A character who has the channel energy ability from a class other than cleric may use these variant channeling rules if the class's abilities are tied to serving a deity. For example, paladins can select alternative channeling abilities if they serve a deity, as can oracles with the Life mystery (as they serve many deities), but necromancer wizards cannot.
If you worship a deity, then yes.
Markov Spiked Chain,
1) I am not sure why you need additional clarification. dragonhunterq quoted the relevant passage that enables non-clerics to use Variant Channeling.
Reposting the quote:
A character who has the channel energy ability from a class other than cleric may use these variant channeling rules if the class’s abilities are tied to serving a deity. For example, paladins can select alternative channeling abilities if they serve a deity, as can oracles with the Life mystery (as they serve many deities), but necromancer wizards cannot.
Yes, it is clear that certain non-clerics (such as Warpriests) can do this. They do not need to multi-class into cleric but if they do then they qualify as a both a Cleric and as a Warpriest.
2) If you take Versatile Channeler you still only get one portfolio aspect for variant channeling (such as "Death"). The only difference is that you can now use both heal and harm options instead of either the heal (CPE) or the harm (CNE) option.
A variant channeling either modifies positive channeled energy when used to heal or modifies negative energy when used to harm. When using positive energy to heal, affected creatures gain only half the normal amount of healing but also receive a specific beneficial effect. When channeling negative energy to harm, affected creatures take only half the normal damage but take an additional penalty or harmful effect; a successful saving throw negates the additional penalty or effect but does not reduce the damage any further. Creatures that would normally ignore the effect of a particular channel (such as undead with respect to a positive energy channel used to heal) ignore the variant effect of that channel.
3) While not explicitly stated no, you should not be able to choose different aspects (such as "Death" and "Fate") if you have two classes that grant channel energy. The choice was made when you got Channel Energy regardless of the class involved. This should be similar to multi-classed characters being required to chose the same domains (or blessing-domains) in each class.
4) Variant Channeling only modifies positive energy to heal or negative energy to harm.
It does not modify positive energy to harm or negative energy to heal.
Example: You Channel Positive Energy and have the "Death" variant channel ability.
When using Channel Positive Energy to heal you use the "Death variant's ability to give a bonus to stablize.
When using Channel Positive Energy to harm undead you harm the undead normally. The Variant Channel plays no part in that.
Summary:
Any class that Channels Energy can select Variant Channeling if they serve a deity (examples: Clerics, Paladins, and Warpriests but not Oracles).
Variant Channeling only affects Channel Positive Energy to Heal (not Channel Positive Energy to Harm) and Channel Negative Energy to Harm (not Channel Negative Energy to Heal).
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A character who has the channel energy ability from a class other than cleric may use these variant channeling rules if the class's abilities are tied to serving a deity. For example, paladins can select alternative channeling abilities if they serve a deity, as can oracles with the Life mystery (as they serve many deities), but necromancer wizards cannot.If you worship a deity, then yes.
Yep. There it is. Thanks for the quote. I read and re-read page 28 of the Ultimate Magic, and somehow just kept missing this one passage. Thank you, dragonhunterq. Thanks everyone for chiming in.
I'm sending the information to Hero Lab now.
Hi Gauss!
1) The reason this needs clarification is because variant channel says you can choose "when you create a cleric character, ..." If it said "when you gain Channel Energy" which is what is clearly intended, it would be clear how it applies to multiclass characters. RAW, a Fighter 1 who takes a level of cleric can't choose a Variant Channel.
This is a flawed and overly pedantic reading of the rules. Rules are written from the perspective of single class characters. When multiclassing it doesn't change how the individual abilities work.
Whether you go through the grind of leveling up a character from level 1 or simply create a character starting at level 10 (or whatever) there should be no difference in stats or abilities. Saying you must select this only as a level 1 cleric would break that if you leveled up normally with a class x/cleric 1 route compared to starting at level 10 and declaring your first level was cleric and the rest divided however.
4) How is Harm(Undeath) supposed to work then? It's enhancing a healing effect that doesn't exist. Unless it's supposed to *also* add an (enhanced) undead healing to channeling to harm living. In which case it's the best variant channel ever, as it combines damage with an enhanced heal effect. But it's also a questionable interpretation.
RAW it doesn't. RAI is plain though that negative energy to heal undead gets the +50% healing effect.
Markov,
1) is clear that if you have Channel Energy from Cleric, Paladin, or Warpriest (but not Oracle) then you get the ability.
2) You are misreading the 'either' 'or' element. It is not 'either you have this ability or you have this ability' it is 'either when you use this ability or when you use this ability'.
4) Specific overrides general. General states that Negative Energy to Harm is altered but in the specific case of Harm(Undeath) it is Negative Energy to Heal that is being altered.
In any case. the Devs are not going to clarify every rule that can be twisted into pedantic readings when the meaning is clear.
Only question 3 actually lacks clarity due to not having a rule to cover it.
Question 4 could use a bit of cleaning up but probably doesn't rise to the level of being FAQ worthy since the meaning is clear and specific overrides general.