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Message: <blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 152240" data-attributes="member: 198">I would disagree. Considering that dispel evil cast by both good and evil clerics affects the same creatures, it's difficult to believe that they could make do with lexical differences. An evil cleric casting detect evil knows that a demon, a devil and himself all detect as the same. I doubt he could/would argue that a demon is "good". Maybe it's powerful, intelligent, and a much better ally than those stupid, stuck-up, do-gooder celestials, but good? I don't think so.I'm planning to use a handout on the subject for my players, and here's the first part. As we've already established in this thread, many would disagree with the points I make.Alignment in the D&D world (handout for players)Alignment is an objective and measurable quantity in the D&D world. Using magic, creatures and people can be subdivided on the basis of their alignments, and even on the degree to which they embody the specific alignment. This reality makes a great difference in the way that characters and creatures interact with each other, and makes the way morality is seen and enacted in the D&D world very different from real-world morality.    Magic and alignment: Although it does exist as an objective reality, alignment can only be detected and measured using magic. Hence, no creature or character with access to appropriate magic can deny his (and others') alignment. An evil cleric knows that he is evil, just as a good wizard knows that he is evil. Unlike in the real world, where people on both side of a conflict can, and often do, accuse the other of being evil (e.g. Bush and Saddam Hussein), in the D&D world, the lines are much more clearly drawn. Evil characters often will know that they are evil, but the difference lies in the fact that they will embrace that evil, regarding it as a viable moral approach to their goals. Also, since they would know that their alignment is open to magical detection, they would take various approaches to conceal it.    Society and alignment: For most non-spellcasting characters and creatures, alignment is an ambiguous reality. Although it apparently exists, they have no way of being able to judge it for themselves, and have to rely on the testimony of those who do have the magical ability to access it. Hence, a person's alignment would not be regarded as a vitally important part of their character. In fact, it might often be seen as a personal attribute, and not one that should be easily studied or commented on (i.e. casting a detect evil spell on someone would probably be regarded as extremely rude). In legal matters, alignment would not carry much weight, since it would be obvious to most people that evil characters can be, and often are, valuable members of society.</blockquote>

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