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Old 02-16-2018, 10:53 AM   #31
Armin
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Default Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?

Ah, sorry about that. My GM always insisted on Command being one word, so I internalized it that way, I guess. Or confused it with D&D, maybe.

Anyway, we did always play it where commands that they understood the language for, but didn't understand the word or application, just caused them to be confused for a bit; effectively a lost turn.
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Old 02-16-2018, 10:57 AM   #32
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Default Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?

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Originally Posted by Armin View Post
Anyway, we did always play it where commands that they understood the language for, but didn't understand the word or application, just caused them to be confused for a bit; effectively a lost turn.
Apparently that is what is supposed to happen, regardless.
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Old 02-16-2018, 11:01 AM   #33
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Default Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?

Command has two fundamental uses:

a) Spoil an attack (block)
b) Burn a foes turn

You can often get a useful side effect - disarming the opponent ("Drop that!"), or re-positioning them slightly, or other fun little things, but for major effects you usually want another spell.
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Old 02-16-2018, 11:10 AM   #34
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Default Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?

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Command has two fundamental uses:

a) Spoil an attack (block)
b) Burn a foes turn

You can often get a useful side effect - disarming the opponent ("Drop that!"), or re-positioning them slightly, or other fun little things, but for major effects you usually want another spell.
Apparently, but there's nothing in the text that would indicate that "Attack yourself" or "Surrender" doesn't work (or that even more complex commands don't work in languages with more economy).

I'm not sure I have a clear rubric for the difference between "useful" and "fun", here (but maybe that is just me). If you can make them drop down, can you make them jump off a ledge or onto a landmine? If you can make them drop a weapon can you make them drop a grenade? If you can make them look, can you make them look at a gorgon? Can you have them crash a vehicle they are piloting? Can you make them holster a weapon (just a Ready after all)? Can you make them unload?

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Old 02-16-2018, 11:41 AM   #35
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Default Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?

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Well if the intent is the lose their turn, and nothing actually happens, then the command itself doesn't matter.
"Miss a turn" is the intended minimum effect. The command does matter, and also shapes the effect – it just matters less than this. My earlier point was that if the game grinds to a halt for a debate on linguistics and the nature of free will, the GM would be acting within the spirit of the rules to say, "Enough! The guy doesn't attack you. His turn ends." That would block the attack and then some, and only a very selfish rules-lawyer would pursue the matter further.

Spelling out exactly how each possible type of command would work in a variety of different language models, and depending on whether your subject responds to a pointed finger like a human or more like the stereotypical cat ("Look, a finger!"), would fill pages of rulebook. That's pretty clearly way too much for a low-cost spell that endures for one second and could be the third spell a wizard learns.

In short, the most important word in the spell description is in the heading: "Blocking." The spell blocks an attack. All the words that follow are color explaining interesting ways that could happen, which could have other neat effects if the players aren't frustrating the GM with rules-lawyering.

Even shorter: Command is basically Fascinate moved from vision- to hearing-based, minus the option to sacrifice your own future turns to make your subject miss turns.
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Old 02-16-2018, 02:28 PM   #36
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Default Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?

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Has there been an all-minotaur party yet?
I think we'd have herd of it.
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Old 02-16-2018, 03:09 PM   #37
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Default Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?

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"
Spelling out exactly how each possible type of command would work in a variety of different language models, and depending on whether your subject responds to a pointed finger like a human or more like the stereotypical cat ("Look, a finger!"), would fill pages of rulebook. That's pretty clearly way too much for a low-cost spell that endures for one second and could be the third spell a wizard learns.
It might have been clearer to say what maneuvers they can be forced to take (even "any Manuever that doesn't grant an attack").

Honestly I always thought that "Attack (or stab/shoot/bash) yourself" was allowed based on the text, and the primary break on abuses was its fairly minimal resistance penalty and the -1/hex versus ranged attacks.
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Old 02-17-2018, 02:21 AM   #38
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Default Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?

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I think we'd have herd of it.
Bull! They've just been cowed into not posting. I bet if we could wrangle the story out of them it would be mooooo-ving.
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Old 02-17-2018, 05:02 AM   #39
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Default Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?

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Honestly I always thought that "Attack (or stab/shoot/bash) yourself" was allowed based on the text, and the primary break on abuses was its fairly minimal resistance penalty and the -1/hex versus ranged attacks.
I’m pretty sure it should be (why wouldn’t it?), but with most configurations that’s going to be a pretty bad attack: Attackers are often too close for their own reach, and most weapons would require a Ready to turn around, then can’t use their full ST. Look at critical failure tables for suggestions.

I’m quite surprised “lie down” isn’t the default, really. Pretty reliably wastes next turn as well.
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Old 02-17-2018, 08:38 PM   #40
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Default Re: [Spells] Why is Command a blocking spell, and how does it work?

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I’m pretty sure it should be (why wouldn’t it?), but with most configurations that’s going to be a pretty bad attack: Attackers are often too close for their own reach, and most weapons would require a Ready to turn around, then can’t use their full ST.
Exactly. You can tell somebody with a reach 1 axe or reach 1, 2 rapier or reach 1-3 halberd to attack themselves, but their lack of a reach C weapon is going to mean they do something worthless like spend their turn trying to turn their sword around to fall on it, or just punch themselves in the helmet. So it'll waste a turn but not accomplish a great deal. This is especially salient in the DFRPG (as opposed to GURPS), where the rules don't offer a plethora of options for using weapons in close.
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