What do you think of the following changes to the cleric's Channel ability? Do you think that they are overpowering, or rightly deserved?
- A cleric receives a bonus to damage/healing equal to her Charisma modifier.
- Channeling affects both living and undead creatures at the same time.
- Channeling is no longer feat-taxed via "Selective Channeling."
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 creature's type.
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 any number of creatures in a 30-foot radius centered on the cleric. A cleric can choose which creatures to affect when channeling. The amount of damage dealt or healed is equal to 1d6 points of damage, plus the cleric's Charisma modifier. At 3rd level and every two levels thereafter, the amount of damage dealt or healed increases by 1d6. 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.
Replace channeling by laying on hands like a paladin, but base it on wisdom 1/2 lvl uses + wisdom modifier will be weaker to start out with, but will be more powerful at higher levels and allows clerics to be less MAD as well as boosting the DC and inherently is selective if you choose to touch a single creature, clerics might be more appreciative of their healing role if they have the option to swiftly heal themselves.
Not sure you should add mercies, but it might give you something to consider.