How does Channel Smite interact with Channel Evil?

[Soul Devourer]

"Channel Evil (Su)

At 1st level, a fiendish vessel, rather than channeling positive or negative energy, instead channels the pure evil power of her fiendish patron. This ability is similar to channeling negative energy, but instead of healing undead and dealing damage to living creatures, this blast of evil energy automatically heals evil creatures and debilitates good creatures within its burst.

Channeling this evil causes a burst that affects all creatures in a 30-foot radius centered on the fiendish vessel. In the case of evil creatures, the amount of damage healed is equal to 1d4 points of damage and increases by 1d4 at every two levels beyond 1st (to a maximum of 10d4 at 19th level). Good creatures in the burst receive a Will saving throw to negate this damage. Good creatures that fail their saving throws are sickened for 1d4 rounds. Good creatures with a number of Hit Dice less than or equal to the fiendish vessel’s class level – 5 that fail their saving throws are nauseated for 1 round and then sickened for 1d4 rounds instead. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the fiendish vessel’s level + the fiendish vessel’s Charisma bonus. Neutral creatures are unaffected by this burst of evil energy...

For the purposes of feats that affect channel energy, this ability counts as channeling negative energy. If the feat changes the way the fiendish vessel channels or deals damage with her channeling, use the amount of damage this ability heals evil creatures to determine the damage-dealing potential of the affected ability. For instance, if a 5th-level fiendish vessel takes the Channel Smite feat, her channeling deals an additional 3d4 points of damage to living creatures on a successful hit (though they may save to negate the damage).

This ability replaces channel energy."

Now, despite the paragraph with an explanation, it is not really clear to me how Channel Smite interacts with this ability in the case of good or neutral living creatures. If they were hit by an attack with channel smite and failed their save, would they be:

a) Not affected at all.
b) Affected by the damage, but not by the sickening effect.
c) Affected both by the damage and the sickening effect.

Thank you very much in advance for your answers.

[Soul Devourer]

Bump

[bitter lily]

I'm no expert, but I claim to possess common sense.

And the last bolded paragraph seems to be very explicit (albeit odd to my ears). All living creatures would be affected by additional damage, regardless of their alignment. I therefore don't know why you even list (a).

And since that paragraph totally ignores sickening for good living creatures, I think it's clear that the first sentence rules. "For the purposes of feats that affect channel energy, this ability counts as channeling negative energy." Does ordinary Channel Smite when channeling negative energy award sickening? No? Then how could you possibly justify (c)?

I think you're getting (b) as a RAW gift, and should be happy with it. (And with rules that are inordinately clear and easy to interpret!)

[Soul Devourer]

bitter lily wrote:

I'm no expert, but I claim to possess common sense.

And the last bolded paragraph seems to be very explicit (albeit odd to my ears). All living creatures would be affected by additional damage, regardless of their alignment. I therefore don't know why you even list (a).

And since that paragraph totally ignores sickening for good living creatures, I think it's clear that the first sentence rules. "For the purposes of feats that affect channel energy, this ability counts as channeling negative energy." Does ordinary Channel Smite when channeling negative energy award sickening? No? Then how could you possibly justify (c)?

I think you're getting (b) as a RAW gift, and should be happy with it. (And with rules that are inordinately clear and easy to interpret!)

Thanks very much for your reply. Well, first of all, English is not my mother tongue, so help is always appreciated :)

Yes, the specific example is mentioned, but I am not familiar with Channel Energy in general and with Channel Smite in particular. I can agree that a) is not really an option, but the sentence "to determine the damage-dealing potential of the affected ability" made me think that even c) is possible. After all, Channel Smite works with Variant Channeling for the purposes of other effects.

[JohnHawkins]

I think it works as standard, normally when submitted to a negative energy channel you can save for half damage. The Channel evil ability explicitly does less damage and says if you fail the save you are sickened for d4 rounds.

So when using channel smite instead of the AOE save for half and sickened if you fail, the effect is applied via the weapon and so if they fail their save they are sickened.

If you accidentally hit an evil character and channel the smite he will be healed by the channel effect as this is a peculiar channel ability which can both heal and harmm with the same channel.

[bitter lily]

John, where did you find that? I admit, it's what I would have expected the rules to be. But the OP's own quote says:
"For instance, if a 5th-level fiendish vessel takes the Channel Smite feat, her channeling deals an additional 3d4 points of damage to living creatures on a successful hit."
None of what you said there about being sickened if you fail the save or being healed if you're evil is in that quote.

Soul Devourer, I appreciate struggles with a real monster like English. Especially when dealing with a dungeon like Pathfinder rules. I hope you prevail!