Detect Evil And Good
- Level: 1
- School: Divination
- Class: Cleric, Paladin
- Casting Time: Action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
For the duration, you know if there is an Aberration, Celestial, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, or Undead within 30 feet of you, as well as where the creature is located. Similarly, you know if there is a place or object within 30 feet of you that has been magically consecrated or desecrated.
The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.
Tactical Usage
Supernatural Detection: Detect Evil and Good provides essential awareness of extraplanar and undead threats. This 1st-level divination spell excels at identifying supernatural enemies and sacred locations.
Optimal Timing: Most effective when exploring potentially dangerous areas, investigating supernatural events, or preparing for encounters with extraplanar creatures.
Resource Management: Uses a 1st-level spell slot - available from character level 1+. 10-minute duration with concentration provides substantial investigation time.
Target Selection: Self-targeting provides 30-foot radius detection. Move strategically to sweep larger areas methodically.
Spell Combinations
Synergistic Spells:
- Protection Magic: Layer with protection spells once threats are identified
- Investigation Spells: Combine with other divination magic for comprehensive area analysis
- Communication Spells: Pair with message or telepathy to coordinate findings
Class Feature Interactions:
- Divine Sense: Paladins gain overlapping supernatural detection capabilities
- Turn Undead: Enhanced targeting for divine turning abilities
- Sacred Knowledge: Cleric domain abilities benefit from threat identification
Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple casters can sweep larger areas or provide overlapping detection coverage.
Material Component Details
Component Acquisition: No material components required - only verbal and somatic components needed.
Component Handling: Simple V, S casting allows quick deployment during exploration or investigation.
Roleplay Opportunities: Different detection manifestations reflect divine insight, paladin intuition, or sacred awareness.
Economic Considerations: No costs make this economically viable for regular investigation use.
Creator Notes
Encounter Balancing: Early supernatural threat detection affects surprise encounters and ambush tactics.
NPC Usage: Temple guards, paladins, or investigators might use this to identify supernatural infiltration.
Environmental Considerations: Particularly valuable in areas with suspected supernatural activity or consecrated locations.
Campaign Integration: Essential investigative magic for campaigns involving extraplanar threats or religious conflicts.
Environmental Interactions
Terrain Effects: 30-foot radius detection centered on caster. Penetrates most barriers except specific material thicknesses.
Weather Influence: Unaffected by weather conditions, providing reliable detection regardless of external factors.
Structural Interactions: Blocked by substantial barriers - 1 foot stone, 1 inch metal, thin lead, or 3 feet wood/dirt.
Elemental Interactions: Detects elemental creatures and can identify consecrated or desecrated areas.
Common Rulings & Clarifications
Timing Questions: Action casting time with concentration up to 10 minutes. Provides ongoing detection while maintained.
Target Limitations: Self-range with 30-foot detection radius. Identifies creature types and sacred areas.
Duration Interactions: Concentration required. Can be maintained while performing other activities.
Mechanical Interactions: Detects specific creature types: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, undead.
Alternative Applications
Non-Combat Uses: Area consecration verification, supernatural investigation, temple security, or religious site analysis.
Social Encounters: Verify claims about supernatural events, investigate religious sites, or identify disguised creatures.
Exploration Applications: Dungeon exploration, religious site investigation, or supernatural threat assessment.
Utility Functions: Temple maintenance, area blessing verification, supernatural crime investigation, or religious ceremony preparation.
Related Spells
Same School: Other divination spells like detect magic (1st level magical detection), detect thoughts (2nd level mental detection), clairvoyance (3rd level remote sensing).
Similar Effects: detect magic (1st level magical auras), divine sense (paladin feature), true seeing (6th level ultimate detection).
Progression Options: detect evil and good (1st level supernatural), detect thoughts (2nd level mental), true seeing (6th level complete).
Complementary Magic: protection from evil and good (defend against detected threats), dispel evil and good (banish supernatural creatures), turn undead (affect detected undead).
Scaling Analysis
Level Progression: Remains valuable throughout campaigns for identifying supernatural threats and sacred locations.
Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots, making this a pure 1st-level utility investment.
Campaign Phases: Consistently useful across all levels for supernatural threat assessment and investigation.
Comparative Value: Excellent detection magic that provides essential supernatural awareness for minimal resource investment.
Narrative Flavor
Casting Description: Divine insight opens your senses to supernatural presences as sacred awareness reveals hidden extraplanar influences.
Effect Manifestation: Supernatural auras become visible to your enhanced perception, clearly identifying otherworldly creatures and sacred energies.
Personal Style: Clerics receive divine revelation through prayer and meditation, while paladins manifest righteous intuition and sacred awareness.
World Integration: Represents fundamental detection magic available to divine casters, often associated with temple security, religious investigation, or sacred site maintenance.