agentnone
2011-10-22, 12:05 AM
Myself and one of players (playing a Paladin) have gotten into a few discussions regarding the use of this ability. Here's the clip from the PRD at Paizo's website.
Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range.
The way I read it is that the Paladin can use the Detect Evil ability whenever he wants, as often as he wants, but it still takes a Standard Action to activate (much like the spell) since it says "as the spell" that will also result in an AoO.
My player states the opposite saying that it doesn't take any action to use. Not a free, swift, immediate or any other action. That it just happens whenever he wants.
Since we couldn't agree I just house ruled it to be a free action to activate. But I still would like to know which one of us is right because there's other "at will" powers that will creep up in the group with other characters and I don't want to have to go through the same arguments with them as I did the paladin's player. Anyone out there can help me with this? And perhaps a page reference or something that explains the use of "at will" powers/abilities. Thanks in advance.
Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range.
The way I read it is that the Paladin can use the Detect Evil ability whenever he wants, as often as he wants, but it still takes a Standard Action to activate (much like the spell) since it says "as the spell" that will also result in an AoO.
My player states the opposite saying that it doesn't take any action to use. Not a free, swift, immediate or any other action. That it just happens whenever he wants.
Since we couldn't agree I just house ruled it to be a free action to activate. But I still would like to know which one of us is right because there's other "at will" powers that will creep up in the group with other characters and I don't want to have to go through the same arguments with them as I did the paladin's player. Anyone out there can help me with this? And perhaps a page reference or something that explains the use of "at will" powers/abilities. Thanks in advance.