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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 7186965" data-attributes="member: 6787650">Comment: the implications aren't as straightforward as you seem to think. There are a number of abuses possible:(1) Corruption: the priest can claim that the subject made the save when they actually failed.(2) Blackmail: the priest can be persuaded to not really cast the spell at all in the first place.(3) Illusion/deception: the "answers" provided can be made to come from someone other than the person under the spell. Magic Mouth can come in handy here. If the priest pronounces you to have failed the save, you can then cover your mouth and/or hide your face, and "answer" in monosyllables which actually are just Magic Mouths set to trigger on certain actions from you, e.g. "say 'Yes' when I scratch my nose," "say 'No' when I rub my chin." Minor Illusion would also work just fine here.(4) As you say, memory modification can also be used to deceive Zone of Truth.(5) Weasel words/lawyering: sometimes it is possible to say a truth in such a way that many or most onlookers are left with a false impression as to what you actually just said. It's possible that this would be made even easier if your audience believe that you were incapable of telling a lie.Because Zone of Truth can still be spoofed/fabricated/deceived, it seems unlikely therefore that it will trump all other forms of evidence. Zone of Truth should be considered as strong evidence, much like DNA evidence or a signed confession in modern times--but if Zone of Truth says one thing, and physical evidence says another ("it wasn't physically POSSIBLE for Lord Taltos to have killed Aliera since he was here with the Empress all along"), you have to fall back juries and/or judicial fiat.So, if your society has well-respected clerics who are integrated into the social structure of the community, Zone of Truth could help a lot (especially in cases of petty crimes, like "Did you know the horse was lame when you sold it?"). But when it comes to the kind of problems PCs get called in to deal with, there are too many other possibilities for Zone of Truth to do the whole job. At best it make PCs pretty sure they can prove who's lying and who's not.</blockquote>

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