D&D 5E Using COMMAND to break a caster's concentration?

[J-H]

That's a smart tactic, but it would make dispel magic partially redundant. Especially vexing is that a 3rd-level spell is so easily replaced by a 1st-level spell. I'd say no, command doesn't work like that.

To break concentration you need to cast another concentration spell, take damage (and fail a concentration check), or be incapacitated or killed.

So something like commanding a target to sleep might work. But: "The spell has no effect if the target is undead, if it doesn't understand your language, or if your command is directly harmful to it." So commanding someone to sleep mid-combat is likely right out.

Tasha's Hideous Laughter is a 1st-level spell that does cause the incapacitated condition, breaking Concentration. Command is less powerful, except that Command doesn't take Concentration.

 

[FrogReaver]

Exactly what it says it does: it sends someone into magical slumber. Which is irrelevant with regard to what another spell does.

Command makes someone follow a command. You can't order someone to fly if they can't fly on their own.

Command even covers that case in it's own text: "If the target can’t follow your command, the spell ends."

 

[FrogReaver]

Tangential idea.
Command: Betray
Command: Defect

How would these work?

 

[Sithlord]

A sword breaks concentration as does a bow. I am all for expending a daily resource as opposed to an at will resource for giving a chance to break concentration via a wisdom save which is the wizards good save. Also dispel magic does way more than break concentration on a spell, same with countermagic.

 

[hopeless]

How about "Faint"?
I wonder how many will assume what they actually commanded was "Feint"?!

 

[Krachek]

Sure. I am a little confused by what you are objecting to. The target gets a save and the command either has to be worded in a way that the target will give up concentrating on spell, or force them to do something that would allow for concentration check (which is essentially a second save). The same holds for a PC trying it on an opponent.

If you like adding home brew on the fly during game it is your Dming style. I wanted to emphasis that players will usually remember and repeat all those new tricks in a constantly expanding rule set.

 

[Oofta]

What makes heat metal so strong is it basically doesn't have a save. It does in certain circumstances, but a lot of times I would rather they make their save and take the damage and disadvantage than drop the object....but either way I'm golden. Its one of the few DoT spells actually worth a darn in the game.

The real problem IMHO with heat metal is how it affects everyone that wears heavy armor. It takes between 1 and 5 minutes to take off armor, it's not going to happen during combat.

 

[Oofta]

Under duress, in a fight? Any adrenaline spike is a half step away from panic for basically any person with vaguely normal brain chemistry.

It doesn’t have to be listed. You seem to be arguing that it doesn’t make sense to rule that it can work, which is at least a valid stance, because it’s a DM call to determine what does or doesn’t break concentration.

There are many things that cause someone to be frightened. A DM may decide that the frightened condition requires a DC 10 concentration check, but it is not one of the ways concentration is broken according to the rules. It's a short list:

• Casting another spell that requires concentration.
• Taking damage.
• Being incapacitated or killed.

If you decide that some other circumstance could qualify, that is also covered in the PHB:

The DM might also decide that certain environmental phenomena, such as a wave crashing over you while you're on a storm-tossed ship, require you to succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell.​

​

Unless you are applying house rules (which is perfectly fine), there are only a handful of ways to break concentration. If you are talking about house rules that's fine, you should just state that.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

For a more long-term solution to this conundrum:

1. Invent a slang word meaning "drop concentration on a spell", lets call it "to woffle".
2. Make sure every spellcaster in the game world learns this new word (Might need to collaborate with the bard on this step)
3. In combat, Command: Woffle! at an enemy caster. If they fail their save and know the word they'll have to obey and drop concentration.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

There are many things that cause someone to be frightened. A DM may decide that the frightened condition requires a DC 10 concentration check, but it is not one of the ways concentration is broken according to the rules. It's a short list:

• Casting another spell that requires concentration.
• Taking damage.
• Being incapacitated or killed.

If you decide that some other circumstance could qualify, that is also covered in the PHB:

The DM might also decide that certain environmental phenomena, such as a wave crashing over you while you're on a storm-tossed ship, require you to succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell.​

​

Unless you are applying house rules (which is perfectly fine), there are only a handful of ways to break concentration. If you are talking about house rules that's fine, you should just state that.

If you’re reading that as an exhaustive list, you’re reading it incorrectly.