how does missing effect "Smite Evil"?

[stripes]

How does Smite Evil interact with missing an attack roll?

* Is it something that must be declared before the attack roll is made, and is lost if the roll fails?

* Is it something that I can declare after I make the roll and find out it is successful (presumably before I roll damage dice)?

* Or does it work more like a "charged touch attack" where I declare my smiting before the attack, and it applies to the next thing I actually manage to hit?

* None of the above?

 

[Maleketh]

The first one. You declare the smite at the time you make the attack, before rolling to see whether you hit. If it misses, the smite is wasted.

 

[shilsen]

The first one. You declare the smite at the time you make the attack, before rolling to see whether you hit. If it misses, the smite is wasted.

What he said.

 

[stripes]

The first one. You declare the smite at the time you make the attack, before rolling to see whether you hit. If it misses, the smite is wasted.

Ok, I had suspected as much. However, I couldn't find anything specifically stating that.

Is it specifically part of "Smite Evil"? Or is it a more general rule?

(and a reference would be nice, I would like something to quote to someone who has more of a vested stake in the rules working out "his way" then I do)

 

[shilsen]

Ok, I had suspected as much. However, I couldn't find anything specifically stating that.

Is it specifically part of "Smite Evil"? Or is it a more general rule?

(and a reference would be nice, I would like something to quote to someone who has more of a vested stake in the rules working out "his way" then I do)

I'd say it's both part of Smite Evil ("a paladin may attempt to smite evil" indicates, to me, that you may attempt it and fail) and a general rule, since in most cases when you have abilities which are usable a finite number of times per day, they are used up whethere successful or not.

For some non-core support, you can look at the Charging Smite alternative class feature in PHB2 (pg. 53), which says that if you try to smite on a charge and fail to hit, "the smite ability is not considered used." This addition would be unnecessary unless smites are normally used up when one tries to smite and misses.

 

[glass]

I'd say it's both part of Smite Evil ("a paladin may attempt to smite evil" indicates, to me, that you may attempt it and fail) and a general rule, since in most cases when you have abilities which are usable a finite number of times per day, they are used up whethere successful or not.

Smite includes a bonus to hit. That kinda indicates that it has to declared before the attack roll!


glass.

 

[stripes]

Smite includes a bonus to hit. That kinda indicates that it has to declared before the attack roll!

D'oh!

Of _corse_

Thanks all.

 

[Sitara]

Make sure you take the extra smite feat (2 extra smites). Its very cheap for what it does; plus you can stack power attack or combat expertise with your smites making them even more uber.