Does Spell Focus Apply to Spell-Like Abilities?


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Does Spell Focus Apply to Spell-Like Abilities?


No. It is spells that is mentioned. And generally Spelllikes dosent even tell us what School they belong to.

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from bestiary 4, since there are spell Dcs shouldn't they be modified by Spell Focus?

Leanan Sidhe

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +12)
At will—calm emotions (DC 18), crushing despair (DC 20),
dimension door (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only)
3/day—animal trance (DC 18), quickened charm person (DC 17)


Those are Spell-Like Abilities, which are NOT affected by Spell Focus.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I don't see any reason why they wouldn't be. Spell-like abilities operate in every way like normal spells except where specifically noted.


I'm not so certain whether they would be affected or not; there's been quite a few on-and-offs about this. The basis is how you interpret this:

magic rules wrote:

Spell-Like Abilities: Usually, a spell-like ability works just like the spell of that name. A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus. The user activates it mentally. Armor never affects a spell-like ability's use, even if the ability resembles an arcane spell with a somatic component.

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.

The question of spell focus, along with loads of similar questions, have been asked dozens of times. In the spell focus case there has not been an answer. It is up to DM adjudication, but I can tell you what similar questions have gotten answers and if they worked.

1. Augment Summoning + Summoner Summon Monster spell-like ability: These work together - the SLA counts as a spell.

2. Requirements/prerequisites of a certain spell or spell level: SLA's work for this - the SLA counts as a spell.

3. Metamagic Rods + SLA's: I cannot find it now, but if my memory serves me right, this was shot down. First metamagic + SLA's where shot down with the motivation that SLA's don't have slots, but then rods where brought up, and, as far as I can remember but I am not sure that was also shut down.

The latest and clearly most radical ruling of these where in the case of SLA's and prerequisites. Taking that into consideration, I would personally rule that spell focus DOES affect SLA's, but again, it's not a clear-cut case.

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