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

[Steampunkette]

I'd say "Sleep" causes them to try. Same as "Backflip".

The Hypnotist in the video isn't dealing with conscious people, he's dealing with people in a hypnotic state. Which, if you believe in such things, means that their waking minds are unconscious and they're in a suggestible state of quasi-awareness which allows him to manipulate their perceptions. He can "Put them to sleep" 'cause they're already asleep and he's just ending the quasi-awareness state.

"Sleep" wouldn't break concentration. Neither would "Backflip", though impact with the ground might do it.

"Daydream", however, would apply immediate disadvantage to perception checks and end concentration. That one is freaking -clever-. "Meditate" would also end the concentration and apply disadvantage to perception for the same reason.

I also like the idea of telling a spellcaster concentrating on a spell to "Fly". Because it means they'll cast Fly, or Levitate, in an attempt to follow the command, ending their concentration on the previous spell. -Very- clever. But only works if they've got the right spells prepared.

 

[tommybahama]

The Hypnotist in the video isn't dealing with conscious people, he's dealing with people in a hypnotic state.

That's because he isn't a wizard that can use magic to do in an instant what would take a mundane hypnotist minutes if not hours.

Also look up rapid induction hypnosis which claims that hypnosis can be achieved in minutes or seconds without even resorting to magic.

 

[Steampunkette]

That's because he isn't a wizard that can use magic to do in an instant what would take a mundane hypnotist minutes if not hours.

Also look up rapid induction hypnosis which claims that hypnosis can be achieved in minutes or seconds without even resorting to magic.

Like magic I don't believe in hypnosis.

Magically telling someone to fall asleep and magically making them fall asleep feel like different things to me!

 

[MarkB]

One I liked that I saw in an actual play video was "Disrobe". Obviously a person isn't going to have time to take all their clothes off in that one action, but the chances are that they'll have had time to drop their trousers round their ankles and/or struggle halfway out of their tunic, and then they're going to have to use their action next round to get everything back into place before they can actually do anything.

 

[ECMO3]

In my session yesterday, the party bard/wizard went to his go-to spell against armored foes, Heat Metal, which can be a devastating spell, esp. at lower levels. The target was a cleric and in one of the few rounds left to her before the heat damage killed her (her minions were firing multiple arrows at the PC, but he was passing concentration checks like nothing!) I had her cast command at the PC in an attempt to break his concentration on the spell.

He made his save, so didn't have to "grovel" as commanded, but I was wondering if causing someone to "grovel" or "surrender" would break their concentration on the spell (I assume the second definitely would because surrendering assumes not continuing to attempt harm on opponents) but was wondering what others thought and if there is an even more direct and clear one-word command that could disrupt the spell in that way? I think commands like "dismiss!" or "dispel!" would be too ambiguous and it has to be one word, so "Distracted!" doesn't make sense.

I do not think "grovel" would do it. You can make a full on attack while concentrating so you could probably grovel while concentrating as well.

However IMO "daydream" would work if he failed the save. This would also only affect concentration, he could still attack, move, cast another spell normally while "concentrating" on his "daydream".

 

[Oofta]

By the rules, the only things that automatically break concentration are death, being incapacitated, casting another spell that requires concentration, failing a con save.

It's DM discretion on when to call for a con check. Command can't incapacitate, commanding them to sleep doesn't actually put them to sleep for example.

If the DM decides, they can ask for a DC 10 con save they can. IMHO anything more is a house rule (not that there's anything wrong with that).

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Obviously the word you want to end concentration is "drop". As per the spell: "Drop: The target drops whatever it is holding and then ends its turn."

I don't see anything about "with their hands" or "physical objects" in there. Concentration is something the target "is holding" isn't it?

This is why it is important to retain the counsel of a good rules lawyer.

 

[ECMO3]

"Daydream", however, would apply immediate disadvantage to perception checks and end concentration. That one is freaking -clever-. "Meditate" would also end the concentration and apply disadvantage to perception for the same reason.

I like the thought process here. Personally I would say daydream would be disadvantage to passive concentration (which is -5), but I would keep active searches at full perception since the idea of concentration is you concentrate in the background.

Meditate I would give disadvantage to all perception and all investigation and cause the target to be blinded but I would probably let him keep concentration .... but that is my interpretation of it!

 

[Larnievc]

I agree, if the player has a clear, simple action they want to command the target to perform but aren’t sure how to fit it into one word, I’m not going to be a stickler about it. Dropping concentration seems like a reasonable thing for the spell to be able to do to me. Maybe tell them to “daydream” or something.

You could command them to vomit?

 

[Seramus]

"RELAX!"