Below is a description of a Detect Evil ability for the D&D Next Paladin. My understanding of Next is that it won't be reliant on alignment for mechanics so I have taken the ability back to a 2nd ed AD&D style. Please tell me what you think. Is it broken, badly worded, too complex. Tell me how you would alter it while keeping the intention to only detect hostile intentions rather than evil NPCs. Sorry for the wall of text that it is.
At first level, a paladin gains an aura that extends in a 30 foot circle around them. This aura penetrates through barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Every paladin no matter what calling they adhere to benefit from excellent awareness thanks to their aura. You can feel the hostile intentions of creatures within the area of your aura. The more hostile a creatures intentions the more aware you are of such hostility. When a person tells you a lie you feel only a slightly disturbing affect such as the palms of your hands beginning to itch. A creature wishing to hurt you might cause you real discomfort in the form of an ache in your chest.
While you automatically become aware that there is a creature within your aura hostile towards you, the direction & location of that creature is not readily apparent without taking an action to focus your attention on the feelings of hostility. As an action you may expend a use of your channel divinity to focus in on a feeling of hostility. If the creature with hostile intentions towards you is visible to you that creature is identified as the one emanating the feelings of hostility you have focused on. This focus does not tell you what hostile intentions the creature has (but you may guess based on the severity of discomfort you feel due its intentions). Your awareness of hostile intentions towards you does not tell you if the creature has hostile intentions for a friend or a companion of yours. You do not gain information about the ethics or alignment of creatures through this ability.
Some creatures are so hostile by nature that you are always aware of them when they are inside your aura. Fiends and Undead are immediately identifiable by you as fiendish or undead when they enter your aura. Depending on your alignment, religion, philosophy, or pathos the DM may decide that other creatures are always hostile towards you and you become immediately aware of them.
Paladins trained in the Sense Motive skill can learn to combine the knowledge gained by way of their aura with their trained insight into the motives of creatures. Any attempt a paladin makes to detect if a creature is lying to him may benefit from advantage at the DM’s discretion. (This could also be a great skill trick if those become available to all classes)
The paladin, so thoroughly aligned with the forces of good, can experience the mere presence of evil as a physical sensation. Although similar to the detect evil spell, the paladin's sensitivity to evil essentially functions as a sixth sense. But, like the spell, this ability doesn't work automatically. The player must make it clear that the paladin is attempting to detect evil; only then will the DM reveal the relevant information.
Use and Limitations
Unlike other senses, the detection of evil works only when the paladin concentrates for one full round, remaining still and taking no other actions. Often, paladins close their eyes, lower their head, and clear their minds by focusing on their own breathing. Some paladins extend their palms, touch their foreheads with their fingers, or sweep their hands slowly in front of them. Details of the concentration routine vary from paladin to paladin, and each is free to come up with a unique routine. Once settled on a routine, the paladin should always execute it the same way.
If attacked, distracted, or otherwise disturbed while concentrating, the paladin fails to detect evil. He may try again in subsequent rounds.
The paladin may target an individual or group up to 60 feet distant, in an area about 10 feet wide, or a location where an individual or group might be hiding, such as a clump of bushes or a concealed alcove. The paladin must face the indicated individual, group, or location, but need not see the target. If blindfolded or in thick fog, for example, the paladin can target an individual by voice or movement, or just take a guess. In a shadowed corridor, the paladin's detect-evil ability can determine if anyone—or anything—with strong evil intent lurks in the darkness.
Eligible Targets
A paladin can detect evil radiated by characters and monsters; undead created by evil magic; Negative Plane influences; evil artifacts; certain enchanted swords; and other intelligent objects that radiate evil. The ability can't detect cursed objects or traps, nor does it work on creatures of Animal intelligence or less (Intelligence 0 or 1), such as centipedes or carnivorous plants.
The paladin's sensitivity to evil responds to the target's intention to commit an evil act. The ability doesn't reveal the precise nature of the intended act, nor does it reveal the target's actual alignment. Characters who are strongly aligned, who do not stray from their faith, and are of at least 9th level might radiate evil if intent upon appropriate actions. For instance, if the paladin uses this ability on a suspicious nonplayer character, the paladin may sense that the NPC radiates evil, but not that the NPC is neutral evil, or that the NPC plans to ambush and kill the paladin. If an NPC recently murdered a passerby, the paladin might pick up evil emanations from the NPC but cannot determine the nature of the crime. Creatures such as the rakshasa, who disguise themselves with illusions, may conceal their appearances but not their evil intentions.
A high-level character unshakably committed to an evil alignment may radiate evil even when not specifically planning an evil act or thinking evil thoughts. Powerful evil monsters, such as red dragons and hill giants, also radiate evil uncontrollably. A paladin can always detect the presence of these types of evil beings, unless unusual conditions are in effect. For instance, in some evil strongholds or planes,everything reads evil, effectively negating the paladin's evil-sensing ability.
Subject creatures may not make saving throws to resist a paladin's attempt to sense evil. However, undetectable alignment and similar spells cast on a target temporarily prevent the paladin from sensing the target's evil emanations. But as soon as the spell ends, the paladin is free to make another attempt.
A paladin can't detect an evil presence through 3 feet or more of wood, 1 foot or more of stone, or 1 inch or more of metal. A thin coat of lead also prevents the use of this ability. A paladin perceives such barriers as nonspecific obstructions, without knowing their composition or widths.
Interpreting the Results
If an attempt at sensing evil fails, or if there's no evil present, the paladin feels nothing out of the ordinary. If evil is present, the paladin might experience an unmistakable physical sensation. Though the type of sensation varies among paladins, a given paladin always has the same reaction. Typical reactions include tingling in the fingertips, a warm flush, a cold chill, or a dull throb behind the eyes; the DM can make up sensations. Usually the sensation lasts only a moment.
If the paladin scans a crowd of people, tingling fingers won't pinpoint the character responsible for the evil emanations. If scanning a pool of murky water, throbbing eyes won't reveal the number or species of evil creatures lurking below the surface. However, the paladin may determine the degree of evil from the intensity of the sensation. Table 11 lists four general degrees and examples of sources. Two ways that a paladin might experience the corresponding sensations also appear. In an encounter, the DM describes only the sensation when a paladin successfully detects evil; the player must interpret the meaning of the sensation.
At the DM's option, the paladin may discover the general nature of the evil as well as its degree. A pickpocket may radiate an expectant evil, a vampire's evil may be malignant. The DM may use the sensations suggested in Table 11 to indicate the nature of evil (the paladin experiences an expectant evil as an itch on his fingertips), or may employ a different set of sensations (a warmth in the chest indicates expectant evil).
Table 11: Degrees of Evil
Degree
Typical Sources
Sensations
Faint
Pickpocket;
Slight itch on tips of
nonevil bully
fingers; light throb
behind eyes
Moderate
Mugger; skeleton
Tiny pinpricks
created by evil
along fingers;
cleric; imp;
dull pounding
typical orc
behind eyes
Strong
Mass murderer;
Pinpricks over
ghoul; vampire
entire surface of
hands; intense
pounding hurts
eyes
Over-
Venerable red
Sharp pain in
whelming
dragon; lich;
hands; agonizing
vampire mage
headache
Ambiguous situations produce ambiguous results. If a vampire waits behind a 3-inch-thick stone wall fortified with 2 feet of wood, a paladin may detect a moderate or strong sensation of evil, rather than an overwhelming one. If a murderer hides behind a window with a coat of flaking lead paint, a paladin may detect a moderate instead of a strong sensation.
If the DM can't decide which category in Table 11 to use, it's acceptable to give the paladin mixed signals. If a vicious mugger hides in a closet, but plans to surrender rather than fight if discovered, a paladin may detect both faint and moderate sensations (fingertip itches alternating with pinpricks).
A DM I used to play with ran detect evil as detect evil intent. Vlad the Impaler could be sitting at a bar sipping an ale, but if he wasn't planning his most recent impaling and was just enjoying the drink, the Paladin wouldn't detect anything. Demons and other inherently evil things being exceptions.
It's not bad, but I'm not crazy about the detect lie aspect. That really impinges on a DM's ability to run an intrigue-based adventure at low levels.
If you don't mind, let's see if I can rework it a little bit.
Detect Transgressor
A paladin emits a holy aura 60' in every direction. The aura is palpable on a spiritual level, if not a physical one. Characters who share the paladin'salignment, faith or philosophy will feel comforted by the aura. Characters who follow an alignment, faith, or philosophy that is anathema or in opposition to the paladin's aura will feel disquieted by the aura. Others will simply note an emanation of powerfulness from the paladin.
Paladins will know when someone or something in his aura that he can see is anathema to his deity, religion, or philosophy. Such transgressors cannot have committed minor sins. Their transgression must be significant (to the deity or philosophy), and they must not feel any remorse over their action. If you use alignment, then creatures of a diametrically opposite alignment will also be detected. (For true neutral, anybody of an extreme alignment -- LG, CG, CG, LE -- will be detected.) The paladin will not know which creature or object set off his sixth sense.
With an action, the paladin can learn one of the following pieces of information: (i) how many objects or creatures in his aura are transgressors, (ii) which of the objects or creatures in his aura is the most powerful transgressor (as determined by the DM), (iii) the nature of the transgression of a single object or creature in his aura that is a transgressor.
Other qualities of the holy aura:
Protection from outsiders. Enemies from planes other than the Material have disadvantage on melee attack rolls against the paladin. With an action, the paladin can share this protection with allies in his aura until the beginning of his next turn.
Protection from charm. Paladins gain advantage on saving throw against charm, domination, and fear effects. With an action, the paladin can share this protection with allies in his aura until the beginning of his next turn.
Specific orders of paladins may offer additional qualities for the paladin's holy aura. For instance, paladins of the sun god may gain fire resistance and can use an action to share such resistance with his allies in his aura. A paladin of healing may allow the paladin to use his lay on hands ability on any allies in his aura, not merely adjacent ones. A paladin of light may be able to illuminate all creatures in his aura, perhaps even having a chance to reveal illusions and invisibility.
I'd go with an ability called DETECT LAW BREAKER. It detects people that have broken the laws of a nation, group, faith or philosophy. They can detect the relative severity of the crime/sin but not the actual one. This detects the strict and literal meaning of the laws, so it's up to the detecter to determine if they broke the spirit of the law and/or if there was mitigation.
This means that you might end up detecting jay walkers and people that have spit in the street and people that may not even know that commited a crime. Crimes/sins detect until an athority rules ove the crime/sin and absolves or punishes them for it.
I'd go with an ability called DETECT LAW BREAKER. It detects people that have broken the laws of a nation, group, faith or philosophy.
Isn't this ... everybody? I mean, I eat bacon, this makes me a lawbreaker to at least two faiths, to say nothing of the philsophy of vegetarianism. This would be useless because it would literally detect every sentient being on the face of the planet.
Another day, another three or four entries to my Ignore List.
Isn't this ... everybody? I mean, I eat bacon, this makes me a lawbreaker to at least two faiths, to say nothing of the philsophy of vegetarianism. This would be useless because it would literally detect every sentient being on the face of the planet.
Yeah. I see this a lot. People really dislike alignment so they turn paladin abilities into mockeries. In a game where paladins are nto restricted to LG, paladins don't have to be concerned with lawbreakers. Heck, even in traditional D&D, paladins were supposed to be concerned with their relious tenets, not civil laws.
Meh ... the whole Detect thing is a bad idea anyway. It completely bones any kind of mystery or investigation plot when you can just squint at the right person and find the bad guy. Then you get the 'someone somewhere is mass producing Rings of Mind Shielding because every bad guy has one' and you might as well have not given the PC the ability in the first place because you have to nerf it.
Another day, another three or four entries to my Ignore List.
It's not bad, but I'm not crazy about the detect lie aspect. That really impinges on a DM's ability to run an intrigue-based adventure at low levels.
If you don't mind, let's see if I can rework it a little bit.
Detect Transgressor
A paladin emits a holy aura 60' in every direction. The aura is palpable on a spiritual level, if not a physical one. Characters who share the paladin'salignment, faith or philosophy will feel comforted by the aura. Characters who follow an alignment, faith, or philosophy that is anathema or in opposition to the paladin's aura will feel disquieted by the aura. Others will simply note an emanation of powerfulness from the paladin.
Paladins will know when someone or something in his aura that he can see is anathema to his deity, religion, or philosophy. Such transgressors cannot have committed minor sins. Their transgression must be significant (to the deity or philosophy), and they must not feel any remorse over their action. If you use alignment, then creatures of a diametrically opposite alignment will also be detected. (For true neutral, anybody of an extreme alignment -- LG, CG, CG, LE -- will be detected.) The paladin will not know which creature or object set off his sixth sense.
With an action, the paladin can learn one of the following pieces of information: (i) how many objects or creatures in his aura are transgressors, (ii) which of the objects or creatures in his aura is the most powerful transgressor (as determined by the DM), (iii) the nature of the transgression of a single object or creature in his aura that is a transgressor.
Other qualities of the holy aura:
Protection from outsiders. Enemies from planes other than the Material have disadvantage on melee attack rolls against the paladin. With an action, the paladin can share this protection with allies in his aura until the beginning of his next turn.
Protection from charm. Paladins gain advantage on saving throw against charm, domination, and fear effects. With an action, the paladin can share this protection with allies in his aura until the beginning of his next turn.
Specific orders of paladins may offer additional qualities for the paladin's holy aura. For instance, paladins of the sun god may gain fire resistance and can use an action to share such resistance with his allies in his aura. A paladin of healing may allow the paladin to use his lay on hands ability on any allies in his aura, not merely adjacent ones. A paladin of light may be able to illuminate all creatures in his aura, perhaps even having a chance to reveal illusions and invisibility.
I like this take on it. I particularly like the self-sacrifice aspect of using an action to extend the benefits of the aura to allies.
