Obscure Object vs. Non detection

[Otterscrubber]

Why does Obscure Object (2nd level spell) work better than Non Detection (3rd level spell)? From what I can see they do pretty much the same thing but Nondetection allows a level check to see if it works or not while Obscure Object automatically works. What am I missing?

 

[Epametheus]

Obscure Object doesn't work on people, which seriously reduces its usefulness. All Obscure Object really does is foil Locate Object spells, while Nondetection opposes Detect Alignment, See Invisibility, True Seeing, Scrying, Greater Scrying, etc.

Nondetection is a fairly low-level spell that can counter high-level spells, and so it has the level-check built in to weaken it.

 

[Otterscrubber]

Ah, I see. The part about Obscure Object aftecting objects near persons who were the target of the divination threw me into thinking you could cast it on a creature as the target. I just didn't understand the wording.