One of my players wants to make a spell that can make Domination permanent.
He is good with making it a long casting time.
But its it too powerful?
Should I have expensive spell components, or any other restrictions?
There was a class in one of the 3.5 splatbooks -- mindbender? -- that got this as an ability. There's also a 3.5 splatbook, called complete divine, that offers this as a 9th level spell (Monstrous Thrall) with a hefty XP cost.
Having played such a mindbender several years ago, permanent domination as a spell was (IMHO) game-breakingly good. On the other hand, 9th level spells should be game-breakingly good.
I would say "The players shouldnt create something that they would not be willing to suffer upon themselves". If the player is willing to suffer the risk that another may use it on him, and the rest of the players agree, why not? Could be worth pricing it in a similar way to planar binding. Though personally, I would still leave the distinct risk of the dominated breaking free.
Domination is bad enough, allowing it to be permanent? It's iffy. And permanent domination... is pretty much slavery. So yeah, think not just of the mechanical implications.
I might consider it, but with a high material component cost and high casting time (10 mins) that require the target to be helpless the entire time in some sort of ritual circle. And I'd add in some sort of escape mechanism, like every week the possessed can attempt to save against it again.
So permanent in theory, but in 20 weeks time they're likely to roll a natural 20 and escape from it. Still, 20 weeks would be a long time to have a thrall.
There's also the potential dangerous situation where the thrall breaks the spell but continues to pretend to be under your influence. He then at the most opportune moment betrays you mid combat or does something else similar to screw you over. Yeah, that sounds excellent to me.
Dominate monster is already a 9th level spell. Perhaps let dominate person be 9th level for permanent? Either way, keep in the reroll clauses. Probably add a bonus free save once per month?
Dominate already lasts days per level. Nothing stops you from commanding the target to fail its save and re-dominating it. Give it +1 level and call it a day.
I would say stick permanency on it and there you are. It will be vulnerable to all the things that dominate is vulnerabel to, dispel, protection from evil and so on. Make sure that the poor victims remember every thing when they get there own will back. Seems like a great oppotunity for a GM. Make sure that you dont do him any favors and let him keep his own track of his victims. That way he may not notice if some slip his grip.
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Another 3.5 idea would be to look at Unearthed Arcana's Incantation rules. Use those to set up the domination under specific guidlines with some good rpg wiggle room clauses in there.
For example, a wedding ritual as a permanent domination spell is twisted, particularly if the victim walks in willing but unaware of what is being done. Perhaps the backlash effect is risking domination yourself. Also, the one who is having the incantation cast must follow specific behaviors for the domination to remain in effect. For example, forsaking all others as long as they both shall live or the domination ends and you have now have a spouse ready for divorce, revenge, custody of your kids (who will grow up hating you) and half your worldly goods.
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Dominate already lasts days per level. Nothing stops you from commanding the target to fail its save and re-dominating it. Give it +1 level and call it a day.
Days/level might as well be permanent by the time you have 9th level spell access. You can always teleport to your dominated critter and reapply it.
Err, that's what I meant. By"call it a day" I meant "be done with it" :p