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

[Elethiomel]

They do, as a rule, have a standard action casting time.

 

[NewJeffCT]

They do, as a rule, have a standard action casting time.

However, I think a pit fiend with its standard 26 Intelligence and methodical Lawful Evilness would be disciplined enough to renew it every 2 minutes or so.

 

[Nifft]

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.

Perhaps it never becomes bearable.

Perhaps it hurts more every time, but the fiends do it anyway rather than risk destruction.

Perhaps this is just another part of the self-punishment of the Damned.

Cheers, -- N

 

[the Jester]

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

Except that humans don't revel in blinking, and fiends do revel in doing evil.

Much like humans are, biologically speaking, built for reproduction- which is why we love us our sex- fiends are, ontologically speaking, built for doing evil- so, I posit, their feelings about doing evil should be similar to our feelings about having sex.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

fiends are, ontologically speaking, built for doing evil- so, I posit, their feelings about doing evil should be similar to our feelings about having sex.

So wouldn't they be, umm, a little distracted every two minutes? At least that explains why they never got around to conquering the multiverse.

Actually, it does make for a rather interesting image of the Hells: every few seconds the ground trembles slightly and faint cry of ecstasy rolls like distant thunder over the scorched hills, as some distant devil prince "resets" its Unholy Aura.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I just can't picture a fiend going through the same buffs every few seconds, day after day, century after century.

Ditto. Especially if it's a (chaotic) demon vs. a devil.

That being said, unless the enemy achieves complete tactical surprise, I wouldn't have a problem with a fiend constantly re-buffing if it is expecting combat.

 

[Runestar]

I dunno - I imagine that if I had an at-will SLA like aid and nothing else better to do, I would activate it just for the heck of it, when I am brushing my teeth, doing my business in the toilet, eating, watching TV, doing guard duty in the army etc. After a while, it would become second nature.