When casting this spell it indicates choosing one creature to be protected against. I have seen it used as protection against alignment ie good. what is correct?
The protects against outlander (creature types not from the material plane) and undead creature types. The name is a from older editions, though I don't know how the effect has changed over the years.
When casting this spell it indicates choosing one creature to be protected against. I have seen it used as protection against alignment ie good. what is correct?
Neither is correct. Protection from Evil and Good protects against any creature of the 6 listed types - you don't choose anything to do with what the spell protects against, you certainly protect against more than one creature, and the spell has nothing to do with alignment.
Until the spell ends, one willing creature you touch is protected against certain types of creatures: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead.
The protection grants several benefits. Creatures of those types have disadvantage on attack rolls against the target. The target also can't be charmed, frightened, or possessed by them. If the target is already charmed, frightened, or possessed by such a creature, the target has advantage on any new saving throw against the relevant effect.
Above is the spell text. I've bolded key words or letters that are plural which wouldn't be plural if you were only allowed to choose one. If you were intended to have multiple choices, it would tell you how many. Ergo, you get all of them.
The purpose of the list is to tell you what is included and what is not. You are not protected by the spell from an Owlbear because it is a Monstrosity, and Monstrosities are not included. A Gibbering Mouther on the other hand is an Aberration, and therefore is protected against by the spell.
No choices involved. You cast the spell, and you are protected against all of them so long as the spell is in effect. Alignment is irrelevant also. It is protection against all those creature types, regardless of whether they're good, evil or neutral.
When discussing the effects of spells, all that matters is in the spell block. Ignore the names and even the fluff in the prefacr. It's the bit inside the spell block that matter in deducing how it works.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
In older editions it did protect against certain alignments. For example, prot from evil protected against any evil creatures. There was also separate spells for prot from good, law, chaos. As alignment has been de-emphasized in this edition, actually in 4e it was pretty de-emphasized as well, they changed the effect of the spell but kept the name.
So, to the OP, people saying it protects against “good” creatures are likely remembering an old version of the spell.
When casting this spell it indicates choosing one creature to be protected against. I have seen it used as protection against alignment ie good.
what is correct?
The protects against outlander (creature types not from the material plane) and undead creature types. The name is a from older editions, though I don't know how the effect has changed over the years.
[Edit]Misread the question.
Neither is correct. Protection from Evil and Good protects against any creature of the 6 listed types - you don't choose anything to do with what the spell protects against, you certainly protect against more than one creature, and the spell has nothing to do with alignment.
Above is the spell text. I've bolded key words or letters that are plural which wouldn't be plural if you were only allowed to choose one. If you were intended to have multiple choices, it would tell you how many. Ergo, you get all of them.
The purpose of the list is to tell you what is included and what is not. You are not protected by the spell from an Owlbear because it is a Monstrosity, and Monstrosities are not included. A Gibbering Mouther on the other hand is an Aberration, and therefore is protected against by the spell.
No choices involved. You cast the spell, and you are protected against all of them so long as the spell is in effect. Alignment is irrelevant also. It is protection against all those creature types, regardless of whether they're good, evil or neutral.
When discussing the effects of spells, all that matters is in the spell block. Ignore the names and even the fluff in the prefacr. It's the bit inside the spell block that matter in deducing how it works.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
In older editions it did protect against certain alignments. For example, prot from evil protected against any evil creatures. There was also separate spells for prot from good, law, chaos. As alignment has been de-emphasized in this edition, actually in 4e it was pretty de-emphasized as well, they changed the effect of the spell but kept the name.
So, to the OP, people saying it protects against “good” creatures are likely remembering an old version of the spell.