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

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by Kromm

What's more important, though, is how rare this ability is. Knowing good from evil on sight is what gods do. They occasionally lend it out to clerics. Just about nobody else can do this. In particular, it's customary in mythology that the very pride that leads to demons, undead, and other affronts obscures such beings' ability to know good from evil. They are bad candidates for such advantages. And the unintelligent and mook-level beings that constitute 99% of foes in DF all lack divine powers, too.

But if an undead or demon is repelled by holy symbols or damaged by holy water wouldn't they be able to sense or detect good near them. Otherwise they could pick up something holy by accident and then get burned.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by b-dog

But if an undead or demon is repelled by holy symbols or damaged by holy water wouldn't they be able to sense or detect good near them. Otherwise they could pick up something holy by accident and then get burned.

Sucks to be them then, doesn't it.

[Jerander]

Originally Posted by b-dog

But if an undead or demon is repelled by holy symbols or damaged by holy water wouldn't they be able to sense or detect good near them. Otherwise they could pick up something holy by accident and then get burned.

Happens all the time in movies...

[zorg]

Originally Posted by b-dog

But if an undead or demon is repelled by holy symbols or damaged by holy water wouldn't they be able to sense or detect good near them. Otherwise they could pick up something holy by accident and then get burned.

If they're repelled by holy items, then they know an item is holy as soon as they get repelled by it. And a demon who gets burned by holy stuff might be reluctant to touch crosses.

Incidentally, I get burned by hot oven plates myself, and yet I rarely touch them by accident.

[Stone Dog]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Sucks to be them then, doesn't it.

Originally Posted by Screwtape

Everything has to be twisted before it's any use to us. We fight under cruel disadvantages. Nothing is naturally on our side...

Indeed. Supernatural evil things are SUPPOSED to unexpectedly get burned by holy things that they didn't know were holy. They are SUPPOSED to get the short end of the cosmic stick.

[Stone Dog]

Originally Posted by zorg

Incidentally, I get burned by hot oven plates myself, and yet I rarely touch them by accident.

If you bought "Dected Hot Oven Plates" at character creation, you wouldn't have that problem.

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by Jerander

Happens all the time in movies...

"Boy, I sure would like to have a glass of nice cold water after a long day of terrorizing the land. Why here is a flask of water that the holy warrior I killed had in his possession; I'll just open it and take a big swig of that refreshing water....ahhhhhh it burns it burrrrrnssss."

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by b-dog

"Boy, I sure would like to have a glass of nice cold water after a day long day of terrorizing the land. Why here is a flask of water that the holy warrior I killed had in his possession; I'll just open it and take a big swig of that refreshing water....ahhhhhh it burns it burrrrrnssss."

If you give your demons IQ 8, Overconfidence, and Cannot Learn, they get what's coming for them.

[Stone Dog]

Originally Posted by b-dog

"Boy, I sure would like to have a glass of nice cold water after a day long day of terrorizing the land. Why here is a flask of water that the holy warrior I killed had in his possession; I'll just open it and take a big swig of that refreshing water....ahhhhhh it burns it burrrrrnssss."

Not having Detect Good on your character sheet isn't the same thing as having Gullible or something similar. You can't make a parallel between lacking a supernatural sense and being a moron.

[Zed]

Originally Posted by b-dog

"Boy, I sure would like to have a glass of nice cold water after a long day of terrorizing the land. Why here is a flask of water that the holy warrior I killed had in his possession; I'll just open it and take a big swig of that refreshing water....ahhhhhh it burns it burrrrrnssss."

To someone who holy water would act as corrosive, I would think the mere vapors would cause alarm. Just like if you opened a bottle of strong acid, the vapors would give you pause.

Similarly, holy symbols would have a heat to them the bad guy could sense a few feet away.

It would be a little strange that the holy items are just inert until contact is made with the enemy. I would almost say such items would have to be specifically designed that way, at greater expense to pull that off that allows them to have a triggered effect rather then some passive nature.