Avlis Policy on: Detect Alignment

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This represents the comprehensive guide to how Detect Alignment should be roleplayed on the Avlis servers. It's intended to be a comprehensive guide to Detect Alignment for all the possible involved parties. The spirit of the rule is to keep things as simple as possible, and to leave things as "what you see is what you get" as possible.

If your PC is a Holy Warrior using detect alignment: As you do the detection, your PC must concentrate on his surroundings-- this sudden concentration may alert other characters that something odd is happening, so use common sense and discretion when using the ability if you want to absolutely be sure that no PCs will notice it. If your PC's targets fail their will saves, you will be able to identify which characters in the area is Evil/Good, etc.; note that the game engine tells you their names in order to be specific, but the name is just an OOC pointer to the specific person with that floaty. Your character does not ICly learn anyone's name in this way.

If your character is a target of Holy Warrior detect alignment: If your PC is directly looking at the holy warrior, he may notice the holy warrior concentrating, but he feels nothing. That is all! Obviously, things like helmets, distractions, lack of direct contact, etc. will prevent your PC from noticing any signs of a momentary concentration. Even if your PC does notice the concentration, he does not have any evidence or confirmation that the Holy Warrior used the ability, and only a suspicion that they may have (which obviously will depend strongly on the context of the situation).

If your PC is a cleric using cleric detect alignment: This is a spell, so only if your PC's targets fail their automatic spellcraft checks will he be unnoticed in his attempts to divine their alignment. All usual rules for identifying casters and the use of magic apply. Similarly as for holy warriors, the spell (if your PC's targets fail their will saves) will tell you the floaty name and alignment; again, the floaty name is just an OOC pointer to a specific person, and names are not revealed ICly.

If you are the target of cleric detect alignment: Your PC automatically make a spellcraft check to identify the spell. If your PC succeeds, he know what just happened; if he doesn't, he knows that a spell was cast (if he actually observed the casting) but do not feel anything else. As with all other spells, the usual detection and ID rules apply.

Note for targets of Detect Alignment, all varieties: Success or failure of the save vs. the spell/ability confers no information whatever. The only methods to learn if someone has attempted to detect your PC's alignment are to view a Holy Warrior concentrating and surmise that he has done so, or to make a successful spellcraft check while observing a cleric's detect spell. Players who roleplay their characters as concerned about Detect Alignment spells should investigate the counterspell Undetectable Alignment.