Can Spell Focus be used with spell-like abilities?

[Gothenem]

I recall seeing somewhere official that Ability Focus only applies to one SLA at a time (I can't remember where, possibly in a re-print for MM3 or MM4??)

No word on the Focus' but I presume they do NOT affect SLA's, as they are not Spells. That is why creatures have Ability focus. Granting both would be too much (+3 to DC's for the cost of 2 feats?? Ouch).

That said, WoTC has shown that they are inconsistant. Part of this is different designers designing things, and not enough people around to catch them, and even they may have different ideas. The rules, of course, are not clear on this. I would err on the side of caution and say that Spell Focus and it's chain does NOT affect SLA's.

In addition, not all Spell-like abilities are SPELLS per se. For example: A black dragon's corrupt water, a retriever's find target ability, a treant's animate trees ability, etc. Would that mean that Spell Focus would work on these? If so, what school do they belong to? Why is it not mentioned?

 

[Mortis]

Wow! thread necromancy

Taken from the most recent FAQ (although its been wrong in the past)

Does Spell Focus increase the DCs of spell-like abilities? Can I apply metamagic feats or effects to spell-like abilities? What if the feat doesn’t change the spell’s level?
No. Although spell-like abilities function mechanically like spells (a fireball spell-like ability duplicates the mechanical effect of a fireball spell), they are not spells and don’t benefit from feats or other effects that specifically affect spells. This is true even if the metamagic feat effect doesn’t change the spell’s level (such as the metamagic rods from the Dungeon Master’s Guide). Sudden metamagic feats are a specific exception to this, as detailed on page 71 in Complete Arcane.
Feats specifically designed to add metamagic effects to spell-like abilities appear in the Monster Manual (Empower Spell-Like Ability and Quicken Spell-Like Ability) and Complete Arcane (Heighten Spell-Like Ability and Maximize Spell-Like Ability).

Does the Ability Focus feat (Monster Manual, page 303) apply to spell-like abilities?
Yes, although each selection of the feat applies only to a single spell-like ability. A dretch could select Ability Focus (scare) or Ability Focus (stinking cloud).

Regards
Mortis

 

[Shade]

Not quite two years have passed, but impressive necromancy nonetheless.

I feel comfortable at this time with the answer Mortis posted above. The alternative is just too problematic.