Detect [alignment] question


Rules Questions

Scarab Sages

1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

Does the caster know why the target's aura is as strong as it is?

Specifically: If the paladin targets a creature and it has a faint [alignment] aura, do they automatically know the distinction between a 6 HD [alignment] character, an [alignment] outsider, or a follower of an [alignment] deity?

Or do they just know that it has a faint [alignment] aura?


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

In the case of Detect Evil they only know the presence or absence of evil, the number of auras, the power of the strongest aura, the power and location of all of the auras depending on how many rounds they concentrate or in the case of the paladin all of it in one round if they go that route on an individual being.

Nothing allows them to know the difference between a high level evil being, an evil caster, an evil undead, or an evil outsider.

However, they may deduce that information on their own. If they know it is an undead and it has a strong aura, they will know that it is between 9 and 20 hit dice, etc.

In your example it would be the latter, they just know that it has a faint aura. The DM should allow knowledge checks to possible identify undead or outsiders and things like divine casting might indicate a cleric, etc.


Detect Evil wrote:

You can sense the presence of evil. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject.

1st Round: Presence or absence of evil.

2nd Round: Number of evil auras (creatures, objects, or spells) in the area and the power of the most potent evil aura present.

If you are of good alignment, and the strongest evil aura's power is overwhelming (see below), and the HD or level of the aura's source is at least twice your character level, you are stunned for 1 round and the spell ends.

3rd Round: The power and location of each aura. If an aura is outside your line of sight, then you discern its direction but not its exact location.

It provides "power", never the type. So "faint", not "5-10 HD Evil NPC" or "1 HD Antipaladin/Cleric" or whatever.

Paladin Detect Evil wrote:
A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds.

Paladin version is exactly the same as the spell but without the 3 rounds of staring.

Scarab Sages

Thanks to all. Works how I thought it did, but I wanted to double check.

Bob Bob Bob wrote:
Paladin version is exactly the same as the spell but without the 3 rounds of staring.

Paladin version is different in two ways. As you said is one, the other is that it only functions on a single target, while the normal detect evil applies to an entire cone.

Main distinction applies when the target is hidden or otherwise invisble, as the quick version the paladins have access to doesn't work if the paladin doesn't know where the target is.


Murdock Mudeater wrote:

Thanks to all. Works how I thought it did, but I wanted to double check.

Bob Bob Bob wrote:
Paladin version is exactly the same as the spell but without the 3 rounds of staring.

Paladin version is different in two ways. As you said is one, the other is that it only functions on a single target, while the normal detect evil applies to an entire cone.

Main distinction applies when the target is hidden or otherwise invisble, as the quick version the paladins have access to doesn't work if the paladin doesn't know where the target is.

The paladin detect evil ability works as the spell. So it functions the same.

Quote:
Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell.

The only exception is the added ability:

Quote:
A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range.

Paladins can detect evil in an area just fine, same as anyone else with the spell. They just have the added ability to also detect evil in a single creature faster than normal by spending a move action to do so instead of waiting multiple turns.

Scarab Sages

I know this, I was referencing the "quick" version of the Detect evil that the paladins get. They also have the normal version. But they do have to choose between the two versions whenever they do it. Most paladins I see in-game, exclusively use the single target one.

Silver Crusade

Murdock Mudeater wrote:
I know this, I was referencing the "quick" version of the Detect evil that the paladins get. They also have the normal version. But they do have to choose between the two versions whenever they do it. Most paladins I see in-game, exclusively use the single target one.

I usually see about 70/30 in favor of area. Lots of paladins like the old sweep for evil while going through regions.

Regardless, no, they still don't know what specifically causes the aura, they just know the strength.

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