| Falconkline |
I've been following this post and felt like chiming in with my opinion on some of the subjects covered.
First off, can a Spell-like Ability(Sp) be detected by a Spellcraft check?
IMO: No it cannot. Spellcraft states it can only be used to detect spells being cast. Spell-like abilities function like spells, but are not spells. Spellcraft makes no distinction to include spell like abilities in it's descriptions of use. However Spell-like abilities do distinguish where they are different from spells. (While they are cast, they do not have any focus, verbal, somatic, or component requirements.) Would a person trained in Spellcraft see that the person is casting something? Yes, as it does have the opportunity to drawn an AOO. Would they be able to determine what it is? No.
Can a spell-like ability be noticed with a perception check?
IMO: No it cannot. There is nothing in Perceptions description that would give you a check against a spell-like ability.
Can a spell-like ability be noticed with a Sense Motive check?
IMO: Yes. From the description of this skill "You can also use this skill to determine when "something is up"..." So a PC or NPC could perform a skill check of Sense Motive of DC 20 (on a hunch) that the Paladin is up to something.
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So to answer the Original Posters questions,
If I'm in town and I want to detect evil people, can I do it inconspicuously?
IMO: You can try, but people may know what you are up to.
Am I "doing it wrong" by basically casting detect evil on every single person I meet? Is that rude to the other person?
IMO: I would say yes, it would be considered rude. Especially if the person has a hunch you are judging them before actually meeting them. I would consider it rude if someone judged me before getting to know me.
Also, what about smite evil? If my paladin is preparing for combat, can he smite evil on an enemy without an enemy knowing he's been smited?
IMO: I believe the answer to this is maybe! While there is nothing stating that Smite Evil has any effect on the person being smote, the description does say that the Paladin calls out to the powers of good to aid her. On the other hand it is a swift action that does not provoke an AOO. This one would be up to your GM.