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View Full Version : hold person vs command/greater command



miceelf88
08-23-2007, 08:26 AM
I have never I think ever cast hold person with my cleric or memed it. Based on the spell lists, it seems that it accomplishes roughly the same thing as command/greater command- incapacitates an enemy for a short amount of time.

Am I missing something? Are there situations in which hold person would make more sense to cast than command or greater command?

Slink
08-23-2007, 08:54 AM
no there isnt anything you are missing. Greater command is the way to go

spifflove
08-23-2007, 09:11 AM
You get auto crits. But the best thing is that its on a different cooldown timer.

tihocan
08-23-2007, 09:37 AM
It's better than command because it's auto-crit. However it's hold "person", not "monster", so it works on a limited range of foes.
Greater command is usually best because you can take down a whole group at the same time, which can be very efficient.
I believe the saves against command / grt command are also more spaced than vs hold person. So a commanded target may stay down longer than a held one (but I'm really not sure about it).

Note that arcane casters get mass hold person, which is awesome when used on a group of humanoids.

Beherit_Baphomar
08-23-2007, 09:50 AM
I have both on my level 5 cleric and when one fails I hit the other. I prefer hold person(?), well at this level anyway, because it works on kobolds, trogs and bugbears and its autcrit. So even my lil weak self can take mobs out once they've been held.

Command is nice, but you dont get the same auto-crit as you do hold. I assume that command works the same as trip, in that the mobs get a -4 to their AC when commanded.

Maxum
08-23-2007, 11:16 AM
yes hold person sounds good but in realtime play i dont think its that helpfull by the time you target and cast on the monster its already dead most of the time (well if ya have some decent dps it is neway) and if you are targeting the monster in the middle or the back you are putting your melees in a bad spot ,its cheap ya but it only targets one monster at a time also as stated above hold person affects only a limited type of monster Gcommand will hit most monsters ,hold person would be good if you are soloin stuff and pullin monsters one at a time but unless your a battle cleric your gonna run out of mana before the quest is half way done neway so kinda moot point

this is just my opinion and the only cleric i play is a battle cleric so of course my opinion is suspect but hey....

WilbyZ
09-03-2007, 08:21 AM
When you get to Level 14 (or 13's with Multiclassed Clerics) then Command, Hold Person and Greater Command are your friends. Right next to Destruction and Slay Living ... which is right next to Banishment (another great AOE Spell to deal with those Outsiders, Elementals and Mephits) :)