Getting spells as SLAs

[Yora]

Are there ways in which a character can gain a spell as a spell-like ability?

[Ravens_cry]

Archmage (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/archmage.htm) is one way for a limited amount.

[Yora]

That's almost exactly what I'm looking for, but only available at 13th level. I'm thinking more of 5th or 6th level.

[Cieyrin]

Archmage (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/archmage.htm) is one way for a limited amount.

Innate Spell as well, though it's far less efficient and limited, since it basically limits you to getting a 1st or 0 level pre-epic. Still, it's at-will, so you could put a Nerveskitter in it and never worry about it again.

EDIT:
That's almost exactly what I'm looking for, but only available at 13th level. I'm thinking more of 5th or 6th level.

If you want it for E6, E6 Archmage (http://www.myth-weavers.com/wiki/index.php/Epic_6/Character_Creation#Archmage) has the Spell-Like ability feat, you just need to balance it with Expanded Caster Stamina (http://www.myth-weavers.com/wiki/index.php/Homebrew:DnD3.5/Feats/Expanded_Caster_Stamina) so you can have your casty pie and eat it, too! :smallbiggrin:

[Alleran]

That's almost exactly what I'm looking for, but only available at 13th level. I'm thinking more of 5th or 6th level.
Play as a hatchling Phaerimm. They're LA +4, I think.

All your spells are now SLAs. And yes, that does mean all of them.

[Luckmann]

Play as a hatchling Phaerimm. They're LA +4, I think.

All your spells are now SLAs. And yes, that does mean all of them.

At first I was like "Dude.. what?" and then I was like "Holy ****" and then I just had to ask; What book is this in?

Not that anyone would like the play a Phaerimm.

[Alleran]

At first I was like "Dude.. what?" and then I was like "Holy ****" and then I just had to ask; What book is this in?

Not that anyone would like the play a Phaerimm.
Lost Empires of Faerun.

A Hatchling Phaerimm has 1 RHD, so you can swap it out for a Sorcerer level. You can go for any level, obviously, but Sorc levels double-stack for determining spellcasting level (so you have 9th level spells at 9th level, all cast as SLAs). The SLA part:

"A phaerimm casts arcane spells as a sorcerer (caster level equals phaerimm's character level). Phaerimms use their sorcerer spells as if they were spell-like abilities, so they require no verbal, somatic or material components."

And upon checking, a Hatchling is actually LA +2, not +4. So at 5th-6th level, you'd have 3rd level Sorcerer spells (LA +2 and three or four Sorc levels), all cast as SLAs.

[Z3ro]

Doesn't Factotum's arcane dillientte count as a spell-like ability? Not sure that's what you're looking for, but they do get it at level 2.

[KillianHawkeye]

About half of the Warlock's invocations are based directly on a Sorc/Wiz spell.

[Coidzor]

Spell-Stitched is always an option, of course, but has a Wis-based limitation on spell level & a hefty cost.

[Psyren]

Be psionic - all your powers are automatically PLAs. :smalltongue:

[graeylin]

1) Be a gnome. Or probably several other races, but i know gnomes offer SLA's.
2) There are several feats in Complete Arcane that grant SLA's.

[gorfnab]

Shadowcasters have mysteries (spells) that are cast at lower levels as spells, then as SLAs, and then as SUs.

[King Atticus]

Kobold with Draconic Right of Passage gives a SLA of a 1st level spell 1/day and Greater DRP bumps that up to 3/day.

[Metahuman1]

Ok, probably a dumb question, but what exactly is the benefit of getting spells as spell like ability's? Does it make it so you can't ever run out of castings per day or something? Make them harder to Dispel, last longer, Immune to Anitmagic fields or Arcane spell failure?

[Keld Denar]

SLAs are impossible to counterspell, have no verbal/somatic/material/XP components and don't require focus. So if you had say...Limited Wish as a SLA, you could use it without paying the XP cost. Generally doesn't give you more uses/day, given that they are often limited on a /day basis, but there are other very nice benefits.

[Psyren]

Ok, probably a dumb question, but what exactly is the benefit of getting spells as spell like ability's? Does it make it so you can't ever run out of castings per day or something? Make them harder to Dispel, last longer, Immune to Anitmagic fields or Arcane spell failure?

The one big benefit SLAs have is lack of components. This has several implications:

- They are automatically silenced and stilled (useful if you're trying to be sneaky, or you're grappled/immobilized/etc.)
- No XP costs
- No material components (costly or otherwise)

There are specific SLAs that keep XP costs (e.g. the archmage) but those are specific exceptions to the general rule.

SLAs also cannot be counterspelled (though they can be disrupted.)

cursed ninjas

[Metahuman1]

You know, I may just have a game this would be perfect for then. Thank you very much for enlightening me. :smallsmile:

Edit: And another question occurred to me after I looked at the race mentioned above for the "Casts Sorcerer spells as Spell-like ability's. Is this ability tied to Racial hit dice and Sorcerer levels exclusively? Or, can I take levels in another class with this as the characters race, like say Fighter or Monk or Paladin, or Factotem or a Tome of battle class (Just to show I know how to pick weak form strong in general.) and still get Sorcerer casting of SLA's as if I was a Sorcerer of that level?

I want to know for sure before throwing this at a potential DM.

[Treblain]

Dragonblood Sorcerer substitution levels (Races of the Dragon) can make one spell an SLA at level 4.

[Yora]

My primary intention is to customize tieflings and characters subtly altered by magic.
When it's just a single spell, it seems much neater to have it as an SLA than to put 4 sorcerer levels on the character.
A custom feat would do the job, but I'm just wondering if there is already something like that that could be used as a baseline.

[DoctorGlock]

CA isn't the only version of innate spell

FRCS or PGtF have a version of innate spell without as many prereqs or needing a spell of 8 lvls higher. You can only use it 3/day though. This works well with supernatural transformation.

I was under the impression that SLAs with an XP cost kept the cost, only loosing it when the transform to SU. Does anyone have a link to the source of no XP for SLAs?

[Ravens_cry]

As and ye shall receive (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#spellLikeAbilities).

A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus or have an XP cost.

[DoctorGlock]

My wizard just died of happiness. You might be found guilty.

[Ravens_cry]

My wizard just died of happiness. You might be found guilty.
When a spell-like is cast, no conviction can last!

[ericgrau]

My primary intention is to customize tieflings and characters subtly altered by magic.
When it's just a single spell, it seems much neater to have it as an SLA than to put 4 sorcerer levels on the character.
A custom feat would do the job, but I'm just wondering if there is already something like that that could be used as a baseline.

Custom feat inspired (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209512), if all else fails run it by your DM.

[Runestar]

The few sources of gaining SLAs typically involve you giving up one slot for the ability to use said SLA a few times, so you actually increase your number of spells useable each day.

Dragonpacts also give you extra SLAs, but it requires at least 4 sorc lvs.

DMG2 has a trait letting you grant an npc a single SLA, but it comes with a ridiculous cr adjustment.

My advice - give assign the SLAs ad-hoc.


Originally Posted by d20 SRD: Spell-Like Abilities
A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus or have an XP cost.

Note that most other abilities granting SLAs explicitly state they will require xp and expensive material components. :smalltongue:

[RagnaroksChosen]

I am a big fan of phenric/woodling wisper gnome with magic in the blood.

I played an awesome one a while ago named Jack. Had a lot of fun as he got 1 level of bard grabbed jack of all trades and or the bard jack of all trades ability. the amount of bonus increases you get makes it a nice skill monkey concept... After that 1 level the gm asked me to trade up the character or only go non casting npc classes. so I went expert it was pretty fun.

[Psyren]

I was under the impression that SLAs with an XP cost kept the cost, only loosing it when the transform to SU. Does anyone have a link to the source of no XP for SLAs?

What you're thinking of is a specific exemption to the general rule quoted by Ravens_Cry, that some methods of granting SLAs impose. The Archmage, for example, states:


Spell-Like Ability

An archmage who selects this type of high arcana can use one of her arcane spell slots (other than a slot expended to learn this or any other type of high arcana) to permanently prepare one of her arcane spells as a spell-like ability that can be used twice per day. The archmage does not use any components when casting the spell, although a spell that costs XP to cast still does so and a spell with a costly material component instead costs her 10 times that amount in XP. This ability costs one 5th-level spell slot.

Differences between Archmage SLAs and normal SLAs bolded.