Heading into the Misgivings (RotRL) - will Prot. Evil suppress the effects of haunts or even prevent them from taking effect at all?
My read is no, unless otherwise specified. Often there is a specific way to avoid or "trick" the haunt.
"While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target. This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by evil creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion."
Tough question. Part of the answer might depend on what the haunt does: if it starts the room on fire, than no. If it tries to take over a PC's mind to make them think they're someone else and angry, and the haunt is evil, and we consider a haunt an "evil creature or object" (unsure about that), and we factor in the "subject to GM discretion" text, than maybe.
On reread, it is a bit ambiguous. I have a CN haunt I'm looking at that basically results in murderous command on anyone within the room. It is an enchantment (compulsion), which seems to be covered, but the effect is not created by either an evil creature or object. Even if the haunt was CE (as some are), it's a tough call, since they aren't really "creatures or objects."
Honestly I think I'm going to just house-rule that Prot. Evil gives the +2 bonus to AC and saves, and grants an automatic bonus save against any existing spells or effects from an evil caster... let it do that, which is way more than enough for a first level spell and ignore the suppression of possession or abeyance of summoned creatures entirely.
I would still be very interested in the official rules interpretation however.
Nothing wrong with that. Haunts are an oddity anyway. I tend to let my players poke around with some role-playing and a few relevant skill checks to figure them out as well. I just noticed that there are some more rules from Occult Adventures on how to deal with them...
On reread, it is a bit ambiguous. I have a CN haunt I'm looking at that basically results in murderous command on anyone within the room. It is an enchantment (compulsion), which seems to be covered, but the effect is not created by either an evil creature or object. Even if the haunt was CE (as some are), it's a tough call, since they aren't really "creatures or objects."
Per Haunt description:
... a hazardous region created by unquiet spirits that react violently to the presence of the living...
While in most cases the haunt is an area instead of an object, the area has been generated by a spirit of a specific alignment, so the haunt fits the "spells and effects created by [insert alignment here] creatures" sentence. The haunt keeps the creator's alignment, so in case the Protection applies to the haunt's alignment, I'd say it's admitted.
In case of Murderous Command, fits the "direct mind control" protection (same as normal Command), so it would be blocked.
Only if created by an evil spirit, however.