A player in my group asked me this Question
if the Cleric Casts
Undetectable Alignment (p.363CRB)on a party member can they walk through the Forbiddance unharmed?
As the Forbiddance (p285CRB)spell would have no way of knowing that the alignment is opposed to the Casters alignment
here is Mine response as the Game master
Ok No it will not for 2 reasons though I will post it to the forums1st Undetectable Alignment only protects against Divination spells and against them and only them does it work and beat the normal Higher level spell trumps the lower level spell Forbidance is an abjuration spell and of much higher level as a result does trump the lower level spell.
2 the spell attacks those different from the caster's alignment if you read as no alignment it will attack based on the fact the you do not match either pathways as it is a defensive spell place to ward off intruders and only intruders would hide their auras.
Is my thinking here off base?
Undetectable Alignment would no more protect you from Forbiddance than it would from Dictum/Blasphemy/Holy Word/Word of Chaos. It doesn't change your alignment, it simply prevents it from being detected via divinations. None of the aformentioned spells require detection of your alignment because you are your alignment regardless of what you scan as.
Yeah, I'd go with the idea of "hides from divination only".
If someone can infer (at least partially) what someone's alignment is based on the way they are affected by the Forbiddance spell (or a series of them), I'd see it no different then locating an invisible creature by seeing it's footprints in sand. The spell is still blocking you from divining their alignement, you are just able to see that something that should hurt evil people more, hurting them. *shrug*
*Edit* I'd avoid making it think he's "nothing" for alignment and thus hammering him with the most damage regardless of his alignment, heh.
Thank you and Kaisoku I agree I'm not planning on throwing max damage dice at those protected by UA
2ndary and related question
would the DC30 emulate Alignment of Use Magical Device help at all?
just in case they ask
no. they are not using a magical device. You can't bypass spells just because you use UMD anymore than you could do so to bypass class features such as smite.
And no, before they ask, they can't use Craft (Basketweaving) to weave up their entrails after the bad guy guts them.
Nor can it be used to weave a dazzling defensive display with their dual wielded scimitars to keep from being hit by the guy who gutted them.
Nor can it be used to weave a series of words in intricate logic loops to confuse the guy who gutted them into not swinging to avoid the gutting.
And yes, I've had people try to use some esoteric skill or ability to do emulate abilities 10 times more powerful than the skill or ability. And yes, I tell them Basketweaving can't be used that way. :)
Ok Thanks
I know that buff like owl's wisdom, resistance, Aid and bear's endurance will help survive the effect if your Alignment does not match but if it was cast by an evil cleric would protection from Evil bonus to save vs. effects created by evil creatues apply.
As GM I could go either way but I think by RAW the answer may be no because the spell itself does not have the evil descriptor or any AL but it does do damage based on Alignment
officially, I'd say no pro evil doesn't help.
However, if I think they're likely to get severly cheesed (that's worse than creamed) by the spell I'd probably give it to them anyway.
Helpful spells would not be an issue, but any harmful spell would allow the +2 save if cast by en evil creature. The spell itself does not have to have the evil descriptor.
First, the subject gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves. Both these bonuses apply against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures.
Ok Thank you
because the forbiddance was an effect created by an evil cleric (who does have an evil aura)/creature I'll going to give the onus to them if the think of it as a way help I just will not tell them unless they think of it themselves as an idea. (the cleric tends to forget the 1st level defensive spells that clerics have, often.)