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Message: <blockquote data-quote="reanjr" data-source="post: 2974601" data-attributes="member: 20740">I think the problem is in assuming that every evil NPC is a megalomaniacal or sadistic fiend.  Truth is, it would be fair to assume that 1/3 of the farmers one comes across are evil.  So detect evil doesn't really tell you much.  If the evil character is masquerading as a cleric of a good deity or some such thing, you could definitely uncover the lie, but in general, detecting an evil character isn't going to indicate whether or not the NPC wishes to do you or others harm or is a criminal.PCs who act on this information could end up being the evil ones.Example:PCs approached by a knight (War 1/Ari 2) who wishes to hire the PCs to capture and/or kill a murderer who has plagued the peasantry.  This knight is a mean-spirited individual who takes advantage of his people, routinely tortures captured soldiers for enjoyment, and has a tendency to beat his wife when he gets drunk.  Neutral evil.  But he also tries to uphold the knightly virtues and honestly cares for his charge (the peasants).  Party detects evil on him to see if he might have ulterior motives.  Comes up faint evil.  PCs refuse to work for him and the murders continue.Harsher example:PCs are in a tavern that they frequent when a commoner comes rushing in calling them to break up an enraged duel taking place in the streets.  They come out to find two armed men bloody and exhausted in the street, attempting to kill one another.  PCs detect evil (and good) to come to a conclusion over the aggressor (both insist it is the other man's fault and that the fight is unprovoked).  The PCs help the good guy and have the evil one arrested.  Well, turns out that rumormongering had led the good man to believe the evil one had been sleeping with his wife.  As soon as he heard this, his normally virtuous heart was driven to rage and he attacked the evil man, who was trying to defend himself.As for individuals who are actively masquerading as Good, it makes sense for them to hide their alignment or mask it as something else.Also keep in mind that detection spells may well be illegal in civilized society as invasion of privacy.  So blocking detection in and of itself may just be considered privacy security and not a sign that someone is trying to hide their evil alignment.</blockquote>

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