Hello, Let's say I have a character that has pinned a Devourer via grappling. Can a creature with an innate touch attack ability--not a spell that needs to be cast with a concentration check--use it while being pinned? Does he even need to use his hand, or other appendage, to deliver it? Can it simply be delivered through the body contact? If it can, is there any penalty?
In this case, the Devourer has the Devour Soul ability, which is a standard action touch attack.
|
Yes, it very much can. SLAs do not have components unless otherwise noted (excepting costly materials if memory serves) and the rules for 'holding a charge' on touch attacks specify that the spell is discharged if the caster touches anyone, even unintentionally. Casting while grappled would auto hit the grappler.
Interestingly, anything that hits a caster holding a charge with a natural attack would also get hit by the spell. Sometimes useful to remember.
The description for the ability says it's a supernatural ability, not a spell-like ability. It's listed under the "special attack" section.
The full description: "Devour Soul (Su) By making a touch attack as a standard action, a devourer can deal 12d6+18 points of damage as if using a slay living spell. A DC 22 Fortitude save reduces this damage to 3d6+18. The soul of a creature slain by this attack becomes trapped within the devourer's chest. The creature cannot be brought back to life until the devourer's destruction (or a spell deflection-see below) releases its soul. A devourer can hold only one soul at a time. The trapped essence provides a devourer with 5 essence points for each Hit Die possessed by the soul. A devourer must expend essence points when it uses a spell-like ability equal to the spell's level (for sake of ease, spell levels for its spell-like abilities are included in its stats to the left in superscript). At the start of an encounter, a devourer generally has 3d4+3 essence points available. The trapped essence gains one permanent negative level for every 5 points of essence drained-these negative levels remain if the creature is brought back to life (but they do not stack with any negative levels imparted by being brought back to life). A soul that is completely consumed may only be restored to life by a miracle or wish. The save DC is Charisma-based."
Its not a spell or SLA. It also requires you to make a touch attack, and as far as I am aware by raw you can't make any kind of attack, especially one that required you to take a special action, while pinned.
A second thought, a touch attack only means that the attack is delivered via touch, not that the entire attack is just coming into contact with someone. (Hence why many touch attack spells can't be cast while pinned without a large penalty).
The part about holding a charge doesn't apply anyway, as that is assuming you have already cast the spell before being pinned.
Some further facts to consider are the rules for supernatural abilities: "Supernatural Abilities (Su): Supernatural abilities are magical but not spell-like. Supernatural abilities are not subject to spell resistance and do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated (such as an antimagic field). A supernatural ability's effect cannot be dispelled and is not subject to counterspells. See Table: Special Ability Types for a summary of the types of special abilities."
And they don't provoke AOO's.
However, I think I might agree that since it requires a touch attack, which can't be done while pinned, then it can't be used.
Pinned: A pinned creature is tightly bound and can take few actions. A pinned creature cannot move and is denied its Dexterity bonus. A pinned character also takes an additional –4 penalty to his Armor Class. A pinned creature is limited in the actions that it can take. A pinned creature can always attempt to free itself, usually through a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check. A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions, but cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component. A pinned character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level) or lose the spell. Pinned is a more severe version of grappled, and their effects do not stack.
It says that the character can take verbal and mental actions, so that seems to restrict physical attacks. If you can still do anything you want then there is really little need to call out that you can take verbal and mental actions.
edit:Just to be clear there I am not saying supernatural abilities as a whole are stopped by pin, but if you need to move physically then it is likely shutdown. A witch could still put you to sleep as an example.
If the Devourer makes the concentration check (DC 10+ grapplers CMB+ level of SLA), I'd think so.
If the Devourer makes the concentration check (DC 10+ grapplers CMB+ level of SLA), I'd think so.
1. Supernatural abilities, such as "Devour Soul, don't get concentration checks because they can not be disrupted like spells can so there is no way for them to interact.
2. An SLA would still not work if it required someone to deliver an attack because that would bring in a physical action, and the rules allow for verbal or mental actions.
I stand corrected.
Note to self. Let the casters do their thing. It's not your forte'.