Is casting Evil spells an evil act?

[Hypersmurf]

My answer depends on whether the BoV/ED are in play.

By the Core rules, I don't see anything that makes casting an [Evil] spell inherently an evil act.

By the BoVD rules, it's explicitly stated.

So my vote is "Not an evil act, unless the BoVD is being used"... which isn't an option on the poll

-Hyp.

 

[Seeten]

How is it less interesting? (I don't see one as being more interesting then the other) Casting an evil spell doesn't mean one's alignment suddenly turns evil. I would think that having spells that are good and evil acts would help define the gray area.

Less interesting because then heavy handed DM's use that as an opportunity to immediately shaft you.

 

[Nail]

"just invent a spell" sounds great, unless you have one of the 5,000,000 DM's who would then make you retire the character for the year of spell research, tell you the raw doesnt support creating new spells, etc. I bet you yourself would tend to be included in their number.

I'd take that bet.

 

[Nail]

Less interesting because then heavy handed DM's use that as an opportunity to immediately shaft you.

This is a "raw" issue with you, isn't it?

 

[Crothian]

Less interesting because then heavy handed DM's use that as an opportunity to immediately shaft you.

"just invent a spell" sounds great, unless you have one of the 5,000,000 DM's who would then make you retire the character for the year of spell research, tell you the raw doesnt support creating new spells, etc.

Dude, you need a new DM.

 

[Felix]

Less interesting because then heavy handed DM's use that as an opportunity to immediately shaft you.

Do you think this is a problem with the DMs (all 5,000,000 of them, apparently), or a problem with [Evil] spells being evil?

 

[Seeten]

I dont know, really, I dont even care, but my honest opinion is that D&D does a lot of "OMG THATS EVIL" stuff thats silly imo, and yeah, I have a history of some heavy handed DM's doing silly stuff with rules, or not understanding the rules. Or both.

 

[Nail]

If there were 5,000,000 DMs in the world, I'd be very happy. ...and if there are, I'd be happy to start scolding them for apparently shafting Seeten so often.

 

[Psion]

I voted no, because I think as the game sets it up now, to vote yes is less fun, and less interesting. (not to disparage others, but we play more grey games, with bad or selfish characters who arent instantly smitten by the DM for not being LG)

I don't know about that. I think the moral quandary invoked could make for intriguing roleplay. It's an evil act to call forth a horde of undead... but it will save lives. What do you do? This could leave to you wondering "why is this evil"? Perhaps its a matter of tangible supernatural evil not just a moral judgment... or perhaps, by calling back the dead, you are torturing their souls, or throwing off the balance of progression from life to death, and so far as the gods are concerned, doing that is worse than allowing a death...

 

[Felix]

D&D does a lot of "OMG THATS EVIL"

I quite agree; the over-use of acronyms in DnD is unacceptable.