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

[FitzTheRuke]

I dont get it. Its a simple long hallway, "fastest" is either way. So left or right? Forwards or back?

Its just an example of the target possibly being able to choose, when fleeing...thats all.

Sorry, I didn't mean to come across as if I was arguing with you. Yes - I get what you're saying.

I was just adding: It's not like under most circumstances, a character will intrinsically know which direction will get them furthest away. They'd just do their best. So does the DM. Pick a direction and move them. It need not be perfect.

 

[SkidAce]

Sorry, I didn't mean to come across as if I was arguing with you. Yes - I get what you're saying.

I was just adding: It's not like under most circumstances, a character will intrinsically know which direction will get them furthest away. They'd just do their best. So does the DM. Pick a direction and move them. It need not be perfect.

No worries!

I understand better now.

 

[Reynard]

Sorry, I didn't mean to come across as if I was arguing with you. Yes - I get what you're saying.

I was just adding: It's not like under most circumstances, a character will intrinsically know which direction will get them furthest away. They'd just do their best. So does the DM. Pick a direction and move them. It need not be perfect.

Does "furthest" matter here? The spell doesn't require that, just that you use the fastest method of movement.

I suppose once could argue that since speed equals distance over time, and time is constant (6 seconds) you must go the direction that allows you to.move the farthest. But now we are really mudding the adjudication waters.

 

[Basic Expert]

No it doesn't. This was true in 3E but in 5E there is no 5 foot minimum move.

There are optional rules for playing on a grid in 5E but that is not the standard and when doing that the rules even say you move in squares "rather than moving foot by foot".

Ahh, yes, nicely spotted! I would agree with you that moving one millimeter away from the caster satisfies all requirements.

 

[Lanefan]

Read the rules! There is no "command to find secret doors"

In 2024 you can do 5 things and only 5 things with command: Halt, Drop, Flee, Grovel and Approach. Each of those has explicit things it does.

A sad and sorry change.

That said, I'm surprised somethng like "Yell" or "Scream" isn't on the allowed list. There's many a situation where making someone suddenly make a lot of noise where they'd prefer not to would be of great use.

 

[Lanefan]

Note that the flee command says nothing about getting as far away from the command giver as possible. It simply says to move as fast as possible away from them.

What's the difference? The latter should, in theory, result in the former.

 

[Lanefan]

Edit2:
One last question... in your games, if a high level spellcaster is commanded to flee, do they have to cast teleport to get to the farthest away place they know?

Most games don't allow one to cast a spell while running or sprinting, and as the spell says you have to "move" that probably rules out casting any spell, including teleport.

That said, if the target has a device of teleportation that can be activated while on the run it becomes a very open question as to whether the target has to use it.

And that said, if the fleeing is done in uncontrolled panic even a device won't help; you're too panic-ed to think of using it.

 

[Reynard]

Most games don't allow one to cast a spell while running or sprinting, and as the spell says you have to "move" that probably rules out casting any spell, including teleport.

That said, if the target has a device of teleportation that can be activated while on the run it becomes a very open question as to whether the target has to use it.

And that said, if the fleeing is done in uncontrolled panic even a device won't help; you're too panic-ed to think of using it.

The spell does not say anything about "panic." Creatures and characters affected should, IMO, be able to use their brains in choosing how to follow the rules of the spell. If the spell says you can't use any action other than move, though, that creates an issue.

 

[Lanefan]

And that's fine, as far as I'm concerned. When I have characters flee... I let the player tell me where their character runs off to. They have the description of the area... they know the narrative conceit of what "fleeing" is, so they know how their character is behaving in that situation... so they can tell me where their PC is fleeing to get as far away from the spellcaster as quickly and as far as possible (same way if they had to run off following a fear effect). And if the direction they chose sends them into a hazard they did not know about or see (like a pit trap or quicksand as you suggested)... then they will suffer the results. That's fine. I will interpret the ruling for that situation if and when it comes up.

At the end of the day like I said... just have the character react like they were in a movie and saw Jason Vorhees or something-- they don't run in singular a straight line tripping over or running smack dab into every single thing in that path like they were Wile E. Coyote or something... they move around things to get away like any normal person would. But at the same time, if there were things they didn't notice as they were running, they'd perhaps trip on one (and that's where within the game I'd call for maybe a Perception or Acrobatics check to try avoiding.)

I'd interpret it that the target has to move directly away from the caster as far as it can, only reacting to an obstacle if-when one is encountered.

Example. Wide-open square room, target is in the center of the room, caster is in the middle of the north wall. In the south wall there is an open door in each corner and no other exits.

For me, the target would have to flee to the middle of the south wall (i.e. in a straight line directly away from the caster), then on getting to that wall would have to choose (or randomly roll) whether to turn left or right in order to get to one of the doors.

If the magic doesn't turn the character into a brainless automaton, then I let the characters behave as intelligently as they normally are-- just under whatever compelling influence they were given.

Magic that controls actions, like this does, does turn the character into something of an automaton: it has no choice but to do what it's been told to do.

 

[Lanefan]

Sorry, I didn't mean to come across as if I was arguing with you. Yes - I get what you're saying.

I was just adding: It's not like under most circumstances, a character will intrinsically know which direction will get them furthest away. They'd just do their best. So does the DM. Pick a direction and move them. It need not be perfect.

In the hallway example where all things are equal I'd put it to a die roll or coin flip as to which way the target goes.