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View Full Version : Making the most out of SLA's (3.5)



JellyPooga
2009-04-19, 04:48 PM
A thought struck me that although Master of the Unseen Hand (PrC from Complete Warrior) kinda sucks for a Sorcerer or Wizard, it might not be so bad for a critter with it as a racial Spell-Like Ability (e.g. Githyanki).

You get full BAB and double Caster Level progression as well as being able to use TK more efficiently. Admittedly, you have to suck up d4 HD for 5 levels and if your previous levels involved any other casting, that doesn't progress either. Having said that, I thought it might be a niche for this otherwise maligned Prestige Class.

Anyways, before anyone can turn this into a "MotUH sucks" thread, I'll get to the point. In light of the above, I got thinking about racial SLA's in general and the various methods of improving them...but I came up short after a miniscule list of feats. Here's what I've got so far; please tell me there's more that a character can do to improve his innate abilities!

Quicken/Empower/Heighten/Maximise Spell-Like Ability (MMI, Complete Arcane)
Supernatural Transformation (Savage Species)
Ability Focus (MMI)

Keld Denar
2009-04-19, 08:37 PM
Be a Ghost for TK at will? There's stats for ghosts as players around somewhere, probably LM or SS. You'll be kinda a 1 trick pony with TK grapples or massive TK attacks, but it is a rather effective idea.

See if you can get a friendly wizardly caster to chain Greater Magic Weapon and Greater Mighty Wallop on ~20 Greatclubs and send em flailing for MASSIVE damage.

streakster
2009-04-19, 08:41 PM
Here you are. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a)

Xenogears
2009-04-19, 09:38 PM
Theres violate and corrupt spell like abilities from the BoVD for damage dealing spells. Violate Spell-Like Ability is especially good if you dont mind being a horribly evil monster....

Theres also Boost Spell-Like Ability from the same book. It increases the DC for your SLA's thrice daily. Its actually not an evil ability....

Talic
2009-04-19, 10:20 PM
Actually, ghost would be good. It even exchanges those D4's for D12's.

Darrin
2009-04-20, 10:24 PM
Actually, ghost would be good. It even exchanges those D4's for D12's.

If all you want is the telekinesis, that kicks in with lesser ghost powers at Ghost 2. So you only have to take a 2-level dip.

Chronos
2009-04-20, 11:30 PM
Be a Ghost for TK at will? There's stats for ghosts as players around somewhere, probably LM or SS.There's actually an entire book for ghost PCs, Ghostwalk.

Darrin, are you allowed to take only a two-level dip in a template class? I know you're not for a monster class, but I can't find the rule for template classes.

JellyPooga
2009-04-21, 06:07 AM
Darrin, are you allowed to take only a two-level dip in a template class? I know you're not for a monster class, but I can't find the rule for template classes.

No, at least it specifies as much for the Half-Dragon Template Class in RotD, so I figure it applies to others as well.

So from the blistering lack of response (most of what I have got being about Ghosts, rather than SLA'a in general!), I'm guessing there's not actually a lot you can do to improve innate SLA's (or SLA's in general, I suppose...a Warlock gets as little love as a Ghost in that respect).

A bit of a shame really. I did just recall the SLA specific Feats in Drow of the Underdark (like the one that lets you use a Darkness SLA as an immediate action), but they hardly cover the gamut of critters that have such diverse Spell-Likes. Hey-ho.

Darrin
2009-04-21, 07:58 AM
Darrin, are you allowed to take only a two-level dip in a template class? I know you're not for a monster class, but I can't find the rule for template classes.

From the WotC website:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a




Characters are not required to complete all the levels of a given template class in uninterrupted succession. For example, a character who takes a level of wereboar could then take a level of fighter and a level of rogue (or any other combination of other class levels) before taking another level of wereboar. A character must still take the first level of wereboar before taking the second, just as with a normal class.


There's also something about allowing characters to "gain levels in a desired inherited template class after gaining levels in an acquired template", but that entire paragraph makes my head hurt.

Fishy
2009-04-21, 08:31 AM
Ghost / Dungeoncrasher variant Fighter / Master of the Unseen Hand ftw.

Tome of Magic has Sudden Ability Focus, (which stacks with Ability Focus) and various methods of improving (Su) abilities.

If the SLA in question is a Dragonmark, then there are of course thousands of feats and items available, but goes without saying.

Dr_Horrible
2009-04-21, 08:57 AM
No, at least it specifies as much for the Half-Dragon Template Class in RotD, so I figure it applies to others as well.

So from the blistering lack of response (most of what I have got being about Ghosts, rather than SLA'a in general!), I'm guessing there's not actually a lot you can do to improve innate SLA's (or SLA's in general, I suppose...a Warlock gets as little love as a Ghost in that respect).

A bit of a shame really. I did just recall the SLA specific Feats in Drow of the Underdark (like the one that lets you use a Darkness SLA as an immediate action), but they hardly cover the gamut of critters that have such diverse Spell-Likes. Hey-ho.

The only SLA advancement rules I've ever seen are here: http://www.tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?t=28828

So yeah, it would be great to have actual ways to advance SLAs and have that be the basis of your character without the character sucking, but it doesn't exist in official D&D.