Detect Evil as a Lie Detector??

[Kristivas]

OK, a friend of mine and I had this disagreement. He thinks he should be able to use Detect Evil while someone is talking. If they lie, he should know because, as he said, 'lying is an evil act'.

Does this have any merit what-so-ever? I told him he was full of it, and Detect Evil didn't work that way, but bleh.

Would any of you let it work this way?

 

[Deset Gled]

No way, no how.

For starters, Detect Evil detects alignment. Alignment is something that incorporates your actions and intentions over a long period of time. One evil act will not change your alignment to evil (although it may piss off your diety).

Next, lying is not inherently an evil act. I hardly think that telling kids about Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny makes parents evil. Some lies may be evil (Enron type lying, for example), but not all.

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

OK, a friend of mine and I had this disagreement. He thinks he should be able to use Detect Evil while someone is talking. If they lie, he should know because, as he said, 'lying is an evil act'.

He's full of it.

Paladins have Sense Motive as a class skill for a reason.

 

[TYPO5478]

Agreed. Cite the language in detect evil. It refers to detecting evil auras, not evil acts. Discerning lies is what the spell discern lies is for.

 

[Delta]

OK, a friend of mine and I had this disagreement. He thinks he should be able to use Detect Evil while someone is talking. If they lie, he should know because, as he said, 'lying is an evil act'.

"No, Mr. SS, there are no Jews hiding in my basement."

 

[Infiniti2000]

Would any of you let it work this way?

No, and then I get all Chuck Norris on your friend and ho-slap him.

 

[Sejs]

Would any of you let it work this way?

Not in the slightest.

1) Detect Evil detects alignment, not type of action. It'll tell you if a person, spell, creature, magic item or place is evil, but not if someone is performing an evil action.

2) Lying is not an inherrently evil action, though it's generally dishonorable. Much like violence it's all in how you use it that counts.

3) There are other spells that can detect or compel the truth. They expressly state how they operate and what they do. Detect Evil says as much about detecting lies as fireball does.

4) If he wants to be a human lie detector, tell him to learn to cast Detect Thoughts or one of the other veracity-related spells, or to invest some ranks in Sense Motive.

 

[WhatGravitas]

2) Lying is not an inherrently evil action, though it's generally dishonorable. Much like violence it's all in how you use it that counts.

If you really want to detect lying - go with detect chaos, it may give a hint (nothing else)...

 

[Fieari]

If you really want to detect lying - go with detect chaos, it may give a hint (nothing else)...

While I agree that lying is a chaotic, not evil act, detect chaos would not help. Single actions generally don't change alignment. Furthermore, if you did detect as chaotic, you might still be telling the truth, but had recently started a peasant revolt or are simply a wacky kind of guy.

 

[IcyCool]

If you really want to detect lying - go with detect chaos, it may give a hint (nothing else)...

Well, Discern Lies seems like it would be the appropriate spell.