Spell like abilities-how many times per day each?

[TimSmith]

I was recently using a creature with spell like abilities. It had some "at will" and 4 different abilities/spells listed under its "3/day" heading. Now, I took it to mean that it has 3/day of EACH of its 4 limited abilities (12 uses of the cool stuff in total). However, a player thought that these abilities should be 3 uses in TOTAL (like a sorceror or bard) from the selection of 4 abilities provided.

When I thought about this, I could see their point but I can find no evidence to support either view. I suppose that most combats won't last long enough for this to matter too much, but somewhere where the monsters are hard to get to could lead to this being a big issue.

Can anyone help?

 

[Jack Simth]

I'm fairly sure it's the first; four 3/day abilities = 12 uses total.

 

[Khaalis]

What is the actual text to the description of the abilities? In most cases, if the product is well edited, the description should be relatively self explanatory. For example, the drow gain:
Spell-Like Abilities: Drow can use the following spell-like abilities once per day: dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire.

This means they can use each spell-like ability on the list once per day. To my knowledge, there has never been a source that creats an ability like this:
Spell-Like Abilities: Drow can use one of the following spell-like abilities once per day: dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire.

JMHO.

 

[Staffan]

This means they can use each spell-like ability on the list once per day. To my knowledge, there has never been a source that creats an ability like this:
Spell-Like Abilities: Drow can use one of the following spell-like abilities once per day: dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire.

The Duskblade class has an ability that lets him use a few cantrips (IIRC, dancing lights, detect magic, flare and read magic) as spell-like abilities a total of 3+Int modifier times per day.

But I've never seen it on a monster.

 

[DreamChaser]

there are also a couple of feats in CPs that grant a character the option of using either Y or X once per day. The host feats I believe; technically they are psi-like abilities but really they are the same thing.

DC

 

[TimSmith]

As an example, take the Efreeti, MM page 115-116. Spell-like abilities are listed with "at will" abilities followed by "3/day-invisibility, wall of fire" and "1/day-grant up to 3 wishes, gaseous form, permanent image, polymorph self".

So, can he go invisible 3 times AND call forth a wall of fire 3 times, polymorph self AND create a permanent image AND grant the wishes AND go gaseous 1 time each?

Or, is he like a sorceror and gets 3 uses TOTAL from his 3/day abilities and only 1 TOTAL casting in a day chosen from his 1/day abilities (so he can't both polymorph and go gaseous).

 

[Mouseferatu]

So, can he go invisible 3 times AND call forth a wall of fire 3 times, polymorph self AND create a permanent image AND grant the wishes AND go gaseous 1 time each?

Yes.

Or, is he like a sorceror and gets 3 uses TOTAL from his 3/day abilities and only 1 TOTAL casting in a day chosen from his 1/day abilities (so he can't both polymorph and go gaseous).

No.

 

[urDrakas]

As with everyone else, the creature will be able to use each ability X times per day. Otherwise, it would state use X or Y 3 time sper day, etc.