As a Minotaur(Paladin LV:2) my horns are considered melee weapons(1d6+3), can I use divine smite on them if I lose my weapon?
That’s an awkward one. First off, there’s two Minotaurs, and both of them word it differently. In ravinca, it’s “Your horns are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes.”
In MMM, it’s “You have horns that you can use to make unarmed strikes.”
So the current version says nothing about them being melee weapons. But both of them say you use them to make unarmed strikes. And since an unarmed strike doesn’t count. I’d go with no, you can’t smite with them either way.
I feel like smiting half of you here. But i will refrain due to blissful ignorance.
As Jeremy Crawford has said, Unarmed strikes are melee weapon attacks, meaning smite works.
Devils Advocate here, Jeremy also says raw you still can't smite. This isnt a balancing choice its a thematic choice that can be removed with no issue.
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"Anyone can smith at the cosmic anvil, yet only I can forge a weapon as good as thee."
I feel like smiting half of you here. But i will refrain due to blissful ignorance.
As Jeremy Crawford has said, Unarmed strikes are melee weapon attacks, meaning smite works.
Devils Advocate here, Jeremy also says raw you still can't smite. This isnt a balancing choice its a thematic choice that can be removed with no issue.
Actually, you can smite even with regular unarmed strikes, but it doesn't do any extra damage. I'm not sure if smiting with a minotaur's horns would do any extra damage or not.... I think I might interpret it that RAW, the Ravnica minotaur does do extra damage ("natural melee weapons") but the MotM minotaur doesn't ("you can use [your horns] to make unarmed strikes."). Weird.
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Paladin main who spends most of his D&D time worldbuilding or DMing, not Paladin-ing.
From Sage Advice Compendium on Unarmed Strikes and Divine Smite...
Can a paladin use Divine Smite when they hit using an unarmed strike?
No. Divine Smite isn’t intended to work with unarmed strikes.
Divine Smite does work with a melee weapon attack, and an unarmed strike can be used to make such an attack. But the text of Divine Smite also refers to the “weapon’s damage,” and an unarmed strike isn’t a weapon.
If a DM decides to override this rule, no imbalance is created. Tying Divine Smite to weapons was a thematic choice on our part—paladins being traditionally associated with weapons. It was not a game balance choice.
Just because it wasn't intended to work with it doesn't mean you can't technically. And they did call it sage advice not rule discussion rulings so if you want to get really nitty gritty then yes you can.
There is also the possibility of monk multiclass to get melee smites
This is just factually wrong. The post you replied to already explained why it doesn't work. You might be doing a melee weapon attack with your unarmed strikes, but there's no weapon's damage you could add it to. So while you could use Divine Strike with your unarmed strikes, the only thing it would do is to waste a spell slot for no additional effect.
Also the FAQ/Errata being named "Advice" has literally zero impact on what's written there. They could have named it "WotCs list of jokes and oopsies" or whatever but it wouldn't change what it is. A document containing official FAQs and Errata.
I believe what sfPanzer is saying is that both RAW and RAI, you can't currently Divine Smite with an unarmed attack. But, as Crawford notes, this is entirely for thematic and flavor purposes, so if the DM wants to rule that it can work...then Smite away! But realize if the DM is more of a stickler for the rules, then it probably won't be allowed. :)
Noobie here,Do i need to call divine smite before my hit or can i roll-hit-and then activate it ?
You decide if you wish to divine smite or not, anytime you hit. I try to smite if I roll a natural 20, remember that those dice will be doubled. So if you roll a natural 20 and use a 1st level spell slot of a divine smite, the normal 2d8 radiant damage will become 4d8! But also remember that as a half caster, paladins have limited spell slots. So if you're too smite happy, you can blow all your spell slots early in the adventuring day!
In the play testing is it true that divine smite is a spell now?
That may or may not be a part of One DnD when it comes out. Not sure it's been 100% decided until we see the finished product, but Divine Smite was a spell in the early Unearthed Arcana playtest. In one of the Unearthed Arcanas, it cost a bonus action. Right now, it costs no action. I thoroughly dislike Divine Smite being a bonus action and am more unlikely to play One DnD, if it remains like this. But, whatever, that's just me.
Here's the One DnD UA playtest version that I saw...
"DIVINE SMITE 1st-Level Evocation Spell (Paladin) Casting Time: Bonus Action, which you take immediately after hitting a target with a melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike Range: Self Component: V Duration: Instantaneous
As you hit the target, your strike glows with divine power. The target takes an extra 2d8 Radiant damage from the attack. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a Fiend or an Undead. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st"
This is why I'm trying talk my DM in to homebrewing up something like set of brass knuckles nothing major possibly changing it to 2+ str modifier so that I can actually back hand pimp slap the devine in to something that deserves it. as I think my DM would accept brass knuckles as a 'melee weapon' whilst punching. I'm thinkingsomething like the brass knuckles constatine use in the keanu reeves movie to slap the face off a demon towards the end of the film.
just reading through and noticed that you said Tiamat would be immune to 6th level or lower spells. Super cool but divine smite is not a spell. It just consumes the spell slot to do extra radiant damage on the attack. But you are not actually casting a spell. So technically you can still get the damage off.
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What if you multiclass into an artificer with the armorer archetype will the thunder gauntlets count as being an able conduit for a divine smite..?
The gauntlet counts as a simple melee weapon, so I’d say yes, it should work.
If fist weapons were a "thing" in D&D you could have a brass knuckle wielding Paladin with smiting punches.
As a Minotaur(Paladin LV:2) my horns are considered melee weapons(1d6+3), can I use divine smite on them if I lose my weapon?
That’s an awkward one. First off, there’s two Minotaurs, and both of them word it differently. In ravinca, it’s “Your horns are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes.”
In MMM, it’s “You have horns that you can use to make unarmed strikes.”
So the current version says nothing about them being melee weapons.
But both of them say you use them to make unarmed strikes. And since an unarmed strike doesn’t count. I’d go with no, you can’t smite with them either way.
I feel like smiting half of you here. But i will refrain due to blissful ignorance.
As Jeremy Crawford has said, Unarmed strikes are melee weapon attacks, meaning smite works.
Devils Advocate here, Jeremy also says raw you still can't smite. This isnt a balancing choice its a thematic choice that can be removed with no issue.
"Anyone can smith at the cosmic anvil, yet only I can forge a weapon as good as thee."
My Homebrew Please click it, they have my family.
Actually, you can smite even with regular unarmed strikes, but it doesn't do any extra damage. I'm not sure if smiting with a minotaur's horns would do any extra damage or not.... I think I might interpret it that RAW, the Ravnica minotaur does do extra damage ("natural melee weapons") but the MotM minotaur doesn't ("you can use [your horns] to make unarmed strikes."). Weird.
Paladin main who spends most of his D&D time worldbuilding or DMing, not Paladin-ing.
Yes it does? The smite damage? Of smiting an enemy in the name of your god?
"Anyone can smith at the cosmic anvil, yet only I can forge a weapon as good as thee."
My Homebrew Please click it, they have my family.
In the play testing is it true that divine smite is a spell now?
I believe what sfPanzer is saying is that both RAW and RAI, you can't currently Divine Smite with an unarmed attack. But, as Crawford notes, this is entirely for thematic and flavor purposes, so if the DM wants to rule that it can work...then Smite away! But realize if the DM is more of a stickler for the rules, then it probably won't be allowed. :)
Divine catch these hands lol
Noobie here,Do i need to call divine smite before my hit or can i roll-hit-and then activate it ?
Roll then choose whether or not to activate if you hit.
You decide if you wish to divine smite or not, anytime you hit. I try to smite if I roll a natural 20, remember that those dice will be doubled. So if you roll a natural 20 and use a 1st level spell slot of a divine smite, the normal 2d8 radiant damage will become 4d8! But also remember that as a half caster, paladins have limited spell slots. So if you're too smite happy, you can blow all your spell slots early in the adventuring day!
That may or may not be a part of One DnD when it comes out. Not sure it's been 100% decided until we see the finished product, but Divine Smite was a spell in the early Unearthed Arcana playtest. In one of the Unearthed Arcanas, it cost a bonus action. Right now, it costs no action. I thoroughly dislike Divine Smite being a bonus action and am more unlikely to play One DnD, if it remains like this. But, whatever, that's just me.
Here's the One DnD UA playtest version that I saw...
"DIVINE SMITE
1st-Level Evocation Spell (Paladin)
Casting Time: Bonus Action, which you take immediately after hitting a target with a melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike
Range: Self
Component: V
Duration: Instantaneous
As you hit the target, your strike glows with divine power. The target takes an extra 2d8 Radiant damage from the attack. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a Fiend or an Undead. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st"
This is why I'm trying talk my DM in to homebrewing up something like set of brass knuckles nothing major possibly changing it to 2+ str modifier so that I can actually back hand pimp slap the devine in to something that deserves it. as I think my DM would accept brass knuckles as a 'melee weapon' whilst punching. I'm thinkingsomething like the brass knuckles constatine use in the keanu reeves movie to slap the face off a demon towards the end of the film.
Not quite necessarily. Hit a fiend or undead and you get an extra D8.
HOLY PUUUUUUUUNCH
is sadly not possible R.A.W. :(
There are several reasons why making Smiting a spell weakens it. Counterspell, Magic Initiate, etc.
just reading through and noticed that you said Tiamat would be immune to 6th level or lower spells. Super cool but divine smite is not a spell. It just consumes the spell slot to do extra radiant damage on the attack. But you are not actually casting a spell. So technically you can still get the damage off.