This get pretty damn subjective. What level of damage there needs to be before it no longer reasonable for them to run through it? How about it was wall of fire? Lava? Do we care about how tough the target is? For a commoner running trough spike growth can easily be lethal.Let me put it this way: ignore the spells and think about what a person would actually do to get away from something they’re fleeing from. Run off a cliff? No. Run directly into a spike? No. Run through a patch of spiky brambles? Maybe, if it’s the most direct path away from whatever they’re fleeing from. Hold still because they were already in a patch of spiky brambles when the thing started chasing them? Not a chance.
Subjective? In a game rife with rulings?This get pretty damn subjective.
Well, yeah, that’s why you have a DM to adjudicate.This get pretty damn subjective.
Again, keep in mind that the target in the example starts out already in the area of Spike Growth. It’s not like running into fire or lava, it’s running out of hazardous terrain. A better comparison would be like if you’re surrounded by broken glass or caltrops or something, would you run through them to escape something you were fleeing from or just stay there?What level of damage there needs to be before it no longer reasonable for them to run through it? How about it was wall of fire? Lava? Do we care about how tough the target is? For a commoner running trough spike growth can easily be lethal.
If you stay put, you're fine, so it's no different than lava of wall of fire. I think this is pretty unambiguous. Running through the spikes will hurt the target, thus they cannot commanded to do so, assuming they know the spikes are there.Well, yeah, that’s why you have a DM to adjudicate.
Again, keep in mind that the target in the example starts out already in the area of Spike Growth. It’s not like running into fire or lava, it’s running out of hazardous terrain. A better comparison would be like if you’re surrounded by broken glass or caltrops or something, would you run through them to escape something you were fleeing from or just stay there?
If someone is scared enough they'll do pretty much anything. People trapped in a burning building have leapt out of windows even though the fall was certain to kill them.Let me put it this way: ignore the spells and think about what a person would actually do to get away from something they’re fleeing from. Run off a cliff? No. Run directly into a spike? No. Run through a patch of spiky brambles? Maybe, if it’s the most direct path away from whatever they’re fleeing from. Hold still because they were already in a patch of spiky brambles when the thing started chasing them? Not a chance.
But the command is to flee, so the affected creature should behave as someone who is fleeing would do.If someone is scared enough they'll do pretty much anything. People trapped in a burning building have leapt out of windows even though the fall was certain to kill them.
But that's utterly irrelevant to the spell in question. Command doesn't tell them to be afraid, and it doesn't make them afraid. It simply forces them to obey the command. Unless it would be directly harmful to them. Which running across sharpened spikes very clearly would be.
Except if you’re fleeing, presumably you will not be fine if you stay put, otherwise you would have no reason to flee.If you stay put, you're fine, so it's no different than lava of wall of fire.
That’s a reasonable ruling.I think this is pretty unambiguous. Running through the spikes will hurt the target, thus they cannot commanded to do so, assuming they know the spikes are there.
And they'll give it their very best shot, to the limit of their acting ability. But they won't actually be afraid, and they won't lose the capacity for rational thought. If they know they're going to get hurt, the spell will fail.But the command is to flee, so the affected creature should behave as someone who is fleeing would do.