Question on Contemplative Monk's "Awaken Divinity"

[Rudy2]

Relevant text:

Quote:

At 1st level, as a standard action, a Contemplative can touch a creature to grant it a temporary ki point until the beginning of the Contemplative's next turn. ... The Contemplative can target himself with this ability as a swift action, but doing so costs 2 uses of the ability.

Now, normally touch powers that are standard actions can be used on yourself (as a standard action) unless the ability says otherwise. SO, there are two ways to read this power, and I have no idea which is correct.

Option 1:

Quote:

At 1st level, as a standard action, a Contemplative can touch a creature to grant it a temporary ki point until the beginning of the Contemplative's next turn. ... The Contemplative can target himself with this ability as a swift action, but doing so costs 2 uses of the ability.

For option 1, the significant part is the fact that it is a swift action. Under this interpretation, you could target yourself as a standard action (as is normal for touch powers), but would have to spend 2 ki if you wanted to spend only a swift action doing so (say, if you wanted to use that ki for a SLA).

Option 2:

Quote:

At 1st level, as a standard action, a Contemplative can touch a creature to grant it a temporary ki point until the beginning of the Contemplative's next turn. ... The Contemplative can target himself with this ability as a swift action, but doing so costs 2 uses of the ability.

For option 2, the significant part is that it targets you. Under this interpretation, spending 2 ki and taking a swift action is the *only* way the ability can be used on yourself.

I honestly think both can be read as RAW, but am looking for input. Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[Calareth]

I would say it's Option 2 - the only way you can target yourself is by spending a swift action and using 2 uses of the ability, much like Lay On Hands (although Lay doesn't cost extra uses).

[Rudy2]

Is it just due to the similarity with the Lay on Hands that you say so?

The problem with that interpretation is that, by RAW, you won't actually be able to use the ki. One swift action to *get* the ki, and you lose it before you can use it on your next turn with another swift action.

Honestly, I think the RAI might be neither of the above; after staring at it for a long time, I would venture the *intent* is that you can get *and use* the bonus ki as a swift action, but it takes two uses to do so. That's definitely not a RAW reading, unfortunately.

[Avoron]

Option 1.

It doesn't matter which part of the last sentence you stress; the first sentence tells you what you can do with the ability.

Awaken Divinity wrote:

At 1st level, as a standard action, a Contemplative can touch a creature to grant it a temporary ki point until the beginning of the Contemplative's next turn

Are you a creature? Yes. Then you can be targeted with one use of the ability as a standard action, just like any other creature.

The later sentence gives another option for using the ability.

Awaken Divinity wrote:

The Contemplative can target himself with this ability as a swift action

So you can target yourself as a swift action. This doesn't take away the ability you already have to target yourself as a standard action.

And then there's one more qualifier.

Awaken Divinity wrote:

but doing so costs 2 uses of the ability.

Doing what costs 2 uses of the ability?

"targeting yourself with the ability as a swift action"

In other words,

Awaken Divinity (edited for clarity) wrote:

but targeting himself with the ability as a swift action costs 2 uses of the ability

That's the only thing that costs 2 uses of the ability: targeting yourself as a swift action.

Targeting any creature as a standard action, including yourself, will always use 1 use of the ability.

[Rudy2]

That does seem to be the most consistent RAW interpretation to me, too. However, I'm biased because I want it to work that way.

But, I agree with you in that the first sentence is not voided by later statements.