Charm Man III

The strongest of the charm man spells, charm man III allows the caster to affect up to 9 - 16 men of 5th level or lower within a 20 - foot radius. "Man" is defined as any male human, demihuman, or humanoid creature of large size (L) or less and 3 Hit Dice or less. Alternately, the spell can be cast on a single male creature of any level or Hit Dice. While it will not affect undead of any sort, creatures normally resistant to charm spells, such as elves, are not resistant to this spell.

As with the charm man 1 spell, the caster's influence can be contested by a strong leader figure among the intended subjects; roll Reaction checks for both the caster and the leader, applying normal Reaction check modifiers based on Charisma scores. The individual with the lower modified roll wins the contest. The caster gains a special - 2 bonus to this check in addition to any other modifiers that may apply.

If the leader fails to contest the witch's influence, the subjects must each attempt a saving throw vs. spells or be charmed. If there are more men within range than the caster can affect, the spell affects the lowest - level men first (these count against the spell limit even if they make their saving throws).

The charmed subjects regard the caster as a trusted ally. They follow her suggestions and protect her from harm, although self - destructive orders are ignored. The spell lasts for 7 to 12 full turns. The spell won't work on any man who has taken damage from any other action of the caster in the current encounter. If the caster harms or attempts to harm an affected creature, the spell is negated for that particular subject.

Notes: Restricted to female spellcasters; common for witches; otherwise rare. (Updated from Dragon Magazine)