Shattered Kingdoms

Here you go:

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Syntax: cast 'charm person' <victim>

This spell, if successful, causes the victim's mind to become clouded and soporific, stunting the link between mind and body so badly that they may only act under compulsion and perform only the most basic of communications. The effect varies from person to person, some have even been known to recognize the circumstances they are in, while unable to act upon them.

A note to those that would exert their will over others in this manner - While the spell maintains an iron grip when in force, the amount of finesse needed to wield it properly is high. The magical link between caster and their victim is fragile, and if not properly maintained, shatters.

Proper maintenance refers to the emotional state of your victim. While this state leaves them in a more pliable state, those unknown forces which work within the mind respond strongly to emotional and physical stimulus. Physical abuse or humiliation of your victim causes their emotions to surge and will destroy the link you've established.

You are responsible for the actions of your followers. Conversely, other
people who attack your followers will be penalized as if they attacked you.

See also: order

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There's a very specific outline for you, open to whatever fine-tuning you think it may need to reflect the realities of the code or attitude toward the spell.

I give that two big thumbs in newb approval!

It looks like a good start. I welcome comments from other players or immortals.

Player approval (2)

"Soporific" strikes me as excessive. That discourages RP from the charmee. He should be actively assisting his new bestest friend, to what little extent he's able. Instead, I'd encourage thinking in terms of dependence. The charmee trusts the charmer so much, and himself so little, that he lacks the initative to act alone.

I appreciate trying to put an RP standard in the help file, but please remember anything here has to apply to NPC and PC alike. If a charmed NPC can be made to tank, so can a PC. If a charmed NPC can have it's equipment changed, so can a PC. That's not to say there shouldn't be mechanical limits to the spell, but that's a mechanics issue rather than RP.

So I'd suggest something more like:

"This spell works by making the caster appear as the best of friends and advisors. The victim becomes so trusting and dependent that his ability to act for himself is all but lost. Still, casters should be careful not to break the illusion by being too harshly demanding. It is best to seemingly ask for help or offer it, even as the caster issues his commands."

Note that I pointed out elsewhere that this should be applied in hardcode as well, but the helpfile serves a primary purpose - that is to address the long-standing and wellfounded complaint that the stock helpfile for charm person is way too vague. It sets a standard and an outline for which roleplay under charm can be conducted in, with the express point of not unduly restricting people. As mechanics go, by all means, back it up and lock down NPCS and PCs the same way.

It occurred to me after writing it that "soporific" is one of those $20 words that doesn't really have a place in a helpfile. The point was to imply a sleep-like or trancelike state of suggestiveness.

What this means in terms of gameplay is that the character's mind has been opened to such a point where they're willing to accept friendlier overtures from someone they would never consider such a thing from - without ignoring certain burningly obvious realities that people have pointed out - such as a knowledge and understanding of exactly what charming is and how it works, previous charm attacks, or the simple fact that the person is a dire and hated enemy intent on the obliteration of that person's church/life/friends/etc. Charming shouldn't make them forget everything to the point of ridiculous unreality. That's opinion, sure, but the idea is to set down a sense of normalcy instead of appealing to someone's sense of entitled power.

It's nice to think that NPCs and PCs should be treated the exact same way,but the fact is.... they aren't. NPCS're treated, for the most part as exactly what they are, mindless automatons without even the most basic AI to cause them to RP back to the player. Sure, a few people do, primarily for the purposes of city defense, but attempting to binding the hands of roleplay standards set down for players by trying to apply them equally to NPCs in a situation where they cannot be in the name of some notion of fairness that does not exist is a mistake.

And yeah, that -would- be applied to both NPCs. Stripping players of equipment breaks the charm and does the same for NPCs.

If the victim remembers that the charmer is an enemy, why on earth is he being so passive and obedient? You're also losing all the RP fun of playing either a "helpful" dummy or a subtle manipulator. IMO, the point of the change was largely to encourage worthwhile charm roleplay. Playing a zombie doesn't strike me as filling the bill.

Mechanically, sorcs routinely need to upgrade the equipment of charmed NPCs, so a little caution is called for. I'd agree that simply taking all a victim's equipment, and not giving anything back, is beyond the bounds. But "borrowing" a weapon or giving "enchanted" replacement equipment is fair game.

As for treating NPCs and PCs differently, that's either OOC courtesy, or bad roleplay. I agree OOC courtesy is called for, simply because the charmee loses most control of his character. However, a charmee alone with his charmer is meant to be in dire trouble. We don't heavily restrict bash in the same circumstances.

Forsooth:

You've missed a critical aspect of points I've made in both my helpfile and the reply I made to you. That is this - the charmer -only- has absolute control over your body, not your mind. They can't tell you what to think, you're simply unable to act on what you think. It's LIKE being paralyzed. You have no control over your body, but you do control your mind. You have no control over your body, but you can think what you like, and should you choose to roleplay it, you may even act on it.

You might not have noticed it, but the entire helpfile is a subtle reference to the nervous system, which is controlled by the brain. The charm spell acts like a mind-numbing drug that paralyzes your nervous system. This particular drug of charm, however, doesn't completely zombify you. The effect? You're blitzed nearly out of your mind like a patient in a hospital bed.

This is the "Why?" to answer your question.

As the imaginary world of Pyrathia has no grasp of such things, it's referred to as powers of the mind.

As for tweaking the mechanics of this spell, I don't have any problem with that. I don't consider mine the end-all be-all way of approaching it. From what I understand, Dulrik already has some ideas in place, and should he decide to follow through on them, player input would be nice.

As far as the rest goes, i If they want to upgrade that charmie, they can order the player to wear something they've just given them. As I recall, that automatically swaps it out, exception of weapons. "Borrowing" is simply opening a loophole, unless you're going to make it some special once-a-charm command.

Your comparison of bash to charm person doesn't work. The two abilities aren't in the same league, and the non-SK designers who created them never pretended they were. Your suggestion that a person charmed is MEANT to be in dire trouble is a reflection of that throwback design (which didn't take into consideration roleplay and pk) and the current reality based on it.

Charm person is currently being reshaped and designed for a new reality. What is "meant to be" is being determined now by staff of SK, not by Hans Starfaeldt , not matter how much I may <3 the man for helping create my addiction.

I've not missed it. I'm directly attacking this new roleplay interpetation of charm. I'm not interested in absolute control at all, because it doesn't lead to scenes worth playing: "Do this." "Yes, master" Boo.

Saying that mental resistance is allowed doesn't improve this any: "Do this." "You won't get away with it, you fiend. Yes, master." Boo times two.

It's much more fun to have the caster play the manipulator, and the charmee play the dummy. "Oh, save me from these bandits!" "Of course, my dear. Say, would it be alright if I carried you? Your legs look awfully spindly to carry all that weight." "I think you're going to need your arms free to hold a sword, honey." And so on. It's true the underlying commands don't change any, but at least we're getting some entertaining interaction.

If we end up changing the code for PK reasons, so be it. But let's save the zombie commanding to the necromancers, please. Any code changes can be justified just as easily by the caster's need to pretend friendship.

You're ignoring the fact that this isn't restricting the roleplay whatsoever. I think I've made that clear enough, short of writing out examples that the player is free to *communicate* in whatever way they please. The only "zombie" part of that is the physical aspect, and quite frankly.... that's not new. The only reason to open that aspect back up is to allow players to cheat their way out of the spell. I believe that both sides of this need to be restricted to keep that nonsense in line.

So, you prefer an example?
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Mr. Mage casts charm person.
Warriorman follows Mr. Mage with rapt intent. (Lose the adoration)
Warriorman glowers sullenly.
Warriorman says, 'Why have you done this to me? We are sworn enemy."
Mr. Mage says "Grovel and worship your new master."
Warriorman says, "Never. I worship Bob Almighty 'n would never blasphemy."
Mr. Mage orders Warriorman to grovel.
Warriorman grovels before Mr. Mage. (physical compulsion)
Warriorman glares up at Mr. Mage from the ground.
Warriorman says, "You can compel my body, but not my mind."
Mr. Mage sneers.
Mr. Mage says "So what? You are a slave of me and my god. You lose."
Mr. Mage says "We're gonna fight something. Tank for me, sweetcheex."
Mr. Mage gives Warriorman some armor.
Mr. Mage orders Warriorman to wear armor.
Mr. Mage positions Warriorman in the front row.
Mr. Mage now has the PC equivalent of a NPC.
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You speak of the fun involved, but you only take into consideration the one side. Of course your version of fun for the charmer is "more fun". They win+++ because the victim is now completely their biyotch. You say you don't want the zombie effect, but then contradict yourself by saying they should not only have the zombie commands but be forced to roleplay a zombie as well? What?

This is a game, and taking into consideration the fun of one side and one side alone is counter-productive. Give and take. Add some fun for both sides. Your ability to roleplay is limited only by your imagination.