Does the Fey Bloodline, "Laughing Touch" ability work on constructs or undead?

[KKay529]

I assumed that this is an enchantment/compulsion spell-like ability like hideous laughter, however the player (you know who you are!) is adamant that Laughing Touch works completely differently. He suggests that it is not an enchantment/compulsion effect at all but rather is a burst of unadulterated feyness which stimulates a response somehow to laugh...Not sure how or why my animated object with no physiology, immunity to mind affecting and no int should be subject to this...

Any thoughts?

[Morain]

My thoughts are, no. They're both immune.

[James Jacobs]

As written, yes, this effect can affect undead and constructs because we forgot to say "This is a mind-affecting effect." Which it should be, in my opinion.

I can't imagine this is anything other than an error of omission. I'll flag it for future errata.

[Dire Mongoose]

It works, because there's no limitation written into the ability.

Trying to apply logic to the fluff of game rules is the first step down a slippery slope into madness.

[stringburka]

Rules-wise? They are affected. Nothing in the rules mentions any limitation of that kind. Since this is the rules forum, that would be the correct answer.

I wouldn't mind a DM who house-ruled it though. It makes sense and Fey is a decent bloodline anyway. However, it isn't a very powerful ability (kind of useful for gish-types, but nothing more than a last resort for any serious sorcerer - melee touch? UGH!).

On the other hand, I like magical abilities that "break the rules" (or norms, rather). I like Witch's cackle working in an area of silence and I somehow like the feyblooded sorcerer being so "weird" that it can force even a table to laugh.

On the other hand, I prefer fey as strange, somehow very unnatural and alien beings even though they live in forests.

[KKay529]

I appreciate that "as written" the power affects constructs, undead, or presumably, plants...as long as they are determined to be a "creature." I also appreciate the cautionary statement of how applying logic to fluff game rules can cause or exacerbate mental instability. I do have a problem with that....the logic-to-fluff thing, not the mental instability.

I think, perhaps, what I appreciate most of all is someone weighing in with an "official" position and flagging this for future errata!

Thank you all for weighing in!

[Brocimus]

Sorry to res a dead thread, but is this ability considered a compulsion spell, thereby granting the Fey sorcerer a +2 to the DC? Does being a spell-like ability exclude it from benefits under "whenever you cast a SPELL of the compulsion subschool?"

[Brocimus]

Never mind. I answered my own question. Apparently, Laughing Touch doesn't have a save associated with it.

[Necroluth]

Brocimus wrote:

Sorry to res a dead thread, but is this ability considered a compulsion spell, thereby granting the Fey sorcerer a +2 to the DC? Does being a spell-like ability exclude it from benefits under "whenever you cast a SPELL of the compulsion subschool?"

It isn't considered a spell at all. PF defines spells and spell-like abilities as two very different types of action. Any modifiers that affect spells, such as Spell Focus or the sorceror bloodline bonuses do NOT affect spell-like abilities, including the bloodline powers. In order to increase the DC on the bloodline powers, you would need to take a monster feat like Ability Focus, which gives a +1 to the DC of a natural or spell-like ability.