Hello there fellow Forumites, I've been planning a Negative Energy Rulership variant channeling cleric for a bit and stumbled upon what appears to be a very powerful combination. I have read and reread the rules a few times and just want to double check to make sure there are no loopholes or caveats that I may have missed.
Links to all questioned content:
Variant Channeling - Specifically the Rulership variant.
Channel Smite
Lingering Smite
Based upon my readings, of the Variant Channeling rules that state: Feats and abilities that modify or present alternative uses for channeled energy (such as Command Undead and Turn Undead) work normally with these variant channeling abilities. Channel Smite should function well within those parameters as Channel Smite is an alternate use for Channeled energy. Now we add on Lingering Smite, which is essentially a modified Channel Smite, which is an alternate use for channeled energy.
The way I am seeing this working is as follows: After the first round, the enemy would automatically take half of the 1d8 damage from Lingering Smite and then must attempt a Will save to negate the Dazed condition (from Rulership variant channeling) each round for as many rounds as Lingering Smite lasts.
Would this be an accurate assessment of the interactions of these feats and abilities? Or are there too many variants and alternatives interacting here that might override certain abilities/feats??? I'd love to get some insight from you fine folks!
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No, it isn't an accurate assessment.
Lingering smite: "Instead of the normal effects of successfully hitting with Channel Smite, you may choose the following effect. Starting on your target’s next turn, it takes 1d8 points of damage each round at the beginning of its turn. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the number of damage dice you use to roll your channel energy ability."
So Lingering smite replace your normal effect. The replaced normal effect include the daze effect.
No, it isn't an accurate assessment.
Lingering smite: "Instead of the normal effects of successfully hitting with Channel Smite, you may choose the following effect. Starting on your target’s next turn, it takes 1d8 points of damage each round at the beginning of its turn. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the number of damage dice you use to roll your channel energy ability."
So Lingering smite replace your normal effect. The replaced normal effect include the daze effect.
Diego is correct. Also channel smite is useless with the rulership variant. It says when you hit with an attack you deal additional damage equal to the damage dealt by your channel. The rulership variant replaces the damage dealt by your channel with other effects. Since the damage dealt by your channel with the rulership variant is none channel smite adds nothing.
Edit: Also that would trickle down to the lingering smite as the dice you roll for your channel ability with the rulership variant is now 0 the number of rounds the lingering smite effect lasts would also be 0.
Variant Rulership doesn't replace the damage, you always deal half your normal Channel Energy damage (no save), but then gain extra rider effect (which is negated upon a successful Will save). So Channel Smite would still work with that, but it would be pointless to only Daze one target. Channel Smite is about stacking damage on one big hit, but since Variant Channeling halves your damage there is no point. I had hoped that the rider effects would carry over to Lingering Smite.
I see where you are coming from Diego, but was thinking it might still work... This PC is going to be for PFS so even if I get a few people that might agree with my initial assessment, it would likely fall under "expect table variation" territory.
Ahh, I did miss the part about it still doing 50% of the normal damage. So channel smite would still work but would only apply the 50% damage. It still would not apply the additional effect at all. It only deals additional damage equal to your channel damage. Notice it doesn't say the creature is effected by your channel...just that the smite deals that much additional damage.
No matter how you look at it this does not work as you are thinking. There won't be any table variation in PFS, the feats just don't work like that.
Ahh, I did miss the part about it still doing 50% of the normal damage. So channel smite would still work but would only apply the 50% damage. It still would not apply the additional effect at all. It only deals additional damage equal to your channel damage. Notice it doesn't say the creature is effected by your channel...just that the smite deals that much additional damage.
No matter how you look at it this does not work as you are thinking. There won't be any table variation in PFS, the feats just don't work like that.
I can get on the lingering Smite not working, but I'm going to have to agree to disagree about Channel Smite not working with variant channeling effects. VC was released long after Channel Smite and it specifies what involved in my initial post. We both have differing opinions on how that works and do not see either of us convincing the other at this point.
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èquote=PRD]Channel Smite (Combat)
You can channel your divine energy through a melee weapon you wield.
Prerequisite: Channel energy class feature.
Benefit: Before you make a melee attack roll, you can choose to spend one use of your channel energy ability as a swift action. If you channel positive energy and you hit an undead creature, that creature takes an amount of additional damage equal to the damage dealt by your channel positive energy ability. If you channel negative energy and you hit a living creature, that creature takes an amount of additional damage equal to the damage dealt by your channel negative energy ability. Your target can make a Will save, as normal, to halve this additional damage. If your attack misses, the channel energy ability is still expended with no effect.
Channel smite could use a rewording, as it say " that creature takes an amount of additional damage equal to the damage dealt by your channel positive energy ability", but normally "additional damage" is the same kind of damage dealt by your weapon.
I think everyone interpret that as " that creature takes an amount of additional positive energy damage equal to the damage dealt by your channel positive energy ability",Still, as written, you deal only additional damage equal to to the damage dealt by your channel positive/negative energy ability. Not secondary effects.
As variant channeling was written after channel smite and don't include text that allow secondary effects to be delivered using channel smite, I think that they have no effect when used with channel smite.
That is only an interpretation, so maybe you can try to write an appropriate question and get enough hits for a FAQ.