Soul Warden and Command Undead

[Bardess]

It seems my previous thread was somehow cancelled, so I ask again... Can the Soul Warden prestige class from the Undead Slayer's Handbook take the Command Undead feat? Since he channels positive energy, that shouldn't be possibile, but he does have Undead control powers, and the text says that the ability qualifies for all feats or effects related to channel energy (not positive energy only).

[Bardess]

Bump?

[Alleran]

It's late for me and I'm very tired, so forgive any logical fallacies or the like. Still, here are some initial thoughts.

"...and counts as channel energy for the purposes of qualifying for feats or determining effects that rely on channel energy."

The Soul Warden class ability counts as channel energy.

Now, one would assume that this means it counts as Channel Positive Energy, based on the rest of the class. This may indeed be RAI.

However, one of the bonus feats for the class is Undead Master. Additionally, while it limits you to using positive energy to hurt undead, it counts as Channel Energy regardless of what other abilities are taken and regardless of its own description.

As well as this, it does not say that you can't take negative-energy related abilities, and even allows you to take the aforementioned Undead Master, which works in concert with the Command Undead feat.

Based on this, as long as you could normally count your Channel Damage ability as Channel Negative Energy (meaning you'd need to be a Neutral alignment), even though you can only use the overall ability for a specific purpose (channeling positive energy), I see no reason why you couldn't take Command Undead.

[Bardess]

That was my idea too. Thanks.
Now it seems that my concept of a CN Spirit Warden Shaman/Soul Warden with an "I don't like undead but they're useful to command for defense/attack purposes" attitude is not only interesting but viable too. ^^