How specific do you have to be when stating the conditions of a ready?
Example: An archer readies to fire an arrow at a cleric when he/she casts a spell. The cleric then chooses to channel negative energy. As channeling is not a spell, I would guess that the readied condition has not been met.
Example: An archer readies to fire an arrow at a cleric when he/she uses any divine power. This would be a catch all for channeling, spell-casting, domain powers.
Is the above example allowable? Or should the readying PC be very specific?
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How specific do you have to be when stating the conditions of a ready?
Example: An archer readies to fire an arrow at a cleric when he/she casts a spell. The cleric then chooses to channel negative energy. As channeling is not a spell, I would guess that the readied condition has not been met.
Example: An archer readies to fire an arrow at a cleric when he/she uses any divine power. This would be a catch all for channeling, spell-casting, domain powers.
Is the above example allowable? Or should the readying PC be very specific?
The rules aren't very specific, so it'll vary by GM. When I'm the GM, I mostly just require that it's specific enough for your ready to not just be a delay that gets to interrupt someone's turn. (I've had someone try to ready an action to attack if "the guy looks like I should attack him", pretty much allowing him to attack whenever he wanted. Shot that one down pretty quick.)
How specific do you have to be when stating the conditions of a ready?
As specific as your GM requires, really, is the only answer anyone can give. Most readies should be rather clear cut with a definate response to a definate action.
Now in the above example though, depending on the archer, he might still fire when the cleric channels energy if he is not knowledgable enough to discern a channel attempt from a spell casting attempt but as with most things the specifics will be arbitrated by your ref.
I know in our game, for example, we would have accepted "I shoot the cleric if he does anything besides movement." for example.
I require a simple trigger action. So instead "when he/she casts a spell" it is more "when he/she does something combative" or "when someone opens the door" or "if he/she moves". I also try to keep it to a single if statement. No "if an enemy comes through the door" because that's two: if someone comes through the door and if that someone is an enemy.
Now, the real problem comes in how the player perceives it. If they say "When he/she does something combative" and the caster has silent and still spell, the player won't see it. If in the case of a door opening and someone blankets the room in darkness, you could allow a perception check to hear the door open and failure means a lost action.
Channeling is a supernatural ability, and unlike spell-like abilities it does not provoke attacks of opportunity nor can it be counterspelled; however, the cleric must present her holy symbol to channel the energy through it. I would say the archer would perceive this act as casting a spell and allow the readied action.