Mindbenders seek to control the thoughts and dreams of others. From an early age, those destined to walk this path learn little tricks of manipulation to get their way. Later, they turn to spellcasting to enhance their already impressive skills at bluffing, intimidating, and otherwise dealing with people to their own advantage. Magic holds the promise of complete mental domination, and the mindbender realizes it spectacularly.

Spellcasters who take this prestige class give up a great deal of their caster level advancement, but they instead gain ever-greater abilities to alter and eventually command the will of others. Anyone who is ready to sacrifice magic for manipulation is a suitable candidate for this prestige class.

Mindbenders do not get on well with one another, as each attempts to assert his control over the rest. It is not unknown for one mindbender to secretly control another—such is considered the perfect front. Possessing the power to control others’ minds doesn’t ensure immunity to the same treatment.

Most mindbenders are neutral or evil in alignment. Using magic to enslave the will of others is rarely a good act, especially if the mindbender has no intention of ever compensating his thrall for its involuntary service or releasing it in the future. NPC mindbenders therefore tend to be found in positions where their enchantment abilities allow them to amass great wealth and influence, ruling small towns or isolated keeps as the power behind the throne, secret masters who brook no rival in their domains.

Role: Spell Utility

Characteristics: Mind busting spellcasters that learn how to dominate their thralls permanently.

Source: Complete Arcane

Game Rule Information

The Mindbender has the following game statistics.

Abilities: This class is interesting as the casting stat is also what you use for your abilities. Dexterity for if your attempt to control your thrall fails allowing you to escape

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d4

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Mindbender's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Mindbender.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Mindbender is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each odd-numbered level, a mindbender gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (such as the bonus feat sometimes gained by a wizard). If he had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a mindbender, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.

Telepathy Su: A mindbender unlocks one of the most basic elements of his mental craft at 1st level, gaining the ability to communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.

Skill Boost Ex: A mindbender is a consummate student of manipulation, be it magical or mundane. Beginning at 2nd level, he can add 1/2 his class level as a competence bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks.

Push the Weak Mind Sp: At 2nd level and higher, a mindbender can influence the actions of a living creature of Large or smaller size once per day. This ability functions like a Suggestion spell, except that the range is 100 feet and the duration is 5 hours plus 1 hour per class level. The mindbender can communicate the suggested course of action telepathically if he chooses, which allows him to use the effect regardless of the target's language. A successful Will save (DC 13 + primary spellcasting ability modifier) negates the effect. (Primary spellcasting ability is Intelligence for wizards, Charisma for sorcerers and warlocks, Wisdom for clerics, and so forth.) A mindbender can use this ability one additional time per day per three class levels gained (two times per day at 5th and three times per day at 8th).

Mindread Sp: At 3rd level and higher, a mindbender can read the surface thoughts of a living creature within 100 feet. This is a mind-affecting ability that requires a standard action to use. The mindbender must be able to see the target; a successful Will save (DC 12 + primary spellcasting ability modifier) negates the effect. Creatures of animal intelligence (Int 1 or 2) have only simple, instinctual thoughts. Maintaining the effect requires concentration; the maximum duration is 10 minutes. The ability can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it. This effect is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell. A mindbender can use this ability two times per day at 3rd level and four times per day at 7th level.

Eternal Charm Sp: At 4th level and higher, a mindbender can charm any single Large or smaller living creature within 100 feet (as Charm Monster) once per day. A successful Will save (DC 14 + primary spellcasting ability modifier) negates the effect. The duration is permanent; however, a mindbender can have only one creature so charmed at any given time. If he attempts to use this power on a creature while he has another so charmed, the first charm is automatically broken (regardless of the success of the second attempt). The effect is also broken if a mindbender or one of his allies injures the target. Dispel Magic has no effect on an eternal charm, though Break Enchantment frees the victim (treat the mindbender's caster level as 5 + his class level for this purpose). At 6th level and higher, a mindbender can have up to two creatures affected by this power at any given time; if he attempts to charm a third, the previous victim under his influence the longest is freed. At 8th level, he can control up to three creatures with this ability, and at 10th level up to four creatures.

Enchantment Spell Power Ex: At 6th level and higher, a mindbender casts more powerful enchantment spells: He adds 2 to his caster level when casting any enchantment spell. This increase improves to 4 at 10th level.

Dominate Sp: At 7th level, a mindbender becomes able to dominate any single living Large or smaller creature within 100 feet (as Dominate Monster) once per day. A successful Will save (DC 19 + primary spellcasting ability modifier) negates the effect. The duration is 24 hours.

Thrall Su: At 10th level, a mindbender's mental mastery reaches its pinnacle. He can choose to make the duration of his dominate ability (see above) permanent, but only on one target at a time. If a mindbender chooses to dominate another creature and make that effect permanent, the previous thrall is freed from the effect.