Command: Die

[WarlockLord]

Ok, here's a thought. What if, I used the command spell, and commanded my opponent to die?

From the SRD:

Command
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Clr 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You give the subject a single command, which it obeys to the best of its ability at its earliest opportunity. You may select from the following options.
Approach: On its turn, the subject moves toward you as quickly and directly as possible for 1 round. The creature may do nothing but move during its turn, and it provokes attacks of opportunity for this movement as normal.
Drop: On its turn, the subject drops whatever it is holding. It can’t pick up any dropped item until its next turn.
Fall: On its turn, the subject falls to the ground and remains prone for 1 round. It may act normally while prone but takes any appropriate penalties.
Flee: On its turn, the subject moves away from you as quickly as possible for 1 round. It may do nothing but move during its turn, and it provokes attacks of opportunity for this movement as normal.
Halt: The subject stands in place for 1 round. It may not take any actions but is not considered helpless.
If the subject can’t carry out your command on its next turn, the spell automatically fails.


Ok, these might seem like the only options. But, in the revised tomb of horrors:

Immunity to Magic (Ex): The demilich construct
is immune to all spells, spell-like abilities, and
supernatural effects, just as if the attacker had
failed to overcome spell resistance, except as
follows.
A command spell “forget” causes the skull to sink
down without sucking a soul.
Each shatter spell thrown at it deals 10 points of
damage if it fails its saving throw.
A power word kill deals 10 points of damage if it
fails its saving throw.
An eyebite spell deals 10 points of damage on a
failed saving throw.
A dispel evil spell deals 5 points of damage.
A holy word pronounced against it deals 20 points
of damage on a failed saving throw.

Sorry if I gave away the method to defeating the demilich and you are playing Tomb of Horrors . However, what I meant to prove was that you are not limited to the options given in the spell. So, what happens if I command my opponent to die?

 

[Cedric]

It feigns death for a round. A creature can only do what it is reasonably able to do, if you could somehow manage to command me to speak french with a single word, that isn't going to impart the knowledge of how to speak french.

Likewise, you can command me to die, but no matter how much I may want too, I can't will my heart to stop...but, I can play dead.

 

[Hammerhead]

The line about the command spell is pretty much a direct cut and paste from the original adventure (or at least the one that shipped with RttToH). So that greatly undermines its credibility.

Second of all, any time a supplement contradicts the core rules, the core rules are right (with fairly obvious exceptions. One line of text in an adventure is not an official erratta).

Third, the option of what happens when you use the command word Die has been covered by all of the previous rules sets.

Fourth, no DM is going to allow a 1st level save or die effect.

What happens? Nothing.

 

[Darkwolf445]

The spell would fail since the victim cannot "Die," as stated above. Otherwise, if interpreted by a loose DM, the victim would simply collapse for a round.

 

[WarlockLord]

Oh well. Can't blame me for trying.

 

[WarlockLord]

The spell would fail since the victim cannot "Die," as stated above. Otherwise, if interpreted by a loose DM, the victim would simply collapse for a round.

Or said victim could commit suicide (stab himself, whatever). Self-destruct?

 

[Darkwolf445]

I believe it is a one-word command and suicide is not a valid command. So, unless you can come up with one word for killing yourself, which I believe must be a verb (memory is a little foggy here, but I know it is not allowed per RAW in any edition), it is not going to work.

 

[Cedric]

It feigns death for a round. A creature can only do what it is reasonably able to do, if you could somehow manage to command me to speak french with a single word, that isn't going to impart the knowledge of how to speak french.

Likewise, you can command me to die, but no matter how much I may want too, I can't will my heart to stop...but, I can play dead.

Hehe, I was just "certain" that I remembered it being specifically stated somewhere that Command: Die causes the subject to feign death for one round.

And....lo and behold, it is stated somewhere. ...In the 1st Edition Player's Handbook, rofl.

I think my info might be a bit dated.

However, I would still play it that way.

 

[Sejs]

Or said victim could commit suicide (stab himself, whatever). Self-destruct?

Nope. Command: Die is an idea as old as the spell itself. Since 1e, the answer is and always has been, they keel over as if dead for one round, then the magic wears off and they get back up.

Besides, commanding someone to 'die' isn't the same as commanding them to kill themselves. And commanding someone to suicide doesn't fly because suicide isn't a verb, any more than 'lunch' is.

The long and short of it is that Command isn't a 1st level death spell. It can still be plenty fun, though.

 

[Hypersmurf]

For what it's worth, the 3E Main FAQ (recall that in 3E, the spell was not limited to the 'menu') had this to say:

When you use a command spell to order a foe to “die” or
to “sleep,” is the target rendered helpless and thus subject
to a coup de grace attack?

When a creature fails its save against the command spell, the
creature obeys the one-word order from the spell to the best of
its ability. In most circumstances, a command (from the spell)
to “sleep” or “die” makes the subject prone and effectively
stunned, not helpless. One simply cannot just go to sleep or
play dead in the middle of a battle.

-Hyp.