Project Arcana: Enchantment Spells

“We must duel, Sir!”

The Enchantment school analysis was one of the cleaner take downs we’ve done for PA. The description of the school’s focus in the 5e Player’s Handbook was concise and surprisingly functional. And, in the end, most of the spells listed as Enchantments are staying in the school, with a few easy to understand exceptions.

So, let’s continue where we left off with the definition of the school and the three Forms:

Enchantment spells affect the minds of others, influencing or controlling their behavior. Such spells can make enemies see the caster as a friend, force creatures to take a course of action, or even control another creature like a puppet.

 

Attitude Adjustments are spells that change how the target feels. They can “…make enemies see the caster as a friend…”

 

Onerous Assignments are spells that create a compulsion or obligation in the target. They “…force creatures to take a course of action…”, perhaps including forcing them to not take a course of action.

Internal Interferences are spells that directly affect the mind, muscles, and nerves of the creature. They can “…even control another creature like a puppet.”, including being able to render a creature helpless, alter the mind directly, and even kill.

So, with that in mind, here’s our spell list.

Attitude Adjustments: Friends, Animal Friendship, Charm Person, Heroism, Calm Emotions, and Antipathy/Sympathy. Magic Circle comes over in the huge purge from Neutrum, since all its effects work on the will of the creature targeted. There is one effect in which those within the circle resist charms and such, but this works just fine as Enchantment being used to negate Enchantment (although the effect could also be achieved using Neutrum). Also coming over from Neutrum is Sanctuary, which basically causes the affected creature to change its mind; an Enchantment effect.

Onerous Assignments: The spells in this form are Command, Crown of Madness, Compelled Duel, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Animal Messenger, Enthrall, Suggestion, Zone of Truth, Compulsion, Confusion, Dominate Beast, Dominate Person, Geas, Mass Suggestion, Otto’s Irresistible Dance, and Dominate Monster. Not all of these spells result in willing compliance, some are clearly things that the creature may not want to do, but can’t help but do. As we decided in our internal discussions a couple weeks ago, the fact that a creature can try to subvert a command or compulsion doesn’t change the fact that one is happening, like the behaviors brought about by an addiction, or Spock in the grip of the Pon Farr. Even Otto’s allows the victim to dodge attacks, albeit poorly, so long as he keeps on dancin’.

Internal Interferences: Vicious Mockery, Bane, Sleep, Dissonant Whispers, Hold Person, Hold Monster, Modify Memory, Feeblemind, Power Word Stun, Power Word Kill, and Symbol, which comes to Enchantment from Neutrum (nee Abjuration). Symbol’s spell effects are all Enchantment, with the possible exception of the Death option, which deals necrotic damage (a Vitae effect). But Enchantment spells can do psychic damage, so the effect is achievable in Enchantment. However, it would certainly be understandable to split that effect off and hand it to Vitae, since all the spell really is is connective magic (Neutrum) triggering an effect in another school.

Leaving are Bless and Hex. Bless, which PA is putting into Divinus, so obviously belongs elsewhere that I’m not certain how it could have ever been put into Enchantment. It reads more like Transmutation. And the same for Hex, which is moving to Vitae. It’s shit like this which makes me wonder if WotC paid any attention to the magic at all. It’s like they put the spells into a bucket on little slips of paper and pulled them out one at a time.

Suggested Spells

No PA spell list article would be complete without a few suggestions for new spells in these forms.

Whisper
0-level Enchantment Cantrip (Onerous Assignments)
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V,M
Duration: 1 minute
On failing a saving throw versus Wisdom, the target creature cannot willingly speak above a whisper for one minute. Any attempt to do so will result in a choked croaking. This does not affect its spellcasting, or any speaking at the level of a whisper.

Fervor 
2nd-level Enchantment (Attitude Adjustment)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V,M
Duration: 1 minute, concentration
This spell allows the caster to imbue a creature with an unquenchable urge to attack foes without regard for safety. The target can resist the effect with a successful saving throw versus Wisdom. While the effect lasts, the target creature gains advantage on melee attacks, but attacks against it have advantage. The target will continue to attack foes for the duration of the spell, even if that means seeking them out.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of higher than 2nd level, you may target 1 additional creature for each additional level of the slot above 2.

Mind Clone 
9th-level Enchantment (Internal Interference)
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Components: V,M
Duration: 24 hours
With this spell, the caster can create a carbon copy of his mind in the mind of a creature of like or greater intelligence. The creature has the opportunity to make a Wisdom saving throw. On failing, the creature’s personality, thoughts, and memories are completely suppressed by those of the caster. The new mind is an independent copy of the caster’s, and the caster has no direct control over it. The initial casting lasts for 24 hours, at which time it may be recast by the original caster. If the target was unwilling, it attempts a Wisdom saving throw at each recast. If the spell is maintained for 1 year, it becomes permanent. If the spell ends, the original creature’s mind reasserts itself with no knowledge that time has passed or what has happened, and the caster can not recast the spell on that creature for 1 year.

Shawn

The Brat Prince of COBOL