Pathfinder 1E Channel energy houseruling

[Ezequielramone]

I'm running a game in eberron with a first time player. He is playing a cleric and reading the rules of channeling we realized that it doesn't make sense FOR US.
The thing is that the standard channel is a burst of positive energy. But you have to choose without changing any flavor the effect: healing creatures or harming undeath. It's is exactly the same "thing" but you choose different effects. That doesn't work for us.
The question is: is there any "legal" way to do both things at the same time? I want to know in order to see how the designers managed this. For example, if there is a feat that let you heal creatures and harm undeath at the same time I'll change that too so the standard will do both things and the feat let you choose.

I'll like to read your approach to this if you have your own house rule or recommendation for me.

 

[Kinak]

To the best of my knowledge, there isn't a Paizo feat that allows this. There's probably a 3PP somewhere that does, though.

The closest I know of is the Twinned Channeling of the Envoy of Balance which lets you use both positive and negative energy, but still only effect the living or the dead. Which is a neat trick, but requires a ton of prerequisites.

For the houserule, I'd suggest halving the amount it heals/harms when both living and undead are in the area. Say the struggle between life and death mutes the effects.

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[Ezequielramone]

For the houserule, I'd suggest halving the amount it heals/harms when both living and undead are in the area. Say the struggle between life and death mutes the effects.

Cheers!
Kinak

Interesing, I was thinking in something like a full round action. Or maybe choose how much die heal and how much harm. So you don't waste a point of you divide and round. What do you think?

 

[Kinak]

Interesing, I was thinking in something like a full round action. Or maybe choose how much die heal and how much harm. So you don't waste a point of you divide and round. What do you think?

If you don't want to half them, you could alternately have the channel cost two uses if it's hitting both living and dead targets. Really good for fights against the undead, but would also burn through resources that might have come in handy later.

Choosing how many dice heal and harm could certainly work too. It would basically be a slightly more flexible version of the current system.

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[was]

The Ultimate Magic book has options for alternate channeling. Check here for a preview:
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/spellcastingClassOptions/cleric.html

 

[Ezequielramone]

The Ultimate Magic book has options for alternate channeling. Check here for a preview:
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/spellcastingClassOptions/cleric.html

I'm aware of this option, but it has the same "problem" for me. You change the flavor, but when you use the new flavor you still have to choose for two different effects.

Thanks both of you for your time and responses.

 

[was]

I'm aware of this option, but it has the same "problem" for me. You change the flavor, but when you use the new flavor you still have to choose for two different effects.

Thanks both of you for your time and responses.

..Sorry, I didn't mean using them as they are written. I thought that the alternative bonuses suggested could be a starting point for creating your own homebrew abilities. I'd also look at the Warpriest blessings to construct alternate uses for the channelling.

 

[gamerprinter]

If you don't want to half them, you could alternately have the channel cost two uses if it's hitting both living and dead targets. Really good for fights against the undead, but would also burn through resources that might have come in handy later.

This is exactly how I'd allow the request if I were GMing your game. Paizo chose to deliberately separate the benefits of positive energy channeling as healing or damage to undead, and there are no legal RAW work-arounds to get what that player wants, and I completely agree with that separation. You want to do it, pay for 2 daily uses of channeling, and I'd allow heal and damage at the same time.

 

[billd91]

I'm running a game in eberron with a first time player. He is playing a cleric and reading the rules of channeling we realized that it doesn't make sense FOR US.
The thing is that the standard channel is a burst of positive energy. But you have to choose without changing any flavor the effect: healing creatures or harming undeath. It's is exactly the same "thing" but you choose different effects. That doesn't work for us.
The question is: is there any "legal" way to do both things at the same time? I want to know in order to see how the designers managed this. For example, if there is a feat that let you heal creatures and harm undeath at the same time I'll change that too so the standard will do both things and the feat let you choose.

FYI, I believe that's pretty much how things behaved in the early play test - channeling did both damage to undead and healed live creatures at the same time. I suspect they dialed that back a bit because one of the goals of the PF revision was to reel in some of the overpowered aspects of the cleric and the dual-use of the channeling mechanic wasn't exactly doing that.

 

[Ezequielramone]

I see. I don't use undead alone in combats, unless is just a combat which only purpose is to show that there are undeads around.
So they have to take care where they channel to avoid healing the necromancers.
Still that give the cleric double die to roll.
Dividing how much die to heal and how much harm seems to have the same balance but it's more coherent with the flavor.