Re: [DF] Why isn't Detects as Evil more of a disadvantage?
 

And for the same reasons as in D&D, acting only on the information it provides is asking for trouble. There is no unified "evil" (as there is no unified good), and you might not want to take all the factions at once. Your goals might momentarily align with some of them, even if you never directly help them. You're choosing what evil to deal with today, nothing else, so it's not choosing between two evils (Outside of DF, where it would be choosing between two evils, it makes for hard choices and interesting situations).

Also, nominally good creatures can be at odds with your goals, and simply trusting them because they register as good just makes your downfall faster.

Re: [DF] Why isn't Detects as Evil more of a disadvantage?
 

I assume you're talking about the 0-point feature that the Infernal race (from DF3) has?

It's because it's truly a wash. Yes, anyone who uses a Detect Evil ability is going to think you're horrible, but that's already covered by your Social Stigma. At the same time, most evil curses will avoid you as they target the Good Guys, you can bluff your way into negotiations with a demon ("Halt! By entering this room, you have signed your death war-- oh, didn't realize you were Hellspawn as well. How are things?"), and so on.

Re: [DF] Why isn't Detects as Evil more of a disadvantage?
 

It is possible that you only get excommunicated in a DF world because you have done something particularly evil. You have, at least, done something that the gods agree is bad enough that you get -3 on a divine intervention roll. That could stain your soul enough until you do penance sufficient to buy off the disad.

That is something that you would have to make a judgment call on, though. In my world Excommunication is something that goes on your permanent file in the records of Heaven and you have to work to get it removed. It pops up on Detect Evil scans because Heaven wants its servants to keep an eye on those kinds of people.

Re: [DF] Why isn't Detects as Evil more of a disadvantage?
 

Social Stigma (Excommunicated) in the DF framework is always the -10-point supernatural kind – a note on your head from a deity, not merely a mortal church. Per DF 3, all evil clerics and unholy warriors must take this; it's the required disadvantage for the Unholy Might power. And Social Stigma (Infernal) includes Social Stigma (Excommunicated), as DF 3 explains; it's part of the birthright of any half-demon. What all this means is that regardless of your actions, which define whether you're small-e evil in the eyes of men, the sure sign of big-E Evil in the eyes of gods is Social Stigma (Excommunicated).

Social Stigma (Excommunicated) is worth -10 points because helpful clerical spells help you at -3, which is a pretty major drawback in a dungeon game where people get wounded many times a game session and the usual cure is . . . helpful clerical spells. Social Stigma (Infernal) is worth -15 points because it caps that off with -2 to reactions in polite social situations. There are clear game-mechanical drawbacks to being marked as a second-class citizen by the nice gods who support hospitals, organized society, and life in general.

The related 0-point feature "Functions and detects as Evil, regardless of true morality, whether this helps or hinders" is a double-edged sword; so is the very similar "Functions and detects as Good, regardless of true morality, whether this helps or hinders." These traits address not how cleric spells or reaction rolls go for you, but what tests you pass when tested supernaturally. Since being pranged harder by Evil but getting a bye from Good, or vice versa, comes out in the wash, that's 0 points.

The basic assumption in DF is that since most heroes want to be able to get healed and interact socially, they'll be neutral-to-good. Thus, being good isn't a disadvantage, but being evil has a Social Stigma. It isn't symmetrical. Whether someone without the Stigma tests as good has entirely to do with their actions . . . unless they're a celestial with that feature, in which case they get a bye no matter how lame they act.

Re: [DF] Why isn't Detects as Evil more of a disadvantage?
 

I imagine it's something like Reputation (among large population of good people) -1 [-10] and Reputaiton (among large population of evil people) +1 [10] that cancels out.

Re: [DF] Why isn't Detects as Evil more of a disadvantage?
 

Umm.. an amulet of disguise alignment really isn't that hard to acquire....

Re: [DF] Why isn't Detects as Evil more of a disadvantage?
 

Or they don't exist at all.

False Aura doesn't have to be readily available. It also merely resists the Aura spell and isn't infallible.

Re: [DF] Why isn't Detects as Evil more of a disadvantage?
 

That depends on how you play evil guys. I still follow Gygax where evil guys fight endlessly against each other, like the rivalry between the demons lords Demogorgon and Orcus and Grazz't. AD&D had evil fight against each other almost as much as against good. In the Vault of the Drow, the house of Eilserv woshipped the Elder Eye and their leader Eclavdra tried to take over the drow from Lolth. So if you play Gygaxian style dungeon delving then being evil will not grant you any friends but will for sure grant you enemies from both the forces of good and rival evil factions.

Re: [DF] Why isn't Detects as Evil more of a disadvantage?
 

Nah. The Evil guys are everyone's enemies anyway. Being Evil doesn't make them anymore your enemy, it just means you and they won't necessarily go out of your ways to antagonize each other unless necessary.

The Good guys have to tolerate the Evil guys unless the Evil guys do something evil in their area and they know about it. But then, they may have to go for Good guys of other political persuasions unless forced to band together by a serious Evil threat.

It really is pretty much a wash to be either Good or Evil.

Evil guys can do anything they want, pretty much. They'll just never have friends. Good guys have a more limited selection of actions, but may well have a lot more friends. Or not; lipping off to the local baron is a great way to find trouble, even if he is also Good.

Re: [DF] Why isn't Detects as Evil more of a disadvantage?
 

So does Social Stigma (excommunicated) make you detect as evil?

I don't see why being good isn't a disadvantage. I remember playing the Temple of Elemental Evil and our characters dressed in the temple robes so as to not attract attention as we worked our way through the dungeon. If one player had been a paladin or good cleric he would have given us away. Since most of the time you play is in a dungeon filled with evil things I feel detecting as good would be a big disadvantage.