SLA CL feat

[apesamongus]

Would a feat to increase the caster level of spell-like abilities to be equal to the character's total HD be too powerful. Many already are, but some creatures have a set CL for their abilities that starts to fall behind the curve pretty quickly (especially when you come up against SR)

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I don't think it'd be too bad to allow a monster's CL (for it's spell like-abilities) to go up by 1 for every monster HD you advance it.
As for character levels I think a feat like practiced spell caster would be good. It'd increase the CL of your spell-like abilities by 4 up to maximum increase equal to your total character level (ie if you're a monster with 3HD and 2 fighter levels and CL 4 spell like ability after take this feat your CL would be 6, then it'd be 7 with the next class level you take and 8 with the one after that). You could take this feat multiple times.

 

[Nifft]

I always thought SLA Caster Level *did* increase with HD...

For creatures with spell-like abilities, a designated caster level defines how difficult it is to dispel their spell-like effects and to define any level-dependent variables (such as range and duration) the abilities might have. The creature’s caster level never affects which spell-like abilities the creature has; sometimes the given caster level is lower than the level a spellcasting character would need to cast the spell of the same name. If no caster level is specified, the caster level is equal to the creature’s Hit Dice. The saving throw (if any) against a spell-like ability is:

10 + the level of the spell the ability resembles or duplicates + the creature’s Cha modifier.

... perhaps not up to HD, but certainly with HD. Otherwise that Fully-Advanced Balor becomes a lot less scary.

-- N

 

[apesamongus]

I always thought SLA Caster Level *did* increase with HD...

Read that again and note the word "if". So, "if" a caster level is specified (which it almost always is), then you don't use HD. It's more obvious if you look at the succubus instead of the balor. The balor's CL of 20 is the same as his HD, but the succubus has CL 12, but only 6HD. (although is, oddly enough, ECL 12, so who knows what the writer was thinking at the time)

It's the same for stuff like SR where monsters list it as just a number instead of number + HD like you would get for a character race - so a Drow's SR keeps improving steadily up into epic levels, but half the monsters in SS don't and it quickly becomes useless if you go to high levels.

 

[Nifft]

Read that again and note the word "if". So, "if" a caster level is specified (which it almost always is), then you don't use HD.

... which covers un-improved critters.

The effect of increasing HD is NOT specified, and therefore...

-- N

PS: I find "read it again" kinda rude.

 

[apesamongus]

PS: I find "read it again" kinda rude.

Not intended.

 

[Nifft]

Not intended.

Cool. Anyway, I think that CL ~= CR is probably the right formula, just like SR ~= CR +12.

-- N