Can "Detect" spells be cast on other characters?


Rules Questions

The Exchange

We're having a bit of a kerfuffle about the various detect spells, regarding whether or not a caster can cast these spells on other party members, such that they can detect (whatever). Looking through the various detect spells, none of them say Target: Creature Touched, like most spells that can be cast on others; but neither do they say Range: Personal, like most spells that are limited only to the caster. I think it has generally been conventional wisdom that the detect spells are self only, but is this actually RAI, despite not being RAW?


Detect spells typically have "Area cone-shaped emanation".

The Magic rules tells us that "A cone-shaped spell shoots away from you in a quarter-circle in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and widens out as it goes."

So a detect spell only works for the person who casts it, since the cone must "shoot away from you".

The Exchange

That was basically my argument. Thanks for the backup!


Yeah, so evil wizards need to stay behind the Paladin when he's using Detect Evil. I once knew a player that played a Lawful Evil (all he ever played was lawful evil which was why we nicknamed him "Evil Dave" but he played it so beautifully that even GMs that forbid evil alignments made exception for Evil Dave) wizard in a party with a paladin and the paladin never knew anything in character (out of character of course he knew and thought it was hilarious) until near the end of the campaign Dave finally screwed up and the paladin realized he was evil and... I forget who I was told won.

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