Can you Cleave with Lay on Hands?

[AdmundfortGeographer]

How closely do most folks read the "at the same bonus" section?

Suppose a dwarf paladin with a goblin-bane weapon smites a hobgoblin.

He's +8 normally, +2 for the smite, +2 for the bane, +1 for race, for a total of +13 to hit. The gobbo explodes.

He cleaves to a neutral human mercenary. Is he +13 to hit, or +8?

I believe the FAQ answers this.

The Cleave feat states that the extra attack is “at the same bonus as the attack that dropped the previous creature.” Does this really mean that all bonuses and penalties on the first attack roll—aid another, smite evil, flanking, true strike, and so on—apply to the second?

The “bonus” referred to by Cleave means “base attack bonus,” not “total bonus.” If a 6th-level fighter drops a foe with his second attack, he makes the extra attack using his base attack bonus –5 (the same “bonus” as he used for his second attack).

If you aren’t flanking the new foe, it’s absurd to claim that you’d get a +2 bonus on the attack roll just because you were flanking the dropped foe. Any lasting bonuses or penalties—such as from the bless spell, a high or low Strength score, being fatigued, or the like—apply to the extra attack just as they would to any other attack you make.

 

[moritheil]

I believe the FAQ answers this.

The FAQ answers many things. Sometimes it even does so correctly and without contradicting itself.

 

[Koewn]

While I won't bother with adding to the actual mechanics discussion of it, I'd have to say I'd allow it just on the visual alone (once you've chosen your LoH damage to apply, if there's any left over, let him Cleave with the remainder)

Just imagine a paladin smacking a zombie across the face and following through to the next one, Three Stooges style.

Rule 0.5: If Moe can do it, so can you.