Can an Aboleth command an enslaved creature to fight for it? Reading the description it says that the creature is charmed, and the charmed condition only states,
"A charmed creature can't attack the charmer or target the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects. The charmer has advantage on any ability check to interact socially with the creature."
I have heard people argue that they can not, comparing it to the charm monster or charm person spell, but this is not the charm person/monster spell. This is an Aboleth's innate ability. In the Enslave ability description it also says,
The charmed target is under the aboleth's control and can't take reactions, and the aboleth and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance.
It says nothing about it not being able to fight for the Aboleth. Based on that, I would say that the Aboleth could enslave a PC and tell it to attack their party.
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‘A’OHE PU’U KI’EKI’E KE HO’A’O ‘IA E PI’I – (No cliff is so tall it cannot be climbed.)
Based strictly off the wording of the Aboleth's ability, I would say it could order a PC to attack the party, and likely would. I would use this mechanic carefully, however, as it might sour the players on the experience. If it were a strike that could drop a party member, maybe allow the enslaved character to make another save, possibly breaking the effect before knocking their comrade unconscious.
On the other hand, rather than attack the party, it may just order the charmed/enslaved PC to drown themselves, thereby taking up the party's turns as they try to stop it from happening.
The "charm" condition is a generic state that a lot of different effects might put a character into.
Each thing that imposes the "charm" condition usually specifies additional effects that also apply while the "charm" condition is present on a creature.
So, the description of the Aboleth ability which imposes the "charm" condition also imposes the extra ability that the aboleth has absolute control of the charmed creature's actions. The aboleth would know that if the creature attacked his allies, then the allies might well fight back, and that could well break the aboleth's control (since it gets a saving throw if it takes damage).
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Can an Aboleth command an enslaved creature to fight for it? Reading the description it says that the creature is charmed, and the charmed condition only states,
I have heard people argue that they can not, comparing it to the charm monster or charm person spell, but this is not the charm person/monster spell. This is an Aboleth's innate ability. In the Enslave ability description it also says,
It says nothing about it not being able to fight for the Aboleth. Based on that, I would say that the Aboleth could enslave a PC and tell it to attack their party.
‘A’OHE PU’U KI’EKI’E KE HO’A’O ‘IA E PI’I – (No cliff is so tall it cannot be climbed.)
Based strictly off the wording of the Aboleth's ability, I would say it could order a PC to attack the party, and likely would. I would use this mechanic carefully, however, as it might sour the players on the experience. If it were a strike that could drop a party member, maybe allow the enslaved character to make another save, possibly breaking the effect before knocking their comrade unconscious.
On the other hand, rather than attack the party, it may just order the charmed/enslaved PC to drown themselves, thereby taking up the party's turns as they try to stop it from happening.
The "charm" condition is a generic state that a lot of different effects might put a character into.
Each thing that imposes the "charm" condition usually specifies additional effects that also apply while the "charm" condition is present on a creature.
So, the description of the Aboleth ability which imposes the "charm" condition also imposes the extra ability that the aboleth has absolute control of the charmed creature's actions. The aboleth would know that if the creature attacked his allies, then the allies might well fight back, and that could well break the aboleth's control (since it gets a saving throw if it takes damage).