How Channel Divinity Works in 5e
Channel Divinity is a pool of uses shared by a Cleric's or Paladin's divine effects. A Cleric gets it at level 2 with two uses and two effects, Divine Spark and Turn Undead; a Paladin gets it at level 3 with two uses and Divine Sense. Each use powers one effect of your choice. You regain one spent use on a Short Rest and all of them on a Long Rest, and any save it forces uses your spell save DC. Subclasses add more effects to the same pool. Below: the rules quoted, the use counts by level, and what Turn Undead, Divine Spark, Sacred Weapon and Abjure Foes are worth at the table.
The rule
The Cleric's level 2 feature:
You can channel divine energy directly from the Outer Planes to fuel magical effects. You start with two such effects: Divine Spark and Turn Undead, each of which is described below. Each time you use this class's Channel Divinity, choose which Channel Divinity effect from this class to create.
You can use this class's Channel Divinity twice. You regain one of its expended uses when you finish a Short Rest, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
If a Channel Divinity effect requires a saving throw, the DC equals the spell save DC from this class's Spellcasting feature.
The Paladin's level 3 feature uses the same words for uses, rests and the DC. Three things follow:
- One pool, many effects. Turn Undead, Divine Spark and a subclass effect all spend from the same uses.
- A Short Rest gives back one use, not all. Spend both, take one Short Rest, and you have one.
- Your spell DC, not a new number. A Cleric with Wisdom 16 at level 5 forces DC 14 (8 + 3 + 3).
Uses by level
| Level | Cleric uses | Paladin uses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | — |
| 2 | 2 | — |
| 3–5 | 2 | 2 |
| 6–10 | 3 | 2 |
| 11–17 | 3 | 3 |
| 18–20 | 4 | 3 |
The Cleric numbers come from the Channel Divinity column of the Cleric Features table; the Paladin says "You gain an additional use when you reach Paladin level 11." A level 2 Cleric who takes two Short Rests in a day can spend four uses: two, one back, one back.
Turn Undead
Turn Undead. As a Magic action, you present your Holy Symbol and censure Undead creatures. Each Undead of your choice within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its save, it has the Frightened and Incapacitated conditions for 1 minute. For that duration, it tries to move as far from you as it can on its turns. This effect ends early on the creature if it takes any damage, if you have the Incapacitated condition, or if you die.
Incapacitated means it "can't take any action, Bonus Action, or Reaction", so a turned Undead runs and does nothing else for up to a minute. Any damage ends it, so a turned zombie the Fighter hits is back in the fight. Turn is for clearing a room or buying time, not for setting up attacks.
At level 5, Sear Undead adds damage without breaking the turn:
Whenever you use Turn Undead, you can roll a number of d8s equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1d8) and add the rolls together. Each Undead that fails its saving throw against that use of Turn Undead takes Radiant damage equal to the roll's total. This damage doesn't end the turn effect.
A level 5 Cleric with Wisdom 16 forces DC 14 and sears for 3d8. At level 8 with Wisdom 18 it is DC 15 and 4d8 (Proficiency Bonus is still +3). How often each SRD Undead fails, and how often the sear alone drops it:
| Undead (HP, Wis) | L5 fail | L5 drop | L8 fail | L8 drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skeleton (13, −1) | 70% | 41.6% | 75% | 66.0% |
| Zombie (15, +0) | 65% | 26.4% | 70% | 53.9% |
| Ghoul (22, +0) | 65% | 1.3% | 70% | 16.1% |
| Ghast (36, +2) | 55% | 0% | 60% | 0% |
| Wight (82, +1) | 60% | 0% | 65% | 0% |
| Vampire Spawn (90, +3) | 50% | 0% | 55% | 0% |
Against six Skeletons, one use at level 5 turns 4.2 of them on average and burns 2.5 to dust. The sear is Radiant, which matters for the Zombie:
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 Hit Points, it makes a Constitution saving throw (DC 5 plus the damage taken) unless the damage is Radiant or from a Critical Hit.
So a seared Zombie that drops stays down.
Who shrugs it off. The Ghost, Mummy, Mummy Lord, Shadow and Lich have Immunity to the Frightened condition, and "Immunity to a condition means you aren't affected by it." Turn Undead gives two conditions; their immunity stops only the Frightened one. The SRD says nothing more on that case, so ask your GM before you count on it. The Lich and Mummy Lord also have Legendary Resistance.
Divine Spark
Divine Spark. As a Magic action, you point your Holy Symbol at another creature you can see within 30 feet of yourself and focus divine energy at it. Roll 1d8 and add your Wisdom modifier. You either restore Hit Points to the creature equal to that total or force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes Necrotic or Radiant damage (your choice) equal to that total. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage (round down).
It grows to 2d8 at Cleric level 7, 3d8 at 13 and 4d8 at 18. A level 2 Cleric with Wisdom 16 heals 7.5 on average with it, against 12 for Cure Wounds (2d8 + 3) from a slot. As damage at DC 13, it averages 5.9 against a Goblin Warrior (Con +0), 5.5 against a Bandit Captain (Con +2) and 5.3 against an Ogre (Con +3). Its real worth is choice: one use is a heal or a blast, decided on the turn. It cannot target you ("another creature").
Life Domain: Preserve Life
As a Magic action, you present your Holy Symbol and expend a use of your Channel Divinity to evoke healing energy that can restore a number of Hit Points equal to five times your Cleric level. Choose Bloodied creatures within 30 feet of yourself (which can include you), and divide those Hit Points among them. This feature can restore a creature to no more than half its Hit Point maximum.
Bloodied means "half its Hit Points or fewer remaining", so Preserve Life lifts Bloodied allies to the halfway line, no further. At level 3 that is 15 HP to share, at level 6 it is 30, at level 10 it is 50. It is a rescue for a party that is all down to a sliver, and it can bring a creature at 0 back up.
Paladin: Divine Sense
Divine Sense. As a Bonus Action, you can open your awareness to detect Celestials, Fiends, and Undead. For the next 10 minutes or until you have the Incapacitated condition, you know the location of any creature of those types within 60 feet of yourself, and you know its creature type.
It also finds consecrated or desecrated places "as with the Hallow spell". It is the Paladin's only base effect, so most uses go to the subclass.
Oath of Devotion: Sacred Weapon
When you take the Attack action, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity to imbue one Melee weapon that you are holding with positive energy. For 10 minutes or until you use this feature again, you add your Charisma modifier to attack rolls you make with that weapon (minimum bonus of +1), and each time you hit with it, you cause it to deal its normal damage type or Radiant damage.
It costs no action of its own, lasts ten minutes and needs no Concentration. A level 3 Paladin with Strength 16 and Charisma 16 attacks at +5; Sacred Weapon makes it +8. With a Longsword (1d8 + 3), per swing, plain and with Sacred Weapon (SW):
| AC | Hit | Hit, SW | Damage | Damage, SW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 65% | 80% | 5.10 | 6.22 |
| 15 | 55% | 70% | 4.35 | 5.47 |
| 17 | 45% | 60% | 3.60 | 4.72 |
| 19 | 35% | 50% | 2.85 | 3.98 |
That is about 1.1 more damage a swing, plus more hits to hang a Divine Smite on, for every swing in a ten-minute stretch. It also sheds Bright Light 20 feet out, which tells every enemy where you are.
Oath of Devotion: Abjure Foes
At level 9:
As a Magic action, you can expend one use of this class's Channel Divinity to overwhelm foes with awe. As you present your Holy Symbol or weapon, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature) that you can see within 60 feet of yourself. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Frightened condition for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While Frightened in this way, a target can do only one of the following on its turns: move, take an action, or take a Bonus Action.
A level 9 Paladin with Charisma 16 targets three creatures at DC 15. An Ogre (Wis −2) fails 80% of the time, a Troll or Hill Giant (−1) 75%, a Bandit Captain (save +2) 60%. Like Turn Undead, the first hit ends it, so use it on the creatures your party is not hitting this round.
In short
- Who: Cleric from level 2, Paladin from level 3.
- Uses: 2, rising to 3 (Cleric 6, Paladin 11) and 4 (Cleric 18).
- Back: one per Short Rest, all on a Long Rest.
- DC: your spell save DC.
- Best use: Turn Undead against crowds of weak Undead, Sacred Weapon before a long fight, Divine Spark when you need a heal or damage and have no slot to spare.
Spending a slot instead? See Divine Smite for the Paladin and Lay On Hands for the healing it competes with. When the uses come back is in Short and Long Rests.
The odds here are computed exactly from the d20 and the dice above. The Book of Dice covers both in Part I, The Object.
This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 ("SRD 5.2.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
