Am I just missing something here, or does it not actually have any time limitation at all?

I've always thought it was something to the effect of "this round" or "next round" or "a single command", but the text itself clearly says "command s ", and it never stipulates when the power wears off, and it's not marked as being sustainable.

I checked the Errata, and maybe I've missed a line somewhere.

Anyone with any interpretations or suggestions before I take it to my GM and ask him to make a call?

I have had so many problems with my players while having to come up with interpretations of Telepathy powers. Just like ReProgram, it indicates that there's a spectrum of time for what it means to reprogram someone, but it is ridiculously unclear and I eventually had to just say that I would decide depending on how much of a rewrite I felt they were doing.

Compel has a similar problem, and this is my solution to it. Once you pass the Compel, they will attempt to carry out the command as long as it makes sense to them . They have an idea that they're following, and as long as they do so without needing to think about their actions, they won't get to save again. However if they're following a course of action that could be viewed as something diametrically opposed to what they believe, or envisions their life, or they meet someone that asks them why they're doing this, then they can get a chance to "snap out" of their Compel.

Well, the Errata states that Dominate (the more powerful of the two powers) only last 6 rounds, I'd say that Compel is less than that.

Commands like "Run away," or "Shoot that guy," or "open the door" should only last a round, IMO.

Even something like "Tell me X" should only work for a few short answers. Eisenhorn uses it like that in one of the novels, to get past the mental engrams and blocks, and eventually the interrogated individual just gives up, realizing that they will be forced to reveal things.

My rulebook says that Compels have to be "simple and achievable in one round".

I wouldn't let Compel makes somebody "tell me X." You're compelling their actions, basically, like a puppeteer, so you could not say "tell me x" until you already know what x is.

I wouldn't let Compel makes somebody "tell me X." You're compelling their actions, basically, like a puppeteer, so you could not say "tell me x" until you already know what x is.

Well you could possibly be talking about something, like "The passcodes to the heretek compound" , and he keeps refusing, and interrogation keeps failing.

As he goes nope nope nope nope nope , you might Compel him; "Tell me." o.o

- "01-94-15-46-oh **** no" .

But that's about as far as I'd expect that to go. I think it would be hard to have a prolonged, Compelled conversation. Nothing along the lines of "Tell me everything you know about the facility" or anything like that. That's clearly Mind-Probe or Dominate material.

My rulebook says that Compels have to be "simple and achievable in one round".

Yes, but it doesn't actually mention for how long it lasts. I've always assumed that it was just one Round, but when I read it, it doesn't actually touch upon the duration at all. Maybe there's a row saying "Unless otherwise mentioned, all powers are instant or last for one round" somewhere, that I just missed.