3
\$\begingroup\$

If you have an enemy in a Zone of Truth who failed their save, they can still choose to not answer. If a player casts Command on them with the word being "answer" would that force the creature to answer the question posed? Similarly, what if you cast the command "lie" on a creature in a Zone of Truth?

Improve this question
\$\endgroup\$
1

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
6
\$\begingroup\$

The command spell is almost entirely left to the GM

The command spell states:

[...] Some typical commands and their effects follow. You might issue a command other than one described here. If you do so, the GM determines how the target behaves. If the target can't follow your command, the spell ends. [...]

Notably, "Answer" is not in the given list of commands and so anything that happens from this command is going to be up to the GM.

But even if it does force somebody to answer a question, and they are required to tell the truth, they can still choose the talk around the question or give an answer that is unclear. In fact, a GM could even argue "Dog" is an acceptable answer to a yes or no question because it is some kind of answer, just not a particularly helpful one.

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
4
  • \$\begingroup\$ Is "Confess" a valid command? \$\endgroup\$
    – Verdan
    Feb 5, 2021 at 6:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ Side note: This also covers the command "lie" mentioned in the question's text. The target currently can't lie, so the command ends immediately. \$\endgroup\$
    – Egor Hans
    May 3, 2021 at 15:09
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Egor Alternatively, the lie is not deliberate, so zone of truth doesn't actually stop it. Alternatively alternatively, they just speak a lie they did not even know was a lie, and thus it also wasn't deliberately lying because they had assumed it was the truth but the spell just knew it wasn't, somehow \$\endgroup\$
    – Exempt-Medic
    May 3, 2021 at 15:13
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Verdan I am now imagining Jim Carrey in The Mask, confessing to a host of things that don't matter and making a mockery of your first level spell. \$\endgroup\$
    – Victor B
    Jun 25, 2022 at 12:51

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .