Anyone have any experience playing one or having one in your group?
My group is starting a new campaign (going to try Rise of the Rune Lords) and I thinking I may want to give this a try but it strikes me as something that is a good plan on paper that lacks in actual execution.
Anyone have any experience or opinions?
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Well, I'm currently play one in a play-by-post here on Paizo, and I have to say I haven't noticed much difference. We're still low level though, so that might skew things a bit. So far I've only had to Channel Negative Energy once and it turned the tide of battle.
Selective Channeling is an option if you don't want to hurt your allies, but Channel Smite can be just as good. Put some skill points into Heal and you can jump start the natural healing process too.
You could take the Rune Domain(if it fits your character) like I did and Scribe Scrolls of Cure spells for emergencies.
Or everyone else could be Dhampir and you'd still be ok…just sayin.
*serious* I'd say as long as you still had some healing spells and selective channeling *as DB3 said* I think you'd be fine.
Anyone have any experience playing one or having one in your group?
My group is starting a new campaign (going to try Rise of the Rune Lords) and I thinking I may want to give this a try but it strikes me as something that is a good plan on paper that lacks in actual execution.
Anyone have any experience or opinions?
Its effectively playing a blaster with a laundry list of items that make it much worse than an actual blaster?
Your save DC's are based on a stat which is not your casting stat.
The damage is 1/2 Caster Levelxd6 instead of CLxd6, like most standard blasts.
It requires feat support just to be viable (not targeting allies, or channel smite, etc.)
It does not allow metamagic support to become a valid source of damage, from feats OR items.
I would not recomend channeling as a primary character aspect, HOWEVER: Variant Channeling does offer a variety of effects which COULD be highly useful as part of a Clerics arsenal when applied creatively. I would not make that a primary focus, but with Quickened Channeling (or whatever its called), they could be valid setup for spells or other offensive options, IMO.
Hopefully thats helpful.
dhampirs still take damage from negative energyOr everyone else could be Dhampir and you'd still be ok…just sayin.
*serious* I'd say as long as you still had some healing spells and selective channeling *as DB3 said* I think you'd be fine.
Actually, no they don't.
Negative Energy Affinity: A dhampir is alive, but reacts to positive and negative energy as if it were undead—positive energy harms it, negative energy heals it.
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1) have high charisma
2) Selective Channeling
3) don't do it in public areas
4) get the Channel Smite feats incase you end up in public areas
5) Versatile Channeler so you can channel heals as well
the two biggest problems you'll face are 1) if there are more friendlies than your charisma modifier and 2) if there is undead around. Channel Smite feats will help with whole friendly fire thing, but Versatile Channeler will actually help you with both situations
Anyone have any experience playing one or having one in your group?
My group is starting a new campaign (going to try Rise of the Rune Lords) and I thinking I may want to give this a try but it strikes me as something that is a good plan on paper that lacks in actual execution.
Anyone have any experience or opinions?
Its effectively playing a blaster with a laundry list of items that make it much worse than an actual blaster?
Your save DC's are based on a stat which is not your casting stat.
The damage is 1/2 Caster Levelxd6 instead of CLxd6, like most standard blasts.
It requires feat support just to be viable (not targeting allies, or channel smite, etc.)
It does not allow metamagic support to become a valid source of damage, from feats OR items.I would not recomend channeling as a primary character aspect, HOWEVER: Variant Channeling does offer a variety of effects which COULD be highly useful as part of a Clerics arsenal when applied creatively. I would not make that a primary focus, but with Quickened Channeling (or whatever its called), they could be valid setup for spells or other offensive options, IMO.
Hopefully thats helpful.
Everything this person says is true. Channeling is not nearly good enough to be a main strategy ever. There are PRC's (holy vindicator) and Archetypes (merciful healer?) that can make channeling a very good ability but is otherwise sub par as a main strategy. That's why it makes me sad and angry to see battle cleric builds with 14 str but 16 charisma.
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The one thing I'd consider is a Bones Oracle with a single level of negative energy Cleric. That way, your main casting stat is your Channeling stat, and you drop Bleeding Wounds on top of it. Channel Negative at the beginning of combat, get as many people to start bleeding as possible, then attack from there.
Yes, you aren't doing a lot of damage with it, or doing a lot of healing to your undead minions, but you've got ways to make it work for you.
I've always wondered why the Bones Mystery didn't have a Negative Energy version of the Life Mystery's Channel Revelation. It makes so much sense...
Because it has command undead instead.
Currently have a channel negative cleric/summoner in the party. Also have a dhampir monk/ninja. The cleric has selective channel, but still has to be careful when channeling. It works fine, but bystanders and non-combat NPCs are sometimes damaged inadvertently.
I have a 5 Cleric/ 8 Master of Shrouds ( 3.5 prc) that uses the channel negative to heal himself (Death domain: Deaths Embrace), nuke areas when viable (not too often) and heal his undead incorpreals. We house ruled I still get the domain powers as MoS since it was a 3.5 prc. Honestly the channel works well since I have a rid of reach to heal when needed and channel away from people or minimize the damage to allies. I don't have Selective Channel either since I'm using feats to heal and damage.
I should probably clarify a couple additonal things that may make a difference.
We are core book only. THis limits alot of options as far as feats and such.
We have 7 players in out group so a "fringe" character may have more leeway.
I am not looking to be a combat machine. It's more just something different our group has not tried as a PC. The group spent alot of time in the last campaign (which I ran) fighting Drow which had no qualms about negative channeling and the group is terrified of the concept, at least of fighting it.
Ihave a fear it would be more trouble than it's worth.
1) have high charisma
2) Selective Channeling
3) don't do it in public areas
4) get the Channel Smite feats incase you end up in public areas
5) Versatile Channeler so you can channel heals as wellthe two biggest problems you'll face are 1) if there are more friendlies than your charisma modifier and 2) if there is undead around. Channel Smite feats will help with whole friendly fire thing, but Versatile Channeler will actually help you with both situations
Problem #2 is a non-issue. When you channel you decide to affect living or undead. You cannot hit both with a single use of channel energy. So if you are harming living creatures, all undead in the area will be unaffected.
Problem #2 is a non-issue. When you channel you decide to affect living or undead. You cannot hit both with a single use of channel energy. So if you are harming living creatures, all undead in the area will be unaffected.
Tell that to the party members you just damaged.
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Tell that to the party members you just damaged.
Problem #2 is a non-issue. When you channel you decide to affect living or undead. You cannot hit both with a single use of channel energy. So if you are harming living creatures, all undead in the area will be unaffected.
No i think he is right on that one actually, but it doesn't matter due to
We have 7 players in out group so a "fringe" character may have more leeway.
damn, that's a large table, go for channel smite, you can't get 22 char very quickly and once again you're screwed if anyone has mounts/animal companions/eidolons/summoned monster/cohorts. Hell if anything happens in a smallish room you're going to have trouble getting into place to channel, remember it's a 30ft radius, chances are that's more than your movement speed
Tell that to the party members you just damaged.
Problem #2 is a non-issue. When you channel you decide to affect living or undead. You cannot hit both with a single use of channel energy. So if you are harming living creatures, all undead in the area will be unaffected.
Issue #2 is specifically if there are undead around.
Regardless of alignment, any cleric can release a wave of energy by channeling the power of her faith through her holy (or unholy) symbol. This energy can be used to cause or heal damage, depending on the type of energy channeled and the creatures targeted.
A good cleric (or a neutral cleric who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to deal damage to undead creatures or to heal living creatures. An evil cleric (or a neutral cleric who worships an evil deity) channels negative energy and can choose to deal damage to living creatures or to heal undead creatures. A neutral cleric of a neutral deity (or one who is not devoted to a particular deity) must choose whether she channels positive or negative energy. Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed. This decision also determines whether the cleric can cast spontaneous cure or inflict spells (see spontaneous casting).
Channeling energy causes a burst that affects all creatures of one type (either undead or living) in a 30-foot radius centered on the cleric. The amount of damage dealt or healed is equal to 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points of damage for every two cleric levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, and so on). Creatures that take damage from channeled energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the cleric's level + the cleric's Charisma modifier. Creatures healed by channel energy cannot exceed their maximum hit point total—all excess healing is lost. A cleric may channel energy a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A cleric can choose whether or not to include herself in this effect. A cleric must be able to present her holy symbol to use this ability
If I channel negative energy to injure living creatures, it will have no effect on undead in the area.
I should probably clarify a couple additonal things that may make a difference.
We are core book only. THis limits alot of options as far as feats and such.
We have 7 players in out group so a "fringe" character may have more leeway.I am not looking to be a combat machine. It's more just something different our group has not tried as a PC. The group spent alot of time in the last campaign (which I ran) fighting Drow which had no qualms about negative channeling and the group is terrified of the concept, at least of fighting it.
Ihave a fear it would be more trouble than it's worth.
I forgot in my first post, "Channeling is point blank only, as opposed to say, Long Range."
What about a more standard 'Bad-Touch' type? Debuffs and control are pretty fun for a Cleric type, and its not exactly typical.
Channeling is extra terrible in just Core; you dont even have access to Quicken Channel, which makes the action cost at least more bearable.
Remember, NPC's who dont have to think beyond the current fight up against PC's who have to actually deal with the damage caused by it afterwards may skew perceptions on this and make it seem better than it is; NPC's also dont have to worry about angry fellow players when they channel negative energy. Evil cleric kills a few unconcious allies? No biggy. You kill unconcious party member X? Uh oh.
** spoiler omitted **...Tell that to the party members you just damaged.
Problem #2 is a non-issue. When you channel you decide to affect living or undead. You cannot hit both with a single use of channel energy. So if you are harming living creatures, all undead in the area will be unaffected.
You missed the point. If you choose to damage which is the OP's intent then you'll damage your own people if they're within range. Hence the need for Selective channeling.
It's only a non issue if you want to heal undead.
** spoiler omitted **...Tell that to the party members you just damaged.
Problem #2 is a non-issue. When you channel you decide to affect living or undead. You cannot hit both with a single use of channel energy. So if you are harming living creatures, all undead in the area will be unaffected.You missed the point. If you choose to damage which is the OP's intent then you'll damage your own people if they're within range. Hence the need for Selective channeling.
It's only a non issue if you want to heal undead.
The OP said that there are 2 problems with a negative energy clerics.
1. When you have a lot of friendlies.2. When there are undead around.
I am refering to issue number 2 only.
Long as we're clear.