Can someone help me out with this? I am playing a multi-class Paladin/Cleric at the moment, and was wondering how the Channel Energy ability worked together with those classes.
I know that Clerics essentially have a fixed number of times/day that it can be used, but damage and DC increase by caster level. Pallys burn 2 uses of their Lay on Hands ability to channel energy, but use their Pally level as caster level for determining damage and DC.
What I'm asking, I suppose, is "Do Pally and Cleric levels stack when determining caster level for Channel Energy?"
And if they don't, and I take the Extra Channeling feat, wouldn't I have to specify which class I was choosing it for?
I know that there are examples of classes that get stacking class levels for special abilities (sneak attack comes to mind), but those usually work off the same mechanic, where in this case, the determination in one case #of uses is level dependant (pally), but not for the other class.
My thinking on this would be that for purposes of damage and DC, the two class levels would stack, but not for determining number of uses per day.
Any thoughts?
Hm.... interesting question.
The problem, of course, is that they are two different sources for this: The cleric gets a 3+Cha uses, while the paladin uses his lay on hands.
I'd make a compromise: If you use a charge of each, you get to stack them.
Extra Channeling only works for clerics, I'd say. Paladins need "extra lay on hands".
Can someone help me out with this? I am playing a multi-class Paladin/Cleric at the moment, and was wondering how the Channel Energy ability worked together with those classes.
...
My thinking on this would be that for purposes of damage and DC, the two class levels would stack, but not for determining number of uses per day.
In all previous versions of 3rd edition, Paladin and Cleric abilities in this regard stacked together to determine effect. I don't believe they received any additional *uses* per day in 3.0 and 3.5.
I don't see any reason the abilities would not stack in Pathfinder for the effect. However you're looking at the alternate Paladin rules that were posted and I don't believe the turning rules will last as posted personally, but if someone wants to burn 4 levels in Paladin to get 1 + 1/2 Cha additional uses per day - go for it. (from using up all Lay on Hands). I fully agree the alternate Paladin is probably closer to the final version than the Beta.
So simply, stack the effect, and stack the uses - the Paladin's comes from a different pool. Kaeyoss is right about Extra Channeling.
So, having re-read the "improved Pally, Beta Plus" version, it looks like there would not be any reason the levels wouldn't stack, once the pally acquired the "channel energy" ability. It would certainly make things easier from a book keeping standpoint if you didn't have to indicate which channel energy you were using, and keep track of different amounts of damage/healing for each.
A question I have is if effects that give bonuses to healing add to channel energy, such as Augment Healing.
I don't think they would.
Healing received from positive energy is basically a "side effect" of a living creature being exposed to positive energy. The only way to increase the "renerative/healing" effect of positive energy is to increase the amount of energy being output (which a cleric can do as they progress in levels). Their knowledge of the healing arts is not related to the positive energy effect which also heals.
A conjuration (healing) spell is a form of magic which the Augment Healing was designed for.
Anyways, that would be my take on it.
My thinking on this would be that for purposes of damage and DC, the two class levels would stack, but not for determining number of uses per day.
I agree with you. Channel attempts number should be the best among the classes that grant it (so in this case use the number of channelings of the cleric).