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<blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 1265227" data-attributes="member: 198">I've never had a problem with this, and I just use the rules as written. After all:(1) The bartender at the local tavern (NE Com2, who beats his wife, steals from patrons, and kicks puppies) detects exactly as evil as the bodyguard of the BBEG (CE Ftr9, who enjoys killing, raping, and mutilating whoever he can). The LN priest of Vecna (Clr 2, with Knowledge and Magic domains) who works in the local library and is only interested in lost lore detects as more evil than both bartender and bodyguard, and more so than the LE priestess of Wee Jas (LE Clr8, who dabbles in necromancy and has no qualms about killing someone to obtain a new body for experimentation). Big surprise for any paladin who places too much faith in his detect evil ability.(2) Detect Evil is only castable (among PC classes) by a cleric and a paladin. So the vast minority of people in society cannot understand it or experience it. What are the odds that alignment has any effect in a legal system? Close to none.Sure D&amp;D is black and white. But some of that black is darker than others, some of the white tends to run when left in the rain, and most of it depends on a healthy dose of interpretation. Repeat after me now: I will not be scared of alignment, and I will not cry when my paladin tries to detect evil.Go on, I'm waiting...</blockquote>

[QUOTE="shilsen, post: 1265227, member: 198"] I've never had a problem with this, and I just use the rules as written. After all: (1) The bartender at the local tavern (NE Com2, who beats his wife, steals from patrons, and kicks puppies) detects exactly as evil as the bodyguard of the BBEG (CE Ftr9, who enjoys killing, raping, and mutilating whoever he can). The LN priest of Vecna (Clr 2, with Knowledge and Magic domains) who works in the local library and is only interested in lost lore detects as more evil than both bartender and bodyguard, and more so than the LE priestess of Wee Jas (LE Clr8, who dabbles in necromancy and has no qualms about killing someone to obtain a new body for experimentation). Big surprise for any paladin who places too much faith in his [i]detect evil[/i] ability. (2) Detect Evil is only castable (among PC classes) by a cleric and a paladin. So the vast minority of people in society cannot understand it or experience it. What are the odds that alignment has any effect in a legal system? Close to none. Sure D&D is black and white. But some of that black is darker than others, some of the white tends to run when left in the rain, and most of it depends on a healthy dose of interpretation. Repeat after me now: I will not be scared of alignment, and I will not cry when my paladin tries to [i]detect evil[/i]. Go on, I'm waiting... [/QUOTE]

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