Holy Word and non-good casters

[Hypersmurf]

Any non-good creatures in a 30' radius spread centred on the caster who hear the Holy Word are deafened (or worse).

If a neutral cleric casts the spell, is he subject to this effect?

-Hyp.

 

[hong]

Why not?

 

[Hypersmurf]

The precedent of other "centred on you" spells like Anti-Life Shell, Mordenkainen's Disjunction, Prismatic Sphere, and Repulsion, which affect everyone except the caster.

-Hyp.

 

[hong]

The precedent of other "centred on you" spells like Anti-Life Shell, Mordenkainen's Disjunction, Prismatic Sphere, and Repulsion, which affect everyone except the caster.

Those would be the exceptions that prove the rule.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

A neutral cleric should know better than to cast Holy Word. If he decides to smite everything impure in the area, he deserves to be smitten himself. . . .

 

[andargor]

A neutral cleric should know better than to cast Holy Word. If he decides to smite everything impure in the area, he deserves to be smitten himself. . . .

It would be easy to have a neutral equivalent, if your DM allows it. E.g. an LN cleric could cast "Word of Law" or somesuch, affecting chaotic creatures.

Andargor

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

There are equivalents:
Law=Dictum
Chaos=Word of Chaos
Evil=Blasphemy
Good=Holy Word

That's why the neutral cleric doesn't have an excuse unless he's true neutral, in which case, he gets a better deal out of Summon Monster Spells, etc and I still don't feel sorry for him.

It would be easy to have a neutral equivalent, if your DM allows it. E.g. an LN cleric could cast "Word of Law" or somesuch, affecting chaotic creatures.

Andargor

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Not only would it be easy, but those spells already exist.

 

[andargor]

Not only would it be easy, but those spells already exist.

Heck, does it show that I never play a cleric?

Andargor

 

[Hypersmurf]

There are equivalents:
Law=Dictum
Chaos=Word of Chaos
Evil=Blasphemy
Good=Holy Word

Yup, but Dictum is no use to the Lawful Neutral cleric beset by a horde of Lawful Evil devils.

Holy Word, on the other hand, is potentially a lifesaver.

-Hyp.