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The most terrible wizard-king in all of history wasn't a necromancer, or a diabolist or anything like that. If he had been his reign would have been shorter, we would have seen what he was doing and opposed him sooner. No, he was an illusionist.
It all seemed innocent enough at first, just a way of keeping in contact with his officials. It seemed modern, convenient. But this is where it all started to go wrong.
The subject, who must be willing and have HD no higher than the [dice] of the spell at the time of casting, acquires a permanent psychic connection to the caster, physically manifesting in the form of a symbolic tattoo in a location on the body chosen by the caster. The subject can specify circumstances under which their connection will be suppressed or broken at the time of the casting, typically to permit them a period of privacy and a way of permanently breaking the connection. The mark need not be in a place immediately visible, it can for example be located on the inside of an eyelid or under the tongue. This connection allows the caster to at any time appear before the subject, to speak and listen as if they were in the same room, though the caster is only visible to the subject and any others in the area who bear the same mark.
DoppelGangstalking
Imagine how powerful a wizard you have to be to make politicians worse.
Any of the Evil King's inner circle who were insufficiently loyal were subject to this spell. None of them were sufficiently loyal. The spell produces a living illusionary copy of someone bearing the caster's Mark of the Beast. This doppelganger is absolutely obedient to the word of the caster's commands, but are ontologically evil and will twist any order to the goal of maximizing human suffering if it is given any leeway to. The doppelganger discorporates into mist by the next dawn if it does not kill its original, so that is usually its first command. As an illusion, it can only exist while observed by another living being, but once it kills its original it is able to inhabit their body and thus gain permanent observation by the caster through the Mark. All actions taken by the doppelganger are illusory, but can still result in harm or death of others through psychospiritual shock. Victims of the doppelganger with HD that exceed the [dice] used to conjure it may Save vs. its attacks and abilities (typically identical to those possessed by its original), even if those abilities would not normally allow a Save, due to their phantasmal nature.
Skillshare
Fundamentally, he didn't want to rule a kingdom, but a clock made of interchangeable gears.
The caster transfers [dice] skills or abilities held by any subjects bearing his Mark of the Beast to either himself or any other, for [sum] Turns. The original loses the abilities and skills transferred for the duration.
Antimemetics
Inconvenient truths had to be pruned to maintain the system he had created.
The caster spiritually poisons an idea, which they then convey to another. This could be the memory of a person, an event, a piece of media, an idiom or a philosophical or political stance, or even a language. Very basic primal core concepts, particularly those that are biologically essential, are too resilient to be targeted, at the DM's discretion. The person initially subjected to the spell must Save or find the idea gradually fading into incomprehensibility over the course of a week, until it eventually becomes a mental blindspot they cannot even imagine. Any time they discuss it even in passing with another person capable of understanding them, that person too must Save or have the idea poisoned for them too. This continues on for [dice] degrees of separation. Antimemetics does not permit a Save to anyone bearing the caster's Mark of the Beast.
Perception Filter
Eventually, prophylactic measures had to be taken.
The caster can designate any number of immobile features of the world that the subjects become unable to perceive or conceptualise. Against unmarked subjects this lasts [sum] Turns, Save negating. Bearers of the caster's Mark of the Beast are not permitted a Save, and can all be freely made subject to perceptual filtration for as long as the caster chooses to keep 1MD dedicated to the task.
Loophole
And so the illusion of choice came crashing down.
The caster can fundamentally alter [best] clauses of some binding gease or contract established through magic, without being subject to the normal penalties for breaking it. The cost is that this places the caster into spiritual superposition for 1 year per clause altered, during which time if they are slain their soul is utterly obliterated beyond the possibility of revival even through divine intervention. There is however nothing stopping the caster stacking the time they spend in this state infinitely.
Eidolise
Eventually the only people he trusted were figments of his imagination. That didn't hinder him much.
The caster manifests a sublime thoughtform, all but indistinguishable from reality. This is similar to a doppelganger but is perfectly obedient to the caster's will, not just their stated words. It can be of anyone or anything the caster has ever known, or even created purely from the caster's imagination, though in this case the resultant Eidolon will be vaguer and less believable, permitting a Save vs. its abilities to negate even for those that do not normally permit Saves, and having half normal effect even where a Save is permitted. When creating an Eidolon of a specific individual or monster, it cannot manifest any power or skill that the caster has not seen the original employ. The Eidolon costs 1MD per HD to create, and remains in existence as long as the caster is willing to roll the requisite MD each morning to maintain it. As with a Doppelganger, an Eidolon cannot exist when unobserved by a sentient being.
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