The command prayer rubs me the wrong way sometimes

[Gort]

Last night we played our game of Keep on the Shadowfell and an admittedly rather corner case came up.

The cleric's command prayer can be used to cause a creature to slide 3 squares - it does this by compelling them to take the action themselves. But what if a creature can't physically accomplish this? By the rules as written, they'd move anyway. Even an immobilised creature somehow manages to move itself.

Doesn't this seem a bit silly? I mean, I could see the power working if it was a giant holy fist shoving someone 3 squares, but it has the "charm" keyword, so I can't even re-flavour it.

Should the command power (or the immobilised condition) be errataed to prevent this?

 

[Plane Sailing]

Personally I'd just leave it up to GM judgement. I'd be happy making a judgement call on that as a GM, for instance.

Trying to nail down a rule for every situation is tricky enough in a 'non-exception-based-design' system. In 4e it would probably end up a hiding to nothing pretty quickly IMO.

Cheers

 

[James McMurray]

Many things (including basic geometry) get sacrificed to the altar of simplicity. Personally I wouldn't worry about it if I was the only one getting their suspension of disbelief bothered. If multiple people in the group don't like it, just rule that it can't make someone do something they're incapable of doing. Be sure to let the cleric know this before he uses up his spell, or let him retract the action.

 

[KarinsDad]

I think this might already be stated or inferred by the rules, but I do not have my PHB in front of me.

Grabbed creatures cannot be moved shy of Push or Pull (iirc). I do not think Slide affects them, but I might be misremembering.

The same might be true of Immobilized.

Could someone look this up? The wording of Immobilized might also state that someone cannot self move.

 

[Boarstorm]

Nope, the wording on immobilized says that they can't move, but they can still be pushed/pulled/slid.

 

[James McMurray]

You can be slid when immobilized or grabbed.

 

[Tony Vargas]

It's divine power, the Gods only have to make sense if they want to. It would be a more powerful spell if it acted like a form of domination - making the victim dazed and forcing it to use it's one action to follow the command. Lots of powers slide enemies, so it's a more reasonable mechanic to give it. The more powerful hypothetical dominate-like power would, however, take into account what the target is capable of doing.

 

[Obryn]

I think this might already be stated or inferred by the rules, but I do not have my PHB in front of me.

Grabbed creatures cannot be moved shy of Push or Pull (iirc). I do not think Slide affects them, but I might be misremembering.

The same might be true of Immobilized.

Could someone look this up? The wording of Immobilized might also state that someone cannot self move.

RAW, an Immobilized foe can be pushed/pulled/slid. A Restrained foe cannot.

-O

 

[Voss]

You still have to figure out what happens to someone grabbing it though, divine DM fiat or not. Do they maintain the grab from 3+ squares away or are they also slid by the Command?

There are absurdities built into either choice. The first is obvious, but the second allows the cleric to slide the party 3+ squares if they all grab onto a target first. Nice way to get some free movement that doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

 

[Rith the Wanderer]

Well, if they are immobilized by something mental, like mesmeric hold then it makes pretty good in game sense. If its something physical but (save ends) then maybe they are imbued with enough will by the spell to push through but not break out? That ones harder.

Does anyone know how this interacts with the movement hurts type abilities? Like the blood mage encounter ability or the "stinging hex" ability of the Goblin Hexer (MM pg 137).