D&D General Eldritch Smite vs Paladin Smite (plus a house rule already)

[Xeviat]

Eldritch Smite did not get the same treatment as Paladin Smite.

ELDRITCH SMITE
Prerequisite: Level 5+ Warlock, Pact of the Blade Invocation
Once per turn when you hit a creature with your pact weapon, you can expend a Pact Magic spell slot to deal an extra 1d8 Force damage to the target, plus an additional 1d8 per level of the spell slot, and you can give the target the Prone condition if it is Huge or smaller.

So Divine Smite gets turned into a bonus action spell but Eldritch Smite stays no action? I'm going to be using a house rule for smite already:

LEVEL 2: PALADIN'S SMITE
Once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee weapon or unarmed strike, you can expend a Paladin spell slot to smite the creature.

When you use this ability, choose a smite that you know. At 2nd level, you begin knowing 2 smites. As you gain levels, you learn additional smites based on the Smites Known column on the Paladin class chart (lines up with proficiency bonus). Many smites have level prerequisites, and some require using a minimum spell slot level.

Divine Smite: The target takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage, plus an additional 1d8 radiant damage per level of the spell slot expended. If the target is a fiend or an undead, it takes a further additional 1d8 radiant damage.
Searing Smite: The target takes an additional 1d6 fire damage per spell slot level, and it starts Burning for 1 minute. At the start of each of its turns, it takes fire damage equal to 1d6 plus 1 per spell level. At the end of each of its turns, it makes a Dexterity saving throw, ending the burning early on a success.
Thunderous Smite: your stroke rings with thunder that is audible for 300 feet, and the target takes 1d6 Thunder damage, plus an additional 1d6 damage per spell slot level. Additionally, if the target is a creature it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away from you and be knocked Prone.
Wrathful Smite: the target takes additional Psychic damage equal to 1d6 per spell slot level. Additionally, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, it repeats the save, ending the effect early on a success.
Shining Smite: Prerequisite: level 5+ Paladin, 2nd level spell slot; the target takes 1d6 Radiant damage per spell slot level. Additionally, the target radiats bright light in a 5 foot radius for 1 minute. While glowing, attack rolls against it have Advantage and it cannot benefit from the invisible condition. At the end of each of its turns, it makes a Wisdom saving throw to end the effect early.
Blinding Smite: Prerequisite: level 9+ Paladin, 3rd level spell slot; the target is blinded for 1 minute and it takes an additional XdY Radiant damage, plus XdY per spell slot level above 3rd. At the end of each of its turns, the target makes a Constitution save, ending the condition early on a success.
Staggering Smite; Prerequisite: level 13+ Paladin, 4th level spell slot; the target takes additional Psychic damage equal to 1d6 per spell slot level, and the target succeed a Wisdom saving throw or be Stunned until the end of your next turn.
Banishing Smite; Prerequisite: level 17+ Paladin, 5th level spell slot; the target takes an additional 5d10 Force damage and must make a Charisma saving throw. If it fails, it is banished to a harmless demiplane for 1 minute. While there, the target is incapacitated. At the end of each of its turns, the Banished creature makes a Charisma saving throw, ending the effect; the target suffers disadvantage on its saving throws if it is Bloodied. At the end of the duration, the target returns to its previous space, or the nearest empty space if it is occupied. If the target is an Aberration, Celestial, Elemental, Fey, or Fiend, the target doesn't return if you maintain concentration for the full minute. Instead, it returns to its home plane or a plane associated with its creature type.

I slipped in some changes, mostly on duration but also to searing smite's damage scaling so it doesn't ridiculously outstrip divine Smite.

This structure also allows me to add a special smite to each of the paths:
Smite of Devotion
Smite of the Ancients
Smite of Glory
Smite of Vengeance
I haven't thought on what they could do, but I'm excited thinking about it, plus for the other Oaths.

What do you think? It allows the paladin to have a feature like the Rogues Cunning Strike and the Barbarian's Brutal Strike, reducing the damage of their Smite to add effects. It also is giving me ideas on how to adjust Favored Enemy in a way I prefer.

Thoughts?

 

[DrJawaPhD]

I would change the wording to "Once per turn on your turn" to disallow smiting on reaction attacks. Otherwise yeah this is what WotC should've done in the first place.

Or changing it to say "Once per turn when you take the Attack action" could work as well (this allows smiting on Readied reaction attacks, but disallows smiting on bonus action attacks, if either of those matter to you)

I'm confused why you would nerf Searing Smite scaling. It should be doing more damage than Divine Smite since you are delaying damage and thus lowering its value. Also why change from CON save to DEX save? You aren't saving to dodge anything, you're saving to tolerate the pain.

 

[Xeviat]

I would change the wording to "Once per turn on your turn" to disallow smiting on reaction attacks. Otherwise yeah this is what WotC should've done in the first place.

Or changing it to say "Once per turn when you take the Attack action" could work as well (this allows smiting on Readied reaction attacks, but disallows smiting on bonus action attacks, if either of those matter to you)

Oh, I love that!

I'm confused why you would nerf Searing Smite scaling. It should be doing more damage than Divine Smite since you are delaying damage and thus lowering its value. Also why change from CON save to DEX save? You aren't saving to dodge anything, you're saving to tolerate the pain.

With a 3rd level spell slot, Divine Smite deals 4d8 (18). Searing Smite deals 3d6 (10.5) on your turn and then 3d6 (10.5) at the start of their turn, and that's before the 10.5 if they fail their save. That's a no brainer, as the extra damage is at the start of their turn, before they get a chance to do anything (except reactions maybe). It seems like a no brainer unless the target is resistant to fire.

I think it should be changed to Dex because 1) Con saves tend to be high for monsters and 2) because you're patting out the flames, not enduring them. If you were enduring them, the duration wouldn't end and the save would be to resist the damage each round.

 

[mellored]

Eldritch Smite is limited to Pact slots.

Meaning you can't take 2 level of warlock go valor bard to smite with level 9 slots.

 

[Gladius Legis]

I'd just make Eldritch Smite a bonus action like the rest of them. Easier that way and matches the clear design intent for all other smites.

 

[Gladius Legis]

With a 3rd level spell slot, Divine Smite deals 4d8 (18). Searing Smite deals 3d6 (10.5) on your turn and then 3d6 (10.5) at the start of their turn, and that's before the 10.5 if they fail their save.

Divine Smite is still better guaranteed damage on a crit.

It's also, at that level of spell slot, still better guaranteed damage on a normal hit against a fiend or undead (and fiends tend to resist fire, so even moreso them).

 

[mellored]

I would change the wording to "Once per turn on your turn"

"once on your turn" is a little cleaner.