What are the exact rules on a neutral character casting a [good] spell?

[CyberThread]

in question is the spell Call Faithful Servants:

Summons 1d4 lantern archons, coure eladrins, or musteval guardinals.

Which is a [Good] spell , can someone that is neutral cast it?

[eggynack]

Yeah. If you're a cleric, you can't cast spells opposed to your alignment, but even then you can cast anything from neutral.

Edit: I think that even includes sanctified spells from book of exalted deeds, and maybe vile spells from book of vile darkness. I only have BoED in front of me right now, and it says, "evil characters can't cast exalted spells". That seems like pretty free reign where you're concerned.

[Malimar]

The only restriction on the casting of [alignment] spells is that clerics who follow a deity of the opposite alignment can't. As such, clerics of neutral deities and neutral clerics of no deity can cast spells of any [alignment]. (Neutral clerics cannot be followers of a non-neutral deity.)

(That said, casting an [alignment] spell is an act of that alignment -- so if you cast too many [good] spells, you may run the risk of your alignment actually becoming Good for performing too many good acts, depending on your DM.)

[WhatBigTeeth]

Most characters can cast spells regardless of alignment descriptors. Only classes with specific restrictions, like Clerics and Divine Bards, can't cast spells with certain alignments.

[tyckspoon]

The only restriction I know of is for Clerics, who are not allowed to cast spells that oppose their or their deity's alignments- eg, a Lawful Good Cleric cannot cast spells with the [Chaotic] or [Evil] descriptors. Nobody else has a mechanical restriction against this, although it should be noted that casting an aligned spell is an aligned act.. so, for example, a Paladin that uses an item to cast an [Evil] spell will fall for performing an evil act. For most characters this does not have significant mechanical relevance, but from an RP perspective a Lawful Good non-Cleric would likely hesitate to use a [Chaotic] or [Evil] spell.

[eggynack]

I don't see any restrictions against corrupt magic, actually. I think that you can have greater luminous armor and claws of the bebilith up at the same time. That's kinda neat.

[Emperor Tippy]

(That said, casting an [alignment] spell is an [alignment] act -- so if you cast too many [good] spells, you may run the risk of your alignment actually becoming Good, depending on your DM.)

That is why you balance your good deeds with evil deeds.

[angry_bear]

I don't see any restrictions against corrupt magic, actually. I think that you can have greater luminous armor and claws of the bebilith up at the same time. That's kinda neat.

That has to be an oversight of some kind... Seems like that shouldn't be able to happen imo.

[WhatBigTeeth]

Sanctified spells require a character to be wholly devoted to good and corrupt spells say the same thing about evil. Sounds like a tough pitch to mix them.

[eggynack]

That has to be an oversight of some kind... Seems like that shouldn't be able to happen imo.
Looking closely at it, I can't even see anything that says that good characters can't cast corrupt spells. It'd probably lean you towards neutral in the process, but I think you can do it. Clerics obviously couldn't manage it, but it looks like wizards could. To be honest, I never understood why claws of the bebilith is corrupt to begin with. It basically just gives you kinda long claws, and there isn't even anything in the flavor text that attempts to justify the classification. Anyway, if the spell has the capacity to shift your alignment, then casting exalted and corrupt spells together as a neutral character would be more than possible. It'd be a potentially necessary precaution against going towards one of the two alignments. :smallsmile: