Master of Shrouds SLA and Concentration check

[Scharlata]

Hi!

Last session, the party encountered a mob of evil priests, led by a mistress of shrouds (Libris Mortis, page 46), who in the ongoing fight attempted to summon a spectre due to her class ability Summon Undead.

As one of the PCs damaged her while invoking the spell-like ability of hers (Casting Time: 1 round, as per the class feature: "This ability is otherwise identical to the summon monster spells, except that a master of shrouds adds her Charisma modifier (if positive) to the duration of the effect."), I, as the DM, had her make a Concentration check.

What spell level should I have assigend to the class ability? It functions like a summon monster spell and it can summon various kinds of incorporeal undead, depending on the class level of the mistress of shrouds.

I let her make a Concentration check of 10 + damage dealt + 5 (for the SLA). Would that have been appropriate?

Thanx

 

[Scharlata]

As nobody could help me out, I try to do this anew, based on the information given in Rules of the Game: All about Spell-like Abilities and the erratum provided for the paladin's special mount (09/2003):

"You also can calculate a spell-like ability’s level from the saving throw listed for it. Simply subtract 10 + the user’s Charisma modi-fier from the listed DC and the result is the ability’s spell level."

The class ability does not provide a spell with a saving throw DC. So I can't do it that way around.

"As noted earlier, some spell-like abilities don’t duplicate spells. For example, a paladin’s ability to call a special mount is a spell-like ability gained at 5th level. This ability is very similar to the 1st-level mount spell and can be treated as a 1st-level effect."

and

"This ability is equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the paladin's class level."

Hmm, that's a little contradictional. What about assigning the class ability Summon Undead (Sp) of the Mistress of Shrouds [MoS] the "1/3 rule"? The class ability's power grows with the class level of the MoS just as the class ability of the paladin. Were she a 6th-level MoS and could summon a spectre with the summon undead ability, the Concentration check DC were 10 + damage dealt + 2. Would a spell level of 2 be more resonable than 5?

Kind regards

 

[ElectricDragon]

Personally, I would consider the CR of the summoned monster to be the spell level. This is just a quick and easy way to do it and actually not too far off the mark. Of course, I have never had to do this with a creature who had a CR above 9. This would make her summon ability 7th level for a Cencentration check of 17 + damage dealt.

A spell level of 2 to summon a spectre seems way too low to me. But of course anything I say is House Rules, so do it the way you want.

Ciao
Dave

 

[Scharlata]

[...]But of course anything I say is House Rules, so do it the way you want.

Thanx for your suggestion. I let it sink in slowly.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Another option is to treat it as a "Mistress of Shrounds" spell.

As such, it would have a spell level of 1/2 her class level in MoS.

 

[Scharlata]

Another option is to treat it as a "Mistress of Shrounds" spell.

As such, it would have a spell level of 1/2 her class level in MoS.

Thanx, I'll try it.