A rather simple level 1 spell from Dungeons & Dragons can be useful in various situations. However, the community emphasizes that being useful is simply too boring, and the spell can be used in a much more creative and, above all, effective way.
Which spell is being referred to? It is the spell Command (Command), which is quite accessible due to its low level and the widespread occurrence of class-specific spell lists. To cast it, the spell caster must speak a one-word command to a creature, which must follow it on its next turn if it fails a Wisdom saving throw, as long as it is able to. Together with an allied Warlock who can cast Hex and thereby make the target’s saving throw more difficult, this is a very effective control spell.
The rules mention actions such as Come Here, Lie Down, Flee, Drop, or Stop, which are all decent approaches. However, the Dungeons & Dragons community believes that these commands are far too boring and could use a bit more flair. This not only makes them more versatile and interesting but also more effective.
Cannonball instead of Fleeing
How can one enhance the spell with the right command? In the Dungeons & Dragons Subreddit, the user Cobra_T intentionally asked about the community’s somewhat “nicher” favorite commands they use for the spell. Many of them turned out to be not only jokesters but also tough strategists, as seen in these examples:
- “Silence!” – “I shamelessly impersonated Paul Atreides by commanding people to be silent,” admits Iliturtle.
- “Confess!” – “Used in combination with a Zone of Truth, ‘Confess’ works excellently,” reports ElectricD-92.
- “Weep!” – “‘Weeping’ made the target simply weep, and the game master decided it couldn’t move and was half-blind,” recommends huhCH13.
- “Strip!” – “I like ‘Strip.’ Fighters remove their armor, spellcasters take off their clothes, in which they keep their magical components. Magical capes and robes lose their effect,” writes BrainyCaveman.
However, those who simply crave a bit more flair could achieve that with these commanded actions:
- “Cannonball!” – “A guard joyfully jumped into the ditch while the other shouted, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ Both were immediately distracted,” tells afterandalasia.
- “Dance!” – “One of my players recently discovered ‘Dance’ as his favorite word. By using a higher spell level, a bandit raid turned into a flash mob-like dance party,” writes Wundawuzi. It reminds me of a somewhat “cheaper” version of the level 6 spell Otto’s Irresistible Dance.
- And finally, recommended by itrogue and quickly becoming the favorite of MeinMMO editor Caro: “Vogue!”
What is the catch? The commands reported by the community can strictly only be used by players of the fifth edition who have not yet switched to the 2024 rule set. It states that it no longer has to be a one-word action but is now limited to the mentioned Stop, Flee, Come Here, Lie Down, and Drop.
However, since a game master is not a preprogrammed game engine, that doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker. Game masters are likely to be more cheerful if their players want to add more flair to their actions. Therefore, you can certainly broach the topic early to create cool scenes through Command.
With these commands, you turn a simple level 1 spell into a deeply versatile, funny, but also effective method to deal with your opponents in Dungeons & Dragons. If you want to learn about even more seemingly innocuous spells that can be quite powerful, we have summarized them for you in a list: Here are 5 inconspicuous spells in Dungeons & Dragons that are much stronger than they appear
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!