Command is standard-issue for Chronologist diplomatic attachés operating in contested zones, where a single word can defuse a standoff without bloodshed—or trigger one.
Guild doctrine permits it only under strict Rules of Engagement: "flee" to disperse hostile crowds, "drop" to disarm active threats, or "kneel" to subdue resisting suspects.
Ebon Syndicate operatives favor it for intimidation plays—whispering "approach" to pull a fleeing debtor back into arm's reach, or commanding "freeze" to lock a mark in place while they relieve them of valuables.
Viridian Ascent wardens use it on poachers and trespassers, issuing the command "flee" to drive them out of protected biomes without killing.
The spell's main limitations: it requires a shared language (the target must understand your command), doesn't work on undead or creatures without intelligence, and automatically fails if the command would cause direct, immediate harm to the target (like "jump" off a cliff).
Command is the spell that turns your voice into an authority no one can ignore. Mystics, clerics, and witchwarpers use it to override a target's free will with a single imperative—approach, flee, drop, kneel, or freeze—forcing immediate, involuntary obedience.
The spell manifests as words you speak aloud, but they arrive at the target's mind laced with overwhelming compulsion: a mental imperative that bypasses reason and conscious resistance, forcing their body to obey before their thoughts can catch up.
Command Spell 1
Source Player Core pg. 322
(Two Actions)
Traditions: Arcane, Divine, Occult
Range 30 feet Targets 1 creature
Defense Will; Duration until the end of the target’s next turn
You shout a command that's hard to ignore. You can command the target to approach you, run away (as if it had the fleeing condition), release what it's holding, drop prone, or stand in place. It can't Delay or take any reactions until it has obeyed your command. The effects depend on the target's Will save.
Success: The creature is unaffected.
Failure: The creature must spend the first action on its next turn to obey your command.
Critical Failure: The target must use all its actions on its next turn to obey your command.
Heightened (5th) You can target up to 10 creatures.
Devotion and themes
White Devotion (primary): treats Command as lawful authority, compelling obedience to maintain order.
Black Devotion: weaponizes dominance, forcing submission and control through raw magical compulsion.
Red Devotion: appears in edge cases where passionate leaders inspire immediate action through force of personality.
In Starfall play, Command is the difference between a hostage situation that ends with everyone walking away and one that ends in a firefight. It's perfect for crowd control, non-lethal takedowns, and making a dramatic entrance—just remember, you need line of effect, a shared language, and a target smart enough to understand you.
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