More Enslavement

[obcidian_bandit]

On page 112 of the rulebook, under Charm, it states the following:
"Unlike Enslavement, the victim is unaware of the effect."

This line seems to lend credence to the idea that I've seen play out where Enslaved PCs will immediately drink Enslavement Antidote elixirs/tell others that they're Enslaved/otherwise work around the effect. It was my impression that Enslavement was to be played that the PC was under considerably more control than that, and that that was a cheesy way to act after being Enslaved. (Nothing ruins your vampire innuendo fun like the PC whose mind you just subverted immediately walks into the tavern to poison the Duke's meal and then tells him that he did it and "BTW could I get an Enslavement Antidote?")

Is my impression that Enslavement be used for more subversive activities correct, or is the effect really meant to be a combat usage-take control of the other guys team quickly-super obvious extra powerful Dominate?

(On a similar note, I've seen people quaff Awaken potions when Dominated, because "they didn't/can't tell me not to," which I think is equally cheesy. Can I get a weigh-in on that one, too?)

 

[Polare]

Unless someone is explicitly given instruction not to try and stop their Enslavement, they are free to act as they choose. This means that if someone is Enslaved, they may do what they want until and unless they receive orders countermanding their instructions.

So, for instance, let's say Joe the Big Bad Enslaving Fae hits Bob the Fighter with an Enslavement. He orders Bob to go attack his buddy, George. Bob rushes at George. On the way, Bob yells, "Look out George! I'm coming to kill you! Sorry about this!". Bob then starts attacking George. Until George is down, Bob can't stop to drink an Enslavement Antidote. But if George goes down, and Bob isn't given any other orders, Bob can drink off an Enslavement Antidote since it won't get in the way of executing any of his orders.

In other words, if someone is going around using Enslavements, they darn well better be smart about what they're ordering. The flip side, of course, is that people should roleplay appropriately when given orders - if you're ordered to do something, you need to *do it* to the best of your abilities, not stop and get healed or drink an antidote on the way over until you don't have any orders to try and comply with that it would get in the way of.

-Bryan Gregory
ARC Member