You can use dispel magic to remove an effect from a spell-like ability but you can not counterspell a spell-like ability.
i take the italisized portion to mean that yes you can use dispell magic to counter spell a SLA. thank you my dm will hate you from now on.
No, dispel magic is italicized because it is a spell name, and spell names are always supposed to be italicized.
Or grapple and hope they fail the concentration check.
Or a paladins (oath against fiends archetype) anchoring aura can possibly stop any evil outsider from teleporting. When an evil outsider attempts to teleport/dimension door/plane shift etc they will have to make a will save, if they make it the ability works as normal, if they don't make it the ability fails.
On what planet are you trying to STOP a Balor from teleporting away?
On what planet are you trying to STOP a Balor from teleporting away?
When you want to kill the Balor now instead of letting it heal up and come back at you. Especially if you expended significant resources to knock it down in the first place.
The already says that it can't be done. That is 100% affirmative. Assuming there are ways to get around it is just speculation on the player's part.
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From the PRD:
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): Spell-like abilities, as the name implies, are magical abilities that are very much like spells. Spell-like abilities are subject to spell resistance and dispel magic. They do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated (such as an antimagic field). Spell-like abilities can be dispelled but they cannot be counterspelled or used to counterspell.
seems pretty straight forward to me. Spell like abilities can be dispelled, but not counterspelled. Using the dispell magic to counterspell is still counterspelling, thus not allowed vs spell like abilities.
Director of Games
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so i just have to ask, and no im not trying to be a smart ass, why isn't everything as clear as the second post. to be honest even though i could arive at that conclusion with the initial wording, the fact that dispell magic was a functioning spell versus SLA's threw me off. even though the next sentence said counter spell dosent work. my thinking was " does this mean counterspelling the action, or counter spelling the ability of dispell magic, or just period. but then why would they have dispell magic prior to that sentence?""SLA's cannot be counterspelled at all, by any spell or dispel magic."
there is so clear no way to misconstrue this even if you were trying to get over on the gm.sorry just had to express that, and say thank you jason for clearing that up 100%
Because my first post was just trying to sum up what is clearly expressed in the core rulebook. Clarity in wording is unfortunately very subjective. We try our best, but we often have limited space or time to come up with incredibly concise wording and have to settle with what we have.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
They CAN be dispelled, but not counter-spelled. They have to be allowed to "go off" before dispel magic can be used on them.
So why can't spell like abilities be dispelled? They are magic. They are often weaker than dispel magic. They certainly aren't any faster. So what's the difference?
They can be dispelled, they just can't be counterspelled.
So why can't spell like abilities be dispelled? They are magic. They are often weaker than dispel magic. They certainly aren't any faster. So what's the difference?
They CAN be dispelled. They CAN'T be counterspelled (not even with the counterspell ability of dispel magic).
You can thank me later Jason. *finger pistol + wink*
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So why can't spell like abilities be dispelled? They are magic. They are often weaker than dispel magic. They certainly aren't any faster. So what's the difference?
They can be dispelled. The cannot be counterspelled.
Dispel Magic can absolutely be used on spell-like abilities.
Counterspelling is a specific use of Dispel Magic* that counters a spell as it is being cast. A spell-like ability is not cast like a spell, and so cannot be counterspelled while it is being cast.
At any time after it is cast (including the next round) it can be gotten rid of by Dispel Magic.
*Or another spell. Specifically, the same one being cast.
On what planet are you trying to STOP a Balor from teleporting away?
If your fighting a Balor and you get it to the point where it wants to run, you REALLY do not want it to run. You want it DEAD.
I guess I mean why cant they be counter spelled?
Because unless otherwise stated, they have no components. Meaning you have 0 way to realise a SLA is being used until it is used, which is then too late to counter.
SLA's require no movements or gestures, just a simple act of mental effort that has no outword sign (hence why it uses a standard action). With a generous DM you might be able to ready an action to dispels a Spell Like Ability as soon as it was used if it has a visible cue once done, but that will still be AFTER it is already going.
Additionally, counterspelling specifically is using a known spell forumula to unweave another/identical formula that you can recognise (hence the spellcraft check) WHILE it is being done/crafted/weaved/cast. Spells can be spotted as they are being cast. SLA's cannot. Also SLA's are not spell formula. They are expressions of fundamental magic that are very similar to actual spells in GAME outcome but nowhere like them in activation or actualization.
For example a fireball SLA acts like a fireball spell in game resolution but in no way is it created like one IN GAME by the user, hence why it is a SLA and not a SPELL to begin with. And even two creatures with SLA fireball will enact that SLA totally differently, magically speaking, since it is an SLA and not a spell.
Spells and SLA DO have major differences in the game world, hence why they behave differently and are have different rules. One of which is you cannot counterspell an SLA.
To deal with the Balor, off the top of my head:
-Paladin's Anchoring Aura
-Paladin's SLA of Dimensional Anchor (comes along later in the same archetype)
-Dimensional Anchor
-Teleport Trap
-Antimagic Field
-Dimensional Lock
-Magic Circle Against (Choose your Alignment Type)
-Inflicting any status that prevents it from taking the standard action needed to use the abilityAnd I'm sure there are others if you put your mind to figuring them out.
You can also just hope it fails the concentration check to cast defensively. SLAs provoke, I believe.
They do provoke.
Page 183
Table 8-2 Actions in Combat
Standard Action: Attack of Opportunity
Use Spell-like Ability: YES
Using an SLA is distracting enough to provoke, yes.
On what planet are you trying to STOP a Balor from teleporting away?
I profoundly dislike it when my experience points teleport away from me.
You don't have to kill something for XP. Defeating something should be enough, even if its just running away. At least I believe thats what the rules say, I may be remembering a house rule.