I know the Spectral Hand spell delivers spells with a range of touch, but what about delivering spell-like abilities with a range of touch. I know, the spell says "touch range spells", but the description of spell-like abilities says;
"A spell-like ability has a casting time of 1 standard action unless noted otherwise in the ability or spell description. In all other ways, a spell-like ability functions just like a spell."
To me, "just like a spell" would indicate that I could use it through the spectral hand.
The specific reason I ask is because my spellcaster has the Grave Touch spell-like ability. He's actually a Necromancer / Sorcerer (Undead Bloodline). I'm almost completely out of spells, but I haven't used any of my Grave Touch ability and I still have a spectral hand floating around for about 4 more minutes.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
I'd allow it. Since PFRPG came, I've just started treating all spell-like abilities as though they were spells in every way except components.
I've seen at least one other thread on this subject, and it seems that as stringburka says, spell-like abilities work exactly like spells except for the need for components and the fact that spell-like abilities are not affected by armor, even if they are exactly like an existing arcane spell.
So, go ahead, grave touch to your heart's content from a safe distance using spectral hand. A fellow player in my group has a witch that has a bunch of touch-range spell-like abilities, and he just made the assumption that he could not use it with spectral hand. When I pointed out the rule to him and the DM, and the DM said, "Yeah, I was wondering why you weren't doing that.", he was ecstatic. :)
look up the Devourer in the Bestiary, it has spectral hand as a spell like ability, and several other spell like abilities that are touch, it can't cast spells at all... if spectral hand couldn't work on SLA then the devourers spectral hand SLA would be useless.
Thank you all very much.
I just looked up the Devourerer and, yup.... spectral hand would be useless if it couldn't use it with spell-like abilities.
Again, thanks!