Spell-like abilities and newer-than-beta

[W. Kristoph Nolen]

This came up at ComicPalooza this weekend while my Osirion warrior was leveling up into his first levels of his Prestige Class ... Living Monolith.

In most descriptions of Prestige Classes or other places one might find Spell-like abilities, it generally notes what one should use for the caster level of when using the ability. With monsters, it's often their HD. With Prestige classes, it's often either the Prestige class level or the PCs HD. I was surprised when the Living Monolith didn't give any indication for any of its spell-like abilities what should be used. So, I looked it up. Much to my surprise, I couldn't find it anywhere in PF RPG that it gave a default answer. Then I realized that "Osirion: Land of the Pharoahs" was published under the OGL beta-test rules (which were, by default, 3.5 edition rules). So, I pulled out my older D&D material and looked it up. I found that it specifies that "If no caster level is specified, the caster level is equal to the creature’s Hit Dice."

My question is a simple one: Is there a rule for this in PFS, and if not, is the 3.5 rule assumed to be accurate, since there isn't any errata for the book that would cover this?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and commentary.

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Generally, if a rule is not modified/changed in print for the new PRPG rule books, then the older 3.5 rule is, by default, the one you go by. Of course, what you are asking for may be in an errata/update thread somewhere around these forums that I am not able find.

Oh, and there was nothing published that officially used the alpha or beta play test rules. Every book is either straight 3.5 (OGL) or PRPG.

Edit:

Ok, I just found this in the 3.5 to PRPG conversion guide, which you can download from paizo.com, and this is what it says in the section for converting 3.5 classes to PRPG:

Quote:

Class abilities should be based on the character’s level

in that class, not on the character’s total level. This
rewards characters even further for taking additional
levels in one class, even if that particular level grants
few other perks.

[Majuba]

It's an interesting question in the general sense.

However, the answer to the question for Living Monolith is listed directly under Class Features:

Osirion, Land of Pharaohs wrote:

The caster level for powers that duplicate spell effects is equal to 5 + class level.

[W. Kristoph Nolen]

Well ... you ever miss the forest for the trees?
There's the answer ... right there, in Black and White.
I was (obviously) looking solely at the descriptions of the abilities themselves. I guess it comes out the same if one takes the PrC immediately upon qualifying for it, but, I suppose not everyone does that. Honestly, I would love to see it be treated like the Barbarian's Rage ability ... a number of rounds per day, rather than times per day, but at any rate, it's a prestige class I love, and I would play it getting only two-thirds of the stuff it has now.

As was the case at the Con this weekend, it's an interesting rules conversation, just for the sake of broadening understanding - even if I do feel like a total goober for having missed something so obvious.

Thanks for the help, guys! :D

[Majuba]

Sure - thanks for reminding me about this class (and book) - wouldn't be a bad class for my PFS character to take or dip into.

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Remember that Osirion was done for 3.5 rules, so unless one of TPTB come by in the next couple of days and post differently for how it works for PRPG rules, then it will be safe to say that it was not changed for the new rule set.