Role-playing Games Asked on December 26, 2021
The paladin’s divine sense ability, and the detect good and evil spell, presuppose the existence of both consecrated and desecrated ground. The paladin ability further suggests one way to create them.
you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell.
By saying "as with" the hallow spell, rather than "by" the hallow spell, it is implied that there are other ways to consecrate or desecrate ground. This is further implied by the strict size and shape permitted by the hallow spell but with the DMG description of desecrated ground allowing it to be "of any size".
Both the spell and the ability reveal that objects rather than areas may be consecrated or desecrated as well, an effect that is not brought about by the hallow spell.
Thus it is clearly established that while the hallow spell is one way to produce consecrated or desecrated ground, it is not the only way.
The DMG describes the only effect of desecrated ground as
Undead standing on desecrated ground have advantage on all saving throws
which is noticeably weaker than the effects of hallow. There is no description that I can find of the effects of consecrated ground (independent of hallow), or of consecrated and desecrated items.
Question: Is there any existing description of the effects of consecrated ground that I have missed?
The related question asks whether ground can be consecrated or desecrated without the use of the hallow spell. I am not asking that; I am assuming that it can. I am asking if there is any published description of what the effects would be of ground that is consecrated but not hallowed.
Reference to means of creating consecrated ground in other editions is not a good answer. Designer notes and commentary outside of official publications hinting at intent or future releases are acceptable.
As you have noted, there is an entry in the DMG (p. 110) on Desecrated Ground, the full text of which is:
Some cemeteries and catacombs are imbued with unseen traces of ancient evil. An area of desecrated ground can be any size, and a detect evil and good spell cast within range reveals its presence.
Undead standing on desecrated ground have advantage on all saving throws.
A vial of holy water purified a 10-foot-square area of desecrated ground when sprinkled on it, and a hallow spell purifies desecrated ground within its area.
Given that these appear under the section Wilderness Hazards, it stands to reason that consecrated ground would not be considered hazardous (unless you're evil, I suppose, but generally the assumption in D&D is that you're going up against the evil guys, though not always), so it makes sense that such a thing would not appear listed under this section.
However, it appears that there is no mention of consecrated ground throughout the DMG, and I know of no other book that mentions consecrated or desecrated ground (excluding those that refer to the DMG, such as the two occurrences of desecrated ground from Curse of Strahd1) outside of the hallow spell. Whilst it makes sense that if there is desecrated ground that can exist outside of the hallow spell, there should be such a thing as consecrated ground, but no such rules for that seems to exist.
1 Will-O'-Wisp random encounter, p. 33, and area K67, p. 78.
Answered by NathanS on December 26, 2021
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