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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Removing Concentration From Smite Spells, Including Spells like Ensnaring Strike?
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<blockquote data-quote="Charlaquin" data-source="post: 8120673" data-attributes="member: 6779196"><p>The smite spells are just really weird. Having to set them up is super unintuitive and makes them awkward to use, and leaves the player open to simply forgetting to use it until it’s too late. Paladins don’t generally have a <em>ton</em> to do with their bonus action (except Vengeance Paladins, who do get Hunter’s Mark), so that isn’t <em>too</em> bad. But taking up your concentration puts them in competition with Bless. In contrast, Divine Smite doesn’t require concentration, and you decide whether or not to use it when you hit, which makes it a better use of your Paladin spell slots in most situations. You’d only really use the smite spells instead of divine smite is if you’re trying to exploit a damage vulnerability or get around a damage resistance/immunity to radiant, which is extremely rare.</p><p></p><p>EDIT: Oh, and you have to <em>prepare</em> the damn things! God, what awful spells...</p><p></p><p>I think the best way to fix the smite spells would be to change their casting time to a reaction, which you can use when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack. That way they still come at a slight opportunity cost compared to Divine Smite, but not nearly as much of one. It also saves you from having to remember to set the smite spell up <em>before</em> the attack.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Charlaquin, post: 8120673, member: 6779196"] The smite spells are just really weird. Having to set them up is super unintuitive and makes them awkward to use, and leaves the player open to simply forgetting to use it until it’s too late. Paladins don’t generally have a [I]ton[/I] to do with their bonus action (except Vengeance Paladins, who do get Hunter’s Mark), so that isn’t [I]too[/I] bad. But taking up your concentration puts them in competition with Bless. In contrast, Divine Smite doesn’t require concentration, and you decide whether or not to use it when you hit, which makes it a better use of your Paladin spell slots in most situations. You’d only really use the smite spells instead of divine smite is if you’re trying to exploit a damage vulnerability or get around a damage resistance/immunity to radiant, which is extremely rare. EDIT: Oh, and you have to [I]prepare[/I] the damn things! God, what awful spells... I think the best way to fix the smite spells would be to change their casting time to a reaction, which you can use when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack. That way they still come at a slight opportunity cost compared to Divine Smite, but not nearly as much of one. It also saves you from having to remember to set the smite spell up [I]before[/I] the attack. [/QUOTE]
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Removing Concentration From Smite Spells, Including Spells like Ensnaring Strike?
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