D&D 5E Paladin divine smithe, non magical weapons and damage immunities

[Ancalagon]

Hello

A simple (I hope!) but important question:

In the campaign I'm running, there is an upcoming fight vs a monster that is immune to damage from non-magical weapons. The paladin does not have a magical weapon. If he uses divine smithe.... what happens?

1: Nothing, this wasn't a "hit" (same I suppose as a sword clanging off stout armor, it didn't penetrate, so no divine damage applied)

2: The weapon and ability damage don't register, but the divine smite portion of the damage does

3: Something else?

Thanks!

 

[Nick Hatfield]

By RAW it is number 2. The radiant damage is dealt in addition to other damage of the melee attack. "Hitting" with an attack has nothing to do with the attack having to deal damage, it simply means the character managed to pierce the defenses.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

A hit is still a hit, just that no actual damage is done when there is an immunity, so things that a delivered by a successful weapon hit would still be delivered if it is something reasonable. Think of movies where the hero stabs into an enemy who then smiles or laughs at the hero and just pulls the weapon out and the wound instantly heals. If the monster is not immune to the secondary attack, whether that is a spell or smite or poison delivered by the hit, then it should still take that damage. I cannot remember if there is anything specific in the rules that says otherwise, but if there is not, then it is up to you as the DM to allow or disallow that secondary damage to succeed.

On a side note, does anyone in the party have access to any of the spells or abilities that will make a weapon temporarily magical? Also, a weapon does not have to have an actual +1, +2, or +3 to be considered a magical weapon for bypassing resistance or immunity. As long as it is magical in some way, it is good.

 

[Stalker0]

Depends how hthe damage immunity is defined.

Many monsters have resistance or immunity from bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage from nonmagic weapons.

In this type, the radiant would work as normal.

If it's just immune to nonmagic weapons...than radiant will not matter

 

[Stalker0]

Depends how hthe damage immunity is defined.

Many monsters have resistance or immunity from bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage from nonmagic weapons.

In this type, the radiant would work as normal.

If it's just immune to nonmagic weapons...than radiant will not matter

 

[Ancalagon]

Thank you for the replies folks

On a side note, does anyone in the party have access to any of the spells or abilities that will make a weapon temporarily magical? Also, a weapon does not have to have an actual +1, +2, or +3 to be considered a magical weapon for bypassing resistance or immunity. As long as it is magical in some way, it is good.

They do have the spells, but most probably not memorized.

Also, the monk has a +1 spear and is high enough level that her hands/kicks are considered magical weapons (if they are clever, the monk will toss the spear to the Paladin). They also have two very minor magical items that would count (a dagger that points north and a cane that doesn't break) but again they might not think of that. Still, with the party's spells and the paladin's smite they should be able to defeat the foe (a golem).

Incidentally, I note that golems seem far less immune to magic than they used to be...

 

[Caliburn101]

Incidentally, I note that golems seem far less immune to magic than they used to be...

Yes, both they and older Dragons are far from the terrors they used to be...

 

[Stalker0]

Incidentally, I note that golems seem far less immune to magic than they used to be...

Yep, especially once your party realizes that banishment works on them...which is a cha save...on a creature with a 1 cha

 

[Ancalagon]

The golem lasted two rounds!

But the party took the fight seriously so it's all good.

 

[Lost Soul]

my table rules that the smite goes off because it is magical but the weapon damage is nil