So, were well aware of how enchantments can mess pretty hard with people minds. Some extreme examples are the dominate spells, where one strips the control of its targets own body, forcing it to do whatever he pleases, regardless of the victims consent.
Other examples are spells like charm person and unnatural lust. They invade your mind and changes the way you perseive people, the later putting you into some very embarassing positions, if not traumatic.
Now, how do you view these spells, and the way they affect alignment? Is invading someone minds and private thoughts something wrong, even if it were for a good cause? Would stripping an evil person of its ability to think and act by itself, as per dominate, be something wrong even if he were to be used for the greater good, to pay up for his crimes? What about forcing an poor rogue girl to kiss your half-orc 7 cha partner?
The objective here is to discuss the enchantments that mess with your head, and the repercussions it have on alignment. Thoughts?
Circumstances make all the difference.
The spells have no alignment descriptors, therefore they do not inherently cause alignment 'issues', and are not inherently 'good' or 'evil' or anything else. Even if I used alignment, they wouldn't automatically do anything like that.
As with everything, it's not what your abilities are, it's what you do with them.
Interesting opinions. I would think that in game, common folk would be a little too suspicious about people with the power to invade their minds. After all, its terrifying to think that a mage could just come in and take control of their actions with just a few strange words. How could you believe that your leaders are acting like them, and not actually being controled by some evil caster? But then again, people tend to be suspicious about anything that they dont understand.
As for me, I also see it as dependant upon how you use it. Enchanting the villain to help people may be a good punishment for his acts, but once you start using him as your personal slave to do all your mundane tasks and such, you would slowly start to go down the path of lawful evil, as it is for slavers.
people tend to be suspicious about anything that they dont understand.
Assuming that common people aren't familiar with magic, which is a lot like someone today who is unfamiliar with electricity ... you'd pretty much have to be willfully ignorant.
people tend to be suspicious about anything that they dont understand.Assuming that common people aren't familiar with magic, which is a lot like someone today who is unfamiliar with electricity ... you'd pretty much have to be willfully ignorant.
Depends on your setting. Some have witch hunts where anyone with a pointy hat is a target, others have everyone with a pointy hat. Understandably its hard to adventure were everyone and their cousin is out to kill you.