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

[SkidAce]

BL: If I was to ask a character..."where would you flee if you DECIDED to flee ?" (imminent TPK or fear of snakes etc) ...i.e trying to escape, in most cases that would be the same route as when commanded.

Unless OBVIOUS abuse is involved, then we discuss.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

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

Either way. My point is that we (the players of the game) don't need to get the calipers out. IMO it satisfies the spell that both the DM and monster (or player and PC) simply do their best to play it out. Right, Left? Who cares. Pick one (or roll randomly, as @Lanefan suggested) and go with it. As I said before: It need not be perfect.

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.

Right. But if it turns out that somehow someone picked the wrong way, I'd argue that the character just as easily could have picked the wrong way. There's no need to backtrack or argue about it.

 

[Lanefan]

I would let the player choose for the character in that situation.

IMHO, its good to have the player involved. Even if in a different situation "I" would likely allow them to choose the flee direction, unless they were obviously meta-gaming it. So far no issues.

I'd keep it random because the direction taken might make a huge difference, not just to the target but to everyone else as well. The most obvious example is a 50-50 between fleeing back into previously-explored and cleared areas or fleeing forward into unexplored and-or unknown territory and maybe alerting things to the party's presence and-or drawing foes down on to the party..