You suggest a course of activity (limited to a sentence or two) and magically influence a creature you can see within range that can hear and understand you. Creatures that can't be charmed are immune to this effect. The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to make the course of action sound reasonable. Asking the creature to stab itself, throw itself onto a spear, immolate itself, or do some other obviously harmful act ends the spell.
The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it pursues the course of action you described to the best of its ability. The suggested course of action can continue for the entire duration. If the suggested activity can be completed in a shorter time, the spell ends when the subject finishes what it was asked to do.
You can also specify conditions that will trigger a special activity during the duration. For example, you might suggest that a knight give her warhorse to the first beggar she meets. If the condition isn't met before the spell expires, the activity isn't performed.
If you or any of your companions damage the target, the spell ends.
* - (a snake's tongue and either a bit of honeycomb or a drop of sweet oil)
Nope.
Does the target know a spell was cast on it? is that assumed or not assumed if it isn't mentioned in the spell's rules?
I'm wondering would a suggestion of "Why don't you become my loyal & humble servant/assistant for the day for a wage of 1sp?" work - allowing you to then spend the next 8 hours giving whatever specific instructions you want?
As a DM, I handle this spell with a simple perspective. Would the target perform the suggested action if a reasonable amount of gold was offered for the task. If they would perform the task for a high enough payment, then they would perform the action under the influence of the Suggestion spell too.
Once the spell end (either after the 8 hours or completing the task), would the target be aware they were under a spell?
Rise of Tiamat though was written by Kobold Press and came out back in 2015. They also didn't really update anything in it when they came out with the re-release.
It is not a good benchmark for what is reasonable with the spell. A latter adventure that was actually full written in-house would be a better source.
Meant to say 2014 but the edit button is not working for me for that post.
The use of Suggestion by Yuan-Ti is particularly difficult to handle because even though it has no material component for them they still have to use a vocal component. So the casting of the spell is at least perceptible to the party (even if they don't know what spell is being cast).
So not only do you have the "reasonable" angle to this. But you also have just the fact that the party would notice they were in the midst of casting a spell.
Well, would it be reasonable for the target to become your servant at that wage? If so, why are you using this spell? Just offer 1sp a day and see if they take you up on it. (Also recognize that a 1sp/day servant won't complete "whatever specific instructions you want." 1sp/day doesn't buy you a spy or a killer-for-hire. You have a dishwasher and floor-mopper).
"We are fighting but I think it's totally reasonable for this boss to become my servant for the day -- whaddya say, guys?"
Say the Suggestion out loud, as a real suggestion, and see if it sounds ridiculous for the context. That's your line between reasonable and unreasonable.
Much better, for example, for most situations I've seen people post is something along these lines:
"You seem to be losing; it's probably time for you to surrender."
Land that. Shorten your fights.
Or try this:
"Our reinforcements will outflank you presently; better retreat."
or how about:
"You are under arrest by the King's order" when the context is right.
It's a suggestion. Suggesting that a difficult opponent is losing is reasonable. Self-doubt is reasonable. Similarly, suggesting that you "didn't steal the sword/jewel/bread" so "shouldn't be taken in for questioning" is completely reasonable.
Any and all of those suggestions might be lies. That's fine.
Recommend you target whoever is in charge. It'll be harder to land but more effective.
Finally, try to think about why "these aren't the droids you're looking for" is objectively more effective in its context than "all of your comrades are traitors, kill them with your blaster now!"
So, how is it that this spell doesn't cause a charm effect? It doesn't make sense to me. When I think of what I expect when someone is charmed, this is it.
"Charmed" in D&D is not the same as "glamoured" in folklore, which is the inspiration for the "charmed" condition in many video games. In 5e, at least, "charmed" is a binary condition with a source creature and an affected creature; the affected creature considers the source creature (and only the source creature) as a friend or close ally.
This spell has nothing to do with how a creature perceives the caster. Rather, it forces behavior--or, academically but more accurately, the motivation to pursue said behavior--as directed by the caster. What you're thinking of as "charmed" is really just the enchantment school of magic as a whole. The true "charmed" condition relates specifically to the target's social attitude towards the caster.
EDIT TO ADD: A "charmed" creature should not obey the commands of their charmer. They should merely view their charmer's words favorably, as one would the words of a peer or mentor.
My question as a soon to be new DM. How do you handle the Concentration for this spell. Does the PC have to maintain Concentration for the 8 Hours, so if they take damage they have to make a save to maintain the Suggestion spell on the NPC that's, for example, "Still standing there not selling death sticks and rethinking their life"; upon failing the spell wears off leaving a slightly confused NPC?
Does the PC need to remain within 30 feet, while Concentrating, for the spell to remain in effect for those 8 Hours?
Or does the Concentration side only come into play inside of actual Combat and RP is handled differently, as in Suggest, Succeed (they fail) and forget about the NPC as you go about the adventure?
The PC would need to maintain concentration for the spell to remain in effect, making a save when they take damage or you require them to because of whatever event. They would not, however, need to stay within range of the person they cast the spell on. Your party could be off hiking to the far ends of the globe and your friendly neighbourhood death stick vendor would still just be standing around and rethinking their life choices. There are spells that require the caster to remain within range for the duration though. See [Tooltip Not Found] for an example.
EDIT: Tooltip was meant to be for Witch Bolt, PHB pg.289
Suggestion + Feign Death combo: Possible encounter-ender? Suggestion: "Let me cast a spell on you which will protect you from further harm from these fools - do not resist it." (technically true). Next turn, Feign Death, willing creature, no save.
Its pretty obvious why that isn't a reasonable suggestion....storm troopers cant hit anything with a blaster. It would be unreasonable to expect them to hit their allies like that.
What are some feats that could let me take this?
Would it fit within the confines of this spell to suggest “be compliant, do whatever we tell you” as a course of action? It feels like an overreach for the level, essentially giving you an 8 hour charm, but the wording doesn’t seem to explicitly prevent it.
a good question. it doesn't say that the target was aware or unaware of the influence of the spell.
I would rule that the target is not aware they’ve been put under a spell. Reason being that other enchantment spells like Charm Person do specify that the target is aware, so it’s a property of a spell that’s not assumed unless stated explicitly.
That said, the verbal, somatic and material components of the spellcasting will probably be noticed by witnesses and even the target without taking measures to hide it.
I don’t think a general instruction to be compliant or obedient is specific enough to be able to be worded in a way that sounds reasonable. It would raise too many questions to be covered in the two-sentence limit of the Suggestion.
“We need to talk to the king about an urgent matter, would you escort us to him and ensure we can speak privately? We don’t want anyone disrupting our conversation.” - essentially makes the target your personal assistant and lookout until the spell ends, yet worded like they’re doing you a favour and is clear in what it’s asking of them. I’d allow it.
“We need to talk to the king urgently so you should help us by doing whatever we say.” - unambiguously a command that the target has been given little reason to obey without further details. Why do I need to do everything you tell me in order for you to talk to the king? What are you going to tell me to do? Too much many logic holes for the target to make sense of at face value - it would fail.
Context matters, but basically the target needs to know what they’re agreeing to in order to meet the “sounds reasonable” criteria IMO.
Can't cause harm to itself...