Can good clerics use evil spells from scrolls?

[Alzrius]

The RAW says that clerics can't cast spells with an alignment opposed to his own or his deity's. My question is does that apply to magic items that cast such spells, e.g. can a good cleric use a scroll of animate dead?

If he flatly cannot, then presuming he uses the Use Magic Device skill, would be use its rules to emulate an alignment, or to activate a scroll?

 

[Anthelios]

This is a really touchy subject. I don't know of any exact ruling, but it seems the reason a cleric cannot use opposing magic is because his god is opposed to it. Its against his beliefs to use such magic. A good cleric wouldn't use animate dead, weather its a scroll, wand, or artifact that uses the power. Its simply against his belief system to do so, and if he did try to get around his god's rules, then I say hes probably in for an atonement spell to reclaim the powers he's about to lose.

Just my opinion though, I don't know of any official ruling.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Is the question whether or not a cleric can cheat his deity?

The answer is no. UMD does not get around the restriction. I can't think of any means to cheat the cleric's deity like you desire.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The RAW says that clerics can't cast spells with an alignment opposed to his own or his deity's. My question is does that apply to magic items that cast such spells, e.g. can a good cleric use a scroll of animate dead?

If he flatly cannot, then presuming he uses the Use Magic Device skill, would be use its rules to emulate an alignment, or to activate a scroll?

I tend to treat this prohibition as, effectively, "The spell is not on the cleric's class list". So a multiclassed NG Clr/Sor could cast Summon Monster to summon a Fiendish Dire Weasel as a Sorcerer spell, but not as a Cleric spell.

Based on this, the cleric could not use the scroll normally, but UMD would allow it with the normal "Activate Scroll" check... no emulation of alignment required.

-Hyp.

 

[Infiniti2000]

I tend to treat this prohibition as, effectively, "The spell is not on the cleric's class list".

Do you think this treatment is according to the rules? I don't. I see zero gray area on this one.

 

[Arkhandus]

I say no. Scrolls require spell completion. Good clerics cannot cast evil spells. Therefore no finishing the casting of an evil spell from a scroll.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Do you think this treatment is according to the rules? I don't. I see zero gray area on this one.

I think there are two ways to read "A good cleric cannot cast evil spells".

One is "A good character who has any levels in the cleric class cannot cast evil spells".

The other is "A good cleric cannot use his 'Spells' cleric-class feature to cast evil spells".

I think it's fine to rule that the good multiclassed cleric/wizard cannot cast wizard spells with the [Evil] descriptor... as long as you also rule that the character can 'lose' any prepared wizard spell to cast a Cure spell of the same level or lower, that his prohibited schools as a specialist wizard apply to his cleric list, that the one additional spell of his speciality school per level each day can be prepared from either his wizard or his cleric list, and so on.

Either class features that affect 'spells' relate to the spells of that class, or they relate to the character. But when the language used is the same, it's inconsistent to say "This feature is specific, but this feature is global".

Since I think that the specialist wizard's extra spell and prohibited schools apply solely to his wizard spells, and since I think a cleric can only 'lose' a prepared cleric spell to cast a cure spell, I also think that the prohibition on a good cleric casting evil spells refers to cleric spells.

-Hyp.

 

[pawsplay]

The thing is, being a good cleric does not remove the spells from the class list, it simply prohibits casting them. This is an issue in that using a scroll is not, strictly speaking, casting a spell.

The "deity doesn't allow it" is bunk, because a cleric of a nature deity can already use a scroll created by a cleric of a smithing god to bless a gang of knights in steel armor about to slay a legendary boar.

 

[Goldmoon]

I don't even support Animate dead as being an evil spell.

 

[Jhaelen]

The RAW says that clerics can't cast spells with an alignment opposed to his own or his deity's. My question is does that apply to magic items that cast such spells, e.g. can a good cleric use a scroll of animate dead?

I'd allow it. Exactly once. Then the cleric becomes an ex-cleric.

The description of the cleric class states they cannot cast spells with an alignment descriptor because they have to pray for spells in advance. If a cleric prayed for a spell with a wrong alignment descriptor he simply wouldn't get it.

I see the restriction on casting spells with an alignment descriptor as being a part of the cleric's codex. So, if the cleric gained access to spells from a different class he would be able to cast them - once. Just like using them via a magic item.

If you don't like those restrictions, just play a cleric with a neutral alignment.

P.S.: I can see how someone might rule this differently. The RAW, imho, aren't very clear on this.