Level
1st
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
Self
Components
V, M *
Duration
Concentration
1 Minute
School
Conjuration
Attack/Save
STR Save
Damage/Effect
Piercing
You infuse the weapon used in the spell’s casting with entangling vines and make a melee or ranged attack with it against one creature within the weapon's range. On a hit, the target suffers the weapon attack’s normal effects and then becomes restrained by the magical vines until the spell ends.
While restrained by this spell, the target takes 1d6 piercing damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature restrained by the vines or one that can touch the creature can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, the target is freed.
At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
* - (a melee or ranged weapon)
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Posted Jan 4, 2023This is my idea of how I think the various "smite spells" should work (Ensnaring Strike, Wrathful Smite etc.). You make 1 weapon attack (may or may not be limited to melee according to the individual spell) as part of the spell action and if the target it hit they don't get a saving throw. You already landed your attack, meaning your spell beat their AC value. No need to give them a free reroll to avoid the effects. This is to compensate for the fact that Rangers and Paladins typically don't have a very good spell DC. I also removed the advantage on saving throws from large or larger creatures for the same reason, since they usually have really good str saves anyway. No need to make the spells designed for half-casters less useful than they need to be.
To balance this, you now get 1 chance to land the spell and cannot use it together with the Extra Attack feature.
I removed the bonus action requirement because it does nothing with the new implementation.
Edit: Forgot to update the Attack/Save section to say weapon attack, but it is laid out in the description.