What are some clever uses of the spell, subconscious suggestion, or interesting scenarios where it can be made to shine?
It strikes me as rather restrictive, so I'm eager to get a better idea of what it is and is not capable of.
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It's actually fairly permissive. Logical and not obviously self destructive leave you open to all manner of activities. Combo it with the usual cha shenanigans and you can pre-convince someone that a particularly stupid course of action is a stroke of brilliance. After that, the suggestion is insurance against things like fear, moral decency, impulsive change of plans, etc.
The fail effect of 1 minute is hard to really do anything with, but the hour version and 10 target version is a great tool for getting nameless citizens to do great and/or terrible things at opportune moments.
So would something like suggesting the nearby guards throw their weapons over the bridge and into the river below "for cleaning" work?
Or perhaps to open a portcullis to let civilians escape at the sound of a whistle or other raised alarm, during an execution in which allies attempt to rescue the condemned?
Or maybe suggesting that the hungry beast eat something else any time it looks at you with hunger?
If the action isn't "self-destructive or obviously against the target's self-interest" you can basically make the creature do what you will.
But notice that "self-interest" is pretty open. So to make guards throw their weapons over the bridge and into the river below "for cleaning" work maybe just not work because the spell doesn't make the target a dumb. You need to be more subtle with your suggestion or trick your target to believe that the suggested action isn't goes against their self-interest.
Or perhaps to open a portcullis to let civilians escape at the sound of a whistle or other raised alarm, during an execution in which allies attempt to rescue the condemned?
This sound more reasonable but your GM may interpret that this action will make consequence to them (like their being arrested by another guard) and goes against their "self-interest".
Or maybe suggesting that the hungry beast eat something else any time it looks at you with hunger?
This goes against its "self-interest" unless you have another food source to give to it.
The main secret to make this spell to work is also use Deception to make it believe that your suggested action won't be against its self-interest making dumb actions looks like a smart action. The creature don't need to trust in you because the spell suggestion makes this work but need to be convinced that is not a stupid course o action that will harm it.
Ah, so...it's basically as useless as I feared then.
Without an extraordinarily permissive GM, it just looks like an invitation for disappointment.
After all, anything that isn't "self-destructive" or "against the target's self-interest" likely wouldn't need magical reinforcement in the first place.
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Ah, so...it's basically as useless as I feared then.
Without an extraordinarily permissive GM, it just looks like an invitation for disappointment.
After all, anything that isn't "self-destructive" or "against the target's self-interest" likely wouldn't need magical reinforcement in the first place.
Maybe, but the lie action has much more restrictive uses. Anything complex takes more than a round , and if you fail, the targets immediately become suspicious of you. With the spell suggestion the target has to critically succeed to be aware something is going on. That makes it quite a bit safer than assuming you can lie you way through the situation.
“Oh your looking for intruders? They definitely ran off that way, you’ll have to hurry if you want to catch them.” Is a much easier and longer lasting sell will suggestion than lie, for example.
But what are you going to have them do, drink tea instead of coffee? *smeh*
The "Hungry Beast" thing wouldn't work because the spell has the Linguistic trait; the subject needs to understand the language you are speaking to them in. Beasts don't understand language, so that's just out. You also see the linguistic requirement in the save/success description.
I get your point, but wanted to throw it out there that plenty of beasts do talk and understand languages.
Sphinxes, wear-creatures, manticores, blink dogs, gargoyles, and unicorns to name a few.