Supernatural & Detect Magic

[Number47]

Help!

My players a couple months ago accidentally helped a doppelganger gain a position of authority in the town. Now, out of the blue, they suddenly suspect the guy. They came up with a plan that they will probably try to implement next game where the wizard casts Detect Magic before meeting the guy and maintains the concentration (this is so the guy won't see any casting). The big question I need to know is, are Supernatural abilities (and the Change Self of a doppelganger specifically), detectable by Detect Magic? I couldn't find any reference anywhere that says yes or no.

The good news is that, unless they catch the guy really unwares, he's also a spellcaster that's paranoid about being found out. Misdirection is all he should need.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Yes, it does detect supernatural abilities, using half the doppleganger's Hit Dice as the "caster level" (kind of like a magic item). That's why its called "detect magic" and not "detect spell".

You could probably use detect magic, look at a charred corpse, and tell if the person who died was burned at the stake or hit by a fireball. Use the closest school of magic (eg dragon breath equal evocation or transmutation) or just roll Spellcraft secretly and tell your PCs they can't tell what school of magic it's from.