Smite Evil: Why Only Melee?


General Discussion (Prerelease)

Liberty's Edge

So, the purpose of this thread isn't to debate whether or not the number of uses of Smite Evil for a paladin should change, or even what the bonuses are. My question is simple:

Why can't Smite Evil apply to ranged attacks in addition to melee?

I see no reason that it would be unbalanced. Let's say I want to make up a Dexterity based paladin rather than a Strength based one; Smite Evil with a crossbow or bow and arrow would seem an appropriate change.

Thoughts? Designer insight? Let's open this up.


It *IS* strange a Paladin of Abadar can't Smite Evil using his God's FAVORED WEAPON:
The Crossbow.

I don't really think the Paladin will suddenly be 'overpowered' by this change.

Scarab Sages Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games

I've always run that smite can be missile or melee. I really don't see any reason it should be limited to one or the other, and I would hope that PFRPG goes this direction.

Scarab Sages

I think it's just a hold-over from previous editions where missile weapons lost the properties of the bow firing them once they were released (ie. a flaming bow did not fire flaming arrows).

I think it is about time they gained this ability, as long as it specifies weapon damage. Otherwise we get sorcerers smiting evil with spells.

Liberty's Edge

Jal Dorak wrote:

I think it's just a hold-over from previous editions where missile weapons lost the properties of the bow firing them once they were released (ie. a flaming bow did not fire flaming arrows).

I think it is about time they gained this ability, as long as it specifies weapon damage. Otherwise we get sorcerers smiting evil with spells.

That seems fair to me.

To play devil's advocate, though, would it be that unbalanced for a multi-class paladin/sorcerer to be able to smite evil a few times with his rays and ranged touch attacks? He wouldn't be doing it as much as a straight paladin, and the spell wouldn't be as potent as a straight sorcerer, so it seems like it might be a decent marriage of the two. Especially considering how few Smite Evils a multi-class paladin would get.


I agree that Smite should be usable at range, but there should be a range limit. Every other kind of damage boost has a range limit, i.e. Sneak Attack. Just off the wall, say 30'. Or maybe one increment, though that isn't really fair for thrown weapons.

Another option would be that it is usable only for ranged favored weapons.

In Races od the Wild, I believe, there is a substitution level for elven paladins that grants ranged smite instead of melee smite.

I don't think it would be unbalanced or overpowered.

-Jack

Liberty's Edge

Repairman Jack wrote:

I agree that Smite should be usable at range, but there should be a range limit. Every other kind of damage boost has a range limit, i.e. Sneak Attack. Just off the wall, say 30'. Or maybe one increment, though that isn't really fair for thrown weapons.

Another option would be that it is usable only for ranged favored weapons.

In Races od the Wild, I believe, there is a substitution level for elven paladins that grants ranged smite instead of melee smite.

I don't think it would be unbalanced or overpowered.

-Jack

Now that sounds like an elegant solution to it: let it apply to any ranged attack, even ranged touch like a ray, to a limit of, say, 30 ft.

Liberty's Edge

I brought up this idea several months ago, and heard nothing but support for the idea. Note that Golarion actually includes a deity - Erastil - who is actually Lawful Good and has a ranged favored weapon; it hardly seems out of place for such a god to have paladins, and yet they will not be able to smite with his favored weapon.

The situation is even more ludicrous when you realize that the weapon divine bond does, in fact, allow - even require - ranged weapon usage, so you wind up with a situation where the paladins of Erastil and Abadar cannot use their smites and their divine bonds at the same time!

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