Thoughts on Quick Channel?


Advice


Hi, all. I just wanted to get some advice on the feat Quick Channel. It seems like a feat of very . . . questionable value.

My cleric just turned ninth level and I can't decide what feat to take. I play him as a support/healer (pretty soon just healer, since a bard will be joining the group). Currently I have Cosmopolitan, Extra Channel, Selective Channel, and Craft Wondrous Items. The sorcerer in the group has Craft Ring and Craft Rod, so there's no reason for me to pick those up. I'm also a dwarf and worship Desna,with the luck and travel domains, if that matters.

I'm not entirely certain I want to use a feat slot to expend my channel energies more quickly, and even if I had this ability it's not something I'd use often (basically only when the group's barbarian takes a real beating, since I keep shield other on him), but it would make our survival more guaranteed. And, other than Scribe Scroll, I just don't know what feat to take, heh.

(In terms of difficulty, we play a pretty tough game. Dying is likely, so combat healing is a necessity. Most combats I spend the first round or two buffing, and every round after that healing or removing debuffs in some fashion.)

So, any thoughts? Is this feat worth it? Not worth it? A total waste of time?

Thanks for your time and input. :)


It is really hard to recommend Quick Channel, especially at level 9. You are getting into the extreme end of healing not being worth it, and are also tantalizingly close to "Heal" territory. Especially if it is mostly for healing the Barbarian, I'd recommend just toughing it out for a couple more levels.

There are also tons of other options you can consider. You are high enough level for "Quicken Spell" to start seeing use. "Craft Magical Arms and Armor" is always appreciated by a party. "Steel Soul" will help ensure that at least someone makes their save every time. Of course, if you ever use your spells offensively, "Spell Penetration" and "Spell Focus" can be big helps. If you summon, "Sacred Summons" is amazing.

Basically, you have a ton of options. Quick Channel is indeed one of them, and will certainly come in handy the next time you are facing a lot of AoE blasting. However, depending on the way you want to go, there are other choices I would generally consider stronger.


I know a lot of people say "healing isn't effective," but that just isn't true for our group. We play a really tough game, and healing isn't just effective . . . it's absolutely essential. That's really the only reason that I'm even considering Quick Channel. Obviously it wouldn't be a good idea if healing weren't so effective, heh.

At 9th level I have a Phylactery of Positive Channeling, so my channel energy actually heals as much damage as my single target heals . . . so there's generally very little reason not to use it unless I want to conserve that particular resource. That's why I'm worried about Quick Channel burning through it too quickly, but also why I know channeling in general will be effective . . . I'm just not sure how effective burning through channels that much more quickly will be, heh.

In our case, Craft Magical Arms and Armor isn't very effective for our group because the melee characters already have very nice weapons that they found. Steel Soul is a feat I considered, but my character isn't offensive-minded at all.

The only time I ever see myself using Quick Channel is when the barbarian has taken so much damage in a single round that I'm close to death or likely to die soon. That's the point at which I'd need to drop a double channel, but I don't see that happening too often . . . This feat would be, for me, more of an "Oh sh**!" button, heh. That's comparatively little long-term usefulness, especially when up against something like Scribe Scroll, which is the other feat I'm considering . . .

Thank you for your input, though. Anyone else have any thoughts? :)

Dark Archive

Honestly I would consider it almost mandatory for any Cleric build. But that is just me I guess.

I have also never seen a game were the players can get away without healing during combat.


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Personally i highly recommend Metamagic: Reach spell.

Allows heals to be dropped without being next to target. No defensive casting from threatened reach critters. Since you can spontaneously convert into the Cure line, you can drop everything up through Cure Crit at Range:Close (45' away at level 9) for only +1 spell level. Spontaneous casting means that its a full round action and you can do a 5' step while doing so.

Very useful, my group loves the combo and uses it constantly. I may consider it almost mandatory for any mid+ level cleric healer build nowadays.


I am planning on taking Quick Channel at 5th level, however I am playing an offensive channeling cleric of Urgathoa, Dhampire with the Undead Lord Archetype. I also am taking Shatter Resolve (from Faiths of Corruption) an Urgathoa only feat that makes anybody who fails their will save versus my channeling shaken for a number of rounds equal to the number of dice of damage inflicted (one round at 1st level, two at three etc.) With Quick Channel I could make them shaken then frightened if they fail both saves, plus they would have just taken a shedload of damage, easy prey for my minions and the rest of my party.


bigkilla wrote:

Honestly I would consider it almost mandatory for any Cleric build. But that is just me I guess.

I have also never seen a game were the players can get away without healing during combat.

Ah, great, so the players that have taken it haven't considered it a waste of a feat? That's what I'm really worried about. If I take it now, I can't take Scribe Scroll for two more levels. That's two levels of not having the utility scrolls I can't prepare every day. But I'm really worried that I'll just never use quick channel because of the prohibitive cost. : \

Rathendar wrote:

Personally i highly recommend Metamagic: Reach spell.

Very useful, my group loves the combo and uses it constantly. I may consider it almost mandatory for any mid+ level cleric healer build nowadays.

Reach Spell is actually something I was considering for quite a long time, but it just became apparent that losing a spell level (and thus a d8 of healing) wasn't worth the increase in range (or losing a Breath of Life for the day). To top it off, I have a movement speed of 40', 27 AC, a ring of invisibility, and the Dimensional Hop ability from the Travel Domain . . . so reaching someone to heal them just isn't problem. Also, my channel energy heals more, on average, than my cure critical wounds, so there's very little reason to use CCW in a combat instead of Channel Energy unless I'm low on channels. If, however, I needed to, it's simplicity itself to just teleport next to someone and drop a heal. Since I'm invisible, I don't provoke an attack of opportunity from most creatures. Usually, heh.


Quick channel: I think its ok for some builds, with my feat starved clerics it will never find a spot though.


Feat starved cleric!?! I don't even know what to do with my feats! I took Cosmopolitan, for goodness' sake . . . Is that not a healing build?


Can you post your stats? Are you content just being a healer or do you want to contribute in a different way.


What about preferred spell as a feat? (Heighten spell is a prerequisite). Lets you drop a prepared spell to spontaneously cast a specific spell. I intend to take Breath of Life as a preferred spell once my own cleric is high enough level. Might make Blessing of Vigor a preferred spell, too. Having a preferred spell might get more use than quicken channel.

I don't think quicken channel is a bad feat, though, and I might pick that one up, too. It's handy if you need to channel more than once in a given round (had a fight with a dragon where this was essential), or if you need to channel and cast a spell in the same round (healing and removing a status condition, for example). If you have enough channels per day to afford it, I'd say it's a good choice.

Liberty's Edge

I always look at Quick Channel as a way to spread beyond just channeling: if the party all needs a bit of healing, I can Channel, and still cast that awesome spell in the same turn.


pipedreamsam wrote:
Can you post your stats? Are you content just being a healer or do you want to contribute in a different way.

Actually, I want to be a healer. I enjoy the role. Once this healer dies I have a healing life oracle planned, then a healing bard once the oracle dies. ;-)

S 9
D 13
C 16 (18 with item)
I 12 (14 with item)
W 16 (18 with item)
Cha 18 (20 with item)
(These stats were rolled . . . don't judge. xD)

AC 27
CMD 16
Fort +11
Reflex +5
Will +11

+10 Disable Device
+10 Heal
+6 Linguistics
+21 Perception
+7 Sense Motive
+14 Spellcraft
+10 Stealth
+9 Use Magic Device
+7 Knowledge (Engineering)
+6 Knowledge (History)
+6 Knowledge (Nobility)
+6 Knowledge (Planes)
+10 Knowledge (Religion)
+10 Craft (Armor)
+10 Craft (Weapons, metal only)
+8 Craft (Alchemy)
+12 Profession (Tinker)

Feats:
Cosmopolitan
Extra Channeling
Selective Channeling
Craft Wondrous Items

Racial Traits:
Slow and Steady
Darkvision 60'
Master Tinker (GM let me swap it out as the gnome ability for the same exclusion of racials Hatred and Defensive Training)
Craftsman
Hardy
Weapon Familiarity
Stability
Stonecunning

Class Abilities:
Aura
Channel Energy 7d6 (10/day)
Fast Movement
Bit of Luck 7/day
Good Fortune 1/day
Agile Feet 7/day
Dimensional Hop 90'/day

How's that? :)

Edit: Ah, Fionnabhair, that's a great point. I hadn't realized I wouldn't be able to spontaneously use Breath of Life. That means I'll have to have it prepared each day. Ouch. Something to think about, but I wouldn't be able to do that 'til 11 at this point, anyway . . .

And, thank you, Austin Morgan. Also a great idea. I've been looking at it as a method to get an extra channel each round . . . but it's better used as a way to keep heals flowing while also removing status effects. I'm liking it a lot more, now. It's as much about versatility as it is about raw throughput on heals! D'oh, I feel so dumb for drawing incorrect conclusions on this, heh. -_-


Honestly, its an amazing feat, just for specific builds.

I'm currently playing in a game with a cleric who took the alternate channeling ability to daze things with his negative energy channel. Everything he's spent has been to up the DC of his will save, and he keeps at least half the monsters locked down on a permanent basis when he wants to. When he can qualify for quick channel, this will be amazing for him.

Not all channel feats are directed at healers ;)


Weables wrote:


Not all channel feats are directed at healers ;)

Ahh, I see! That's a good point, as well. I often forget about channel energy's offensive uses because I just never use them. ;-)


Brogue The Rogue wrote:

Hi, all. I just wanted to get some advice on the feat Quick Channel. It seems like a feat of very . . . questionable value.

Here are the factors you wish to weigh:

1. What's the value of my swift action? If you plan on getting quicken spell it will compete. Very little else is going to for you.

2. How important is my standard action to me on a round in which I want to cure some damage? You want to weigh in how much damage you might need to cure.

3. Do I have another use for the feat? Rather than scribe scroll.. I'd pay full price for scrolls and use the feat here or elsewhere.

4. What's down the road? The game changes DRASTICALLY when you move into higher levels. You may wish to plan ahead.

Towards the last ask yourself what levels is your campaign going to be reaching. At 15th level Spell Perfection is a worthwhile goal if you can pick something to focus on it.

For example, if you also had magical lineage you could at 15th level throw a quickened heal spell, or a heal spell from a thousand feet away... and just burn your normal 6th level slot without extra casting time.

Anyway, give it some thought, especially number 4 as I think the lack there is what's led you to take cosmopolitan (from the sound of it).

-James


Good points, again. I'm honestly not sure how high this campaign will go, but I should definitely prepare for at least the early teens. So if I wanted spell perfection for, say, Breath of Life, I'd need to get Reach spell now, Quicken Spell at 11, and something else at 13 . . .Hmmm . . .

I actually took cosmopolitan because I wanted the class skills for my character concept. :)

Scribe Scroll would actually save me a lot of money. I have a list of scrolls I want probably a page long that I haven't even bothered to tabulate the value of, heh. It would definitely be worthwhile. I do also want to eventually pick up Craft Magical Arms and Armor, but my group doesn't need it right now (and I don't need it ever, personally). Those feats would tie me down 'til level 13. Past that I wouldn't know what to get again, heh.


Oh you want to be a healer. Well first time for everything I guess. Steel soul is a good feat, really drive those saves home and quick channel is fine if you just want to heal.


Quick Channel, Scribe Scroll, Steel Soul, Improved Stonecunning, and Stonecunning were the feats I was thinking about when I first made this post.

Now I'm leaning more towards the first two and possibly picking up some metamagic feats like Reach or Quicken for the higher levels. Great advice, everyone. Thank you. :)


Oh yea scribe scroll is a definite pickup, consider heavy armor proficiency as well your no good as a healer if you are unconscious.


Brogue The Rogue wrote:


Scribe Scroll would actually save me a lot of money.

Not only that, it will be useful to you at ANY level, and you can choose the caster level of any scroll you make. A handy haversack full of situational scrolls can make quick work of some encounters. Not only that, but you can give them to other PCs with UMD for certain plans or contingencies. If you don't take it now, take it later.


Thanks for the advice, everyone. I ended up going with Quick Channel since I plan on keeping Shield Other on my barbarian pal at all times, and I thought I might need the panic button. It also worked amazingly well for utility during our session, so I'm happy with it.

Thanks again. :)

Sovereign Court

james maissen wrote:


1. What's the value of my swift action? If you plan on getting quicken spell it will compete. Very little else is going to for you.

Just wanted to point out that Quick Channel actually uses a move action. So you could in fact cast a quickened spell, channel energy as a move and then do anything else you want in the round that takes a standard action (cast another spell, channel again, attack, whatever).


Talon Stormwarden wrote:
james maissen wrote:


1. What's the value of my swift action? If you plan on getting quicken spell it will compete. Very little else is going to for you.
Just wanted to point out that Quick Channel actually uses a move action. So you could in fact cast a quickened spell, channel energy as a move and then do anything else you want in the round that takes a standard action (cast another spell, channel again, attack, whatever).

Oh mea culpa, that's what I get for not looking it up! There was a quickened turning feat in 3e and I figured it was akin to that.

-James

Sovereign Court

james maissen wrote:
Talon Stormwarden wrote:
james maissen wrote:


1. What's the value of my swift action? If you plan on getting quicken spell it will compete. Very little else is going to for you.
Just wanted to point out that Quick Channel actually uses a move action. So you could in fact cast a quickened spell, channel energy as a move and then do anything else you want in the round that takes a standard action (cast another spell, channel again, attack, whatever).

Oh mea culpa, that's what I get for not looking it up! There was a quickened turning feat in 3e and I figured it was akin to that.

-James

Haha, yeah, if I hadn't actually been reading the feat last night I would have thought swift too. Your point is still a good one though, just with the action type changed.

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