a massive power base and/or making everyone do what you want, you instead control random people for short-term kicks and giggles.

Essentially, the best enchanters from a DM's perspective are either Batman or the Joker; if you can plan on them not taking everything over or not using anything they take over, it works. (I'd obviously second the former suggestion for the first type in most parties, but the latter works well in a more shades-of-gray or evil party.) It's only the enchanters whose motivations a DM is unsure of who have to be countered with endless undead hordes and mind blanked baddies.

[Pluto]

not only are a bunch of creatures immune to it, a simple 1st level spell (and a second level one, and many others) makes anyone else immune to your entire school.
Immunity to mind effecting is extremely common, and every enchantment spell is mind effecting.

Eh. Immunity to Enchantments isn't rare, but immunity to your minions is.

Domination doesn't have to work every time; one Dominate ends the immediate threat and the new-found mook can help resolve later encounters.

@OP, like almost any character, just don't be a **** and your game will be fine.

[Yukitsu]

This, or the complete opposite--a character who mind-controls people, not to advance the party's goals via mindreading or infiltration, but rather just to make the bad guys kill each other and then have the survivors off themselves in interesting ways, can also work. Instead of building up a massive power base and/or making everyone do what you want, you instead control random people for short-term kicks and giggles.

Essentially, the best enchanters from a DM's perspective are either Batman or the Joker; if you can plan on them not taking everything over or not using anything they take over, it works. (I'd obviously second the former suggestion for the first type in most parties, but the latter works well in a more shades-of-gray or evil party.) It's only the enchanters whose motivations a DM is unsure of who have to be countered with endless undead hordes and mind blanked baddies.

I usually have grand ambitions for my enchanters (Lelouch Lamperouge is one of my favourite anime characters for enchanter inspiration), but I generally collaborate with the DM on what they are. That's how you make that variant of diviner work.