Is it wrong for NPCs to block a 'detect evil' check by a PC?

[frankthedm]

The common forms of detect evil all provoke attacks of opportunity. Have the NPCs take the opportunity.

If not in a combat situation one can't take AoOs without combat reflexes

Have one of them with a readied action to nail any spellcasting or spell-like ability-ing. Then, after all is said and done, have the NPCs not be evil,

Attempting to kill paladins will likely earn them thier Evil alignment.

but merely irritated by wankers that go around casting spells at complete strangers.

Detct evil is cast on one's self.

It amazes me so many DMs out there seem to want to screw over paladins for using their Gods given abilities. Of course LE governments and LN ones with LE rules would take steps and make laws to prevent Paladins from rooting out corruption but Lawful good governments, when they are being kind, reform or cast evil beings out. Good aligned ruling bodies do not grant their citizens the right to be evil.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

IMC I rule that Detect Evil and its ilk all give the target a feeling that they are being read. In most civilised society reading someone without permission or reason is highly impolite and, as quite nicely stated upthread, really doesn't give you all the information.

While alignments exist in the games I run, there is very little mechanically that gets used. Despite the fact that I tend to allow any reasonable character concept in my games, I have had only 2 Palidons and 1 Exalted Monk in over 10 years of DMing.

I don't know. While I wouldn't go so far as to say alignments are broken and silly, I would say that they are ambiguiously implemented and oft misunderstood...making them seem broken and silly
Much easier, IMHO, to run Ebberon and mosly ignore them.

 

[Kishin]

If not in a combat situation one can't take AoOs without combat reflexes Attempting to kill paladins will likely earn them thier Evil alignment.Detct evil is cast on one's self.

It amazes me so many DMs out there seem to want to screw over paladins for using their Gods given abilities. Of course LE governments and LN ones with LE rules would take steps and make laws to prevent Paladins from rooting out corruption but Lawful good governments, when they are being kind, reform or cast evil beings out. Good aligned ruling bodies do not grant their citizens the right to be evil.

There's still an issue of legal authority, even (some might say especially) in LG governments. A Paladin is invested with divine authority as a champion of his deity, certainly, but this does not necessarily grant him any sort of secular power or influence. This is especially relevant to adventuring Paladins, as there is the distinct possibility that they are in fact, foreigners in that particular region. That said, I'm fairly certain a Lawful Good society will be less than pleased with a Paladin smiting individuals willy-nilly and exercising only his own prerogative when it comes to delivering judgment, rather than working in compliance with the laws and of the land. A LG society is still not going to approve of vigilante justice against anything that isn't evil-by-origin like demons/devils, unless perhaps religion sympathetic to the Paladin plays a huge role in the government process.

 

[Shemeska]

Hell, I had an evil NPC blocking detect evil for the entirety of a campaign. Of course they're not evil, they say they aren't and they don't detect as evil, thus they're not evil. Hook line and sinker. I was not a popular man the weekend the truth popped out after the campaign finished.

I've also had beings whose alignment, by virtue of birth or other circumstance wasn't stable, and seemed to fluctuate between one or two, sometimes between two diametrically opposed alignments (yay fiend crossbreeds...).

 

[Capellan]

Detect evil is cast on one's self.

This supposes that you know what is being cast. Otherwise it is just some stranger casting a spell at you.

I don't think that all NPCs should go around with actions readied to bop anyone who starts casting spells, but I do think they have a right to react when a stranger starts casting in their immediate vicinity.

Put it in reverse: How would the PCs react if an NPC they didn't know started casting a spell while talking to them and they didn't know what it was? I bet it wouldn't be by letting the NPC carry on with whatever he was doing.

On the other hand, I'd definitely allow one or more other PCs to try and distract the NPC while the caster tried to cast their spell (or use their spell-like ability) unobtrusively. Some combination of Bluff and Hide checks, for instance.

As for alignment-blocking effects: they are in the game for a reason, and smart NPCs with good resources should make use of them. There should be plenty of not-so-smart (or not so well equipped) villains too, though.

 

[FalcWP]

I agree with the idea that most intelligent, evil NPCs who have reason to hide the alignments would. However, there are a couple of things to consider, especially for a Paladin:

1) Being "Evil" doesn't mean you're a mass murderer. It could just be someone who is cruel, greedy, overly possessive - think the seven deadly sins. They don't have to physically harm someone to be evil - blackmail, theft, heavy taxes, etc. could all make someone register as evil.

2) Since detect evil doesn't tell you what a person has done, a Paladin probably cannot act on just the detect evil ability, unless he has a code of conduct which requires neither a fair trial nor witnessing the crime prior to execution. So, if a Paladin just attacks a person based solely on an evil alignment, it may be enough to strip him of his Paladin powers, or could at least earn him a stern warning. Maybe have his deity revoke his ability to detect evil until he learns to recognize true evil without it?

 

[DerHauptman]

IMG -

The only beings that detect as any alignment are: Outsiders and Clerics - with a God (not the other goofy kind).

Anything else does not radiate evil or good.

The reason being that the actions of native outsiders and clerics are taken based upon (or should) their alignments. They take actions because they are of X alignment to advance the ideals and goals of the same.

The others conversely have an alignment that rather is just the sum of their actions - no more no less. They act thusly and therefore are of X alignment.

This is the way me and mine have always interpreted the rules.

 

[Aeric]

I do the same thing, but for different reasons.

Outsiders detect as good or evil because they are comprised of good or evil energy. The same goes for undead.

Clerics radiate alignment because they are so close to an entity (god) that is comprised of good or evil energy. Or neutral energy, I suppose. *shrugs*

Nobody else in the world is so saturated with good or evil to detect as such to spell or supernatural ability.

IMG -

The only beings that detect as any alignment are: Outsiders and Clerics - with a God (not the other goofy kind).

Anything else does not radiate evil or good.

The reason being that the actions of native outsiders and clerics are taken based upon (or should) their alignments. They take actions because they are of X alignment to advance the ideals and goals of the same.

The others conversely have an alignment that rather is just the sum of their actions - no more no less. They act thusly and therefore are of X alignment.

This is the way me and mine have always interpreted the rules.

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

In Grymwurld some years ago, a paladin suspected that the Grand Master of the Red Knights of MARS was evil. So when given a chance, he intently stared at the Grand Master. The Grand Master noticed the staring, smiled and looking directly into the eyes of the paladin said "Yes, I'm evil. What are you going to do about it?" By this time, the paladin realised the true extent of the evil. . . and passed out. One of the other players at the table was so startled that he physically jumped out of his chair. To this day, the players swear that the Grand Master of the Red Knights of MARS is an evil outsider and not a high level cleric. And I'm still not telling!

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

Additionally, the Red Knights of MARS are the inquisitors of The Church. Basically Lawful/Neutral paladins. They are expected to use their Detect Chaos ability as often as possible. Anyone who detects as _chaotic_ is arrested and subjected to the inquisition. If the chaotic person resists arrest, the Red Knight is authorized to use deadly force. This is not altogether common as only spellcasters and creatures with supernatural or spell-like abilities have detectable alignments.