Possession: how evil is this?

[guido1999]

How could you differentiate between a spell like protection from good that detects as evil from the character it is cast on?

That would be entirely up to the DM and how he wants to describe the scene.

So do you think they specified evil elementals but not evil undead by mistake? or clerics of an evil deity but not evil clerics?

I really do understand your point. But bottom line, IMHO, is that detect evil does just that: detects evil. Not good or neutral.

 

[Voadam]

I really do understand your point. But bottom line, IMHO, is that detect evil does just that: detects evil. Not good or neutral.

That's my point too, the spell detects evil, but it equates undead with evil regardless of actual alignment. Being good is no defense, they will still detect as evil because of the supernatural condition of a negative planar connection caused by undeath.

It also leads to interesting roleplay as good vampires and balenorns still have to fear paladin witch hunters who might slay evil first and ask questions later. You can also set someone up as detecting evil by casting a protection from evil spell on them.

This also means that thoughtful characters cannot entirely rely upon this for determining "legal enemy targets"

 

[AuraSeer]

I really do understand your point. But bottom line, IMHO, is that detect evil does just that: detects evil. Not good or neutral.

A spell description always trumps the title. Or do you also insist that protection from arrows works against only arrows, not sling bullets or crossbow bolts or thrown darts?

 

[AuraSeer]

You can also set someone up as detecting evil by casting a protection from evil spell on them.

You mean protection from good, I think.

 

[Voadam]

Aura,

Oops! Yep I meant protection from good.

 

[guido1999]

That's my point too, the spell detects evil, but it equates undead with evil regardless of actual alignment. Being good is no defense, they will still detect as evil because of the supernatural condition of a negative planar connection caused by undeath.

But the presence of negative energy does not mean there is the presence of evil. If that were true, then Inflict spells would have the Evil descriptor. Enervation would have the Evil descriptor. Undead does not equal evil.

A spell description always trumps the title.

Oh really? Thanks for bringing the hard and fast "trump" rule to my attention. It would appear that my entire case is moot.

I focus less on the "letter" of the law, and more on the "spirit" of it. The spell's intention is to detect evil and that's all it will do IMHO. Others can focus on the loophole provided by strict interpretation of the "letter" of the spell and allow it to do much more.

 

[Quasqueton]

I did a quick search through my core rulebooks and I couldn't find explicit proof to what I'm about to say, but there is plenty of implied information.

Aren't undead (even skeletons and zombies) 'powered' by negative energy, from the Negative Energy Plane? That's why good clerics, channeling positive energy, can turn and destroy them; and evil clerics channeling negative energy can rebuke and bolster them.

I don't have time right now to look the connections between positive energy and good alignment vs. negative energy and evil alignment. Maybe someone else has or can?

Quasqueton

 

[Voadam]

But the presence of negative energy does not mean there is the presence of evil. If that were true, then Inflict spells would have the Evil descriptor. Enervation would have the Evil descriptor. Undead does not equal evil.

Right as far as negative energy alone but as for undeath . . .

but note the descriptors and the fact that animate dead creates neutral undead and create greater undead can create ghosts which can be any alignment.

from the srd:

Animate Dead
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Clr 3, Death 3, Sor/Wiz 5

Create Undead
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Clr 6, Death 6, Evil 6

Create Greater Undead
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Clr 8, Death 8

 

[guido1999]

Aren't undead (even skeletons and zombies) 'powered' by negative energy, from the Negative Energy Plane? That's why good clerics, channeling positive energy, can turn and destroy them; and evil clerics channeling negative energy can rebuke and bolster them.

No. Read my post above. Negative energy is not inherently evil. Many spells use negative energy and do not have the evil spell descriptor.

 

[guido1999]

Right as far as negative energy alone but as for undeath . . .

The spell is evil, however it creates "neutral" undead.