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[SOLDIER First]

Well, first off, Command can't be used like that according to the rules.

What did you decide, though?

[Arx]

The rules are somewhat ambiguous. Our DM interprets it as you may choose from that list, but not you must.

[SOLDIER First]

No, like, what did you decide from the Zone of Truth vs Command argument.

[Arx]

Oh, right. We ended up with a half-hearted, evasive retraction. If that hadn't been possible, Command would have failed because Zone of Truth prevented her from taking the action.

[Dorsidwarf]

What was the word of command used by the prisoner? Retract? Apologise?

[wierd]

Inquiring minds want to know--  Did the prisoner demand that she say she was sorry (when in fact, she was certainly not sorry for saying it at all-- thus prevented from making the statement by zone of truth), or did the prisoner command that she do something else?

Also, if Command works in that interrogation setting, why blow it on a petty insult, instead of, you know "Let me go and forget you ever saw me." or something similar?

[Neonivek]

WOW! There might be no way to share the rules for Dusk City Outlaws except to go by the honor system.

No wait... Google Doc SEEMS like it works...

[Arx]

The exact command was "take that back". Possibly not exactly in line with what the rules say, but we tend to play a little bit fast and loose with them if it makes the flavour more interesting.

And no, the missed opportunity was not lost on us. In her defence, she was a religious fanatic having her god insulted, and "untie me" or whatever wouldn't have worked. The rest of the party would have stepped in, especially since we identified the spell.

[Avarice]

When my crew and I get stuck on essentially a time sink like you had Arx I get my best player to look it up while I make everyone drink and wing the rules for the sake of time and fun.
We used to pour over tomes for 5 seconds of knowledge now we just shoot from the hip.

How was the interrogation victim able to cast a spell anyway?

[Arx]

Verbal component only, she was ungagged to answer questions. We expected this, but she made the concentration check to cope with being backhanded while casting.

Edit: also, I discovered ioun stones yesterday. They're pretty impressive.

[Dorsidwarf]

Also, if Command works in that interrogation setting, why blow it on a petty insult, instead of, you know "Let me go and forget you ever saw me." or something similar?

I dont know about most editions, but Command only works for single-word orders in D&D 5E

[SOLDIER First]

[Harry Baldman]

I dont know about most editions, but Command only works for single-word orders in D&D 5E

It's the same in 3.5 and Pathfinder, which have far more boring interpretations of the Command spell than 5E's explicit "you can use other single-word commands as well" bit.

I have no idea why a Zone of Truth would prevent you from casting Command though. There's no lie or obfuscation involved, you're just telling someone "apologize".

[wierd]

How sad..

A single greater command to "Die" would be quite epic I think... 

Still, they winged the rules, and permitted a multiword command, "Take that back!", which would mean "Let me go and forget I was here" is still on the table, so still a waste of comedic gold!

[Arx]

I have no idea why a Zone of Truth would prevent you from casting Command though. There's no lie or obfuscation involved, you're just telling someone "apologize".

The complication wasn't the Command, it was that the Zone prevented the target from trivially obeying the command, which gave us a momentary pause on which compulsion was greater.

Also, "let me go and forget this happened" is far more complex. Command allows you to compel a creature to take essentially a single, fairly simple, action ("apologise", if you want to make it a single word, here). The way we play, "release me" might pass muster, but "forget this happened" is a much, much higher level magic. And if you did let it through, it would expire after one round (so about thirty seconds tops) or as soon as someone mentioned the prisoner (which would prevent you forgetting and void the compulsion).

Since Command is a single target spell, there was no real way for her to use it to escape. Also, you know, in flavour it makes sense that she was actually more enraged by us smack talking her god than by being tied up. We generally play our characters to the setting, not purely for optimisation, which is why we end up with things like two ranged characters dungeon delving or an undead hunter surrounded by technology.

Strictly optimal play gets boring after about two sessions, in my experience.