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..

 

[ECMO3]

The caltrop example was there to illustrate that going around obstacles (like your invisible wall and a pit) can be tricky, because how should the spell know the outcome...

Simple, it is magic ....... unassailable and all powerful.

 

[ECMO3]

DROP is great for securing extra loot (and for wasting their turn), but all the high level martial-type big bad has to do is draw another weapon during their next attack

If they have one .... which they usually don't or even if they do it is rarely the equivalent.

If they are carrying a Staff of Power or Greatsword Defender for example, they probably don't have an extra one of those strapped on their back. Sometimes they will give up their melee weapon and pull out a crossbow ...... and back up and take an AOO

 

[DrJawaPhD]

If they have one .... which they usually don't or even if they do it is rarely the equivalent.

If they are carrying a Staff of Power or Greatsword Defender for example, they probably don't have an extra one of those strapped on their back. Sometimes they will give up their melee weapon and pull out a crossbow ...... and back up and take an AOO

It's not like the players can see the enemies' inventory sheets though. The DM decides on the spot whether they have another weapon available. There is zero chance that it stops any Martial enemy that the DM doesn't allow to be stopped.

 

[Lanefan]

It's not like the players can see the enemies' inventory sheets though.

Even the least observant PC ought to be able to tell whether the foe has one or two or a bunch of medium and-or large weapons (or scabbards) on his belt and-or across his back.

Smaller easy-to-hide weapons such as daggers are a different thing, of course.

The DM decides on the spot whether they have another weapon available. There is zero chance that it stops any Martial enemy that the DM doesn't allow to be stopped.

Were I the player, one of the factors that would go in to my deciding whether or not to cast Command: Drop would be how many other weapons/scabbards* I can see on the target. No point making the target drop one weapon if she's got five others ready to rock. Ditto for wands: if a backup wand is hidden in an inner pocket or backpack then sure, I can't see it, but by the same token it's going to take the target longer to fish it out.

* - does "Drop" work on shields if the shield needs to be unbuckled or similar; or does it only force release of what's being held in the hands at the time?