Negative Energy

[Dark presence]

Try explaining that to the underpaid town guard, or Farmer Jed. You can't expect normal people to understand spell descriptors, thats just Meta-gaming. Evil in DnD is usually very black and white. You may act like some brilliant planes travelling wizard who uses all this negative energy as you put it for good, but in the eyes of the population of Sundren they whisper about you in fear and make their children go inside if they see you coming.

See but you can't go half way either. Why would they fear the wizard for using negative energy if they can't identify it and have no concept of it as ignorant, uninitiated commoners? They should fear him no matter what elemental energy the wizard preferred because they don't understand any of it, and the wizard could kill them all easily with his powerful magics, whatever they are. Its fear of the unknown.

[Kangleton]

Yeah, but these laymen can 'feel' the negativity of negative energy. Yeah, they can also feel the heat of fire, but they more readily understand that... they can make it on their own through mundane means.

[Mighty_Draco]

Nercomancy is not inheritly evil, it's just magic involving life and death. It has a fair share of spells with the [evil] descriptor, but that's a different matter. I think the vast majority of spells involving negative energy have the [evil] descriptor. Also note that just because negative energy usually implies necromancy, the inverse is not necessarily true.

Also, I don't think it says anywhere in the player's handbook that casting spells with an alignment descriptor of evil is an evil act.

As for the weapons, feel free to RP your reaction to them however you see fit.

[HurricaneMasta]

Yeah, but people might run just because it's Jack -- not run because of Jack's sword.

[nickbeat]

An example of an inherently good necromancy spell in D&D 3.5 is Gentle Repose.

[Mighty_Draco]

Yeah, but people might run just because it's Jack -- not run because of Jack's sword.

I don't think his sword is encouraging them to stay anyways

[nickbeat]

Pooooor sword is just misunderstood. If only someone would just be kind to the poor thing, but Jack is such a cruel master.

[Mighty_Draco]

Pooooor sword is just misunderstood. If only someone would just be kind to the poor thing, but Jack is such a cruel master.

lulz, we're slowly drifting off topic, someone say something productive before Machiavelle comes along

[Machiavelli]

Using 'necromancy' spells isn't neccesarily evil in my book. Necromancy is a misnomer for the direct manipulation of life-force using the weave (toying with the undead is only the thing most commonly associated with it). As for whether it warrants alignment shifts, that probably depends on what's done with it (or whatever one of the DMs happen to decide). There are spells on Sundren with the additional descriptor '(evil)' after the school; these are the ones that we definately consider evil (and they're not all necromancy by any means). Having a negative energy weapon doesn't neccesarily make someone become evil, though if they wish to RP it corrupting them that's all good too (or if a DM gives it out in specific circumstances and specifies it has a corrupting influence, then obviously it does ).

Anyways, only my thoughts. Ultimate rulings on this sort of thing come from higher up than I!