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I have a Cleric/Paladin and, at the next level, my paladin should be able to use Channel Energy. On the paladin's page, it says that
A paladin uses her level as her effective cleric level when channeling positive energy.
However, since I can already use this feature as a Cleric, would the levels stack and the only differences be the uses/days and the attribute used, or would I use the paladin's channel energy as another feature entirely?
The Pathfinder Core Rulebook FAQ includes this exchange:
I have this ability from more than one class, do they stack?
No—unless an ability specifically says it stacks with similar abilities (such as an assassin's sneak attack), or adds in some way based on the character's total class levels (such as improved uncanny dodge), the abilities don't stack and you have to use them separately. Therefore, cleric channeling doesn't stack with paladin channeling, necromancer channeling, oracle of life channeling, and so on.
Double emphasis mine. Such a creature just picks which one to use when it wants to channel energy.
Unless you have a class feature like holy vindicator's that explicitly says that your levels stack then it works similarly to how you gain spellcasting were you to gain levels in two spellcasting classes. You have two instances of Channel Energy independent of one another with their own effective class level and number of uses.
