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So in the Monster Summoners Handbook (awesome Companion!) there's a new Magic item called the Rod of Giant Summoning:
The wielder can use the rod up to three times per day to augment her casting of a conjuration (summoning) spell, causing all of her summoned creatures to gain the giant simple template. The lesser rod can be used with spells of 3rd level or lower, the standard rod can be used with spells of 6th level or lower, and the greater rod can be used with spells of 9th level or lower.
I know that Metamagic rods cannot be used with SLAs, only spells. This Rod however, does not apply a metamagic feat, only a template to the spell's effect.
Could a summoner use this rod with their Summon Monster ability? If not, could an Occultist Arcanist through Conjurer's Focus?
Ahhh, rules creep, rules loopholes, rules exploits....
I would rule this to work EXACTLY like a metamagic rod despite their being no explicit metamagic feat for this (I would treat it as though there were).
I would also rule that it works exactly like a metamagic rod.
But this isn't a metamagic rod: If you look at the construction requirements it would seem RAI that it would work with the summoner's SLA - it would be pretty silly to have an item where the SLA allowed you to meet the construction requirements but then couldn't use the same SLA with it!
In addition there is this (my bold):
There is a distinction here, and it's subtle, but important. When you add a metamagic feat to a spell-like ability, you end up having to use a spell-like slot one or more levels higher. Since there is no such thing as a spell-like slot, you can't use your metamagic enhanced spell-like ability. (If you add metamagic feats with a +0 level modifier from some other source, they'd work fine with spell-like abilities).Augment Summoning, however, along with Spell Focus, Spell Penetration and the greater versions of same, has no need for a spell-like slot to function. Thus they work just fine with spell-like abilities in addition to spells.
I'd say it was pretty clearly meant to work with the summoner's SLA.
But this isn't a metamagic rod: If you look at the construction requirements it would seem RAI that it would work with the summoner's SLA - it would be pretty silly to have an item where the SLA allowed you to meet the construction requirements but then couldn't use the same SLA with it!
That's sort of thing is common with SLA's. Consider this FAQ.
Spell-Like Abilities and Item Crafting: Can I use a spell-like ability for an item's spell requirement?
Yes. Core Rulebook page 461, Requirements section, paragraph 2 says, "A spell prerequisite may be provided by a character who has prepared the spell (or who knows the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard), or through the use of a spell completion or spell trigger magic item or a spell-like ability that produces the desired spell effect."
For example, a demon with the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat and who has fireball as a spell-like ability can craft a +1 flaming sword, which has fireball as a prerequisite.
And now this FAQ.
Spell-Like Abilities as Spells: Does a creature with a spell-like ability count as having that spell on its spell list for the purpose of activating spell completion or spell trigger items?
No. A spell-like ability is not a spell, having a spell-like ability is not part of a class's spell list, and therefore doesn't give the creature the ability to activate spell completion or spell trigger items.
So if you had Magic Missile as an SLA you use it to meet the crafting requirements for a Wand of Magic Missiles, but you couldn't use it to activate that same wand.
That's sort of thing is common with SLA's.
That's a fair point, but I was also thinking about it from the other direction, that augment summoning works with the summoner's SLA and it's augment summoning that's the main requirement to craft this rod.
I also don't think this rod is any more powerful than feats like summon evolved monster, or augmented summoning itself that do apply to the SLAs, so I don't see any balance reason for this rod not to apply to the SLA summons.
I do find it interesting that it uses the word "augment" while talking about summoning.
That's sort of thing is common with SLA's.
That's a fair point, but I was also thinking about it from the other direction, that augment summoning works with the summoner's SLA and it's augment summoning that's the main requirement to craft this rod.
I also don't think this rod is any more powerful than feats like summon evolved monster, or augmented summoning itself that do apply to the SLAs, so I don't see any balance reason for this rod not to apply to the SLA summons.
I agree. I also think that the example I cited doesn't make sense. But Paizo has had a lot of SLA rules that seemed strange to me.
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So in the Monster Summoners Handbook (awesome Companion!) there's a new Magic item called the Rod of Giant Summoning:
The wielder can use the rod up to three times per day to augment her casting of a conjuration (summoning) spell, causing all of her summoned creatures to gain the giant simple template. The lesser rod can be used with spells of 3rd level or lower, the standard rod can be used with spells of 6th level or lower, and the greater rod can be used with spells of 9th level or lower.I know that Metamagic rods cannot be used with SLAs, only spells. This Rod however, does not apply a metamagic feat, only a template to the spell's effect.
Could a summoner use this rod with their Summon Monster ability? If not, could an Occultist Arcanist through Conjurer's Focus?
"Augment her casting of a conjuration (summoning) spell,"
SLA aren't spells. It don't work whit them.BTW a summoner can cast regular summoning spells and it will work with them.