Variant Channeling (Knowledge) questions


Rules Questions


The text states that the Harm effect only affects sentient creatures (+3 Int or higher). If a sentient creature takes enough Ability damage (not drain) and their Int becomes 2, would this channel still affect them? Their actual Int would still be over +3, but their effective Int would be 2.

Second question: Do the Variant Channeling extras apply when using Channel Smite?

Third question: If a creature has an ability score drop to 1 because of a Penalty (not damage or drain), can they take a damage or drain effct and be put to 0?


Penalties and ability damage do NOT actually reduce your ability score.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/glossary.html#ability-score-damage-penal ty-and-drain

It's like tracking non-lethal damage. They don't reduce your score, but instead grant you a penalty to the relevant score AS IF your score had been reduced.

Only ability DRAIN actually reduces your score. Since Penalties cannot treat your score as below one, they probably shouldn't be able to do so even if combined with ability damage. In essence, ability damage should probably be treated as overlapping a penalty, not stacking with one.

In answer to your second question yes, but channel smite reduces the effects of channel energy to only that one target.


3. This depends entirely on the source of the damage.

Since ability damage doesn't actually reduce your score, first reduce the score from ability drain, then apply any damage.

Certain sources of ability damage(namely penalties - but some spells) can't reduce your effective score below 1, so add up all other ability damage that isn't restricted in this way first. Finally, if your score is still positive, add in this restricted ability damage, reducing your effective score to 1* if applicable.

*This is only for the purpose of determining if you qualify to become unconscious/die; penalties for ability damage still only accrue at a rate of -1 per 2 points of damage, but the effective maximum damage is equal to your ability score(after reduced by drain).

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