Detect Evil on party members

[Quasqueton]

I was just rereading some of the Wulf Ratbane story hour, especially the part where Wulf executes a fellow PC (a halfling rogue). There was a long debate among the readers about what alignment Wulf and the halfling were. There was a lot of weighing the evidence, speculation, and guessing. After a while, the DM of the game came in and stated what the alignments were. The halfling was CE.

Apparently, even in the game, there was discussion between the PCs about the evidence, especially right before the execution. There was some doubt with some PCs. But why didn't anyone think to do a detect evil on the miscreant? (There was a cleric in the group.) Why did no reader of the thread mention it in the subsequent discussion? Why did it just dawn on me, after reading it like 3 times in 4 years?

Now, this thread is not just to discuss this particular incident in a particular story hour. But it does highlight something that I think interesting. I don't think I've ever seen a detection spell other than detect magic used on party members/PCs. (And the detect magic looks were not specifically targeted on PCs, but rather just included PCs in the area by happenstance.)

Is there some unwritten rule that PCs don't detect on other PCs?

And as a bonus question: does detection magic work through a mirror? Can you detect magic/evil on yourself?

Quasqueton

 

[ThirdWizard]

I've never seen it done, but generally it isn't because of an unsaid rule, it is becuase there has never been a genuine need for the spell in my games. Either because its a heroic game where everyone is obviously good or because its a more gray game (with alignment) in which just because someone is evil or good doesn't mean they are trustworthy or untrustworthy. In the times where PC infighting has occured, the alignment of the individuals in question is never really a concern in game.

 

[Crothian]

Yes, you can detect evil a party member. I have no problem with it. As a DM I have replaced party members and done other things like that so detect ewvil was a good way to realize there was a change.

You don't need to use a mirror to detect evil / magic yourself. Just look down at your own torso and you should be able to tell. Unless you are afraid your short hair is evil, then a mirror will be needed.

 

[Victim]

Well, the characters probably didn't have the spell prepared at the time, and Wulf was kind of in a hurry.

When alignments were in doubt, we used Detect Evil on party members in one game. In fact, it usually came up when detecting on NPCs: "You detect no more evil than usual."

 

[tarchon]

One does not do it overtly, but I've seen it done for the purposes of detecting imposters and curses.

 

[TheEvil]

Most of the games I have played in have been of the 'no evil allowed' flavor, and no one really acted in a manner that suggested an imposter. That said, in one game we had a holy longsword. We used it as a test of people we needed to trust, PC and NPC alike. The reasoning was that one doesn't suffer a negitive level for holding the sword without some kind of visible reaction. The one time we got a 'hit', it was with new player joining with a new PC.

 

[yennico]

In some situations our cleric casts detect evil on PCs. Once, after a murder of a NPC which could only be done by one of our PCs my PC payed a NPC cleric to cast this spell on a particular PC because I want to know if this PC is evil.

 

[Darkness]

For my players, it depends. That is, some of their characters would do it while others are less likely to.

In any case, most clerics IMC don't even have detect evil, so they couldn't cast it even if they wanted to. (I use the spontaneous divine caster rule from UA. I.e., clerics'/druids' spellcasting works basically like sorcerers'.)
Paladins can still detect evil at will, of course.


To answer the main question directly, my players' characters don't tend to treat PCs any differently than they treat NPCs to whom they have a similar relationship.

 

[Hand of Evil]

The Spell as listed in the SRD
[sblock]]Detect Evil
Divination
Level: Clr 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped emanation
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 min./ level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You can sense the presence of evil. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject.
1st Round: Presence or absence of evil.
2nd Round: Number of evil auras (creatures, objects, or spells) in the area and the power of the most potent evil aura present.
If you are of good alignment, and the strongest evil aura’s power is overwhelming (see below), and the HD or level of the aura’s source is at least twice your character level, you are stunned for 1 round and the spell ends.
3rd Round: The power and location of each aura. If an aura is outside your line of sight, then you discern its direction but not its exact location.
Aura Power: An evil aura’s power depends on the type of evil creature or object that you’re detecting and its HD, caster level, or (in the case of a cleric) class level; see the accompanying table. If an aura falls into more than one strength category, the spell indicates the stronger of the two.

———————— Aura Power ————————
Creature/Object Faint Moderate Strong Overwhelming
Evil creature1 (HD) 10 or lower 11–25 26–50 51 or higher
Undead (HD) 2 or lower 3–8 9–20 21 or higher
Evil outsider (HD) 1 or lower 2–4 5–10 11 or higher
Cleric of an evil deity 2 (class levels) 1 5–10 11 or higher
Evil magic item or spell (caster level) 2nd or lower 3rd–8th 9th–20th 21st or higher

1 Except for undead and outsiders, which have their own entries on the table.
2 Some characters who are not clerics may radiate an aura of equivalent power. The class description will indicate whether this applies.
Lingering Aura: An evil aura lingers after its original source dissipates (in the case of a spell) or is destroyed (in the case of a creature or magic item). If detect evil is cast and directed at such a location, the spell indicates an aura strength of dim (even weaker than a faint aura). How long the aura lingers at this dim level depends on its original power:

Original Strength Duration of Lingering Aura
Faint 1d6 rounds
Moderate 1d6 minutes
Strong 1d6x10 minutes
Overwhelming 1d6 days

Animals, traps, poisons, and other potential perils are not evil, and as such this spell does not detect them.

Each round, you can turn to detect evil in a new area. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
[/sblock]

I just think it is a long amount of time to be standing in a cone for it to work.

 

[Jarrod]

We managed to nab a replacement once using Detect Evil. The rogue had been possessed (player didn't even know) and we got lucky with a Paladin sweep.

That being said, the sorceress in the game also detected as evil. Thing is, it was just skin deep there was some bloodline thing going on where her body was evil (and detected as such) while her personality and soul were good. So she detected as evil, spells thought she was evil, and NPC clerics needed a new pair of pants when she walked into a church, but she wasn't actually. Ever after that, we assume Evil by their actions, and [Evil] by the spell. Sometimes [Evil] isn't Evil.

Only time I ever saw a Black Robe of the Archmagi, though. Embroidered with flowers.