Celestial template smite evil and trample. Questions on how they work.

[Hobit of Bree]

The wording from the celestial template on smite is confusing and reading through the boards, I still find it confusing. Do you select a single target and only do the extra damage against them as long as they are evil? That's my sense (given how other smites work), but it's unclear.

The trample ability of animals is a lot more confusing.

• How far does the animal move? Its standard movement? 2x that because it's a full-round action?

• Are there any restrictions on that movement? Given the wording about creatures being affected only once and the lack of anything else, I assume there are no restrictions and it can run in a circle, zig-zag, whatever.

• Does power attack apply to a trample? I assume not given there is no attack roll, but the ability references the slam of the attacker, which would get the bonus...

• Does the smite damage apply? I'd say yes.

  Just to me, when I think about a bison trampling, I feel like it should be more-or-less moving fast (certainly faster than walking) and should be moving in more-or-less a straight line.
  

[Apraham Lincoln]

You can move upto twice speed for a trample

FAQ says:

Trample: The Trample Universal Monster Rule indicates that the monster is moving around as part of the trample, but it never says how far it can move. How far can a trampling creature move?
A trampling creature can move up to twice its land speed as part of the trample. FAQ

You can move about as you trample. the only restrictions are that you can enter the square and any creatures in those squares must be 1 size smaller than you or smaller.

Power attack wouldnt apply. Its a special attack without an attack roll

You could smite evil as a swift action and then trample it. The bonus to attack wouldnt affect but the bonus damage would i think affect the target of your smite but not other evil foes who happened to be also trampled

[Yorien]

My opinion

Smite XXX: Yes. You pick a target and activate smite as swift action, if the target is subject to smite (i.e, the target is evil for a Smite Evil), then you'll add CHA bonus to attack rolls and the target will take extra damage from your attacks. If target is no evil, then you lost your daily use.

Trample You can either use it as normal movement (still counts as a full round action) or as part of a charge. In both cases you forego the overrun maneuver to deal damge instead.

If you trample as movement (you still take a full-round action), you move at single speed (6 squares if 30ft, 8 squares if 40ft...) but you can zig-zag and stop where you want as long as you "cross" a target's square at least once as part of your movement (also, you only trample once per creature, cannot trample back and forth several times through one, although you can trample through several creatures in a single round).

If you trample as part of a Charge then you move at double speed but must abide by charging movement rules (move at least 10 ft before you reach the oponent's square, must have clear path and no squares blocking or slowing movement...). Since you must overrun the creature, you must have enough movement to "cross" it's square (you can stop directly after you cross the target's square or keep moving forward in a straight line); you drop the charge attack.

Power Attack By RAW, no. You must declare you use Power Attack before you make an attack roll, Trample doesnt make an attack roll so you cannot declare you use PA.

Smite when Trampling. Yes. Smite grant bonuses to both attack rolls and damage rolls. While trample doesn't require an attack roll, it still makes a damage roll, and the damage from smite will apply to it if the target was eligible.

[Hobit of Bree]

Apraham Lincoln wrote:

You can move upto twice speed for a trample

** spoiler omitted **

You can move about as you trample. the only restrictions are that you can enter the square and any creatures in those squares must be 1 size smaller than you or smaller.

Power attack wouldnt apply. Its a special attack without an attack roll

You could smite evil as a swift action and then trample it. The bonus to attack wouldnt affect but the bonus damage would i think affect the target of your smite but not other evil foes who happened to be also trampled

Wow, should have checked the FAQ. It didn't come up on a Google search, so I just assumed there wasn't a FAQ entry.

Trample is pretty darn powerful (the monster version at least).