The only real outward manifestation of blooded individuals is if 1) they use
their blood abilities, and since some blood abilities can look vaguely
spell-like, this isn't assured, and 2) if the character has the blood
abilites: bloodmark (physical birthmark), divine aura (aura of power
surrounding the character), bloodtrait (but only if it has been used to the
extent that it would change the character's form), and/or Bloodform (the
azrai version of bloodtrait.)

I am sure there are more out there, but these are the ones that I can think
of off hand.

Memnoch
- -----Original Message-----
From: Soviet
To: birthright@lists.imagiconline.com
Date: Monday, June 07, 1999 9:07 PM
Subject: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Detectimng the blooded (was: Detecting Good/Evil and
Bloodlines.)


>Okay this question might be in the mind of many people:
>Are blooded character's physicaly different(besides their obvious
abilities)?
>If so how? can they be recognized as such?
>Is their blood literally different?
>well?
>
>
>GeeMan wrote:
>
>> Pieter Sleijpen wrote:
>>
>> > GeeMan wrote:
>> > > In AD&D evil is not just a morality judgement, it is a palpable
force. If it
>> > > wasn't then how could it be detected, protected against or dispelled?
Granted,
>> > > relatively few people have the ability to detect evil, but for those
who do it is
>> > > a pretty definable concept. Paladins and spellcasters who can use
Detect Evil can
>> > > simply sense it about a person or an object. This ability isn't
foolproof, of
>> > > course, but it still makes discovering who is naughty and who is nice
quite a bit
>> > > easier than in our world (or the Star Wars univers, for that matter.)
>> >
>> > Detect evil is not very full proof, now is it? You can only detect
those
>> > of purest evil (in my campaign only those who have sold their "souls"
to
>> > some outer plannar being or those plannar beings) or those with a
direct
>> > evil intent towards the creature casting the spell "detect evil". If an
>> > evil regent is using the PC's to reach some goal and does not plan to
do
>> > kill or otherwise directly harm the PC's, then that would hardly
>> > register. Not to mention that there are quite a few low level spells
>> > that can fool those spells. My players have learned the hard way not to
>> > trust on such spells, but to mainly use their own eyes and brains. Even
>> > though they still concider it a usefull guide (I am not the type of DM
>> > that let it be wrong most of the time or unusable).
>> >
>> > The protection from evil spell is somewhat more difficult, but it's
>> > effects or not readilly apparent except in the case of magical
>> > creatures. Dispel evil works against clearly supernatural beings, and
>> > not specificly against the common evil thug or villain.
>> >
>> > Since I prefer normal humans as villains, who most of the time or not
>> > deeply evil, most of the time only selfish and powerhungry, these
spells
>> > do not affect my campaign that much. They are useful against undead and
>> > the horrors from the Shadow World, but as of yet no major villain has
>> > used those forces against them.
>>
>> True, Detect Evil is not foolproof. It is, however, a pretty low-level
spell, which
>> might account not only for its limits, but its inaccuracy. Just a level
higher and a
>> priest can not just Detect Evil, but Know Alignment, which is much more
definitive.
>>
>> Regarding Detect Evil, however.... The definition in the PHB is that a
"[c]haracter's
>> alignment... is revealed only under unusual circumstances..." such as
particularly
>> strong alignment, faithfulness, high level plus being intent on good/evil
actions. It
>> goes on to list several powerful monsters, generally planar monsters, who
radiate good
>> or evil. Strangely, however, the PHB goes on to say that the "degree of
evil" can also
>> be determined; dim, faint, moderate, strong or overwelming. In addition,
the "general
>> nature" of the evil might be detectable too, as in "expectant, malignant,
gloating,
>> etc." Isn't that rather contradictory? I mean, it's difficult to detect
evil at all,
>> but you can detect "moderately evil gloating"? Strange.
>>
>> Another thing. I'd argue that it is a paladin's nature and connection to
the forces of
>> Good that allows him to Detect Evil, therefore, he personally radiates
enough goodness
>> for it to be detected by anyone able to detect such things. This is the
same kind of
>> thing to his vulnerability to being turned by sufficiently high level and
evil priests.
>>
>> To continue that same logic... Shouldn't you be able to Detect Magic and
determine that
>> a character is blooded? I mean, that's the power of the gods flowing in
someone's
>> veins. In the BoM there are a couple of spells for determining bloodline
derivation and
>> strength, but what's the point? Why not just use Detect Magic and have
it be able to
>> determine a character's bloodline strength? The spell description for
Detect Magic says
>> it can determin "dim, faint, moderate, strong [and] overwelming"
intensity. Why not
>> just plug tainted through true in there and have bloodline detected by an
already
>> existing spell? Similarly, the type of magic; alteration, conjuration,
illusion, etc.
>> can be determined as well. Why not say the same thing for bloodline
derivation?
>>
>> Lastly, I'd like to toss out there that blooded individuals just might
qualify as the
>> kinds of "powerful monsters" who radiate enough of their alignment to be
detected by the
>> Detect Evil spell. Their bloodline is a connection to the outer planes,
a connection to
>> the gods, for that matter. Not a much stronger kind of power than
that.... Plus, the
>> kinds of creatures that they list in the PHB under Detect Evil tend to be
planar ones
>> with a connection to an outer plane or those who are aligned undead and
have a
>> connection to the Negative Energy plane. It does say in the Wizard
version of the
>> Detect Magic spell that "otherplanar creatures are not necessarily
magical" but I see
>> that as being backup for saying that blooded characters could be detected
by Detect Evil
>> and Detect Magic. They are, after all, more strongly connected to the
planes because
>> they actually draw powers and abilities from their blood as opposed to
creatures who are
>> simply from the planes and do not have a big connection to the gods.
>>
>> Gary
>>
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