3e SRD:Special Abilities Overview

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Special Abilities

Special abilities are extraordinary, spell-like, or supernatural. Abilities use their default action types unless they indicate otherwise.

Extraordinary Abilities (Ex)

Extraordinary abilities are nonmagical. Effects or areas that negate or disrupt magic have no effect on extraordinary abilities. Extraordinary abilities have a default action type of Free Action.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)

Spell-like abilities, as the name implies, are spells and magical abilities that are very much like spells. Spell-like abilities are subject to spell resistance and dispel magic. They do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated (such as an antimagic field). Spell-like abilities have a default action type of Standard Action. Spell-like abilities must have defined caster levels, and require Concentration checks as if they were spells.

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 can be dispelled if the duration is longer than instantaneous, but a supernatural ability is not subject to counterspells. Supernatural abilities have a default action type of Standard Action.

Table: Special Ability Types

	Extraordinary	Spell-Like	Supernatural
Dispel	No	Yes	Yes
Spell resistance	No	Yes	No
Antimagic field	No	Yes	Yes
Attack of opportunity	No	Yes	No
Dispel: Can dispel magic and similar spells dispel the effects of abilities of that type? Spell Resistance: Does spell resistance protect a creature from these abilities? Antimagic Field: Does an antimagic field or similar magic suppress the ability? Attack of Opportunity: Does using the ability provoke attacks of opportunity the way that casting a spell does?

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