Extraordinary and Supernatural Abilites

[Menexenus]

Maybe I'm missing something really obvious here, but how does one find out whether a monster's Supernatural or Extraordinary ability can be activated as a free action or as a standard action? My assumption would be that activating an ability is always a standard action unless the description specifically states otherwise. But that doesn't seem to be borne out by the descriptions I've read.

For instance, many creatures have the Stench extraordinary ability. Is this something that is "always on" and therefore does not require a standard action? Or is it something that the creature does (like the way a skunk has to stand on its forelegs and arch its back)? If it were the latter, I would expect the ability to require a standard action, but I'd also expect the effects to require a ranged touch attack or to have a cone-shaped area of effect.

How about Telepathy? Many outsiders use a supernatural ability to communicate telepathically with those who don't speak their language. Does this require the use of a standard action? I assume that it doesn't, but the description doesn't say so.

The Apostle of Kyuss at the end of the Champions Games had an extraordinary ability called "Tendrils" which allowed it to ignore damage from mundane missile weapons. Is this something that needs to be activated (using a standard action) or is it always on? If it needs to be activated, does it need to be activated each round in order to continue functioning?

...

Responders: please don't just respond to the 3 situations listed above. Although I am curious about each of them, they are just examples. What I really want is some definitive way of deciding whether a monster's special ability is always on or requires the use of an action in combat. (Presumably, those that require actions will require standard actions and not move-equivalent actions. If I'm wrong about this assumption, please also tell me when I can have the monster use a move-equivalent action instead of a standard action.)

Thanks.

P.S. If my terminology is out of date, that's because I still primarily use 3.0 sources. Feel free to update me to 3.5 terminology.

 

[javcs]

Extraordinary abilities are always on, i.e. are passive, such as evasion. Nothing can prevent an extraordinary ability from function, however, for abilities such as evasion that require space, a character could be prevented from gaining the full benefits.
They either require no action whatsoever, or function when triggered by another action, evasion/uncanny dodge.

 

[phindar]

Supernatural (su) and Spell-like (sp) abilities are usually Standard Actions, unless specified in the creature entry. This is covered under the description of the types of abilities (sp, su or ex).

 

[Menexenus]

So when a Vrock realizes that you don't speak Abyssal and it wants to taunt you using its Telepathy (Su), it can't attack in the same round (because it had to use a standard action to activate its Telepathy)?

Just checking.

 

[mvincent]

The core rules saying "Using a supernatural ability is a standard action unless noted otherwise" is somewhat misleading (or even down-right incorrect). Not needing a standard action is seldom noted, even though it is frequently the case.

The Rules of the Game seems closer to the truth here:
"A supernatural ability usually requires a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, though sometimes using a supernatural ability is a nonaction or simply works when the user takes some other action. For example, energy drain works when the user makes a successful slam (or incorporeal touch) attack."

Also, the 3.0 FAQ says:
"The shadowdancer’s hide in plain sight ability is a
supernatural ability, so by definition it takes a standard
action to hide in plain sight, right? The monk’s speed
becomes a supernatural ability at 9th level. Does a monk
have to spend a standard action to move greater than 50
feet in one action?
Though supernatural abilities usually require a standard
action to use, a few of them do not. Hide in plain sight, for
example, works just like any other use of the Hide skill, so you
use it as a move action or as part of a move action.
A monk’s supernatural speed works anytime the monk
moves. In general, whenever a supernatural ability changes the
way one of the user’s actions works, it works just like the
action it modifies."

 

[Sithobi1]

Well, since they don't have a duration, the Vrock could activate Telepathy when it was born/created/hatched, and just leave it on...