Detect Evil
- Thread starter Drakstern
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the Jester
Legend
Any evil character will radiate evil. The strength of the aura is weaker for non-clerics or whathaveyou, though (check out the bit about the aura's strength for good guidelines).
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Also note that Detect Evil will detect clerics of an evil deity, even if the cleric's alignment is non-evil, and will detect undead, even if the undead's alignment is non-evil (or even good).
What is unclear is if a Chaotic Evil vampire, for example, will be detected at all by a Detect Chaos spell. It's an undead creature, but the spell is "as Detect Evil, except...", which means that it is not considered a Chaotic creature for purposes of the spell, but rather "Undead". However, Detect Chaos does not detect "Undead" specifically... so the spell can be read to say that Chaotic undead are not detected by Detect Chaos. (Substitute "Law" or "Good" in the same argument.)
-Hyp.
What is unclear is if a Chaotic Evil vampire, for example, will be detected at all by a Detect Chaos spell. It's an undead creature, but the spell is "as Detect Evil, except...", which means that it is not considered a Chaotic creature for purposes of the spell, but rather "Undead". However, Detect Chaos does not detect "Undead" specifically... so the spell can be read to say that Chaotic undead are not detected by Detect Chaos. (Substitute "Law" or "Good" in the same argument.)
-Hyp.
The Souljourner
First Post
....or you could ignore the fact that the rules were written by three day old retarded monkeys and have detect chaos actually do what we all know it should.
It is an interesting point that clerics of an evil god always radiate evil, however.
-The Souljourner
It is an interesting point that clerics of an evil god always radiate evil, however.
-The Souljourner
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
The Souljourner said:
And a neutral cleric of an evil god actually radiates a whole lot more evil than a really, really, really evil fighter (or wizard, or rogue) of equivalent level.
-Hyp.
Philomel III
First Post
I think it makes sense to detect a creature via Detect X if their alignment fits the bill. Otherwise, you get crazy circumstances like Hypersmurf's vampire where things just don't add up.
Backup argument: the axiomatic weapon enchantment affects any chaotic creatures based on alignment, not just subtypes.
Backup argument: the axiomatic weapon enchantment affects any chaotic creatures based on alignment, not just subtypes.
The Souljourner
First Post
Yeah, we always joke about that when detecting through a door or something "Strong aura huh? Either that's a 5th level cleric, or a 50th level fighter... they're about equally powerful, right?"Hypersmurf said:
-The Souljourner
Li Shenron
Legend
Hypersmurf said:
I have to say I never liked the difference of Detect Evil versus the others, and the wording is confusing.
At least now it looks better in the 3.5 SRD. For example Detect Chaos says:
This spell functions like detect evil, except that it detects the auras of chaotic creatures, clerics of chaotic deities, chaotic spells, and chaotic magic items, and you are vulnerable to an overwhelming chaotic aura if you are lawful.
I think it means to use the same table as Detect Evil, except reading Chaotic instead of Evil. In that table, it doesn't say that Detect Evil detects good undead: it says
Evil Creature - Except for undead and outsiders, which have their own entries on the table.
It looks like non-Evil undead and outsiders won't be detected.
Also, about Clerics there is a special entry for "Cleric of an Evil deity" to show a stronger aura. Evil Clerics of non-Evil deities will have the same aura as ever other evil creature.
That's how I read the 3.5 version, but it's likely that someone else read it differently...
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