Channeling

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▶️ Initializing in… 3..2..1! — Tinker

”

Channeling causes the caster to stop acting for the duration of the the ability.

Channeled abilities may be ended early when the channeling unit performs another action or is interrupted by another ability or disables. While abilities are being channeled, a time remaining bar will appear on the screen, indicating how much time is left in the channel. Silence stops ability channeling, while Mute stops item channeling.

Interrupting Channeled Abilities

Performing the following actions while channeling abilities will interrupt the channel:

• Issuing another command (i.e. to move, Left Click on ground, stop, attack, A on target).
• Casting other abilities or using items (with certain exceptions).
• Any disables that would normally prevent a unit from casting abilities.

If the channel is interrupted before the ability's effects occur, the mana and cooldown will be wasted, and the ability's effect will be cut short, and in some cases will not perform their effects at all. This is in contrast to other, non-channeled abilities with high cast times (e.g. Assassinate and Requiem of Souls) which will not expend mana or go on cooldown until the ability has been completed. Certain channeled abilities (e.g. Illuminate and Powershot) will still perform their effect even if they are canceled, usually at the cost of damage.

Any disable that would normally prevent a unit from casting the spell in question will also interrupt channeling. This includes stuns, cyclones, hexes, sleeps, and getting hidden. Though they do not prevent casting, most root effects will also interrupt channeling. Silence will interrupt channeling from abilities only, while mute will interrupt channeling from items.

Some abilities that applies Forced Movement (e.g. Vacuum or X Marks the Spot) will interrupt channeling as well, even if used on friendly units; however, other abilities like Force Staff and Boulder Smash, will not interrupt channeling, apply forced movement and not causing an interrupt state.

Non-obvious spells that interrupt channeling

• Anti-Mage – Mana Void
• Dark Seer – Vacuum
• Dark Seer – Normal Punch
• Night Stalker – Void
• Sniper – Concussive Grenade
• Sniper – Assassinate
• Treant Protector – Overgrowth

• Disruptor – Glimpse
• Elder Titan – Earth Splitter
• Kunkka – Return
• Vengeful Spirit – Nether Swap

Usable Unit Abilities While Channeling

Toggle-able (On / Off) abilities and abilities granting invisibility generally do not interrupt channeling.

The following is a list of abilities that are usable while channeling:

Usable Unit Abilities While Channeling

• Astral Spirit – Return Astral Spirit
• Bane – Nightmare End
• Crystal Maiden – Crystal Clone
• Dark Willow – Shadow Realm
• Elder Titan – Move Astral Spirit
• Elder Titan – Return Astral Spirit
• Juggernaut – Blade Fury
• Naga Siren – Deluge
• Primal Beast – Trample
• Primal Beast – Uproar
• Slardar – Guardian Sprint
• Templar Assassin – Trap
• Timbersaw – Return Chakram
• Visage – Stone Form

Invisibility

• Bounty Hunter – Friendly Shadow
• Bounty Hunter – Shadow Walk
• Clinkz – Skeleton Walk
• Invoker – Ghost Walk
• Nyx Assassin – Vendetta
• Visage – Silent as the Grave
• Weaver – Shukuchi

Toggle

• Io – Spirits In^2a
• Io – Spirits Out^2a
• Night Stalker – Crippling Fear^2a
• Leshrac – Pulse Nova
• Mars – Bulwark
• Morphling – Attribute Shift
• Pudge – Rot
• Winter Wyvern – Arctic Burn^2a
• Witch Doctor – Voodoo Restoration
• Harpy Scout – Take Off

Can be toggled, but not casted

• Ancient Apparition – Chilling Touch
• Bounty Hunter – Jinada
• Doom – Infernal Blade
• Drow Ranger – Frost Arrows
• Enchantress – Impetus
• Huskar – Burning Spear
• Jakiro – Liquid Fire
• Jakiro – Liquid Frost
• Kunkka – Tidebringer
• Omniknight – Hammer of Purity
• Outworld Destroyer – Arcane Orb
• Silencer – Glaives of Wisdom
• Tusk – Walrus PUNCH!
• Viper – Poison Attack
• Weaver – Geminate Attack
• Clinkz – Death Pact²
• Dark Seer – Surge^1b
• Doom – Devour
• Elder Titan – Echo Stomp^1b
• Hoodwink – Acorn Shot
• Keeper of the Light – Recall²
• Marci – Rebound²
• Meepo – Poof
• Monkey King – Boundless Strike^1b
• Morphling – Morph^1a
• Puck – Waning Rift²
• Sand King – Burrowstrike
• Storm Spirit – Static Remnant²
• Sven – Storm Hammer^1a
• Templar Assassin – Trap
• Tusk – Drinking Buddies²
• Visage – Stone Form
• Visage – Summon Familiars

¹ Requires talent.

^1a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.

^1b Requires Aghanim's Shard.

² Requires selecting the corresponding facet.

Usable Hero Abilities While Channeling [CONDITIONAL]

• Lich – Frost Blast
• Lich – Frost Shield
• Lich – Ice Spire
• Lich – Chain Frost
• Lone Druid – Savage Roar
• Spirit Bear – Savage Roar
• Pugna – Decrepify
• Pugna – Nether Blast
• Pugna – Nether Ward
• Riki – Smoke Screen

Usable Items While Channeling

Toggle-able (On / Off) items and items granting invisibility generally do not interrupt channeling.

The following is a list of abilities that are usable while channeling:

Usable Item Abilities While Channeling

• Blade Mail – Damage Return
• Boots of Bearing – Endurance
• Drum of Endurance – Endurance
• Mask of Madness – Berserk¹
• Phase Boots – Phase
• Shiva's Guard – Arctic Blast
• Veil of Discord – Magic Weakness

Invisibility

• Glimmer Cape – Glimmer⁷
• Shadow Amulet – Fade⁷
• Shadow Blade – Shadow Walk
• Silver Edge – Shadow Walk

Toggle

• Armlet of Mordiggian – Unholy Strength
• Divine Rapier – Transmute
• Radiance – Burn

¹ Note that even though these items do not interrupt channeling upon cast, their effects after cast (i.e. self-silence) may still interrupt the channeling.

Channeled Abilities

Channeled abilities require the caster to stay still while the ability is active.

Some channeling abilities do nothing if the channel is interrupted while consuming mana and the ability goes on cooldown, while other channeling abilities' max power or potency is based on the channeled time.

Do Nothing When Channeling is Interrupted

• Astral Spirit – Echo Stomp
• Elder Titan – Echo Stomp
• Fiend's Gate – Warp
• Meteor Hammer – Meteor Hammer
• Outpost – Watch Tower
• Primal Beast – Onslaught
• Spirit Bear – Return
• Templar Assassin – Psionic Projection
• Tinker – Keen Conveyance
• Tinker – Rearm
• Town Portal Scroll – Teleport
• Trusty Shovel – Dig
• Twin Gate – Warp
• Watcher – Lantern of Sight

¹ Requires talent.

^2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.

Max Power Based on Channeled Time

• Bane – Fiend's Grip
• Clinkz – Burning Barrage
• Crystal Maiden – Freezing Field³
• Dawnbreaker – Solar Guardian
• Drow Ranger – Multishot
• Enigma – Black Hole
• Keeper of the Light – Illuminate
• Lich – Sinister Gaze
• Lion – Mana Drain
• Monkey King – Primal Spring
• Naga Siren – Reel In
• Oracle – Fortune's End
• Primal Beast – Pulverize
• Puck – Phase Shift
• Pudge – Dismember
• Pugna – Life Drain
• Riki – Tricks of the Trade
• Shadow Shaman – Shackles
• Tiny – Tree Volley
• Warlock – Upheaval
• Wildwing – Tornado
• Windranger – Powershot
• Witch Doctor – Death Ward

¹ Requires talent.

^2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.

³ No longer a channeling ability when upgraded.

Version History

Version

Description

7.07
(2017-10-31)

• Added a new option to require stop or hold command to interrupt own channeling abilities.

Patch History

Patch

Description

27 Nov 2018

• Fixed status resistance affecting the duration of the next cast of channeled abilities.

03 Aug 2018

• Fixed a bug where non-stun interrupts did not reliably cancel channeled abilities if cast an instant before the end of the channel.
  • E.g. Casting Nether Swap on a target at the last tick of channeling Town Portal Scroll.

02 Jun 2017

• Fixed a case where channeling would not be interrupted correctly with a non-stun interruption on the very last tick of the channeling duration.