If i were to cast Command as a sorcerer, then twinned spelled it with metamagic, would the creatures that are targets have just the one command that I say, or would I be able to give each a different command? I believe it's the former, I hope it's the second.
(While we're at it, if it's only one command what would be a fun one? :D "Fight" comes to mind, although you could probably get some inappropriate scenes to happen if your'e in a more "mature" campaign with words like love etc. XD )
Twinned Spell doesn't "cast" it a second time, it just "adds a target". You only utter one word for the casting, not for each target, so the word you choose will affect both targets if they both fail their saves. Note: you can only twin a 1st level Command since the Command spell already affects more targets when you cast it using higher slots.
Note the word you choose must be one that can be understood without context or extra parameters. Saying "Fight" would not make both targets fight each other, it just means each target if affected will be compelled to fight something: they'd get to choose their own targets or perhaps the DM will decide randomly. Likewise saying Love would not make them love each other, the targets need only love "something" and love is not always romantic attraction: it can also be a plutonic love of friendship or are very strongly liking something : try it on the barbarian who loves fighting and you'd probably cause no effect (they already love something) or make them fight.
The word you choose must be a whole and complete command unto itself, it cannot define subject, target or method with exception of "the caster": approach means approach the caster, so Fight and Love could mean Fighting or Loving the caster. Tell the target to sit will leave it open to the target to either sit on the floor or sit on a chair or object close by they can get to in a single move.
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That is a tricky one. I would say that twinned spell metamagic doubles the spell, not doubles the targets. So I would let you command the two targets differently. (I ruled it the same way booming blade twins the weapon attack).
[Edit] I may be wrong, but I stand by my decision per the rule of cool, and it doesn't gain more than the resources put into it.
Would the word betray be a better choice then? I understand it's completely up to the DM but some commands are fun just to see what happens as long as your DM isn't actively trying to bone you with they spell like those memes where you make a wish but someone corrupts it. Any form of deviation outside of the 'suggested' commands would really just let your DM mess with you :/
Twinned Spell doesn't "cast" it a second time, it just "adds a target". You only utter one word for the casting, not for each target, so the word you choose will affect both targets if they both fail their saves.
Twinned spell doesn't force you to make the same choices for each target and Command doesn't say you speak the same command at all targets; it says you speak a command at a target within range. If there are multiple targets, you do that once for each one, just like if the spell said "make a ranged spell attack against a target within range" you'd make the attack for each target.
Twinned Spell doesn't "cast" it a second time, it just "adds a target". You only utter one word for the casting, not for each target, so the word you choose will affect both targets if they both fail their saves.
Twinned spell doesn't force you to make the same choices for each target and Command doesn't say you speak the same command at all targets; it says you speak a command at a target within range. If there are multiple targets, you do that once for each one, just like if the spell said "make a ranged spell attack against a target within range" you'd make the attack for each target.
I see a few states that this sequence can take:
Spell is cast, the conditions are static, such as "Grovel" for Command or "Acid" for Chromatic Orb.
Twinned is applied
Choose a new target for the spell, the same condition is applied to both targets.
Spell is cast, the conditions are static.
Twinned is applied, the condition becomes "blank" for the Twinned version of the spell.
Choose a new target for the spell and a new condition can be applied, such as "Crawl" for Command or "Thunder" for Chromatic Orb.
Spell is cast, the conditions are malleable until the spell is resolved.
Twinned is applied.
Choose both targets, pick a condition per each target.
Whether you say Twinned is applied pre or post casting of a spell shouldn't matter in these states. Variant 1 is how I've seen most DMs resolve this type of sequence as it's easier to track, quicker during combat, and doesn't require much effort from the player. Variants 2 and 3 both have the same outcome just a different view on whether the malleable nature of a spell, or the power of metamagic, is the cause of being able to change the new iteration of it. I see no problem with any of those 3 view points and I will use variant 1 as the default until a player begins to experiment with what they can do. From that point on I tend to explain it as variant 2 since I really do enjoy giving my players all the power to win, which in turn allows me to make more memorable experiences.
The word you choose must be a whole and complete command unto itself, it cannot define subject
This is true in English, but not in Spanish, where you can (and do) tack pronouns onto transitive verbs, which become single words that have both verb and target. So "love him" would work ("ámalo"), the "adult" version would work with colloquialisms, but "fight him" wouldn't work, since "fight" is an intransitive verb in Spanish (you would say "pelea con/contra él", "fight with/against him"). A few adventures ago, a player wanted to use Sending, couldn't fit the message into 25 words or less in English, but managed to in Spanish, and the DM allowed it. Bear in mind, we're all fully bilingual (Spanish/English), so it doesn't feel forced... pretty sure trying to make it fit in Italian, or Korean, or Enochian, wouldn't fly!
The word you choose must be a whole and complete command unto itself, it cannot define subject
This is true in English, but not, in Spanish, where you can (and do) tack pronouns onto transitive verbs, which become single words that have both verb and target. So "love him" would work ("ámalo"), the "adult" version would work with colloquialisms, but "fight him" wouldn't work, since "fight" is an intransitive verb in Spanish (you would say "pelea con/contra él", "fight with/against him"). A few adventures ago, a player wanted to use Sending, couldn't fit the message into 25 words or less in English, but managed to in Spanish, and the DM allowed it. Bear in mind, we're all fully bilingual (Spanish/English), so it doesn't feel forced... pretty sure trying to make it fit in Italian, or Korean, or Enochian, wouldn't fly!
This observation just blew my mind in a cool way. I had to pull up some of my German lessons from college.
In German, some verbs have separable prefixes including in the Imperative case (which is the case for a command).
Example: "Wasche deine Hände ab" (Wash your hands). The verb is abwachen, but to conjugate it as a command, the "ab" prefix is separated from the verb and placed at the end of the sentence.
So, you technically can't command someone to wash with this spell, if you are a German speaker. Saying "abwaschen" is literally, "to Wash" as it is an infinitive but that's not a command. The Command spell is literally biased to English grammar rules. A native speaker with context would likely get it, but I wonder how the PHB reads in German, or if this is even seen an issue.
But that gets into a slightly different linguistic topic; how do Elves, Dwarves and other native languages do commands compared to Common, which we treat like English? Do they operate like romance languages like Spanish/French? Germanic? Does the elven language has a ridiculous verb that is horribly specific like a single verb meaning "Take off your armor and go to sleep?" Seems legit.
It's not like it needs a rule change, but like Tonio above said they handle it. I'm now just really curious how Command is handled in other languages.
Twinned Spell doesn't "cast" it a second time, it just "adds a target". You only utter one word for the casting, not for each target, so the word you choose will affect both targets if they both fail their saves.
Twinned spell doesn't force you to make the same choices for each target and Command doesn't say you speak the same command at all targets; it says you speak a command at a target within range. If there are multiple targets, you do that once for each one, just like if the spell said "make a ranged spell attack against a target within range" you'd make the attack for each target.
If i were to cast Command as a sorcerer, then twinned spelled it with metamagic, would the creatures that are targets have just the one command that I say, or would I be able to give each a different command? I believe it's the former, I hope it's the second.
(While we're at it, if it's only one command what would be a fun one? :D "Fight" comes to mind, although you could probably get some inappropriate scenes to happen if your'e in a more "mature" campaign with words like love etc. XD )
Twinned Spell doesn't "cast" it a second time, it just "adds a target". You only utter one word for the casting, not for each target, so the word you choose will affect both targets if they both fail their saves. Note: you can only twin a 1st level Command since the Command spell already affects more targets when you cast it using higher slots.
Note the word you choose must be one that can be understood without context or extra parameters. Saying "Fight" would not make both targets fight each other, it just means each target if affected will be compelled to fight something: they'd get to choose their own targets or perhaps the DM will decide randomly. Likewise saying Love would not make them love each other, the targets need only love "something" and love is not always romantic attraction: it can also be a plutonic love of friendship or are very strongly liking something : try it on the barbarian who loves fighting and you'd probably cause no effect (they already love something) or make them fight.
The word you choose must be a whole and complete command unto itself, it cannot define subject, target or method with exception of "the caster": approach means approach the caster, so Fight and Love could mean Fighting or Loving the caster. Tell the target to sit will leave it open to the target to either sit on the floor or sit on a chair or object close by they can get to in a single move.
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Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
That is a tricky one. I would say that twinned spell metamagic doubles the spell, not doubles the targets. So I would let you command the two targets differently. (I ruled it the same way booming blade twins the weapon attack).
[Edit] I may be wrong, but I stand by my decision per the rule of cool, and it doesn't gain more than the resources put into it.
Would the word betray be a better choice then? I understand it's completely up to the DM but some commands are fun just to see what happens as long as your DM isn't actively trying to bone you with they spell like those memes where you make a wish but someone corrupts it. Any form of deviation outside of the 'suggested' commands would really just let your DM mess with you :/
Twinned spell doesn't force you to make the same choices for each target and Command doesn't say you speak the same command at all targets; it says you speak a command at a target within range. If there are multiple targets, you do that once for each one, just like if the spell said "make a ranged spell attack against a target within range" you'd make the attack for each target.
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I see a few states that this sequence can take:
Whether you say Twinned is applied pre or post casting of a spell shouldn't matter in these states. Variant 1 is how I've seen most DMs resolve this type of sequence as it's easier to track, quicker during combat, and doesn't require much effort from the player. Variants 2 and 3 both have the same outcome just a different view on whether the malleable nature of a spell, or the power of metamagic, is the cause of being able to change the new iteration of it. I see no problem with any of those 3 view points and I will use variant 1 as the default until a player begins to experiment with what they can do. From that point on I tend to explain it as variant 2 since I really do enjoy giving my players all the power to win, which in turn allows me to make more memorable experiences.
This is true in English, but not in Spanish, where you can (and do) tack pronouns onto transitive verbs, which become single words that have both verb and target. So "love him" would work ("ámalo"), the "adult" version would work with colloquialisms, but "fight him" wouldn't work, since "fight" is an intransitive verb in Spanish (you would say "pelea con/contra él", "fight with/against him"). A few adventures ago, a player wanted to use Sending, couldn't fit the message into 25 words or less in English, but managed to in Spanish, and the DM allowed it. Bear in mind, we're all fully bilingual (Spanish/English), so it doesn't feel forced... pretty sure trying to make it fit in Italian, or Korean, or Enochian, wouldn't fly!
This observation just blew my mind in a cool way. I had to pull up some of my German lessons from college.
In German, some verbs have separable prefixes including in the Imperative case (which is the case for a command).
Example: "Wasche deine Hände ab" (Wash your hands). The verb is abwachen, but to conjugate it as a command, the "ab" prefix is separated from the verb and placed at the end of the sentence.
So, you technically can't command someone to wash with this spell, if you are a German speaker. Saying "abwaschen" is literally, "to Wash" as it is an infinitive but that's not a command. The Command spell is literally biased to English grammar rules. A native speaker with context would likely get it, but I wonder how the PHB reads in German, or if this is even seen an issue.
But that gets into a slightly different linguistic topic; how do Elves, Dwarves and other native languages do commands compared to Common, which we treat like English? Do they operate like romance languages like Spanish/French? Germanic? Does the elven language has a ridiculous verb that is horribly specific like a single verb meaning "Take off your armor and go to sleep?" Seems legit.
It's not like it needs a rule change, but like Tonio above said they handle it. I'm now just really curious how Command is handled in other languages.
Correct. For reference, Jeremy Crawford's ruling: