[3.5] Ordained Champion Channeling??

[tuesdayscoming]

A couple of different classes get the ability to channel spells into melee attacks, I know. Duskblade springs to mind most readily. But IIRC, most of these classes are limited to touch range spells.

I just reread the Ordained Champion, though, and it's Channel Spell ability states that you can channel "any spell you have available to cast into your melee weapon". It goes on to specifically allow using spells that are normally rays or AoEs.

Is this as awesome as it seems to be? Could you use it to give your allies buffs that are normally Personal?

If so, can anyone think of a Personal range spell that has a MAJOR drawback? I seem to recall a couple of spells that kill you at the end of their duration. Might be nasty to put on an enemy.

[SurlySeraph]

Well first of all, you can use it to put an Anti-Magic Field on someone that doesn't affect anyone else. That's pretty awesome.

"Even if the spell normally affects an area or is a ray, it still affects only the target in this case." Using it for area spells (including an area centered on you, like AMF) or rays is definitely legit by RAW; using it for Personal spells is more of a "nothing says you can't" interpretation, one that most DMs probably wouldn't allow.
If it's allowed, though, Phoenix (BoED) would be a good spell to use. Death, and then resurrects at 1 hp a few minutes later.

[tuesdayscoming]

Huh. AMF would be a hell of a spell to cast through it... A HELL of a spell. Too bad it's level 8 on the cleric list...

And reading the ability again, I really don't see its being compatible with Personal range spells is at all ambiguous. Again, it says "any spell you have available to cast" and provides absolutely no exceptions whatsoever. Anyone want to argue for a different reading?

[senrath]

There's Transcend Mortality. A 9th level Wu-Jen spell that kills you when it's duration runs out, with no way of avoiding it. It's a pretty big buff for the rounds it's up, though.

[Akal Saris]

Here's the errata for the Ordained Champion:

Page 91 – Channel Spell
[Substitution]
(Su) should follow the class feature
name, not (Sp).
[Revision]
The first two sentences should
instead read, “At 3rd level, you can
channel any spell available to you
that has one creature or more as its
target into your melee weapon. Doing
so requires a move action and uses
up a spell slot or a prepared spell
of casting time no greater than one
standard action.”

Page 91 – Divine Bulwark
[Substitution]
(Su) should follow the class feature
name, not (Sp).

Page 91 – Fist of the Gods
[Substitution]
(Su) should follow the class feature
name, not (Sp).

Page 91 – Holy Warrior
[Substitution]
(Su) should follow the class feature
name, not (Sp).

[tuesdayscoming]

Ahh, thank you kindly, Akal Saris!

Errata, my old nemesis... Well, that sucks. I had gotten rather excited about this ability.

Well, I suppose there's always Spellguard of Silverymoon for sharing Personal spells with allies. But damned if that single-target AMF didn't get me excited. Anyone know if there's a legitimate way to get a similar effect?

[Ernir]

Anyone know if there's a legitimate way to get a similar effect?

Antimagic Ray (I think it's called), Spell Compendium.

[Eurus]

Antimagic Ray (I think it's called), Spell Compendium.

Requires a touch attack and allows a save, annoyingly, despite being a high level spell.

[faceroll]

Anyone know if there's a legitimate way to get a similar effect?

The capstone ability of a tenth level master specialist abjurer.

[tuesdayscoming]

Thankee, ladies and gents! I'm AFB right now, but I'll check those options when I get home tonight!