A question about detect evil [Archive] - Wizards Community

A question about detect evil [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
TidusxSeymour
10-07-07, 07:46 PM I need some help here. Someone I know claims that if he uses detect evil, it will show evil alignments. I have seen a section in the book of vile darkness that says otherwise as well as the spell description saying it detects 'auras'. He claims the the spell envelopes them in an aura of evil. If that's so, then why does a paladin specifically have the class feature 'aura of good'? I would think for such a low level spell, it shouldn't give you alignments. I would think because of my research that it would detect evil subtype creatures and spells. as well as clerics and blackguards who purposely give off that alignment. He acts like D&D is black and white but there are neutral alignments also. I really need help on this one. Any help and maybe some official rulings would be nice.
Kouk
10-07-07, 08:25 PM Sure, he is just incorrect.

Detect Evil does just what it says, the same way Detect Good does just what it says. As does Detect Law and Detect Chaos.

If you use Detect Evil and look at a creature, you get basically a "Yes" or a "No", based on the question, "Is this thing I'm looking at Evil?".

Detect Evil will read "Yes" if you look at an Evil (descriptor or alignment) outsider, an evil artifact of an evil deity, or a character that is either Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, or Chaotic Evil in alignment.

Detect Chaos will read "Yes" if you look at a Chaotic outsider, character or item.

Auras indicate the relative "power" of alignment-ness about the subject of the spell, which may indicate how strong he would be in a fight, or it might not. A lot of it is flavor.

The mention of specific Auras for Clerics and Paladins, is because those characters will radiate a "stronger" aura than just a character of similar alignment. A character that was of an evil alignment (let's say just an Assassin) would only begin to radiate an aura of 'Moderate Evil' upon reaching 11 HD (for a human or other race with no racial HD, this would mean 11 class levels). An evil Cleric though, would radiate an aura of "Moderate" just by reaching level 2, pretty much the same as if the character was an outsider. This shows you the "amount" of energy pouring through the creature.

The only way to pin down exact alignments is pretty much to cast all the Detect Alignment spells and see how many read as "yes", then solve it that way. If all the spells come up as "no", then the thing you are looking at is True Neutral, or else disguising his alignment with magic.
ArcTan
10-07-07, 11:37 PM I need some help here. Someone I know claims that if he uses detect evil, it will show evil alignments. I have seen a section in the book of vile darkness that says otherwise as well as the spell description saying it detects 'auras'. He claims the the spell envelopes them in an aura of evil. If that's so, then why does a paladin specifically have the class feature 'aura of good'? I would think for such a low level spell, it shouldn't give you alignments. I would think because of my research that it would detect evil subtype creatures and spells. as well as clerics and blackguards who purposely give off that alignment. He acts like D&D is black and white but there are neutral alignments also. I really need help on this one. Any help and maybe some official rulings would be nice.

Geez, dude, you don't need a "ruling", you just need to *read* the actual spell.

The spell works on Evil creatures, Undead, Clerics of Evil deities, Evil Outsiders and Evil magic items.

Notice that Evil creatures are a separate entry in the table, who broadcast much weaker auras for their HD than Undead, Clerics of Evil deities or Evil Outsiders. That means that *anyone* who's Evil detects as Evil under detect evil -- they just do so *less strongly* than Clerics of Evil Deities or Undead or Evil Outsiders.

So yes, all you have to do is be Evil to detect as Evil under detect evil. If you're not Evil but rather Neutral or Good, you won't detect as Evil.

It's simple.

The Paladin's class ability, if you actually *read* the detect good spell, simply puts the Paladin in the same category as Clerics of Good deities for detecting their Goodness -- a level 5 Paladin detects with a Strong aura of Good, whereas if that Paladin were merely a Fighter or a Bard or something she would only detect as a Faint aura of Good (and would have to be at least ECL 26 to detect as Strong Good).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TidusxSeymour 10-07-07, 07:46 PM	I need some help here. Someone I know claims that if he uses detect evil, it will show evil alignments. I have seen a section in the book of vile darkness that says otherwise as well as the spell description saying it detects 'auras'. He claims the the spell envelopes them in an aura of evil. If that's so, then why does a paladin specifically have the class feature 'aura of good'? I would think for such a low level spell, it shouldn't give you alignments. I would think because of my research that it would detect evil subtype creatures and spells. as well as clerics and blackguards who purposely give off that alignment. He acts like D&D is black and white but there are neutral alignments also. I really need help on this one. Any help and maybe some official rulings would be nice.
Kouk 10-07-07, 08:25 PM	Sure, he is just incorrect. Detect Evil does just what it says, the same way Detect Good does just what it says. As does Detect Law and Detect Chaos. If you use Detect Evil and look at a creature, you get basically a "Yes" or a "No", based on the question, "Is this thing I'm looking at Evil?". Detect Evil will read "Yes" if you look at an Evil (descriptor or alignment) outsider, an evil artifact of an evil deity, or a character that is either Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, or Chaotic Evil in alignment. Detect Chaos will read "Yes" if you look at a Chaotic outsider, character or item. Auras indicate the relative "power" of alignment-ness about the subject of the spell, which may indicate how strong he would be in a fight, or it might not. A lot of it is flavor. The mention of specific Auras for Clerics and Paladins, is because those characters will radiate a "stronger" aura than just a character of similar alignment. A character that was of an evil alignment (let's say just an Assassin) would only begin to radiate an aura of 'Moderate Evil' upon reaching 11 HD (for a human or other race with no racial HD, this would mean 11 class levels). An evil Cleric though, would radiate an aura of "Moderate" just by reaching level 2, pretty much the same as if the character was an outsider. This shows you the "amount" of energy pouring through the creature. The only way to pin down exact alignments is pretty much to cast all the Detect Alignment spells and see how many read as "yes", then solve it that way. If all the spells come up as "no", then the thing you are looking at is True Neutral, or else disguising his alignment with magic.
ArcTan 10-07-07, 11:37 PM	I need some help here. Someone I know claims that if he uses detect evil, it will show evil alignments. I have seen a section in the book of vile darkness that says otherwise as well as the spell description saying it detects 'auras'. He claims the the spell envelopes them in an aura of evil. If that's so, then why does a paladin specifically have the class feature 'aura of good'? I would think for such a low level spell, it shouldn't give you alignments. I would think because of my research that it would detect evil subtype creatures and spells. as well as clerics and blackguards who purposely give off that alignment. He acts like D&D is black and white but there are neutral alignments also. I really need help on this one. Any help and maybe some official rulings would be nice. Geez, dude, you don't need a "ruling", you just need to read the actual spell. The spell works on Evil creatures, Undead, Clerics of Evil deities, Evil Outsiders and Evil magic items. Notice that Evil creatures are a separate entry in the table, who broadcast much weaker auras for their HD than Undead, Clerics of Evil deities or Evil Outsiders. That means that anyone who's Evil detects as Evil under detect evil -- they just do so less strongly than Clerics of Evil Deities or Undead or Evil Outsiders. So yes, all you have to do is be Evil to detect as Evil under detect evil. If you're not Evil but rather Neutral or Good, you won't detect as Evil. It's simple. The Paladin's class ability, if you actually read the detect good spell, simply puts the Paladin in the same category as Clerics of Good deities for detecting their Goodness -- a level 5 Paladin detects with a Strong aura of Good, whereas if that Paladin were merely a Fighter or a Bard or something she would only detect as a Faint aura of Good (and would have to be at least ECL 26 to detect as Strong Good).