For a little bit of context, I'm currently playing a Necromancy Wizard and I'm looking ahead at later level spells to get an idea what to take up. Browsing around at Animate Objects, I noticed it has the same bonus action to mentally command controlled creatures, including "(if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one)" as Animate Dead. So my question is, If I had skeletons/zombies around while I had a casting of Animate Objects up, would I be able to command both the undead and objects with a singular bonus action command? Or since they're completely different spells, separate commands to each group have to be issued? Thank ya! ^-^
I actually think you would be able to command both creatures created by animate dead and animate objects at the same time. They both say that you can command all creatures that you control, not just all creatures with the spell. RAW, you might even be able to command creatures that you control outside of those two spells, as with find familiar or dominate person.
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Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
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Both of those spells specifically say "any creature you made with this spell". The parenthetical text that is within the same sentence is expanding upon that sentence, because both of those spells can create more than one creature.
Both of those spells specifically say "any creature you made with this spell". The parenthetical text that is within the same sentence is expanding upon that sentence, because both of those spells can create more than one creature.
That's probably RAI, but RAW I can't read that extra condition as applying to the text within the parenthesis.
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Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Both of those spells specifically say "any creature you made with this spell". The parenthetical text that is within the same sentence is expanding upon that sentence, because both of those spells can create more than one creature.
That's probably RAI, but RAW I can't read that extra condition as applying to the text within the parenthesis.
Sounds like a "you" problem, mate. We're here to answer an honest question about how the game works, not confuse laymen by being intentionally obtuse.
What??? I can assure you, my obtuseness was completely unintentional!
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Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
I can see how there could be multiple interpretations on this one. My first instinct was to vote for the idea that the parenthetical is just clarifying the current sentence so that you are only controlling creatures made with this spell with a single command. Now I'm not so sure. There seems to be 3 possibilities:
1. You can command any or all creatures under your control.
2. You can command any or all creatures under your control that you made with this spell (example, all ongoing effects from all of your castings of Animate Dead, multiple spell slots used, etc).
3. You can command any or all creatures under your control that you made with [this instance of] this spell. (example, ongoing effects from one single casting of Animate Dead (possibly cast at a higher level to affect multiple targets))
Does anyone know of other spells in the game that are written with more clarity than referring to "this spell" in order to set a precedent that "this spell" should be interpreted like in #2 above and that it would take some additional wording such as "this instance of this spell" to refer to a single casting? Or should we assume that "this spell" refers to a single casting based on how lots of other spells are written?
So now let's assume for a moment that interpretation #1 is actually correct and we can command multiple creatures that we control due to multiple different spells or other sources. In that case, I still don't think that the targets from Find Familiar or from Dominate Person would qualify. The Bonus Action provided by Animate Dead and Animate Objects pretty clearly refers to commanding creatures that "you control". Both spells very carefully use that exact wording to describe the creatures that were created:
Animate Dead:
The creature is under your control for 24 hours
Animate Objects:
Each target animates and becomes a creature under your control until the spell ends or until reduced to 0 hit points
So, if we assume interpretation #1 then these would both qualify. But now let's look at the other suggested possible creatures . . .
Find Familiar:
You gain the service of a familiar . . . Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn . . . While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically.
It may seem pedantic, but this spell never specifies that the familiar becomes a creature under your control. I would rule that this is a different form of "control" than the targets of Animate Dead and Animate Objects and so would not qualify to be affected by the same command.
Dominate Person:
It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for the duration . . . While the target is charmed, you have a telepathic link with it as long as the two of you are on the same plane of existence. You can use this telepathic link to issue commands to the creature while you are conscious (no action required), which it does its best to obey . . . You can use your action to take total and precise control of the target. Until the end of your next turn, the creature takes only the actions you choose, and doesn't do anything that you don't allow it to do. During this time you can also cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well.
Again, the target of Dominate Person is not generally under "your control", it is charmed with some additional specifications. The charmed condition has a precisely defined effect within the game but it does not include being under "your control". Again, I would rule that this is a different form of "control" than the targets of Animate Dead and Animate Objects and so would not qualify to be affected by the same command. However, interestingly, if you use your Action for that purpose you DO "take total and precise control" over the target of Dominate Person so in that case I would allow that creature to be commanded by the same command as those issued to the targets of Animate Dead -- again, this assumes that we are rolling with interpretation #1. But, at that point you might as well just continue to use your Action to control that creature precisely instead, so doing this in order to qualify for the Bonus Action command doesn't really gain you anything.
I'm still not sure which of the 3 interpretations above is the most correct.
For a little bit of context, I'm currently playing a Necromancy Wizard and I'm looking ahead at later level spells to get an idea what to take up. Browsing around at Animate Objects, I noticed it has the same bonus action to mentally command controlled creatures, including "(if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one)" as Animate Dead. So my question is, If I had skeletons/zombies around while I had a casting of Animate Objects up, would I be able to command both the undead and objects with a singular bonus action command? Or since they're completely different spells, separate commands to each group have to be issued?
Thank ya! ^-^
I actually think you would be able to command both creatures created by animate dead and animate objects at the same time. They both say that you can command all creatures that you control, not just all creatures with the spell. RAW, you might even be able to command creatures that you control outside of those two spells, as with find familiar or dominate person.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Both of those spells specifically say "any creature you made with this spell". The parenthetical text that is within the same sentence is expanding upon that sentence, because both of those spells can create more than one creature.
That's probably RAI, but RAW I can't read that extra condition as applying to the text within the parenthesis.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
What??? I can assure you, my obtuseness was completely unintentional!
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
I can see how there could be multiple interpretations on this one. My first instinct was to vote for the idea that the parenthetical is just clarifying the current sentence so that you are only controlling creatures made with this spell with a single command. Now I'm not so sure. There seems to be 3 possibilities:
1. You can command any or all creatures under your control.
2. You can command any or all creatures under your control that you made with this spell (example, all ongoing effects from all of your castings of Animate Dead, multiple spell slots used, etc).
3. You can command any or all creatures under your control that you made with [this instance of] this spell. (example, ongoing effects from one single casting of Animate Dead (possibly cast at a higher level to affect multiple targets))
Does anyone know of other spells in the game that are written with more clarity than referring to "this spell" in order to set a precedent that "this spell" should be interpreted like in #2 above and that it would take some additional wording such as "this instance of this spell" to refer to a single casting? Or should we assume that "this spell" refers to a single casting based on how lots of other spells are written?
So now let's assume for a moment that interpretation #1 is actually correct and we can command multiple creatures that we control due to multiple different spells or other sources. In that case, I still don't think that the targets from Find Familiar or from Dominate Person would qualify. The Bonus Action provided by Animate Dead and Animate Objects pretty clearly refers to commanding creatures that "you control". Both spells very carefully use that exact wording to describe the creatures that were created:
Animate Dead:
Animate Objects:
So, if we assume interpretation #1 then these would both qualify. But now let's look at the other suggested possible creatures . . .
Find Familiar:
It may seem pedantic, but this spell never specifies that the familiar becomes a creature under your control. I would rule that this is a different form of "control" than the targets of Animate Dead and Animate Objects and so would not qualify to be affected by the same command.
Dominate Person:
Again, the target of Dominate Person is not generally under "your control", it is charmed with some additional specifications. The charmed condition has a precisely defined effect within the game but it does not include being under "your control". Again, I would rule that this is a different form of "control" than the targets of Animate Dead and Animate Objects and so would not qualify to be affected by the same command. However, interestingly, if you use your Action for that purpose you DO "take total and precise control" over the target of Dominate Person so in that case I would allow that creature to be commanded by the same command as those issued to the targets of Animate Dead -- again, this assumes that we are rolling with interpretation #1. But, at that point you might as well just continue to use your Action to control that creature precisely instead, so doing this in order to qualify for the Bonus Action command doesn't really gain you anything.
I'm still not sure which of the 3 interpretations above is the most correct.