Changing a Pit Fiend's Quickened SLA to what?

[NewJeffCT]

the standard pit fiend has a Quickened Fireball as a Spell Like Ability. However, I'd like to change that up a bit. What should I change it to - a Quickened Power Word Stun? Invisibility? Maybe a Maximized fireball instead?

These are the choices from the SRD:

At will - blasphemy (DC 25), create undead, fireball (DC 21), greater dispel magic, greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), invisibility, magic circle against good, mass hold monster (DC 27), persistent image (DC 23), power word stun, unholy aura (DC 26);

Thanks

 

[Crust]

Well, if you can somehow get your pit fiend's caster level to 22, you could quicken a blasphemy. You'd be going against the RAW technically, but I personally don't see a problem with adding a "22" where that bothersome hash mark is in the MM.

Quickened blasphemy could be nasty, though how you get your pit fiend to caster level 22 is up to you.

 

[freyar]

You can only Quicken up to 6th level spells with Quicken SLA, so your options are create undead, fireball, greater dispel, invisibility, magic circle, and persistent image. You can go up to 8th level if you switch to Empower SLA (note, you can't Maximize, since these are SLAs, not spells), but I'm not seeing any candidates with variable effects there. Quickening fireball actually seems pretty good, though maybe a sneaky pit fiend would quicken invisibility, or a cowardly one would quicken greater teleport. Quickening greater dispel might not be bad, either.

Also: the Quickened or Empowered SLA is Quickened or Empowered only 3/day.

 

[Shin Okada]

Actually, SLA can be Maximized via Maximize Spell-Like Ability feat in Complete Arcane. And any number of Spell-Like Ability related feats can be applied to one use of a spell-like ability as long as the original equivalent spell level and caster level are met. So, for example, one can use Empowered, Maximized and Quickened Fireball SLA and then use Empowered and Maximized Fireball SLA in the same turn.

But anyway, I vote for Quickened Greater Dispel Magic. A Balor can use it to debuff some PC, or to suppress some magic weapons. It is a good idea when a Balor is confronted by a warrior wielding a good aligned cold iron weapon.

And, only Quickened 3/day is not a problem usually. Most combats of 3.5e ends within 3-4 rounds.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

But anyway, I vote for Quickened Greater Dispel Magic. A Balor can use it to debuff some PC, or to suppress some magic weapons. It is a good idea when a Balor is confronted by a warrior wielding a good aligned cold iron weapon.

I second the Quickened Greater Dispel.

 

[Runestar]

Though if you are a stickler for the rules, do bear in mind that a pit fiend has only caster lv18 (and not 20) for its SLAs, and can thus only quicken up to 5th lv spells (so greater dispel would not be a valid choice).

There is no point quickening magic circle given its long duration (and the fact that it is usable at will), since I would assume that the pit fiend has it on 24/7 (that and its benefits are typically superseded by unholy aura anyways).

Seems like fireball is your only viable option.

 

[freyar]

Though if you are a stickler for the rules, do bear in mind that a pit fiend has only caster lv18 (and not 20) for its SLAs, and can thus only quicken up to 5th lv spells (so greater dispel would not be a valid choice).

There is no point quickening magic circle given its long duration (and the fact that it is usable at will), since I would assume that the pit fiend has it on 24/7 (that and its benefits are typically superseded by unholy aura anyways).

Seems like fireball is your only viable option.

Oh, you're right about the CL. Somehow I just noticed the wish being at CL 20 and took that...

 

[NewJeffCT]

Though if you are a stickler for the rules, do bear in mind that a pit fiend has only caster lv18 (and not 20) for its SLAs, and can thus only quicken up to 5th lv spells (so greater dispel would not be a valid choice).

There is no point quickening magic circle given its long duration (and the fact that it is usable at will), since I would assume that the pit fiend has it on 24/7 (that and its benefits are typically superseded by unholy aura anyways).

Seems like fireball is your only viable option.

In looking at the Pit Fiend's stats late last night & this morning, I'm going to bump the pit fiend up a couple of hit dice from the standard 18 to 20, though. So, that could also mean the effective caster level also increases to 20. And, if I did not, I might go with two Quickened SLAs in Fireball and Invisibility and drop Great Cleave... Do a full attack, cast quickened Invisibility, then move around the melee, then repeat the next two rounds.