If a monster has an "at will" spell-like ability...

[the Jester]

Seems to me that sporting an unholy aura at all times would be cool for a demon. It's prolly pleasurable, feeding its malice with raw evil energy.

Heck yeah I think it would be up all the time.

You can't compare a human's walking to a demon's urge to have a constant aura of evil up. Demons do evil. That is what they do- hell, it's what they are. Demons love doing evil, and imho they will do it whenever they can. One way to do evil is to cast an evil spell/use an evil spell-like ability. That's all the justification I need.

 

[Noumenon]

Even though I'm sure this topic has been covered before it's still a really cool thread. Thanks, guys.

 

[PythonPuncher]

By no means attempting to resurrect a potentially dead thread, but I wanted to finally quit lurking and add to the conversations here at EN.

That being said, I'm inclined to believe that all "at will" abilities will be unique to the individual being and ability. Each one will require a different reasoning. In the example given (a Pit Fiend and his Unholy Aura) I would think that its less of an "At Will" and more of a "Always On".

Yes, I understand that they are typically 2 different things, but in the given situation I'd like to think the Pit Fiend is always Unholy. I mean, it *is* a demon.

 

[frankthedm]

That being said, I'm inclined to believe that all "at will" abilities will be unique to the individual being and ability. Each one will require a different reasoning. In the example given (a Pit Fiend and his Unholy Aura) I would think that its less of an "At Will" and more of a "Always On".

The Pathfinder ruleset agrees with this sentiment.

Marilith
Aura unholy aura (DC 25)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th)
Constant—true seeing, unholy aura (DC 25)

 

[NewJeffCT]

The Pathfinder ruleset agrees with this sentiment.

Marilith
Aura unholy aura (DC 25)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th)
Constant—true seeing, unholy aura (DC 25)

Interesting change - does that mean the effects can be dispelled?

 

[freyar]

Here's the money quote from the Pathfinder Reference Document:

Constant spell-like abilities function at all times but can be dispelled. A creature can reactivate a constant spell-like ability as a swift action.

That's generally the case in 3.X, as well, though it's spelled out with each monster much of the time.

 

[Elethiomel]

After a day or so re-activating Unholy Aura every 18 rounds, it would be tedious. After a week, it would be nearly unbearable. After a month, it would be habit. After a year, it would be thoughtless habit. After ten years, it would be as natural as blinking is to humans. My pit fiends roll 1d10+5 to see how many rounds are left - as humans blink more often than necessary, a Pit Fiend could reactivate his Unholy Aura more often than necessary.

 

[the Jester]

After a day or so re-activating Unholy Aura every 18 rounds, it would be tedious. After a week, it would be nearly unbearable.

Not if you got off on doing evil, and by definition activating an evil power is an evil act.

It would almost be the demonic/diabolic equivalent of masturbation.

 

[NewJeffCT]

It would almost be the demonic/diabolic equivalent of masturbation.

XP awarded for that quote.



But, to take it a step further, it would likely become routine for the pit fiend, like the assembly line worker who always does X after steps A-W are completed before him.

 

[PythonPuncher]

But, to take it a step further, it would likely become routine for the pit fiend, like the assembly line worker who always does X after steps A-W are completed before him.

Admittedly I have not looked at the terminology in some time, so I'm going to assume that At Will effects have no effective casting time, right? If thats the case, there is no "effort" given to activating a power. Regardless of how often the creature has to do it, the action is less of an action and hardly even a thought.

If it has a cast time, then perhaps I could see a bit of merit behind not doing it as often, albeit only a little.

Since we seem to be in the habit of making comparison examples:

Thus Pit Fiend "at Will" Unholy Aura = *as previously mentioned* humans blinking would be the best example.