D&D 5E (2024) Changes to the Command spell and its use at the table.

[ECMO3]

This mindset explains a whole whole lot. I'm sure it bleeds over into other aspects of the game as well. Kind of a self fulfilling prophecy IMO.

Well yeah it bleeds over, it is a high fantasy, high magic game, but I think that is representative of most modern D&D games.

Only one of the games I am playing right now is of the low magic variety. That is a Darksun game with a lot of house rules, but we are moving back to Forgotten Realms in a couple weeks and I think everyone at the table is excited about it.

I am not sure what you mean by a self fulfilling prophecy though.

 

[JamesLFlowers]

Command is a ONE-WORD spell. So any intelligent creature is going to think of ways around the command. For example "APPROACH" well I was coming over there to kill you anyway. "HALT" well I stopped but it doesn't stop me from shooting you full of arrows as soon as I am able. This has always been a pet peeve in fantasy and sci-fi when someone is given a simple command and doesn't lawyer the hell out of it.

 

[FrogReaver]

Command is a ONE-WORD spell. So any intelligent creature is going to think of ways around the command. For example "APPROACH" well I was coming over there to kill you anyway. "HALT" well I stopped but it doesn't stop me from shooting you full of arrows as soon as I am able. This has always been a pet peeve in fantasy and sci-fi when someone is given a simple command and doesn't lawyer the hell out of it.

Read the spell. It takes their action.

 

[FrogReaver]

Well yeah it bleeds over, it is a high fantasy, high magic game, but I think that is representative of most modern D&D games.

I'm 110% positive that your experience isn't representative of most modern D&D games.

I am not sure what you mean by a self fulfilling prophecy though.

If you expect magic won't be able to be easily defended then your game will make rulings and focus on those aspects of the game where magic is harder to defend. Not to mention any potential house rules or rules interpretations that tend toward making magic stronger. Adventure structure as well. Ala, expecting magic won't be easily defended leads to magic not being easily defended.

 

[ECMO3]

Command is a ONE-WORD spell. So any intelligent creature is going to think of ways around the command. For example "APPROACH" well I was coming over there to kill you anyway. "HALT" well I stopped but it doesn't stop me from shooting you full of arrows as soon as I am able. This has always been a pet peeve in fantasy and sci-fi when someone is given a simple command and doesn't lawyer the hell out of it.

There are specific mechanics associated with the words. You can hombrew this, but if you are playing RAW when you make the command they do what it says in the spell.

Approach. The target moves toward you by the shortest and most direct route, ending its turn if it moves within 5 feet of you.

Halt. On its turn, the target doesn’t move and takes no action or Bonus Action.

The target does not even need to understand the word you use or have ears, you can command a plant, so there is no thinking their way around it RAW.

 

[ECMO3]

I'm 110% positive that your experience isn't representative of most modern D&D games.

I think it is and I have played with dozens of groups from many countries.

I think high fantasy and high magic is the norm for D&D. Official WOTC adventures represent about 50% of games I would say they are mostly high fantasy and high magic as are most 3rd party adventures.

Low magic games are relatively rare and completely non-magical PCs have become virtually unheard of.

If you expect magic won't be able to be easily defended then your game will make rulings and focus on those aspects of the game where magic is harder to defend. Not to mention any potential house rules or rules interpretations that tend toward making magic stronger.

I don't use homebrewed spells or many house rules, so the description decides how easy it is to be defeated. It was WOTC that made Truestrike, Agonizing Blast, Command, Tashas Hideous Laughter, Wrathful Smite, Chromatic Orb, Conjure Minor Elementals, Spirit Guardians, Witchbolt etc a lot more effective. Presumably most of the gaming community likes these changes. Certainly more players take the spells than used to take them (except CME, I have not had a lot of players take that one for some reason).

The changes I do use, to mage slayer and Indomitable, have a near zero effect on how easily magic is defeated in general. I am changing one feat and one class ability that players who play that class do not get until 9th level. It has a significant effect on people who would take that feat (although most don't and one in my game wanted the old feat) and a large effect on high level fighters. Fighters represent about 25% of characters, when you consider multiclasses and the number of sessions below level 9, indomitable is probably something that is in play on a character sheet for about 10% of gaming sessions. It has no effect at all on players who wouldn't take the feat, don't play fighters or multiclass before level 9, and that is most players.

Also let's be clear Indomitable is about saves, not about magic. It works just as well to avoid being swallowed by a Terrasque as it does against Befuddlement.

So yeah it is not like magic is a whole lot more powerful at my table than at others.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

Command is a ONE-WORD spell. So any intelligent creature is going to think of ways around the command.

As others have already noted, the spell is specifically written such that this is not true. You get 5 options for what the spell does, and the PHB defines exactly what they do. There is zero interpretation involved from the target.

If the PHB was worded such that the target has to interpret the command, I would agree with you, because it's always bothered me that "DROP" means "drop your weapon" instead of "lay prone" (which is what I personally would've interpreted the Command to mean). But the spell is very clear, the target does not interpret anything, the spell just works as written.