I've been looking at this here Channel Smite feat. I can come up with no real good reason to take it. None. Zip. Nada. Is it because I'm reading it wrong, or what? What is your take on it?
Cheers!
Danny
If you can access the PRD, it's here.
The only thing I can think is that it allows you to use Channel Energy against a single opponent, without using the burst effect. Particularly useful if you Channel Negative Energy and don't want to injure your party members (or for GMs to use for evil NPCs without hurting their minions).
|
You are fighting a vampire and you want to kill him faster. You hit him with sword damage and channel damage at the same time rather than one at a time. Killing things faster is good.
@Chris -> Channel Smite is in the PRD, it's core.
Basically the point is, you can as a swift action add the damage you would normally do to something by channeling energy to a melee attack.
So a cleric that channels positive energy can as a swift action spend a channel energy use, and then make an attack (with a standard or full attack). If the attack hits and the subject normally takes damage from positive energy (undead) you add your channel dice to the damage. The reverse is true for a cleric that channels negative energy and attacks a living creature.
So it makes sense for a combat speced cleric that is going to be in sutuations where he can use his channel energy offensively. Normally channeling energy is a standard action, so you can never both channel and attack in one turn. This lets you pile on damage against undead (or against the living if you are an evil or neutral cleric who channels negative energy).
Edited because i missed the part about them still getting a save.
Its extra damage against undead, and possibly aligned outsiders and elementals if you take the feats to support it. In fact, I've almost always taken alignment channel... too many evil outsiders floating around in a lot of campaigns not too.
A paladin can use it to dish out some extra damage, any kind of multiclassed cleric (some oracles) can use it... Raging Prophet would probably have loads of fun with it. I played a Cleric/Barbarian that used it in a long running campaign to great effect.
You don't need to smite to do it... I think Cleric that dipped into paladin would do well with it... heck anything that has channel dice and a decent Cha could be good for it. Get the item that gives you an extra 2d6 channel and go to town.
Its extra damage against undead, and possibly aligned outsiders and elementals if you take the feats to support it. In fact, I've almost always taken alignment channel... too many evil outsiders floating around in a lot of campaigns not too.
A paladin can use it to dish out some extra damage, any kind of multiclassed cleric (some oracles) can use it... Raging Prophet would probably have loads of fun with it. I played a Cleric/Barbarian that used it in a long running campaign to great effect.
You don't need to smite to do it... I think Cleric that dipped into paladin would do well with it... heck anything that has channel dice and a decent Cha could be good for it. Get the item that gives you an extra 2d6 channel and go to town.
What item gives +2d6 to channel?
What item gives +2d6 to channel?Its extra damage against undead, and possibly aligned outsiders and elementals if you take the feats to support it. In fact, I've almost always taken alignment channel... too many evil outsiders floating around in a lot of campaigns not too.
A paladin can use it to dish out some extra damage, any kind of multiclassed cleric (some oracles) can use it... Raging Prophet would probably have loads of fun with it. I played a Cleric/Barbarian that used it in a long running campaign to great effect.
You don't need to smite to do it... I think Cleric that dipped into paladin would do well with it... heck anything that has channel dice and a decent Cha could be good for it. Get the item that gives you an extra 2d6 channel and go to town.
Phylactery of Negative Channeling (for Negative Energy) and Phylactery of Positive Channeling (for Positive Energy), Core PFRPG (page 525-526), Wondrous Item, Cost 11.000 gp.
Phylactery of Negative Channeling (for Negative Energy) and Phylactery of Positive Channeling (for Positive Energy), Core PFRPG (page 525-526), Wondrous Item, Cost 11.000 gp.What item gives +2d6 to channel?Its extra damage against undead, and possibly aligned outsiders and elementals if you take the feats to support it. In fact, I've almost always taken alignment channel... too many evil outsiders floating around in a lot of campaigns not too.
A paladin can use it to dish out some extra damage, any kind of multiclassed cleric (some oracles) can use it... Raging Prophet would probably have loads of fun with it. I played a Cleric/Barbarian that used it in a long running campaign to great effect.
You don't need to smite to do it... I think Cleric that dipped into paladin would do well with it... heck anything that has channel dice and a decent Cha could be good for it. Get the item that gives you an extra 2d6 channel and go to town.
Yep, that's it. One of my favorites.
Yes, well, I can see the advantage that you only use a swift action to channel, didn't miss that the first time around reading it. It's because of these things (and sorry I didn't point it out in the OP, I was pressed for time):
1) You tie your channel to an attack, which just might miss
2) Your Channel Energy tagets only one person/thing, that, if you hit him/her/it, still gets a save
3) The added bonus is the weapon-damage. To be a real menace in combat, as a cleric you need to have devoted a few other feats and/or spells to it. So frankly, if you are boosted in this way the small number of savable dice damage from Channel seems, well, not like a whole lot, considering you've invested a feat on it.
4) I can marginally see a point in the feat for an undead-hunting paladin, but that is generally all...
Otherwise I can only see it, as Mok said it, as a sort of mostly NPC feat. Or a feat for a very specific campaign, or when a neutral cleric channels negative energy and don't want to hit his mates...
Yes, well, I can see the advantage that you only use a swift action to channel, didn't miss that the first time around reading it. It's because of these things (and sorry I didn't point it out in the OP, I was pressed for time):
1) You tie your channel to an attack, which just might miss
2) Your Channel Energy tagets only one person/thing, that, if you hit him/her/it, still gets a save
3) The added bonus is the weapon-damage. To be a real menace in combat, as a cleric you need to have devoted a few other feats and/or spells to it. So frankly, if you are boosted in this way the small number of savable dice damage from Channel seems, well, not like a whole lot, considering you've invested a feat on it.
4) I can marginally see a point in the feat for an undead-hunting paladin, but that is generally all...Otherwise I can only see it, as Mok said it, as a sort of mostly NPC feat. Or a feat for a very specific campaign, or when a neutral cleric channels negative energy and don't want to hit his mates...
Weelllllll.....
1. It might miss, that's true. They might Save, that's also true, but both of those things are true no matter what you're doing, right?
2. The one target thing can be a real boon if you don't want to worry about selective channeling, or if your cha is low.
3. I don't know what you mean here, a good two handed weapon and power attack, and you're good to go. That's one feat...?
4. Yeah, that's a good use for it. Don't forget the feats that allow you to use it on ANY evil outsider or elemental... it broadens the usefulness quite a bit.
I think it really depends of the build, honestly. If you build with a high str, it could significantly boost your single target damage (especially if you're an oracle, as your casting stat is Cha). It's also a nice damage boost for a paladin... 8th level paladin with a 22 strength, and a +2 great sword is hitting for 2d6+ 9 (p.a.) +9 (str) + 2 (enhance.) + 4d6 channel. Soooo 6d6+20. Not bad. Smite and add 8 to that number, and a good to hit boost. Get the phylactery of channeling and add 2d6.
I wouldn't call it a bad feat, but I would call it a build specific feat...then again, what isnt?
Yes, well, I can see the advantage that you only use a swift action to channel, didn't miss that the first time around reading it. It's because of these things (and sorry I didn't point it out in the OP, I was pressed for time):
1) You tie your channel to an attack, which just might miss
2) Your Channel Energy tagets only one person/thing, that, if you hit him/her/it, still gets a save
3) The added bonus is the weapon-damage. To be a real menace in combat, as a cleric you need to have devoted a few other feats and/or spells to it. So frankly, if you are boosted in this way the small number of savable dice damage from Channel seems, well, not like a whole lot, considering you've invested a feat on it.
4) I can marginally see a point in the feat for an undead-hunting paladin, but that is generally all...Otherwise I can only see it, as Mok said it, as a sort of mostly NPC feat. Or a feat for a very specific campaign, or when a neutral cleric channels negative energy and don't want to hit his mates...
Weelllllll.....
1. It might miss, that's true. They might Save, that's also true, but both of those things are true no matter what you're doing, right?
2. The one target thing can be a real boon if you don't want to worry about selective channeling, or if your cha is low.
3. I don't know what you mean here, a good two handed weapon and power attack, and you're good to go. That's one feat...?
4. Yeah, that's a good use for it. Don't forget the feats that allow you to use it on ANY evil outsider or elemental... it broadens the usefulness quite a bit.
I think it really depends of the build, honestly. If you build with a high str, it could significantly boost your single target damage (especially if you're an oracle, as your casting stat is Cha). It's also a nice damage boost for a paladin... 8th level paladin with a 22 strength, and a +2 great sword is hitting for 2d6+ 9 (p.a.) +9 (str) + 2 (enhance.) + 4d6 channel. Soooo 6d6+20. Not bad....
Hehe... Good points :) As I said, I could easily see this as a good feat for paladins, and by the way, paladins add double their level against undeads when they smite. They want them undeads to be dead-dead ;)
But, as fer 1) I think it's risky (but then again, so it is with spells innit?)to have a feat that builds on a class ability that is usable a certain number of times per day and then the use could be just wasted.
But I'm not really whining about it. I was really just trying to see if there was something I had overlooked about the feat. And there were a few things, not much, but still ;)
heh, yeah I see where you're coming from.