D&D 5E What's Divine Smite Worth?

[GX.Sigma]

If we actually made Divine Smite into a spell (with the same casting time and duration as the other smite spells), would that fix it? I might just do that for my next campaign.

 

[LapBandit]

First, Smite is fine the way it is. If I had to replace it I'd be prone to make it a once a round ability that adds +1d8 and scales the same as the 8th level cleric ability.

 

[FrogReaver]

If we actually made Divine Smite into a spell (with the same casting time and duration as the other smite spells), would that fix it? I might just do that for my next campaign.

Kind of pointless to do that. They can just choose one of those other smite spells right?

 

[GX.Sigma]

Kind of pointless to do that. They can just choose one of those other smite spells right?

The point is to make Divine Smite weaker/less abusable.

 

[Ganymede81]

If we actually made Divine Smite into a spell (with the same casting time and duration as the other smite spells), would that fix it? I might just do that for my next campaign.

If you're going to do that, you might as well just save the work and completely delete Divine Smite and let your players use their Smite spells instead. I'm not sure adding one more fiddly damage option is worth the effort.


That's what I would do: delete Divine Smite. The preexisting Smite spells already fill the gap perfectly, while they were largely redundant beforehand.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

The point is to make Divine Smite weaker/less abusable.

Less abusable in what context? The only way to stop Paladins from winning a single fight in a day with ease is to remove the feature entirely or redesign the resource income of the game.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Divine smite is broken if you dont use the 6-8 encounters per day. It's worth a lot. It should cost a bonus to use, at least.

Divine Smite isn't AoE. It's a burst capability. As such, it isn't particularly useful in the "one or two large battles per (combat) day" either.

There are some abilities like Rage and Bladesong which really do get a boost if you have one or two big battles per day, but Divine Smite isn't like that.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

Divine Smite isn't AoE. It's a burst capability. As such, it isn't particularly useful in the "one or two large battles per (combat) day" either.

There are some abilities like Rage and Bladesong which really do get a boost if you have one or two big battles per day, but Divine Smite isn't like that.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

The Paladin gets 2 attacks, for 2 smites, and through feats or spells, can achieve more attacks in a round, for additional smites. Given this, while less efficient than AoE against say, lots of annoying enemies, it's not useless. Just somewhat wasteful. In a 1 - 2 battle a day game, a Pally still does very well.

What really burns a Paladin is having something tear through their slots, like a high health low AC enemy that also happens to be resistant to radiant damage, and can compel the Paladin to hit it and smite it or suffer some very serious consequences, like having their arms and legs torn off. Not HP damage. Having their arms and legs torn off.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Divine smite is broken if you dont use the 6-8 encounters per day.

False.

 

[Flamestrike]

Decouple it from casting, and make it an X per short rest ability that deals damage that scales with Paladin level.

I propose 2d8 at 2nd, increasing to 3d8 at 6th, 4d8 at 10th, 5d8 at 14th and 6d8 at 18th. Usable 1/ short rest at 2nd, increasing to 2/short rest at 8th, 3/short rest at 14th and 4/short rest at 20th.

If you do this, possibly making barbarian rage a 1/short rest ability (increasing to 2/ short rest at 11th) is also something to consider.