D&D (2024) Command is the Perfect Encapsulation of Everything I Don't Like About 5.5e

[CellarHeroes]

There are a lot of spells and other effects that simply wouldn't work that way. In the grand scheme of things, this has such a minimal gain for a VTT that I doubt it was a consideration.

On the other hand, part of the reason I've seen people hesitate to use the spell is because they're not sure how they can use it or if it will have any effect. It's much, much more likely that this is clarifying the intent of the spell while being more effective because targets don't need to understand the spell.

Honestly, you make a good point.

I admit to some prejudice on my part. Ever since I read about the DDB team who was responsible for making sure rules fit with the digital platform, I've been viewing some of the wonky rule changes through that lens.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Heh. Of all of the trends in modern pop culture that most makes me want to yell at kids to get off my lawn the most it's the refusal to just give things a simple number so we can keep track of which one it is.

Let's not forget boiling the title down to a single purposefully non-descript word.

The next Dungeons & Dragons version coming in 2030: &

 

[Undrave]

But it being variable and dependent on the players wit are the things I liked best about Command. I'm finding myself having to say "feature, not bug" over and over in this thread...

I totally get it. I'm just saying WotC saw it as a bug not a feature.

 

[KYRON45]

Thanks, I needed a chuckle this morning.

A minor change to one first level spell is not at all comparable. I tweak a couple of spells, effectively ban a couple others because I don't care how they work. I assume many, if not most DMs make little changes here and there. It's not like we're rewriting the game. People are really making a mountain out of a molehill on this one in my opinion.

Is a quadratic wizard a thing?

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

It's exactly that sort of crap that I detest. Cheesemonkey weaseling out of effects because I didn't write a freaking ten page contract in order to give the exact wording of the Suggestion.

That's exactly what Command boils down to. Looking up some cheesy BS list of commands on Reddit to make a 1st level spell more powerful than a 3rd+ level spell. It's not clever play despite all the backpatting going on in this thread.

There really isn't anything clever about virtually any D&D magic use. Oh, you cast solve problem? How droll!

 

[Ruin Explorer]

There really isn't anything clever about virtually any D&D magic use. Oh, you cast solve problem? How droll!

This is largely true, yeah, especially post-internet.

D&D's spells are so powerful and reliable that you're very rarely having to try anything actually clever with them - it's usually just a matter of "Oh yeah that fixes that". If spells were significantly less powerful, but perhaps more flexible, I think we'd see a lot more actually-interesting use of spells.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Is a quadratic wizard a thing?

Only kind there is.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

I don't know...an awful lot of folks here seem to be taking your remarks like @Belen does, including myself. Maybe it would help if you re-phrased what you want and try to present your opinion less defensively. Just my opinion here, and I'm certainly not immune to having my posts misinterpreted.

I reprehrased and presented my opinion multiple times and yet people keep going with the same bad faith strawman argumentss. There is a point where trying to explain yourself against someone's adamant ignorance and ill will becomes humilating.

 

[Oofta]

Is a quadratic wizard a thing?

It used to be, especially in 3.x. After a certain point around level 15, there was the optimized wizard and everyone else in the party.

I don't see an issue in 5E, others do.

 

[Remathilis]

That's exactly what Command boils down to. Looking up some cheesy BS list of commands on Reddit to make a 1st level spell more powerful than a 3rd+ level spell. It's not clever play despite all the backpatting going on in this thread.

There really isn't anything clever about virtually any D&D magic use. Oh, you cast solve problem? How droll!

This is my problem. Most players who think they are being creative with Command aren't looking for the target to just fall prone or waste their turn doing nothing. The suggested (now legal) commands do that. They want the target to do something beyond the bounds of the spell, either as an attempt to deal significantly more damage than a level 1 spell can do (such as falling damage, breathing poison or drowning) or they are looking to ridicule a foe with toilet humor. The second group is not my cup of granny's peach tea, but if you want to waste a level one spell on a prank, that's not my problem. The first group, who think that Command will end encounters or deal more damage than fireball are the ones that get me. Because they always seem so angry when their carefully selected verb doesn't do more than the half-dozen options in the book and most of that clever play doesn't mean more than a dozen different ways to say "run" or "stop".