The Oath of Vengeance Channel Divinity states "On a failed save, the creature is frightened for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While frightened, the creature's speed is 0, and it can't benefit from any bonus to its speed."
And Wrathful Smite states "The next time you hit with a melee weapon attack during this spell’s duration, your attack deals an extra 1d6 psychic damage. Additionally, if the target is a creature, it must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the spell ends. As an action, the creature can make a Wisdom check against your spell save DC to steel its resolve and end this spell."
It seems to me that these were literally written to play in tandem?
Would I be correct in assuming if you pop Abjure, then hit with Wrathful Smite that enemy continues to be frightened (having lost it and then regained it) AND continues to have zero speed?
I think there are several places in the rules where a feature references a condition with extra effects while the condition is present. RAW, it's a fair argument to say it works, though RAI is pretty clear (to me) that it shouldn't. I always wondered why they didn't just write it like this, though, "...While frightened [by this feature], the creature's speed is 0..." unless they thought it obvious enough so deeply embedded in the feature. Note that the analogous 2024 feature is/features are pretty different (they moved the 0 speed to an Opportunity Attack rider and the frightened condition to a separate capstone feature).
It would not continue to have 0 speed. The zero speed ends the instant the Abjure fear ends, and Wrathful Smite does not re-impose it.
Agreed. They do it this way because there are ways outside the ability's defined ones to remove the condition, and thus the rider, but the two are both parts of the same effect, and have the same lifespan. (If they wanted to do it that way, they'd have to structure it differently: "For 1 minute, creature has zero speed if they are frightened, and are frightened for the duration or until damaged".)
(Also, good luck wrathful smiting somebody and not doing them damage.)
[...] It seems to me that these were literally written to play in tandem?
Would I be correct in assuming if you pop Abjure, then hit with Wrathful Smite that enemy continues to be frightened (having lost it and then regained it) AND continues to have zero speed?
In summary:
A condition lasts for the duration specified by the effect that imposed it (see Duration)
Conditions Don’t Stack. Each instance has its own duration and is tracked independently, since they come from different sources.
So quick question;
The Oath of Vengeance Channel Divinity states "On a failed save, the creature is frightened for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While frightened, the creature's speed is 0, and it can't benefit from any bonus to its speed."
And Wrathful Smite states "The next time you hit with a melee weapon attack during this spell’s duration, your attack deals an extra 1d6 psychic damage. Additionally, if the target is a creature, it must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the spell ends. As an action, the creature can make a Wisdom check against your spell save DC to steel its resolve and end this spell."
It seems to me that these were literally written to play in tandem?
Would I be correct in assuming if you pop Abjure, then hit with Wrathful Smite that enemy continues to be frightened (having lost it and then regained it) AND continues to have zero speed?
I think there are several places in the rules where a feature references a condition with extra effects while the condition is present. RAW, it's a fair argument to say it works, though RAI is pretty clear (to me) that it shouldn't. I always wondered why they didn't just write it like this, though, "...While frightened [by this feature], the creature's speed is 0..." unless they thought it obvious enough so deeply embedded in the feature. Note that the analogous 2024 feature is/features are pretty different (they moved the 0 speed to an Opportunity Attack rider and the frightened condition to a separate capstone feature).
It would not continue to have 0 speed. The zero speed ends the instant the Abjure fear ends, and Wrathful Smite does not re-impose it.
Agreed. They do it this way because there are ways outside the ability's defined ones to remove the condition, and thus the rider, but the two are both parts of the same effect, and have the same lifespan. (If they wanted to do it that way, they'd have to structure it differently: "For 1 minute, creature has zero speed if they are frightened, and are frightened for the duration or until damaged".)
(Also, good luck wrathful smiting somebody and not doing them damage.)
In summary:
I missed that one. Perfect.