Alignment Channel - choose alignment type during combat

[David Richards 595]

We have a cleric who has chosen the feat Alignment Channel. At the moment they are playing it that every time they channel energy they can choose a different alignment. So one round they choose evil, then the next good. Is this correct as I read it that when they select the feat they choose an alignment and it is then fixed and cannot be changed.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Pax Miles]

David Richards 595 wrote:

We have a cleric who has chosen the feat Alignment Channel. At the moment they are playing it that every time they channel energy they can choose a different alignment. So one round they choose evil, then the next good. Is this correct as I read it that when they select the feat they choose an alignment and it is then fixed and cannot be changed.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

I thought it worked one way, but in re-reading, it does seem to contradict itself between the description and the "special" section. I'd leave it up to the GM.

I've always not taken it because as worded in the special section, a Good character that wants to harm evil outsiders and heal good outsiders, requires two different feats, which seems rather unreasonable to me.

I will note that it only affects outsiders with the alignment subtype, so with either interpretation, it remains rather contextual in use. And it still is limited by channels per day, and it uses a feat, and so forth. Not usually a worthwhile ability. Usually a problem with the GM using a certain creature type too often, should their be an issue.

[blahpers]

The text is confusing at first glance because there are two choices being made:

1. You make the choice of which alignment subtype to affect when you take the feat. Each time you take the feat, you add another alignment subtype to the list of possible choices. "None" is always a valid choice, in which case you just channel energy as normal.

2. You make the choice of whether to heal or harm said subtype each time you channel energy.

[Dave Justus]

the problem is that they used the same word for two different things in the feat:

"choose to have your ability to channel energy heal or harm outsiders of the chosen alignment subtype. You must make this choice each time you channel energy."

choose, chosen and choice.

1st choose: Each time you channel, you can pick between regular channel and the alignment channel of the alignment you have selected.

2nd chosen (past tense) the previously selected alignment subtype picked when the feat was taken (this wouldn't be apparent without the 'special' section which clarifies it is a permanent, one time choice upon taking the feat)

3rd choice: refers to the first 'choose' and clarifies that each time you channel you can use normal channel or use this feat.

It is poorly worded, and could be written much clearer, but reading the whole thing it is apparent that this is how it works.

[blahpers]

blahpers wrote:

The text is confusing at first glance because there are two choices being made:

1. You make the choice of which alignment subtype to affect when you take the feat. Each time you take the feat, you add another alignment subtype to the list of possible choices. "None" is always a valid choice, in which case you just channel energy as normal.

2. You make the choice of whether to heal or harm said subtype each time you channel energy.

Wow, I really messed up 1 there. I plead distraction. Dave explained it much better.

[David Richards 595]

blahpers wrote:

blahpers wrote:

The text is confusing at first glance because there are two choices being made:

1. You make the choice of which alignment subtype to affect when you take the feat. Each time you take the feat, you add another alignment subtype to the list of possible choices. "None" is always a valid choice, in which case you just channel energy as normal.

2. You make the choice of whether to heal or harm said subtype each time you channel energy.

Wow, I really messed up 1 there. I plead distraction. Dave explained it much better.

Thank you to everyone but I think this is the clearest answer. I will let our Cleric know.

Thanks again!