Using the Command spell

Plane Sailing · Jan 14, 2003

I notice that in d20Modern they have decided to regularise this a little bit

Command
Enchantment [Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]

Level: Divine 1; Components: V; Casting Time: Attack action; Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels); Target: One living creature; Duration: 1 round; Saving Throw: Will negates; Spell Resistance: Yes

The caster gives the subject a single command, which he or she obeys to the best of his or her ability at his or her earliest opportunity. The caster may select from the following options.

Approach: On the subject's turn, the subject moves toward the caster as quickly and directly as possible for 1 round. The subject may do nothing but move during his or her turn, and he or she incurs attacks of opportunity for this movement as normal.

Drop: On the subject's turn, he or she drops whatever he or she is holding. The subject can't pick up any dropped item until his or her next turn.

Fall: The subject immediately falls to the ground and remains prone for 1 round. He or she may act normally while prone, but takes any appropriate penalties.

Flee: On the subject's turn, he or she moves away from the caster as quickly as possible for 1 round. The subject may do nothing but move during his or her turn.

Halt: The subject stands in place for 1 round. The subject may not take any actions, but may defend him or herself normally.

If the subject can't carry out the caster's command on his or her next turn, the spell automatically fails.

This makes it still a useful spell with several tactical applications, without putting the DM in a quandary about ruling whether something is suitable or not.

Cheers

Bhaal · Jan 14, 2003

Plane Sailing said:
I notice that in d20Modern they have decided to regularise this a little bit

This makes it still a useful spell with several tactical applications, without putting the DM in a quandary about ruling whether something is suitable or not.

Cheers

aaaww, but it takes ALL the fun out of it

Pielorinho · Jan 14, 2003

I hope you don't mind my replying, now that we've killed that damned kuo-toa cleric

.

Generally, I think the command spell only makes sense if it requires the commands to be active verbs, not "passive" verbs. (I'm not talking about technically passive verbs, thus the quote marks). Flee, Approach, Sleep, Strip, Dive, Collapse, Vomit, Surrender, Dance -- these are all things that you do. Fall, Die, Burn, Dissolve, Drown, Explode, Bleed -- these are all things that happen to you, based on your environment.

Just as I wouldn't require the subject of a "Die!" command to impale herself on her enemy's sword, I wouldn't require the subject of a "Drown!" command to submerge herself in her enemy's pool. Doing so, I think, makes the spell way more powerful than a first-level spell should be.

Of course, once we were in the pool, there's always the command, "Breathe!" Breathing is something you do, not something that happens to you.

But that's just my rules-interpretation; and since our dwarven friend has a great ability to resist kuo-toan blandishments, it all works out in the end.

Daniel

Xarlen · Jan 14, 2003

Seeing as armor takes a whole lot of trouble to get out of, one command spell won't do it.

However, 'Suicide!' or "Seppukku' may get the character to atleast attack themselves with their own weapon for a round. If used on a high powered fighter, the damage could be... nasty.

And, a Slowed person under Command who falls Prone is soooo dead.

Hypersmurf · Jan 14, 2003

However, 'Suicide!' or "Seppukku' may get the character to atleast attack themselves with their own weapon for a round. If used on a high powered fighter, the damage could be... nasty.

Command is [Language-Dependent].

'Suicide' is a noun. The verb is "to commit suicide' - to use the word 'suicide' by itself as a verb is technically inaccurate.

And 'seppukku'? You just wasted a spell... I've never seen any monster with "Languages: Japanese" in its stat block...

And, a Slowed person under Command who falls Prone is soooo dead.

It costs them one round. They're not that much more dead than they wee just for being slowed...

-Hyp.

coyote6 · Jan 14, 2003

Pielorinho said:
Just as I wouldn't require the subject of a "Die!" command to impale herself on her enemy's sword, I wouldn't require the subject of a "Drown!" command to submerge herself in her enemy's pool. Doing so, I think, makes the spell way more powerful than a first-level spell should be.

Why not just treat a command to "drown" like a command to "die" is treated? Cleric says "drown", target fails save, target gasps, claws at the air, flops around, and generally acts like a drowning person might -- for one round.

Nail · Jan 14, 2003

Drown doesn't work on land, in part because it requires the target to do some other action before he can drown.

The Command spell isn't an illusion, so I'm not sure it could make you "act" like your drowning....although the same arguement could be made for the "die" command.....

Samhain California · Jan 15, 2003

COWER Brief Mortals

i personally tend to use the command "Cower" and then treat it exactly as the condition cowering from the DMG.

one should kep in mind Greater Command, it is a very nice spell that can take out entire groups of baddies for rounds/level, tell them to cower or die ,and just tie them up

--josh

Pielorinho · Jan 15, 2003

coyote6 said:
Why not just treat a command to "drown" like a command to "die" is treated? Cleric says "drown", target fails save, target gasps, claws at the air, flops around, and generally acts like a drowning person might -- for one round.

I think I'd be all right with that IMC. Basically, I don't think a command ought to require any intervening action -- no uncorking flasks, running over there, snatching up a weapon, or anything like that. If it's not a verb that you can directly do (such as the ones in my list), the spell at best forces you to pretend it's happening to you. So if someone commands you to "Burn!" you can run around screaming and batting ineffectually at yourself, but you don't have to set yourself on fire.

Daniel

Henry · Jan 15, 2003

Xarlen - your reply of "Suicide" is humorous to me, because I directly remember that as being one of the specific examples in 1st edition AD&D of a Command that would not work.

Pielorhino - I agree with your usage of this - after all, could someone actually fall asleep and then wake up inside of 6 seconds? It makes more sense that the command spell would cause acting out the action, no matter what it is, rather than having the action simply happen to you.

Using the Command spell

Plane Sailing

Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!

Bhaal

First Post

Pielorinho

Iron Fist of Pelor

Xarlen

First Post

Hypersmurf

Moderatarrrrh...

coyote6

Adventurer

Nail

First Post

Samhain California

First Post

Pielorinho

Iron Fist of Pelor

Henry

Autoexreginated

Similar Threads