Channel Energy & Instant Enemy

[Bobson]

Just how powerful is the "for all purposes" part of "or the duration of the spell, you treat the target as if it were that type of favored enemy for all purposes"?

If I had a paladin/ranger with undead as a favored enemy and the channel smite feat, if I cast instant enemy on a human and then hit him with channel smite, would he take damage as an undead, or would he heal as normal for positive energy on living creatures?

[Beckett]

No, the spell specifies that they are treated as a Favored Enemy for all purpose, not a creature of that type. But that is an interesting idea.

[Tom Baumbach]

Only abilities that trigger off of favored enemy status are triggered by the instant enemy spell. To put it another way: the spell allows you to treat the creature as though it were a favored enemy, but it doesn't change the creature type.

[Bobson]

That's a much more reasonable reading of it, and I'm sure it's what was intended (and what I'll go by) but it's certainly not worded very well. My vote is in for errata on it.

[Beckett]

No need for errata, it specifies that they become a Favored Enemy, not a new creature type. But there is no problem with you house ruling it.