Dominate Person 5e D&D Guide

A powerful aura envelops you and stretches out toward your target, imbued with the magic of the spell.

A deep, hypnotic voice echoes in the victim’s mind, compelling them to obey your every command, their will snared by the spell’s irresistible hold.

The Player’s Handbook says the following:

Dominate Person 5e

5th-level Enchantment

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You are attempting to enchant a humanoid that you can see nearby. It must make a successful Wisdom saving throw, or else you will charm it for the duration.

When you or other friendly creatures are battling it, it has an advantage on the saving throw.

Telepathic Link

As long as you and the target are located on the same plane of existence, you can communicate with it telepathically while it is under the charm.

While you are conscious, you can use this telepathic connection to give the creature commands that it will try its best to follow (no action is needed).

Simple and general instructions like “Attack that creature,” “Run over there,” or “Fetch that object” are all acceptable.

The creature does its best to defend and keep itself alive if the order is followed and no further instructions are given by you.

Total Control

You can completely and precisely control the target with your action. The creature doesn’t engage in any behavior that you don’t permit it to until the end of your next turn, taking only the actions you select.

You can also make the creature use a reaction during this time, but you must also use a reaction of your own to do so.

The target performs a new Wisdom saving throw against the spell each time it is damaged. The spell is broken if the save attempt is successful.

Upscaling

At Higher Levels: Dominate Person has a concentration duration of up to 10 minutes when used in a 6th-level spell slot.

The duration of a spell slot of 7th-level is concentration, up to 1 hour.

The duration is concentration and can last up to 8 hours when you use an 8th-level spell slot or higher.

Which Classes Can Pick Dominate Person 5e?

Traditional classes like the Bard, Sorcerer, and Wizard can freely unlock Dominate Person.

All three classes are full casters, meaning they can freely unlock and use Dominate Person at level 9.

Subclasses like the Trickery Domain (Cleric), The Archfey (Warlock), The Great Old One (Warlock), Oathbreaker (Paladin), Oath of Conquest (Paladin), and Order Domain (Cleric) can also freely unlock Dominate Person.

All the abovementioned Cleric and Warlock subclasses can freely unlock and use Dominate Person at level 9, while the Paladin subclasses can only unlock it at level 17.

Is Dominate Person Good in 5e?

When asking how powerful Dominate Person is, we must examine its two command forms: the telepathic link and the total control.

The telepathic link isn’t that powerful, but when you have total control, you have no limitations regarding what you can have your target do. Total control alone makes this spell incredibly powerful.

Advantages – Dominate Person

Range

Dominate Person has a range of 60 feet. While this isn’t very far, remember how powerful its mind-controlling is.

The powerful controlling ability makes up for its decent range.

Upscaling Duration

Dominate Person has a starting duration of 1 minute. When upscaled, the duration increases significantly.

Using an 8th-level spell slot or higher will have the spell last up to 8 hours, which is exceptionally long.

Disadvantages – Dominate Person

Concentration Spell

Unfortunately, as good as Dominate Person is, its Concentration makes it an easy spell to cancel.

If you control a minion, be careful of taking damage, and don’t cast any other Concentration spells, as this will cancel Dominate Person.

Class Availability

Three classes, including the Wizard, can unlock Dominate Person.

The Wizard is a popular class, but when we look at the other two classes, the Sorcerer and Bard (which aren’t very popular), Dominate Person’s availability drops.

The Wizard also has a lot of other powerful spells that beat Dominate Person performance-wise. So the chances of a party member having Dominate Person are pretty slim.

Spells Similar to Dominate Person 5e

Spells similar to Dominate Person are Charm Person (1st-level), Command (1st-level), Crown of Madness (2nd-level), Mass Suggestion (6th-level), and Dominate Monster (8th-level).

When or How Should You Use Dominate Person?

Mindless Minion

Most players use Dominate Person only to establish a telepathic link and issue simple commands.

Using Dominate Person this way is not the most effective; it’s the most straightforward.

It requires little effort from the caster, and it lets them focus on other spells, not just the minion. In most cases, controlling your minion like this gets the job done.

Total Control

You’ll probably want to take total control if you wish the creature to be like a player character.

While this control doesn’t last long, you can give the affected creature many more commands than before.

You can even have the creature use a reaction, although you’ll burn your reaction at the same time.

Controlling NPCs

There will be various important NPCs in any campaign. Being able to control to them fully is extremely powerful.

This spell doesn’t mention what happens if you put the humanoid in harm’s way.

While it must take a Wisdom saving throw against the spell when it takes damage, nothing stops it from killing itself instantly.

So, if you want an NPC dead, simply have it jump from a high place. In most cases, that’ll be an instant death.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Dominate Person Be Dispelled?

Dominate Person can be dispelled using Dispel Magic.

Dispel Magic will have to be upcasted to the level of Dominate Person (5th-level) if the caster doesn’t want to make a spellcasting check.

Is Dominate Person Better Than Dominate Monster?

These two spells are exactly the same, except that Dominate Monster can affect any monster, including humanoids (Dominate Person can only affect humanoids).

Final Thoughts

Dominate Person is a potent spell that allows the caster to control the actions and thoughts of a humanoid creature.

While it can be helpful in certain situations, the spell’s potential for abuse and ethical implications make it great for players wishing to push the boundaries of the party’s alignment.

It also makes a highly creative roleplay spell when used correctly, giving players unparalleled mind-bending power against humanoids!