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Su/Ex/Sp abilities: How many actions are them?

Mjollnir

First Post
I don't exactly understand how Supernatural/Extraordinary/Spell-like abilities count on a round segment. They are supposed to be standard actions as far as I know, but having a look at Demons&Devils page 26 on Tactics of the Vrocks: you can read on about the 13th line the following: after which three vrocks teleport to their selected victims (spellcasters), use their Screech ability and attack. You may think by the way it's written all of these actions occur in the same round, but I suppose that in a round they teleport (Spell-like ability), which we should consider a move action and then make their Stunning Screech (Supernatural) which we should consider an attack action. And in next rounds they would "full attack" their opponents.
Am I wrong in my considerations?
Please, reply. Thanks!
 

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The problem is that Demons and Devils, aside from having some great flavor content, has a tendency to fall behind in the rules department. Piece of advice; Unless a 3rd-party publisher is producing _new_ rules, always resort to the core books to resolve a rules question.

To answer your question about the Vrock though, it requires a standard action to use it's teleport spell-like ability, and it also requires a standard action to use its Screech ability.
 
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Supernatural and spell-like abilities generally take a standard action to use, unless the description specifies otherwise (or the Supernatural ability is obviously part of some other action, such as a high-level-monk's fast movement or a Shadowdancer's Hide in Plain Sight ability). Thus, neither a Vrock nor any other creature can Teleport (a spell-like ability, so it takes a standard action to use) and then attack (or use any other standard action) in the same round, unless they happen to have the Quicken Spell-Like-Ability feat for their Teleport, which your average Vrock doesn't. (In 3.0 you could get around this if you were under a Haste spell, but not anymore).
The Vrock's Stunning Screech is a Supernatural ability; since it doesn't specify otherwise, it takes a standard action for the Vrock to use it, so it can't do so in the same round it Teleports.
However, its Spores extraordinary ability is defined as a free action, so the Vrock *could* Teleport near someone and then release a spore cloud that same round.
 

allenw said:
Supernatural and spell-like abilities generally take a standard action to use, unless the description specifies otherwise
So, the vrock could for example teleport and (make a single) attack in the same round and in the next one could make its stunning screech ability and (make a single) attack, couldn't it?
 

Mjollnir said:
So, the vrock could for example teleport and (make a single) attack in the same round and in the next one could make its stunning screech ability and (make a single) attack, couldn't it?

No. In one round, you get one standard action, which allows a move, or you can take a full-round action, or a double move. You cannot replace your move with another standard action.
 

But: The Vrocks can teleport next to the spellcaster. He is surprised. They gain a surprise standard action, use screech. If they win initiative, they can unleash a full attack action on him.
 

With help, i.e. someone to _show_ them exactly where they need to teleport to place them next to the spellcaster, yes, they can pull this off. Without help...
 

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