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<blockquote data-quote="Jeff Wilder" data-source="post: 3106190" data-attributes="member: 5122">No, the table doesn't say that, and you simply have to realize that before we can move on.&nbsp; The table doesn't say whether or not something is evil.&nbsp; The table only says that if something is evil, this is how strong the evil is.There are already rules in D&amp;D that tell us if something is evil.Let's say I have a table, called &quot;Area of Square:&quot;&quot;2 inches | Area is 4 square units&quot;&quot;4 inches | Area is 16 square units&quot;&quot;6 inches | Area is 36 square units&quot;And then I have a spell called detect square that is much like detect evil.&nbsp; I cast detect square.&nbsp; My DM determines that within the range of my spell there are two circles, an octogon, and three squares.Note that both circles and octogons have &quot;dimensions measured in inches&quot; and &quot;areas measured in square units.&quot;&nbsp; Nevertheless, my DM doesn't need to be concerned about that.&nbsp; In doesn't matter that the table could give raw output that would make sense (albeit being wrong) if I wanted to know the area of a circle.&nbsp; The DM doesn't need to worry about that, because the DM knows -- by virtue of rules that already exist -- that &quot;circles&quot; are not &quot;squares&quot; and thus that detect square won't detect circles, and thus that the table providing output doesn't apply to circles.In exactly the same way that &quot;area of square&quot; doesn't apply to &quot;not squares.&quot; &quot;power of evil aura&quot; simply does not apply to &quot;not evil.&quot;&nbsp; It doesn't matter that the table's output if misapplied might look valid ... it's being misapplied.&nbsp; The table is being used in reference to something for which it was not intended.(And again I have to point out that I'm not arguing that the rules for detect evil actually are this way.&nbsp; They are not; according to Wizards, Hypersmurf's interpretation is correct.&nbsp; In effect, Wizards simply said, &quot;Yes, misapply the table,&quot; and doing so is now the official rule.&nbsp; I just wish they'd fixed the damned table to say what they're now saying they meant it to say.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Jeff Wilder, post: 3106190, member: 5122"] No, the table doesn't say that, and you simply have to realize that before we can move on. The table doesn't say whether or not something [i]is evil[/i]. The table only says that [i]if[/i] something is evil, this is [i]how strong[/i] the evil is. There are already rules in D&D that tell us if something [i]is evil[/i]. Let's say I have a table, called "Area of Square:" "2 inches | Area is 4 square units" "4 inches | Area is 16 square units" "6 inches | Area is 36 square units" And then I have a spell called [i]detect square[/i] that is much like [i]detect evil[/i]. I cast [i]detect square[/i]. My DM determines that within the range of my spell there are two circles, an octogon, and three squares. Note that both circles and octogons have "dimensions measured in inches" and "areas measured in square units." Nevertheless, my DM doesn't need to be concerned about that. In doesn't matter that the table could give raw output that would make sense (albeit being wrong) if I wanted to know the area of a circle. The DM doesn't need to worry about that, because the DM knows -- by virtue of rules that already exist -- that "circles" are not "squares" and thus that [i]detect square[/i] won't detect circles, and thus that the table providing output doesn't apply to circles. In exactly the same way that "area of square" doesn't apply to "not squares." "power of evil aura" simply does not apply to "not evil." It doesn't matter that the table's output if misapplied might look valid ... it's [i]being misapplied[/i]. The table is being used in reference to something for which it was not intended. (And again I have to point out that I'm not arguing that the rules for [i]detect evil[/i] actually [i][b]are[/b][/i] this way. They are not; according to Wizards, Hypersmurf's interpretation is correct. In effect, Wizards simply said, "Yes, misapply the table," and doing so is now the official rule. I just wish they'd fixed the damned table to [i]say[/i] what they're now saying they [i]meant[/i] it to say.) [/QUOTE]

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