D&D 5E (2014) The power of smite

[Warpiglet-7]

So I have played a few warlocks with eldritch smite.

Put simply, I have found it to be great fun. So much so that I am thinking about a Paladin/cleric multiclsss.

My friends give me good nature ribbing about being a glory hog. The truth is actually that I get some dopamine from a crit but also really like deciding when to drop a smite otherwise.

As my pals chuck fireball, I am left thinking smite is not truly that disproportionally powerful.

How powerful is smite really? With its opportunity cost (not casting a same level spell) I don’t think it’s all that…

 

[iserith]

I think smite is alright, power-wise. The last paladin I played was a pretty high-level paladin/bard and my personal rule with that character was to only smite on a critical hit. Otherwise, I'd use my spells which were mostly utility and movement stuff. So a couple of times per session I'd really smack some monster down, but most of the time I felt free to use my spells to do cool stuff or get out of trouble. I also had an incredible AC that I could jack way up with shield, so the DM mostly ignored me.

 

[Oofta]

Smites are good but like everything else just depends. How often can you smite? Do you only smite on crits?

I find them fun myself which is all that matters to me. Crits actually mean something when you ca smite. Comparing numbers just depends on far too many variables and assumptions.

 

[Dioltach]

My favourite combination for a Paladin (3.5e) is Improved Critical combined with Bless Weapon: with a longsword you're doing double damage against Evil foes once every five attacks.

 

[Staffan]

The strong thing about Smite is that you activate it after the attack roll. So compared to spells and other abilities that deal similar nominal damage, it is more powerful than it looks because it essentially automatically hits (or rather, boosts an attack you already know hits).

 

[Warpiglet-7]

Yeah, I generally smite on crits or in total desperation otherwise.

I don’t don’t find them overpowered. If I go with a cleric Paladin and primarily advance cleric (one attack a round, barring feat or domain additions) I don’t think it’s that powerful. I think it’s pretty balanced and maybe iffy on a non crit.

Take spiritual guardians vs a one time 4d8…on one target. A juicy crit is nice but only 1 in 20 trypically.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I don't think Smite is overpowered.

I think it's about in the right place in 5E. It gets a disproportionate amount of attention simply because it's extremely impressive when it lands on a crit and just annihilates a monster, but I once tracked everyone's damage (and thus DPR because I also tracked fight round length) for several games, and he had a Pally, and he wasn't doing particularly high DPR, particularly not once overkill was taken into account.

So I'm definitely happy with Smite as is. It'll probably get totally unnecessarily nerfed in 1D&D though.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I don't think Smite is overpowered.

I think it's about in the right place in 5E. It gets a disproportionate amount of attention simply because it's extremely impressive when it lands on a crit and just annihilates a monster, but I once tracked everyone's damage (and thus DPR because I also tracked fight round length) for several games, and he had a Pally, and he wasn't doing particularly high DPR, particularly not once overkill was taken into account.

So I'm definitely happy with Smite as is. It'll probably get totally unnecessarily nerfed in 1D&D though.

It’s too bad if it does from a fun perspective. No crits on smiths means eldritch smite and divine smite get a lot less exciting. Unless they add another base d8!

I dunno why all the smoothing and risk averse attitude….

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I dunno why all the smoothing and risk averse attitude….

It's pretty weird.

Especially as so far in the 1D&D playtest it has absolutely only hit melee characters who are primarily martial. Spellcasters and Ranged are doing pretty good. If there's one thing 5E doesn't have it's an unfair bias towards melee, I'd say, but evidently Crawford et al disagree.

 

[Ancalagon]

the power of smite is efficiency, from an action economy point of view. How many spells can be cast with no action?