Many divine spellcasters gain the ability to channel divinity through the power of their faith. When a divine caster channels divinity, he uses it to power a magical effect. Most characters will have access to only one of the following abilities, chosen when they gain access to the channel divinity class feature. In addition to the abilities presented below, a character may have options available based on their patron deity, domain choices, or religious affiliation.
When a character gains the ability to channel divinity, he must choose to channel either positive energy or negative energy. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed. A character must make this choice, even if their version of channel divinity does not directly make use of either positive or negative energy (such as the Divine Conduit ability).
Channel Divinity and Domains
Some cleric domains, such as the Fire domain grant an additional options for using channel divinity, but these channel divinity forms are not granted to a cleric automatically. These domains only provide additional choices for a cleric’s channel divinity ability that he can choose in place of turn or rebuke undead.
These options are noted after the domain’s spell list.
Having Multiple Forms of Channel Divinity
If a divine caster gains access to multiple forms of channel divinity, such as through the Expanded Channel Divinity feat, they all share a single pool of daily uses—typically 3 + Charisma modifier /day. However, each additional form of channel divinity that a divine caster gains grants him one additional use per day. So, a divine caster who has both turn undead and castigate spirits would be able to channel divinity 4 + his Cha mod times per day.
Common Channel Divinity Options
Regardless of other available choices, a cleric always has the option to either turn or rebuke undead, depending on if he channels positive or negative energy.
Turn Undead
A cleric who channels positive energy can use it to turn undead. You present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring the undead as a standard action. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you takes 1d6 positive energy damage plus 1d6 for every two cleric levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, etc.).
An undead may make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 cleric level + your Cha modifier) to take only half damage. If the undead is commanded by another cleric (see Rebuke Undead), it gains a bonus on its save equal to 1/2 that cleric’s class level.
In addition, on a failed save, mindless undead with Hit Dice less than or equal to your effective cleric level also become passive, acting as if there are no living creatures around them. Intelligent undead do not suffer from this effect. This effect lasts for 1 minute (10 rounds) but ends immediately for any individual undead that is touched by a living creature or that takes damage from any source.
If you have at least twice as many levels as an undead has Hit Dice, it is destroyed on a failed save, even if the damage is not normally enough to destroy it.
Rebuke Undead
A cleric who channels negative energy can use it to rebuke undead. You present your holy symbol and speak a prayer bolstering the undead as a standard action. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you is affected by your rebuke attempt.
Affected undead must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 cleric level + your Cha modifier). On a failed save, mindless undead with Hit Dice less than or equal to your effective cleric level also become passive, acting as if there are no living creatures around them. Intelligent undead remain aware of living creatures by are unable to harm or approach them.
This effect lasts for 1 minute (10 rounds) but ends immediately for any individual undead that is touched by a living creature or that takes damage from any source.
If you have at least twice as many levels as an undead has Hit Dice, you have the chance of taking control of it. If it fails the Will save described above, it also becomes commanded by you. If the undead is already commanded by another cleric, it gains a bonus on its save equal to 1/2 that cleric’s class level.
Commanded Undead
A commanded undead creature is under the mental control of the cleric. You must take a standard action to give mental orders to a commanded undead. At any one time, you may command any number of undead whose total Hit Dice do not exceed your level. You may voluntarily relinquish command on any commanded undead creature or creatures in order to command new ones.
A cleric who uses rebuke undead on undead he commands also heals them with negative energy for 1d6 for points of damage plus 1d6 for every two cleric levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, etc.). Undead he does not command are not affected by this healing.
Castigate Spirits
Though seen as more of a druidic practice, clerics who revere nature rather than a particular deity may choose to castigate spirits. This option is available to any cleric who does not have a patron deity or pantheon. A cleric may choose this ability regardless of if he channels positive or negative energy.
To castigate spirits, you must present your holy symbol and speak words of chastisement to hostile spirits. This deals 1d6 damage for every two cleric levels to all spirits within 30 feet of you. Affected spirits may make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 cleric level + your Cha modifier) for half damage.
If you have at least twice as many levels as a spirit has Hit Dice, you have the chance of taking control of it. If it fails the Will save described above, it also becomes commanded by you. If the spirit is already commanded by another cleric, it gains a bonus on its save equal to 1/2 that cleric’s class level. This functions exactly as commanded undead, except that spirits will only serve the cleric for one hour per cleric level, after which time the spirit will attempt to flee.
Divine Conduit
The divine conduit ability is a lesser version of channel divinity which is typically only granted to classes with minor access to channel divinity; however, any cleric may choose this ability in place of turn or rebuke undead. This almost passive ability can only be used to power divine feats and has no other function.
Divine conduit counts as channel divinity for the purposes of meeting prerequisites