D&D 5E Using COMMAND to break a caster's concentration?

[R_J_K75]

In 4E it was dazed (no actions), prone and either move towards or away from you. I don't recall anyone ever using it, there were better powers/spells at that level most of the time.

Seems the lamest iteration by far.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The converse, of course, is - knowing words have power, spellcasters specifically avoid developing a one word summation (of just about anything) for that very reason.

If casters are as common as the PHB implies when it lists what services are likely to be available in a town, the public would likely have such words, both through natural linguistic development and through intentional effort by people who are wise enough to see how useful such things might be.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Why would they? No one benefits from knowing that word, at best it's a zero sum gain. If you know the word others can use it on you. If they don't know the word, it has no effect.

Jargon is useful.

 

[R_J_K75]

If casters are as common as the PHB implies

I dont think 5E specifically states what percentage of the population have PC/NPC classes but I seem to recall reading it somewhere in some previous edition. Seems like a pretty useful piece of information to include in the core books if you ask me.

 

[Helldritch]

Why would they? No one benefits from knowing that word, at best it's a zero sum gain. If you know the word others can use it on you. If they don't know the word, it has no effect.

Teaching concept requires words. With word you can teach abstract concepts. What is the need for the common man to know words such as conjunction, phrase, verb, auxiliary and many others related to sentences and texts analysis? But these words are much needed in grammar circles. The same can be thought for magic. Magic studies will require words for species events, hand movements, thought processes, conditions and many others. So having a verb for losing concentration is quite natural.

 

[el-remmen]

Out of curiosity I just looked up the 3.5 version and it specifically limited the effects to the ones listed,

Oh yeah! I forgot that because it was one of the things me and my group at the type grandfathered on day one.

 

[el-remmen]

Magic studies will require words for species events, hand movements, thought processes, conditions and many others. So having a verb for losing concentration is quite natural.

Sure, but since we are dealing with abstracts and not developing a specific field language, why assume that any of those terms would be single words and have common verb cognates?

I should clarify, why would the term to drop concentration only necessarily be one word?

 

[Oofta]

Teaching concept requires words. With word you can teach abstract concepts. What is the need for the common man to know words such as conjunction, phrase, verb, auxiliary and many others related to sentences and texts analysis? But these words are much needed in grammar circles. The same can be thought for magic. Magic studies will require words for species events, hand movements, thought processes, conditions and many others. So having a verb for losing concentration is quite natural.

All I can say is that I disagree. There's no need to consolidate "drop concentration" into a single word. If such a word is used by some people, anyone can command them to stop concentrating. Anyone who does not know the word it will not have any effect. If you tell someone that "blarg" means stop concentrating and then command them with "blarg" I would rule that they will just look at you funny and say "blarg is just a made up word with no meaning".

In any case, dropping concentration is not an action. At best it would mean a DC 10 concentration check.

As always, feel free to run your game differently.

 

[R_J_K75]

Oh yeah! I forgot that because it was one of the thing me and my group at the type grandfathered on day one.

I played clerics alot back then so we must've too or I just stopped using the spell. I'd forgotten about it too until today. I'd suspect that most changes between editions are of good intentions but some seem like change to justify the edition, this seems like the latter.

 

[Oofta]

Seems the lamest iteration by far.

I agree. All spells were consolidated into powers (or rituals), virtually all powers followed a simple formula. They were almost always fluff text that most people ignored and a short paragraph of explicit results.