Good vs. Evil

[vulcan_idic]

However, these kinds of things do sort of remove Smite Evil as a lie detector.

I can't see that Smite Evil has ever been a *lie* detector - an evil detector sure, but evil entities, at least in my campaign, can and do as often as they possibly can tell the truth - the truth, or at least a partial truth, can be as devastating as tools of tyranny, opression, manipulation, temptation, and corruption as any lie.

 

[bodhi]

I can't see that Smite Evil has ever been a *lie* detector

"I'm not evil!"
*WHAM* "Extra damage, yes you are!"

When your only tool is Smite Evil, every problem looks like a demon.

 

[drexes]

Apparently the paladin in question above is also evil....Hey I think you're a bad guy, and I have no evidence, you deny you're a bad guy, so I hit you and wait and see if I do smite damage? Hardly fitting for mister law and order. As a side, one thing I usually do in the case of special damage is have it given to me seperately, so that the character attacking doesn't necessarily know if it worked. If a palading hits some guy with a sword he probably won't be able to tell if it worked or not. Also, let that paladin kill or injure one innocent guy in the way you described and well it won't be an issue again since he won't be a paladin anymore either.

Drexes

 

[Nyaricus]

You Heretic!

Infidel!

I Smite Thee!

See? Exactly.


Nyaricus 1, Green Slimeball nada.

 

[vulcan_idic]

"I'm not evil!"
*WHAM* "Extra damage, yes you are!"

When your only tool is Smite Evil, every problem looks like a demon.

Ah. So Paladins work on Inquisition/Witch Trial logic. I guess that may make some sense and fit the type... but I prefer to discourage that type of thinking in my campaign.

Besides which, while in this particular case it could be seen as "detecting a lie" - that is not what it's doing, it's detecting the evil. Which is shown by taking the following situation.

"I didn't kill that man, your father did." (True)
*WHAM* Extra damage "Ha, you must have been lying!"

Oh and I have to go with drexes in this case. If it went more like:

"Are you evil?"
"No, I was framed!"
"Yeah, sure, right" *WHAM* No extra damage.... "Aw crud" says the paladin as he feels himself turn into little more than a fancy fighter.

Edit: Just because every problem looks like a demon, doesn't mean that every problem *is* a demon