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Maryring
2010-11-19, 09:26 AM
If you have a character with one body, but two distinct souls of very different alignments, what alignment would the body have for the purpose of spell effects?

Personally I am thinking it ought to be based on the soul currently in control, but I guess an argument could be made for the alignment of the actual owner of the body.

But what about Detect spells? Does being inactive hide you from detect alignment?

hamlet
2010-11-19, 09:28 AM
Depends on which soul/personality was dominant.

dsmiles
2010-11-19, 09:31 AM
From personal experience: Both.

I played a CN Warlock possessed by a demon (CE). I counted as Chaotic, Neutral, and Evil for all intents and purposes.

Maryring
2010-11-19, 09:34 AM
So she's going to be Lawful, Good, Chaotic and Evil at once? Cool.

dsmiles
2010-11-19, 09:38 AM
So she's going to be Lawful, Good, Chaotic and Evil at once? Cool.

Mine may have just been the way the DM ruled it, though. I've never seen any actual "rules" for that situation, so...

FelixG
2010-11-19, 09:42 AM
I would say, seeing as how the body has nothing to do with alignment (just as a rock doesn't detect as evil if its inanimate) that it would depend on the soul that's exerting control over the body at the time

Sir Swindle89
2010-11-19, 11:24 AM
There are possesion rules in the BoVD. They might be able to shed some light. Theres somthing about a mental hide check to get through detects and magic circles if you are possesing a person/item but inactive.

TurtleKing
2010-11-19, 11:37 AM
I would say it is the soul in control at the time. I played a character with Multiple Personality Disorder, and the alignment would depend on which is in control. Good thing my evil personalities didn't show up much because the paladin in the party would have smite me in two.

randomhero00
2010-11-19, 11:50 AM
I'd cast my vote for the soul in control. The other one may be attached to the body but its more in limbo and doesn't have an affect on alignment.

TurtleKing
2010-11-19, 01:12 PM
I would say that the soul not in control of the body. That soul could still affect the mind, and try to arrest control from the other soul. The struggle over the body could also spill into actions that the body does, by one soul having control over some of the body while the other has the other parts. So it could look like the character is punching/ kicking/ etc. itself. So while the recessive soul's alignment may not show it could still affect the character.

Marnath
2010-11-19, 02:21 PM
So she's going to be Lawful, Good, Chaotic and Evil at once? Cool.

Won't feel so cool when both the paladin and blackguard can smite you, and you're vulnerable to every aligned weapon damage like holy, unholy, axiomatic and anarchic.

Lev
2010-11-19, 02:24 PM
Two souls in one body.
Bow chicka wow wow.

Maryring
2010-11-19, 03:12 PM
Well, the main trouble I think would be detect spells. While it would be understandable that having the LG abjurer in control would make Unholy Blight Painful, while having the CE Transmuter would not, the problem is, how to react towards Detect Good? Not that there are any paladins around who'll be smiting first and asking second around in her vincity, but it could be a problem.

Darrin
2010-11-19, 04:59 PM
If you have a character with one body, but two distinct souls

Pick up a Dvati (one soul, two bodies) as a cohort, and that might even things out.

Maryring
2010-11-19, 05:15 PM
Such poor storytelling. :P

Then again, the Evil Half is basically using Ms Abjurer to build himself a new, better body that he can inhabit.

KillianHawkeye
2010-11-19, 06:23 PM
Regardless of the result, anybody casting a detect <alignment> spell should notice that person "feels funny" or that the reading is confusing or mixed somehow. Then you can maybe give them some additional info if they make a Wisdom check or a Knowledge (arcana) or something.

Silva Stormrage
2010-11-19, 08:04 PM
Ya the alignment should be whoever is in control at the time. However, the person using detect 'x' should notice something odd about the person and feel some other presence in the person.

On a side note here is an awesome homebrew template that is about this :P
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75765