Soviet
06-08-1999, 04:56 AM
Okay this question might be in the mind of many people:
Are blooded character's physicaly different(besides their obvious abilities)?
If so how? can they be recognized as such?
Is their blood literally different?
well?
GeeMan wrote:
> Pieter Sleijpen wrote:
>
> > GeeMan wrote:
> > > In AD&D evil is not just a morality judgement, it is a palpable force. If it
> > > wasn't then how could it be detected, protected against or dispelled? Granted,
> > > relatively few people have the ability to detect evil, but for those who do it is
> > > a pretty definable concept. Paladins and spellcasters who can use Detect Evil can
> > > simply sense it about a person or an object. This ability isn't foolproof, of
> > > course, but it still makes discovering who is naughty and who is nice quite a bit
> > > easier than in our world (or the Star Wars univers, for that matter.)
> >
> > Detect evil is not very full proof, now is it? You can only detect those
> > of purest evil (in my campaign only those who have sold their "souls" to
> > some outer plannar being or those plannar beings) or those with a direct
> > evil intent towards the creature casting the spell "detect evil". If an
> > evil regent is using the PC's to reach some goal and does not plan to do
> > kill or otherwise directly harm the PC's, then that would hardly
> > register. Not to mention that there are quite a few low level spells
> > that can fool those spells. My players have learned the hard way not to
> > trust on such spells, but to mainly use their own eyes and brains. Even
> > though they still concider it a usefull guide (I am not the type of DM
> > that let it be wrong most of the time or unusable).
> >
> > The protection from evil spell is somewhat more difficult, but it's
> > effects or not readilly apparent except in the case of magical
> > creatures. Dispel evil works against clearly supernatural beings, and
> > not specificly against the common evil thug or villain.
> >
> > Since I prefer normal humans as villains, who most of the time or not
> > deeply evil, most of the time only selfish and powerhungry, these spells
> > do not affect my campaign that much. They are useful against undead and
> > the horrors from the Shadow World, but as of yet no major villain has
> > used those forces against them.
>
> True, Detect Evil is not foolproof. It is, however, a pretty low-level spell, which
> might account not only for its limits, but its inaccuracy. Just a level higher and a
> priest can not just Detect Evil, but Know Alignment, which is much more definitive.
>
> Regarding Detect Evil, however.... The definition in the PHB is that a "[c]haracter's
> alignment... is revealed only under unusual circumstances..." such as particularly
> strong alignment, faithfulness, high level plus being intent on good/evil actions. It
> goes on to list several powerful monsters, generally planar monsters, who radiate good
> or evil. Strangely, however, the PHB goes on to say that the "degree of evil" can also
> be determined; dim, faint, moderate, strong or overwelming. In addition, the "general
> nature" of the evil might be detectable too, as in "expectant, malignant, gloating,
> etc." Isn't that rather contradictory? I mean, it's difficult to detect evil at all,
> but you can detect "moderately evil gloating"? Strange.
>
> Another thing. I'd argue that it is a paladin's nature and connection to the forces of
> Good that allows him to Detect Evil, therefore, he personally radiates enough goodness
> for it to be detected by anyone able to detect such things. This is the same kind of
> thing to his vulnerability to being turned by sufficiently high level and evil priests.
>
> To continue that same logic... Shouldn't you be able to Detect Magic and determine that
> a character is blooded? I mean, that's the power of the gods flowing in someone's
> veins. In the BoM there are a couple of spells for determining bloodline derivation and
> strength, but what's the point? Why not just use Detect Magic and have it be able to
> determine a character's bloodline strength? The spell description for Detect Magic says
> it can determin "dim, faint, moderate, strong [and] overwelming" intensity. Why not
> just plug tainted through true in there and have bloodline detected by an already
> existing spell? Similarly, the type of magic; alteration, conjuration, illusion, etc.
> can be determined as well. Why not say the same thing for bloodline derivation?
>
> Lastly, I'd like to toss out there that blooded individuals just might qualify as the
> kinds of "powerful monsters" who radiate enough of their alignment to be detected by the
> Detect Evil spell. Their bloodline is a connection to the outer planes, a connection to
> the gods, for that matter. Not a much stronger kind of power than that.... Plus, the
> kinds of creatures that they list in the PHB under Detect Evil tend to be planar ones
> with a connection to an outer plane or those who are aligned undead and have a
> connection to the Negative Energy plane. It does say in the Wizard version of the
> Detect Magic spell that "otherplanar creatures are not necessarily magical" but I see
> that as being backup for saying that blooded characters could be detected by Detect Evil
> and Detect Magic. They are, after all, more strongly connected to the planes because
> they actually draw powers and abilities from their blood as opposed to creatures who are
> simply from the planes and do not have a big connection to the gods.
>
> Gary
>
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Are blooded character's physicaly different(besides their obvious abilities)?
If so how? can they be recognized as such?
Is their blood literally different?
well?
GeeMan wrote:
> Pieter Sleijpen wrote:
>
> > GeeMan wrote:
> > > In AD&D evil is not just a morality judgement, it is a palpable force. If it
> > > wasn't then how could it be detected, protected against or dispelled? Granted,
> > > relatively few people have the ability to detect evil, but for those who do it is
> > > a pretty definable concept. Paladins and spellcasters who can use Detect Evil can
> > > simply sense it about a person or an object. This ability isn't foolproof, of
> > > course, but it still makes discovering who is naughty and who is nice quite a bit
> > > easier than in our world (or the Star Wars univers, for that matter.)
> >
> > Detect evil is not very full proof, now is it? You can only detect those
> > of purest evil (in my campaign only those who have sold their "souls" to
> > some outer plannar being or those plannar beings) or those with a direct
> > evil intent towards the creature casting the spell "detect evil". If an
> > evil regent is using the PC's to reach some goal and does not plan to do
> > kill or otherwise directly harm the PC's, then that would hardly
> > register. Not to mention that there are quite a few low level spells
> > that can fool those spells. My players have learned the hard way not to
> > trust on such spells, but to mainly use their own eyes and brains. Even
> > though they still concider it a usefull guide (I am not the type of DM
> > that let it be wrong most of the time or unusable).
> >
> > The protection from evil spell is somewhat more difficult, but it's
> > effects or not readilly apparent except in the case of magical
> > creatures. Dispel evil works against clearly supernatural beings, and
> > not specificly against the common evil thug or villain.
> >
> > Since I prefer normal humans as villains, who most of the time or not
> > deeply evil, most of the time only selfish and powerhungry, these spells
> > do not affect my campaign that much. They are useful against undead and
> > the horrors from the Shadow World, but as of yet no major villain has
> > used those forces against them.
>
> True, Detect Evil is not foolproof. It is, however, a pretty low-level spell, which
> might account not only for its limits, but its inaccuracy. Just a level higher and a
> priest can not just Detect Evil, but Know Alignment, which is much more definitive.
>
> Regarding Detect Evil, however.... The definition in the PHB is that a "[c]haracter's
> alignment... is revealed only under unusual circumstances..." such as particularly
> strong alignment, faithfulness, high level plus being intent on good/evil actions. It
> goes on to list several powerful monsters, generally planar monsters, who radiate good
> or evil. Strangely, however, the PHB goes on to say that the "degree of evil" can also
> be determined; dim, faint, moderate, strong or overwelming. In addition, the "general
> nature" of the evil might be detectable too, as in "expectant, malignant, gloating,
> etc." Isn't that rather contradictory? I mean, it's difficult to detect evil at all,
> but you can detect "moderately evil gloating"? Strange.
>
> Another thing. I'd argue that it is a paladin's nature and connection to the forces of
> Good that allows him to Detect Evil, therefore, he personally radiates enough goodness
> for it to be detected by anyone able to detect such things. This is the same kind of
> thing to his vulnerability to being turned by sufficiently high level and evil priests.
>
> To continue that same logic... Shouldn't you be able to Detect Magic and determine that
> a character is blooded? I mean, that's the power of the gods flowing in someone's
> veins. In the BoM there are a couple of spells for determining bloodline derivation and
> strength, but what's the point? Why not just use Detect Magic and have it be able to
> determine a character's bloodline strength? The spell description for Detect Magic says
> it can determin "dim, faint, moderate, strong [and] overwelming" intensity. Why not
> just plug tainted through true in there and have bloodline detected by an already
> existing spell? Similarly, the type of magic; alteration, conjuration, illusion, etc.
> can be determined as well. Why not say the same thing for bloodline derivation?
>
> Lastly, I'd like to toss out there that blooded individuals just might qualify as the
> kinds of "powerful monsters" who radiate enough of their alignment to be detected by the
> Detect Evil spell. Their bloodline is a connection to the outer planes, a connection to
> the gods, for that matter. Not a much stronger kind of power than that.... Plus, the
> kinds of creatures that they list in the PHB under Detect Evil tend to be planar ones
> with a connection to an outer plane or those who are aligned undead and have a
> connection to the Negative Energy plane. It does say in the Wizard version of the
> Detect Magic spell that "otherplanar creatures are not necessarily magical" but I see
> that as being backup for saying that blooded characters could be detected by Detect Evil
> and Detect Magic. They are, after all, more strongly connected to the planes because
> they actually draw powers and abilities from their blood as opposed to creatures who are
> simply from the planes and do not have a big connection to the gods.
>
> Gary
>
> ************************************************** *************************
> To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.imagiconline.com
> with the line 'unsubscribe birthright' as the body of the message.
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