Detect Evil doesn't actually detect evil?

[Tanis]

Have to disagree with you on 2 points there.

1) Assassinating anyone -good or evil- is evil. Check out the pre-requisites for the Assassin PrC, any evil. There's a big difference between honourable combat and striking from the shadows.

2) The issue isn't whether the goblin children are evil or not. They're defenceless. Killing a defenceless creature is an evil act.

Too many people here are applying RL perceptions of morality on an abstract system. Let me point out what the rulebook says in regards to good, evil and neutrality. This might clear up the Paladin's dilemma.

Good: Good implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern
for the dignity of sentient beings. Good characters make
personal sacrifices to help others.

Evil: Evil implies hurting, oppressing, and killing others.
Some evil creatures simply have no compassion for others
and kill without qualms if doing so is convenient. Others
actively pursue evil, killing for sport or out of duty to some
evil deity or master.

Neutral: People who are neutral with respect to good and evil have
compunctions against killing the innocent, but may lack the
commitment to make sacrifices to protect or help others.

[Double Damage]

The way I see it is, detect evil:
Round 1. Anyone evil in the area would "ping" on your spell but you wouldn't know who or where exactly they are.
Round 2. would then reveal no additional information (unless there were targets above 5HD obviously)
Round 3. Same as round 2 unless the targets are above 5HD.

The difference is when a Paladin detects evil in a specific target in which he would gain all the information given from rounds 1-3 and as such could determine if individuals below 5HD are evil.

Now talking about detect=smite pallies. Just because a target is evil should not automatically trigger an aggressive attack. Paladin's should be smart enough to realize that evil is not black and white and individuals may be having a bad day.
For example Pally Perkins detects evil on an individual farmer. He is evil but Perkins should know that her detect evil is not foolproof and would then inquire further as to why he may be detecting as so, and asks him about it. Farmer says that goblins killed his sheep and he is going to get the town together to go kill the whole goblin camp so it doesn't happen again. After a sense motive check Perkins determines that he is telling the truth and then should advise him against taking revenge for revenge sake or some other holy wisdom whatnot.

[Xaratherus]

*casts Detect Evil on the thread*

*'necromanced' thread is evil since it's undead*

:)

[EldonG]

I'm just glad that paladins can't just pick up on the fact that Kermon, the old rug-seller in the bazaar is robbing people right and left with his lies and scams, and just kill him outright...

"He was EVIL!"

No...it's all in small letters. Too small to read.

[Lincoln Hills]

It reminds me of the need to 'calibrate' a lot of items - CBs and dosimeters and so forth - to cull out the "useless background static." You can't pick up on the evil aura, because your god doesn't want you beating up the cruel old misers in town while there are diabolical masterminds in the dungeon wondering what the heck is taking the Forces of Good so long to find them.

[Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan]

Fully a third of the populace has an E on their character sheets, but by RAW the vast majority of them won't ping on the Paladar, that's just how it is. Folks may not like it, they may want to house rule it, which is fine, but when the 10th level Paladin walks into a Chellish bar and scans the room and 2/3 of the people pop positive, it's gonna be a bloodbath I guess, when under RAW only 3 or 4 real baddies should pop positive.

Advice: If you're a 1st or 2nd level Paladin, you may want to not DE a lot, since most anything that pops will be twice your level and you'll get stunned.

[wraithstrike]

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

Advice: If you're a 1st or 2nd level Paladin, you may want to not DE a lot, since most anything that pops will be twice your level and you'll get stunned.

That is not correct..

Quote:

and the strongest evil aura's power is overwhelming (see below), and the HD or level of the aura's source is at least

If says "and", not "or" meaning both conditions have to be filled.

[Winged1]

This came up in our game and I see there is no official ruling yet.

Reading the spell description: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/detect-evil
1. Creatures with actively evil intents count as evil creatures for the purpose of this spell. (not just for the guys who have the guts to write it down) if you are planing on wiping out helpless Kobolds you might detect as evil.
2. 1st round you can detect the Presence of any evil
3. 2nd round you can detect the number of auras and the power of the most potent one.
4. 3rd round you learn the power of each aura. if out of site you learn the direction
5. Paladins can skip to round 3 by focusing on a item or person.
6. normal creatures,items, or spells under 5 HD/level have no "power" in their aura (note it does not say no aura)
7. normal creatures,items, or spells under 5 HD/level do not leave a "Lingering Aura".
8. if a aura's power is "overwhelming" and twice your level you are stunned for 1 round.

In my opinion after reading, all evil (and evil intent) detects, 5 or less have a aura but it does not come close to having the power to overwhelm (like a 11th level cleric does) or leave a Lingering Aura.

My analogy is it like a clear red bottle, with the lights on you can see it as red (if you are not color blind) but it has no power, you put a faint light in it and you can now see it in the dark, put a high power flash in it and you can now stun a guy with it.

In the end it looks like a GM call.