The DM's Thoughts on Detect Evil
Subject: The DM's thoughts on Detect Evil
Ok. We aren't sitting in a room together playing, so my usual diatribe on detect evil will have to be formalized into an email.
Here is why detect evil is of limited usefulness: Lots of people are evil. In fact, in my world, fully one quarter of the people you meet are going to be some degree of evil. In D&D terms, evil is basically selfishness. Once you are selfish enough that you will allow others to come to harm to feed your own needs, you are some degree of evil.
So, unless you are the high priestess to an evil god, and your evil is so strong that it flattens the priest who is detecting you, detect evil gives information of limited value. If Cadfael walked around with detect evil on all the time, he would be detecting evil all over the place. The greedy shopkeeper, the guy who beats his wife, the noble who over taxes, etc.
So, keep that in mind when you use it. An aura of evil does not equal sold his soul to kor garesh. At least not in this quest. :)
Now, back to the regularly scheduled program.
[I am still waiting on movess from the party outside before I can write up the next turn]
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The DM's thoughts on Detect Evil
"If Cadfael walked around with detect evil on all the time, he would be detecting evil all over the place."
As is often demonstrated by watching 5 minutes of any televangelist. :-)
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The DM's thoughts on Detect Evil
Farron is just waiting on someone else to make a decision.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The DM's thoughts on Detect Evil
[null vote]
:)
Raja
From: Dan
Subject: Re: The DM's thoughts on Detect Evil
Do I think I can get close enough to cast it without being noticed by the people in the tower? I know you're warning me that I might not get anything, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The DM's thoughts on Detect Evil
The range is 60 feet. You would need to move out at least a little way into the clearing around the tower to detect anyone in the tower itself. The occupants could be as much at 10-15 back from the towers front wall. That means you might have to move that distance into the clearing before detecting anything.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: The DM's thoughts on Detect Evil
Cadfael nods at mission. "Yes, this would seem to be the wisest thing to do."
He then walks off around to one side of the tower so he can cast his spell away from the prying eyes of whoever is blocking the doorway.