I just want to verify that I'm reading/interpreting this correctly.
Grayflame weapon ability: "This weapon responds to channeled positive and negative energy. When the wielder spends a swift action to channel energy through the weapon, it ignites with a strange gray flame that sheds light as a torch, increases the weapon’s enhancement bonus by +1, and deals +1d6 damage (as the divine power from flame strike) to creatures struck by the weapon. This flame lasts for 1 round for every d6 of damage or healing the channeling normally provides.
When charged with positive energy, the flame is a silvery gray, good creatures are immune to the weapon’s extra damage, and the weapon counts as a good and
silver weapon for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction.
When charged with negative energy, the flame is an ashen gray, evil creatures are immune to the weapon’s extra damage, and the weapon counts as an evil and cold iron weapon for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction.
This special ability can only be placed on melee weapons."
Death's Kiss: "You can cause a creature to take on some of the traits of the undead with a melee touch attack. Touched creatures are treated as undead for the purposes of effects that heal or cause damage based on positive and negative energy. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum 1). It does not apply to the Turn Undead or Command Undead feats. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier."
So based on this, an evil cleric of Urgathoa with the Undead subdomain could touch a living opponent, thereby preventing the opponent (or it's allies) from healing it with a Channel Positive Energy or Cure spell. The opponent's party would also have to have an Inflict spell or ability to Channel Negative Energy in order to heal them.
If this cleric also happened to have a Grayflame weapon, and channeled Negative energy into it, and struck that same opponent (who was not evil), would that opponent take the additional 1d6 damage?
I would say "yes". The Grayflame weapon changes the energy somehow, in one of two ways perhaps. One, it changes the determination of effect from living or undead, to good or evil. Whereas naturally, Negative Energy would still harm an Evil Living creature, with Grayflame it would be immune to that damage. Two, with the reference to Flame Strike, the energy is no longer Negative (or Positive), it is simply Divine.
I can just see a question/argument about this, as if you are channeling Negative Energy (into the weapon), and Negative Energy now heals the target, that target shouldn't receive the extra damage.
Just thought I'd get the forum's thoughts.
I don't think the grayflame property is affected by the question of whether the target is healed or harmed by positive or negative energy. It checks alignment and alignment only.
I have to agree with Lucy Valentine. Grayflame only mentions channel energy. It's final effect is not determined by what kind of energy is channeled into the weapon, in fact it even specifies if you use either negative or positive you get result X.
Undead status does not change the grayflame effect since it does not say so in grayflame itself.
I don't think the grayflame property is affected by the question of whether the target is healed or harmed by positive or negative energy. It checks alignment and alignment only.
This is correct.