Was reading through the new players handbook and came across the Paladin’s spell once beloved feature Divine Smite.
I’m confused at how the spell lasts for 1 minute but the spell description states extra damage from the attack. But it doesn’t say anything about ending after the attack hits.
It reads as follows:
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action, Which you take immediately after hitting a target with a melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 Minute
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.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 1.
Was reading through the new players handbook and came across the Paladin’s spell once beloved feature Divine Smite.
I’m confused at how the spell lasts for 1 minute but the spell description states extra damage from the attack. But it doesn’t say anything about ending after the attack hits.
It reads as follows:
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action, Which you take immediately after hitting a target with a melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 Minute
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.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 1.
Any help/ insights would be much appreciated.
Both the physical book and the Compendium list the duration as Instantaneous. That's just a Beyond typo.
It is a nerf, but a well-deserved one imo. Anything fueled by spell slots punches well above its weight as an action and being able to double or triple down on that breaks the game; that's why the bonus action spellcasting rule exists and why so many multiclass builds tried to get around it by dipping into Fighter or Paladin.
The fact that it had no action cost and a 100% success rate because you only spend it after confirming the hit, it has no save and it's a damage type that's rarely ever resisted made it particularly egregious. Other spells run the risk of missing, failing a save, or doing half damage. The damage is barely any lower than other 1st level single-target spells that eat up your whole action despite that.
It stepped on the Rogue's toes by giving Paladins powerful opportunity attacks, it kinda showed up the Fighter's Action Surge as well, and its status as a class feature rather than a spell led to some confusion over whether it's magical or not.
With the new TWF rules that let you get an attack in without expending a bonus action, and the new Dual Wielder feat letting you get a second TWF attack on top of that (which was really needed to keep TWF competitive with heavy weapons for Fighters), letting Divine Smite continue to function like in 2014 wasn't going to fly. It's not like they nerfed its damage, and the free use you get per day is still a buff.
So now it only can be used once per round AND it costs the Bonus Action? Thats imo a double nerf on the main Paladin Skill?
Eh. While it does restrict the amount of damage you can do on a single hit, it doesn't change the amount of damage you can do over the slightly longer term. And in exchange, you get consistent mechanics on all the smites, and all the smites for effect no longer require concentration.
And it's really a single nerf, since the only reason you can't use it more is the lack of bonus actions.
That's also true, the 2014 version of the smite spells were really limiting. Having to drop your concentration on something like Bless to trigger a short-lived effect like Searing Smite that statistically won't last more than 2 turns, simply because they decided you have to cast the spell first and then score a hit was really annoying.
Greetings, I have a question as well: as it states "1 Bonus Action, Which you take immediately after hitting a target with a melee weapon" couldn't you be using "Magic action" a melee hit cantrip as booming blade and bonus action smite?
Greetings, I have a question as well: as it states "1 Bonus Action, Which you take immediately after hitting a target with a melee weapon" couldn't you be using "Magic action" a melee hit cantrip as booming blade and bonus action smite?
Yes: it doesn’t specify the Attack option, so hitting a creature with a melee weapon during a Magic action will allow you to use Divine Smite. (It just needs to be a hit during your turn, as it requires the use of your Bonus Action.)
Was reading through the new players handbook and came across the Paladin’s spell once beloved feature Divine Smite.
I’m confused at how the spell lasts for 1 minute but the spell description states extra damage from the attack. But it doesn’t say anything about ending after the attack hits.
It reads as follows:
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action, Which you take immediately after hitting a target with a melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 Minute
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.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 1.
Any help/ insights would be much appreciated.
Both the physical book and the Compendium list the duration as Instantaneous. That's just a Beyond typo.
That makes sense 10-4 thank you very much!
So now it only can be used once per round AND it costs the Bonus Action? Thats imo a double nerf on the main Paladin Skill?
It is a nerf, but a well-deserved one imo. Anything fueled by spell slots punches well above its weight as an action and being able to double or triple down on that breaks the game; that's why the bonus action spellcasting rule exists and why so many multiclass builds tried to get around it by dipping into Fighter or Paladin.
The fact that it had no action cost and a 100% success rate because you only spend it after confirming the hit, it has no save and it's a damage type that's rarely ever resisted made it particularly egregious. Other spells run the risk of missing, failing a save, or doing half damage. The damage is barely any lower than other 1st level single-target spells that eat up your whole action despite that.
It stepped on the Rogue's toes by giving Paladins powerful opportunity attacks, it kinda showed up the Fighter's Action Surge as well, and its status as a class feature rather than a spell led to some confusion over whether it's magical or not.
With the new TWF rules that let you get an attack in without expending a bonus action, and the new Dual Wielder feat letting you get a second TWF attack on top of that (which was really needed to keep TWF competitive with heavy weapons for Fighters), letting Divine Smite continue to function like in 2014 wasn't going to fly. It's not like they nerfed its damage, and the free use you get per day is still a buff.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
Eh. While it does restrict the amount of damage you can do on a single hit, it doesn't change the amount of damage you can do over the slightly longer term. And in exchange, you get consistent mechanics on all the smites, and all the smites for effect no longer require concentration.
And it's really a single nerf, since the only reason you can't use it more is the lack of bonus actions.
That's also true, the 2014 version of the smite spells were really limiting. Having to drop your concentration on something like Bless to trigger a short-lived effect like Searing Smite that statistically won't last more than 2 turns, simply because they decided you have to cast the spell first and then score a hit was really annoying.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
Would a barbarian still be able to use smite while raging with the changes? I am not sure myself clarification would be great.
It's a spell, so no.
Greetings, I have a question as well: as it states "1 Bonus Action, Which you take immediately after hitting a target with a melee weapon" couldn't you be using "Magic action" a melee hit cantrip as booming blade and bonus action smite?
Yes: it doesn’t specify the Attack option, so hitting a creature with a melee weapon during a Magic action will allow you to use Divine Smite. (It just needs to be a hit during your turn, as it requires the use of your Bonus Action.)
Thanks. It sounds strong 😛
The death of multi classing