Can I use Domain powers on myself?

Question

Some Domain powers are enabling the cleric to touch one creature to give it some boons. Example, from CRB, War Domain:

Battle Rage (Sp): You can touch a creature as a standard action to give it a bonus on melee damage rolls equal to 1/2 your cleric level for 1 round (minimum +1). You can do so a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

or CRB's Strength Domain:

Strength Surge (Sp): As a standard action, you can touch a creature to give it great strength. For 1 round, the target gains an enhancement bonus equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum +1) to melee attacks, combat maneuver checks that rely on Strength, Strength-based skills, and Strength checks. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

Can I use the benefits of Battle Rage by touching myself?

I understand that this only lasts for 1 round so with War Domain that would be utterly useless — unless the bonus kicks in for the next round. Can you clarify that as well?

Answer 1

You can, but it won't help you in these cases.

The target is a creature, which definitely includes you unless you are an inanimate object.

The effects will likely not help you, since

Effects that last a certain number of rounds end just before the same initiative count that they began on.

(Core Rulebook page 178). So it usually only helps yourself with attacks of opportunity.

Answer 2

You can touch yourself, although with the listed domain powers it's fairly useless unless your table wants to houserule that the bonus lasts until the end of your next turn (by default, it will end just as your next turn starts). You can target yourself with any touch power or spell that doesn't specify that you cannot. [Note that if you are playing an AoO-focused build, which is weird on a Cleric but I won't judge, the powers above can come into play on your attacks of opportunity. Likewise if you have teammates that like to grant actions to their allies...]

Answer 3

A cleric can use those powers on himself but they're of limited utility

A cleric can use on himself the Strength domain granted power strength surge, the War domain granted power battle rage, and other similar abilities. The cleric takes a standard action to use a spell-like ability (provoking attacks of opportunity as is typical for a spell-like ability; see here), and—as part of that use—the cleric touches himself to gain the granted power's effects. (Trust me when I say that the cleric has heard all those jokes before.)

However, as this fine answer mentions, because the duration of each listed ability is 1 round, each ability starts affecting the cleric on the turn it was activated and stops affecting the cleric right before the same initiative count on the next round. This typically prevents the cleric from realizing much of such a granted power's benefit unless, for example,—as this fine answer mentions—the cleric makes an attack of opportunity.

Realizing a greater personal benefit from such abilities

While some feats bear the type monster, that label is applied only because such feats "apply specifically to monsters, although some player characters might qualify for them." (For more information on the availability of feats possessing the type monster see, for example, this answer and this question and its answers.) This should make such available to those who meet their prerequisites.

Thus a cleric that's at least level 10 should be able to take the feat Quicken Spell-like Ability, picking a spell-like ability like the granted power strength surge or battle rage so that the cleric can 3/day take a swift action to use the picked spell-like ability instead of needing to take a standard action, therefore himself realizing the granted power's benefit for a far more useful amount of time. (The FAQ explains here how to determine the spell level of a spell-like ability with no listed spell level.)