Steam Cast SLA?

[DrakeRoberts]

Can the feat Steam Caster be used on SLAs?

Steam Caster:
"Benefit: You may increase the casting time of a fire spell to a full-round action, infusing it with elemental power (spells with a casting time of 1 full-round action or longer do not have an increased casting time). The spell is treated as if it had the water descriptor. All fire effects of the altered spell instead manifest as superheated steam. The altered spell works normally underwater without requiring a caster level check. Unlike fire, the steam cannot ignite objects or set creatures on fire. As the spell still deals fire damage, fire resistance or immunity still applies to the spell’s effects."

[James Risner]

SLA are not spells.

[DrakeRoberts]

James Risner wrote:

SLA are not spells.

True. And yet, spell focus works with SLAs, to my understanding.

[James Risner]

DrakeRoberts wrote:

True. And yet, spell focus works with SLAs, to my understanding.

It's my understanding that the following are true statements:

Owen thinks that Spell Focus should work on SLA.

Mark Seifter thinks Spell Focus and Ability Focus should not.

Some bestiary monsters use Spell Focus and only have SLA.

Jason believes that Augment Summoning should work on SLA.

But there is no FAQ saying Spell Focus works and you have this:

Quote:

Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells (though they are not spells

So this is a confused and muddy subject. Ultimately this makes it an Ask your GM subject unless you can find a specific FAQ to the point (Steam Caster).

[DrakeRoberts]

Hmm... The minimal responses I got when I mentioned spell focus in a previous question had led me to believe it was held to be true. Thank you for the detailed response. It would seem like something so fundamental should not be clarified somewhere, as it surely comes up a lot (the spell focus, not the steam caster). I find it particularly ofd that Mark wouldn't allow ability focus either... But that's a whole different thread.

[Mark Seifter]

James Risner wrote:

DrakeRoberts wrote:

True. And yet, spell focus works with SLAs, to my understanding.

It's my understanding that the following are true statements:

Owen thinks that Spell Focus should work on SLA.

Mark Seifter thinks Spell Focus and Ability Focus should not.

Some bestiary monsters use Spell Focus and only have SLA.

Jason believes that Augment Summoning should work on SLA.

But there is no FAQ saying Spell Focus works and you have this:

Quote:

Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells (though they are not spells

So this is a confused and muddy subject. Ultimately this makes it an Ask your GM subject unless you can find a specific FAQ to the point (Steam Caster).

Here's a link to my post the last time we had this thread. It collects some of the other points in the quoted post and adds some FAQs, though notably I didn't say Spell Focus doesn't apply and my post about Ability Focus was on a different matter (whether something that wasn't a creature special attack, like a class feature, qualifies; I said I don't think so).

[Gisher]

James Risner wrote:

Jason believes that Augment Summoning should work on SLA.

And we have a FAQ entry that says he is correct. So that is one feat that only mentions spells, but which also works on SLA's.

Edit: Aaaaand this was in the link that Mark provided while Real Life delayed my posting. Rogue Eidolon? More like a Ninja Eidolon if you ask me.

[Avoron]

Spell Focus works on spell-like abilities, if Bestiary entries can be trusted.

Leanan Sidhe is the clearest example. They have Spell Focus (enchantment) but no actual spells; the bonus applies to their several enchantment spell-like abilities.

This is also seen in other creatures, such as Dark Callers and Adult Brass Dragons.