| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I have a couple of questions regarding Channel Energy and getting it from more then one source (class).
Variant Channeling:
If you pick a variant version of channeling as one class, does the second class's channeling also get altered to the variant? Or does each channel pool have it's own choice of being positive/negative and/or variant style of channeling?
Example:
I have a neutral cleric/oracle of life, worshiping a neutral god, can the clerics channel energy be negative while the oracles channel energy is a positive? Could I in turn select the clerics pool to use a variant channeling while the oracles is the default?
Quick Channel Feat:
Can I spend a use from 1 channel pool to use a channel from a different pool as a move action.
Example:
I have a Hospitaler 4 (1d6 channel energy 5/day) / Cleric 9 (5d6 channel energy 5/day) Can I use one use of the paladins CE with one of the clerics to perform a channel energy of 5d6 as a move action?
Well, you're definitely asking the right questions, as Channel Energy from different sources does not stack. (FAQ)
1) Can you select variant channeling with one class, and not another?
Looks like yes. As it's a separate class feature, not a stacking one, you should be able to make independent choices regarding it.
Full-text regarding other classes:
2) Can you select positive channeling with one class, negative with another?
Same answer, separate features, so yes.
3) Can you spend channeling from one class to quick channel another?
Different answer, same reason, no. You must spend "2 daily uses of that ability."
Hope that helps.
Thanks Majuba!
I was inclined to believe that's how it would work, but thought it best to seek additional opinions.
| 2 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Okay, if I add some levels of holy vindicator onto a character with channel energy abilities from different classes, does the holy vindicator's level stack with each of those other classes' levels to determine the effects of their channel energy abilities? For example, would a cleric 3 / life oracle 4 / holy vindicator 1 channel energy as a cleric 4 and a life oracle 5?
The Holy Vindicators Channel Energy feature says
Channel Energy (Su): The vindicator's class level stacks with levels in any other class that grants the channel energy ability.
So it seems by RAW that it does, because it says any other class. If I were the GM though, I would probably say just one as that could get out of hand quickly. Eventually you would be able to channel energy as 15th level cleric and 15th level Life Oracle. If you went the neutral route and choose negative energy with the cleric and positive with life then you would be capable of channeling 8d6 of healing or damage, something that I don't think was intended. Of course, it might not be too overpowering, I'd ahve to see the use of it in game I guess before I'd really come to a final decision.
Any, not All. Stack with just one other class.
@Bigdaddyjug
Yes, Selective Channeling applies to any source of Channel Energy you have, regardless of when you get the feat and when you acquire a source of Channel Energy. This is true for all feats, including Extra Channel, which gives you 2 additional uses of channel energy from any source. This doesn't add 2 to each source, but rather gives you a pool of 2 channels per day.
Example:
You have Channel Energy 5/day from Cleric (5d6 negative), and 3/day from Oracle (4d6 positive). If you take Extra Channel, you would have 2/day to be applied to either source. So you could use one for an additoinal negative channel and then the other for 1 more positive channel. Each time you take the Extra Channel feat, this pool of Channel energy uses increases by 2.
You can't take Extra Channel more than once.
No, the only "Special" listed for Extra Channel is that Paladins can use it as if using four lay on hands for channeling. It would have to be in the Special section that it stacks with itself.
Abundant Revelation would work for one more. Doubt that's worth it though.
The Holy Vindicators Channel Energy feature saysChannel Energy (Su): The vindicator's class level stacks with levels in any other class that grants the channel energy ability.So it seems by RAW that it does, because it says any other class. If I were the GM though, I would probably say just one as that could get out of hand quickly. Eventually you would be able to channel energy as 15th level cleric and 15th level Life Oracle. If you went the neutral route and choose negative energy with the cleric and positive with life then you would be capable of channeling 8d6 of healing or damage, something that I don't think was intended. Of course, it might not be too overpowering, I'd ahve to see the use of it in game I guess before I'd really come to a final decision.
Looking at it in a bit more detail, I don't think it is too overpowering, as you have to give up quite a lot of spellcasting ability to achieve it. A life oracle 18 with, say, Cha 24 would get 9d6 channel energy (DC 26) 8 times a day; while a cleric 4 / life oracle 4 / holy vindicator 10 with Cha 24 would get 7d6 channel energy (DC 24) 18 times a day; and a cleric 9 / life oracle 9 with Cha 24 would get 5d6 channel energy (DC 21) 18 times a day. But the C4/LO4/HV10 would only have 11th-level spell-casting ability (5th-level spells max), as opposed to 18th-level ability (with 9th-level spells) for a single-classed cleric or oracle. Overall, I'd say that's a reasonable trade-off. (You could get more spellcasting at the cost of channel energy by unbalancing the classes: a cleric 1 / life oracle 7 / holy vindicator 10 with Cha 24 would get 9d6 channel energy (DC 25) 8 times a day, 6d6 channel energy (DC 22) 10 times a day, and 14th-level spell-casting ability, with 7th-level spells.)
Majuba's view that the holy vindicator's channel ability can only stack with one other class is a reasonable interpretation, too. When would you pick which class to stack with, though? Could you change that selection later? The ability really needs some more words in it to explain clearly how it's intended to work.
I don't think it was viewed as being a problem because they probably thought it was unlikely that someone would have multiple base classes that grant channel energy and would take the Holy Vindicator prestiege class. Pathfinder largely rewards sticking with a single base class, to the point of excluding the usefulness of Prestiege classes often. Since I've started playing Pathfinder, I think I've only ever considered one multiclass character (oracle/barbarian/rage prophet) because the long term benefits of sticking to one class outweigh the short term benefits of anything else (usually).