Improved Divine Smite

ArlenFrostlockes · Oct 2, 2016

I am confused by the wording of Improved Divine Smite in the PHB - . Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon, the creature takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage. If you also use your Divine Smite with an attack, you add this damage to the extra damage of your Divine Smite...."

Does this mean you add the result of the die to the amount done if you smite as well? In other words, does the radiant die get counted twice if you smite along with your attack?

Any help would be appreciated.

NeverLucky · Oct 2, 2016

It means you get 1d8 extra radiant damage on all of your attacks, regardless of whether or not you smite with that attack.

ArlenFrostlockes · Oct 3, 2016

If that is the case, why include this sentence in the description? It seems to me it specifically states to add that damage to the smite as well. It does not state one or the other, it states "also use divine smite add extra damage to the smite"

not trying to be difficult, just trying to understand why such a sentence would be included in description.

NeverLucky · Oct 3, 2016

The point is to clarify that the damage stacks with extra damage from Divine Smite. "You add this damage to the extra damage of your Divine Smite" means that you add 1d8 to the 2d8 or 3d8 or whatever of your normal Smites if you choose to use it. It's not a necessary sentence, but it clarifies a possible point of confusion.

CapnZapp · Oct 3, 2016

Yep, it's a bit unfortunately worded, since it really only creates more confusion than it helps.

It's really only trying to say the extra damage stacks with other extra damage such as smiting. But nobody said otherwise, so saying nothing would probably have been clearer...

PS. There's nothing AL specific about this question; perhaps we can have the thread moved to general 5E?

ArlenFrostlockes · Oct 3, 2016

I am going to understand it this way - my weapon attack does an extra d8 radiant damage separate from the smite damage, so I attack with Ironfang does 1d8 piercing, 1 d8 thunder, and 1 d8 radiant, my smite does (depending upon my spell slot lvl) 2 d8 to 5 d8. I will ignore the last sentence in the description as it really is irrelevant as a smite cannot happen unless I hit with a melee attack.

ArlenFrostlockes · Oct 3, 2016

It's really only trying to say the extra damage stacks with other extra damage such as smiting. But nobody said otherwise, so saying nothing would probably have been clearer...

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?491222-Improved-Divine-Smite#ixzz4M2zHf01W

I agree with this post - saying nothing after the melee attack sentence would have been clear and precise in my understanding of the rule