After a RAW interpretation of these sections from the spell Animate Objects:
As a bonus action, you can mentally command any creature you made with this spell if the creature is within 500 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.
...If you command an object to attack, it can make a single melee attack against a creature within 5 feet of it.
My read:
1. I may issue one command per bonus action to any number of the object creatures I control, but it must be the same command.
Question: If I command the object creatures to attack, must it be the same target? I assume so.
2. Once I issue a command to attack, the object creatures will continue to attack that target round after round without me having to issue another command.
Question: I've bolded two sections above. They seem to be in conflict. Comments?
For your first question, yes. When issuing a command to multiple animated objects it must be the same command. If you specify a target in your command then the target must be the same for all the command is given to.
With respect to your second question the first bolded section stopped at a comma and what you omitted is extremely relevant to the second bolded section.
Specifically what you omitted says: "or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor."
By using a general command it is possible that a command may not be completed in a single turn. So the second bolded section makes it clear that a command is followed until completed, even if it takes longer than a single turn to resolve.
I don’t see number two in conflict. If you command your objects to “attack the dragon” they will do so until it is dead or they are. If the dragon dies and you don’t issue a command they will just defend themselves.
After a RAW interpretation of these sections from the spell Animate Objects:
My read:
1. I may issue one command per bonus action to any number of the object creatures I control, but it must be the same command.
Question: If I command the object creatures to attack, must it be the same target? I assume so.
2. Once I issue a command to attack, the object creatures will continue to attack that target round after round without me having to issue another command.
Question: I've bolded two sections above. They seem to be in conflict. Comments?
Thanks in advance.
For your first question, yes. When issuing a command to multiple animated objects it must be the same command. If you specify a target in your command then the target must be the same for all the command is given to.
With respect to your second question the first bolded section stopped at a comma and what you omitted is extremely relevant to the second bolded section.
Specifically what you omitted says: "or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor."
By using a general command it is possible that a command may not be completed in a single turn. So the second bolded section makes it clear that a command is followed until completed, even if it takes longer than a single turn to resolve.
I don’t see number two in conflict. If you command your objects to “attack the dragon” they will do so until it is dead or they are. If the dragon dies and you don’t issue a command they will just defend themselves.
You don’t have to issue commands round by round
Thanks!