One domain was Growth but neither domain was used at all in that fight. The PC instead enlarged pre-combat with a Potion of Enlarge Person. I was wrong about that in my 1st description because that PC did often do a 1 round swift action enlarge. Just not in that fight.
Negative Variant Channeling (Earth ): wrote:
Earth: Heal—Creatures gain a DR 1/adamantine until the end of your next turn. This DR improves by 1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. This does not allow recipients to overcome DR/adamantine with their own attacks. Harm—All squares in the area are treated as difficult terrain for 1 minute.
The Cleric chose to channel primarily Positive energy. That's 3d6 positive channel at 5th level. Versatile Channel feat allows 2d6 negative channel damage at 5th level. The Variant Channeling archetype causes an effect (difficult terrain) and inflicts a flat 50% of normal damage, no save. Thus this cleric's negative channel to harm living inflicts 1d6 damage to all within 30', no saving throw.
The ambush in a crowded army camp allowed the cleric to channel negative energy twice to harm , rolling a 6 and a 5, affecting 22 creatures (counting 2 allies). That's 22x11 = 242 hp channel damage. That was 220 hp to foes and 22 hp to allies. @Darkbridger: Correct, no Selective Channel.
The Cleric player politely left a record of exactly which buffs were active. They were Defending Bone, Enlarge Person, Bless, Divine Favor for +2 +2 (see Fate's Favored trait), Bull's Strength (+2 +3), Protection from Evil, and +2 bardsong. Buffs gave +7 to hit and +7 damage with DR5/bludgeoning.
Cleric got only 2 AoOs (-2 DEX for Large) per round. They struck at roughly +14 to hit for 2D6+18 damage. So average 25 HP damage per hit. We tried to count and are pretty sure the cleric scored 8 hits over 6 rounds of combat. Only one attack missed, on a natural 1. Some hits were surely overkill, but not every hit killed a foe. So roughly 8 hits x 25 hp each = 200 hp inflicted with longspear, all with AoOs.
The foes were ambushed but there was not a surprise round. The cleric scored two kills with AoOs before even getting to act on Round 1 (Combat Reflexes!). Foes did try to concentrate missile fire on the spear-wielding giant but other PCs suppressed them and the Defending Bone buff stopped a lot. This was definitely a team effort. The cleric did take some damage from missile fire.
At one point six foes moved adjacent to the cleric while others fired missile weapons, but they all died before they could inflict much damage. There was a lot of acrobatic movement to avoid AoOs on both sides. The GM was tactically sharp and played the foes as intelligent and tactically savvy.
The cleric then moved and Channeled Positive to heal (mostly) allies twice for about 20 hp total. That brought most of the party, including the cleric, back up to full health. Several dying foes were revived, and got up to continue to fight, but it made no difference.
So the cleric spent 4 rounds channeling, two negative to harm and two positive to heal. There was considerable friendly fire and even more hostile healing. Not sure what cleric did on 5th and 6th round, but by then enemy morale had broken and the survivors were either trying to save themselves or fighting to the death. Two Extra Channels were not used, and cleric still had ample resources left after this fight.
