False Life and Detect Evil

[Allegro]

Does detect evil notice anything about a good aligned wizard with False Life cast? The spell as listed does not have the evil descriptor on it so I'm thinking no. But on the other hand since the wizard is harnessing the power of unlife; does that make him sort of undead?

 

[Mistwell]

It does not detect as evil, since it does not have the evil descriptor.

Good wizards cast this spell all the time, and if it were somehow on a good cleric's spell list they could cast it as well.

 

[shilsen]

What Mistwell said. On the other hand, if you're a kindly old healer trying to cast Deathwatch to check on the many sick and wounded people you're trying to heal ...

 

[Ditch]

I agree with what I'm interpretting shilsen to say, Deathwatch should also be a benign spell much like False Life is. We 0 rule this one in all my games.

 

[shilsen]

I agree with what I'm interpretting shilsen to say, Deathwatch should also be a benign spell much like False Life is. We 0 rule this one in all my games.

Unsurprisingly, I've house-ruled it too.

 

[Drowbane]

Does detect evil notice anything about a good aligned wizard with False Life cast? The spell as listed does not have the evil descriptor on it so I'm thinking no. But on the other hand since the wizard is harnessing the power of unlife; does that make him sort of undead?

Is this a real question?

No offense if it is...

Unsurprisingly, I've house-ruled it too.

ditto.

This came about after a (expletive deleted) ..."DM" decided to yank my Exalted status out from under my Healer (yeah, yeah... so I actually played the "girl-friend" class... bite me!) for casting a Death Watch so I could better gauge how the Party was doing... so better to hand out my Uber-Healing (iirc, I was healing for 6 with a cantrip!)

 

[KarinsDad]

Frabro the Wicked: "Oh sure. Now the Good deities have absconded with our Deathwatch spell. We have one advantage over those goody two shoe adventures: Use Deathwatch to know which one is weakest in order to drop a Death Touch on them. Now, the Good clerics are using Deathwatch to know which one is weakest to drop a Cure or Deathward on. What's next? Giving those goody two shoes Animate Dead so that they can turn our fallen against us??? *&@&*#@

 

[Starglim]

Does detect evil notice anything about a good aligned wizard with False Life cast? The spell as listed does not have the evil descriptor on it so I'm thinking no. But on the other hand since the wizard is harnessing the power of unlife; does that make him sort of undead?

Detect evil is not detect undead. However I think it would be reasonable for the subject to show a dim aura of undeath to the latter spell.

 

[Corsair]

Detect evil is not detect undead. However I think it would be reasonable for the subject to show a dim aura of undeath to the latter spell.

Except that isn't what detect undead does.

 

[frankthedm]

I agree that house rules are needed. Death watch really does not need the evil desciptor. Though IMNSHO False Life should 'live' up to it's name. Changing the effect to: Your HP total is increased by 10+ half your caster level for duration of the spell. [not temporary HP] Effect also ends when you are reduced to 0 or fewer HP, killing you or rendering you K.O..does that nicly.

This came about after a (expletive deleted) ..."DM" decided to yank my Exalted status out from under my Healer (yeah, yeah... so I actually played the "girl-friend" class... bite me!) for casting a Death Watch so I could better gauge how the Party was doing... so better to hand out my Uber-Healing (iirc, I was healing for 6 with a cantrip!)

Did you try to discuss this with the DM before casting the spell? If the DM agrees with the PHB that only Evil has a way to 'read" life force with a 1st level spell, then that is that. If you just do it and then get upset when the DM doesn't change things to suit you, your argument does not feel very compelling.