Silver Smite Bracelet and Hellknight's Smite Chaos for PFS

[Maliphian]

My Cavalier 5/Hellknight 4 in Pathfinder Society will be reaching 10 soon, so I figured that I would start planning on retirement, as it will be my first character to 12. One item I am interested in is the Silver Smite Bracelet from APG for him.

SRD wrote:

This heavy silver bracelet is etched with icons of purity, fidelity, chastity, and honor, and glows with a soft white light whenever its owner prays. The wearer of this bracelet treats her paladin level as 4 higher than normal for the purpose of her smite evil class feature.

And the description for the Smite Chaos class feature is as follows,

SRD wrote:

This ability functions as the paladin's smite evil ability, but against chaotic-aligned creatures. This ability is twice as effective against outsiders with the chaotic subtype, chaotic-aligned aberrations, and fey.

I'm wondering if the Silver Smite Bracers would work for Hellknight because Smite Chaos works "[A]s the paladin's smite evil ability" would he be counted as 4 levels higher for determing Smite Chaos' effect?

Also was wondering if it increases # of uses per day and not just the amount of damage it would deal, thanks in advance

[Scharlata]

As GM, I'd allow it to treat the HKn's level 4 higher - in analogy to other level increasing magic items as it seems to be a nice gadget not too overpowered.

Kind regards

[Maliphian]

Scharlata wrote:

As GM, I'd allow it to treat the HKn's level 4 higher - in analogy to other level increasing magic items as it seems to be a nice gadget not too overpowered.

Kind regards

Thanks for your response, getting this item will actually be a determining factor in how I continue to level as Hellknight, most DMs I've talked to agree with what you have said so I hope that will be what the ruling would be. It seems to me that it could be either way.

[Bobson]

I would say "No, but...".

Smite Chaos is similar to and based on Smite Evil, but isn't Smite Evil. The same way Wild Shape is similar to and based on various polymorphing spells, but isn't those spells. (Edit: An analogy to channel energy would probably be closer, but in those cases it usually says "You channel energy as a Xth level cleric", which is different from "This works like a cleric's channel energy")

However, I would also say that you can buy an item for the same price which does exactly the same thing for Smite Chaos as the Silver Smite Bracelet does for Smite Evil. So you can't just pick up a paladin's bracelet and benefit, but if you're purchasing it works out the same.

[Maliphian]

Bobson wrote:

I would say "No, but...".

Smite Chaos is similar to and based on Smite Evil, but isn't Smite Evil. The same way Wild Shape is similar to and based on various polymorphing spells, but isn't those spells. (Edit: An analogy to channel energy would probably be closer, but in those cases it usually says "You channel energy as a Xth level cleric", which is different from "This works like a cleric's channel energy")

However, I would also say that you can buy an item for the same price which does exactly the same thing for Smite Chaos as the Silver Smite Bracelet does for Smite Evil. So you can't just pick up a paladin's bracelet and benefit, but if you're purchasing it works out the same.

Would the stipulation in the Smite Chaos text define the ability as just a different version of smite evil, eg

"This ability functions as the paladin's smite evil ability, but against chaotic-aligned creatures"
Does the phrasing "function as the paladin's smite evil ability" means that it works as and is treated as smite evil for all intensive purposes?

[Last_Rites]

As a GM, I would say that item wouldn't work but would allow you to find an item crafting npc that could make basically the same thing that did work for you. It seems that for PFS play that your stuck at the whim of whoever is gming that session if it works or not. For society if you bought it I'd say it worked just because I wouldn't have wanted you to spend that gold for nothing.

[caubocalypse]

I would say no because the bracelet was only intended for the Paladin class when looking at the RAW. I would use your money for other things because I feel you'll find more PFS judges than naught ruling against the use of the bracelet in this fashion.