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Charm

An ability that turns an existing enemy into an ally or puppet of the user, acting for the user's side for a set time, until a save or dispel breaks it, or permanently; often resisted by a save or barred for strong or unique targets.

Also known as: Charm Person, Charm Monster, Mass Charm, Dominate Person, Dominate Monster, mind control, domination, conversion, Control Magic, Threaten, Holy Persuasion, Imperio, scroll of taming

Definition

Charm turns an existing enemy into an ally or puppet of the user, keeping its form and powers but using them for the user’s side. Summon creates a new ally, while charm takes one already in play; fear makes the target flee and polymorph strips its form, while a charmed target keeps acting. Relationship systems track a bond built over many choices and social conflict settles disputes by an exchange of moves; charm is a single cast effect. The status effects mechanic covers the charmed condition as a system. League of Legends’ Charm, which walks the target toward the caster, is forced movement despite its name.

Behaviour

The user targets one creature, or every creature in an area, at range. Where a save exists it is rolled on casting; afterwards the target obeys orders or, in later Dungeons & Dragons editions, treats the user as a friend. Exclusions recur: undead in 1974, shopkeepers in Hack, Heroes in Warcraft III. Control ends by dispel, by periodic or damage-triggered saves, by a timer, or never. Counterplay is the save, removing the aura in Magic: The Gathering, or killing the stolen unit.

Variations

  • Confusion (Dungeons & Dragons, Final Fantasy): the target loses its allegiance but nobody steers it, attacking its own side or the caster’s at random.
  • Temporary steal (Magic: The Gathering Threaten, Hogwarts Legacy Imperio): control lasts until end of turn or a brief period.
  • Conversion with self-cost (StarCraft: Brood War, Warcraft III): the Dark Archon loses its shields and the Banshee its body; The Frozen Throne’s Dark Ranger Charm has no such cost.
  • Creep domination with caps (Dota 2): Holy Persuasion and Enchant take creeps under level and unit caps.
  • Charm as friendship (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition): the target regards the caster as a friend rather than an automaton.
  • Possession of a player’s character (Evil Dead: The Game): in one-versus-many play the opposing player briefly takes over a character another player controls, a temporary steal aimed at a human rather than a computer-controlled unit.

Gating

Tabletop role-playing games use spell slots, but target limits and break conditions gate more: Greyhawk (1975) adds a check by Intelligence, from monthly to daily, and the 1978 Players Handbook a save on casting. The 5th edition adds action cost, since Dominate Person’s full control takes the caster’s action each turn. Hack’s scroll is consumable and permanent. Magic: The Gathering charges mana once, and the steal lasts as long as the aura. Brood War and Warcraft III charge a large share of a caster’s energy plus a price to the caster; Age of Empires gates each attempt by a rejuvenation meter, and Age of Empires IV by a relic and a cooldown. Over time, permanent control (1974, 1993) gives way to bounded control: re-saves, seconds, and no stealing of heroes in team games.

History and provenance

Dungeons & Dragons (1974) is the earliest documented use: Charm Person puts the target “completely under the influence of the Magic-User” until dispelled. The spell names no saving throw; one is implied only by cross-references. Greyhawk (1975) added the break check, and the Players Handbook (1978) softened control into friendship. Chainmail’s Confusion, which reverses an enemy unit’s move, is an antecedent cited only from the 1975 third edition. Hack’s scroll of taming (1985 source) is the earliest video example cited. Strategy games turned charm into unit conversion from Age of Empires (1997) on.

Notable examples

Notable examples, in chronological order. Notes describe how the ability behaves in each game; gating is what limits its use there; the latest reference is a widely played game from 2020 or later.
GameYearMediumGatingHow the ability behaves
Dungeons & Dragons
Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson (TSR)		1974Tabletop RPGSpell slotsCharm Person, a first-level magic-user spell with a range of 12 inches, brings a two-legged, roughly man-sized figure "completely under the influence of the Magic-User" until dispelled; undead are excluded. Charm Monster, at fourth level, works on all creatures, 3d6 of them when they have three hit dice or fewer. The spell text names no saving throw.
Hack
Andries Brouwer		1985VideoConsumableA scroll of taming, used up on reading, makes every monster adjacent to the player a pet, or every monster within five squares if the player is confused. Shopkeepers, guards, long worms, and monsters already tame are excluded, and on a full-moon night the taming fails five times in six. Behaviour cited from the 1.0.2 source code.
Magic: The Gathering
Richard Garfield (Wizards of the Coast)		1993Board & cardManaControl Magic, an aura costing {2}{U}{U}, reads 'You control enchanted creature' in current Oracle wording, so the creature moves to its new controller's side for as long as the aura stays attached. Summoning sickness keeps it from attacking until it has started a turn under that controller. Threaten (Onslaught, 2002) is a temporary form that gains control until end of turn and grants haste.
Age of Empires1997VideoCooldownA Priest ordered onto an enemy villager, military unit, or boat converts it to the player's civilization, and the Monotheism technology extends conversion to buildings and enemy Priests. After each attempt the Priest must rejuvenate its strength, shown as a percentage. Boats resist conversion twice as strongly, and Town Centers and Wonders cannot be converted.
StarCraft: Brood War
Blizzard Entertainment		1998VideoManaThe Dark Archon's Mind Control costs 150 energy at range 8 and takes permanent control of any unit, which keeps "its powers and knowledge". Casting it drains all of the Dark Archon's own shields.
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Blizzard Entertainment		2002VideoManaThe Banshee's Possession, researched at the Temple of the Damned, costs 250 mana at range 35. It stuns the target and the Banshee for 4 seconds, the Banshee taking 166% damage meanwhile, then gives "permanent control" of the target and destroys the Banshee. Flying units, Heroes, and creeps above level 5 cannot be taken. Values from a later patch.
World of Warcraft
Blizzard Entertainment		2004VideoManaThe priest's Mind Control at rank 1 (level 30) costs 350 mana at 20 yards and "Controls a humanoid mind up to level 32, but slows its attack speed by 20%. Lasts 1 min", with a chance to break free every 5 seconds; ranks 2 and 3 raise the cap to levels 47 and 62. The guide warns that the freed enemy attacks the priest first. Patch 3.0.2 (2008) cut it to one rank costing 12% of base mana.
Dungeons & Dragons, 5th edition
Wizards of the Coast		2014Tabletop RPGSpell slots, Action costCharm Person (first level, one action, 30 feet, one hour) makes a humanoid that fails a Wisdom save regard the caster as a "friendly acquaintance". Dominate Person (fifth level, concentration up to one minute) adds telepathic commands; spending the caster's action buys "total and precise control" until its next turn, and each time the target takes damage it saves again.
Age of Empires IV Latest
Relic Entertainment (Xbox Game Studios)		2021VideoCooldownReligious units, available from the Castle Age (Age III), pick up relics and use a conversion ability "to steal enemy troops". Fan-compiled data reportedly give conversion while carrying a relic an area effect, a 6-second countdown, and a 120-second cooldown.

Provenance

Earliest documented use: Dungeons & Dragons (1974), tabletop rpg. Confidence: high. Men & Magic (1974) gives Charm Person and Charm Monster, which put the target "completely under the influence of the Magic-User" until dispelled, and its recruitment rules let monsters be charmed "and thus ordered to serve". The spell text names no saving throw; a save is implied only by cross-references in Hold Person, the vampire's gaze, and the Human Control potion ("Saving throws are applicable"). The periodic break check timed by Intelligence comes from Greyhawk (1975), and the save on casting from the Players Handbook (1978). Chainmail's Confusion spell, in which the caster reverses an enemy unit's move, is an antecedent cited only from the 1975 third edition; the 1971 first printing carried six spells, and whether Confusion was among them is unconfirmed. Chainmail has no charm spell, and its mercenaries who change sides are a morale rule. In video games, Hack's scroll of taming (1.0.2 source, 1985) is the earliest example cited; Hack 1.0 was reportedly announced in December 1984, and Jay Fenlason's earlier Hack and the PLATO games remain unsurveyed. Mind Control belongs to StarCraft: Brood War (1998), not to StarCraft.

Sources

  1. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. (1974). Dungeons & Dragons, Volume 1: Men & Magic. Tactical Studies Rules. Rulebook Explanation of Spells: Charm Person (p. 23), Confusion (pp. 26-27), Charm Monster (p. 27); Non-Player Characters (p. 12). Accessed 2026-10-24. Charm Person and Charm Monster wording, with no save or re-save in the text; confusion by die roll; charming monsters into service.
  2. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. (1974). Dungeons & Dragons, Volume 2: Monsters & Treasure. Tactical Studies Rules. Rulebook Vampires (c. pp. 8-9); Potions, Human, Giant, and Dragon Control (c. p. 31). Accessed 2026-10-24. Cross-references that imply a saving throw against Charm Person in 1974; single-use control potions.
  3. Gary Gygax and Robert Kuntz. (1975). Dungeons & Dragons Supplement I: Greyhawk. Tactical Studies Rules. Rulebook Explanation of Spells (Corrections and Additions): Charm Person (p. 21), Charm Monster (p. 23), Mass Charm (p. 26). Accessed 2026-10-24. The break check timed by Intelligence, from monthly to daily; weekly checks for Charm Monster; Mass Charm.
  4. Gary Gygax. (1978). Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook. TSR. Rulebook Druid spells, 2nd level, Charm Person or Mammal (c. p. 56); Magic-User spells, 1st level, Charm Person (p. 65). Accessed 2026-10-24. Save on casting, an Intelligence table for breaking free, and charm as trusted friendship rather than control "as if it were an automaton".
  5. Gary Gygax and Jeff Perren. (1975). Chainmail: Rules for Medieval Miniatures (third edition). TSR. Rulebook Fantasy Supplement, Spells, item 13, Confusion (p. 32); Mercenary Troops. Accessed 2026-10-24. Confusion reverses an enemy unit's move for one turn; no charm spell; mercenaries who change sides by die roll.
  6. The Acaeum. The Acaeum: Chainmail. Website Printing Information, 1st Edition. Accessed 2026-10-24. The 1971 first printing carried six spells, later expanded to twenty.
  7. Wizards of the Coast. (2016). System Reference Document 5.1. Rulebook Spells: Charm Person (p. 124), Dominate Monster (p. 137), Dominate Person (p. 138); Appendix PH-A, Conditions, Charmed (p. 358). Accessed 2026-10-24. Fifth-edition charm and domination, concentration, damage re-saves, and the Charmed condition.
  8. Andries Brouwer. (1985). Hack 1.0.2 (Usenet posting, parts 1, 3, and 7). Website hack.read.c, case SCR_TAMING; tamedog() in part 3; scroll table in part 1. Accessed 2026-10-24. The scroll of taming, its radius, its exclusions, and the full-moon failure chance.
  9. Nintendo and Square. (1990). Final Fantasy instruction manual (NES). Rulebook Black Magic, Level 4, CONF (p. 78). Accessed 2026-10-24. Confusion that makes enemies "attack themselves".
  10. Microsoft. (1997). Age of Empires manual. Rulebook Chapter 5, Converting enemy units (p. 45). Accessed 2026-10-24. Priest conversion, rejuvenation after each attempt, boat resistance, and units that cannot be converted.
  11. Blizzard Entertainment. (1998). StarCraft: Brood War manual. Rulebook Protoss, Dark Archon, Mind Control. Accessed 2026-10-24. The Dark Archon's Mind Control as an expansion ability; descriptive text without numbers.
  12. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft Compendium: Protoss Special Abilities. Website Mind Control. Accessed 2026-10-24. Energy cost, range, any unit as target, and the drain of the caster's shields.
  13. Blizzard Entertainment. (2002). Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos manual. Rulebook Undead units, Banshee, Possession. Accessed 2026-10-24. Possession gives permanent control and the Banshee's body dissipates.
  14. Blizzard Entertainment. Warcraft III: Banshee. Website Possession. Accessed 2026-10-24. Mana cost, stun, damage taken, and excluded targets, in later-patch values.
  15. Blizzard Entertainment. Warcraft III: Dark Ranger. Website Charm (Ultimate). Accessed 2026-10-24. A permanent charm on a 45-second cooldown with no cost to the caster's body.
  16. Valve. Dota 2 hero data, Chen. Website Holy Persuasion. Accessed 2026-10-24. Mana, cooldown, creep-level cap, and cap on units held, in current-patch values.
  17. Valve. Dota 2 hero data, Enchantress. Website Enchant. Accessed 2026-10-24. Timed control of one creep; against heroes the ability only slows and dispels.
  18. Wizards of the Coast. (1994). Magic: The Gathering Revised Edition Rulebook. Rulebook Spells, Permanents, Controller (pp. 17-19); Summoning Sickness. Accessed 2026-10-24. A card controlled by someone other than its caster moves to its new controller's territory. The 1993 rulebook is not the text cited.
  19. Scryfall. Control Magic; Threaten. Wiki Mana cost and current Oracle text of Control Magic; Threaten's first printing in Onslaught (2002).
  20. Jordan Middler (Video Games Chronicle). (2023). Hogwarts Legacy Imperio: How to get the Imperius Curse. Article Accessed 2026-10-24. Imperio makes one enemy loyal for a brief period, with a talent upgrade for several.
  21. Joe Robinson (PCGamesN). (2021). Age of Empires 4 relics. Article Accessed 2026-10-24. Religious units use conversion "to steal enemy troops" and are tied to relics and the Castle Age.
  22. Riot Games. League of Legends: Ahri. Website Accessed 2026-10-24. Ahri's Charm makes an enemy walk harmlessly toward her, forced movement rather than a change of side.
  23. Michael Lummis and Danielle Vanderlip. (2004). World of Warcraft: Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames. Book Priest chapter, Shadow spells (Mind Control) and Shadow advice. Accessed 2026-10-24. Mind Control ranks, levels, cost, range, duration, and the chance to break free.
  24. Blizzard Entertainment. (2006). Priest Spells (World of Warcraft). Website Mind Control. Accessed 2026-10-24. Mind Control on the official class page.
  25. Blizzard Entertainment. (2008). World of Warcraft patch notes (3.0.2 and 3.0.3). Website Priest, Mind Control. Accessed 2026-10-24. Mind Control reduced to a single rank costing a share of base mana.

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West, James, Jr. (2026). "Charm." Game Mechanic Compendium, updated 2026-10-30. http://localhost:4321/abilities/charm

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