If a critter has the Fiendish Template added, is it considered Evil in determining if you can Smite Evil against it?
I'm asking because a Fiendish creature gets Smite Good... but from what I can tell, its alignment doesn't change just because it has the Fiendish template.
SO in other words, just because a creature is Fiendish doesn't mean it is affected by Smite Evil then. Okay. Seems odd as it gets Smite Good, but from the technical wording of the upgrade it seemed likely to be that way.
This is from the spell Summon Monster I:
When you use a summoning spell to summon a creature with an alignment or elemental subtype, it is a spell of that type. Creatures on Table 10–1 marked with an “*” are summoned with the celestial template, if you are good, and the fiendish template, if you are evil. If you are neutral, you may choose which template to apply to the creature. Creatures marked with an “*” always have an alignment that matches yours, regardless of their usual alignment. Summoning these creatures makes the summoning spell's type match your alignment.
Yes, but what if you just assign a non-summoned creature the alignment or elemental subtype? Similar to making an Advanced Creature, except to give it damage reduction instead of increased stats.
Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature has an evil alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is.
So yes, things with the Evil subtype can be smited regardless of their actual alignment.
However, the Fiendish Template grants no such subtype. A LG Fiendish Whatever, while an oddity, would not be affected by Smite.