Level
1st
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
60 ft.
Components
V
Duration
Instantaneous
School
Enchantment
Attack/Save
WIS Save
Damage/Effect
Prone
You speak a one-word command to a creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or follow the command on its next turn. Choose the command from these options:
Approach. The target moves toward you by the shortest and most direct route, ending its turn if it moves within 5 feet of you.
Drop. The target drops whatever it is holding and then ends its turn.
Flee. The target spends its turn moving away from you by the fastest available means.
Grovel. The target has the Prone condition and then ends its turn.
Halt. On its turn, the target doesn’t move and takes no action or Bonus Action.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. You can affect one additional creature for each spell slot level above 1.
While I appreciate the players' frustration, I would argue that it's not unreasonable for an adult red dragon to magically hold off unwise adventurers for 18 seconds. To me, that's the beginning of many classic dragon fights in fiction, as would-be heroes who aren't particularly clever are (at least initially) outwitted and outclassed by the dragon.
Yes. You provoke opportunity attacks if you move out of someone's reach using your own movement or actions, even if you're compelled to do it by a spell like this.
Then this is always going to be a powerful 1st level spell, regardless of the wording tweak. All these commands are situationally useful. Grovel is about as useful a Otto's Irresistible Dance (for one round anyways), and that's a Lev 6 spell!
"NOT" Broken at all
Here's my issue. The command HALT used against a Barbarian. A Barbarian's rage ends unless they 1) make an attack roll, or 2) cause another to make a saving throw, or 3) use a Bonus Action to extend the Rage for another round. So, RAW, the Halt command would cause a Barbarian to drop out of Rage.
Also, would the Berserker subclass Barbarian's level 6 immunity to Charmed and Frightened have any effect against Command? Either full immunity or at least Advantage on the WIS save?
That's correct, the Halt command would end Rage. (This would've been the case under 2014 rules too.)
This spell doesn't apply the Charmed or Frightened conditions, so immunity to those conditions doesn't have any effect on it.
These designers are awful. They removed the creative aspect of this spell and the logical restrictions in favor of dumbed down multiple choice. Please stop treating us like morons.
So is the command you give (Approach!, Drop! etc) the Verbal component of the spell, or are those two separate things?
I.e. does the caster go "abracadabra Approach", or do they only go "Approach!"? This could make a huge difference when you use the spell in a social encounter; if others don't know a spell was being cast (there not being any Somatic or Material components needed).
It's two separate things.
This was clarified in the context of a similar spell in Sage Advice here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/sae/sage-advice-compendium#SAC-Spells-Suggestion1
They're not treating us like morons; they're treating us like we're going to exploit the functionality of an already great level 1 spell, and that's because a lot of players will try to. You've seen the jokes, you've heard the stories.