100% DO NOT DO THIS unless you talk to the player first about the idea, and the player is completely on board with roleplaying a mind-controlled version of their character. Otherwise this is taking away player agency, which is a violation of the most central agreement between players and DM.
First, I really hope it’s the character being mind controlled, not the player. Second, I agree with Fayettegamer: Don’t do it. What’s the point of playing if your character can’t do what you want? Dealing with it for a round or two if you get dominated is one thing, but long term would be awful and not fun. But, if you’re dead set, check out the geas spell.
Geas is not true mind control it is more like holding a gun to someone's head and "saying do this or I will kill you". I am in a campaign where we started as slaaves of a lich under a geas spell, we were free to act as we wanted within the parameters of geas. While we could not speak of our state or ask for remove curse or Greater r3storation to be cast on us we eventually found a rouse to get someone to cast identify on one of the party.
For true mnd control you need dominate person cast at 8th level it lasts 8 hours and can be recast, maybe have a couple of simulacrum doing 8t so the big bad can concentrate on other things.
As others have said do not do this without player approval. Having said that if the player is going to miss a couple of sessions having him dominat3d and working against the rest of the party could be a storyline.(Player death while you are not there is terrible so you need a way to resurrect them if the party feel they have to kill him)
so, how do you plan to keep the mind controlled player on track?
tell them and they become co-DM?now the audience for your brilliant twist is reduced and your workload just tripled. will this require rehearsal? will you accept their input? is the other player even interested in this and how do you keep them from feeling bullied into accepting?
tell them and pass them notes for guidance?now they're acting rather than role playing. some players would resent the loss of agency. also, you run a very real risk of putting the story on rails which is about as collaborative as being read a novel.
not tell them, reveal it to everyone by surprise?some players would strongly resent the loss of self. consider: you'll have just invalidated everything they've created including personality, motivations, social connections, etc.
role playing games aren't always the best venue for a cleverly blindsiding twist. especially for longer campaigns where players have made a real connection with their characters. some tables will eat it up, sure. however, failure in this could be taken more poorly than a sudden character death. be aware of what you're risking.
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Thank you for the advice and it made me rethink the mind control for a long period of time.
having said all that, if it was impossible then surely there'd be a warning label in the book or pasted onto the side of potion of mind control. right?
maybe try mind controlling an NPC first: maybe it's a party-favorite merchant that always seems to be in the same town as the characters and maybe they're always good for a rumor (or a hint). or perhaps someone you gave the group an opportunity to hire someone they saved, someone so thankful and impressed by adventurers that they've volunteered to hold the torches, wash the dishes, and drag fallen comrades to safety during a fight. some people (myself included) forget just how normal it is to have hangers-on and hired hands join a group to accomplish chores, keep up with the tents, help with armor straps, etc. whatever you do, just make sure it's not a DMPC. if the DM's pet character betrays everyone, well, who didn't see that a mile away, right? no, all the better if the players take turns describing what the tag-along non-combatant commoner NPC is doing. yeah, mind control that one. it'll hurt when the players find out they've been betrayed, but at least nobody will feel like you took a red pen to their character sheet, you know?
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unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: providefeedback!
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I'm working on a campaign that requires a player to be mind controlled for a long period of time can anyone give me some ideas?
100% DO NOT DO THIS unless you talk to the player first about the idea, and the player is completely on board with roleplaying a mind-controlled version of their character. Otherwise this is taking away player agency, which is a violation of the most central agreement between players and DM.
First, I really hope it’s the character being mind controlled, not the player.
Second, I agree with Fayettegamer: Don’t do it. What’s the point of playing if your character can’t do what you want? Dealing with it for a round or two if you get dominated is one thing, but long term would be awful and not fun.
But, if you’re dead set, check out the geas spell.
Geas is not true mind control it is more like holding a gun to someone's head and "saying do this or I will kill you". I am in a campaign where we started as slaaves of a lich under a geas spell, we were free to act as we wanted within the parameters of geas. While we could not speak of our state or ask for remove curse or Greater r3storation to be cast on us we eventually found a rouse to get someone to cast identify on one of the party.
For true mnd control you need dominate person cast at 8th level it lasts 8 hours and can be recast, maybe have a couple of simulacrum doing 8t so the big bad can concentrate on other things.
As others have said do not do this without player approval. Having said that if the player is going to miss a couple of sessions having him dominat3d and working against the rest of the party could be a storyline.(Player death while you are not there is terrible so you need a way to resurrect them if the party feel they have to kill him)
so, how do you plan to keep the mind controlled player on track?
role playing games aren't always the best venue for a cleverly blindsiding twist. especially for longer campaigns where players have made a real connection with their characters. some tables will eat it up, sure. however, failure in this could be taken more poorly than a sudden character death. be aware of what you're risking.
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
Thank you for the advice and it made me rethink the mind control for a long period of time.
having said all that, if it was impossible then surely there'd be a warning label in the book or pasted onto the side of potion of mind control. right?
maybe try mind controlling an NPC first: maybe it's a party-favorite merchant that always seems to be in the same town as the characters and maybe they're always good for a rumor (or a hint). or perhaps someone you gave the group an opportunity to hire someone they saved, someone so thankful and impressed by adventurers that they've volunteered to hold the torches, wash the dishes, and drag fallen comrades to safety during a fight. some people (myself included) forget just how normal it is to have hangers-on and hired hands join a group to accomplish chores, keep up with the tents, help with armor straps, etc. whatever you do, just make sure it's not a DMPC. if the DM's pet character betrays everyone, well, who didn't see that a mile away, right? no, all the better if the players take turns describing what the tag-along non-combatant commoner NPC is doing. yeah, mind control that one. it'll hurt when the players find out they've been betrayed, but at least nobody will feel like you took a red pen to their character sheet, you know?
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!