There has been another thread about this feat but that was not seen as such. So I thought I'd add this one.
Prerequisites: Channel energy class feature; Air, Earth, Fire, or Water domain or blessing.
Benefit: A swift action, you can expend one use of channel energy to grant your weapon attacks a bonus on damage rolls equal to twice the number of dice rolled for your channel energy. This additional damage is of an energy type determined by your domain or blessing: acid (Earth), cold (Water), electricity (Air), or fire (Fire). If you have more than one of those domains or blessings, you must choose one of those damage types when you use this ability. This effect lasts for your next three weapon attacks or until the end of combat, whichever comes first.
So you need channel energy and an elemental domain or blessing. Because of that there are not a lot of classes who qualify without multiclassing.
- Cleric: Streight forward. Take the right domain and you are good to go. But for a lot of channels you are MAD, needing Wis, Cha, either dex or Str and a little con. The only stat you do not need is int and that with only 2+int skillpoints.
- Warpriest: Takes longer to get because channel doesn't come online before 4th level. And it works through fervor, which is an important ressource for the warpriest. That means later and fewer uses of energy channel.
- Paladin: The sacred servant and the temple champion archetype gets a domain. Apart from that similar to the warpriest when it comes to starting level and uses/day. But extra channel fixes that.
Did I miss another option?
Via multiclassing other ways open up. The life oracle, for example. That way one could build more for cha. But does it offer other goodies for a melee guy?
Which way would you go?
Not sure about that. Would be nice if it did qualify. But from another thread I got that this doesn't work:
would having the feat that gives you access to a minor blessing or a 1st level domain power fulfill the prereq?
- War blessing gives you access to minor blessings
- believer's boon gives the 1st level domain power of one domain
Both do not have a special line about counting for prereqs, that other feats have.
All from the ACG.
The (...) two do not qualify you.
And believer's boon has no note that it works for prereqisites while a follow up feat of believer's, that allows you to lay on hands once per day boon has it.
As far as Life Oracles go they do get a couple defensive revelations that help in melee. Energy body makes you immune to crits and flanking for example. Put your feats towards damage and you can be pretty good at it. I have a life oracle in PFS with only 14 str and he has kicked a bit of ass when needed.
How Do you think a Paladin build with a 1 level dip into cleric would work for this?
You would have access to energy channel earlier (even if it's only +2), have full BAB from then on and you don't need an archetype that grants a domain.
I'd go Paladin 1, cleric 1, paladin x. That way I can get power attack at 1st level and get more hp to start with. Then 2nd level the dip into cleric. I get some useful spells + slots and two domains, one of which has to be an elemental domain. Possibly both for more options.
Going Paladin most of the time makes choosing the deitie for the favored weapon unnessesary. And I get more use out of having a high charisma.
Human paladin warrior of the holy light of Torag
Alternate race traits:
Adoptive Parentage (Dwarves)
Traits:
Called (Faith), Blooded (Region)
Feats:
Power attack
Seperatist cleric of Torag
Domains:
Earth, Fire (Arson)
Do you think that might work out?
Edit: This way I do not get energy channel until 3rd level. But without this dip I would get it another level later and would have to take an archetype that gives me a domain.
Paladin X / Oracle 1 with the Nature, Lore or Lunar mysteries is pretty awesome for both flavor and mechanics. While you would have to go through the 'War Blessing' feat to get from having an Oracle mystery to having Energy Channel, it may well be worth it since you get to treat your Charisma as your Dexterity for AC purposes with those Mysteries. Oracle spellcasting is also more compatible with a Paladin's abilities. It's worth remembering though that Energy Channel uses a swift action; the Paladin already has to use swift actions for lay on hands and smite, so you have to decide if that conflict is manageable.
There's also channeling force. It's weaker then energy channel, but the domain requirement is dropped.
While you would have to go through the 'War Blessing' feat to get from having an Oracle mystery to having Energy Channel, it may well be worth it since you get to treat your Charisma as your Dexterity for AC purposes with those Mysteries.
If war blessings work as prereqisites, yes. But that is by far not clear.
@Kaboogy: I've seen and contemplated that. But half bonus damage is something. But often that might be offset by resistances.
My biggest concern is that for a cleric it might be better to take the demon or ferocity subdomains instead of taking a feat, a domain and relaying on channel energy uses in order to get that type of damage bonus. The elemental domains just aren't that good. That being said, there are many builds that would benefit from it, especially those that already chose an elemental domain.
If war blessings work as prereqisites, yes. But that is by far not clear.
"Twice per day, you can call upon the minor blessing from one or the other of your chosen blessings. This ability otherwise acts like the warpriest blessings class feature."
As far as RAW goes, that should do it just fine; you need the warpriest blessings class feature, it acts like the warpriest blessings class feature without any listed restrictions.
If war blessings work as prereqisites, yes. But that is by far not clear."Twice per day, you can call upon the minor blessing from one or the other of your chosen blessings. This ability otherwise acts like the warpriest blessings class feature."
As far as RAW goes, that should do it just fine; you need the warpriest blessings class feature, it acts like the warpriest blessings class feature without any listed restrictions.
In the end I guess I have to ask my GM. But I like it better if I have something to base my request on.
@Kaboogy: I'll take a look at the subdomains you listed.
Edit: Now the demon subdomain looks nice. Sadly it doesn't stack with energy channel.
Ferocity on the other hand is a lot weaker (for less investment) because it is only 1/2 level and only one attack per use.
Force channel seems stronger to me.
Sure, it's half damage, but:
A) given how often you encounter elemental resistances it seems much more reliable.
B) it doesn't lock your domain
C) full damage vs incorporeal
You have some points there. And if you don't want to wait until you can cast second level spells (spiritual weapon) you can get it by taking two world magic and selecting the scoop cantrip which is the lowest level force spell.