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Greetings Pathfinders,
As a GM looking through the Bestiary I, II, III, the creatures have Extrordinary, Supernatural, and Spell-like abilities.
Question: In combat, what is the "cost" paid to use these in terms of free action, surprise round or move actions or standard actions or full round actions?
Examples:
Trample (EX): Used as part of a move or standard action? Seems like a move, but with damage. (it says its like a CMB in the rules-standard?
Spell Resistance (EX): Free Action or no action?
Spell Like Abilities (SP): reactivating (free action); otherwise standard action. What if the creature makes multiple attacks--can it use an SP and make a CMB and swing once (if it has three attacks)?
See In Darkness (SU): Are all supernatural abilities free actions?
Grab(EX): Seems like adds a free grapple if hits, so could this work 3 times on a full round action if the creature attaks three times?
Frightful Presence(EX): says "usually" as part of an attack or charge, so variable whether its a move or standard.
Flight (EX, SP, or SU): says its free action if it has wings, otherwise an SP or SU... so does the creature expend a standard to activate, or just use as part of a move action? If so, why distinguish it in the first place?
Energy Drain(SU): implies that it just "happens" if opponent is hit with an attack or ranged. So, are all SU essentially free actions then?
Breath Weapon(SU): The text will say how many times/how often it can be used, but does the breath weapon special attack happen in addition to a full round action or a move-and-standard action?
I don't mind the embarrassment of sounding confused, as long as I can get the help I need to better understand and execute these during combat.
Thanks!
From what I've understood:
Spell Resistance - No action to use. Can be dropped and reactivated as standard action IIRC.
Spell-Like Ability - Standard action normally. You can't attack and make a standard action under normal circumstances.
Flight is a non-action, it's just a form of movement. If Su or Sp shuts down in anti-magic field, otherwise doesn't really matter what type.
Frightful Presence - Unless noted otherwise, it's a non-action that happens while taking any kind of attack action or a charge action.
Energy Drain - This one is a non-action I believe, but that doesn't mean EVERY SU is a free action. Unless noted otherwise, SU abilities that require activation are standard actions.
Breath Weapon - Standard action. Thus, can't be combined with an attack.
I'm not 100% but I don't think the type of ability affects it's activation like that. It's more to do with the effects.
For example an EX ability works in an anti-magic field, but an SU does not.
The 'activation cost' should be mentioned in the ability descriptor. I read anythign that says 'as part of' as an actionless cost that kicks in when you take another action. So anything that says 'as part of a move' would be whenever you took a move action, or 'as part of an attack' as when you make either a standard attack or a full round attack.
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Unless an ability says otherwise, such as saying "as part of" (as echilda described), it takes a standard action - this is true for Su and Sp at least, I think it's also true for Ex (though I can't think of any activated Ex abilities right now).
Question: In combat, what is the "cost" paid to use these in terms of free action, surprise round or move actions or standard actions or full round actions?
All of these abilities are standard actions unless otherwise stated. Only spell-like abilities provoke attacks of opportunity.
Examples:
Trample (EX): Used as part of a move or standard action? Seems like a move, but with damage. (it says its like a CMB in the rules-standard?
"As a full-round action, a creature with the trample ability can attempt to overrun any creature that is at least one size category smaller than itself. (Bestiary p. 305)"
Spell Resistance (EX): Free Action or no action?
"A creature can voluntarily lower its spell resistance. Doing so is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Once a creature lowers its resistance, it remains down until the creature’s next turn. At the beginning of the creature’s next turn, the creature’s spell resistance automatically returns unless the creature intentionally keeps it down (also a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity). (PFRPG 565)"
Spell Like Abilities (SP): reactivating (free action); otherwise standard action. What if the creature makes multiple attacks--can it use an SP and make a CMB and swing once (if it has three attacks)?
Most spell-like abilities are standard actions, so no.
See In Darkness (SU): Are all supernatural abilities free actions?
Activating supernatural abilities is normally a standard action. Although the rules don't specifically mention that this is an exception, you should assume its always activated. Since there is no duration the creature could simply have activated this ability as a standard action years ago.
Grab(EX): Seems like adds a free grapple if hits, so could this work 3 times on a full round action if the creature attaks three times?
"If a creature with this special attack hits with the indicated attack (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. (Bestiary 301)"
So, yes this can be tried multiple times in a full attack action.Frightful Presence(EX): says "usually" as part of an attack or charge, so variable whether its a move or standard.
"Activating this ability is a free action that is usually part of an attack or charge. (Bestiary p. 300)"
Flight (EX, SP, or SU): says its free action if it has wings, otherwise an SP or SU... so does the creature expend a standard to activate, or just use as part of a move action? If so, why distinguish it in the first place?
Spell-like ability to fly can be dispelled and won't work in a field of anti-magic. Supernatural flight is safe from being dispelled but still won't work in an anti-magic field. Flight as an extraordinary ability can't be dispelled and works just fine in a field of anti-magic.
Energy Drain(SU): implies that it just "happens" if opponent is hit with an attack or ranged. So, are all SU essentially free actions then?
"This attack saps a living opponent’s vital energy and happens automatically when a melee or ranged attack hits. (Bestiary p. 299)"
As mentioned above, all supernatural, extraordinary, and spell-like abilities are standard actions unless otherwise noted. This is an exception to the rule.
Breath Weapon(SU): The text will say how many times/how often it can be used, but does the breath weapon special attack happen in addition to a full round action or a move-and-standard action?
"Using a breath weapon is a standard action. (Bestiary p. 90)"
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Okay, this helps. Overall, "most" are standard actions, but all are contextual, so the text will specify "as part of a...".
Thus if the text specifies "As part of a full round action" the creature would get it's attacks and also use the ability. If it specifies "as part of an attack" the creature then gets it's attacks and also uses the ability, as in the case of energy drain.
I often struggle with things like "charge" and pounce and engulf/swallow whole stuff, etc.
I still struggle with trample, as it seems to be part of a full round action... so would the creature get to use its hooves and whatnot while also doing trample damage? Based on what I heard here, it would only get to trample and not "attack".
I still struggle with creatures like Malfeshne who can greater teleport at-will. It seems the power would naturally allow the creature to teleport and also attack! It seems counter productive for it to teleport into opponents' swinging blades and then just stand there. So, I typically use the standard action in advance of the creature appearing in the first round of initiative, then give it a full round of attacks when it appears. Now, if it leaves on it's turn, maybe that's all it can do? Still, it seems odd. Wouldn't it teleport and also attack? In order to make this make sense---would it then need to teleport away from the creatures such that it wouldn't be mauled by them upon arrival?
I still struggle with creatures like Malfeshne who can greater teleport at-will. It seems the power would naturally allow the creature to teleport and also attack! It seems counter productive for it to teleport into opponents' swinging blades and then just stand there. So, I typically use the standard action in advance of the creature appearing in the first round of initiative, then give it a full round of attacks when it appears. Now, if it leaves on it's turn, maybe that's all it can do? Still, it seems odd. Wouldn't it teleport and also attack? In order to make this make sense---would it then need to teleport away from the creatures such that it wouldn't be mauled by them upon arrival?
It's all part of game balance and turn-based combat. Does it make sense for the 20th-level fighter to attack four times then "just stand there?" No. That is simply an artifact of turn-based combat. Wouldn't it make sense for the 20th-level mage to cast finger of death then teleport away before anyone can counter, sure, but there are limits on what he can do for game balance.
I think you are confusing "at-will" with "as a free action." At-will simply means they can do it every round, not that it doesn't take any effort.
Just keep in mind that retaining that grapple (or do anything in it) next round is a Standard Action. So a creature could Grab multiple targets in a single full-round action (or attempt to) but it can only maintain the grapple on one target the following round and would have to let everything else go."If a creature with this special attack hits with the indicated attack (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. (Bestiary 301)"
So, yes this can be tried multiple times in a full attack action.
Also, the grab ability is usually tied to a particular type of attack. The stat block will show this [e.g. Bite +15 (2d6+10 plus grab)]. So even if the creature has two claw attacks, the grab only happens on the bite.