I am new to DD and I was given a level 8 paladin to play. I was told that because I have 2 attacks per round that and if both hit I should be rolling damage for: Weapon + Divine Smite + any memorized smite + str/weapon enchantment if any on both attacks. Is this accurate? It doesnt seem right. Any help will be appreciated.
Yes its accurate. Eg. Greatsword +6 to hit rolls a 17 at enemy AC of 15, roll 2d6 + smite damage 3rd level 3d8 spell slot + strength modifier to damage 4.
I’m going to lay it out real detailed. You roll to hit. If you hit, your base damage is weapon+str modifier+weapon enhancement if available. If you want to do more damage, you can smite. You choose to do this after you see if you hit, but before you roll damage. To smite, you spend one of your spell slots. If you spend a level 1 slot, you add 2d8 radiant damage. A level 2 slot is 3d8, also radiant. (If the enemy is an undead or fiend, the die goes up by one.) Damage type sometimes matters, so it can be good to separate your smite die from your base die.
You can choose to smite any single time you hit (provided you have a spell slot left). So you can smite on either melee attack, or if you hit on an opportunity attack, or if you get another attack for any other reason.
Important to remember is if you crit, you get to double all your damage die, including smite die (but you do not double the modifiers. So if you were using a greatsword and crit, the sword’s 2d6 becomes 4d6 (+str mod+enhancement). Then if you use a level 2 smite, you add 6d8 to that. The lesson is, always smite when you crit.
Thank you Xalthu. What about learned spell smites? Can I use divine smite and for example thunderous smite in the same attack and.spend a spell slot for each one? Can I so that for both attacks?
Kind of. Thunderous smite takes a bonus action, then it triggers the next time you hit. So you can bonus action thunderous smite, then take your regular action which allows two attacks. If you hit on the first attack, the thunderous smite will go off. So you’d do 2d6 thunder damage+weapon damage, then if you choose to smite, you’d do the additional smite damage (2 or 3 d8). But then it’s done; if you hit with your second attack, you get nothing from it. You can still smite, but the Thunderous Smite is over. (The up side is it waits for you. If you miss with your first attack but hit with the second, it triggers then. And if you miss with both, but can maintain you concentration, it will still trigger on your next turn.)
In general, though, the smite spells are not worth it. For example with TS, it adds 2d6 damage vs a regular smite which would do 2d8. So obviously, more damage from a “smite” than a smite spell.
About the only time to use a smite spell is when the extra effect matters. Like a branding smite if you are fighting something that can go invisible, or searing smite if the enemy has fire vulnerability, or actually banishing smite most of the time to isolate an enemy. But 9 times out of 10, you are better off just using the smite for the straight damage.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I am new to DD and I was given a level 8 paladin to play. I was told that because I have 2 attacks per round that and if both hit I should be rolling damage for: Weapon + Divine Smite + any memorized smite + str/weapon enchantment if any on both attacks. Is this accurate? It doesnt seem right. Any help will be appreciated.
Yes its accurate. Eg. Greatsword +6 to hit rolls a 17 at enemy AC of 15, roll 2d6 + smite damage 3rd level 3d8 spell slot + strength modifier to damage 4.
Thank you for replying. Is that for both attacks is in the same round?
I’m going to lay it out real detailed.
You roll to hit. If you hit, your base damage is weapon+str modifier+weapon enhancement if available. If you want to do more damage, you can smite. You choose to do this after you see if you hit, but before you roll damage. To smite, you spend one of your spell slots. If you spend a level 1 slot, you add 2d8 radiant damage. A level 2 slot is 3d8, also radiant. (If the enemy is an undead or fiend, the die goes up by one.) Damage type sometimes matters, so it can be good to separate your smite die from your base die.
You can choose to smite any single time you hit (provided you have a spell slot left). So you can smite on either melee attack, or if you hit on an opportunity attack, or if you get another attack for any other reason.
Important to remember is if you crit, you get to double all your damage die, including smite die (but you do not double the modifiers. So if you were using a greatsword and crit, the sword’s 2d6 becomes 4d6 (+str mod+enhancement). Then if you use a level 2 smite, you add 6d8 to that. The lesson is, always smite when you crit.
Thank you Xalthu. What about learned spell smites? Can I use divine smite and for example thunderous smite in the same attack and.spend a spell slot for each one? Can I so that for both attacks?
Kind of. Thunderous smite takes a bonus action, then it triggers the next time you hit. So you can bonus action thunderous smite, then take your regular action which allows two attacks. If you hit on the first attack, the thunderous smite will go off. So you’d do 2d6 thunder damage+weapon damage, then if you choose to smite, you’d do the additional smite damage (2 or 3 d8). But then it’s done; if you hit with your second attack, you get nothing from it. You can still smite, but the Thunderous Smite is over. (The up side is it waits for you. If you miss with your first attack but hit with the second, it triggers then. And if you miss with both, but can maintain you concentration, it will still trigger on your next turn.)
In general, though, the smite spells are not worth it. For example with TS, it adds 2d6 damage vs a regular smite which would do 2d8. So obviously, more damage from a “smite” than a smite spell.
About the only time to use a smite spell is when the extra effect matters. Like a branding smite if you are fighting something that can go invisible, or searing smite if the enemy has fire vulnerability, or actually banishing smite most of the time to isolate an enemy. But 9 times out of 10, you are better off just using the smite for the straight damage.