Channel Divinity Cleric - what exactly does "another use" really mean ?

[Istar]

Okay CD is an encounter power which you can use once per encounter.

There are powers in PP's and items such as a Holy Symbol, that give you an "additional" use of your CD.

Does this just mean that you can use the same one again.
Or do have to use a different CD for the additional use, as the CD's can only be used once per encounter as they are encounter powers.

When is "Additional" actually not additional??

 

[Istar]

From one player

It says additional use of the Channel Divinity class feature not the additional use of a particular Channel Divinities encounter power.
There are some items / feats that say which encounter power you can use e.g. Symbol of Turning:
Power Daily (Standard Action)

You must have the Channel Divinity class feature to use this power. Use the Channel Divinity power turn undead, even if you've already used Channel Divinity in this encounter.
So you can use turn undead twice with this item.
It means that you can use both healing word and turn undead for example and not just be limited to choosing between one of them.
Specific overrules general
The general is only 1 CD power per encounter and an encounter power can only be used once per encounter.
Symbol of Divinity: The specific says use CD again not reuse a specific CD encounter power again as the Symbol of Turning does.

 

[fba827]

You get Channel Divinity once per encounter.
You use it (say for example for Turn Undead -- Turn undead is an encounter power and therefore is now expended).
You use an item or Paragon Path feature to regain a use of Channel Divinity.
The Turn Undead power is still already expended but you have a second channel divinity power that you can use (Such as divine favor if you're using the PHB1 cleric) so your additional use of Channel Divinity for the encounter can be used for a non-expended Channel Divinity-based power

(so you could not use turn undead twice, for example. Though the Symbol of Turning is a specific exception to this as it explicitly lets you reuse turn undead)

It means that you can use both healing word and turn undead for example and not just be limited to choosing between one of them.

I'm a little confused on what you mean in that sentence since healing word has nothing to do with channel divinity.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

You get Channel Divinity once per encounter.
You use it (say for example for Turn Undead -- Turn undead is an encounter power and therefore is now expended).
You use an item or Paragon Path feature to regain a use of Channel Divinity.
The Turn Undead power is still already expended but you have a second channel divinity power that you can use (Such as divine favor if you're using the PHB1 cleric) so your additional use of Channel Divinity for the encounter can be used for a non-expended Channel Divinity-based power

(so you could not use turn undead twice, for example. Though the Symbol of Turning is a specific exception to this as it explicitly lets you reuse turn undead)


I'm a little confused on that point since healing word has nothing to do with channel divinity.

Yeah, healing word is a whole different thing. Otherwise I think you have the technicalities of it right.

 

[Ferghis]

Odd, I never read it that way. Admittedly, if they wanted you to regain the use of a channel divinity you had already used, they could have said just that. Aside from the possibility of a clearer wording, is there a clarification that they have posted somewhere about this? Or some other reason why you guys think that it allows you to only use a different channel divinity power?

 

[underfoot007ct]

Odd, I never read it that way. Admittedly, if they wanted you to regain the use of a channel divinity you had already used, they could have said just that. Aside from the possibility of a clearer wording, is there a clarification that they have posted somewhere about this? Or some other reason why you guys think that it allows you to only use a different channel divinity power?

Like some of the previous posters stated, No where does it say you regain an expended (CD) power. I believe it more to the point, why would you think it does restore an expended power?

 

[Ferghis]

Double post.

 

[Ferghis]

I don't necessarily think it restores an expended power. My initial reading was simply that it let me use my channel divinity power again. As in, I used it once, and now I get to use it again. However you want to phrase that is fine by me. It's an additional use.

I want to say that I don't think you're crazy for playing that way. I was just wondering if it was stated clearly somewhere that you had to use a different CD for the additional use. Because "an additional use" isn't very specific at all.

 

[Balesir]

I agree that the wording is - and has always been - less than crystal clear.

The main reason I think the "CD use gives you the use of one CD power, and the powers themselves are Encounter powers" interpretation is best goes back to discussions about this around 2 years ago. I think there is some design space opened up this way for (i) Daily CD powers that are a bit more powerful, i.e. they take a CD use to trigger, but can only be used once between extended rests, and (ii) "At Will" CD powers, that still take a CD use to "power up" for the encounter, but can be used multiple times within the encounter - sort of a Divine version of cantrips; you might call them "Orisons", or something, just to pick a name out of the blue...

 

[Ferghis]

(i) Daily CD powers that are a bit more powerful, i.e. they take a CD use to trigger, but can only be used once between extended rests, and (ii) "At Will" CD powers, that still take a CD use to "power up" for the encounter, but can be used multiple times within the encounter - sort of a Divine version of cantrips;

I'm not sure I understand, since all CD powers are encounter powers.