Question: Concentration Check and Spell Like Ability [VROCK IN A GRAPPLE]

[Pax Veritas]

Last night the player monk grappled the vrock.

Upon attempting to escape via At-Will Spell Like Ability: Greater Telport, a player called for a concentration check from the vrock.

The vrock at that point was pinned in a grapple.

Since the SLA is mental only (no components or somatic components needed) did the GM (vrock) need to make a concentration check?

End result: the vrock wasn't able to use its SLA (greater teleport) and was beaten to death by the players.

Rules experts, please help!
Thank you,
Pax

[Jorshamo]

The player made the right call. Grappling does require a concentration check, and the Vrock was only allowed that much because the lack of somatic and material components. If it'd be a wizard casting a spell with somatic components, it would have auto-failed from being pinned.

[LazarX]

Just remember it works both ways. There are some folks in the Bestiary with some very nasty CMBs out there.

I have a character that would be dead twice over if weren't for Boots of Escape.

[Redneckdevil]

Yes. Spell like abilities still follow the concentration checks like normal spells. A grappler can be a spell casters worse nightmare.
Also just throwing it out there because i had a discussion with a long time DM about "at will slas", its not instant and still requires a standard action to pull off.

[Pax Veritas]

Yes, used up a standard action, and the vrock actually failed twice. Sounds completely legit. Glad I made the right call.

Thanks all.

For the record - I believe EX and SU are not subject to these checks if I'm reading it correctly, aren't disrupted the way SLAs are, right?

[n00bxqb]

Su and Ex can't be disrupted in combat (per Ch. 8, CRB) and, as such, are not subject to concentration checks.

[Taku Ooka Nin]

If I recall, to build on N00bxqb's idea:
(Su) and (Ex) do not require a concentration check. (Sp) abilities, which is short for spell-like abilities, are subject to the same rules as spells—Faerie Fire is still dispelled by Darkness—with the exception that they do not require spell components, spell failure or draw attacks of opportunity. However, they still require a considerable amount of concentration and anything that requires a concentration check while casting a normal spell is required for using a spell-like ability.

[Ms. Pleiades]

Spell Like Abilities, despite having no verbal, material or somatic components, still require concentration on the part of the caster, and so conditions that force a concentration check as normal are required for their use.

[Nicos]

For some reason this demon in a grapple is not that fun.

[thorin001]

Nicos wrote:

For some reason this demon in a grapple is not that fun.

You were hoping for a Succubus maybe?