The PRD says "A good cleric (or one who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to deal damage to undead creatures or to heal living creatures." Does that mean he can do one or the other when the need arises, or that he can *only* do one or the other... ever?
As the need arises.
He can choose on a case-by-case basis. I agree it's a little ambiguous, though.
The PRD says "A good cleric (or one who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to deal damage to undead creatures or to heal living creatures." Does that mean he can do one or the other when the need arises, or that he can *only* do one or the other... ever?
Any given time the cleric channels he may A) heal people, or B) blast the undead. He can alternate each round if he likes. But he can't do both at once by RAW.
The PRD says "A good cleric (or one who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to deal damage to undead creatures or to heal living creatures." Does that mean he can do one or the other when the need arises, or that he can *only* do one or the other... ever?Any given time the cleric channels he may A) heal people, or B) blast the undead. He can alternate each round if he likes. But he can't do both at once by RAW.
It's funny though, I totally disagree with that whole thing in the rules. If a cleric uses the channel positive energy it bursts out in it's radius it should affect all those that are able to be affected by it. If something is within it and has a negative energy affinity they take damage, if they don't and aren't a construct then they get healed.
Was that taken out cause it was deemed over powered? It sure doesn't seem so since it's situational for damage. IMO.
The PRD says "A good cleric (or one who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to deal damage to undead creatures or to heal living creatures." Does that mean he can do one or the other when the need arises, or that he can *only* do one or the other... ever?Any given time the cleric channels he may A) heal people, or B) blast the undead. He can alternate each round if he likes. But he can't do both at once by RAW.It's funny though, I totally disagree with that whole thing in the rules. If a cleric uses the channel positive energy it bursts out in it's radius it should affect all those that are able to be affected by it. If something is within it and has a negative energy affinity they take damage, if they don't and aren't a construct then they get healed.
Was that taken out cause it was deemed over powered? It sure doesn't seem so since it's situational for damage. IMO.
IIRC, it was taken out because it was indeed considered too much. You're describing the normal burst rules quite well, but remember that specific rules trump general, so the specific rules regarding channel energy trump the general rules for resolution of burst effects.
The PRD says "A good cleric (or one who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to deal damage to undead creatures or to heal living creatures." Does that mean he can do one or the other when the need arises, or that he can *only* do one or the other... ever?Any given time the cleric channels he may A) heal people, or B) blast the undead. He can alternate each round if he likes. But he can't do both at once by RAW.It's funny though, I totally disagree with that whole thing in the rules. If a cleric uses the channel positive energy it bursts out in it's radius it should affect all those that are able to be affected by it. If something is within it and has a negative energy affinity they take damage, if they don't and aren't a construct then they get healed.
Was that taken out cause it was deemed over powered? It sure doesn't seem so since it's situational for damage. IMO.
It was. In the beta, it allowed for both at once, but it trivialized undead fights - the cleric would just spend every round channeling, and the undead would die and the party would be at full health, no matter how much damage the undead did. Or so I've heard, and can certainly believe it.