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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DMScott" data-source="post: 1267560" data-attributes="member: 11734">My interpretation, which I believe is faithful to the rules:1st round: is there evil in the spell's area of effect? Yes/no answer, based on alignment. Anyone or thing who's of evil alignment gets detected.2nd round: number of sources of evil that were in the spell's area of effect in round 1 and are still there in round 2.3rd round: power and location of each source of evil that's been in the spell's AE for all three rounds, with power determined by the chart in the PHB.Some points about this interpretation:- This makes Detect Evil at best difficult to use if the people are moving in and out of the area of effect (as in many "civilized" situations). If the caster changes the area of effect, they start back at round 1.- Anybody with an evil alignment is detected. Neutral clerics of an evil deity are not detected; they trigger a "no" in round 1 if they're the only one in the AE. An evil cleric of a neutral deity would be detected, though in step 3 they'd just use the "creature" line.- In my campaign, killing somebody who's of evil alignment is not an evil act. However, it may not be a good act depending on circumstances, and it is almost never a lawful act absent some proof of an imminent threat to law and order or a past unpunished crime. So Paladins usually don't go around lopping off heads every time they detect evil.If my players want to detect evil all the time and refuse to deal with anyone who detects as evil, that's fine by me as DM - there are lots of evil people that have nothing to do with whatever mission the group is on. Human societies tend to average out to a neutral alignment, and given that good folks can be found that implies there are also normal, functioning members of society who are of evil alignment to balance things out. A group that cuts themselves off from all interaction with those who detect as evil will have to go about things differently than one that's willing to hold their noses and get things done.In the end, I feel if knowing who the evil guys are completely spoils a plot, the DM didn't have a sufficiently interesting plot in the first place. Just like with invisibility, teleport, and all manner of divinations, a DM should build the world assuming everyone is aware such magics exist and society has adapted accordingly.</blockquote>

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