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BobVosh
2009-10-17, 05:30 AM
Ok, this is a specialized question that I doubt RAW covers well. When you cast a spell, lets say gate, cuz it is, that has an alignment base on creature type, can you tell what alignment it is?

More specifically what is happening: a drow wizard is going to gate in a PC to reunite the party. The drow is an NPC against the actual party. However due to a spell cast by a friendly NPC they count as CE and appear drow, etc so forth for the purpose of spells. It is a level 7 spell, from a pathfinder module. Will the spell be recognizably CE or CG? Or is it just impossible to tell, and is only there to hinder clerics?

I just want to know if I should hedge my players to fast talk the drow or if it matters. Also I am kinda curious.

Eldan
2009-10-17, 07:01 AM
The spell might pop up on the detect alignment spells of the appropriate type, I'm not sure there. Apart from that:
When the summoned creature has horns, bat wings, goat feet, a trident and an aura of flames, the spell will usually be evil :smalltongue: It's the detect alignment ability for the adventurerers without paladins.

AstralFire
2009-10-17, 11:30 AM
Your post is a bit difficult for me to understand, so let me check to see if my reading of it is correct:

You wish to know if a spell with variable alignment descriptors becomes perceptibly tied to the alignment it takes on? If a Gate [Evil] spell would smell of fire and brimstone and a Gate [Law] spell would make you suddenly feel awkward and uncomfortable?

I would rule that that it would be undetectable to the untrained eye, but that you could use Spellcraft to determine it. While variable element descriptors alter their spell to become visibly fire or lightning or fire, elements by their very nature are more obvious than one's personal philosophy.

BobVosh
2009-10-17, 03:42 PM
I am curious if the caster of the spell is aware what alignment the spell is.

Mrs. McDrow summons what appears to be a drow to find out the spell was good. Suspicion arrives. Is it obvious to the caster?

I'm going off of this part of the spell: Note: When you use a calling spell such as gate to call an air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful, or water creature, it becomes a spell of that type.

AstralFire
2009-10-17, 03:53 PM
I would say a caster always knows how their spell turned out - however, in this case it doesn't apply because the shifting alignment of Gate is a reference to the metaphysical alignment of the creature, not their personal alignment. Only things with the [Good] tag transfer that to the spell, and not creatures who merely are Good aligned.