Can a target of the Paladin ability I Am The Law choose an option that they cannot plausibly succeed at?
I Am the Law allows a Paladin to command a target to do something, and then, if successful, the target must either:
- Fight
- Flight
- Do the thing
When you give an NPC an order based on your divine authority, roll+Cha.
✴ On a 7+, they choose one:
- Do what you say
- Back away cautiously, then flee
- Attack you
✴On a 10+, you also take +1 forward against them.
✴ On a miss, they do as they please and you take -1 forward against them.
What happens if the target is unable to perform one of these options? Do they still attempt the action and fail, or are they unable to select the option in the first place?
As an example, say that the party has taken a prisoner, tying him up with rope and restricting his ability to fight or run away. The Paladin then demands information of them. This target being interrogated would, under their own free will, normally choose the options in the following order: Run Away, Fight, and Talk. Which of these scenarios would occur?
- Foe attempts to run, finds that he cannot, and instead just sort of spasms helplessly on the floor in a mental daze.
- Foe attempts to run, finds that he cannot, then attempts to fight, finds he can't do that either, and then is finally forced to talk whether he likes it or not.
Personally, short of any RAW, I would probably rule in favor of option #2 just by virtue of it granting more power to the PC ("Be a fan of the characters!") and being more interesting story-wise.